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yendiSo, the Mets season is over. Again.
Thanks to a final-day loss to the Marlins. Again.
That's about it for the similarities to last year. Oliver Perez, unlike Tom Glavine, didn't blow the game in the first inning, and for all my problems with the bullpen, the fact is, when you score two runs, you should expect to lose. Sunday's loss should rest on the starting lineup, not the 'pen.
That's not to say that the 'pen wasn't a disgrace. 29 blown saves is embarrassing, and it certainly kept the Mets from making the playoffs (and Johann Santana from winning the Cy Young). But the team was insanely streaky, and it's hard to see them making it past the first or second playoff series without more consistency all around.
Things I really liked this year:
1. Delgado's comeback. Talk about one guy shouldering it all for the team. Really, he's the reason the Mets were in the thick of things at the end of season.
2. Santana. Yes, he was worth giving up Gomez for. Best pitcher in the NL this year, and victim of more blown saves than any other pitcher on the team. With a better bullpen, he finishes at 23-6 or so, and wins the Cy in a laugher..
3. Reyes. He was less flashy than last year, but probably better. Fewer stolen bases, but he stole them when it mattered. He finished the season with nineteen triples and 204 hits, and if his run total (113) is down from previous years, that's something that rests on the guys behind him. He did slip a bit in terms of walks/strikeouts, but it's not something that has me concerned.
4. David Wright on defense and in low-pressure offensive situations. Wright made an insane amount of amazing stops this year (although Delgado doesn't get nearly enough credit for mastering the "get pulled off first by the throw, spin around, tag the runner" sequence that Wright often created), and it's hard to complain about career highs in RBI and runs scored. See below for some of the caveats, though.
5. The kids. Murphy and Evans were unsung heroes of the second half, helping out way earlier in their careers than they'd been expected to. Argenis Reyes was brilliant on defense, and saved a few runs as well. Jon Niese showed that he's got the potential for greatness (even if he's not there yet). And Mike Pelfrey came into his own as a pitcher this year.
6. Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis. Talk about unappreciated guys who nearly saved the season. Easley gave solid defense at a position he only started playing last season, and some huge clutch hits, and Tatis came through in the clutch way more than expected.
7. The manager. Jerry Manuel did a damned fine job in a crappy situation.
8. The up-the-middle defense. Schneider, Easley, Reyes, and Beltran were all damned fine.
The things that I didn't like:
1. The bullpen. Ugh. Granted, Randolph overused folks constantly (and Manuel needs to work on this, as well), but they had issues long before they were tired. What's frustrating is that a lot of the folks here -- Joe Smith, Aaron Heilman, Schott Schoenweis, Duaner Sanchez -- were some of the same folks who made the 'pen great in previous seasons. The bullpen needs a major fucking overhaul.
2. Injuries. Church was never the same after his concussions. Alou might as well have retired. Hell, the fact that Easley, Tatis, Murphy, and Evans had to be called up was a problem (and don't get me started on the need for Ramon Martinez, or the fact that we were so desperate that an injury to Trot Nixon was considered a loss). Only four players managed 350 at-bats this year. That's sad on a non-platoon team. The pitching staff was equally awful here, with Martinez and Maine out for nearly half the season (and Pedro arguably finished, pitching-wise).
3. Marlon Anderson. He had some clutch moments for the team in 2007, but he was given way too many chances this year, and never came through. We needed a Danny Heep, but he wasn't it.
4. David Wright with runners in scoring position. Ugh. If he'd been just above-average here, he'd have led the league in RBI by a huge margin. And if he'd just eight seven more bases, he'd have bumped Vince Coleman's name (and the ugly memories associated with it) off the lifetime Mets stolen-base leader list.
5. Reyes in September. Again.
6. The team's general inability to build on big innings or sustain a rally. This cost them nearly as many games as the bullpen.
The whole NY Sports Radio crap about trading Wright or Reyes is moronic, of course. They, along with Beltran, Santana, and Pelfrey, are the folks you want to build the team around.
Other folks I'd keep:
Delgado. Yeah, he won't perform this well next year, but the team will need a veteran leader. Not to mention someone who works well with Wright's occasionally-wild arm.
