Omar needs to hit a Home Run at the Trade Deadline

BY MATTHEW FALKENBURY
ASSISTANT EDITOR

As July 31st gets closer and closer, the questions surrounding what exactly will Omar Minaya do come the Trade Deadline become louder and louder. With Beltran, Reyes, and Delgado still out for at least a few more weeks, the fans, including yours truly are wondering just what is the plan for this team.

If they are going to sell, what exactly can they get back in return? That answer is actually quite simple, don’t worry about it cause Freddy and Friends wont sell with a new ballpark in its Rookie Season.

Of coursethey could always stand pat and just wait out the injuries, which isn’t too bad an idea. Then again, if your like me, I have a hard time thinking that Beltran, Reyes and Delgado will come back and start hitting the cover off the ball. I have this odd reasoning that states that players coming back from injury need to readjust to Major League pitching, odd right?.

Then their is door number three, which is that Omar goes out and makes either a big move or a few small moves to try to keep the team afloat until the three musketeers or is it muscle-tears come back from their stints on the DL. With that I wanted to present to you the Top 5 players the Mets and Omar should look into acquiring at or before the Deadline to help keep our season alive.

Read More…

Jose Reyes is arguably the most important player on the Mets.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Kevin Burkhardt of SNY recently posted a report on Twitter that will make Mets’ fans around the world want to crawl into a corner and die. “Jose Reyes has a tear in his right hamstring tendon. Add ss to the list of Mets needs,” wrote Burkhardt on Twitter. He later added, “The Mets say this is a new injury and that he will rest for 2 days before being reevaluated. My guess is you won’t see him until all star break.” This is obviously terrible news for the Mets, but hopefully the re-evaluation will reveal that this is a mistake, but let’s be real.

This is something that is going to be near impossible to battle back from. Playing an extended amount of time without Reyes is like driving a car without an engine. It’s impossible. Reyes is important in so many ways. His speed creates runs by itself, and his defense is excellent. We have already seen how important that is while watching Ramon Martinez try to field balls at short.

The bottom line is that Reyes is still very young, so he needs to make sure that he doesn’t do something that will jeopardize his career. If he needs to be out for an extended period of time, I am not sure Alex Cora will suffice as the every day shortstop. Just add that to the list of needs, as Burkhardt said, and this is making the lack of depth in the Mets organization seem like much more of a problem.

The Mets will likely be players for somebody if Reyes is indeed out for a long period of time. One guy who has been mentioned on multiple occasions for the orange and blue is Mark DeRosa, who is capable of playing almost any position on the field.

This is just getting out of hand. I have never seen players drop like flies like this. If the Mets can win with this team, it is nothing short of a miracle.

Soriano for Reyes would have been an epoch fail on the Mets' part.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Throughout history, there have been many rumors involving the Mets that have been close to coming to fruition. Whether it has been in the free agent market or on the trade front, there have been many moves that would’ve rocked the franchise of the Mets, and I would like to share six that I remember very vividly. Let’s start from the top.

1) Mets trade Jose Reyes to Texas for Alfonso Soriano

Evaluation-This would have been an epoch failure on the Mets’ part. Reyes has become the signature player of this team. His upbeat attitude and refreshing energy symbolizes a new beginning for this franchise. The move would have brought an aging Soriano over to Queens. While the man is capable of putting up some gaudy power numbers, his defense is mediocre, and it would have been a step in the wrong direction.

2) Mets trade Mike Pelfrey, Carlos Gomez, and Kevin Mulvey to the Twins for Johan Santana

Evaluation- Obviously, we all know the Mets ended up nabbing Santana in the end, but the even bigger steal of this deal was holding on to Mike Pelfrey. Although the verdict is still out on Pelfrey, he has a chance to develop into a solid number two pitcher in time. Once he perfects that third pitch, he could be money. Santana was a necessary addition, but it would’ve been hard for this team succeed if he was the only quality arm. The Mets have avoided that by keeping him in the mix.

