Should He Stay or Should He Go?

The latest Trachsel buzz makes all too much sense.

The Sox inquired about Mets pitcher Steve Trachsel over the weekend but were told he was not available, according to league sources. There was a published report yesterday that a deal might be in the works, but sources said it was highly unlikely. "The Mets would be crazy to move Trachsel," said one league source.

I'm not sure what is so crazy about trading a 34 year old starter who is not in the team's future plans when they currently have seven starting pitchers on their club right now. While moving him makes sense, there may not be anything to move him for right now. The thing is, the Mets do not actually have to trade him and would not be receiving anything back that would make a difference on their Major League club, so it would most likely leave the Mets needing to be overwhelmed with prospects and maybe a Major League throw in.

I was told by someone who actually chooses to waste their life away listening to the Michael Kay show that he mused the deal could be for Kevin Millar, but that deal would make no sense for the Mets in any capacity. Newsday points out that the Padres are also interested, but neither San Diego nor Boston has many players that can help out with the Mets that have passed through waivers. That leaves prospects off the 40-man roster and the Mets would need to get some good ones and not some Adam Seuss type guys. They are far from making a deal just to make it like the Cubs did inexplicably with Matt Lawton when they handed him over to the Yankees for nothing.

Like the Mets were in the driver's seat with Mike Cameron and failed to act on it, they are in the driver's seat with Steve Trachsel, but the options out there for them are few and far between unlike the Mike Cameron situation. Since the Mets are not looking for prospects and top prospects off the 40-man are the only way to extract some real value for the Mets, no deal with the Red Sox or Padres really seems imminent and the Mets would be presumably be looking for help now and Trachsel in the bullpen may be the most help in any possibly situation. Moving him would be ideal, but that may have to wait untinl the off-season.

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From perusing other blogs and checking out some links, Always Amazin' pointed this article out in regards to Manny Ramirez.

A National League general manager who plans to pursue Padres free-agent C Ramon Hernandez already is conceding Hernandez probably will end up with the Mets.

They guy has hit in pitcher's parks his entire career so his numbers figure to stay the same and possibly go up from his time in San Diego, he can handle a staff as good as any catcher, can take a walk now and then, and can play pretty good defense. He would be more than welcome, but what's the cap? Jason Varitek is called the heart and soul of the Red Sox and got a four year $40 million dollar contract despite not really being a top tier defensive catcher and when you factor in their home fields, both can put up similar numbers, though Varitek is having great year this year. How much is Hernandez worth? How important is a guy that can handle a staff great, including young pitchers and go out and be an all around catcher that can do everything?

In my catching up on baseball activities while I was not around, Mike Jacobs, Matt Lindstrom, and Lastings Milledge are the Mets slated to go to the Arizona Fall League this upcoming fall. After attending the Arizona Fall League at 20 years old, David Wright played 91 games between AA and AAA after not playing a AA game previous to that season and made his debut on July 21st with the Mets. Lastings Milledge will be 20 years old when he attends this years Arizona Fall League and will have had played over 50 games at AA. While Wright was a much more refined hitter, he truly came into his own after turning 21. Milledge is a different player and has more athletic ability and is it really unrealistic to envision him around the same time Wright got called up next season with the Mets?

Lastings will be a pretty busy guy after the season. He is also going to represent the US for the Baseball World Cup along with Brian Bannister. With all that is going on, I just have a feeling that Milledge is going to go from über prospect to über über prospect. I see him breaking out in a big way with all five tools.

From the NYPost:

According to Mike Cameron's agent, Mike Nicotera, the injured right fielder will see a doctor this week in New York to get a restraint removed from his jaw. That will permit Cameron to eat solid food again after only being able to ingest liquids.

Solid food is good.

Minor update:

• Norfolk beat Charlotte 9-7. Angel Pagan went 2 for 6 with a run scored and two RBIs, Anderson Hernandez went 2 for 5 with two runs scored, Rodney Nye went 3 for 5 with a double and four RBIs, Ron Calloway went 2 for 5 with two runs scored and a double, and Chase Lambin went 0 for 2 with a run scored and three walks. Neal Musser got the win despite giving up five earned runs in 5.2 innings. Shingo Takatsu gave up a homer in .1 innings of work and Tim Hamulack pitched two innings for his sixth save of the year. Tim has a 1.13 ERA between AA and AAA in 64 innings and has only given up four earned runs at each level and only one homer in total. With his 8.58 K/9 and his 4.07 K/BB he really seems like a prime September call up and one that may actually be able to help out.
  
• St. Lucie beat Jupiter 6-2. Andy Wilson went 2 for 5, the offensive juggernaut known as Aaron Hathaway went 3 for 5 with two runs scored, Jamar Hill went 2 for 5 with two runs scored and a double, and Derran Watts went 2 for 4 with a run scored, two RBIs, and a walk. More importantly, Gaby Hernandez went five innings and gave up only one earned run. He gave up three hits and struck out six and brought his ERA at St. Lucie down to 6.18. Carlos Muniz picked up the win relief to bring his record to 5-4 and he went two innings and gave up no hits or walks and struck out two.
  
