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According to Marty Noble, in a mailbag Q&A for MLB.com, the Mets ‘like the idea of Mike Cameron,’ since, “He would provide reliable 
and comprehensive defense in left field and might hit 15-20 home runs at Citi Field if he played 120 games.”
…noble doesn’t say if the Mets like the idea of cameron in Citi Field next season, or if they like the idea of acquiring him… he only says they like the idea… so, i am not totally sure what that is supposed to mean…
Cameron, who will be a free agent this off season, hit just .250 in 149 games for the Brewers this season, but with a .342 OBP, 24 HR, 32 doubles and 70 RBI.
…cameron was very popular with fans, as well as in the team’s clubhouse, from what i have been told… at 36 years old, he is still one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, he is still pretty quick on the base paths, and he still has some pop in his bat…
…the thing is, he also still struggles against right-handed pitching, especially power pitchers, and he is still an aggressive, free swinger, though he is walking more of late… basically, if he falls behind in the count he is toast…
…i would like to think the Mets will look to someone a bit younger and with more power to play left field… but, cameron is a decent back-up plan, especially from a pitcher’s perspective…
In 11 at bats this season in Citi Field, during a three-game series in April, against mostly Nelson Figueroa, Johan Santana and Livan Hernandez, Cameron had two hits and struck out three times.
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I like the idea of Albert Pujols.
NOOOOOOO!!!!!
sincerely,
Carlos Beltran
Actually, Cameron allows you to rest Beltran 12-15 games a year to keep him fresh. And with those knees, Cameron would be a valuable insurance policy.
LOL
I was thinking the same thing…No!
i would take angel pagan over cameron for those 12-15 games…and here we go again…cant we get someone who is not past his prime for freakin once…
Actually, I kinda like the idea of adding Cameron. That gives us Beltran Cameron and Pagan handling center+left. Thats some good defense. Like noted above, we can get some rest for Beltran, and also rest for Cameron, with Pagan playing 30-40 games between center and left. Of course, Francour is still in right.
The reason this could work out good, is it gives us a very good defensive outfield. At the same time, its a much much cheaper pickup then Holliday will be. Then, we can really improve the rotation and afford Putz at the same time, and maybe improve the Catcher spot. Maybe even, dare I say, add Delgado in since if he goes down again, Murphy aint a bad fill in. This move would keep us from adding a heavy power bat, but Cameron+Delgado (I’ll give him half a season of games next year, hurt the other half) is more power then Holliday+Murphy. Again, its also flat out cheaper. There is then NO excuse for not picking up Lacky + another.
while i see where ur coming from, i dont agree on delgado + cameron being a better duo then Holliday + murphy in terms of power….delgado had 1 good half out of 2 years….so 1 good half out of 4 and cameron is 36, and delgado is 38….thats only better power wise if delgado hits like he did in that 2nd half, and hes coming off hip surgery…..I personally feel Holliday/Murphy is the better combo…you know what your getting in Holliday, a feared cleanup hitter, you have to think Murphy can still improve…and i believe marty noble or another writer said the mets still feel he can hit .280 20 HR 100 RBI eventually, and being that hes was pretty much a rookie and hit like .265 12 65 i could see that as a possibility…
Holliday+Murphy is a better duo than Delgado+Cameron any day. Holliday can hit around 30, while I think Murphy could actually hit around 20 next season.
What we saw from Murphy from about late-July until the end of the season (when Manuel started playing him every day at 1B) was a much more intelligent, confident Daniel Murphy, both defensively and offensively. HoJo was right; Murphy was so wrapped up in learning 1B that he started struggling at the plate, and Manuel was too busy jerking his chain with Tatis to let him break out of it.
Murphy is becoming a better hitter for two reasons:
1) With time comes experience. Murphy did nothing but get better and better as the season went on. At the end of the year, he was actually one of our top 3 hitters.
