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…it’s early, but the buzz around baseball suggests Francisco Rodriguez could ask for up to a five-year contract, while Manny Ramirez could seek up to five as well…though there is question that either will reach that level…
That said, according to Ken Davidoff in Newsday, “The Mets have convinced themselves that Rodriguez just isn’t worth the money,” and, “They have no intention of pursuing Ramirez at this point.”
However, earlier this week, on his blog for ESPN 1050, Andrew Marchand wrote that the Mets plan to be in on the Rodriguez sweepstakes, while citing an executive with knowledge of the team’s thinking.
Davidoff continues on to wonder what the Mets will actually do, if Rodriguez, Ramirez and CC Sabathia are not an option.
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Good move. The only value Manny ever had to any team recently was the Dodgers for the last half of this year? You think he’s going to play as hard as that once he signs his $100+ million 4-5 year contract? Not a chance.
Bleh that first question mark. We really need an edit feature.
yeah that’s the only value he ever had to any team…you have to be kidding me…he won the ws mvp in 2004 and helped them win in 2007…most importantly he has balls unlike anyone else on the mets…and things soured in boston…I’m not saying your completely wrong bc im sure theyll be times that he wont play hard over a 4 yr deal but hes still one of the greatest right-handed hitters in baseball history…hes worth looking into and i think omar is playing it cool with these guys…he doesnt want to drive up there price so early…i cant see omar not having interest in manny
Manny’s always thought he was the one in charge. Did you even hear the whole “I’m going to the highest bidder” thing? Now that he has Boras I guarantee his head has gotten twice as big. Sure you can go sign Manny for 20+ mil a year but don’t say you didn’t see it coming when one day he just decides his knee hurts because he feels like it hurts. Boston is not a stupidly run ball club.
Hear! Hear!
The ONLY thing Manny cares more about than money is….Manny.
Manny, contrary to what you may see on the field, is actually one of the hardest working players in baseball. Outside of his injured 2007, he’s shown it.
It’s not that I don’t like Manny. I do. He’s a great hitter. But the Mets should not risk signing the man until he’s 43. It makes no fiscal sense.
If he takes three years and some form of option and buyout, then sign the man. Otherwise, avoid it.
as for K-rod, his mechanics make me worry that he’ll lose velocity, and there are more efficient ways to get closers (other than blockbuster contracts and losing two draft picks)
Better ways to get a 37 year old aging veteran with bad knees too.
Guess we’re good enough the way we are – with Heilman as the new closer and Tatis in left field. I hope this is merely negotiating rhetoric.
Do you honestly want to give a guy $15 million to run in circles in the outfield, play when he feels like, and maybe put 50% into his offensive production?
Or a guy that if he does not get what he wants he leaks that he will undergo season ending knee surgery?
haha 15 million…if manny signed at 15 per year itd be a no brainer this guy aint signing for less than 20
You are the most short-sighted person I’ve ever come into contact with.
Have you ever considered that there are other ways to get a closer? Perhaps trade for a hard-throwing starter?
What if we trade Delgado for Edwin Jackson and make him our closer? That may actually be more efficient than K-rod…
What if we sign or trade for someone else?
What about signing someone from Japan?
There are never only one or two answers to a problem in real-life, my friend.
Sheesh this like the trade deadline all over again. We’re interested in everyone and no one at the same time.
An actuall sign that Omar is a decent GM.
Manny I completely understand. His offense is nice but the contract is too long and he comes with too much baggage. Krod, I am undecided. I would not be upset if they signed him being it’s a glaring hole and he is young. I would not be upset if they did not as long as they brought in a trade guy or got creative. Just no Fuentes, PLEASE!
Agreed, TRS86. Fuentes is a fine pitcher often more times than not, but the fact of the matter is that he has lost the closing job twice in the past 3 years. If he succumbs to the pressure in Colorado, how is he going to do here? Not even to mention that Fuentes is 33 years old already. I can not justify giving this man the money he will want when there are other options to seriously consider.
Also, look up the postseason statistics on K-Rod and Fuentes.
Like I said, to me Fuentes is worth about 2 years 12 million. That’s it.
I understand and your point on the other post is dead on. For that extra 3-5 million we get a young closer for the next few years…I think omar will sign krod and this is all just to mess with boras’s head since we might be the greatest in need of his services…omars a business man.
I missed it. Is Boras’ his agent too?
Dirty, based on limited research I don’t think he is. According to MLBcontracts it’s Paul Kinzer, Israel Negron. Do they work for Boras?
o my bad lol i must have been thinking about a different player when i wrote my post, your right..I just think omar is manipulating the market you know…lessen our demand kind of thing..
I certainly hope so. To rely on ‘creativity’ would be suicide, i.e., Heilman, Ayala or Parnell.
I’m fine with this. Manny would be an awful sign – he wouldn’t play nearly as hard as he did last year (contract year). Krod is going to be expensive and want a long-term contract – if they can sign or trade for another option for less $ per year and less years, I think that would be optimal. Especially because that would mean they could sign a better starter.
how would this be an awful signing…just take a look at his numbers…he maybe dogged it for a couple of months this year early on bc things has soured with the boston front office…imagine year after year after year what it is like to deal with trade rumors at the deadline…would that make you feel wanted…and i dont want to stick up for him bc what he did with the sox is pitiful but i just hink it was a different situation and i think he would try if he were on the mets
Article in Wednesday’s WSJ on the Rays and how the economy is killing any new stadium plans for them and how any hope to increase ticket sales will be impacted by the economy. Have to think a lot of small and mid market teams will be affected right away by the economy.
As the Mets had great timing and were able to sell all their luxury right before the crisis hit, they should not be impacted much heading into the new stadium. longer-term who knows. I still have to think the Wilpons will be reluctant to pay long term money to Manny or K-Rod given the state of the economy.
It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few months. Not a good time to be a free agent.
Do you think Citi is happy paying 30 mil a year for naming rights right now?
Oh lord. Here we go again. The guy that lost a fortune on the stock market is here to doom the world again.
Go do some research on sports during the Great Depression where unemployment was over 25%.
Example, the Harlem Globetrotters (Not from NY but from Chicago incase you did not know). The trotters made their name and had some of their most successful years at the height of the GD in 1931. During 1931 they played a streak of 61 straight nights.
Check out what happen to baseball attendance during the Depression.
Comparing today to the Depression is about as dumb as it gets. Back then baseball was the main major sport. Football and basketball did not peak until later on and collegiate sports were not as popular as today. Its two different eras pal.
