With the playoffs well underway, I at times find myself in deep though thinking of situations with the Mets David Wrigh & Jose Reyes as they try to create some Mets magic with triples and HR's, helping the Mets as they advance to the next round.
But instead, I find myself back to reality, and the reality is that the Mets are on vacation and in the playoffs a young Tampa Rays team is going up against the defending champions from Boston, while in the NL, that series has the Joe Torre & Manny Ramirez Dodgers advancing to face the Boys from Philly.
Instead of representing in these playoffs, the Mets once again are missing in action and missing out on a chance to excite NY in these playoffs. In the 45 years of the Mets existence's, The Mets & Shea has been the scene of the 69 Miracle Mets, and the 86 team of Doc & Straw, its only 2 World Series.
Part of being a Mets fan is appreciating the times when you win because when the Mets win, which is not very offen, miracles seem to happen. But when the Mets lose, they lose the hard way. So with the playoffs on display I watch and think of ways that the Mets could get better for next season with the off season luming.
Everyone knows that during this off season, the Mets faithful expects a lot of changes by GM Omar Minaya who most Mets fans, including myself, blame for not being able to make the proper moves to fix the bullpen after the 2007 meltdown. The 2008 bullpen was the same bullpen that choked in 2007, and so Minaya's mistake was that he was pretty much pining his hopes in 2008 with the return of Duaner Sanchez, while only acquiring Matt Wise as a free agent who was pretty much missing in action for the entire season.
Next year, Mets fans do not want to see the faces of Aaron Heilman and guys like Scott Schoewenwies or Pedro Feliciano, we want them gone, and we don't care if you have to trade all 3 and get one guy in return.
Of the 3 relievers, Heilman looks to be the one guy who the Mets could actually get some kind of value in return. Heilman does has stuff, but his problem is that he really cant handle the late inning pressures, and probably prefers to start games.
I think Heilman just needs a change of scenery, so you can see how some teams may be willing to take a chance on his stuff.
Another move Minaya needs to do is fill in the closers role now that Billy Wagner is pretty much done. Looking at what the market will provide this off season, the one name that Mets fans may immediately jump on to is K-ROD. Don't get me wrong, K-ROD would look real nice in a Met uniform, imagine K-ROD closing out games for his countrymen Johan Santana and helping Los Mets reach the playoffs.
K-ROD would be a real nice replacement of Wagner, but K-ROD will cost the Mets mucho dinero. Minaya may not want to invest on a guy who has already lost some of his velocity, and who carries that violent motion in his delivery. Talks around town is that K-ROD wants to come to NY saying that he would embrace, and likes, the hostile pressures that comes with playing in NY. He said he likes playing for fans that care so much and that it would only make him play harder. It reminds me of winter ball in Venezuela. But the word is that Minaya is not looking to invest another 100 million dollar plus contact just like he did a year ago for Santana, and that he is looking to fill in the closer hole with a lesser caliber closer. I wouldn't mind having a guy like K-ROD closing out the games for the Mets for the next 4 years, but I don't believe in breaking the bank on a closer. Thats just me. The Mets may very well still end up with K-ROD, but that is the one move I would stay away from because of how much he will command. But I still would be happy if K-ROD lands on the Mets.
We also here the talks around town that the Mets are also interested in getting the services of Orlando Hudson to play 2B. Luis Castillo who Omar Minaya made the mistake of signing to a 4 year deal last year, is another guy he needs to get rid of, as Castillo will certainly not be the Mets starting 2nd baseman come 2009.
I would love having a guy like Hudson who is a switch hitter & slick fielder and who would be a perfect #2 hitter in that Met lineup, I mean who would not like to have a guy like Hudson on the team?.
The word on the streets is that the Mets will also be looking at Manny Ramirez once again. Everyone knows that the Mets have been very interested in Manny Ramirez for the past 2 years now, but Minaya and the Mets just could not get a deal that would had made Manny a Met. Now Manny is a free agent and you know Manny is going to want to come to a big market team who can afford a guy like Manny, NY and the Mets would seem like a perfect fit. Imagine Manny coming to the Mets and teaming up with Minaya to open up the new CITIFIELD in 2009 with Santana on the mound, as a new era in Mets baseball begins. The Mets would like to get Manny on a 2 year deal, but most likely Manny is looking for a 4 year deal, so it wont be easy.
If Minaya can get a guy like Manny, even with the Manny being Manny issues, and all the antics, I'm all for it. Having Manny's bat in late September, and having the best righthanded hitter in the game, means no more bases loaded and no outs and no runs situations for the Mets. So Omar, go get Manny!
My predictions are that the Mets will not get K-ROD, hopefully land Orlando Hudson, but probably wont, and Manny becomes a Met.
Whatever happens, it should be exciting!
For the Yankees, I predict they will get Sabathia or Mark Texiera, or both.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment