Offseason Rant

[Blue Jeans]

Today, December 29th 2006, the last consistant free agent was taken off the market in Barry Zito by the SF Giants. Mets' GM Omar Minaya stated many times that he is content with the team we have now, and thinks we can take the step up we failed to take last year. But let's face facts: Glavine's career almost ended last year, El Duque is pushing 50, Maine is still unproven, Perez scares the crap out of me, Humber is coming off major arm surgery, and Pelfrey is still just a rookie and had an injury last year. Shit, I'll just about take Victor Zambrano back for a one year, one million dollar deal with a little rehab time and see what happens. You do not cruise through the season, nevermind the playoffs, sporting a rotation of two hurt old men, and three unproven players. You need Mr. Consistant, Mr. Innings eater, Barry Zito. 120 million + is a lot of money, and I know if you're Zito you don't leave that money on the table when you don't have to even pack a bag, but maybe if we had offered that sixth year, that extra 10-13 million we wouldn't be having this conversation. Today, we let somebody who could have really helped us slip through our hands.

 

Enough with Zito and the rest of the rotation, it will be talked and ranted about throughout the rest of the offseason, spring training, or the season if it is not addressed. The bullpen has gotten worse. Chad Bradford was taken from us by the Orioles. They offered a three year deal to a pitcher who has a questionable back but was vital to our bullpen success. Where were you there, Mr. Minaya? A two year incentive laden deal would have done the trick I think, you offered him a one year deal. You offer Bradford a one year deal yet you give Guellerimo (sp.) Mota, who is on a 50 game suspension for "substance abuse" a two year deal. Okay, now obviously if you lose Bradford without putting up much of a fight you have someone in mind. John Adkins? We'll have to see about this, I sense and hope it's a Duaner Sanchez-like deal and he becomes something at or above Bradford. We also lost Darren Oliver, who was pretty vital to our success during the season as well as the post-season. I am not complaining too much because I believe Dave Williams, and it IS his spot to lose in ST, will fill in at long-relief nicely.

 

Rather than upgrade at 2B, Omar made it priority #1 this off season to bring back Jose Valentin. Newsflash: Valentin who is now 37 years old. He is the same Valentin who we signed as a left handed pinch hitting bat to replace Marlon Anderson in 2005. He had a completely UNEXPECTED season in 2006. Omar, you really believe Valentin will produce the same way as last year? I agree with the move on bringing him back, as a kind of super-utility player with the loss of Chris Woodward to the Braves, but not as our number one option at second base. I realize that Omar made a bid on Lugo, he eventually signed with the Red Sox, okay, not his fault. What about Josh Barfield? I'm sure you were aware that the Padres' were shopping him. You had the chips, WHY NOT USE THEM?

 

Really, the only one thing we can say is somewhat positive about this off-season is that our lineup has become less left-handed oriented. Welcome Moises Alou. Not that I disagree with the move, Alou has been a great hitter in his career but he is FORTY-ONE. While it's probably 10 years younger than El Duque, it's still pretty old. He'll play innings 1-7 in wins before being replaced by Endy. Bottom line, I don't disagree with this move, but if it is the highlight of your offseason, you havn't done the best you could have done.

 

We have also taken a blow in one of Willie's favorite parts of the team, our bench. Last year, our fantastic bench of Jose Valentin, Endy Chavez, Chris Woodward, and Julio Franco has been reduced to Damion Easley and soon enough (deep breath) Ruben Sierra. By the time of my birth, Ruben Sierra and Julio Franco were middle-aged (well, at least Franco was), I don't think it's possible for them to be on the same bench, but they just might be.

 

Overall, this offseason was a dissapointment. We won without Pedro for half a year last year, we will have to do it again, but this time with different guys who will come with different results. We depend on Pedro's return this year a lot more than last year. We failed to improve our team, this team is worst than it was heading into the playoffs last year. Without improvement this team will not climb the next step to the World Series, Omar knows this. Get to it.

 

Mr. Minaya, I hope with the aquisitions that you made you can prove me wrong and win us a championship.

 

I am sending this to the mets.com editor.

[Herc]

it's hard to imagine this is it for omar and that he doens't have a plan. maybe he's still going after rich harden? if he's healthy then you have a bonafide ace and a lot of your problems will be solved. he's a LOT better than zito and beane may be one of the few gm's left who still values milledge the same way he did this time last year. glavine is best as a 2 and i still think you're pushing it with el duque as a 3, but if he can pull it off for half a season until pedro comes back then that'd be great. maine is a nice consistent back-end pitcher (at least right now) but i dont know how many innings he'll pitch each start. the real wild card here is perez. his performance last year in a huge spot was very unexpected and maybe he fixed whatever mechanical flaws he had, if so then you have a legit #3 that can push el duque to the 4 and might even potentially have an ace. as we all remember he was for real a few years back and is still young. if he replicates that season then you have your ace. but you never know what you're getting with him.