I should give up trying to enlighten a moron like you. You have to be a complete zero not to think Major League Baseball and professional sports will not suffer over the next few years.
Like I said, go do some research. EVERY depression and recession has shown an INCREASE in sports ticket sales.
And you are right, this current problem in the market is no where near as bad as the depression or even as bad as the Carter years. What does that matter. Fact is that even the Globetrotters a new team with all black players (except for Abe their coach and lone sub) were able to play 200 nights in 1 year and 61 straight in 1931. Where did people get the money to go to these games? And it’s not like they were only playing in the big cities.
Ever hear of boxing and horse racing? They were much more popular back then. Football and basketball have not so much increased the sports audience as much as taken fans from other sports.
Sports and entertainment do very well during bad economic times.
To Hubie, of course….
Change that Kingman, if Hubie would even bother to do research he would find out that sports and entertainment do BETTER during recession and depressions. Come on Hubie, look it up. Check out what happen to sports attendace in the 70’s under Carter and double digit unemployment.
Yes, sports and Hollywood did very well during the 1930s, and in the 1970s as well.
And as several have pointed out, with the mas*ive wealth in the NY/NJ/CT area, combined with owning their own TV network, the Mets will be in a far better position to succeed in a lengthy economic downturn than just about any other team.
Exactly even if the economy did effect ticket sales, which history has proven it does not, then every thing would even out. If Krod can’t get a big deal from the Mets of all people then he won’t be getting a big deal from anyone.
Remember that in the ’30s, baseball team owners controlled the market and held salaries down artificially with the reserve clause, allowing them to reap the lion’s share of profits and still offer ticket prices that working families could afford (gate receipts and stadium concessions comprised a much larger percentage of team income than they do now.)
Today’s owners are more directly subject to the whims of the market, and ticket prices must rise with an increase in payroll. it will be interesting to see next year’s attendance figures throughout baseball; if fans stay home and stop buying the gear, sports owners will be feeling the pinch, just like the rest of us.
I have to agree with therealsince86.
I think economic woes leads to untold stress and depression for many Americans. So what do they do? They try and escape it through entertainment. And how better to be entertained than at a sunny, green-lit ballpark with your son/daughter.
Attendance won’t rise, but I don’t think it will suffer as much as some are saying…
Oh, you are here again throwing insults out again. Its amazing what a moron you are. Aren’t you teacher too? God help your students.
Did I insult you? Come on. Are you really that weak?
Seriously, every post you have ever made has been about the economy. Does it not get old? People have and always will turn to sports to get away from the real world. That is why attendance usually INCREASES during recessions and depressions. People do not come to this blog to read about the doom of society and the economy. There are plenty of boards about that. Have you ever noticed you are the ONLY one that ever post any thing about the economy on here?
Dude, sports attendance went up in the past when tickets were $2, not $70-$80.
If you don’t like what I post then don’t respond. Just ignore it. Its not that tough of a concept.
100% correct thereal.
i come here to read about baseball because it makes me happy. i come here to not think about the things in life that are stress factors for me. i understand the economy is important, but please lets keep the economy, politics, and religion off this board!
People WILL STILL GO TO THE GAMES. Are you serious? Are you seriously going to say that they would go then because the tickets were 2.00 instead of 70? Have you ever heard of inflation? a Coke cost a nickel then. LOL.
I would be interested to see the inflation adjusted prices of tickets in the 1930’s compared to what Citi Fields seats are going for in 2009.
Fine, sports did well in the Great Depression. I understand your point.
But there’s no way you can tell me that people are going to be as willing or able to go to a game in 2009 if it’s going to cost $300 for two people, when they can’t pay their mortgage.
It sounds like you’re saying attendance will actually increase, and yet all I hear from owners and teams is that they are all very worried about the bad economy.
We’ll see if this is really “great timing” by the Mets moving into an expensive new stadium. Maybe the smartest thing they did was reduce the number of seats to keep demand artificially high.
I don’t think anyone really knows how the economy is going to affect organizations over the next few years. Yea, ticket sales will probably remain relatively high, but merchandise sales and corporate sponsorship/luxury box revenues are teams’ real money-makers and who knows what will happen to those. I would also venture to guess that baseball ticket prices now represent a higher portion of people’s income, inflation or no.
So who’s everyone voting for?
kidding, kidding
I am just basing my opinion on history.
Most of these places have waiting list for season tickets. It may impact your average person a little. However, in the past people have chosen to spend more money on sports and less on other luxuries such as vacations and other excess spending.
I guess it makes sense. “Honey we can’t go on vacation this year so why don’t we half of that money to spend on…….”
Reyes the corportations are going to continue to buy those luxury boxes no matter what. It’s nothing compared to how much they give out in bonus money or the cost of wineing and dinning a customer in another way.
The cheap seats prices may have to be adjusted but that won’t really impact anything the team does.
I used an inflation calculator:
$2 tickets in 1932 would be $27 in 2008.
I looked on StubHub and cheap Citifield tickets for April can easily be found for $20-30 bucks.
Sorry Hubie. You just lost the game.
Yup, average ticket price for MLB right now is 27.50.
Pretty interesting volley by Hubie and the real. Its a pretty healthy thing to flesh these issues out with more than one brain going at a question.
I think externalities need to be factored when considering the baseball free agent landscape.
I also think that realestate prices as well as credit availability would strongly influence a teams ability to build a new stadium. The Rays prob will not get their new stadium for a while. The Mets and Yanks were very lucky to be able to build when they did.
I wonder if the $2 dollar tickets were the cheap seats?
Thanks, I think it bothers Hubie. But as for your question about ticket prices, no. There was not as many “high dollar” seats back then anyway.
I wonder if we took on another salary guy if we could get Bengie Molina from the Giants for catcher. That would make the bottom of the lineup much better. He is owed 6 million. Maybe we could get Molina and Winn for Evans, Schnieder and cash? It would save them 14 million dollars if we sent 5 million to cover Scnider in the deal. Winn would be a short term replacement in LF and could bat 2nd or 8th.
Reyes, Murphy, Wright, Delgado, Beltran, Church, Molina, Winn
That’s a pretty deap lineup.
looking at the numbers.
offensivly edge goes to molina no question(if i remember correctly omar really wanted to get that guy).
defensivly(not by a dramatice differance) edge goes to brian.
If omar can find a way to get this done, id be ok with it.