2) He’s learning how to hit the inside heat. Rather than trying to take everything the other way, he’s actually pulling pitches now. The inside fastball gave him trouble last year and this year up until July, and then he learned how to handle it (which is why he hit 7 HR and 21 doubles since late July). His average also stayed consistent throughout this time period as well, as he hit .292/.311/.514. Oh yeah, he’s still just 24 years old.
The more I get over the pain from this season, the more I actually want Murphy at 1B with Holliday in LF.
AMEN,
Delgado is done. He’s got nothing left in the tank,e specially to play the field. He’s a DH, and has been for 5 years. He’s a terrible first baseman as Marty Noble said the other day
“The days of putting fading stars — Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron — at first base and compromising defense for the sake of diminished offense should be gone forever”
Murphy should be the full time first baseman next season. Not saying he’s the future there for the next 10 years. But it should be his position to start the year Next season.
Didn’t we live through the cameron experiment already. It didn’t turn out that well. He’s good if he’s in CF hitting .250 with 20+ HR. But on a corner he’s average or below.
Excellent points on Murphy, but I gotta believe that if the price and the years are right that you will see Delgado in a Met uniform no question. Unless of course Delgado is in worse shape than the club is letting on. Either way delgado has to prove himself before he signs what is likely to be his last contract so he should come relatively cheap.That would free up the club to spend the real money on Pitching and left field.
I like the idea of Cameron… as a back-up player.
Personally, I love Mike Cameron. However, at 36 years old and considering the Mets’ power needs, I’d say he isn’t really the right choice for the Mets. If they do get Cameron, they have no excuse not to sign John Lackey and possibly Aroldis Chapman.
I am one of the few who actually thinks Murphy can hold his own at first base next season, and I believe he can hit around .300 with 20 HR and 80 RBI (which isn’t bad at all). I can explain why in another comment if somebody disagrees (not that I know I’m right, just a hunch).
If you are going to be cheap on a LF when both Holliday and Bay are available, then you BETTER not be cheap on pitching because you are going to need it. Chapman is iffy, but he is a high-risk high-reward type guy…you don’t know what you’ll get but he has the chance to be an ace (according to many scouts). Lackey is a certified #2 who is pitching as a #1 right now, but could possibly have more success at Citi Field pitching between Santana and Pelfrey.
If you get Cameron as anything other than a backup (without signing Holliday or Bay), we need another stud pitcher.
I like Cameron for defense and some power pop off the bench when he doesn’t start with double/triple potential as well. Plus with Fmart hopefully being the everyday LF shortly, why block LF with Holliday for 6-7 years unless they can deal Fmart for an Ace pitcher.
I also have no problem bringing Delgado back on an incentive laden deal to sub with Murphy. If Murphy and Delgado struggle or can’t stay healthy than maybe Gonzalez or Dunn will be available before the trade deadline. I too think that Murphy could be an ok option at 1B but i’d like the insurance policy of Delgado.
Everyone talks about adding power bats but the key to winning is scoring runs and I feel that the run totals should improve just by having a full season of Beltran and Reyes hitting gappers. IF Wright can learn to pull the inside fastball and bring some power back into his stroke, that will also help.
I do not feel that our biggest need is hitting, what would we have to give up in defense for that? If we can get Adrian Gonzalez, than i’m all for that but if not I’d much rather go after Lackey, trade for Halladay and sign him to an extension and bring back Putz for the 8th inning than spend huge money on Holliday or Bay. Pitching wins.
Santana, Halladay, Lackey, Maine, Pelfrey.
With the top 3, the Mets can win without having to score a ton of runs.
You’re forgetting Perez. With his contract, he is a lock for the 2010 rotation.
Here’s why I think you sign Holliday and Lackey, rather than sign Lackey and trade the farm for Halladay. First of all, Halladay is going to cost you F-Mart+Davis+Mejia+Holt at the least. Yes, we would have the best rotation in baseball, but what happens when Cameron goes down in LF or a pitcher gets hurt? We have NOBODY to replace them, just like this season. I think F-Mart is Beltran’s eventual replacement when his contract is up, as he has the tools to do so. Sign Holliday, let F-Mart play the season out in Buffalo and become a mature hitter, and sign Lackey. That gives us a great rotation AND a great lineup, with prospects to spare in AA and AAA still (Holt, Mejia, Davis, F-Mart, Niewenhuis, Tejada, Flores, etc.). These guys are actually close to helping us now because they aren’t in A or A+ ball anymore.
