Bleacher Report - Articles by Sean Matrai

Mets Roster I'd Like to See in 2010

Sean Matrai — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:33:44 -0500

The Mets had a dreadful sesaon in 09.although many injuries plauged them as well as missing holes.they are sure to strike back in 2010.Hopewfullyqith this roster.Here is my opinion of the Mets 2010 roster.Many people probably have a similar roster plan to mkine and moves are logicalPlz comment and lve feedback thank you for your time and appreciation.

Begin Slideshow

Happy Halladay: Where Will Roy End Up?

Sean Matrai — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:01:00 -0400

I know there has been a great debate around baseball about starting pitcher Roy Halladay, and where he will be going. Although many fans of many different teams want to get Halladay, there are some things you have to consider.

Here are the top two things you have to consider when trading, especially with players of talent like this:

1). Prospects–Many different teams, especially ones who are in last, or in the lower part in the standings, want good prospects.

For those who don't know, a prospect is a young player with potential who is playing on a triple, double, or single-A team (or could even be in majors). Prospects have great value in a trade.

2). Money–Teams tend to want to trade players like Halladay because their contract is going to be up, or they want younger players. When you're trading for a player like Halladay, it's very important to consider if you will be able to re-sign the guy down the road based on your team's overall funds.

In Halladay's case, he won't be a free agent until the end of 2010, so the team who picks him up would be safe for one year.

Many teams in contention simply rent players like Halladay until their contracts are up, and then let them go after they get some wins out of them.

Here are the possible places Halladay will end up:

1). Cubs–Yes the Cubs, who are still in contention in the NL Central. I think they absolutely have the prospects to get this trade done, this would be a great way to recuperate after failing to make the Jake Peavy trade over the winter.

2). Phillies–Many people have the Phillies as the top pick for Halladay, but I don't. I think they signed Pedro so they wouldn't have to put it down for Halladay. They say they are interested though, and they definitely have the prospects, but who knows whether they are willing to give them up in exchange.

3). Red Sox–Yes, Boston. They have the prospects to get it done, and I'm sure they would love to make a big splash, just as the Yankees did last offseason. Boston is third on this list because it is questionable whether the Blue Jays want to send him to a team in their own division.

4). The Yankees–The Yankees do have the prospects to get it done, and they would probably make the trade. Here's the problem: there might be a rolling stone in the back of Hank's. A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia did not live up to their expectations, so who knows if they are willing to put their trust in Halladay.

5). Nowhere–Don't freak out. Nowhere means he would just stay in Toronto. This is a possibility, but I think he will be traded.

Please rate and comment!

Maniac Mets Wont Stop

Sean Matrai — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:11:23 -0400

The Mets are obviously in a quandary right now, but the one thing they shouldn't do is panic. Yes Fernando Nieve had a not-so-good start last night, but they had a nice rally going and lost only 10-6. That to me is a good loss not giving up until the end.

What really made me happy is the Mets didn't say "oh no a grand slam is hit" so let's not even try to come back. Tonight we have Santana going which gives the Mets a chance to win despite their struggles.

Another thing is that the Mets shouldn't give up the future just because we are in trouble. Yes it is true the Mets can't lose this season to the Phillies again because it would be just dreadful, but I think the only solution is to the Mets problems is to acquire someone inexpensive or wait it out. Yes, I've heard of Adam Dunn and Holliday, but the Mets really won't get them because the A's and the Nationals will want F-Mart, Parnell and maybe Murphy. The problem is the Mets' future will be hurt. Don't try and fix what is now our problem and destroy the future.

Ken Takahashi? Just Like Kenshin Kawakami

Sean Matrai — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:07:20 -0400

I usually get really hyped when a pitcher that has never started before is going to start for the first time.

But I don't know about this 40-year-old rookie starting for the Mets against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.

This sounds similar to the Braves' story of Kenshi Kawakami, a 33-year old playing in Japan, then getting a start for Atlanta.

Hmm. I guess we'll just have to see how he does.

NY Mets' Oliver Perez: Thankfully in the Bullpen

Sean Matrai — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:59:44 -0400

Oliver Perez has been demoted to the bullpen.

