Strapping A Set On

It is easy to sit here and write these things, but sometimes the GMs need to step up and do the right thing for their club even if it is unpopular. It was mentioned that the Twins might be better off trading Nathan and retooling a bit for the next few seasons and bolstering their team long term. However, that would be a ballsy move and not very popular. The Twins need some payroll flexibility for Torii Hunter and he seems like a more integral part to this team than Joe Nathan. If the Mets were going to give up Humber for Chad Cordero, wouldn't one assume he would have brought in a big return?

The Mets need a right handed set up man and failed to acquire one. They have talent close to the bigs so Omar could promote Phil Humber and see how he performs. However, he is inexperienced and though Wainright and Miguel Cabrera should be a shining example of how some guys can step up and play a tremendously large part to a team's success, it would be a ballsy move which is why Omar tried to trade him for Chad Cordero. Instead of rolling the dice with the unknown, he went for the known.

The Yankees made a minor deal, but did not get their bullpen arm and have moved Joba into the AAA bullpen and are slated to give Joba a big chance with Proctor off the team. It is a ballsy move to trade a bullpen arm that logged a ton of innings for you over the last years when you need a reliever. It is especially ballsy when you trade him for a guy who does not exactly fit onto the current team nor pitches and roll with the rookie, but you have to respect the move.

You look at the Rangers and they got a pretty good return for Gagne and Teixeira and you have to wonder why other GMs do not try and emulate that. The Astros for example should probably make a few deals of that ilk and trade big parts of their team as should the Twins and many other teams, but GMs are perhaps too worried about public opinion at times and need to operate with some blinders on as it relates to the media and the fanbase. Taking a step backwards is not necessarily a bad thing and most of these guys try and make every move a step forward, which is impossible.

While Humber may not be a household name and not far removed from Tommy John surgery, he might be able to pitch 95 to 97 mph in a one inning stints and provide that bullpen spark that Joe Smith did. Weren't the Mets brass still buzzing about his relief appearance last fall against the Braves during Spring Training? I am really happy that the trade did not go through and I'm not sure of the logistics of the entire deal since my internet sucks, but it seems as if the Mets were not willing to throw in another player, which seems about right. Why should they? If Bowden was asking for too much again, that should just be another reason he should be removed from his position because he lost a potential impact starter which is something the Nats need badly.

The best thing the Mets could do right now is take the Yankees lead and look to within to solve their problems. Right now, the Mets have holes and one is starting to become a glaring hole. Their bullpen has taken a step back, but there are pieces to work with and it is vital to balance the future while tending to them.

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I really enjoyed the mega chat that ESPN had all day and they should do the tag team chats more often.

Jonah Keri: I liked the Luis castillo deal btw. Yes, Gotay was hitting .350, but his track record didn't suggest that it would continue. Castillo's a solid OBP guy who's a very good defender. Mets pitchers have to be loving Castillo-Reyes-Beltran up the middle, assuming all 3 are healthy. The Mets already catch more balls hit into play than any other team in baseball.

Keith Law seems to think he has lost a step and he probably has. He is older and not quite as quick, but he is sure handed and just came off a 130 game errorless streak. If the Mets wanted defense, they surely got it. If they run with Milledge out in right, the Mets will have some spectacular defense out there with the exception of Delgado and Moises.

Matt (Philadelphia): How much of an upgrade was Luis Castillo for the Mets? I think it would be interesting to get your take on the trade and then compare Joe Morgan's answer when he chats.

SportsNation Jonah Keri: (11:09 AM ET ) Castillo's defense is the clincher here. I don't think Gotay's close to a .350 hitter, but I think he'd have a shot at stayiong competitive with Castillo offensively, with Castillo a better OBP threat and Gotay with more pop. I call this a minor in-season upgrade, with a big-time bonus of compensatory draft picks at year's end if they let him walk to free agency.

If the Mets give Castillo some insane 3-year, $21 million contract, then I don't like the trade nearly as much.

