A blog dedicated to the New York Mets with some other baseball thrown in.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention? I've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story.

Are you sitting down? The Yankees are still interested in Santana. Wow. It is also good to see that Brian Cashman is powerless again as well.

"The bottom line is, it's my decision," Hank Steinbrenner said, "but there's disagreement within the organization. I've got to keep everybody happy in the organization, including Brian ... That includes my partner, which is my brother."

Whatever happened to the days where you hired a GM to run your baseball team instead of hiring him and then making decisions to keep him happy? The only new revalation is that Santana would only be getting a five year extension from the Yankees and not a six or seven year extension.

If the Yankees do complete a trade for Santana, Steinbrenner said they would not go beyond a five-year contract extension (one that expires after the 2013 season).

"I wouldn't do it if it were a six- or seven-year contract," Steinbrenner said. "I wouldn't go past five, on an extension."


I can certainly see him getting more than five years if he gets to negotiate a contract on the free agent market and it probably behooves him to turn down whatever deal any possible suitor dishes out so he can pick his team and get paid.

* * *

  • Gut it! The Orioles are a complete joke and they look like a last place team in the AL East as currently constructed. To not trade everything not nailed down would be a horrific mistake.

  • Jim Callis slams Billy Beane a bit.

    Billy Beane has proven himself to be one of the game's best general managers, but how he escapes blame for the collapse of his farm system is beyond me. Yes, big league promotions have thinned out Oakland's store of minor league talent, but with 19 first-round or supplemental first-round picks in the last six drafts, there's no excuse. Funny, I seem to remember reading a book a few years ago about how the A's were revolutionizing the draft.

    Good point Jim, good point. Really though, that is more than three per season and they really have little to show for it. He did get some good players, but his more recent ones have been rough.

    In 2002 he drafted Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, John McCurdy, Ben Fritz, Jeremby Brown, Steve Obenchain, and Mark Teahan.

    In 2003 he drafted Brad Sullivan, Brian Snyder, and Omar Quintanilla.

    In 2004 he drafted Landon Powell, Richie Robnett, Danny Putnam, and Huston Street.

    In 2005 he drafted Cliff Pennington and Travis Buck.

    In 2006 he did not have a draft pick as this is when I believe he inexplicably signed Esteban Loaiza and lost his first round pick. Of course Beane gave him up for nothing when the Dodgers claimed him and the $8m+ owed to him through 2008 off of waivers last season.

    In 2007 he drafted James Simmons, Sean Doolittle, and Corey Brown.

    Of course the 2007 draft is too soon to judge, but those are some ugly drafts.

  • Also noted within the piece, the Mets getting rid of Glavine kicks ass. It has been covered time and time again, but I really am excited about this.

    18. Mets (Tom Glavine, A, to Atl)
    19. Cubs
    20. Mariners
    21. Tigers
    22. Mets
    23. Padres
    24. Phillies
    25. Rockies
    26. Diamondbacks
    27. Twins (Torii Hunter, A, to LAA)
    28. Yankees
    29. Indians
    30. Red Sox
    Supplemental First-Round Picks
    31. Twins (Hunter)
    32. Brewers (Franciso Cordero, A, to Cin)
    33. Mets (Glavine)


    The Braves can have his league average innings, I would rather take two picks in the top 33 any day of the week. This draft could do wonders for the Mets with any luck as it is worth noting the Yankees got Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain in the 2006 draft with picks 21 and 40. Of course I am not suggesting the Mets will come away with such a handsome haul that will help on such short order, but merely pointing out the opportunity that possibly awaits them....as long as they do not draft two college relievers with two of those three picks, I'll be happy.

    The Mets have been thinking quick help in the last two drafts, but hopefully they shift gears a bit and just draft the best talent. They need pitching direly as anyone does, but they also need to get some more depth in regards to position prospects. Go for the best and not just the best arm.

    A side note: I would gladly give the Braves first round pick back (not the sandwich pick as well) if it meant Willie was given his walking papers. That is how bad I want him out of this organization.

  • Goose is in. Jim Rice just missed, Blyleven missed by a good amount, Morris rightfully finished below Blylelven, Raines got a paltry 24.3% of the votes which is silly, Mattingly got 15.8% of the votes when he should have gotten 0%, and Harold Baines is holding on for dear life with 5.2% of the votes. It is safe to say, Mr. Baines looks like a long shot.