This, to me, is actually a good thing.

Ollie can most certanly get left-handed hitters out. He can be a left handed specialist which is very good in this NL East division.

He must get his command back,though...

Amazin's Phight Past The Phils

Sean Matrai — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:34:15 -0400

I do agree,That win was big for the Mets last night.And as usual the Mets get to the opposing SP early. Murphy starts by hitting a two run tater to right field to make the lead 2-0.

They would eventually score five more runs to make they're lead up to seven.But anyway ill break down the Batting ups and downs as well as the Pitching ups and downs of the game.

Starters

Chan Ho Park (down) He is not reliable at all for the Phillies.He has an era of 8.57 era in five games started including last nights against the Mets.Hes doing Horribly. The only reason he got the ball is because four years ago he pitched very well against the amazins. He pitched horribly last night allowing seven runs.

Mike Pelfrey (up) He pitched very well in his last outing against the Nationals at Citi Field. The 6' man allowed just two runs.His performance last night was pretty good five innings three runs. I'll take that any day.When especially the Mets pen is the way it is.

Bullpen

Mets (up)

Not much to say other than good and pretty solid. Felicano pitched two good innings except for allowing the solo shot to Utley. The Putz and K-Rod combo worked very well. And for the first time Putz saw an aggressive rivalry.

Phillies(up)

The Bullpen was very solid allowing no runs to the Mets. Not really much to say though but they did a good job.

Offense

Mets(UP)

They're getting on the right track the offensive production last night was better than it was. And it was noticeable that they were being more aggressive on the basepads. That should make more Mets fans (including me) more happy. Also David Wright also spoke to the club about needing to score more than the first inning. Good job by David taking that role as a leader.

Phillies(down-up)

It was pretty decent, nothing like we saw against the Nat's though Utley did hit a bomb and Ibanez hit a broken bat single and Feliz did drive in a run so it was good.

Why Cant We Think It Over...Why Cant We Forget About the Past: A-Rod Issue

Sean Matrai — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 10:27:09 -0400

Look, I know what he did was bad, but give the guy a break. Unlike Bonds and Clemens, he actually impressed me and went out their and said "look, I did do it and I'm sorry for doing that. It was stupid."

I really am not a fan of A-Rod but give the guy one more chance. I believe everyone needs a second chance.

Mets Preview: The Amazins Are Motivated for October

Sean Matrai — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:32:37 -0500

Honestly, I think the Mets have improved greatly over what they were last year. I'm going to explain pitching, hitting, and fielding reasons why they are better or just as good as they were last year.

Offense

To be honest, the offense isn't that bad. I mean sure Manny would be nice, but I don't really think it's that bad. I mean sure Carlos Delgado is not going to have the second half he had last year, and Fernando Tatis is not going to be the Tatis of last year, but come on—we still have a good Delgado, an excellent David Wright, and a good Carlos Beltran.

Honestly, I think right now the Phillies haven't improved that much at all. Raul Ibanez can only do probably less than what Pat Burrell did for them last year hitting 33 homers. And IF Utley comes back on opening day, it will be the same; otherwise less. The Mets offense I see as really better, I'm sorry to say, health-wise and everything.

Pitching

The Mets I feel overcame their biggest obstacle in the offseason, which was fixing the pen. If you guys remember, the Mets bullpen blew about 30 games last year. Thirty games. If they had not blown six of those games, they probably would've won the Division.

Seriously, our pen was probably the third worst in the National League, just above the Cardinals and the Giants. K-Rod will be like Billy Wagner in '06, and J.J. Putz will be an excellent setup man.

As far as their rotation, I think it has slightly improved. First, the Mets have John Maine healthy and ready to go. Then the Mets have Tim Redding, who isn't amazing but can shut down Philadelphia. I'd take him as a fifth starter. Then the Mets have Ollie, who they just signed back, and who I personally feel can be consistent this year. So I can see the Mets having a solid rotation this year.

Defense

Sure we lost Endy Chavez, but that's why the Mets signed Cory Sullivan, a former Rocky. Ryan Church is outstanding in right field, and he can absolutely play a great role in the outfield. Brian Schneider is great behind the plate blocking passed balls and getting runners out. Jose Reyes will mature with the help of Alex Cora, and the Mets pretty much a have a stellar defense. Don't forget Wright and Beltran.

