The Mets aren’t winning it this year… so don’t make a trade

OK, I am expecting some hate e mail from this post by Mets fans.

I have my guard up.

Let me get this out of the way… I don’t hate the Mets. I have moved on from 1986 (seeing my team win two World Series helps.)

So save any “You are an angry Red Sox fan jealous because of the Buckner error” responses.

Fine… that’s on the record. Let’s get to the post.

I am going to type a few facts.

It is late June and the Mets are a sub .500 team.
It is late June and the Mets are a third place team.
It is late June and the Mets are riddled with an insane amount of injuries.

Carlos Beltran’s career might be in jeopardy.

Carlos Delgado is still unavailable and nobody knows what he will contribute when he comes back.

The Mets offensive output in the recent subway series was nearly matched by Mariano Rivera.

They have issues up and down their pitching staff.

Their line up resembles a AAA team.

The clubhouse seems as to be as enjoyable and healthy place to be as Eli Roth’s Hostel.

Now players are calling for Omar Minaya to make a deal.

Mets fans are screaming for a change in the line up.

Nothing I just typed can be disputed.

Now for my thoughts.

Omar Minaya can’t be blamed for EVERYTHING that happened this year, but for the third straight season since the Haunting year of 2006, the Mets seem like an undermanned team.

And what trade now can fix the Mets ills?

They need hitting. Who are they going to get?

Yeah the A’s are dangling Matt Holliday out there… but what will the A’s be asking for? I alluded to this in my Lion and Prey post. They want players ready for the Bigs.

If the Mets had anyone who was Major League ready, that player would be currently playing for the Mets! Beane could do better just taking the two draft picks.

They could use a solid pitcher… but anyone dealing a pitcher in this market would demand solid prospects in return.

If the goal of the Mets is to win the World Series, I submit this radical plan:

STAND PAT!

Why? Because this team isn’t a player or two away from being a World Series contender. Can you IMAGINE this team in a best of five playoff series?

How would they do against a Tim Lincecum or a Chad Billingsley or a Chris Carpenter? They made Chien Ming Wang look awesome!

It isn’t happening this year. They don’t have the horses and do a panic move now, they’ll deplete their farm only to be a Division Series and out team AT BEST.

Ah but Sully, what about 2006? The Cardinals stumbled into the playoffs and won it all!

When Jerry Manuel becomes a Hall of Fame manager like LaRussa, I’ll listen. Instead, I’ll call 2006 a fluke.

And yeah, there is 87 games, more than half of the season to go.

But it isn’t THAT early. What part of the first half of the season could make ANY honest Mets fan say “This team can win it all!”

A player that will help turn the season around would cost a Fernando Martinez, a Wilmer Flores or a Bobby Parnell… and even THEN they wouldn’t be better than the Phillies, Dodgers, Cardinals or Brewers.

The Mets aren’t winning the 2009 World Series. You know it. I know it. We all know it. So why sabotage the chances for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons for an ill advised pennant run?

Why revisit Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano?

I say look back to 2006.

No, not Carlos Beltran looking at a called third strike… I’m talking about the 2006 Red Sox!

They were in first place on July 1.

They had a 4 game lead on July 4th.

They were in first place at the trade deadline but experiencing injury after injury. The lead had shrunk to a single game at the trade deadline. The bullpen and the lineup needed reinforcements… and the Red Sox had a TON of minor league talent to deal.

And the team stayed pat. I am convinced that someone in the front office (maybe Theo) thought “this team isn’t winning it… and there’s no way we’re tearing up the farm for an ill advised run at it.”

I screamed bloody murder. “YOU HAVE TO GO FOR IT!” I thought. Who are these young players? Why sabotage the present when you don’t know what those players will even do?

The Yankees tied the Red Sox for the division on August 1. The Red Sox went 23-35 the rest of the way and were completely irrelevant the rest of the season… finishing the season in a distant third place.

And they held on to Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, Manny Delcarmen and Jon Lester and they very next year they all contributed to a World Series title.

Some organizational honesty went a long way. If the 2006 Red Sox made the playoffs, they would have been KILLED in the Division Series the way they were in 2005.

They held pat and won big.

Learn from that, Mets.

You aren’t winning in 2009. Admit that and 2010 might be the year that Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell and company give the team a spark of youth.

Remember youth?

Or you can wrecklessly stumble into the second half and set yourself up for another painful September.

