Niese has the talent for the job, but there are other factors

BY AARON YORKE
STACHE WRITER

There’s just four days remaining until pitchers and catchers report, but the battle for the Mets fifth starter job likely won’t be decided for another month and a half. That’s because Nelson Figueroa, Fernando Nieve and Jon Niese all pitched well enough in 2009 to be considered for a spot in the major league rotation. It’s likely that two or even all three of them will be more productive than Oliver Perez, but thanks to all the money he’s “earning” the Mets will have to choose just one of the three candidates.
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Alex Cora would bat second in my lineup of injured Mets. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

Recently, while I was trying to decide what kind of new story to write, I got a very good idea from a friend. Can I go and see if I would be able to field a full team based on who is currently out of commission right now. Well, I can’t nab a full team, but I can do a lot with what I’ve got. Here’s my starting lineup.

1. SS Reyes
2. 2B Cora
3. 3B Wright
4. CF Beltran
5. 1B Delgado
6. RF Francoeur
7. LF Martinez
8. C Martinez
9. P Nieve, Maine, Putz, Niese
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It has definitely been a year to scratch your head for John Maine and the Mets. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

When the Mets traded Kris Benson to the Orioles on January 21, 2006, I wasn’t too sure what to make of it. I always liked the guy. I liked his wife even more. But the Mets got two guys in return. One was Jorge Julio, which later turned into Orlando Hernandez, and the other was a young kid named John Maine. I didn’t know much about him, but this was definitely one of the better trades Omar Minaya has made.

First of all, Benson has fallen off of the face of the Earth, while both Hernandez and Maine were important pieces for the Mets. It was Maine who was the really intriguing part of the deal, because he was so young and could be a part of the Mets’ future for a long time.
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All The Injured Mets Stars, About 5 Players Too Many This Season (Courtesy of Weretheteamtobeat.com)

BY ZACHARY SCHULMAN
STACHE WRITER

The Mets continue to get injured. When it is thought to not get any worse, Murphy’s Law kicks in. Jon Niese and Fernando Martinez’s injuries were only two of the many that happened to Mets young players.

The Mets have not had much luck in recent years, with the exception of Wright and Reyes, in developing a lot of useful talent in their minor league system. This year I have paid much more attention to the Mets minor league affiliates. I was curious to see if the Mets really lacked the talent that everyone claimed they did. While the Buffalo BIsons are a lost cause for this year and probably the short term future, the AA level and below has a lot of promise.

With Delgado getting hurt in a walk year, it all but finalized his career with the Mets. Daniel Murphy has been a very pleasant surprise defensively at first and is showing some signs that he might break out hitting wise.

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Do you think Jon Niese would become a star in a Blue Jays Uniform? (Courtesy of NY Daily News)

BY ANTHONY LAFAMAN
STACHE WRITER

I’m left somewhat confused about this proposed trade that was rejected with a “resounding” no by Omar Minaya. I’m hoping for the Jon Heyman SI.com story to be one of two things. Either it was incomplete, in regards to information or it was a lie. Because if this really happened I don’t know a person alive other than fellow Stache write Aaron who wouldn’t do this deal.

To have the opportunity to trade 4 prospects, none of which are in the Top 25 for a guy like Roy Halladay is what I would call divine intervention. It’s like God is a Met fan and is just been toying with us the past 3 years, just to test our strength. Then he delivers Halladay and they win 5 straight World Series. I mean if pitching wins championships and you have the best two pitchers in the game, does that not help your chances of winning?

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Jerry is thinking of gretting creative with his lineup due to the Injuries. (Courtesy of the NY Post)

BY DANIEL SIEGEL
STACHE WRITER

We joke many times when a team is going badly that maybe us fans should go try out and step on the field. At the rate injuries are coming to the Mets, with Gary Sheffield and Fernando Nieve going down this past week, maybe some fans actually thought they had a realistic shot of stepping on the field with the injuries piling up. However, the Mets are no ordinary team as history has shown and these circumstances are no different.

Jerry Manuel recently told reporters that if he ran out of options, he would use Livan Hernandez as a pinch hitter OR at a corner infield spot. Livan Hernandez, the starting pitcher tonight, is going to be used at one of the hot corners? I get the whole pinch hitting idea, I mean look at Micah Owings who is used as a pinch hitter on more than a regular basis for Cincinnati, and Livan does have a good career batting average.