So how much of an increase in payroll would that be? 15 mil? That would not be bad but I’d first like the mets to focus on pitching, pitching, and more pitching…if there is 15 million left over then I wouldnt mind that move
But really in the long run it would not even cost us that much as the only holes we would have left would be pitching.
Manny is not nearly as necessary as K-Rod is. The Mets need a good closer, and unless they can pry Soria away from the Royals, I dunno what else they can do, because I don’t trust one single relief pitcher in this organization to close games.
No doubt we will have to bring in someone unless they were serious about Maine, which I have my doubts about him being able to do it anyway.
But there are plenty of other options besides Krod, Fuentes and Soria.
there may be plenty of options but the mets need a good one. soria is going nowhere. why does everyone keep bringing him up like he’s on the block?
thank you…no soria people move on…
Would anyone here like to see Kunz be given the 7th inning to start the year and tell him its his to lose? I want to see what this kid can do.
I want to see Parnell and Kunz in the BP this season. Why not let them stink instead of the other guys?
exactly my point! bring up the youth and let them prove they deserve to be there.
we all saw the flare and spark that murphy and evans provided in the field, we need that in the pen.
plus ive said it a bunch of times on this board in the past couple of weeks, but i have a lot of faith that sanchez will return to form next year and heilman will be given that shot at the 5th spot. if he actually was battling an injury all year, he’ll be able to recover in the offseason and hopefully come back strong.
the mets said they are going to get creative….lets see how creative they get!
I think this can’t be determined until early April, based on their spring performances, but sure, they should definitely be given the opportunities..but here’s hoping it’s a cat fight and we have to leave a talented guy out rather than having to bring up a guy on hope.
One person says one thing. Another says the opposite.
Who do you trust?
And it ain’t even Nov. 1.
welcome to the unofficial start to the hot stove!
I haven’t seen this linked to our team but what about a 2 year with an option for Kerry Wood to close?
He’d be cheaper than K-Rod and already know the hitters in the NL. He is a little injury prone so I think we would still need a viable setup guy who could close (Parnell?) and be grommed as the future closer.
I don’t think Chicago will let him go. I think it would be wise for them to save that money and let the kid close but I doubt that will happen.
Speaking of creative.
What if the Mets went out and signed Lowe and Garland and let Maine compete for closer with Juan Cruz and Everyday Eddie.
BP Maine, Cruz, Eddie, Stokes, Parnell, Kunz, LHRP.
Heilman, Vargas 1 and 2, and Niese compete for the #5 spot.
SP: Johan, Pelfrey, Lowe, Garland, Heilman/Vargas1&2/Niese.
Ok I’m really confused. Who is Everyday Eddie?
From Baseball reference: Edward Adrian Guardado (Everyday Eddie)
garland and heilman with juan cruz and everday eddie as your bullpen additions? possibly the worst idea ever.
First time since 2003 that the Series will not be a sweep…I’m surprised nobody mentioned that last night.
If one of the teams wasn’t an overachieving bunch of losers, I’d almost say it’s the best world series in a while.
In a weird kind of way, it would be nice to see Kazmir and Cliff Floyd and Steve Henderson jumping on the pile on the mound celebrating while Utley and Rollins and Victorino watch from the dugout….
lol good point kingman…in a weird way the mets are still involved in this..
Well, the Tigers did win a game in 2006….that might be why…
Opps…your right (game 2)…Well why let the facts get in the way of a good story!
Actually, after I thought about what you said, I looked it up and was really surprised that that one win by the Tigers is the only win by a loser in the last four WS, which are 16–1 for the winners! Scrolling through the WS list on baseball reference shows that this is the ONLY time this has happened ever.
So it was still a really good point.
I think Wood is a FA? He would have to be cheaper than K-Rod and if you are going to pay 6 MIl a year for Fuentes I would rather take a chance with Wood. He’s pitched in a playoff race and in a big city and also hasn’t lost his closers job twice!!!!!
I just don’t think he will leave Chicago nor will they let him. I realize he is a FA but I think the interest is mutual to get him to stay.
As for Fuentes, I would only pay him 6 million but he is looking for 12.
wood’s going nowhere.
This post should be titled “Manny and K-Rod not Worth it to Wilpons”.
I can understand Manny but K-Rod? Don’t let Wagner’s contract stop you from getting a better player in K-Rod. It’s a sunk cost. Move on.
i dont think its wagners contract….i think its the terms krod is looking for….i personally believe omar is just being a businessman and trying to lower the demand on krod as much as possible by making it seem that we dont really need his services and we have other options…
I dont see KRod getting 5 years…at 4 yrs 52 mil I’d take it…we gave Pedro that money and he was a total waste, at least this guy will take the ball 3 times a week
The last couple years not withstanding, the money given to Pedro was worth every penny. Remember what this team was made of before he came along?
what exactly did pedro do? we never won anything, all we did was increased payroll and brought in beltran……pedro was a horrible contract.
Agreed Dirty. Krod will come back to us if we want him. Us giving him 4 years 56 million will trump anything anyone else will offer especially factoring in endorsements.
I think you guys scared Mr. Gloom and Doom Hubie away. Maybe he went to the bar early to start drinking away his sorrows
That costs money.
The real, attendance during the 1930’s fell off a cliff from 10 mln in 1929 to barely 6 mln in 1933
And then it steadily went back up during the depths of the Depression every year until 1940 I believe.
From 1933–1938, the depths of the Depression, attendance went up EVERY year, and 1938 was over 50% higher than 1933.
Sorry Hubie, you are on shaky ground here my friend.
Maybe we should stop discussing economics?
No you are wrong. What a bad argument on your part. That’s like arguing you bought a stock @$10, it dropped to $6 and I sold it @$9, so I made money.
The fact is baseball attendance was 10 mln in 1930 and never reached that level again in the 1930’s. So attendance was down the entire decade from the 1929-1930 level.
Hubie, the “Roaring 20s” were called that for a reason….you have been arguing that attendance goes down during bad economic times, which is NOT the same as arguing that attendance during the Depression was lower than the late 1920s!
The fact remains that during the height of the Depression, attendance went up every year, until 1939 when war was on the horizon.
Not only that, the first night games were not until 1935. So yes less people could attend day games during the GD because jobs had to cut back on workers and thus could not allow people to skip off for a baseball game. However, after 1935 attendance started to drastically increase.
Hubie is 100% correct…
AL average attendance in the 1920’s was between 500k-600k every year. Then watch what happens:
1929 – 582k
1930 – 585k
1931 – 485k
1932 – 391k
1933 – 365k
So the point that attendance stays the same, or goes up, during bad economic times is wrong.