    It should be noted that Jim rice played for sixteen years and was known as a power hitter. He hit less than 24 homers per year which is certainly perplexing being he was supposed to be a power hitter in park that helps out right handed hitters. He must have pounded a ton of doubles, right? Not so much. He hit less doubles than he did homers. He had four monster seasons and a bunch of good ones. His candidacy is bit perplexing in regards to the support he is getting. I understand he was playing in a different ERA, but even in that context he is not a HoF.

    I know that is a very crude look at his numbers, but Mike & Mad Dog were harping on this last night and it was annoying. Somehow Mad Dog thought Rice was slam dunk and Raines was not a HoF. I think Raines will eventually get in, but for some reason the voters will not vote in a sure fire Hall of Famer when they appear on their first ballot because they are not a 'first ballot Hall of Famer' like Pedro Martinez will be.

    They are making a statement, however ridiculous it is.

  • Eric Karabell brings up an interesting notion.

    And by the way, a few paragraphs up, I had that throwaway line about Hamilton possibly being the team's best center fielder ever. It's not a throwaway line. Try naming a Texas Rangers center fielder who topped 300 games. It's hard to believe Oddibe McDowell is probably the best they've had in Arlington. Hamilton had better end up the best.

    The Rangers have had some good teams in the past, but no good centerfielders. It will be interesting to see what Hamilton does and him and Salty give the Rangers a nice meat of the order for a long time.

  • I do not think I have ever mentioned here how despicable Tom McCarthy is. He absconds for the Phillies? Sure he worked for the Phillies before joining the Mets, but that does not lessen my negative feelings toward the man.

    Now, the Mets are chasing some Hagin character. Is he good? I don't know. I read an interview with him and seems like a swell guy who knows his stuff, but I would like some more life in the radio broadcasts. Is cloning Keith Hernandez an option? Has Harold Reynolds cleared his named yet?

    "Three people who work at ESPN and familiar with the case said the cause was a pattern of sexual harassment." Reynolds confirmed that an accusation of sexual harassment was the reason for his departure but called it "a total misunderstanding" and that "I gave a woman a hug and I felt like it was misinterpreted."

    There are lots of hugs out there....Puppy hugs, fraidycat hugs, birthday hugs, I love-you-hugs, etc. Maybe he dished out a puppy hug when he should have went fradiycat hug. These things happen.

    Labels:

  • 30 Comments:

    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    If Omar drafts any reliever arms with those 3 picks I'm going to slap him with a piece of raw bacon.

    He will. We know it.

    Some guy that throws 84MPH with average secondary stuff but he's good on lefties.

    We know it.

    10:01 AM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    Is getting slapped in the face with raw bacon really a punishment? It actually sounds kind of delicious.

    I have zero faith in him not drafting a reliever at this point and as much as I love Rick Peterson, the Mets have been way too heavy early on with pitchers.

    I think he deserves some input, but it would seem he gets a bit too much input.

    10:19 AM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    hahaha, that's a good point.

    Maybe Omar is kosher or something and he would consider it punishment.

    Draft day will be a big day for this organization. I hate to say defining moment for our short- to mid-term future, but it could be.

    Big day.

    10:33 AM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    HAHAHA!!

    Great headline Mike.

    - Nokes

    10:40 AM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    True. A kosher person would not appreciate that.

    I will say this though, few things are more degrading than getting slapped. However, if bacon was involved, I would have a hard time getting all that mad.

    It is not all that hard to envision the Mets' short and long term future on this. They have are close to having a barren system with Mulvey, Humber, and Gomez being close to done in the minors.

    They need to start getting deeper if they want to pull off the trades that are considered to be the final touches on this team, like acquiring an ace.

    Wags is a free agent and might be offered arb. That would give the Mets first rounder if he leaves. However, he could easily be back and the Mets could easily surrender their '09 first rounder leaving them empty handed.

    3 for 3 is too much to ask, but they need to get at least two B+ prospects (that stay B+ prospects) from these first three picks and then start flashing some cash in the later rounds.

    10:52 AM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    Also...I'm not saying Muvley, Humber, and Gomez IS their system, but their talent is far away. They need to draft some guys (and this does not necessarily mean college guys only) that can move through the system.

    Mulvey, Humber, Gomez, and Pelfrey are all close.

    Then F-Mart is close behind, but still has a lot to prove. Guerra is going to be at AA this year at some point if not right in the beginning.