Oakland, This Is All for Naught

Sean Matrai — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:11:22 -0500

The Angels still had a great first half without Tex. I think even with the addition of Holliday and Giambi, the A's have no chance for postseason play. The Angels' pitching is far superior to Oakland's.

Don't forget, the A's lost Huston Street to the Rockies, so that lowers their pen tremendously and the loss of K-Rod is not an issue. They signed Brian Fuentes, who, in my opinion, is better than K-rod, so I think the Angels still have a major advantage.

Was The De Rosa Trade Really That Bad?

Sean Matrai — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:26:47 -0500

I agree with MLB analyist Harold Reynolds here: I think that the Cubs made this trade for a specific reason, and that is to entice the San Diego Padres.

We all know the Cubs are still interested in San Diego ace righty Jake Peavy. Now, even though it may seem bad at first, sending Mark De Rosa—an excellent second baseman—to the Cleveland Indians for three pitching prospects is really not so bad if it means triggering a Peavy deal.

If the Cubs don't follow through, then yes, this was a worthless trade on Chicago's part, and the Cubs will be expecting an increase in ire from their fans, but lets hope the Padres and the Cubs resume talks on Peavy again.

Mets Could Get a Wonderful Pitcher at a Lowe Cost

Sean Matrai — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:23:15 -0500

From the Streets of Boston, to Hollywood, and now to the Big Apple?

Well according to sources the Mets are: Serious about acquiring Derek Lowe and have offered him a three-year contract for $36 million. Lowe went 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA during the regular seaon. Since Lowe was a Class A free agent the Mets would have to forfit their first-round draft pick, but it wouldn't have mattered. K-rod was class A as well.

Last week Boston had dropped out of the Lowe race and acquired Penny, which in the end pretty much left only the Mets to sign him meaning a suprise signing by the Bronx Bombers. I think Lowe would be a great acquistion for the Mets because he can pitch important games and is a very effective starter.

For New York Mets, NLCS is Automatic

Sean Matrai — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:45:48 -0500

Let me put it to you guys this way the National League sucks, except for a few of teams who actually have a shot at making playoffs. I will briefly go over every team in the NL and rate them from 1-10, 1 being the worst 10 being the best, obviously no team deserves a 10. Here we go...

NL East

1. Atlanta Braves: This team is just plain sad. They lost out to Burnett because they didn't give him the extra year and they lost on Furcal, however they did acquire Boone and did acquire Javier Vasquez. They have an OK lineup; they have Chipper Jones ,and the have a great catcher in Brian McCann but otherwise this team needs a lot more work. Maybe free agency can help them out.

Rating 4/10

2. Florida Marlins: They just got rid of talent that they had, the talent that made them possible playoff contenders. For instance, they got rid of Olsen, well not really, more Nelson (a big help to the Rays.) Right now they are garbage except for Johnson and Hanley Ramirez.

Rating 2/10

3. New York Mets: The best team in this leauge primarily because of their off-season aquisitions of both K-Rod and J.J, they definitley in my opinion have the best eighth to ninth inning combo in the game, and their batting order is pretty solid, except for the second baseman and left fielder.

As far as ther rotation goes, they have to clear it up. According to reports, they plan to with the extreme probability of getting Lowe and maybe even Perez they look to be set, so this team will probably win NL next year.

Rating 9/10

4. Philidelphia Phillies: They are sure to be a competeor of the NL Eastern Divison next year. They have a pretty solid tem as well as the Mets. I don't think their bullpen is going to be as nearly as good as it was in 2008, but it willl still be descent.

Their batting is phenomanal because they have Utley, who is a machine, they have Howard, who will hit a lot of home-runs, they have Rollins, and they have the newly acquired Raul Ibanez. As far as pitching is concerned, Hamels is a definite treasure and the rest are fair-to-pretty good. The Phillies are also playoff and NL contenders.