It’s your call.article_url = location.href;article_title = document.title;var iap=new Image(1,1);iap.src=’http://www.rootzoo.com/news_pulse/auto_post/31537/be85873d3eb0bdd800228eb38e26a1ce?title=’+encodeURIComponent(document.title)+’&link=’+encodeURIComponent(location.href);

Get Your Red Hot Roy Oswalts Here!

Roy Oswalt’s complete game 2 hitter last night should have been the greatest audition for a pennant contender you can ever have.

Prediction #8 of my 40 Fearless Predictions was that Oswalt would be pitching in the World Series for another ballclub.

To me, there is no reason for that prediction to NOT come true.

“But Sully” you exclaim, “The Astros are only 4 games out.”

Come on. Is there anyone on this Earth who thinks this Astros team is going to leap frog the Cubs, Reds, Cardinals and Brewers and make the post season.

And before you say “But the Rockies did it in 2007!” remember that was a huge fluke and that team was filled with young over achievers.

This Astros team is not a young team. Besides Bourn and Pence, the entire lineup consists of veterans 33 years or older. Read today’s CNNSI about the perils of being 33 years old.

Oswalt is 31 years old and has given the Astros 8 1/2 wonderful seasons. But he’s had an up and down season. The fact that he had last night’s masterpiece yet still has a .500 record and an ERA north of 4.00 shows that.

Aces are wonderful but they can also breakdown and become damaged goods before you can say “Brandon Webb.”

Oswalt could be the most valuable commodity on the trade market. Almost every team in the pennant race (with the exception of the Red Sox and Giants) are looking for another starting pitcher.

Cliff Lee is out there… and then who? It looks like the Red Sox are holding onto Brad Penny. And if the Mariners continue to contend, Jarrod Washburn won’t be available. Jake Peavy is hurt (should have made the deal in the off season, Padres!)

Who else? 

Think the Phillies or Mets wouldn’t offer up some valuable prospects for a pitcher of Oswalt’s talents?

Add Oswalt to Detroit’s rotation and they might be one of the teams to beat in October. 

The Angels could use another arm to put them over the top.

And there are always the Yankees.

The Astros need to put some newer and younger bodies in the line up and on the roster and they are sitting on potentially the most valuable trade chip in baseball.

Or you can sit on him and wait for Oswalt to turn 33 on your watch.

It’s your call.

article_url = location.href;article_title = document.title;var iap=new Image(1,1);iap.src=’http://www.rootzoo.com/news_pulse/auto_post/31537/be85873d3eb0bdd800228eb38e26a1ce?title=’+encodeURIComponent(document.title)+’&link=’+encodeURIComponent(location.href);

New Yankee Eric Hinske… not sure I get it

The Yankees picked up old friend and one time Rookie of the Year Eric Hinske from the Pirates today. 

Hinske was a left handed bat off of the bench for the 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox. 

He also homered in the World Series last year for Tampa and made the last out (and was criticized by my wife for his lack of desire.)

Now Hinske is a nice complimentary player and certainly helps the Yankees bench… so I can’t really slam Cashman for this deal.

But I can’t say I 100% get this deal.

Or 50% get this deal.

The Yankees are a good solid team but they could use a few parts for the second half.

However I never thought they had a LACK of left handed DH/outfielder types.

Johnny Damon is left handed, can no longer play centerfield and needs to DH from time to time.

Hideki Matsui shouldn’t even own a glove anymore and these days is a mediocre left handed DH.

Nick Swisher is a switch hitting outfielder who can’t play centerfield.

And Jorge Posada at this point should be a switch hitting DH and put young Francisco Cervelli under his wing as he seems to be playing well (and bringing some youth to the Yankee line up.)

Better get ANOTHER one!

And his place on the roster, plus the inevitable recovery of Jose Molina might mean that Cervelli will be sent down… because you wouldn’t want young hungry players who are doing a good job on the 25 man roster!

Now I’ve heard the logic being that Hinske would give some of the players a rest and play third base for A-Rod once a week.

Um, really? Hinske came up as a third baseman and was shifted to first base and the outfield. Don’t teams usually do that because the player can’t handle third base?

He’s played third base 21 times in the last 5 seasons. Am I still the only one stunned that the Yankees still don’t have a jack of all trades infielder?

Hey, who am I to criticize Brian Cashman? OK, so I’ve done it before… but I just don’t get this deal.

Watch him go on a tear and win the AL MVP

article_url = location.href;article_title = document.title;var iap=new Image(1,1);iap.src=’http://www.rootzoo.com/news_pulse/auto_post/31537/be85873d3eb0bdd800228eb38e26a1ce?title=’+encodeURIComponent(document.title)+’&link=’+encodeURIComponent(location.href);