DEBATE: Did Omar doom the Mets' playoff hopes by not making a deadline deal to improve the bullpen, especially since he knew Wagner wasn't 100 percent?
JIM: Yes, Omar blew this one.
All you have to do is objectively answer one question, and this debate is moot. Are the Mets built to win this year, or are they more concerned about building for the future?
To me, it's easy. The Mets are built to win this year. Delgado, Wagner, Martinez are all on the back ends of their career. Perez is a goner after the year. Beltran might just be past his prime.
Yes, the Mets have more than enough valuable assets (Wright, Reyes, Santana, Pelfrey) to win while rebuilding on the fly. But that process starts next year. This year marks the end of the window for this current group of players, most of whom experienced the high of '06 and the low of '06. So because this year is about winning, the Mets should have gone all in.
That doesn't mean they had to trade Fernando Martinez or Jon Niese, although I wouldn't have been against it. It just means the Mets should have done everything they could to fix the biggest weakness on their team - the bullpen. The fact they did nothing is a decision that will hurt them in the end.
ANTHONY: Let's everyone all calm down here, OK?
First, Jim, don't start with "this debate is moot". We're trying to get people to read these darn things! How about, "This debate is hot hot hot."
Second, we're not the only people talking about this issue on the Newsday yakosphere (Neil Best's term).
Here's a video of a cat playing ping-pong.
What can I add?
Just this: everybody calm down. Yes, the Mets' bullpen is a disaster area. Yes, they are in trouble until Wagner returns.
But there's no reason to press the panic button and start turning Maine or Perez or Pedro into your closer.
(Pedro the closer . . .now there's a truly stupid idea.)
To address the original question: Did Minaya blow it? No. Look at the relievers who have been traded. Scott Eyre. Chad Bradford. Damaso Marte. Jon Rauch.
No difference-makers.
Minaya did the right thing. Try to piece it together with Wagner's troublesome arm and even more troublesome history of blowing big games. Once he's back, everyone slides back to their familiar roles and maybe, just maybe, the Mets will get their act together over the final six weeks of the season and win the East.
OK. Enough of that. Here's a video of a dog skateboarding.
My point? Everyone lighten up. It's going to be a bumpy ride, no matter what the Mets did or didn't do at the deadline.
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Comments (9)
The Mets are still only two games out of first, so I'm going to say Omar didn't blow it. I think the big problem they need to address though is the lack of young, live arms in the minors. All of these guys they bring up as relievers seem just to be converted soft-tossing starters. They need a flamethrower-type to come up and be a change of pace.
Outfield is and has not been a problem as far as I am concerned, could they have used a Bullpen pitcher, sure who couldn't but to trade what may turn out to be a good or even marginal player for the crap that was available I applaud him for not making a trade just for the same of making a trade. I firmly believe they can pick up some better then what was available later this month from the waiver pile. Put it to you this way Demaso Marte was supposed to be one of the best available, how would you like to see him come in from the pen at Shea ?
Jim, right on = Mets should have done something...u called this right big guy
Anthony.....come to Maine and we'll show u a lobster trap to put the bullpen in
I agree that there wasn't anything out there at the deadline. I am for using Kunz and if that fails Maine. If Wagner and Sanchez did not get hurt, this would not be an issue so you can't blame Omar. Yes, the people in the bullpen are not doing their jobs (and when they did we had a 10 game winning streak) but there was no real trade solution on 7/31 or even today. Let's keep our fingers crossed, instead of always pointing them at someone to blame. Hopefully they can get another closer for the 8th inning set up job this winter.
I am with Anthony on this one. As I do agree they are a mess the guys traded for at the deadline weren't much better than what we have now. The constant trading for aging vets for young prospects is what is wrong with teams like the Yankees and Mets right now. Omar was in a tough spot trading his prospects may have helped them win this year at the cost of the future but then it might not. Look at the Yankees right now. They made 2 big deadline deals and have been worse than before those deals were made. Heck why didn't Cashman and Minaya make a deal. If they wanted a back up catcher we could have given them Castro and we would have taken Farnsworth. Hey at least Castro is younger. The team is 2 games out. No need to panic unless Wags's injury prevents him from coming back. Then things need to change quickly. We will see.
This is not a Mets problem; this is a baseball wide problem. Look at the Los Angeles National League team. Closer injured. Blew leads in the ninth on both Saturday and Sunday and barely held on last night. Look at the Yankees. Their bullpen hasn't exactly been leakproof.
This is baseball 2008 style. Umpires do not call strikes (see questrek)....relief pitchers are up every day as starters just don't go 9....by the middle of August it takes its toll. Baseball has become a game of 7th, 8th, 9th inning relieft.
Yes, I agree, I don't get it either. Joe Smith comes in. You have a 4 run lead and you walk the lead off man. What the hell is going on. Even if the guy hits the ball 500 miles, you're still up 3. Statistics show a solo home run in that spot usually doesn't lead to much more trouble. A lead off walk does.
What was Omar to do? Who was available? What is Manuel to do? Heilman had two straight good outings so he tried to close with him.
But the bottom line is this is baseball now. Hitters know umpires won't call strikes so the game drags and they stand there with their bats on their shoulders. It makes baseball one big bore.
There is nobody to blame. this is baseball 2008.
Anthony is right so WHY don't they let pitchers go NINE if they're not hitting them and ahead by two or more runs and leave those flunkies out in the pen to play cards !!!
A second thought is WHAT is their NEW pitching coach doing so can't he teach this new rookie to throw a sinker or split finger ala "Roger McDowell" as that's what we need and if the umps aren't calling strikes leave JOHAN in the GAME till the END and let him THROW it as it was YEARS ago in the GOOD OLD DAYS of Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver & Bob Gibson !!!
Wow. Jeff made some great points. That is a man who knows baseball. Totally correct. I was watching the last game against Florida. Heilman threw a ball that was about as perfect as can be on a 3-2 count. The ump called it a ball. In that game it didn't matter but in some of his relief appearances it did. It used to be that hitters in late innings would take strike one to get a feel for the reliever but if you can't throw strike 1 then it won't matter. That is the key to all of this. Strike 1. Throw it since he is going to give it to you and the rest is easier. And with all due respect Mr. Ingrassia. This is 2008 not 1968. These pitchers, whether you like it or not, are paid very well and they are an investment. You can't take a chance in ruining a guy your paying that much money too over 7 years. The days of Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale going 9 ARE OVER. The Roy Halladays of the world don't exist any more. Like Jeff said in 2008 guys go six, seven, or eight so you need a pen to get those missing outs. So far without Billy they haven't done so hot but once he gets back hopefully they will perform better. There was a time when they were doing really well. I just hope they can survive until the Sandman returns. Hopefully the Pirates and the Nats play like the bad teams they are. We could only hope.
Yes I would have tried to improve the bullpen, but I wouldn't have given up much to get help. Sherrill on Baltimore was the only player that piqued my interest. I dont know the price of what it would have cost to get him though.
I laughed when Brandon Tierney said Billy Wagner was one of the best closers in baseball. He tried to put him at #3 (Mo, K-Papelbon) but then a caller brought up K-Rod and Nathan. I then said out loud, Lidge, Jenks, Soria, Mr. Wood etc...