New York Mets Swap a Backstop: Stick with Santos over Castro

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

It was a moist night in New York when Omir Santos came up to the plate. He stopped a second to ponder what he meant to this team. Brian Schneider was finally healthy, and Ramon Castro seemed a mainstay in the dugout. After this, he could possibly be the third string catcher.

What truly went through Santos' mind as he dug in, we may never know. But what we do know is that he looped a bleeding single over a drawn-in Marlins infield, and the Mets won yet another exciting ballgame. Omir had a huge smile on his face as he got to first, and Gary Sheffield crossed home plate with the winning run.

And so, with Santos having already hit a solo home run in the game and having immense success so far at the big league level, a catching dilemma developed.

With Brian Schneider, Omir Santos, and Ramon Castro all manning the position, the Mets were hard-pressed to find an appealing solution. Around the league, teams secretly anticipated the market to expand for a backup catcher. Who would be the odd man out?

With Schneider's defensive prowess too good to ignore (also the fact that both Castro and Santos are not proven everyday catchers), and Santos and Castro being similar in their playing style, Omir's speed and hot bat put him over the top. Castro would have to be moved. In the interest of a trade, Minaya phoned Kenny Williams.

Eventually, a deal was struck. White Sox pitcher Lance Broadway would be a Met, and Castro would go to the White Sox. Broadway will be reassigned to AAA Buffalo, and is 0-1, 5.06 on the year. Generally the scouting reports on him look positive, so his performance so far shouldn't raise too many red flags.

So the Mets place their trust in the young kid, something we've wanted for so long. What if they had put trust in Kazmir, or better yet Ryan? We can only wonder what the future holds for Santos.

In other news, the Mets acquired 34-year old OF Emil Brown from the San Diego Padres.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?