Rating 8/10

5. The Wahington Nationals: They actually are what the Marlins were last year, a third place ranking team that will have a shot at the playoffs because both the Mets and Phillies struggled at some points, throughout the season. They have some deceny in the rotaion, and ther batting is OK. They wouldve mightily improved if they had signed Mark Teixeria, who ended up with The Yankees. So yeah, they will be an average team.

Rating 4/10

Braves Could Have a Serious Lineup By Adding Furcal

Sean Matrai — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:57:56 -0500

When you add Furcal to a lineup you are basically adding some "juice" to the lineup. He's definitely an excellent shortstop,and an excellent player. Adding Furcal to the Braves lineup would definitely boost their lineup if nothing more. You may ask this

Will Atlanta be competitive with the addition of Furcal?

The answer is unfortunately no. It is currently easy to see that the Braves Renaissance has ended,and that the Phillies and the Mets will be the two high powers in the NL East.

Sure, the Braves acquired Javier Vasquez which is a decent young starter.But when you face the Mets especially with their unstoppable pen now and the Phillies excellent lineup including Utley who's a machine, Howard, Rollins and the newly acquired Raul Ibanez the Braves will not stand a a chance. Losing on that Burnett deal really hurt them.

Go Braves

Was C.C Really That Great Of a Move

Sean Matrai — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:46:39 -0500

Look.

Sabathia can be considerd one of the best starters in the game, even somone with half a brain knows that. But let me explain why Sabathia would be better for certain teams, rather than others.

It takes a lot to play in New York, and CC simply doesn't have all the required qualities. Unlike Johan Santana, Sabathia cannot take a high amount of pressure. Sabathia won the last game of the regular season for the Brewers, but when he got into postseason he just collapsed, the same as 2007.

That's just not acceptable in Yankees world. I honestly don't think he's ready to play here. The pressure and heat of the Yankees and their fans may get to Sabathia.

On one hand, he could do incredibly here. On the other hand, he may not do so well, and blow big postseason games to the Red Sox or whoever else they play.

Another question will be his readjustment to AL batting, and if he can stabilize the rotation immediately. Whether or not Sabathia truley wants to be a Yankees player will be tested; we all know Sabathia could very be a hall of famer, but New York requires a lot.

Mariners and Mets and Indians Have a BIG Trade Coming Along

Sean Matrai — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:44:09 -0500

Breaking news:

Even though the Mets signed K-Rod, we probably will be getting JJ Putz as well. This guy can be amazing for The Mets and will be our eighth inning setup man.This will solve most of the Mets problems. I think with the addition of K-Rod and Putz, the Mets would have the best BP in the league. Here are my reasons:

1. K-rod will outdo the Phillies, outmaster them with every command.

2. I'm telling you now Lidge is not going to be "the Lidge of last year."

3. If you guys are in a Lidge lockdown, don't forget which teams in the NL East beat up on Lidge. Remember when the Braves scored six runs on Lidge with a Brian McCann grand slam and when the Mets got to Lidge?

Lidge is not unstoppable. Lidge is not who you make him out to be. Honestly, K-rod is better than Lidge when you look at overall numbers.

New York Mets Have to Fill the Holes With Goodness

Sean Matrai — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:49:31 -0500

The bullpen isn't just the problem here. The Mets should or might already be considering offering AJ Burnett a contract. Hey, he's a great pitcher and we'd love him to come start here at Citi Field. Well I'll give you a few choices on who they could get and I'll explain the confirmed rotation.

Confirmed rotation:

1.Johan Santana

2.Mike Pelfrey

3.John Maine

4.?

5.?

Without question, the Mets have got to seek out starting pitching and fast. Otherwise, they'll have the same problem as the Atlanta Braves. Here's my top three picks on who they could get:

1.Oliver Perez: If he accepts arbitration(good one!) that will be great for the Mets, but if he doesn't, Omar will probably sign this guy to a contract. He does work well with Dan Warthen (pitching coach) so we will see.

2.AJ Burnett: I could very well see Omar pop open the wallet and sign this guy to a five year deal for around $80-100 million. I'm sure he can fill the void in the starting rotation.

3.Derek Lowe: He is a veteran and could be just what the Mets are looking for or in this case what Omar is looking for. He did well for the Dodgers, keeping his ERA at 3.24 so we'll see.