MLB attendance in the 1930’s:
‘30 10.1 million
‘31 8.4
‘32 7.0
‘33 6.1
‘34 7.0
‘35 7.3
‘36 8.1
‘37 8.9
‘38 9.0
‘39 9.0
It went down, but then it went up.
1933–6,090,000
1934–7,480,000
1935–7,750,000
1936–8,830,000
1937–8,940,000
1938–9,660,000
This was the height of the depression.
Facts are stubborn things.
Weak. Just ignore the 4 mln drop from 1929 to 1933
Well, let’s agree to disagree…I am not ignoring the 1920s or early 30s at all, just refuting your argument that attendance always drops during bad economic times. It went up every year during the height of the Depression, and this means that teams had MORE revenue and money to spend after several years of the Depression.
It seems that this refutes your argument, which seems to be that in 3–4 years from right now, the Mets and every other team will be in bad economic straits.
The history of attendance during the worst years of the Depression directly refutes this.
And hey, not to change the subject, but how about having one of the great names in baseball history as our new 3rd base coach? How about Mookie at 1st and Razor at 3rd? Who could match those names as base coaches?
Right, there was a sharp drop at the very begining when there was panic. After that with the arrival of night games attendance went up and by 1938 was roughly the same as it was uring the Roaring 20’s.
“It has been said that it was FDR’s social reforms, along with baseball, that lit the way through the great depression. Perhaps the same can be said or should be considered for today.” Tons of research and topics on this right now.
How can you say the 20’s when you only include 29 or the 30’s when you only include 33?
Furthermore, regarding inflation and ticket prices:
Ebay shows a 1930 ticket stub for a reserved mezzanine seat going for $1.50. That’s probably one of the more expensive seats.
Inflation adjusted, that seat would be $18.50 today. Try to find me a reserved box seat in the new Met or Yankee ballpark for $18.50.
The conclusion I see is that attendance drops in bad economic times, and inflated-adjusted ticket prices today are WAY higher than ever before.
I see that as a concern for all baseball teams, Mets included.
Just not true. However, based on history, player salaries will go down during this time.
What isn’t true?
The “Great Depression” started in 1929, and ended towards the end of the 1930s. MLB attendance went down starting in 1930, and recovered from 1936 on.
I’d say that’s a pretty exact match with the Depression. Yes, it eventually recovered, when the economy recovered.
Ticket prices, inflation-adjusted, are much higher today than they were in the 1930s.
I don’t understand what you are saying isn’t true.
Mex, the Great Depression did not start on one date in 1929…the Stock Market Crash happened in 1929. The economy got worse for years, and the depths of the Depression were about 1932–1934, and the country slowly recovered during the rest of the 1930s.
Actually the Great Depression started much earlier than the Stock market crash in 1929. The crash put everyone in a panic. After that attendance gradually went back up. Even during the height of the depression. Check out what happen as soon as they started having night games. It was not really that those people chose not to go to the games during the early 1930’s. It was that the workforce changed to a point to where people could no longer attend day games.
Again, very interesting. It would be interesting to see if the free agent market will cool off.
I am sure that GMs will try to depress free agent contract value by using the economy as their reason. While the player agent will agrue the contrary. I wonder who will win.
Why are people talking bout inflation and ticket prices. People are still going to go to the games….can we bring it back to mets baseball, isnt there a cnn blog or something..
I agree, and I retire from the economic arguments…I avoid political blogs, as they are truly filled with unpleasant and unreasonable folks on both sides.
And yes, Dirty, I did do an extended home run dance before sitting down at my desk this morning, and it did not seem to offend anyone.
LOL!
lmao! kingman thanks for that one i needed that…im still working on my hr dance at work here…still need some adjustments lol
All I was trying to do this morning was to discuss how the economy is impacting some teams already, including the AL WS rep. The WSJ is a pretty good source.
As we head toward some tough economic times, the talk of 100 mln contracts is sports is amazing, given how many people are losing their homes.
Forgive me for wanting to engage people in what I find an intersting topic, how the economy will affect MLB right now. I am sure there are other sites where people would want to discuss this, but obviously not here.
I think it’s interesting too, especially considering the Mets’ new stadium, and huge increase in ticket prices.
If they can sell it, good for them. It’s just unusual economic times to try it.
We’ll see!
Here’s my overall point Hubie. Go back and find me one post you have made on here in the last 3 months that does not deal with the economy.
If you do not like what I have to post, just ignore me. Just curious, does Matt pay you to post here b/c every time I come to this site, you have like 20 or 30 comments posted.
Yes. Are you jealous?
Like I said it’s fine if this was something that you posted once and a while. But this is the ONLY thing you EVER post about. Go ahead, show me one post you made in the last 3 months that was not about the economy. Like I said the first time, the only reason someone would come on a sports blog and only post about the economy is if they are looking for solace.
Not true. I have been posting on here on and off for some time now.
On articles that talk abuot $100 mln contracts, I think the economy and its affect on the market is quite relevant. But again you are too thick to understand that.
But you are so dumb I am not even going to reply to you any more. Its obvious you have the intellect of a rock and just lie and distort facts over and over and enjoy ridiculing people.
That is correct. All we want to talk about is beer, peanuts and the Mets…..now stay on topic
I haven’t really read the comments on this thread or any of them recently, but my opinion is that if the mets don’t go out and actually try to get some big time players, I’m going to have a tough time sitting down and watching 140 or so games again like I did last year. With the letdowns the past 2 years, I want to feel confident in this team, particularly the bullpen, so if they don’t directly address that problem, i’ll be watching less games, and probably going to less.
I hope that doesn’t sound like i’m a fairweather fan. I just put a lot of time and effort into this team, and I’d like to see a return on my investment. I don’t know if I want K-Rod or whoever, but I do want a shutdown closer, and I want to not feel like this team is going to lose every lead they have past the 7th inning.
Mets fans for Manny!
Get Man Ram!!!
Yeah, why would Omar go for K-Rod when we have Ayala and Heilman and Schowenweiss… b/c “the reality is” relievers that have a bad year have a great year the following season.
