Bleacher Report - New York Mets

Note To Omar Minaya: Trade Luis Castillo

Nick Carlo — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:13:43 -0500

The Mets top priority this season isn't left field or starting pitching. It is to bring change to the team. The Mets need to bring in a number of new faces to bring the team a new attitude.

I am totally against the team getting rid of the core, but I am in favor of them getting rid of some of their older aging players. One of those is Luis Castillo, I am a big fan of Castillo and the way he plays the game of baseball, but I think it is time for him to go.

This past offseason, Luis Castillo's main goal was to train himself back to the player he used to be. He participated in many activities to make him a better player, and many doubted that these activities would make him a solid player.

One of the main concerns for Castillo was his knees. Castillo has been known to have weak knees and they have recently been a huge problem in his career. His knees have cost him many games and it's never good for a team when your starting second basemen needs at least one day off a week.

Luis wasn't off to the best of starts this past season. It looked like he was done and that the Mets made a wrong decision by not getting rid of him. It all hit rock bottom on Castillo's infamous dropped pop up that would've wrapped up a win against the Mets cross town rival, Yankees.

But, Castillo faced the press like a man after that game and it seemed to have taken a load off his shoulders. After that game, there were many sarcastic cheers when he caught a routine pop up. He did not let that get to him, he actually got a laugh out of it.

Soon after the error, he started to swing a hot bat and fans quickly forgave him. He was putting up solid numbers and he never looked back. He ended the season with an impressive batting average over .300, but that doesn't convince me that the Mets should keep him for next year.

He is a solid player and a great guy, but the Mets must get rid of him. This is obviously the best time for the Mets to get rid of Castillo. His trade value is as high as it will be for the rest of his career and the Mets must take advantage of that.

There are plenty of teams out there that would be more than happy to have Luis on their team, under some circumstances. Such as, swapping a bad contract for a bad contract, or the Mets paying off some of Castillo's contract.

Castillo will be earning six million dollars every year for the remainder of the contract, and that is without a doubt, way too much money for him. Even if the Mets trade him and pay off half his contract they can use the other three million to spend on a guy like Orlando Hudson.

Hudson, would be an all around upgrade over Castillo. He will especially help the club house out a lot. He also would love to play for the Mets, because he grew up a huge Mets fans down in South Carolina.

Although I would love to see the Mets get rid of Castillo, that is definitely not their top priority, but it can help them fill one of their minor needs. The Mets are in need of another right-handed reliever.

If the Mets can trade Castillo for a solid right-handed reliever than that would be taking care of two problems for the Mets.

I hope that we all know that, Luis Castillo is a great guy. Mets fans have to appreciate Castillo and try to remember the good things that he did for this organization. If the Mets trade him, then I wish him luck with his new team. But, the bottom line is, get rid of Luis Castillo.

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Mets Fans: Let's Get Serious

Joe Fiorello — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:06:33 -0500

The 800 pound gorilla that lives over the Triborough Bridge (I'll never call it the RFK Bridge), the World Champion New York Yankees, are a team to be reckoned with. A team that redefines what "Championship Caliber" means.

Three superstars in the infield alone that will be sure to steal away MVP voting from each other for years to come, a strong top half of the rotation that showed it can dominate in the post season, and the best closer of all time.

All the talk around the Mets blogosphere saying what the Mets should or shouldn't do makes me crazy. What the Mets should be doing is figuring out a way they can beat the Yankees. If they field a team that can beat the Yankees, then they should be able to beat anyone that the National League teams can put on the field.

How can they beat the Yankees?

Step 1: Sign John Lackey

The only thing Lackey will cost the team is money. All indications suggest that the team is willing to spend the money necessary to get a guy like Lackey. I hope they pull through. He would legitimize the top of the rotation, and will be a key part in the three-headed monster staff that my plan will build.

Step 2: Trade for Roy Halladay

Sure, Halladay wants to sign an extension before being traded. Sure, it's going to cost someone a lot of money to get him.

The other sure thing about Halladay is that he'll be worth the money. (See Johan Santana & CC Sabathia).

Some may think that trading away your farm system for a guy like Halladay is a foolish move, but I call those people fools. I pointed out a while back that farm system prospects aren't always what they were cracked up to be.

I'm aware of the kind of money it would take to put a pitching staff like this together, but anyone should be aware of how historically good the top of the rotation could be.

I also like the idea of Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, and Oliver Perez competing for the bottom two spots in the rotation. I don't think I'm the only one that realizes that's where these pitchers really belong.

