Archive for the ‘Ivan Rodriguez’ Category

Sheffield is a welcomed addition as far as I am concerned.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Last night, Mets fans witnessed the debut of Gary Sheffield, who at one time was one of the most feared hitters in baseball. Sheffield, who is sitting on 499 career homers, invokes a certain fear in opposing managers. Today, his debut was not as graceful as he would have hoped. Francisco Cordero painted the corner with three pitches that nobody would have touched, and Sheffield never took the bat off of his shoulders.

Sheffield is going to benefit the rest of the lineup, especially those who are left handed when he is on the bench. Opposing managers will be more reluctant to use their lefties because Sheffield could step in and create an unfavorable matchup for the opposition. This way, the lefties who are already in the lineup will get to face righties, creating a better matchup for them.

Either way you look at it, this was a positive move by the Mets. It’s a low risk, high reward move. The worst thing that can happen is that it doesn’t work out and the Mets decide to release him. It wouldn’t be the end of the world.

It would probably be a blessing, because the acquisition also sped up the process of the Mets getting rid of Marlon Anderson, which is always a positive. Does anyone else think it’s funny that the Mets might get rid of Marlon in Florida? Ok. Maybe it’s just me.

Sheffield will not hurt this team. Plain and simple. His leash would not be long enough to allow him to do that.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

The Mets went through a busy off-season in terms of potential people they were going to land, and they made some moves that nobody expected. We went through the whole Manny Ramirez fiasco, and there were some tough critics who had some harsh words to say about Omar Minaya. In this evaluation, I intend to set the record straight.

1) Mets Sign Francisco Rodriguez
The decision that Omar Minaya made to sign Francisco Rodriguez was a no brainer. K-Rod, coming off of a career year, was the best closer on the market; just a year after the Mets blew more than 20 save chances. Having K-Rod in the ninth inning essentially makes it an eight-inning game, which would’ve made one heck of a difference last season.

2) Mets Trade For J.J. Putz and Sean Green
This was a move that nobody saw coming. Putz has been one of the most underappreciated closers in baseball for the last few seasons, and he serves as some nice protection should anything happen to Francisco Rodriguez. Putz looks at it as if he is closing the eighth inning, which is a nice way to put it. I don’t expect him to be jealous of Rodriguez, and his positive attitude should reflect well on the youngsters in the clubhouse.

3) Mets do not make an offer to Manny Ramirez
As much as the idea of having one of the best hitters in the game in our lineup was intriguing, I truly believe Minaya made the right decision by not pursuing Manny. We watched what he did in Boston. He single-handedly ruined the continuity of that team, and the only reason that he really behaved in Los Angeles is because he was showcasing himself for his next contract. I think Manny is selfish, and his impact on a guy like Jose Reyes may have been catastrophic.

4) Mets Sign Tim Redding and Freddy Garcia
I disliked these signings from the very beginning. I am not at all surprised to see that both of these guys look like they are pitching batting practice in the spring. Redding has been shut down indefinitely, and the Mets are probably close to cutting Garcia to avoid the potential incentives he could earn if he ever made it up to the big club. This was a low-risk, high-reward potential signing by Minaya, but I think the Mets would have been better off by investing some confidence in the youngster Jon Niese, who will probably be the team’s number five starter come July.

5) Mets Trade Scott Schoenweis for Connor Robertson
Honestly, there weren’t many people who were disliked more in New York last season than Scott Schoenweis. He wasn’t terrible as a Met, but he was certainly prone to giving up the big hit in the crucial time. The Mets could have dealt him for a bag of baseballs. This was a move that was clearly an example of addition by subtraction, although the Mets do find themselves looking for a second lefty out of the bullpen.

6) Mets Do Not Attempt to Re-Sign Pedro Martinez
This is definitely the right decision. Pedro is seeking an insane amount of money after he was a complete snub during his first tenure with the Mets. He was injured more than he played, but his value with the Mets wasn’t in his performance. Big name free agents came to the Mets after Pedro led the way. Beltran and Delgado were examples, and eventually, Santana ended up in Queens as well. The Pedro Martinez era in New York is finished, and the Mets are better off moving on.

7) Mets Do Not Sign Orlando Hudson
This is one move in which I strongly disagreed with. I don’t like the rationale. First of all, Luis Castillo has something to prove. He showed up in shape and wants to prove everyone wrong. Where the heck was he last season? Did he take the year off? The Mets would’ve been better off with putting Ramon Castro at second base with the way Castillo swung the bat. Orlando Hudson is a proven leader and .300 hitter. He also has pop and is someone who is a great influence in the clubhouse. The deal that the Dodgers signed him to may have been the steal of the off-season.

8) Mets do not sign Ivan Rodriguez
I definitely wanted Pudge. There is no secret there. But, I think he was playing the Mets the whole time to use them as leverage against Houston and it worked. Rodriguez looked like a shell of his former self after the Yankees acquired him for Kyle Farnsworth last summer. Initially, I was upset that he signed for so cheap, but he wouldn’t have been any better than Castro. This was a good no-move by Minaya.

