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Which one of these guys would make for a better signing?
BY RONNIE MOSIMANN
STACHE WRITER
One of the biggest blank spots for the Mets this off-season is who will be tending left field in 2010. Every fan knows that we all want Holliday in that spot, but I have my doubts. There has been reports from Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright that he personally knows Holliday and was told he wants to stay in St.Louis. However, there has also been rumors that Holliday was openly talking about how he has always wanted to be a Yankee. Then again, what baseball player DOESN’T want to be a Yankee? Give me a break.
What if Omar passes on Holliday? There are certainly other options for left field. Two names that are on the table are Jason Bay and Mike Cameron. Bay is almost just as wanted as Holliday is in the market, so the battle is going to get tough for the GM’s. According to MLB.com, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein desperately wants Bay back in left field for the 2010 season. Epstein told Ian Browne (MLB.com) that he has been keeping in touch with Bay, but the talks have been limited. He does not want to pressure him or make him feel obligated to re-join the club.
When asked about returning to Boston, Bay told reporters that he would love to. Yet, he also established the fact that he wants to explore the market and weigh his options- can’t blame him for that. It can’t hurt looking around. Jason Bay would be a pretty good fit for the Mets. Let’s not forget- he WAS a Met until he was traded away as a young and unestablished minor leaguer. Bay knocked 36 home runs and drove in 119 RBI’s in 2009-solid numbers. He did have a mediocre average, at .267, but no Met fan would turn down those HR’s and RBI’s.
Omar could also want to save some money for pitching and go with a cheaper option for left field- Mike Cameron. He played 216 games for the Mets from 2004 to 2005. He hit 42 home runs, but was severely plagued by injuries in ‘05, playing only 76 games. Cameron can still hit for power and contact- and has a great on base percentage, falling at .342. He has been known however to be a bit shaky on playing a corner outfield spot, and with Carlos Beltran playing center field, a corner spot would most likely be his destination in Queens.
Minaya has a good amount of options. Will it be a return for the veteran Cameron or a debut for the established star Bay?
Categories: Jason Bay , MLB , Mets , Mike Cameron , Ronnie Mosimann
I love the idea of Cameron as a short term solution in LF. The power and speed combination offensively and the quality defense for Citi Field are just what I think the team needs. But I think you hit on the monkey wrench when you mentioned he’s “been a bit shaky about playing a corner outfield spot.” I don’t get the impression that he’s interested in anything other than CF, so unless no one wants him for CF I just don’t see him coming here. Plus I doubt he’s interested in another face smashing collision with Beltran. It’s really too bad though because he offers a lot of what the team needs and wouldn’t bust the budget.
Unfortunately, Cameron has indicated he’d be looking for a starting CF job before listening to offers to play LF/RF.
Holliday would be a fine addition, but at $18M+ a year combined with Johan/Beltran making over $40M+….I’d be worried about committing that much money to three players….not because the Mets don’t presummably have it, but because wright and Reyes are both signed for marginal deals right now, and both will need to be resigned in a few years – Wright 2013 Option, Reyes 2011 Option…..which means Reyes can essentially be a free agent after the 2010 season.
That being said, Beltran’s contract will be up after 2012.
Thanks for the opinions guys.
Gravedigger- I agree. Although I do feel if he does not get any offers to play specifically CF for a team- he may have to buck up and settle for a corner OF spot. And yes- I’m sure he’d do anything to avoid another nasty collision like that one back in San Diego.
John Anderson- You’re correct about Cameron, which is why I am skeptical as to whether or not he would sign with the Mets. And about Holliday- I understand your concern for the amount of money being spent. But if Omar doesn’t go out there and spend money, the attitude towards this team from a fan standpoint will be even worse. I almost feel as if Omar needs to get Holliday in order to prove a point, but this article is basically outlining a “Plan B” in case Holliday falls through.
I actually outlined how the Mets should pursue Cameron, as I think he’d be a great fit in LF and eventually CF when Beltran has his yearly injuries.
I will disagree about the thought on $$. In my mind, spending money to prove a point doesn’t win championships. The fans will root for Holliday for about 2 months, then wonder why the Mets used all their available resources on one player, and are still 10 games out in June.
Right, good point. But if spending the money to prove a point DOES bring a championship- then what?
If Holliday produces, there won’t be any questions as to why they spent so much on him. It’s all performance based in NY.
My concern is if we spend too much filling one hole, there won’t be enough $$ to fill other holes.
The biggest problem for the Mets in 2009 wasn’t the opening day lineup they put out. It was when one of their starts got injured, and were filled in with Cora, Reed, etc. because of the lack of farm depth and thought put into reserve players.
Holliday helps the Mets starting 8, but I’m just afraid that we’d be trying to fix multiple holes with one patch, and if Wright, Beltran, Holliday, etc go down again, you wind up with Omir Santos hitting 6th or 7th again.
Given the Mets current payroll, I don’t see them adding Holliday + a few other better than average guys. If that’s the case, I’d rather take Holliday’s $21M and use it on on 3 $7M players to hedge my bets.