Fading Fast

The Mets are now in last place in the NL East and six games behind the Braves. Unacceptable. They are 1-3 on this road trip so far and have torn down all of the good will that they built on the last homestand. This team has been so inconsistent and reluctant to take it to the next step and put .500 behind them and make a run at things, it really makes you wonder if Omar is going to be affected in how he approaches this weekend by the Mets erratic play. For a team that is clearly on the cusp of contending and needing a big bat, but not deep enough on the farm to deal away stud prospects like Lastings Milledge and Yusmiero Petit and assemble a successful team for the next ten years without heavily relying on the free agent market, they need to think about the road they heading down. You simply need a deep system to infuse young players on your team and the Mets have two of the best of them. To give them up at this time may not be the most prudent thing to do.

That being said, I'm on board with the Murray Chass train. Just by the sheer dollar amount involved, Manny Ramirez would not be costing any prospects, or any ones that are vital to the Mets future at least. Ramirez is due $7.2 million of his $20 million salary for this season and $57 million over the upcoming three seasons.

"If you're willing to take a broken bat and a couple of baseballs and a player to be named later, I supposed that makes it more possible, but there's just a certain set of clubs that will never be interested because of the dollars involved. But then again that club may say, 'Hey, if he's got a $18-20 million contract this year, and you pay 95 percent of it, you know, we'll trade with you.' But that's not a particularly intelligent thing for us to do."

While Alfonso Soriano is still an upgrade for the Mets club offensively, he is not the difference maker that Manny is. Manny is one of the best RBI guys in the game and with the Mets struggling to score runs, there is no better fit than Manny. While Soriano would help, Manny is clearly a better fit. Now about that contract. I realized that it is an absurd amount of money, but it is for only three seasons after this and will be gone when the Mets need the cash to dish out the cash to Jose Reyes and David Wright. Sure the Mets will be in the red, but the cash people will be laying out to go watch this team for the rest of season will go a long way to help pay for Manny and Manny could very well drive the Mets into the playoffs by filling up a void that is tremendous. I'm not sure what it would take, but if the Mets would be able to give them Cliffy or Cammy, possibly a slary dump in Tom Glavine, and whatever else they may need that is not named Lastings, Yusmeiro, or Gaby and assume the money, it needs to be done. The Mets are one team that will be able to give them a guy who has over 20 homers and that is huge for a team giving up the best run producer in the game. Omar needs to hang up with Hart and find out how to make this work with Epstein and the Red Sox.

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Minor update:

• Norfolk beat Toledo 4-0. Victor Diaz went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI and Eric Valent went 1 for 4 with a run scored, a double, and two RBIs. Victor Diaz was back in right field to no doubt get some work in in case he will be replacing Cammy in right this weekend. Angel Pagan stole his 19th base of the season and went 1 for 4 with a run scored. Jason Scobie pitched well and went 6.2 innings and gave up four hits, no runs, one walk, and struck out four.
  
• Altoona beat Binghamton 6-5. Lastings Milledge went 1 for 5 with an RBI, Brett Harper went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI, and Mike Jacobs went 1 for 5 with a run scored, a double, and an RBI.
  
• St. Lucie beat Sarasota 8-7. Dante Brinkley went 2 for 3 with a run scored, a walk, and two RBIs.
  
• Hagerstown vs. Kannapolis was rained out.
  
• Hudson Valley beat Brooklyn 11-6.
  
• Kingsport vs. Greeneville got rained out.
  
• The GCL Mets vs. the GCL Nationals apparently did not play last night and I have no idea why.
  
• The VSL Astros beat the VSL Mets 5-1.

The Yankees acquired Shawn Chacon for nothing. They acquired a 27-year old righty who throws 92-94 mph for Ramon Ramirez and Edwardo Sierra (crickets chirping). Huh? This was the best they could do for a guy who still has some considerable upside?

Some people say that the Alfonso trade has cooled down and some say that is very much alive.

Yesterday found the Mets still hard at work on a deal that would bring them the Texas Rangers second baseman. As of last night, the sides were discussing a deal that would send right fielder Mike Cameron, outfield prospect Lastings Milledge and a pitching prospect -- possibly Yusmeiro Petit -- to the Rangers for Soriano and 23-year-old first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Final details had yet to be worked out, and some of the names could change, but the Mets are working to finalizing the deal in some form before Sunday's 4 p.m. deadline.

I am not happy about losing Lastings and Petit even if they get back A-Gone. I mean, Cammy is a premier centerfielder and is no slouch. The Mets are direly overvaluing Soriano at this point.

The Mets are still looking at Danys Baez, Eddie Guardado, and Jose Mesa. In some comedy relief, Chuck Lamar asked for David Wright or Jose Reyes according to Adam Rubin. What a douchebag.