9) Mets Release Duaner Sanchez
I was a little upset by this move, because it was more about saving the money than it was about giving Duaner a fair chance. My prediction is as follows. Duaner Sanchez will be a very good setup man in San Diego. Doesn’t that happen with all of the guys that the Mets have given up on? Remember Heath Bell? Remember Matt Lindstrom? I would love to have Lindstrom and his fireball on our team, but instead, he is pitching for the division rival Marlins. This was a bad move by Minaya and company.

10) Mets Retain Jerry Manuel
This was key to let all the dominos fall into place. Manuel took over the reins last season and immediately, this team responded. Jose Reyes was one example of a guy who had to be taught a lesson, and Manuel did it in “gangsta” fashion. Carlos Delgado was also a different player for Manuel, and he even became a potential MVP candidate with the second half numbers that he put up. The key to a team’s success is being comfortable with their manager, and that is definitely something that this team has with Jerry Manuel. We will have to wait and see how the other moves pan out in 2009.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Several outlets have expressed the fact that the Mets have not given up on their chance to acquire Ivan Rodriguez to platoon with Brian Schneider behind the plate. The Mets have grown sick and tired of Ramon Castro’s health concern, and a Pudge acquistion would mean that Castro would either be designated for assignment, or he would be limited to a bench role, which is an unlikely scenario, considering the fact that the Mets have always been rather reluctant to carry three catchers.

As much as I love the pop that is in Castro’s bat, he isn’t on the field long enough to truly be appreciated. Castro has never posted a high average, but he has the ability to hit, and we all know that. I thought the Mets got a steal when they signed him a couple of years back, because he has the making of an everyday catcher. He can hit, field and manage a rotation, but he doesn’t have the durability needed to fill such a qualification.

Pudge definitely showed some signs of decline last year, but he claims to be in better shape than ever. Of course he claims that. Wouldn’t it be a foolish negotiating ploy if he said he wasn’t in shape? I think so. Either way, I think the Mets are ready to move on from the Ramon Castro era, and the Age of Pudge may be about to begin in Queens.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

When you look at the 2009 Mets, not much glares out at you in terms of being a better team than last season. The Mets had some problems to address, and they addressed them to an extent. In this article, I plan to take a look into the Mets’ grades by position.

C Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro- D

Schneider was brought to the Mets for his defense, and while he did make some stellar picks, his caught stealing percentage was very disappointing. Pitchers succeeded much more when Ramon Castro was behind the plate, therefore defeating the purpose of his acquisition. Castro’s problem is that he can’t seem to elude the injury bug. The Mets don’t think he will last for a full season, and they have been willing to accept an offer for Shrek. I think they would be wise to either keep him or bring about Ivan Rodriguez on a minor league deal and give him a shot.

1B Carlos Delgado- B

Delgado had an MVP-like second half last season. He was the Delgado of old, and I almost wanted to put a Blue Jays helmet on him to see if he would repeat his MVP season. For a guy that people were calling for the release of in May, he certainly earned a spot on the 2009 squad, although it will most likely be his last season wearing the orange and blue.

2B Luis Castillo- D+

Like many Mets fans, I have always been a big fan of Orlando Hudson, and the idea of him hitting behind Jose Reyes in the two hole is music to my ears, but Luis Castillo is preventing that from happening. The Mets gave the old yeller a four year contract, and they are paying for it. Hudson had made it known that he would like to come to the Mets, but it looks like he is going to be making his home out West instead. Castillo is certainly going to have the microscope focused on him this season.

3B David Wright- A

There is no arguing that Wright is already one of the best third basemen in baseball. I have some issue with the fact that he has won two straight gold glove awards, but he is a stellar player none the less. The scary thing is that he hasn’t yet hit his ceiling. If he focuses more on routine ground balls and levels out his swing, David has the potential to be a .330 35 homers 125 RBI guy every season. That is the kind of guy that he is capable of being.

SS Jose Reyes- A

A lot of people give Reyes problems because he is over exuberant with his chants and escapades in the dugout. All I can say to that is wait until you see what K-Rod is like. Reyes provides decent power with extra base ability to go along with above average defense. Combine that with his stellar speed, and you have one of the most exciting players in the game. There are very few players I would trade him for. The only two I can think of off the top of my head are Hanley Ramirez or Albert Pujols.

LF Daniel Murphy/Fernando Tatis- B-

Although I found myself aboard the Manny train for a while, his antics really may not be worth it. All the time, I believed that Manny was going to either end up with the Dodgers or the Giants. He was made for California. And Dodgers fans could certainly put up with him for the six innings that they stay for. Murphy showed some real promise at the plate last season, and Tatis will be a solid compliment against lefties. Don’t forget. Nick Evans will be waiting in the wings if Tatis struggles.