Why are we so focused on our lineup? We have Murphy for LF/2B, just plug someone else in the other hole and be done with it. We need PITCHING. SP, RP, Closer. If there happens to be any money left over in the Wilpons’ pockets, then we can consider revamping the lineup. We need at least 1 SP (and preferibly 2 because I don’t feel comfortable with Niese as our definite #5) which is going to cost us at a minimum 12 mil per (25 mil if we sign 2). We need a closer and at least 1 set up guy, which will run us about 20 mil per. The only way we go after a big bat is via trade or if we are willing to keep stokes, heilman, sanchez, 1 lefty, and kunz/parnell while signing a new closer. Our lineup is strong, we were near the top of most offensive categories. Look at the Rays and Phils, their bullpens are stacked. That is what got them to WS, and what almost got us to WS in 06 despite a terrible rotation
We can’t just plug someone in and be done with it. We were offensively challenged at times this season because 7-8-9 was a black hole. Not to mention the other times when Nick Evans was batting 6th and 6-7-8-9 was a black hole. Getting one major bat can push Church into the 7-hole. Imagine that?
Reyes
Murphy
Manny
Delgado
Wright
Beltran
Church
Schneider
And we played Fernando Tatis and a who’s who of outfielders and were still at the top of most offensive categories, so plugging in a Ryan Church type in LF who plays D is fine with me. Even the best lineups are anemic at times (look at the Phillies in the playoffs, but they can still pull out the 3-2 games because they have bullpens who stop others from scoring and hold tight leads)..I think getting Manny would not only be a detriment because he is the kind of player the mets don’t want affecting the clubhouse but he would be a financial drain since they need arms…if we could get manny AND revamp our bullpen and add a couple starters that would be lovely but I am working on the as-sumption that they aren’t going out and adding 60 mil to payroll next year
I’m not sure it’s fair to label Church as an all D no hit OF. This guy was our MVP for the first third of the season before going down. After missing 55 some odd games, when he came back, it was like ST all over again for him. Remember he had a bad ST this year too, so that leads me to believe that he will be fine. Not as good as the beggining of 08, but not nearly as bad as the end of 08.
I’m not saying he is all D. But he is an excellent defensive player, no doubt. He is a nice gap to gap hitter and I would not mind having a guy like him (preferibly RH) to play LF, a guy like Eric Byrnes minus the injuries last year would be perfect (I’m not promoting Byrnes, just saying that a guy like him would be nice). someone who gets 15-20 HRs
Agreed, a league average guy in LF is ALL we need. I would not mind that guy to be Randy Winn.
I see what your saying. I don’t understand why they won’t just come out and say “Murphy will be tried at 2b”. Hell, they did it with Piazza at 1b, they did it with Hundley in LF. If Murphy hits a little, that is already an improvement at 2b, no matter what his defense looks like.
That way, it paves the way for a true LF bat via trade or FA.
I think the mets are not going to commit to anything with murphy. I said this in another post but i think they want murphy to be a derosa type player that can play various positions and is a pretty good hitter.
If you say that Murphy will be tried at 2B then Castillo goes from -1 value in a trade to -10.
I forgot about that guy. It’s fairly easy to do these days.
Didnt we trade Cedeno years back and eat most of the contract?
Oh we can and we will if given a decent opprotunity. But I don’t expect Omar to come out and say that Castillo is a non factor and will be traded. LOL.
Makes him look bad, huh? Pride and ego, the worse things that a GM can have…(sigh)
It’s not about making Omar look bad. Don’t you see what that does to a players trade value. If Omar came out and said that then 100 % of the teams would know that we HAVE to trade Castillo. At that point we would just have to release him, eat all the contract and get nothing in return.
So another team looks at the Mets and says: “Oh, Castillo is still playing 2B? He must be valuable still. We need him!!”???
I dont buy it. Every team knows how bad he was this year, and if someone out there thinks he might be a little better this year for fairly cheap (since we eat the contract), then they will make a deal. Telling everyone that Murphy is the 2B only states that you want to give a young guy a shot. Not that we “HAVE” to trade.
What they say in public is much different from private. There will be NO GM out there that says that a starter is loing his job and HAS to be traded.
exactly….
And everyone brings up how the mets O choked at the end of the season, but we would not have even been in that position if the BP hadn’t blown so many games. And don’t you think it has a mental effect on the hitters when they would build nice comfortable leads and have the BP blow it, this team needs to have confidence they can hold big leads and they don’t have that now and Manny would not change that unless he can come out of LF and throw a few innings
Beltran even mentioned in one post game interview. Not quoted here, but something like how hard it is to play every day knowing that no lead is safe.
absolutely, that is a good point, even a player himself said it…it must have worn on them, because it definitely wore all of us out. It seems like everyone has a short memory. Who were we all cursing out the entire year? Who were we all complaining about here on this blog? our pathetic BP
I agree with you 100%. It’s funny how time away affects the memory. The 2nd highest scoring team in the NL, with no true LF, RF, 2B…
Every body cites “unclutchiness” as a characteristic of this team, but I point out that alot of those failed situations shouldn’t of been so if a lead could be protected.
Real simple: Offense scores runs, pitching prevents it. Which aspect in that regard failed this year?
I think it played a major role and had something to do with our lack of ability to hit at the end of games. Again, that is just theory. But before we panic about the offense I think we need to see what happens when we have 5 quality starters and a quality BP. Then the offense will have NO excuses.
yes try to fix the pitching…worse case scenario we make a deadline deal for a bat…it will also give our young prospects some more time to showcase and be more valuable trade pieces is necessary. One prospect I’m looking forward to is that RH pitcher Holt. Looks nasty
Hmm, my last was blocked for some reason.
Baseball is a funny game like that. Remember on draft day when the know-it-alls were up in arms about that pick? “Booo!! Minaya is wrong! Who is this Holt?!!?”
I thought I posted this but it must have went away.
I completely agree. Go get Grudzy for 2B. He will be cheap and is a decent hitter and fielder. Let Murphy play LF. Then you have a ton of money to spend on pitching. Some where around 30 million to be exact. That can get you Krod and Lowe for example. Yes I know more needs to be done to the pen but that can be done through trade and those extra 3-5 contracts never seem to matter anyway.
Here is the thing…Delgado is gone after this year. Who replaces his bat in 2010? Manny would be pretty good. Not to mention, let’s keep him out of Philly…who people are saying could become players.
If Manny goes to Philly, get ready for a three-peat.
I remember serious doubts that the Phillies could even retain Howard much less go out and match Manny’s demands…??
i dont see manny in philly(not after what happened in the NLCS)…..(at least i pray manny doesnt go to philly)
As far as who takes over 1st…omar has hinted to murphy taking up that spot….i believe the original plan was for evans to man that spot.