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Its time for Tim Redding to take his Ball and Go Home (Courtesy of the NY Daily News)

BY ANDREW CAVAGNARO
STACHE WRITER

It looks as though Tim Redding received a reprieve from getting released.  The twisting of Fernando Nieve’s ankle as he ran down to first base may just have been enough to vault the struggling Redding back into the rotation.

UPDATE: Maybe a rotation spot is not to be for Mr. Redding, his line tonight: 3.0 Innings, 4 Hits, 5 Runs. 2 Earned, 3 Walks, 0 Strikeouts, 1 Home Run and his ERA WENT DOWN TO 7.16!

Redding who has been abysmal since returning from the disabled list has been rumored to be on the chopping block since Julio Lugo was designated for assignment by the Red Sox. The signing of this lackluster pitcher during the off season for a whopping 2.25 Million, raised some eyebrows, since Pedro was still a free agent and Jon Niese was waiting in the wings.

With an ERA of 7.17 coming into tonight’s game, Redding’s performance this season has been laughable. I would rather the Mets have signed a 45 year old Dwight Gooden than this guy. Redding has a hitter friendly career ERA of 5.08 and only one complete game since 2001.

Let’s hope the Mets make the move to dump the dead weight, or we will have the unfortunate privilege of watching Redding’s ERA continue to escalate like our national deficit.

Francisco Rodriguez has probably been the brightest spot for the Mets so far in 2009. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Through the first half of the season, the Mets currently have a 42-45 record and stand in fourth place in the NL East. Although that sounds terrible at first mention, it really isn’t all that bad. The Mets are just 6.5 games out of first place, and the break couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Mets have been struggling, and obviously injuries have played a large role in the turmoil. With Beltran, Reyes, Delgado, Perez, Maine, Putz and more all out for extended periods of time, the Mets have been lucky to even stay afloat as they have done.

You can thank guys like Gary Sheffield for keeping the Mets in the hunt, and they can use the break to help themselves heal a bit. But in this post, I am going to evaluate players who have been given an extended look thus far this season. Without further adieu, here we go.

Catcher- Brian Schneider
Grade- C+
Explanation: Brian Schneider has been a bit of a surprise with the bat thus far this season, and he has provided some unexpected power. He is really a run-of-the-mill catcher who I have learned not to expect much out of, although he provides solid defensive stability. I can’t expect much more than we have seen so far this season.

Catcher- Omir Santos
Grade- B-
Explanation: Omir Santos burst on to the scene with the Mets after being a career minor leaguer. He started the season by getting big hit after big hit, and he even hit a game-winning homer off of Jonathon Paplebon in Boston. It doesn’t get much better than that. Prior to yesterday’s game, Santos has been fizzling, and he has a rather pedestrian .264 batting average. If he added some patience to his approach, he would be much better off.

First Base- Daniel Murphy
Grade- C+
Explanation: Daniel has been an interesting case thus far this season. Teams have obviously figured out that he is vulnerable inside, and they have started to exploit that. Murphy is now at the stage in which he is trying to figure out how to combat the new attack. He is played better than expected at first base, and he seems to be coming out of his funk.

First Base- Fernando Tatis
Grade- D-
Explanation: Tatis has been downright atrocious this year, and for some reason, he is still in the good graces of manager Jerry Manuel. He grounds into too many double plays and his swing is way longer than it was in his comeback year last season. His defense has been average, and the Mets would be better off just using him primarily as a pinch hitter. It took a lot for me to not give him an F here.

Second Base- Luis Castillo
Grade- B+
Explanation: Whether we like him or not, Luis Castillo has been one of the true constants from this team from the very beginning this season. Going into today’s game, Castillo had a .278 average, and he is really playing well at Citi Field. He has played an above average second base, and he has an excellent on base percentage. Why he isn’t batting lead off every day is beyond me, but he has definitely surpassed expectations.

Shortstop- Alex Cora
Grade- C+
Explanation: I know a lot of people are going to be on me for being rough on Cora, but I feel like he has gotten a bit of a free ride from the critics in Mets’ land. Well, allow me to be the first one to take a stance. Cora may be an excellent leader and he may make one hell of a manager one day, but his .240 average doesn’t exactly have starting shortstop written all over it. I admire the fact that he is playing with a screwed up finger, but he is not helping the team with his 0-for-4 games and his limited range.