I honestly don't see CC coming here anymore. And one other thing, Johnathan Neise will probably fill the fifth spot.

For the Philadelphia Phillies, 2009 Is Not the Year

Sean Matrai — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:45:10 -0500

That's what this team is going to look in '09 unless they do something fast. I said it once, and I'll say it again, the Phillies are not going to win their division next year for a multiple amount of reasons. I'll carefully explain five reasons why the Philadelphia Phillies will not be in the postseason next year.

1. Pat Burrell

He was a big cog in their machine in '08. He hit 33 HRs for them, driving in 86 Rib-eye steaks. He was one of the reasons the Phillies won. If he doesn't return, than that's one less guy in the batting order

2.Utley is gonna be out til June

say it ain't so for Philly fans hes one of the reasons the Phillies win a whole lot of games that's another cog that will be taken out, leaving Rollins and Howard alone so sad

3. Unsecured about Moyer

Moyer may not,and since the Phillies did not offer Moyer salary arbitration which I'm very surprised of, he probably would not return. I could see him signing with the Rangers for a two-year deal, after all he went 13-7 for the Phillies he could do good for them.

4. The Mets and their plan

If they succeed in reforming their "pig pen," then they will be a very vital force in the N.L., if not all of baseball. I could see them winning over 100 games next year.

5. The Braves and this A.J Burnett thing

They hope to sign him to a five-year deal for around $80 mill. If he goes there, the Braves could start being competitive again

New York Mets: Should They Stay or Should They Go?

Sean Matrai — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:51:34 -0500

Here's the answer, and it's not just for Heilman. It's predominately, "Go."

I'm a big time baseball fan, and I can tell you that the reason for the collapse in '08 and '07 (it can be argued) was the bullpen. There are a few that I think should stay and the rest should be leaving Shea like a home run leaves Philly.

Stay

Joe Smith

Eddie Kunz

Feliciano (maybe)

Ayala (maybe)

Joe Smith was pretty good. He got some key outs in the 'pen and he did himself a favor with such a good performance.

Kunz I like, I just wouldn't do what the Yankees did and rely on their prospects to do the work for the Mets. What I'm saying is not to rely entirely on Eddie Kunz to close games.

I believe Feliciano can get his stuff back and start dominating left-handed batters the way he has in previous years.

Ayala was okay, and I do have sympathy for him because he came here as a reliever from the Nationals (and I emphasize Nationals) and got an immediate job being closer for a team who was trying to make the postseason of '08.

Heilman

Shoeneweis

The rest of them

Heilman is underlined because he's the most important. He's had abysmal '07 and '08 campaigns; there is no justifiable reason to keep him around.

Shoeneweis wasn't so hot, either.

I'll say this much: He cannot play here in NY.

Sanchez, because of that car accident, has lost his stuff even with the surgery.

Deals

As far as deals, (many Mets fans are going to kill me for saying this) I think the Mets should not pursue "Big Bucks" K-Rod.

He's prone to injury and is asking for a six-year deal, twice as long as Minaya wants to give.

Whether or not Omar goes for the panacea is the question.

I think the Mets would do better pursuing Brian Fuentes. He was up for the State Farm closer of the year award, and I think he would be a great closer for the Mets.

Because Fuentes is cheaper, they can think about boosting their 'pen and sign Oliver Perez under arbitration.

As far as Perez is concerned, the Mets should sign him, rather than going after bigger dollar pitcher Derek Lowe. He is working well with pitching coach Dan Warthen and could possibly win 15 games this year.

Firin' Brian Fuentes Should Be Coming to New York

Sean Matrai — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:03:43 -0500

Omar Minaya, unless you have plans to acquire someone like Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett, or CC Sabathia, please go after Brian Fuentes. I've got three reasons why you will agree:

J.J Putz is not my guy—he has OK stuff, in 2007 he had an impressive year, though, recording an ERA of 1.88. I still don't think this guy is reliable.
Francisco Rodriguez's arm slot—I honestly think he is prone to severe injury in his arm and ankle and all over his body.
He is cheaper than K-Rod and, with that, you can still pick up another player in a decent trade.