So you think Manny is going to Philly? Well, Howard and Hamels are due big time raises (Howard after next year, Hamels after the following I think, both of which would be during Manny’s contract), so that would be a big problem since they just signed Lidge to that big contract extension which offsets Burrell leaving, if they don’t re-sign him too. They also need SP behind Hamels. Let them sign Manny because it may hurt them in the long run.
Yeah, they will need all kinds of pitching and most likely will have to let Howard go. Not to mention how old that team will be if they get Manny.
yes they would be an older team no doubt…we are also talking about the Phillies here. When have they ever really made the right move? Once in a while they pull a Dykstra and McDowell type trade or Lidge, but when it comes to FAs, they typically sign David Bells and Adam Eatons to large, wasteful contracts
I’m just saying, they will be saving on Burrell when he walks. They drew over 3 million this year. They are in the World Series. This team has lots of found revenue streams like we did in 2005 and 2006. I think they can start spending money if they want to. They will have to make decisions on Howard, etc. They could trade him to the AL for young pitching.
I could see it happening. Is it likely? Not likely. But if it happens, we will definitely wish we got him.
They never do make FA moves, I agree. Manny did say that Myers is the kind of guy he wants on his team though…did he not?
Can Philly offer him a 5-yr, $20MM contract? Why not?
make that 5-yr/ 100MM
You’re right that it would be scary if the phils got Manny, but it would mean they didn’t upgrade the rotation a whole lot…also, I have lived in the philly area for quite a while and I can say that whenever philly teams succeed even the slightest bit, the owners sit on their laurels instead of going for the KO and adding integral pieces. They use success as an excuse not to make moves, and only make moves when it is totally necessary. but, we can’t worry about other teams though, just have to make ourselves better
your right but gotta keep an eye out for the competition. Manny to the phills would be pretty bad. Peavey to the braves would be pretty bad…
IMO, if the Braves got Peavy, they would still have a long way to go. Hudson, Smoltz, Glavine, all probably not playing in 09. Jurrgens is decent, who else they have to throw??
Besides that, Peavy’s away-from-Petco ERA is high. And the Cy Young season of a year ago was an aberration, looking at his career numbers. Not a top-5 guys in the league like everyone says. Again, just IMO.
I hear ya.. they got jurgins/jojo/hudson for sure..they add peavy there and tom said he would be coming back..i belive it would look something like
peavy
hudson
jurgins
glavine
jojo
pretty good rotation…
I read Hudson is out for most of 09 with an elbow thing.
Turner Field isn’t exactly a home run hitter’s ballpark. But the Yanks and Red Sox have done it for years…signing players to keep them away from the other. I really feel like that’s what this Mets-Phils thing will turn into. I am convinced the Phillies can and will spend money.
I’m just throwing that out there. I just think the Mets need to make a major acquisition this year, plus re-sign Ollie. Ollie will fill a void in the rotation and not cost us a Type A. That’ll leave us room to sign a Type A for the bullpen and/or make a trade…in addition to signing Manny.
really tblz…i am not doubting you but i havent read anything like that…ill try to find it out now
yea your right tblz..a number of reports are rumoring that he might be out for the majority of 09(which is a hugh break for us) that may most likely tip atlantas hand to aquiring peavy for that loss.
I also read that Wren said that his top two guys Schaffer and the pitcher Hanson, nor Escobar or Johnson. So that pretty much rules them out.
link:
canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5idHEvWE4VWcwyqGaV6Si0eFmsaQw
Ooops, didnt finish the sentence. Wren basically said none of those guys are going anywhere.
Can people please stop bringing up Soria as an option for the mets, There is NO WAY theroyals are trading him, we’d have to offer F. Mart, Murphy, Niese, and throw in Flores and Marte and maybe The royals would think about it for a minute before saying NO. Papelbon and Mariano have more of a chance to be a Met next yr, Please No Manny, let him go back to the AL and be a DH. I would reluctantly sign Fransico
yeah do whatever it takes to rid us of Castillo, and sign some stop gap 2b not Orlando “Extremely Over-rated” Hudson, maybe fill an OF spot by swapping Luis’ horrid contract for A. Jones, Byrnes, Jose Guillen, whomever…..
Maybe being that Grudzy’s contract is a player option and KC wants to get rid of Gullien we can pick up both for Castillo and Schnieder. Then trade for Molina? Murphy could then be the super back up and Gullien’s platoon partner if need be.
Why the disdain for Brian? (I’m being lazy and not looking at stats right now, so I can’t quote any, but I thought that he was fairly average in 08)
Brian Schneider was OK. However, his defense and “game calling” were not as good as advertised and were certainly not good enough to justify his bat…or lack there of.
defensivly he was ok…..
offensivly he picked it up the last few weeks but nothing great..
His offense was below average but most importantly so was his defense. (Not throwing out runners, he was above average there).
I just think that adding Molina to the bottom of the order as an everyday guy who is RH would be a great move.
agreed…i dont know how omar can pull this off but if he can he should try. Molinas offense is pretty good. Would definatly as real says help out the bottom part of the order. Probably bat him right after church (i believe molina is a R)
He is.
My Lineup
Reyes, Murphy/Winn, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Molina, Church, Grudz/Winn
We are delusional. Manny will go to the highest bidder. As will KRod, Tex & C.C. Money talks. We are one of the wealthiest teams in the majors and have ther resources to sign one or two of these guys. What’s a little luxury tax? Omar has always leaned towards offering the last year to the contract, either as a club option with a lucrative buyout, or sometimes as guaranteed money. Are there four clubs that have enough money to sign these four guys besides us? Yankees? yes. Angels? yes. Who else? Until Cuban buys the Cubs, I’d say they’re maxed out too. We’ll get one these guys.
Spend some money. New ball park, the place will be mobbed for years to come. get CC and KROD, and we’ll be great for years to come.
good luck selling that to wilpon
I am sure the Mets organization has some sort of initial strategy for the off-season, but all of it depends on so many variables… how the FA market develops, how other teams try to fill their needs, who becomes available via trade, what each player wants in terms of contracts and geography vs. what is actually available to them, etc..
I wouldn’t get too worked up about any of these reports no matter what your feelings are about going after Manny, Lowe, K-Rod, Fuentes, Hudson, a new catcher, another starting pitcher, or whoever and whatever you believe the Mets’ need.
In addition, most of these reports are based on “rival GMs” or “scouts” or “people familiar with the Mets’ thinking”. Honestly, do we think Mets’ officials are having conversations with people in which they state…. “we are going after x, y and z and not after…”?