CF Carlos Beltran- A

When you think bad thoughts that go along with Beltran’s name, what comes into your mind? Yeah? Me too. It’s Adam Wainwright’s curveball that froze him in game seven of the 2006 NLCS. Beltran has been one of the most consistent Mets since his arrival. Although his average won’t blow you away, he hits for power and knows how to drive in runs in the middle of the order. He also may quietly be the best center fielder in the game, and he knows how to gun it with the best of them. My nickname for Mr. Milk Dud is Mr. Consistent. He is the opposite of a box of chocolates. You always know what you are going to get.

RF Ryan Church- C+

Who knows what we are going to get out of Ryan? I don’t even think he knows. You read all of these stories about how he’s motivated and about how he is going to prove Mike Francesca wrong, but how do we know that? He plays a solid defense and is an above average hitter, but one bump in the head and it could all go downhill from there. I have a scenario in my head that has Church being injured and Tatis and Valentin splitting Right Field every day. Does that sound better than Bobby Abreu? I don’t think so. I think this position is going to come back to haunt us.

SP Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, Perez, Garcia- B

The Mets addressed their issues with the rotation this off season, but they did so with some question marks. You see John Maine saying that he is pain free. But we need to wait a few weeks and see how he feels then. Will he be a guy that can throw 200 plus innings? I am just not so sure. Garcia is another one who needs to prove himself to me. If he is the Garcia of old, the Mets will have got themselves the steal of the offseason. Oliver Perez is streaky, but I trust him, and Pelfrey and Santana are the top two at the rotation. Big Pelf just needs to stay away from mouthpieces and Rick Peterson.

RP- K-Rod, Putz, Green, Sanchez, Stokes, Feliciano, Redding- A-

I think Omar exceeded expectations by nabbing both K-Rod and Putz, but he has let the Mets down by not getting that second lefty for the pen. What are the Mets going to do when they face the Phillies down the stretch? Are Howard, Jenkins, Utley, Ibanez, Rollins and Victorino going to face a right handed pitcher? I sure hope not. This bullpen is going to be a huge factor over whether or not this team is successful.

Overall- B

I think the Mets are a good team, but the Phillies are better. When push comes to shove, I think the Mets will contend for the wild card, but we may be looking at a third straight season of playoffless baseball for the New York Mets.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Despite all of the talk that there has been about Pudge Rodriguez and how he would like to be a New York Met, I do not think the Mets will be interested, unless the former all star catcher is willing to settle for a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.

With the market for catchers being so dull, I would not be surprised one bit if Pudge ends up settling for a minor league deal, and it would be good for the Mets, because then Ramon Castro will finally realize that there is a fire lit underneath his rear end, and this could get him to be the player we all know that he can be.

The talent is there, and we have all seen how far he can hit the ball, but the problem for Ramon has always been injuries. Whether it is a hamstring or a quad muscle, Castro always seems to be battling an injury. He needs to report earlier and get himself into better playing shape, because if he trims down a bit, he may be able to avoid the injury bug for once.

It’s easier said than done. The former first round pick of the Astros in 1994 will need to work hard. Right now, he is listed at 225 pounds. If he slims down to say 210, that could keep his power and cut down his excess waste. I don’t think it will change the fact that he is slower than mud, but it might help keep him in the lineup.

In 2007 and 2008, Castro was limited to just 287 at bats, but he still tallied 18 home runs and 55 RBI. That is one homer in approximately every 16 at bats. With a 400 at bat season, Castro could clobber 25 homers. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities, and Castro could be that right handed bat waiting to be unleashed.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Ivan Rodriguez is still on the market, and reports have him losing over 15 pounds and being ready to sign with a team. The problem is that no team seems ready to make a commitment to the 37-year old. His disappearing act once he arrived to the Yankees last season is fresh on every one’s minds, and that may be hurting his market, and that might be exactly what the Mets need to have the situation play right into their hands.

For his career, Pudge is a .301 hitter and he is closing in on 300 home runs. We can all agree that he is not the player that he was in his prime, but I am willing to go out of my way to make an argument that proves that he is a significant upgrade from either Ramon Castro or Brian Schneider. Let’s look at the current Mets first.

In just 143 at-bats in 2008, Ramon Castro batted just .245, with seven homers and 24 RBI. Also, 18 of 23 base stealers were successful against him during the campaign. For Schneider, he had 338 at-bats, in which he hit nine homers and drove in 38 runs,while batting .257. Also,42 of 63 stolen base attempts were successful against him. The combined numbers are as follows: 481 at-bats, .251, 16 homers and 62 RBI. Combined, they threw out 31 percent of base stealers.

In 2008, which was a down season, Pudge hit .276. He also averaged 21 homers and 87 RBI for his career. Here’s my solution. Pair him up with Schneider. Play the guy who is handling the pitchers the best. Remember, Omar Minaya has always liked Pudge, and there is no reason to think that a scenario that places him in Queens is impossible to imagine. And as for Ramon Castro, I would be willing to trade him for prospects, because he has proven to me that he cannot stay healthy for a full season.