 

the real problem, even if pedro comes back healthy, is going to be your bullpen. glavine, el duque, pedro, and maine are not 7 inning pitchers. i'd be very concerned with sanchez and the other bullpen pitchers burning out. it's kind of a mixed blessing that mota is out the first 50 games cuz it's almost like getting a midseason acquisition with 0 IP to help pick up some of the slack. as a pads fan i can tell you that i was happy with adkins last season, but i can't promise you anything like i did last offseason with xavier nady. i just can't see omar not acquiring at least one more legit bullpen arm cuz there's just going to be way too many bullpen IP this season

[Blue Jeans]

it's hard to imagine this is it for omar and that he doens't have a plan. maybe he's still going after rich harden? if he's healthy then you have a bonafide ace and a lot of your problems will be solved. he's a LOT better than zito and beane may be one of the few gm's left who still values milledge the same way he did this time last year. glavine is best as a 2 and i still think you're pushing it with el duque as a 3, but if he can pull it off for half a season until pedro comes back then that'd be great. maine is a nice consistent back-end pitcher (at least right now) but i dont know how many innings he'll pitch each start. the real wild card here is perez. his performance last year in a huge spot was very unexpected and maybe he fixed whatever mechanical flaws he had, if so then you have a legit #3 that can push el duque to the 4 and might even potentially have an ace. as we all remember he was for real a few years back and is still young. if he replicates that season then you have your ace. but you never know what you're getting with him.

 

the real problem, even if pedro comes back healthy, is going to be your bullpen. glavine, el duque, pedro, and maine are not 7 inning pitchers. i'd be very concerned with sanchez and the other bullpen pitchers burning out. it's kind of a mixed blessing that mota is out the first 50 games cuz it's almost like getting a midseason acquisition with 0 IP to help pick up some of the slack. as a pads fan i can tell you that i was happy with adkins last season, but i can't promise you anything like i did last offseason with xavier nady. i just can't see omar not acquiring at least one more legit bullpen arm cuz there's just going to be way too many bullpen IP this season

 

I actually think Omar did a nice job handling the bullpen with the exception of the Bradford loss, we acquired a young fireballer in Ambiorix Burgos, while he struggled with the Royals (who doesn't?) a change of senery and a new pitching coach may help. Sanchez coming back from shoulder surgery should be ready to go but there is still reason to be concerned. Juan Padilla (out last year from tommy john) and Adkins should compete for a spot until Mota comes back at least. Williams takes Olivers job. You can't expect the same out of Pedro Feliciano as last year (2.09 ERA). We also acquired Vargas from the Marlins for Henry Owens and Matt Lindstrom, I'm guessing he'll occasionally come up from AAA when we need a spot starter or a fresh (lefty) bullpen arm. The only person who's name isn't Billy Wagner who's spot is locked is Aaron Heilman- and he might be gone for a pitcher like Danny Haren, Jake Westbrook, Javier Vasquez, etc. I think trading Heilman now would be a big mistake and very harmful to our bullpen, at least until we know Duaner can come back at full strength.

 

Willie likes to use the 12 pitcher roster, which leaves 7 bullpen spots.

 

Wagner

Sanchez

Heilman

Williams

Feliciano

Burgos

Padilla/Adkins

 

Unless Heilman is traded or Sanchez is off pace I doubt Omar goes after another piece in the pen.

[Herc]

oh right i forgot all about burgos, and willie's right to use a 12 pitcher roster--especially this upcoming year

[fringe]

Giants are going to trade you Noah Lowry for some hitting.

[mickeef2]

Can't really blame Omar for this. That's too much money for Zito. Schmidt has a lot of question marks. The Sox blew the roof off with their Matsuzaka bid. If anything, blame him for wrapping up so much money in an ace pitcher with known health issues. That's probably what's prevented him from getting a solid starter more than anything else.

[Blue Jeans]

Giants are going to trade you Noah Lowry for some hitting.

 

Which kind? Major League or Minor League? Most of our prospects are pitchers but the guys who look to be expendable are Anderson Hernandez, Lastings Milledge, Mike Carp, and maybe Jesus Flores... Ben Johnson from the majors, but I don't think that will net us Lowry. (Would be nice)

 

I am saying Milledge is expendable now because of the emergence of Carlos Gomez.

[Blue Jeans]

Can't really blame Omar for this. That's too much money for Zito. Schmidt has a lot of question marks. The Sox blew the roof off with their Matsuzaka bid. If anything, blame him for wrapping up so much money in an ace pitcher with known health issues. That's probably what's prevented him from getting a solid starter more than anything else.

 

Right now Pedro is basically in a 2 yr. 25 million dollar deal. I'd say that's pretty good being the prices for big name pitchers are where they are right now.

 

Speaking of health issues, I'm hoping we can get Mark Prior next year for a little bargain (or maybe even this year if he isn't starting out so well) I've liked Prior since he was a rook.

[fringe]

Which kind? Major League or Minor League? Most of our prospects are pitchers but the guys who look to be expendable are Anderson Hernandez, Lastings Milledge, Mike Carp, and maybe Jesus Flores... Ben Johnson from the majors, but I don't think that will net us Lowry. (Would be nice)

 

I am saying Milledge is expendable now because of the emergence of Carlos Gomez.

i think you're right. a team would have to overpay for lowry, a young lefty with a major league changeup. would have to be a proven hitter, preferably with speed.

[gateb]

Omar has something up his sleeve. Although this has been a confusing off-season, you gotta have faith in your front office.

 

That's exactly what I said after the Kiwi pick even though I was pissed off. And I am no longer pissed off.