New York Mets (83-79, .512, t-3rd in NL East)
When I think of Mets GM Omar Minaya this offseason, I remember the gremlins in Gremlins 2 as they took over the Clamp Center. At one point a crazed gremlin is grabbing ringing phones in an office as he plays the stock market.
Wild-eyed and crazed, he screams, "Buy! Sell! Buy! Sell!" as he rotates between picking up phones and slamming them down again. I have a sinking suspicion that Omar is a lot like our little gremlin friend.
Don't get me wrong, I think he's a great in-person GM and obviously makes the most of his contacts and heritage when it comes time to sign on the dotted line and I'd love to have him calling the shots for the Cubs (well, most days) but the 2005-2006 offseason was not his finest hour.
Carlos Delgado? Buy!
Kris Benson? Sell!
Billy Wagner? Buy!
Mike Piazza? Sell!
I'm all for a GM that likes to shake things up and see what happens, but as Hemingway once said, "Never mistake movement for action." The Mets have been moving a lot.
After the coup of last year's off-season in securing Carlos Beltran, the Mets went out and picked up Pedro Martinez and other to take a run at the Braves in the NL East. They ended up a scant four games over .500 and limped into September with injuries galore. That's not really their fault.
What is their fault is going into this season with holes in the middle of the infield (Jose Reyes and Kaz Matsui) and an unstable rotation before Pedro's toe started acting up during Spring Training. There is no way I'd feel comfortable if I were a Mets fan with those two responsible for keeping balls out of the outfield.
On the plus side, those are the only glaring weaknesses and there is plenty going right for them. Start with the young players making their way up or who are already there, look to the rest of the NL East and check out their bullpen and there is reason to be optimistic.
David Wright is seen as the next big thing at third. He hit very well last year (.306, 27 HR, 102 RBI) and was a real bright spot in the league, not only for the Mets. There's no reason he can't continue on that path in his sophomore season. Lastings Milledge carries the hopes of Mets fans as far as outfielders go, and is expected to slot in as the right fielder this summer once he settles in. A natural center fielder, Milledge will be played out of position to keep him from pushing Beltran out of center field. (Mets fans, try to block out what happened to the Yankee outfield of DiMaggio and Mantle).
Also, don't underestimate Victor Diaz, either. He made a strong impression last year, but the Mets ultimately decided to let him get more experience in Triple A versus allowing him to struggle in the majors. He should get another look this summer, especially if Milledge fails to produce out of the chute.
The bullpen looks great this season, as well. Billy Wagner is a good pickup, especially if his fastball returns after injury, but Jorge Julio and Chad Bradford are also solid acquisitions. Julio could throw through a brick wall if he needed to in Baltimore and Bradford is a good specialty guy who went from Oakland to Boston last year. If nothing else, Bradford's unconventional delivery should give some NL guys fits this year.
The biggest addition to the Mets bullpen is a non-roster invite this spring in Jose Lima. I will always hold a special place in my heart for that crazy little man. After getting shelled in Enron Field in Houston Lima told reporters, "That's not Enron Field... It's ten-run field!"
Say it with me, New York... It's Lima time!
New York Mets
C: LoDuca; Castro
1B: Delgado; Franco; Nady
2B: Matsui; Hernandez; Keppinger
SS: Reyes; Woodward
3B: Wright; Woodward
LF: Floyd; Chavez; Woodward; Milledge
CF: Beltran; Chavez
RF: Nady; Diaz; Chavez
SP: Martinez; Glavine; Trachsel; Victor Zambrano; Heilmanl Soler; Wylie
CP: Wagner
RP: Sanchez; Julio; Bradford; Fortunato; Bell; Schmoll; Padilla; Maine; Iriki; *Lima
Wild-eyed and crazed, he screams, "Buy! Sell! Buy! Sell!" as he rotates between picking up phones and slamming them down again. I have a sinking suspicion that Omar is a lot like our little gremlin friend.
Don't get me wrong, I think he's a great in-person GM and obviously makes the most of his contacts and heritage when it comes time to sign on the dotted line and I'd love to have him calling the shots for the Cubs (well, most days) but the 2005-2006 offseason was not his finest hour.
Carlos Delgado? Buy!
Kris Benson? Sell!
Billy Wagner? Buy!
Mike Piazza? Sell!
I'm all for a GM that likes to shake things up and see what happens, but as Hemingway once said, "Never mistake movement for action." The Mets have been moving a lot.
After the coup of last year's off-season in securing Carlos Beltran, the Mets went out and picked up Pedro Martinez and other to take a run at the Braves in the NL East. They ended up a scant four games over .500 and limped into September with injuries galore. That's not really their fault.
What is their fault is going into this season with holes in the middle of the infield (Jose Reyes and Kaz Matsui) and an unstable rotation before Pedro's toe started acting up during Spring Training. There is no way I'd feel comfortable if I were a Mets fan with those two responsible for keeping balls out of the outfield.
On the plus side, those are the only glaring weaknesses and there is plenty going right for them. Start with the young players making their way up or who are already there, look to the rest of the NL East and check out their bullpen and there is reason to be optimistic.
David Wright is seen as the next big thing at third. He hit very well last year (.306, 27 HR, 102 RBI) and was a real bright spot in the league, not only for the Mets. There's no reason he can't continue on that path in his sophomore season. Lastings Milledge carries the hopes of Mets fans as far as outfielders go, and is expected to slot in as the right fielder this summer once he settles in. A natural center fielder, Milledge will be played out of position to keep him from pushing Beltran out of center field. (Mets fans, try to block out what happened to the Yankee outfield of DiMaggio and Mantle).
Also, don't underestimate Victor Diaz, either. He made a strong impression last year, but the Mets ultimately decided to let him get more experience in Triple A versus allowing him to struggle in the majors. He should get another look this summer, especially if Milledge fails to produce out of the chute.
The bullpen looks great this season, as well. Billy Wagner is a good pickup, especially if his fastball returns after injury, but Jorge Julio and Chad Bradford are also solid acquisitions. Julio could throw through a brick wall if he needed to in Baltimore and Bradford is a good specialty guy who went from Oakland to Boston last year. If nothing else, Bradford's unconventional delivery should give some NL guys fits this year.
The biggest addition to the Mets bullpen is a non-roster invite this spring in Jose Lima. I will always hold a special place in my heart for that crazy little man. After getting shelled in Enron Field in Houston Lima told reporters, "That's not Enron Field... It's ten-run field!"
Say it with me, New York... It's Lima time!
New York Mets
C: LoDuca; Castro
1B: Delgado; Franco; Nady
2B: Matsui; Hernandez; Keppinger
SS: Reyes; Woodward
3B: Wright; Woodward
LF: Floyd; Chavez; Woodward; Milledge
CF: Beltran; Chavez
RF: Nady; Diaz; Chavez
SP: Martinez; Glavine; Trachsel; Victor Zambrano; Heilmanl Soler; Wylie
CP: Wagner
RP: Sanchez; Julio; Bradford; Fortunato; Bell; Schmoll; Padilla; Maine; Iriki; *Lima
Labels: Preview-2006
posted by Matt G at
12:02 PM
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