3) Mets trade Mike Cameron to the Yankees for Gary Sheffield

Evaluation: I remember this like it was yesterday, and it feels so ironic that the Mets’ now have recently acquired Sheffield for practically nothing. Sheffield was a pain in the neck to say the least. When these rumors surfaced, he adamantly said that he had no desire to play in Shea stadium, and he even threatened to sit out the season if such a trade was executed. Although his bat would have been a nice thing to have, the baggage scared Mets’ execs away and rightfully so. Now, we have an older version of Sheffield, and if he decides to run his mouth, he will be out in a heartbeat.

4) Mets trade Octavio Dotel, Armando Benitez and Roger Cedeno to the Mariners for Ken Griffey Jr.

Evaluation: We are turning the pages back quite a few years now. This was in 1999 when this issue arose, and it seemed like these two teams would get something done. Griffey was a stud, and people were already talking about how he could be the next home run king, and the Mets wanted him to be the boy of the big apple. But, Griffey had other plans. After discussing things over with his wife, Griffey rejected the trade to the Mets, which he could do since he was a 10-5 player, and he ridded the Mets of one future hardcore headache with all of the injuries.

5) Mets Sign Vladimir Guerrero

Evaluation: Prior to the 2004 season, Guerrero was one of the hottest commodities out there. Mets’ fans seemed to be foaming at the mouth for a chance to acquire the super slugger to play right field, but the price was high. This regime hadn’t been known for spending money until after the ’04 season, when things seemed to turn around. When word broke that the Mets had made an offer, fans were excited. But it turned out that the Mets low-balled the slugger with a three-year $30 million offer, and he understandably signed with the Angels for five years and $70 million. He has certainly been worth the price of admission, but his signing may have ruled out Beltran and Pedro after 2004.

6) Mets Sign Alex Rodriguez

Evaluation: This would have been one heck of an addition for us after A-Rod opted out of his contact after the 2007 season. David Wright came out and said he would be more than willing to change positions to bring the phenomenal A-Rod on board, and this wasn’t the first time A-Rod and the Mets had some discussions about bringing the superstar to Queens. As much as we detest A-Rod now as Mets’ fans, I am sure we would love him that much more if he was a member of our team. He is a hall of famer, plain and simple. And while the steroids issue is never going to go away, he may be the best pure hitter in baseball. I would have loved to see Alex in orange and blue. I wonder if Madonna would’ve become a Met fan.

What do you think? Have any more to share?

Santana was dealing, and the Mets bullpen helped him earn his first victory of 2009.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

The Mets (1-0) defeated the Cincinnati Reds (0-1)  today by the score of 2-1 to start the major league season. For the fans who have had to spend the last two season watching the bullpen blow save after save, it was nice to see Omar’s work pay off in a big way today.

Johan Santana pitched five-plus innings today and was on a roll for the most part. He showed a little wildness, by walking four batters during the contest, but he was able to maintain his composure, which is one of the reasons why he is so fun to watch. He allowed only one run on three hits, and he struck out seven, and unlike what seemed like a majority of his starts last season, the bullpen was there to support him.

Sean Green followed Santana with a perfect inning and a third, and then it was time for the two biggest acquisitions of the off season, J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez, in that order, and they did not disappoint. Putz walked a batter, but he compensated for that by striking out the talented Joey Votto and getting Brandon Phillips on a ground ball. He treated the game like he was closing in the eighth inning, which needs to be his mentality if he wants to be successful. Francisco Rodriguez came on the mound in the ninth, and I got that typical uneasy feeling that we are used to having. But, Rodriguez put us at ease. He got the first two quickly, featuring a curveball that was dancing all over the place, and then he got Ramon Hernandez to end it. It was a sight for Mets fans everywhere to enjoy.

Daniel Murphy provided the offensive spark. On the ninth pitch of hit at-bat in the fifth inning, he took Aaron Harang deep to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. He would come up again with the bases loaded, and while it wasn’t the sexiest potential result, his ground out to first got the Mets second, and game-winning, run to score. Murphy would have another at-bat later that went nine pitches. This kid is going to be fun to watch this season.

David Wright and Carlos Delgado each reached base three times, but the Mets had some trouble executing today. I am sure the pitching staff would appreciate some more clutch support. Jose Reyes notched his first stolen base, and Luis Castillo hit a double. The only Met who went hitless from the starting eight was Brian Schneider…shocking. The Mets continue the series on Wednesday, when young stud Edinson Volquez starts for Cincinnati and Mike Pelfrey goes for the Mets.