Your solution:
Santana, Halladay, Lackey, Maine, Pelfrey
Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Francoeur, Cameron, Murphy, [catcher]
My solution:
Santana, Lackey, Pelfrey, Perez, Niese
Reyes, Castillo, Beltran, Holliday, Wright, Francoeur, Murphy, [catcher]
Your rotation is better, but I think a combination of both rotation and hitting wins more games. Just my biased opinion, though.
I agree on signing Holliday and Lackey, but my rotation would be
Johan, Lackey, Pelfrey, Perez and Maine
Lineup would be:
Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Holliday, Murphy, Franceour, Catcher
just to make it more balanced thus making it tougher for opposing managers to manage their bullpens late in games.
I agree that makes it tougher to manage around, but I think Holliday is much more dangerous hitting in front of Beltran. I also like Frenchy hitting ahead of Murphy because he is an RBI guy, and you get more chances hitting 6th.
I also understand your point with Maine being a 5th starter, but I just think he is better suited towards that 8th inning role. That allows us to spend the $8MM we would give to Putz elsewhere, and also let Niese mature as a major league pitcher. He’s already shown he can dominate AAA, it’s time to let him take the next step.
Either way, with Holliday and Lackey being key acquisitions this winter, we are in good shape (barring injuries, knock on wood) for 2010 and beyond.
Why not try to put something together for Carl Crawford, something like:
Pagan + (pick a pitcher other than Santana/Pelf) or (pick a prospect other than Tejada, Mejias or Davis)
Then we could go full steam for pitching, which is the prime hole to fill as far as I’m concerned.
I like Crawford. He called Pat Burrell out in the Rays’ clubhouse–he can play on my team anytime.
I like Crawford too, and I think he is by far the best option for the Mets in LF. However, it would take a lot more than that to acquire him via trade.
We’re talking Murphy+Davis+F-Mart+Niese. Not saying Crawford isn’t worth that amount, but that creates more holes than it fills. Considering our biggest weakness this year was our upper minors, I’d be much happier hanging on to prospects and letting them develop more as they reach AAA next season.
In 2010, instead of Wilson Valdez, Mike Lamb, Wily-Mo Pena, Cory Sullivan, etc., it will be Ruben Tejada, F-Mart, Ike Davis, and possibly Jenrry Mejia, Brad Holt, and Kirk Niewenhuis in AAA.
“Pagan + (pick a pitcher other than Santana/Pelf) or (pick a prospect other than Tejada, Mejias or Davis)”
You really think that a package composed of a 30-year-old 4th outfielder and prospects that aren’t on anyone’s radar are going to be enough to get Crawford?
If so, sign me up, I’ll drive Pagan and the crew all down to FLA myself.
No, I guess that offer doesn’t get it done, but is it really that farfetched?
They are the same age (Pagan will turn 29 next summer), and have similar career OPS. Crawford has many full productive seasons under his belt, which Pagan does not, but Pagan is fit, strong and athletic in a way that tends to impress scouts. It’s not unrealistic to assume that this last season may have opened some eyes, and that some team may want to take a flyer on him.
I don’t know how willing Tampa Bay is to trade Crawford, but . . .
Pagan/Niese/FMart. And a silent prayer.
Welcome to Metsblog.com, the only place in the world where you’ll hear Angel Pagan compared to Carl Crawford.
Not that I’m any better in arranging possible deals, but Pagan is no Crawford. He’s a glorified 4th OF, who may be able to platoon in LF with another veteran. But as a Mets fan, I’m sick of platoons.
Pagan is nowhere close to Crawford. If the other player were FMArt, then TB might speak to you
I can’t say I think much of your salesmanship.