Third Base- David Wright
Grade- B+
Explanation: Nobody on the Mets has had a weirder season than David Wright. The homers are just not there, and the RBI numbers are decent, but yet Wright still manages to have a .323 batting average. He is heading to St. Louis to play in the All Star Game, and it would really serve him well to work on his swing. He already has scored 55 runs, and he has proven that he is the most productive Met. If he can add some more consistency in the power department, he will be the real deal. He needs to take that step though.

Left Field- Gary Sheffield
Grade- A-
Explanation: This is a guy who has surpassed all of the expectations. To be honest, I didn’t give him much of a chance to make the team in the Spring. The Mets took a flier on him at $400 K after the Tigers got sick of his attitude and inconsistency, but all he has done since arriving is hit and be a model citizen. One example is after he hit his 500th homer. He had an engraved bat delivered to each of his teammates. He has been nothing short of a class act, and the Mets are lucky to have him right now.

Center Field- Jeremy Reed
Grade- B-
Explanation: Reed has been as good as we could’ve hoped for a replacement player, and due to the injury to Beltran, he and Angel Pagan have been asked to take a bigger role in center field. His bat can be a bit inconsistent, but his glove is stellar. I think Angel Pagan is better for the everyday role, but Reed has proven to be a valuable bench asset.

Starting Pitcher- Johan Santana
Grade- A-
Explanation: Santana has once again been the bearer of bad luck. His record currently stands at 10-7 after yesterday’s seven shutout innings, but the team fails to step it up when he is pitching. Whether it is defense or lack of run support, the troops always seem to be more anxious when he pitches, and that leads to lapses in judgment. I don’t think he has been bad, but he can certainly pitch better. We know he is capable of being the best pitcher in baseball. We just need him to take that step.

Starting Pitcher- Mike Pelfrey
Grade- B-
Explanation: Pelfrey has done well to earn himself a 7-4 record, but his ERA wouldn’t indicate that he has been that good. He is sporting a 4.47 ERA, and he needs to work on the middle innings. Today, it was another fifth inning that did him in. After throwing four scoreless while letting up just two hits, Pelfrey balked (literally) and allowed three runs to score. We need the consistency to carry through an entire start. He seems to hit a wall when we think he is good to go.

Starting Pitcher- Livan Hernandez
Grade- C+
Explanation: It seems like Livan has been held winless since the first Bush was President, and now the Mets might be looking at the real guy they picked up off of the scrap heap in the off season. Livan became the first pitcher in quite some time to allow three runs or more in the first inning for three consecutive starts leading up to the break. That is really not something to be proud of. He is relying on that get-me-over fastball early in the count, and hitters are jumping on it. He has to mix it up more if he wants to be successful.

Starting Pitcher- Fernando Nieve
Grade- C
Explanation: I am kind of indifferent on the Nieve front. We have already gotten more than what was expected out of him. He was the first half’s Cinderella story, but the clock is soon going to strike 12 for him. Jonathon Niese is lighting it up at Triple A, and there is no reason for Niese to sit down there while Nieve is faltering. If Nieve wants to stay, he needs to get his act together…quick.

Bullpen- Other than Closer
Grade- B-
Explanation: There have been some bright spots in the bullpen that were not expected. Bobby Parnell came out of the gate like a bat out of hell and he was pitching lights out before he hit a rough patch. It seems like he is coming back to life, and the Mets can really use his firepower in the second half. Pedro Feliciano continues to be the best lefty specialist in all of baseball, and Sean Green has been very good after a rough start. Pat Misch has even been good in mop up spots, and the Mets need to get Putz back to really get the bullpen at full strength.

Closer- Francisco Rodriguez
Grade- A
Explanation: K-Rod has exceeded expectations, and he is proving that last season was no fluke. He is dominant, although he likes to give fans a heart attack before he eventually completes a save. I love how he is fearless when it comes to certain pitches on certain counts. Sure, he has blown a couple of saves, but overall, Mets’ fans should be ecstatic that this guy will be a Met through 2011.

JJ Putz has really been missed since he landed on the DL. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY JOSEPH STONE
STACHE WRITER

Thank God the break is here finally. The past month and a half, ever since the calendar rolled over to June, everything has gone south for the Mets. At one point, early in the Mayish part of the season, this team was on an upwards trajectory, even with all the injuries. However, June meant a step up in competition, something this team wasn’t prepared for. The bloodbath in Pittsburgh began the slide, and the hits kept on coming. The tide went out, and the team got sucked into the undertow.