    However, after that is is a long time before we see some blue chippers again. Parnell is nice and there are some other intriguining arms, but no one worth much in a trade.

    10:55 AM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    I don't know whether to be excited or scared for the Hank Steinbrenner Era. What a blowhard. He's entertaining, if nothing else!

    I think I we can all agree that the 2008 Draft is vital for rebuilding this team's farm system. I can't overstate this.

    I won't miss McCarthy, I wasn't a big fan anyway.

    The Phillips/Kurkjian/Law/Sheehan split screen HOF debate on ESPNews was must-watch TV. Sadly I didn't record it. I just wish it was Olney instead of Kurkjian, since Law is pretty open about his distaste for everything Olney. That's the only thing that could have made it better for me. The unintentional comedy was off the charts.

    Sign me up for getting slapped in the face with bacon.

    11:08 AM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    im so tired of this santana bullshit.

    hank is a douche. he will undermine anything that a savy baseball will attempt just by going to the media. why isnt anyone filing tampering chargesS?

    omar could be muslim. pork isnt halal.

    this has been the wackest off season ever. boring and full of dumbass transactions.

    if clemens had mcnamee give him b12 and lidocaine, its still very much illegal!

    12:03 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    Hank is George 2.0 and he is not afraid to let it be known. He seems to still value youth, which does not bode well for us waiting for the meltdown, but he is crazy enough to make some bad decisions.

    McCarthy is not big loss. I do agree, but he's still a douche.

    Unintentional comedy might be the best kind. Putting four people on TV when one side thinks the other side is dumb is a great idea.

    I thought B12 shots were legal? Explain....

    This has been a strange off-season. I agree. The trade market is hot. Prospect for prospct deals. Prospect for backup catcher deals. Aces have been dealt. I like the madness.

    12:47 PM

     
    Blogger Sidd Finch said...

    The Yankees want Santana? Get the hell outta here!

    McCarthy will not be missed. Can we get Ted Robinson back? How about David Cone?

    Moneyball had a huge section in it about Jeremy Brown. Beane really laid an egg on that draft pick. I sure hope the Mets do better this year in the draft, I'm tired of them not signing people because they want more than the 'slot' amount the Mets are offering.

    Clemens is a lying sack of shit.

    12:52 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Assuming Santana is not coming to the Mets (which I hope is true if he will cost 2 of the top 3 pitching and the top 2 position player prospect in the organization) and the need for a pitcher I think the A's could be a good trade partner. But not for Blanton, how about Huston Street and Landon Powell for a package not requiring as much from the Mets. Powell is injured now but is a top tier catching prospect (switch hitter with high OBP, power, and excellent receiver & arm). Pick up Hernandez and put Street in the pen with Heillman & Sanchez and starters only need to go 6 innings for a win. I wonder what players would be necessary for such a deal. The Mets need a catcher of the future desperately and if Powell doesn't fully recover from his torn ACL he has the bat for 1st base. As for the draft, 3 picks in the top 33 is sweet. Figure Glavine is replaced by Hernandez and they perform about the same. Except Hernandez won't cost $13M and the Mets picked up the #18 & 33 pick. Glavine's never contributed more hope to this organization. I hope the Mets select a high end High School power arm, not a college power guy, they are old when they arrive and don't have time to develop but have put wear and tear on their arm (Paul Wilson, Bill Pulsipher, Mike Pelfrey). College can be lost time for a power pitcher. There are no sure things, but I think guys like Mulvey & Humber are better college picks. Low 90's but with other pitches developed. With the other 2 picks get the best two available guys regardless of position. Then as previously stated, throw around some money to steal a few top players that would have otherwise gone to college on scholarship. Following a plan like this instead of mortgaging the farm for Santana will keep the Mets in playoff contention for years to come.

    12:59 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    Isn't Cone with the Yankees still? He does not seem to get a long to well with the Mets, but he seems like more of a 3rd mic guy, no? I have no heard him in a while.

    Ted R. has too much on his plate. He was not bad, but I think the Mets only wanted him to baseball and he does every sport known to man.

    Didn't Powell pack on some pounds? I thought there were questions abotuhim staying as a catcher?

    I love Street though. At this point, Beane is going to ask for the moon though or else he might as well keep him.

    I agree on your plan. I think Omar needs to be shrewd rather than bold. This team is not far off from getting where they want to go.

