Mets Retain One and Add Another
Chris Coste will give the Mets some depth. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)
BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR
The Mets have finally made an impact on the free agent market. The splash we have all been waiting for has happened. Yes I am kidding. The Mets have added free agent catcher Chris Coste to the mix, and they have retained the services of Alex Cora for another season. Earth shattering? No. But these are two moves I definitely support.
I have been stressing depth since the off season began, and that is a reason why Coste was signed. Believe me, the Mets are not going to stop pursuing other catchers because the guy who used to be known as the “33-year old rookie” was brought in. He was just brought in to either be the third guy or get stored at Triple A. My bet is on the latter.
Cora was asked to step in way to big a role last year and he acted like a professional while doing so. He might have been the guy I felt the worst for with all of last season’s misfortunes. He went from all of those seasons of winning with Boston to last year’s nightmare. If all goes as planned and Reyes is healthy, Cora will serve as the utility guy. Let’s cross our fingers.
Expect a lot of moves like this. A lot of guys should be brought in and given a shot. You never know who next year’s Fernando Tatis is going to be. Of course, when I say that, I mean the Fernando Tatis of 2008.
Things should start picking up after the arbitration deadline passes tomorrow.
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What about Nelson Figueroa? How about a one year contract with performance bonuses and an option for 2011? He did everything the Mets asked him to do in 2009. Everything. He was DFA’d after being called up in May to be in the bullpen for a four-game series in San Francisco. Never pitched. Sent back to Buffalo on his birthday. Thank you, Jeff Wilpon & Omar Minaya. He was called up in early August and relieved in the second inning when Niese got hurt. Pitched 4.1 innings of shut out ball against the Albert Pujols Cardinals. Also hit a 2-RBI triple, the turning point in the game.
After taking Santana’s spot in the rotation in mid-August, in 8 starts his ERA was 3.38. Take away one bad start, and in 7 of the 8 games he had a 2.23 ERA. Averaged 6+ innings per start. He was 2-6, but in his 6 losses, the Mets scored a total of 11 runs. Figueroa was the only Mets pitcher to throw a complete game shut out at Citi Field. Had more September strikeouts than any Mets pitcher. Yeah, he’s 35 but why should age matter if you get batters out? I’m not comparing him to Petitte and Mariano, except in age: they’re each older than Figueroa. Figgy can pitch, starting and in relief, and he’s on the 40-man roster, so sign him to a one year contract with performance bonuses and a 2011 option and let’s see what happens.