Remember, YA GOTTA BELIEVE!

JOSE! JOSE JOSE JOSE!

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Throughout the off season, one hot topic for conversation has been Jose Reyes, and where he fits best in the Mets’ lineup. There has been talk of putting Reyes in the three hole on occasion, and moving Luis Castillo up to the leadoff spot, but I am here to put all of those rumors to rest. In terms of the first man that belongs in the lineup, Jose Reyes fills the role perfectly.

Since Reyes’ first full year in the major leagues, his patience and abilities have improved nicely. One thing that has been nice to see is his rise in on base percentage. In 2005, his OBP was just .300, which wasn’t at all helped by the fact that he walked just 27 times in well over 600 at-bats. In 2008, however, Reyes walked 66 times, and his OBP rose to .358. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Pitchers fear Reyes, and that is certainly justified. Whenever he is on base, he becomes an instant distraction. Pitchers have to focus on keeping him close, and that plays right into the Mets’ hands. Because, even if he doesn’t steal the base or two, the batter behind him, such as Luis Castillo or Daniel Murphy, will see more fastballs to hit. That is one place in which Reyes’ value lies.

Reyes is also an above average defender. I won’t call him great, but he is a heck of a lot better defensively than the other guy who starts at shortstop in New York. Reyes has an amazing sense of range and a cannon for an arm, which helps him record some outs that wouldn’t even be figments in Derek Jeter’s imagination.

Reyes also scores a ton of runs. In his last three seasons, his lowest total was 113 in a single season, and that is still an impressive number. When you have other guys, such as David Wright and Carlos Beltran who score a lot as well, it makes for a nice trio of guys crossing the plate more frequently than others.

While Manuel may experiment from time to time with Reyes in the three hole, I think we can all agree that the place where Reyes helps this team more than anywhere else is leading off. Plain and simple.

BY ADAM KRAMER
STACHE WRITER

It’s a dilemma that many Mets fans have each and ever year. Who and when do I take my favorite Mets players in my fantasy baseball draft? There’s plenty of differencing opinions on the issue, and perhaps it depends a lot on the seriousness of the league, but taking good Mets fantasy options at the right time can be crucial to the success of your fantasy team.

Let’s face it; we all want a Met that we like on our team. This doesn’t mean you should draft Daniel Murphy with one of your first three picks, but you should/can tie in both fantasy and fandom together, if you do it right.

Here is a breakdown of the top ten fantasy players on the New York Mets and when you might want to grab them.

1) David Wright– He’ll go in the top five in every league, and in the top three in most. He’ll have tons of opportunities, and there’s no one outside of Pujols and Hanley Ramirez that I would rather have.

2) Jose Reyes– Reyes is another “no doubt” first rounder. He does everything, and is sure to come close to 200 hits and 20 homers again this season. As a huge Reyes fan, he’d be perhaps the most entertaining player to have on my team.

3) Johan Santana– The injury was a bit of a scare, but many still consider Johan the top fantasy pitcher now that everything seems to be okay. The new bullpen will help his numbers greatly. He’s either a late first or early second round pick.

4) Carlos Beltran– I really like Beltran this year as a fantasy option. He looked great at the WBC, and his legs look they healthiest they’ve been since he joined the Mets. He’ll go anywhere from the second to third round, and is going to have a big season.

5) Francisco Rodriguez– People aren’t as high on K-Rod as some of the other closers, but I am. The Mets will give him the possibility to get more than forty saves, and like Beltran, he also looked amazing at the WBC.

6) Carlos Delgado- 30 and 100 once again? For the Mets sake I hope so, and chances are it’d be a good bet to make. Delgado is a guy that may fall to a middle round and might even be considered a veteran sleeper in a free agent year.

7) Mike Pelfrey– Mike certainly showed off some of his ability last year and has had a good spring in 2009. He’ll pitch innings and a revamped bullpen should get him a few more wins. I don’t see a letdown coming, I see a nice sleeper here.