    Can they beat the AL in seven games? Maybe...but I'm not exactly going to start worrying about that right now. The Mets could end up having one of the best front three in the Bigs when all is said and done.

    1:13 PM

     
    Blogger Sidd Finch said...

    Beane could probably get more for Street at the deadline, because a team might be desperate, and Street is still under control for a few years.

    I think Cone is not working in baseball at the moment, wanted to hang with his family.

    The biggest concern I have is the bullpen. If Sanchez comes back strongly from surgery, that would go a long way, that's for sure.

    Sounds like we've come up with the 2008 Mets promo phrase - 'We're not Bold, we're Shrewd'

    1:21 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    Or 'Catch the Shrew!' could work.

    Yeah, holding onto Street might make sense unless you get bowled over. But the idea is he does not have to go and certainly should not be traded unless a handsome return comes back.

    I actually think the bullpen has the chance to be outstanding. Again, I hate to sound like a broken record, but The Duque has a rubber arm and obliterates righties. Adding him and Wise to the bullpen makes this team much better. Sanchez is icing on the cake.

    If he is throwing in the 90's as rumored and the Mets shift The Duque to the pen to be an expensive reliever, forget it. There will not be enough innings for all of these guys to share when you factor in Wagner, Feliciano, and Smith.

    This bullpen might be as effective as '06 when Willie could not call the wrong guy out of the bullpen. You have set-up men from either side of the plate, guys that are killer's on lefties or righties, a dominant closer, and two talented set-up men in Sanchez and Heilman.

    It is not a concern for me at this point. Of course that can all change, but I think the depth is there and Omar needs to not be afraid to dip into youth like Humber.

    1:52 PM

     
    Blogger Scott Danzig said...

    A while before we see blue chippers again? I'm sure that by the time Fernando Martinez reaches the majors (2009-2010), there'll be at least one or two more blue-chips at 2 years away max. We have 3 first round draft picks this year, plus I'm sure there's someone at class A that will catch fire this year. There's always someone. I don't buy this idea of a talent drought, especially when Omar is supposedly focused on his foreign recruits that haven't reached AA yet.

    1:58 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    What foreign recruits? Outside of Guerra and F-Mart the system is a barren as a 90 woman year old's ovaries when it comes to int'l signings. I think they signed a scandanavian kid, but I'm not sure he is highly touted or anyone that is going to hop onto anyone's radar any time soon.

    I really do not see any blue chippers on the horizon. No guys that can crack the top 100 after Gomez and Guerra. Maybe someone takes that leap, but it does not look good right now.

    Omar has not done so well when it comes to upkeep of the system and he has developed a strange love for colledge relievers.

    2:24 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    The only guy in the Mets system that I can see taking a big leap next year is Ruben Tejada.

    2:32 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Last years draft was OK. Kunz was a bit of a surprise but Rustich was a solid pick and there is talk of converting him to a starter given he has the frame and three above average pitches. Nathan Vineyard is young but has the tools to be a good MLB starter. If Kunz regains command of his fastball he will be a valuable late inning guy to go with Burgos in 2009. The other early round pick was Nathan Vineyard, if I recall corectly. He is a lefty, groundball pitcher with good velocity. Then there is Guerra that projects as a front of the rotation guy. With the number of guys close to MLB ready (Gomez, Pelfrey, Humber, Mulvey) and the crop of guys 2 to 3 years out (see above & add F. Martinez), plus Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Heilman, Sanchez, and Maine locked up for 2 or 3 years I think the Mets are organizationally better off than it is typically depicted. They just need depth for trading. A good 2008 draft will allow the system to go from OK to good. All this asumes the Mets do not trade for Santana and leave the system empty at the top.
    Landon Powell had a weight problem prior to 2007 but in 2007 he slimmed down and was having a great year prior to his ACL injury. You're likely right about Street but my point was I would rather have Street and Powell than Blanton. Street is insurance if Sanchez isn't himself and if Sanchez is OK Street makes the pen hands down the best in the NL. Pedro, Perez, Maine, R. Hernandez, Pelfrey with Wagner, Heilman, Sanchez, Street, Feliciano, Wise, & ElDuque in the pen is silly good. I would prefer that to adding Blanton to the rotation and still having no future catcher.

    2:48 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    Ok, but not great. I like Moviel and Vineyard.

    Kunz is a mixed bag right now, but the 'exprets' are not all that enamored. I would have preferred Burgess or Neil (think that's right) instead. Younger guys with more upside rather than a quick fix for the bullpen.

