Welcome back fellow Mets fans, how’re you all doing today? Well, call it getting spurned, call it missing out, call it whatever you like, but this needs to be understood. The Mets have failed to reel in their top target for the starting catcher’s job with Bengie Molina resigning with San Francisco. Plan A for catcher is officially kaput. And on top of that, our Plan B – arguably even our Plan C – for upgrading the starting rotation went out the window yesterday too, as Joel Pineiro inked a 2 year 16 million dollar pact to pitch for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Time is running out…
Now with starting catcher, there are not too many stand-out products remaining on the market. Yorvit Torrealba – who don’t forget has a grievance with the team over their handling of him two offseasons ago – and Rod Barajas the most noteworthy of what remains, and honestly there isn’t much to be had with either of these two guys. However, the Mets don’t need much as it is, they should be looking for just a 1 year stopgap guy to fill the void until youngster Josh Thole is ready to prove he can handle the starting catching duties on a full-time basis. If the Mets sign one of these, you know what, fine. But I’d rather have Bengie Molina, a backstop that offers more pop, and more of a reputation of handling pitchers well. It would have been nicer to have him as opposed to one of Barajas or Torreabla. I’d also prefer him to the combination of Santos-Blanco, which we may potentially be rocking in 2010. *Sighs*
The thing that hurts most in this situation is that Molina accepted less money – AKA an inferior deal! – to play in San Francisco. That tells you one of three things. One, he didn’t want to play in spacious Citi Field due to all the horrible talk stating that the park is a statistic killer for hitters. Two, he didn’t want to play for the Mets due to them not being a very well built club right now – not for nothing, but the 2010 Giants starting rotation is pretty darn good, they look like a potential NL West winner. Or three, he just didn’t want to play for the Mets due to some other unbeknownst reason, maybe location? I kind of hope it’s a location thing, don’t you?
As far as starting pitching is concerned, it’s not so much the fact that Pineiro is off the market that stings – in fact, I could really care less because I honestly believe he’s a product of Dave Duncan’s masterful tutelage in St. Louis, and doubt he’ll be able to replicate those numbers with the Angels. The thing that bothers is that time is running out for our boys and I haven’t even heard any news saying that the Mets are making any offers to any starters. I’m panicking for God sakes! It seems that right now, the Mets can go down either one of two roads in order to upgrade the rotation.
First road, known as Solid Street, they can sign a bland, but consistent pitcher, such as Jon Garland for example. You’re not going to get the kind of electricity out of him that you would get out of a bigger name such as a Johan Santana or a CC Sabathia, but what can you do? Garland will give you acceptable performances, nothing too terrible, but at the same time nothing too spectacular. He’s the opposite of a gamble, which brings us to our second road, Gambler’s Alley. The Mets can go out there and try and spend a little less money on a shorter commitment deal with a reclamation project pitcher who has greater upside than a guy like Garland would give you. The best two examples of these gambles are Ben Sheets and Chien-Ming Wang. These two have had proven big league success in the past, and if the Mets can just obtain that old-time magic, they can turn these signings into bargains, rather than gambles. But just like all the other gambles the Mets have taken this offseason after the injury-plagued 2009 campaign, is it worth it?
With spring training on the way in just under a month, I’ve taken a big look at this offseason the Mets have had, and I just can’t help but not feel really good about it. It seems as if the Mets have succeeded in just getting the inferior free agents for each hole they had, rather than the best possible solutions. Jason Bay is inferior to Matt Holliday, the bench sports injury risks in Henry Blanco and Alex Cora, the set-up role is now being manned by two enormous unknowns in Ryota Igarashi and Kelvim Escobar. And oh, let’s not forget that 1st base, starting catcher, and the rotation are still not set in stone yet. It hasn’t been a really uplifting offseason. Right now, I’m sad to say that I don’t think my team has guns that it needs to make it far come October. The team isn’t drastically different than last year’s team, I don’t know. I just don’t feel confident.
What do you guys think? What is the best way at this point in time to upgrade the starting rotation, as well as the 1st base and catcher holes? Do you feel confident in the team’s ability to make the playoffs? Or are you like me, a fan with an overabundance of skepticism? Write back soon my friends, and as always thank you for reading my blog!
Post a Comment