In a report for ESPN.com, Tim Kurkjian looks at 10 stories to watch this off season, including, “Will the Mets improve enough to get back into the race in the NL East?”
…that’s more like a 2010 story, answered one year from now, not just in a few months…
According to Kurkjian, the Mets need free-agent OF Matt Holliday, of whom he writes, “Given his age, his character and his incredible strength, you have to think he’s worth the risk, even at around, say, $18 million a year.”
…i have a feeling there are actually going to be a lot more trades this off season, than in previous years… i’m not saying blockbuster deals, but just a lot of rotation, like swapping headache for headache, swapping contracts, moving non-tender candidates like we saw last week, or arbitration-eligible, soon-to-be stars for prospects, and so on…
…i also believe the Mets may be serious about switching around their roster… i think they’re considering keeping the young, core guys in tact, from David Wright to Mike Pelfrey to Jose Reyes… but, i expect the fringes of the team to change a lot, be it two or three spots in the rotation, the back-end of the bullpen, the bench, etc., i have a feeling they know they need to shake up the team’s dynamic, but still have some very good, young, talented players to build upon…
To read Kurjian’s 10 stories to watch in 2010, from ‘How will the world champion Yankees rework their roster,’ to, ‘Where will Aroldis Chapman sign,’ click here.
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Ok guys what can we do with this rotation.
Johan
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?
?
Ollie
Haha – I’m so hungry for a new rotation. Garland, Wolf, Penny or anybody that can be effective and durable. Throw Pelf in the pen and then put him back in the rotation when someone inevitably gets hurt.
If there is one thing we learned form this season, is we need some backups. Solid backups.
Who even is there to trade? We aren’t trading the core, Francoeur seems loved by all, that leaves Castillo and Murphy and would that really be a shakeup?
unloading Castillo alone is pretty much enough for me!
Throw in a couple of bench guys (reed/sullivan/tatis types), Schnieder, and a couple of pen arms, and that’s your big shake up.
I think you will see this:
1. Santana
2. Wolf
3. Maine
4. Pelfrey
5. Perez
WIth Harden signed as the potential #2, who i would take over Sheets or Bedard.
Niese would be your #6.
If maine and ollie are recovered from this years surgeries, and wolf stays of fthe DL again, that can be a very servicable to above average rotation.
Rag on Ollie all you want, but when he is having a good ollie stretch, he is a pretty danged good #5.
I noticed that Beltran was conspicuosly absent from your “core”. Could Beltran be a part of a team make-up shift?
Beltran would be hard to trade if we have no power in our lineup
Thats what I think. I just noticed Beltran wasn’t included, and there have been some Beltran to the Redsox speculation.
If they really want to shake things up … they need to release or trade Luis Castillo, and stick anybody else there, even if it’s Cora on an every-day basis. Maybe get creative and trade one of your pitching prospects to a team that has a blocked 2B/SS prospect. Reese Havens and Wilmer Flores are too far away, Ruben Tejada? Maybe you just bite the bullet and sign O-Dog to a one year deal, if he wants to be a potential winner (see lineup below).
Delgado is already finished up with the Mets
Jeff Franceour is healthy and likeable, but that’s about it. Is 20 homeruns enough from your RF just because he flashes a great smile? His arm is super, but his range is nothing special. Would we be better off with Mike Cameron in RF than Franceour? Both guys are likeable … Cameron’s superior defensively and even if he hits .240 with 25 HR, his OBP is going to offset Franceour’s likely .280/22 with a .315 OBP campaign. It’s pick your poison, but something tells me Cameron’s defense and OBP will outweigh Franceour’s smiles.
Bring in a guy like Bengie Molina … a cocky, clutch gamer, and let Santos (and Thole when he’s ready) back him up. This adds pop and RBI potential to your batting order.
Say farewell to guys who you wont be able to rely on in the pen, like Sean Green – who has never had a good year anywhere, even in the minors.
Bring a guy like Jason Marquis into your rotation, who while never being super, is always reliable and his teams always end up in the playoffs. I think I prefer Marquis over Randy Wolf.
Of course, sign Holliday if you can.
Trade for Halladay.
Reyes SS
Hudson 2B +5MM
Wright 3B
Beltran CF
Holliday LF +18MM
Cameron RF (no Franceour salary)
Molina C +3MM (offsetting Schneider)
Murphy 1B
No easy outs in that lineup …
Halladay SP +25MM
Santana SP
Marquis SP
Pelfrey SP
K-Rod C
Yes, you are adding payroll (although you are shedding Delgado, Schneider and Franceour), but would you go to war with that lineup?
all for the getting rid of Castillo part, but no on COra everyday.
Just sign Lopez instead (pass on Hudson) and upgrade on both sides of the ball at 2B
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