• Lakewood beat Hagerstown 3-2. Carlos Gomez went 1 for 3, Grant Psomas went 1 for 3 with a walk and his 20th homer in low A and his 21st homer overall, and Joshua Wyrick went 2 for 3. Orlando Rengel started the game but got the no decision. He went 6.2 innings and gave up seven hits, two earned runs, two walks, one homer, and struck out five. Edgar Alfonzo took the loss in his .2 innings of work and gave up one earned run.
  
• Brooklyn beat Hudson Valley 3-1. Gregory Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and a double, Caleb Stewart went 2 for 3 with a run scored, an RBI, and a walk, and Nick Evans went 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Jeffrey Landing continued his solid pitching for the Cyclones and took the win to bring his record to 5-6 and lower his ERA to 2.97. He went five innings giving up five hits, no earned runs, one walk, and struck out one. Robert Paulk got the save went two innings giving up two hits, one walk, no earned runs and struck out two.
  
• Bristol beat Kingsport 5-0. David Wabick went 2 for 4 and Parris Austin went 2 for 3 with two doubles. Kingsport pitchers had some bad luck and Jeramy Simmons and Jim Wladyka combined for eight innings of six hit ball and gave up only one earned run and four unearned runs while striking out nine and walking four.

Steve Popper has a good article on David Wright and Jose Reyes.

On the outfield wall at Shea Stadium there are only three retired numbers. Of those, just one - Tom Seaver's No. 41 - commemorates a player who made a contribution on the field for the Mets.....

But after 43 years, the Mets placed not one, but two players on the field who carry those same hopes. Standing next to each other on the field and assigned adjacent lockers on the road, David Wright and Jose Reyes are in their first full seasons, spawning visions of a pairing that could be a foundation for the next 15 years.

Peter Abraham asks, "At what point does a slow transition to a new team and city become simply a bad season"?

I can answer that. Two months ago. Ask Carlos Lee how his transition went? Sure New York is tougher and Carlos Beltran has more pressure because of the dollars being paid to him blah, blah, blah. The guy is one of the five best talents in the league and there is no doubt that I am focused towards next year with him and this year on the Mets as a whole. I am done focusing on Beltran and what he is or is not doing. I do not care. He will not be a factor in 2005 at the plate so it is up to everyone else to get it done.

Shaun Powell thinks it is perfect time for redemption.

The Mets have the pitching to compete with Florida and Houston and more quality arms than the Phillies, who play at Shea tonight. But as they showed last weekend in San Francisco, their offense doesn't always suit up. They can only rely so much on David Wright. A nasty outfield collision with Mike Cameron gave Beltran another out, much the way his earlier leg injuries bought him time, but he must do better than .263 in the No. 3 spot.

Willie Randolph indicated the Mets have pledged to bring back Danny Graves from Triple-A Norfolk as early as Sept. 5. The reliever allowed eight runs in his first two innings with the Tides.

Is this team committed to winning? Sometimes it really just does not seem like it.

Eli Gelman has a great farm report and plenty of quotes from Gary LaRoque. They have some nice quick blurbs a bunch of players and is a good all around read.

Tom Boswell is an ass.

Before anyone disparages the chances of the humble Nats, read on. The Marlins, Phillies and Mets are probably already dead. They just don't know it yet....

What the Mets face may be just as bad. Their next 28 games are against teams with winning records, including 10 against the Braves and Cards! Most are also on the road. New York closes with four games at home against the pathetic Rockies. But will the Mets still be breathing by then? They've been coasting in a soft schedule since the all-star break -- only two of 12 series against currently winning teams. The Mets, like the Marlins, should have made a move. Instead, they just stayed in the pack. Now, they've lost Mike Cameron for the year and Mike Piazza is still on the disabled list. Can Pedro Martinez pitch every day?

Yeah, 28 of their next 32 games are against above .500 teams, but they play 24 NL East games and since the entire NL East is over .500, that would make sense. The entire NL East is in it because they all get to beat each other up over the final month and yes, the Mets have lost two key cogs, but have made their run without them. Not with them. That deserves to be looked at the Mets have one thing that no other team can boast, seven starting pitchers. The Mets have depth where they need it the most. Are they really dead already you dumb shit? The Nationals are the only team in the NL East that would qualify as dead. What's their second half record again?

I still think this was a big loss by the Mets not getting this guy.

But the hottest bat remains first baseman Kendry Morales, who is a remarkable 17-for-23 (.739) in his last five games, to go along with monthly totals of .389-9-21 in 25 games.

After getting Alay Soler and then recently getting Fernando Martinez, Omar could have pulled up the international hat trick to supplant a weak draft. Alas, I'll just be resigned to complaining about this once every two months or so.