Manny Ramirez: The Best in the NL West, Now and Forever

Sean Matrai — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:55:35 -0400

King of the NL West sounds about right when it comes to Manny Ramirez.

This guy looks to be coming back to the Dodgers next year. With an absolutely impressive, MVP-caliber second half, Ramirez should return, but not only that, he got good ol' L.A to the postseason this year and he'll do it again and again.

Whether they will win the World Series is a question that cannot be answered just yet, but he helped the Red Sox do it twice. The only thing Ramirez will need is a spot in the Hollywood walk of fame, and then he's set.

Who needs Boston? Ramirez has put aside the Yankees-Red Sox issue and stuck with Torre. Sorry fans, he's gonna stay in L.A. permanently.

Chicago Cubs Crushed

Sean Matrai — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:14:23 -0400

It's about as desolute in the north side of Chicago as it is in this picture. For the whole 2008 regular season it was a "Hakuna Matata" for the Cubs Faithful. Soto and Kouske were actually hitting.

In the middle of the season Rich Harden was acquired to better their rotation. They probably had the best offense, rotation, and bullpen in the game. They won a whole lot of games at Wrigley and at the first week of the postseason their dreams of not making it a hundred years were crushed.

The fans are probably more angry then the Met fans are.

Well, Here's a Thought: Phillies Got Easy Road to World Series

Sean Matrai — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:49:38 -0400

The Philadelphia faithful have a lot to be thankful for. One of those things is an easy trip to the World Series.

C'mon, it was pretty obvious in the NLDS that the Phillies were a better team than the Brewers. The Brewers had a rough September, and to top that off they had just fired their manager, Ned Yost. I don't honestly think the Brewers are that good. The three people on that team who have impressed me are Ryan Braun, CC Sabathia, and Prince Fielder.

The Phillies have a better rotation, a better lineup, and a closer that defies every other closer in the game, Brad Lidge. I honestly think that if the Mets had won the wild card, they would've gotten further than the Brewers. They would've beaten Chicago, had a shot at Philadelphia, and could've faced Tampa.

Secondly, the Dodgers were a sub-par .500 team. The Phillies were able to get the not-so-hard win. Cole Hamels was able to beat an Los Angeles team that does not specialize in offense, aside from maybe Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp.

I C the Trading Market for CC Sabathia

Sean Matrai — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:02:23 -0400

He was Mr. Indian last year. When he came to the Brewers in July, he was Mr. Brewer. Where to now, you ask? I'll answer that for you.

I've narrowed the list down to five teams where he could go, but before that, there are a couple of things you should consider about trade and the way it works.

1. Market: If there is another pitcher that can do just as much good as for a team as Sabathia, and cost cheaper, that can factor in to where he goes.

2. Money: If you want Sabathia, you have to have the dough he wants. He's going to want a lot of money, so a team like the Royals could not afford him.

OK, here are the five places where he could go to:

1. Dodgers

They're pretty rich, and Colletii looks like he'd make that move since CC Sabathia's a free agent. At this point, there's nothing the Dodgers cannot afford, since they made moves for Blake and Manny in midseason, which allowed them to get to the postseason. Unfortunately, they suffered a horrific loss to Philadelphia.

2. Mets

Well, he would fit well here, especially since Perez will probably not return to this ball club, as well as Pedro Martinez, who will be definitely leaving. The Mets definitely have the money for it, and Omar will probably be looking for the panacea to this crisis, with two season-ending collapses in a row. Since they already have Johan, Sabathia would definitely improve this rotation.

3. New York Yankees

This is more of an "if," because it's if Hank won't be lazy about relying on his lower farm to improve the season. Will Hank make the move? Maybe next year. Sorry Yankee fans.

4. Boston Red Sox

They have the money for him. It would add support to John Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Boston would have a stronger rotation and will probably do in the Yanks next year. Why not make this move?.

5. Milwaukee

Goes back here? Well that's actually a laugh in itself. Milwaukee fired their manager, Ned Yost, in September. They were beaten by the Phillies 3-1 in the NLDS. He is not coming back and it is still a question of can they afford him.