Church and Schneider. Both still solid pickups. Schneider is superb defensively, and given a strong offensive shortstop and hopes for one at second, it's okay to have a defensive catcher. Church, one hopes, will return to form after some time off. That said, if there's a solid upgrade for either of them, it's worth pursuing (especially given the perception that there needs to be a shakeup in the lineup).
Tatis, Chavez, Castro, and Easley. An older but solid bench crew. Argenis Reyes is worth having as a late-inning defensive replacement/pinch-runner.
One of Evans and Murphy. Both are great, but that likely means that one will end up as trade bait. But if Murphy (who's not a great defender) can learn second base, they might both have places on the team next year.
Niese (assuming he makes the team in Spring Training), and Maine, giving us 3/5 of the rotation.
Stokes, Feliciano, and Smith. These are the relievers most likely to find their form again. Feliciano and Smith pitched in over half the team's games last year; that's got to change.
Folks to get rid of:
Castillo. Yeah, I supported the signing last year. I was wrong. The rumored trade for Eric Byrnes is tempting.
Heilman. He even blew the save for Carlos Voltron. I do think he can find his form again, but not in NYC. Ditto Schoeneweis.
Martinez and Perez. Pedro's just too far past his prime, but I doubt he'll accept fourth (or fifth) starter money. Perez is represented by Scummy McScumbag, and will be looking for huge money, which he's just not worth. He's too inconsistent.
Alou. I'm assuming he'll retire, though.
Most of the other folks -- Pagan, Casanova, Figueroa, etc -- are folks who can get minor-league contracts or Spring Training invites, if needed.
Folks I'd like to see signed: Well, in a perfect world, Sabathia, but I don't think we can afford him. We might be able to afford K-Rod, but I don't think he's worth it. More realistically, Lowe and Fuentes would be a good pair of pickups. Darren Oliver would be just as good for the team as he was last time. Beyond that, I haven't looked over the free agents well enough to know who's out there, but another starter, some more 'pen help. and a good second basemen are pretty huge needs (as is a corner outfielder).
Thanks to a final-day loss to the Marlins. Again.
That's about it for the similarities to last year. Oliver Perez, unlike Tom Glavine, didn't blow the game in the first inning, and for all my problems with the bullpen, the fact is, when you score two runs, you should expect to lose. Sunday's loss should rest on the starting lineup, not the 'pen.
That's not to say that the 'pen wasn't a disgrace. 29 blown saves is embarrassing, and it certainly kept the Mets from making the playoffs (and Johann Santana from winning the Cy Young). But the team was insanely streaky, and it's hard to see them making it past the first or second playoff series without more consistency all around.
Things I really liked this year:
1. Delgado's comeback. Talk about one guy shouldering it all for the team. Really, he's the reason the Mets were in the thick of things at the end of season.
2. Santana. Yes, he was worth giving up Gomez for. Best pitcher in the NL this year, and victim of more blown saves than any other pitcher on the team. With a better bullpen, he finishes at 23-6 or so, and wins the Cy in a laugher..
3. Reyes. He was less flashy than last year, but probably better. Fewer stolen bases, but he stole them when it mattered. He finished the season with nineteen triples and 204 hits, and if his run total (113) is down from previous years, that's something that rests on the guys behind him. He did slip a bit in terms of walks/strikeouts, but it's not something that has me concerned.
4. David Wright on defense and in low-pressure offensive situations. Wright made an insane amount of amazing stops this year (although Delgado doesn't get nearly enough credit for mastering the "get pulled off first by the throw, spin around, tag the runner" sequence that Wright often created), and it's hard to complain about career highs in RBI and runs scored. See below for some of the caveats, though.
5. The kids. Murphy and Evans were unsung heroes of the second half, helping out way earlier in their careers than they'd been expected to. Argenis Reyes was brilliant on defense, and saved a few runs as well. Jon Niese showed that he's got the potential for greatness (even if he's not there yet). And Mike Pelfrey came into his own as a pitcher this year.
6. Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis. Talk about unappreciated guys who nearly saved the season. Easley gave solid defense at a position he only started playing last season, and some huge clutch hits, and Tatis came through in the clutch way more than expected.
7. The manager. Jerry Manuel did a damned fine job in a crappy situation.
8. The up-the-middle defense. Schneider, Easley, Reyes, and Beltran were all damned fine.
The things that I didn't like:
1. The bullpen. Ugh. Granted, Randolph overused folks constantly (and Manuel needs to work on this, as well), but they had issues long before they were tired. What's frustrating is that a lot of the folks here -- Joe Smith, Aaron Heilman, Schott Schoenweis, Duaner Sanchez -- were some of the same folks who made the 'pen great in previous seasons. The bullpen needs a major fucking overhaul.
2. Injuries. Church was never the same after his concussions. Alou might as well have retired. Hell, the fact that Easley, Tatis, Murphy, and Evans had to be called up was a problem (and don't get me started on the need for Ramon Martinez, or the fact that we were so desperate that an injury to Trot Nixon was considered a loss). Only four players managed 350 at-bats this year. That's sad on a non-platoon team. The pitching staff was equally awful here, with Martinez and Maine out for nearly half the season (and Pedro arguably finished, pitching-wise).
3. Marlon Anderson. He had some clutch moments for the team in 2007, but he was given way too many chances this year, and never came through. We needed a Danny Heep, but he wasn't it.
4. David Wright with runners in scoring position. Ugh. If he'd been just above-average here, he'd have led the league in RBI by a huge margin. And if he'd just eight seven more bases, he'd have bumped Vince Coleman's name (and the ugly memories associated with it) off the lifetime Mets stolen-base leader list.
5. Reyes in September. Again.
6. The team's general inability to build on big innings or sustain a rally. This cost them nearly as many games as the bullpen.
The whole NY Sports Radio crap about trading Wright or Reyes is moronic, of course. They, along with Beltran, Santana, and Pelfrey, are the folks you want to build the team around.
Other folks I'd keep:
Delgado. Yeah, he won't perform this well next year, but the team will need a veteran leader. Not to mention someone who works well with Wright's occasionally-wild arm.
Church and Schneider. Both still solid pickups. Schneider is superb defensively, and given a strong offensive shortstop and hopes for one at second, it's okay to have a defensive catcher. Church, one hopes, will return to form after some time off. That said, if there's a solid upgrade for either of them, it's worth pursuing (especially given the perception that there needs to be a shakeup in the lineup).
Tatis, Chavez, Castro, and Easley. An older but solid bench crew. Argenis Reyes is worth having as a late-inning defensive replacement/pinch-runner.
One of Evans and Murphy. Both are great, but that likely means that one will end up as trade bait. But if Murphy (who's not a great defender) can learn second base, they might both have places on the team next year.
Niese (assuming he makes the team in Spring Training), and Maine, giving us 3/5 of the rotation.
Stokes, Feliciano, and Smith. These are the relievers most likely to find their form again. Feliciano and Smith pitched in over half the team's games last year; that's got to change.
Folks to get rid of:
Castillo. Yeah, I supported the signing last year. I was wrong. The rumored trade for Eric Byrnes is tempting.
Heilman. He even blew the save for Carlos Voltron. I do think he can find his form again, but not in NYC. Ditto Schoeneweis.
Martinez and Perez. Pedro's just too far past his prime, but I doubt he'll accept fourth (or fifth) starter money. Perez is represented by Scummy McScumbag, and will be looking for huge money, which he's just not worth. He's too inconsistent.
Alou. I'm assuming he'll retire, though.
Most of the other folks -- Pagan, Casanova, Figueroa, etc -- are folks who can get minor-league contracts or Spring Training invites, if needed.
Folks I'd like to see signed: Well, in a perfect world, Sabathia, but I don't think we can afford him. We might be able to afford K-Rod, but I don't think he's worth it. More realistically, Lowe and Fuentes would be a good pair of pickups. Darren Oliver would be just as good for the team as he was last time. Beyond that, I haven't looked over the free agents well enough to know who's out there, but another starter, some more 'pen help. and a good second basemen are pretty huge needs (as is a corner outfielder).