These sources are just pontificating or trying to deduce the cryptic statements that every team makes prior to anything happening.
agreed. But this is the offseason man, thats what makes it so interesting sometimes….i hope they do have a offseason strategy because the need to do alot with not many resources…
Hudson? The guy will need a freaking scooter to cover his position bby the time we get to the end of his contract. This is exactly the wrong move to make. You egt him because of his glove, but his defensive stats are declining. He’s an offensive upgrade to Luis Castillo? So is Bud Harrelson, and he’s 64. Get a stick in LF, put Murph at second, and ler ‘er rip. We’ll score a lot of runs.
I like it. Short and sweet.
I am not convinced on Murphy at 2nd YET. Go get a short term guy like Grudz to play 2nd. Then you can have Murphy in LF and spend spend spend on PITCHING>
agreed. Im not sold with murphy at 2b. If they move castillo then i guess we dont have much of a choice but if we can pick up a guy like grudz, id be cool with that.
When will you be convinced? When he’s 30 and he still hasn’t played there? I hate the backwards arguement. Let him play. If he can’t field, let A. Reyes play 2B and look for a trade. if you sign Grud, you’re stuck with him, and if you cut him, eat contract.
Ill be convinced when he has more time at 2b. Look he only had 17 games in the minors…idk how many games so far in the AFL. Exuse me if i believe that 2b is a postition you cannot half a**. Id be willing to give the kid a shot there with a defensive back up, only problem that woudl be argenis…so instead of that reality…why not stick someone who has exp at 2b and have murphy as an understudy..
Because we need an established RH bat in LF. So, bringing in a 2B will cut Murphy’s AB’s, and I think we can agree that he needs to play every day, somewhere.
I included him because people have thrown his name out there… (i.e. Marty Noble and Ed Coleman)
And you just proved my point the point.
It’s way too early to get worked up about any of these “insider reports”. Nobody knows how the off-season landscape will develop and that includes sources such as rival execs, insiders, or friends of players.
Lowe & Fuentes? Thinking outside the box? Crap! get the best players available. Stop trying to be the Phillies and stock up on b–rate players. Get out the hammer and blast ‘em.
those b-rate players are a big factor in them getting to where they are…..
Yup, signing b-rate players gives you the money to sign more a-rate players when you need them and the stars align.
Example: Mets sign Krod for closer but go with a trade for Winn in LF. Thus we still have more money to use on SP and BP.
We’d be playing if Omar had the cujones to fire willie last September. heck If Omar had fired Willie in early September of 2007, we’d be making our third straight playoff appearance.
…and start trying to be the Yankees and buy an all-star team with no chemistry?
No thanks.
Letting Murphy play 2B doesn’t hurt chemistry
Losing Castillo lets the kiod play without looking over his shoulder.
How the heck can signing CC Sabathia be a Yankee move? How can getting one of the best pitchers in BB over the last 2 months be a bad move? It’s a great move. Going out on a limb, but who ever signs him will be in the playoffs in 2009. Same thing should have been true about Santana, but we had Willie to deal with
“but who ever signs him will be in the playoffs in 2009″
-based off what stats/evidance can you derive that IN FACT whoever signs CC will be in the playoffs in 2009??
I totally agree with no Hudson and yes to CC.
A Johan/CC top of the rotation would, in my opinion, send us deep into the playoffs. It makes Pelf and Maine 3 and 4 instead of 2 and 3, it makes the bullpen infinitely more rested with all of the innings CC eats up, and 1-2 punches from Seaver/Koosman to Johnson/Schilling and Schilling/Pedro can lead teams to titles.
Murph at 2nd with Easley as insurance (unless Argenis beats them out in the spring–LOL), Church/Tatis/Evans in the corners, sign CC, and re-tool the bullpen and we win in 2009.
I am of the mindset that you get the guy that gives you the best chance to win. Nothing is guarenteed in baseball and no ONE person guarentees anything….especially a ticket to the playoffs..
I don’t disagree Dirty, but I think CC is in the category of rare players who improve several things across the board, such as making your # 3 and 4 starters better just by the fact that they are not your # 2 and 3 starters anymore. Plus, the bullpen was mas*ively, comically overworked last year…not only how many games they all pitched, but they were also warming up every single day. The innings we could count on from CC (which we could not count on from Maine or Ollie) would help a lot I think.
I think CC has a “trickle-down” effect, if you will pardon the political term, where he makes the entire pitching staff better.
Just my 2 cents….
i hear ya kingman and im sure nobody would debate with you regarding CC or manny or peavy or texeria or burnetts impact on our team. The problem for us the last 2 years have been protecting leads and omar need to tackle that issue hardcore this year. What that means is up to omar but he needs to make sure bullpen is stripped of what doesnt work and bring in new pieces that do work. CC would be a great addition but i just get annoyed when people say..If we get this player or that player we are going to the playoffs or ws. I think your setting yourself up for disappointment that way if things dont work out. I wasnt here for the santana deal but i can imagine people were saying that santana would bring us the pennant or at least playoffs…look what happend. If baseball has taught us anything is that no one player can do it all..its a team effort and for any team to win, the sp/defense/offense/pen need to all do their jobs day in and day out.
True, true true….I guess I am hoping CC could be a 2nd Johan, or close to it. Or that Manny would help score so many more runs that the pen would be protecting a lot more 5 or 6 run leads instead of 3 run leads….
But regardless, I do definitely agree that while CC would be nice, we MUST improve the bullpen tremendously.
Yeah….I’m sure nobody in the Yanks would rather swap places with the Mets
Your inferiority complex is astounding
What is thinking outside the box? I wouldn’t call Milledge for Church & Schneider thinking outside the box.
Would Beltran for two solid young players qualify? Matt Cain & Brian Wilson would work for me.
Can we please not do the Beltran traded thing again? The guy cannot be replaced, offensively or defensively at CF.
Think of what he could bring in…
We have no idea how Citi field will play. You already have a ? in LF, why create more holes when you have the 1st or 2nd best CF locked up for under-market money for a couple more years?
17 millions under market?
By the time the contract is up, yes.
offensively? beltran can be replaced. he is not that great on offense. and is super unclutch. he can be replaced.
lemme as this which would you prefer:
beltran and nick evans/pagan in C and LF
or
endy chavez and manny?
Why not keep Tatis on LF this year? he is that average LF that people further up the thread talked about. he can hit somewhere in the teens worth of homers, is RH and wont cost much. Murphy can play 2nd base.
reyes
murphy
wright
delgado
beltran
church
tatis
schnied
thats a pretty good lineup with plenty of room to spend on what the REAL problem is with this team, pitching.
