As a leader of a ballclub that seems to get skittish during important games and high-pressure situations in particular, Delgado deserves a strong brunt of the blame. In order for this “collapse” to never happen again, it seems inevitable that the leader of this experience must be shopped. Besides, Carlos will be 37 next year, and God knows if he can light it up again like he did this summer.
So here’s proposal No. 1: Carlos Delgado, Fernando Martinez, Nick Evans, and a low-level prospect for Red Sox IF Kevin Youkilis.
Boston fans might think I’m nuts, but Martinez is arguably the cream of our crop, Delgado may prove to be a solid DH, and Evans can be a very solid fourth outfielder.
I like Kevin Youkilis for a variety of reasons: 1) He’s a fantastic hitter, who thrives in the clutch. 2) He destroys the Yankees. 3) He’s a capable first baseman, defensively. 4) He brings a passion, fire, and resolve to the ballpark on a daily basis, and has a winning attitude reminiscent of another Cincinnatian by the name of Paul O’Neill. 5) He’ll be 29 on opening day and is seven years younger than Delgado.
Who knows...Theo might take the bait. But I think it’s a worthwhile sacrifice for the Mets.
Proposal No. 2: Go after Milton Bradley as your left fielder.
We all know that Milton’s a little nuts. He’s had some emotional and psychological problems in the past. But hey, with Jerry Manuel’s low-key, Gandhi-infused approach, maybe Milton can be controlled. Because the stats don’t lie: Milton Bradley is one of baseball’s most underrated hitters and has improved each of his last four seasons.
This season, he was an All-Star, who hit .321 with 22 and 77, and sported a .436 OBP. He also has a nice arm in the outfield and should fill in nicely as a sixth hitter.
I really think Omar should consider this, and I just hope for the sake of Milton and Met fans that he starts off strong, because the Mets' fans will get on him if he doesn’t, and we all can figure out how he’ll react to that.
In terms of starters, proposal No. 3 is dependent on Oliver Perez. If we re-sign Ollie, I say make Jon Garland a priority. He would be a very solid middle-of-the-rotation right-hander, giving us a staff of Santana, Pelfrey, Perez, Garland, and possibly Niese.
If we don’t, I recommend going after Derek Lowe, quite diligently. Lowe has been one of the N.L.’s best during the second half, and his price-tag may shoot up even further, pending a strong performance in the playoffs.
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