Even if Castillo is a Type B free agent, which he should be, the Mets get a high enough draft pick they could bring in a player much better than Butera or Martin. Besides, we have no idea if Gotay will be sharing time, which is possible. I suspect we will see plenty of him as he has deserved it. However, after the season, I agree with Keri here and signing him to a multi-year deal would seem to be a mistake.

Jack (NY): Have you heard anything about Phil Humber for Chad Cordero?

SportsNation Jonah Keri: (2:13 PM ET ) That would be a very dumb trade for the Mets. Heck, they could promote Humber to the rotation, slot Jorge Sosa in the pen, and get a similar effect, without losing a guy six years from free agency who could be an above-average SP.

Again, just repeating what most of us already think and I want to send the Met front office their quotes of them gushing about Humber's relief appearance against the Braves. What can it hurt? Seriously, at this point, there needs to be some action taken and sooner rather than later and if not Humber, Bostick has been lights out of late. Try him. Try anything.

You could certainly make the argument that Willie indirectly killed the poor mom in this article. Not that we all haven't been there before with our mom in regards to getting mad at them, but stabbing them in the head and beating them to death? Randolph's curious moves are enough to drive anyone to murder at times and thankfully I was not watching the game. Unfortunately for Maria Fischman, Michael Anthony was. It could have easily been my name in those papers.

In all seriousness, the guy obviously had issues. But I truly wonder if of the most controversial series of moves by Willie all season set Michael Anthony off the way Kramer set off Steve Gendason, who happened to be a ex-baseball player in the Seinfeld episode, by hitting him with a penalty stroke for picking up his golf ball and cleaning it.

Willie Randolph is still hesitant to bat Milledge higher in the order. What is really bizarre is that Milledge was batting above Green for a bit and now he was inexplicably dropped back to 8th. Simple reasoning would seem to support the theory that your better hitters should get more at-bats. Call me crazy, but I do subscribe to that theory and would think most managers would. Yost certainly believes in that theory has he plugged Braun into the third spot before he compiled up insane numbers and there is no real good reason to not trust young guys. Their skill should dictate where and when they should play and not their age as I've said here a bunch of times. Of course as I wrote this, Milledge had a bad game at the plate, but those will happen. Overall, I'd still bet on Milledge outperforming Green the rest of the way out and I would still prefer to see Milledge in the two hole for now until Beltran comes back.

Set your DVRs. With Pedro getting his first rehab start down in St. Lucie and the Mets airing it on SNY, things are about to get interesting.

Thoughts on last night's game:

• Glavine didn't have his best stuff, but he gutted it out. When he guts out a game like that for his 300th win, you simply cannot let that game slip away from him.
  
• When Castillo was up with the bases loaded and one out, I had no faith in him and I would have really preferred Gotay there. Of course Castillo will meaningfully contribute, but he is primarily here for defense and small ball, but not RBIs as evidenced by his 18 RBIs as a full time starter in Minneapolis. But as I stated yesterday, I'm not sure about him batting second. If you wanted him for defense, great, but why is pop a bad thing out of the two hole?
  
• Aaron Heilman has been a stud during the last month or so, but the bullpen has been a big letdown of late even if the numbers do not show it.
  
• Lastings can play centerfield with the best of them and he looks just great out there and he can definitely go after it. That catch to end the 9th with the bases loaded was nothing short of amazing.
  
• Sosa coming out of the bullpen would seem to point to Pelfrey getting another start on Thursday. The good thing is that Sosa showed something on the mound out of the bullpen.
  
• David Wright was absolutely huge in last night's game. He was on base all the time and all around just proving how smart of a baseball player he is.
• As frustrating as the game was, it was a pleasure to watch. So far it's a tie score heading into the 12th and with the Braves having chalked up a win already, they need to finish this off, extend their lead over the Phillies, and keep the Braves at bay. The Braves have just picked up two huge pieces and they probably are feeling pretty good about themselves. It is imperative that they do not let them get a chance to feel really good about themselves by picking up a few quick games in the standings.