8) Oliver Perez– Which one will you get? If Oliver plays the role of “good Oliver,” he’ll be a great fantasy option. He could move up this board drastically if he lives up to his contract, but he’s sure to have a few outings that make you scream. Wait on him, unless you’re a big time believer.

9) Daniel Murphy– If you’re in a league with fans from all over, you may make them scratch their head with this pick. Anyone who has seen this young man hit however, knows he’s destined for good things. Guaranteed at-bats mean major production from the smooth swinging lefty.

10) Ryan Church– Staying healthy is key for Mr. Church, and if he puts up the numbers similar to those pre-concussion, you’ve got a major sleeper. Certainly a viable outfielder in larger leagues, and he’s very capable of driving in close to ninety runs. Good late pick.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

After Willie Randolph was fired last season, a large portion of the fan contingency rejoiced. I know that because I was a part of it. I never felt like Willie truly fit in on this side of the river. He always seemed to be a Yankee at heart, which is similar to the case when Joe Torre coached the Mets. Remember that? After Willie was given the ax, Jerry Manuel was given the reigns to manage the franchise seemed to be headed nowhere fast, but they had a nice second half, and if not for a late season collapse, they would’ve made the playoffs.

I have always liked Manuel, and that goes back to his days in Chicago. First of all, if you are going to manage in this city, you need to have some fire. Even Joe Torre knew when to come out and argue for his team, and he always backed his players. Willie Randolph didn’t even seem like he was on the same page as some of his players. A perfect example of that is when Carlos Beltran was bumped by the home plate umpire, Brian Runge. Runge was handed a suspension, and Manuel came out to defend his center fielder. That’s how you show your support of your players. A typical Randolph response would’ve been to sit in the dugout and cringe, must like his mentor that is now in Los Angeles would do.

Randolph also couldn’t control his players. Jose Reyes could throw temper tantrums and get away with it, but when Manuel took the reigns, his quickly nipped that in the bud. Reyes seemed to tweak something on a play after Manuel became the team’s new leader, and the manager came out to check on his star shortstop. Manuel decided to pull Reyes as a precaution, which is something Reyes disagreed with. Reyes threw a bit of a tantrum, and Manuel set him straight, and he even threatened to go “gangsta” on him if it happened again. That even seemed to lighten up the mood of the Mets’ clubhouse.

Manuel knows that these guys need to be relaxed, and that they can’t all act like people that they aren’t. Imagine Willie Randolph asking Francisco Rodriguez to cut down on his antics. K-Rod would tell him where to go. Whether it seems immature or not, Jose Reyes needs to be Jose Reyes, and his play clearly reflects that. The age of “gangsta” seems to be a positive thing, and as long as this team wins, it should last through this season and beyond.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

The following is a letter (hypothetical) I received from Johan Santana telling the Daily Stache about 13 things he would like for his 30th birthday. Check the list below.

Dear Mets,

Last year, I started my Mets’ career in style. Now, since it is my birthday, I was hoping that I could get some gifts during the season. Here’s what they are.

1) David Wright, start hitting the ball the other way again. Remember that player you were just a couple of years ago? Bringing back this quality could make you a top-5 hitter in the game.

2) Jose Reyes, please run the bases smartly. Don’t get caught between second and third on a grounder to the left side. Be smart, and your numbers will be better than ever.

3) Francisco Rodriguez, please make sure you don’t blow as many saves that the bullpen did for me last season. Who knows? If we would’ve had you last season, we may have won the division and the whole freaking thing.

4) Luis Castillo, prove the critics wrong. Show them that there is still some value left in those gimpy knees.

5) Daniel Murphy, please contrinue your patience. With a lineup that is filled with guys that like to swing at the first pitch, you could be a guy that gives pitchers plenty of frustrations in the future.

6) Pedro Feliciano, please be on top of your game. The Phillies are a very left-handed heavy hitting team, and we are going to need you to be top-notch against the likes of Howard, Utley and Rollins.

7) Ramon Castro, stay healthy. We all know you have the ability to be a good hitter, but you are never healthy enough to display what you can do in a full season. Stay in shape, and maybe you willbe a wild card for this team.