    If Kunz ends up being a beast, great. But I have my doubts.

    Rustich should be starter. I think that has to be done at this point.

    In the end though, who is a blue chip there? I'm not saying there are not intriguing players, but those kinds of guys are not going to get any deals done and most will flame out.

    RE: Ruben Tejada, him and Pena are nice to have being their age and upside, but Tejada's best attribute is that he's young. He needs a looooot of time being he was in the Rookie league.

    I am typically optimistic about the Mets prospects, but the fact is this system is in the bottom half of the league and is very top heavy. Every team has guys like Vineyard that might turn into something good but not every system has a Kershaw, Kemp, Bailey, Bruce, etc.

    The Mets need more premium talent and Pelfrey and Humber are just not considered that anymore and the F-Mart and Gomez have huge upside, but are faaaaar away from being sure things about reaching that potential, which makes me uneasy.

    I love Mulvey, but who out of the bunch is truly projectable? Who looks likely to hit their ceiling? Pelfrey might regress back to the bullpen, Gomez is mostly tools rather than stats, F-Mart needs to stay healthy, Guerra needs to work on his breaking pitch, Humber and Mulvey could still be #2s, but more likely mid to backs (which does have tons of value), etc....

    The Mets just have a lot room to go one way or the other. Things could shake out really well. Things could also be disasterous. Omar has not done a great job so far. I do think the system is better than people think, but it is awfully top heavy and risky.

    Also...I would prefer Street and someone else over Blanton. Not sure about that guy being Powell though.

    3:08 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    I would argue Tejada's best attribute is his age AND plate discipline. He struck out less than he walked as an athletic middle infielding 17 year-old in rookie ball! And that was in his very first exposure to U.S. soil. That's pretty darn impressive.

    Obviously, he's a long ways away, but if he puts up a .400+ OBP in A-ball as an 18 year-old athletic middle infielder, I could see him flying up the prospect radar real quickly and becoming a blue chip prospect (like an Elvis Andrus or something).

    Admittedly, I've never seen Tejada play and I have an irrational love for him. But the people that talk about him really seem to like him.

    And the Mets system really needs this to happen. Here's for hoping.

    The Mets definitely have some intriguing low-level arms like Moviel, Owen, Vineyard, Rustich, etc... We need a few of those guys to step up and at least give the Mets those secondary B-level type of prospects that they are so deeply lacking right now.

    3:47 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    Which is part of the issue. That cannot happen at A-Ball and Moviel and Vineyard were in rookie ball. So we are two to three years from them being useful in trades and that is provided they move up the ladder and succeed. Right now, they are throw ins.

    There is a an extreme lack of an even distribution of talent.

    RE: Tejada...good point on the discipline. That is a good indicator, but he still had a sub .400 SLG. He should probably be a senior in high school so he was obviously impressive, but he is a long ways away from Queens.

    In the end, I think we all agree. The Mets need to come up big with these three picks or they are going to have some trouble effectively operating as a franchise especially if they give awy their pick next year.

    4:00 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Hank Steinbrenner has officially become a million times more annoying than George. George wasn't "updating" us ever 24 hours on bullshit that didn't need updating.
    He really needs to just shut up. He's hurting the Yankees more than he's helping them with those useless statements.

    The only way to describe the Baltimore Orioles is... "Everyone must go!". Seriously, its bad, and its bad for many years. I'm glad MacPhail is in charge but other GM's could have done it, its just that MacPhail has the trust of the owners so whatever, I'm glad he's there and doing what should have been done years ago.

    Jim Callis is right about Beane having shitty drafts BUT to put it perspective, how big is his budget to sign guys? I'm sure he's not allowed to sign guys like Max Schezer, Luke Hochevar, and Rick Porcello.

    The Met having the 18th, 22nd, and 33rd pick, is good because its perfect timing, with Omar saying he's going to ignore the whole slot money thing. So its three picks and he's picking talent over making Bud Selig happy.

    I like looking at the lowest hall of fame votes. Brady Anderson got none. CHuck Knoblauch, and David Justice got one vote each. I don't know why but that's funny to me. The trend makes it seem like Jim Rice and Bert Blyleven will eventually get in as early as next year...