Aside from Santana and Pelf, you couldnt count on our guys to go late into innings. thereby increasing the likelyhood of seeing our “wonderful” BP. Getting Maine healthy, signing at least 1 innings eating pitcher and working on the bullpen are the mets biggest concerns. i think a lot of people here are overlooking that and getting lost in the “big offense.”
having tatis and murphy in the lineup on a regular basis is a big upgrade over pagan/castillo etc that we threw out there in the beggining of the season.
Tatis in LF works if you think that FMart is close. Tatis over a full season worries me. I’d also like a lefty LF to platooon with him. Marcus Thames? Dude has serious pop from the south side.
I dont think FMart is anywhere close to being ready to be honest. he had a mediocre and injury (again) plagued year), he needs more time
Tatis did well in 92 games played, im willing to bet he will do well in another 40ish. you could platoon him with pagan or evans.
evans needs more experience at the dish so he can take over for delgado in 2010
Fixing the Mets problems is hard…
They have so many needs.
1B. Trading de-got-it after freat season to get something back.
2B. Trading Louis I can’t believe I got 4-years Castillo
C. It’s Upgrade time.
LF. Do we have one?
SP. #3
SP.#5
Bullpen 7th Inning
Bullpen 8th Inning
Closer
A lot to do. Get to work Omar.
1B Delgado earned another year
2B Murphy
C you’re right. I’d like to sign IRod.
LF no we don’t. I’d prefer a one year guy
Sign CC and you’re looking for a #5, and we have enough guys to fill that role
bullpen get out the check book
closer take out a 2nd mortgage
Ivan Rodriguez? Ugh
Terrible idea, the guy can’t hit or field anymore and will still want a contract like he can. Based on numbers he’s worth about a minor league invite that’s it.
we aren’t getting CC
you don’t build a pen with a checkbook
and Irod is the worst idea ever.
I think the mets should include church in a package for a pitcher or catcher and call up f-mart and platoon him with tatis. then sign adan dunn and put murphy at 2B. then we can spend all our money in PITCHING, put together 5 good starting pitchers and a dominant bullpen.
reyes
murphy
wright
delgado
beltran
dunn
tatis/f-mart
new catcher
this lineup is fine, we need PITCHING,PITCHING AND PITCHING.
Where will the money for pitching come from after you sign Dunn? dude’s gonna make some serious cash.
I am not going to ask why you would get rid of Church for Tatis and Fmart. LOL.
As much as I wish they would get Dunn to play LF this season and 1B next, it’s not happening.
I said in a deal for a pitcher, I am not getting rid of church for nothing.
But why get rid of a guy who is cheap, plays above average defense and league average offense to replace him with a guy that had a good couple of months after being out of baseball, can’t really play RF and a guy who has not even proven anything in AA?
Decent idea, but I question his ability to hit out of Great American, and he’s a terrible defender so the risk of failure is too great.
Does anyone think we should bat Beltran 2nd in the line-up?
3 years ago….
too follow up, I think Murphy’s plate discipline negates the need to have Beltran hitting there
I think that if Murphy develops into what he showed last year, he would be a perfect 2 hitter….watches a lot of pitches, walks, hits the ball all over the park, etc.
Agreed, I really want Wright to bat 4th. He’s not your typical but he would be fine there.
Reyes, Murphy, Beltran, Wright, Delgado, Molina, Church, Winn would be a nice balanced lineup.
agreed. I like beltran batting 3rd but i doubt it will ever happen…
agreed with the respond panel…its just weird seeing beltran batting 4th or 5th…..
People are wondering what the Mets will do? How about use the new taxpayer-funded stadium to sell ridiculously priced tickets, instead of the product on the field being the draw? What, did you expect something different?
Once again, the TMDUP plan for NYM redemption:
1. Sign Derek Lowe to a 3 year contract. He’s an efficient, durable starter that will help take pressure of the bullpen, and have the Mets use them less
2. Pick up Delgado’s option, wheel and deal him to the lefty-impaired Rays while eating salary, and get Edwin Jackson in return. The Rays don’t need the man, simple as that. Make Jackson our closer
3. Sign Dan Wheeler to a 2 or 3 year deal. I’m always uncomfortable with signing relievers, but to be honest it’s a risk the Mets must take, because our bullpen is in shreds]
4. Obviously get a second baseman somehow. Inquire into the availability of Rickie Weeks, a high potential man who has some pop, speed and on-base ability. If Omar can, he should deal Eddie Kunz for Weeks, a pretty fair deal IMO. Otherwise, ask about other 2B. If nothing fits, sign Orlando Hudson.
5. See if Manny is available for a 3 year deal with a team option and buyout. 3 years, $45 million with $10 million option and $4 million buyout seems pretty fair. Otherwise, sign Brian Giles, and if his option is picked up, trade Nick Evans for him and sign Sexson or Daryle Ward to a 1-year, low cost deal.
6. Trade Aaron Heilman for Nate Robertson. Robertson is a failed lefty starter with #3 caliber stuff, and is worth a shot at lefty middle reliever. Heilman has more trade value than value to the Mets.
7. Sign Rocco Baldelli to a 1 year contract, if possible. Unload Castillo and Schoeneweis if possible as well. Re-sign Tatis
Lineup:
SS Reyes
2B Weeks OR Hudson
3B Wright
CF Beltran
LF Ramirez OR Giles/Baldelli
RF Church
1B Murphy OR Murphy/Evans
C Schneider/Castro
Bench:
C Castro/Schneider
1B/OF Sexson OR Ward OR Evans/Murphy
IF/OF Tatis
OF Chavez
OF Giles/Baldelli
Rotation:
LHP Santana
RHP Pelfrey
RHP Lowe
RHP Maine
LHP Niese
Bullpen:
CL Jackson
SU Wheeler
RHMRP Parnell
RHMRP Sanchez
LHMRP Robertson
LOOGY Feliciano
ROOGY Smith
i have similar thoughts….especially delgado for edwin jackson. but then i’d like to bring in that japanese lefty Iwase to setup….and then the rest of the pen should be parnell, kunz, sanchez, feliciano, and joe smitty. no dan wheeler.
they should re-sign ollie. and bring in lowe.
i’d also look into a randy winn salary dump, a david dejesus trade, or juan rivera.
Reyes
Murph (2B)
Wright
Beltran
Dejesus/Winn/Rivera
Church
Tatis/Evans (1B)
Catcher
Johan
Pelfrey
Lowe
Perez
Maine