8) Ryan Church, keep on playing with grit, but know your limits. If you get hurt again, I am not so sure that Fernando Tatis will be able to do what he did last season.

9) Omar Minaya, please get rid of Freddy Garcia and Tim Redding. They both look like garbage. Livan will fill the fifth starter’s role fine, and Jonathan Niese will be ready when his time comes.

10) Fred Wilpon, please be honest with the players and the fans. Stop acting like the Madoff scandal didn’t hurt you that much. We all know it did, and that also played a small role in why you cut ties with Duaner Sanchez so soon.

11) Mr. Met, why are you always smiling? We need you to get angry to give the Mets a boost when they really need it. You should have an alternate angry head, although that might scare the children.

12) Fernando Martinez, please stay healthy. You are the bluechip prospect of this system, and left field will look nice with you in it next season. We all know you can hit, but can you avoid the shelf for once?

13) Jerry Manuel, don’t over analyze things. Have faith in your players, and trust me in key situations.

Sincerely,

Johan Santana

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

When Jerry Manuel told he would experiment with Jose Reyes batting in the three hole, I admit I was skeptical. I mean taking perhaps the best leadoff hitter in the game and moving him to a RBI and typical power slot, sounds a bit absurd.

“I told you all and you got mad at me,” said the Mets skipper when questioned by reporters in Port St. Lucie when talking about his decision to experiment with Reyes.

Well after yesterday’s performance by Reyes, what exactly is there to be mad about? Driving in 6 runs on a grand slam and solo homer made it seem that the three hole was Reyes’s destiny all along. If it does work out and Reyes becomes the permanent hitter for the Mets, I could see there batting order going something like this:

Castillo
Beltran
Reyes
Delgado
Wright
Murphy
Church
Schneider/Castro
Pitcher

Of course it does leave the Mets a little lefty heavy on the bottom half of the order, but it is still formidable nonetheless if Church and Murphy hit like they did at the beginning and end of 2008, respectively.

BY ADAM KRAMER
STACHE WRITER

Okay, the leadoff spot has been debated already and no clear answer has been established just yet. Hey, it’s early! One thing that has been decided by skipper Jerry Manuel however, is the fact that young lefty Daniel Murphy will soon become the Mets’ everyday left fielder. And so the lineup debate continues.

Ladies and gents your 2009 New York Mets opening day lineup… (In my opinion of course)

1. Jose Reyes
2. Carlos Beltran
3. Daniel Murphy
4. David Wright
5. Carlos Delgado
6. Ryan Church
7. Brian Schneider
8. Luis Castillo

To me, this makes the most sense. The two things that stand out are without a doubt your two and three-hitters. Beltran’s high OBP (.376 in ‘08) is exactly what the team needs to compensate for Reyes’ good, but not jaw-dropping OBP. He hit in the two-hole some last year and saw pretty good success. He has the speed, his legs are healthier than a year ago, and hopefully he can be more of a threat on the bases once again.

Sliding Murphy into the three-hole is the ideal solution to balance out what still is an abundance of lefty bats. Three out of your last four hitters are lefty with Castillo being a switch hitter and a more natural hitter from the left side. By doing this you break up Murphy and Delgado with right-hander David Wright.

The sweet swinging 23-year-old is ready for this. By all accounts, he’s looked fabulous through the early part of spring training and Jerry Manuel seems to already expect big things from the next great homegrown Met. Every moment I look for a spring training update, it seems Matthew Cerrone on Metsblog is reporting that Murphy is in the batting cage taking more swings. You have to love it.

Both Reyes and Wright were thrown into the fire as young “can’t miss prospects”, and each turned out to be a superb talent. Watching Murphy’s approach at the plate tells me he’s ready to be included in this conversation and he belongs in the heart of the order. He will also have big, established bats all around him so he’ll see plenty of good pitches to hit.

Keeping our/his expectations grounded however is key. If Murphy is able to bat .285, hit 15-20 homers, and drive in 75-90 runs, would there be a better 1-5 in the majors?

Jerry is looking for a spark, someone ready to add another element to this lineup, and perhaps hitting Murphy right in the thick of things is just what this team needs.

Let’s see what the kid can do.