I never said that Pagan = Carl Crawford. But I don’t know his relationship with the Rays, or their intention toward him. Two years ago if I suggested Humber, Gomez et. al. for Johan Santana on this site, I’d probably be hearing the same response.
We need more than Pagan in LF, and Cory Sullivan is a good enough 4th OF. Why not dress Pagan up and see what we can get?
Yikes, our best hitting prospect and pitching prospect, plus a very nice young OF’er who despite everything had a very nice season.
Im not so sure about this trade. You could probably get Roy Halladay with a package like that, assuming you add one more good pitching prospect (think Parnell). I still wouldnt make that trade, either of them, I’m just keeping things in perspective…
It would be tough, but you have to get to give, and I really like Crawford.
Uhhh please just be Marty Noble blowing smoke. Cameron is a guess hitter that goes through slumps where it looks like he’s never held a bat before.
Please no.
Cameron is probably as good a defender as Reed or Sullivan, with more pop in his bat. The question is how much will he cost, and what else could the Mets do with those $$.
In fact, you might draw the comparison of Cameron vs Reed/Sullivan to Cora vs Valdez/A.Hernandez.
That said, I want to keep Cora, and I would prefer Cameron vs Reed/Sullivan for an extra $2-3mm/year.
If 2010 really is F-Mart’s year to stick with the Mets at mid-season, I want him to be surrounded by (and learn from) Beltran, Francouer & Cameron, all of whom have terrific reputations — not Angel Pagan (who, btw, will probably pout & undermine F-Mart once F-Mart comes up and takes away Pagan’s playing time) and his poor judgment.
I would like Cameron as a backup outfielder, but there’s little chance he goes for it, and we have a clown for a manager that would start using him so much to the detriment of youngsters.
I can see F-Mart posting insane numbers in April / May in the minors, being brought up, and playing only a couple times a week.
FWIW, I think that Jerry will have less discretion on that stuff than in the past – b/c Omar knows that another bad year and they’re BOTH gone.
I start all my analyses with “I want pitching”. I want Lackey this winter, and am prepared to compromise on the holes in the field if we get him. So, if the rotation is Santana – Lackey – Pelfrey – Maine – Perez, with Niese and Nieve in AAA (I hope Figgy finds an organization that treats him better than we did last year), and the bullpen is K-Rod – Putz (not the option, but a modified deal) – Feliciano – Parnell – Green – Misch – Stokes, then I can live with Pagan/Cameron to open the season.
Also, remember that if Reyes gets hurt again, Pagan’s ability to succeed as the leadoff hitter will be important.
Agree, pitching is and should be our first priority.
NOOOOO!!! He is way to old. We need to go young and think of the future, not, just one season. And what about the DL bug?
They all can’t go on the DL at once, can they?
lmao
Hmmm. Sign Mike Cameron huh. Can we trade for Kaz Matsui too, while we’re at it?
Cliff Floyds a FA too
The Delgado debate has a lot more to do with what he will be looking for/what the market will offer, than what he has left in the tank.
There is no reason for anyone to sit here today and suggest Delgado is done. He went down due to injury, but he was playing at a very high level before that happened. Will he play at that level ever again? Who the heck knows? But theres no evidence to suggest anything other that what we have already seen.
Personally (and this is coming from someone who has never been very high on Delgado) I think we should make every effort to sign him for a 1 year deal, just as long as we can get him for well less than $10 million. My hope is he is possible to sign at $8 million or so, but what do I know?
But then again, that leads right back to what do we do with Daniel Murphy. I mean can you reasonably send him back to AAA now? Or do you make him ride the bench??
I’d take Cameron back in a heartbeat, but not for anything more than a 4th outfielder, with Pagan as a bat off the bench/late game defensive sub and filler if necessary (though Im not even sure hes best suited for that kind of role).
don’t we have a backup OFer – ie Angel Pagan
no to delgado, he’s done, he can go to the AL and he has the wrong attitude for us going forward (I like Delgado a lot but its time to move on)
get younger, get pitching