The low lights came in the Yankee series, both home and away, where the team looked pathetic. From Game One’s gut punch, to the 15-0 destruction, then on to the sweep at Citi Field, the Mets were beaten like rented mules. Somehow, through all this, the Mets were able to stay close in the standings and give the fans that glimmer of hope to hang on.

The St. Louis series was a brief oasis from the down tick, but then came The Holiday lost weekend. From .5 games back to 6.5 in the blink of an eye. More shutouts than you can shake a stick at. Blowout losses in Livan’s starts. Nieve becomes, well, Nieve. Pelfrey’s one step forward, the going right back. Beltran’s MVP-type bat vanishing from CF.

All these things added up to a replacement level team. It’s not looking too good in the world of the Mets right now, hopefully, the break will bring about a reversal in trend, or at least a return to respectability. Pray to your divine being this occurs.

This article appeared on the Metsblog yesterday. I am not going to rehash my thoughts on the trade, but my question is, when exactly did management lose faith in Church? Here’s a quote from the article.

“I am still unsure of what to think of this deal, and I suppose I won’t really know until the end of the season, which is probably the point. I don’t see this is bad trade, I just think it’s a trade, a bizarre swap that could go either way: The Braves grew tired of Francoeur, the Met lost faith in Church, and so the two rivals swapped situation and are hoping to get lucky.”

Huh? This is Lupica think speak in real time. Church was loved, until he wasn’t. Last I heard we liked him, we really liked him. All this talk of doghouse/no doghouse with Manuel, what is going on? Is who he likes and dislikes dictating the team’s roster? It’s frustrating to think that a manager, still in his first contract, can have this profound an affect on the front office. I think this is a case of the tail wagging the dog.

Atlanta fans, (I didn’t even know they could type!) chimed in from their end, but the reason I linked this is the ReGaFlaWa (really gay flame war) that broke out between meddler and chickendirt. Really? I can’t express how I feel about this other than to say, chickendirt? Really?

Modernization is coming. This might be the most interesting thing baseball has come up with since Charlie O passed away. Maybe I can just get a channel that shows every pitch in Pitch Tracker, and I can toggle to this view in real time. Got to be better that Buck and McCarver, at least until the robots take over.

Wise potato chips somehow set up this promotion, thus fulfiling the prophecy, “If you shill it, they will crunch.” Way to sell out the fans, Wilpon. Turn them into a promotion. Class.

Erin Andrews’ “chin”cident goes under the microscope of Fox Mulder. Conspiracies are everywhere.

Mad Dog schadenfraude rounds out the list. Its always nice to see a true dick sink under the weight of his own hubris.

Not even mentioning Lupica’s article to day, other than to tell you I’m not mentioning it. Enjoy the break. See you on the flip side.

Nieve just didn't have what it takes tonight.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

For Fernando Nieve, things were going very well. That is until tonight when the righty didn’t make it out of the fourth inning. The fact of the matter is that he was fortunate to give up only three runs since they came along with 11 hits. He just wasn’t effective tonight, and it’s starts like this that show you why Houston gave up on him. For those of you who thought he would be a miracle Jake Peavy, think again.

The Mets did manage to score six runs tonight, which is twice what they scored in the entire Yankees series. Ugh. That’s all well and good, but nobody will be satisfied when the opponent ends up with a 10 spot.

Argenis Reyes was in the lineup today and batted lead off. I’m proud of him because he didn’t strike out, but an 0-for-5 collar is not exactly what the Mets are looking for out of a lead off hitter. Maybe the fact that he is hitting under .100 would seem to make that point obvious.

Luis Castillo was pulled mid game in favor of a double switch, although for some reason people messaged me thinking he was either hurt or being punished for his lack of production. Definitely not the case, although I am sure Jerry wasn’t too pleased with Luis and the five runners he left on the bases in just two trips to the dish.

Brian Schneider did well to knock in a pair with a double. He has been hitting well lately. David Wright added an RBI double as well.

YAY! The Mets have a guy in double digits in homers! I thought I would have to wait until late July to say that. Congrats goes along to Gary Sheffield for hitting his 10th homer of the season.

Did Braden Looper really drive in a run tonight? I will just move past that because the concept is just mind boggling.

Props goes to Casey McGehee for hitting his first major league grand slam against Brian Stokes. That ended up being the difference in what ended up being a four-run margin of victory.

One game under .500. Ouch. The Mets are now in third place. Enough said.