    I was thinking just now, and, man, it feels like Omar is putting alot of stock in Carlos Gomez and its kinda scary. I'm just not very confident in him becoming good. I think he's going to fail and I'm just being realistic here. He needs to REALLY improve and learn to be good, he's like a high school kid that just got drafted, only he's 21 years old.

    Kunz is VERY unimpressive. I saw his draft video and I was like... "word?" I don't see how he was succesful in college. And then his performance in the minors and Arizona Fall League was just... sloppy! Not good.

    I like Mulvey as well. I think he's going to be succesful. He'll be up sometime in 2008.

    And Duque MUST be in the bullpen. He just has to be. He cannot be a starter, to me that's the ultimate failure of the offseason.

    orangeandblueblood, i don't know why its bothering me but... would you mind just like... seperating your thoughts into paragraphs?
    Just make it a little easier to read, sorry to sound like such a whiner but... please!

    4:20 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    I saw that Hall of Fame debate starring Law, Phillips, Sheehan, and Mr. Rogers and wow. Tim Kurkjian, I lost alot of respect for him.
    He didn't vote for him for 10 years but then... all of a sudden, it "dawned" on him that he was a dominant player and saw him play?
    REALLY!? What an idiot.
    It took him a decade to reflect on a player he SAW play? C'mon man...

    4:43 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    I dont see El Duque in the bullpen. Omar calls him a starter all the time, any time you hear him speak and I also question how his arm would react to work 3x a week (or whatever)

    I'm not sure its the best thing for him. Unfortunately we may be stuck with the fragile man in our rotation.

    It would be nice if some of those Brooklyn pitchers that pitched awesome in 07(Owen and Gee) stepped up in 2008 as well. I expect good things from them at higher levels in 08.

    4:44 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    That above comment was me. my bad ;)

    4:45 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    I think Harold Reynolds would be such an AWESOME choice for our radio booth.

    Him and Howie together would just rock.

    But, its a black man with allegations surrounding him, and we know how the mets roll on those.

    5:12 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    I can't see Rice in the HOF without putting Fred Lynn and maybe even Dwight Evans in. I rememmber watching them play and I think Lynn was the more complete player and Evans close offensively but with an awesome glove and arm. Added to that, Rice played in a shoe box and still doesn't have slam dunk HOF numbers. ESPN baseball analysts have become pretty poor. When Steve Phillips's opinion matters alarms go off in my head.

    Of all the positions in the Mets system catcher is the largest hole. I would love to see the Mets pick up a AA or AAA guy with a future. Powell is a favorite because he hits well, is a switch hitter, has power, is a selective hitter, has good defensive skills, and may be available. Since he is coming off an injury maybe he will come cheaper than normal also. What team has a good AA/AAA catcher that is in rebuild mode and already has a good young catcher (Suzuki) at the ML level besides Oakland? Maybe Seattle, but Clement may be on his way to Baltimore.

    As for the perceived talent level of Met prospects, I think Pelfrey and Humber remain #2 type pitchers. Pelfrey wasn't over rated and he didn't lose his stuff, he was rushed and didn't develop a breaking pitch as he needed to in the first place. The Mets handle pitchers terribly. Heilman's delivery was screwed with and rushed and that is part of why he isn't a starter. Pelfrey needed a breaking pitch, the organization knew it but pushed him to the major league level without one anyhow. Mulvey is the exception to the rule. But he arrived with four good pitches but no great pitch. I think there is very good pitching talent in the system that could be much more highly thought of if they were handled better. Omar gets a low grade in improving the Minor League system. Cashman gets a hat tip in this area. Maybe he can replace Omar after the 2008 season. What a hornet's nest that would be.

    5:32 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    I admit it is wishful thinking on my behalf that The Duque will head to the bullpen. It makes sense on so many levels and that includes getting Pelfrey or Humber some work.

    As for his arm handling it, his arm was never and issue and he is always ready to take the ball. I am optimistic.

    6:16 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    This is true. but he did have shoulder bursitis dont forget. and i honestly think that's caused by overuse of whatever affected muscles/joints.

    6:22 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    oh boy. this is insanity. start writing mike ;)

    "According to Joe Christensen of the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Mets have been told that they can land Johan Santana if they add OF Fernando Martinez to their current offer of OF Carlos Gomez and RHPs Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey and Phil Humber.

    Christensen writes that while the Yankees and Red Sox both remain in the sweepstakes, “Ultimately, the Mets might be the best fit.”"

    1:03 AM

     

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