Step 3: Sign a Cheap Power Bat for Left Field

All the talk has been about Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. While I believe either would provide an infusion of life to the middle of the line up, I feel like the money it would cost to get them should be spent on pitching.

I'd love to see Xavier Nady make a return to the Mets. He's only 31. He can hit for power, which he showed in 2008 when he hit 25 home runs and drove in 97 RBI. He's a right-handed hitter that hits right-handed pitching well. He's got a career .270 average against them, and a .308 average against lefties.

Sure, he's coming off a season-ending injury that allowed him to only play in seven games last season, but I think he's worth another look.

Step 4: Leave Luis Alone!

Luis Castillo, dropped fly ball and all, was one of the few bright spots for the Mets in 2009.

He worked hard in the off season to get in shape, and was able to keep healthy all season. Sure his range has diminished at second base, but he proved he was willing to try and earn his paycheck.

Plus, having Jose Reyes in the lineup ahead of him and David Wright in the lineup behind him will lead to more success. How could it not?

Step 5: Daniel Murphy, Starting First Baseman

Call me crazy...Maybe I got a heavier dose of the Daniel Murphy Kool-Aid, but I believe in him.

Maybe it's the fact that he looks a lot like Don Mattingly in the box. I think with a full season working at first base, and the confidence that goes along with being the starting EVERY DAY first baseman will allow him to develop into the hitter we all think he can be.

He's a No. 7 hitter, behind Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Nady, and Francoeur, and having a No. 7 hitter that has a smooth swing and good power to the gaps is not the worst situation to be in.

I'm a big believer that the Mets don't need to spend money to add power at first base because I hope having Reyes and Beltran back, and Wright hopefully returning the home run to his repertoire, will be more than enough. Especially with the dream pitching staff I listed above.

Now...

I'm not saying any of this will be easy or cheap. Steps one and two could conceivably cost over $40 million a year to do so. But spending that kind of money can be effective .

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Why Do Mets Fans Want Luis Castillo Gone for 2010? Forgive and Forget?

Wendy Adair — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:34:29 -0500

The Hot Stove is in full baking mode this week and there is much talk about the Mets being interested in Orlando Hudson, Marco Scutaro, and possibly Mark De Rosa.

There are many holes that the Mets need to fill before Spring Training ,but I do not think that second base is one of them.

They need pitching first and foremost, an upgrade at catcher and first base, and an everyday power-hitting left fielder.

I admit this time last year I was one of the first fans to say "Luis Castillo does not belong here, eat his contract and move on please."

My thoughts of Castillo have changed for the better, when i'm wrong I admit it, he made me a believer.

Castillo reported to Spring Training last February more than 15 pounds lighter and was the most energetic and happy his teammates had ever seen him.

All signs pointed to Castillo being a brand new man who would prove that he is the valuable player that Mets fans needed but did not get in 2008.

Many fans, including myself, felt the hype was not earned and the Mets made yet another foolish acquisition with a large contract.

Unfortunately, what Castillo will be most remembered for during the 2009 season are two bad moments—the dropped pop up against the Yankees and the fall down the dugout steps.

While both of those incidents were embarrassing, and in the case of the dropped pop up, very costly, combined they do not wipe away the positive contributions that Castillo made during the 2009 season.

I do think that if he had things to do over again, there is no way he would miss that pop up, he took responsibility and was a man about it to the media. No excuses, his words were "this loss is not on the team, its on me."

The thing that stands out with Castillo with my memory is that he is one of the few every day players who avoided the Disabled List. Even though he was given several games off to rest his balky legs, he was a fixture at second base and that should not be overlooked by management or fans.

He did prove himself to be a great hitter, batting over .300 much of the season, and he also showed most of the time why he had won Gold Glove Awards while he was with the Minnesota Twins.

Castillo does have a substantial contract in place with the Mets and if they did move him, money would be a large consideration that many fans feel is worthwhile to improve the team going forward.

Omar Minaya is looking at all options for improving the team, and no reasonable deal should be dismissed, but let's take care of the glaring problems first, Castillo deserves another year to show that 2009 was not a fluke.

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The Mets Need More Than Matt Holliday

Hot Stove New York — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:27:40 -0500

In 2006, the Mets were one game away from the World Series. And that’s been their biggest problem the last three years. They still think they’re one game away from the World Series. But they’re not. And they’re not even close. 2006 was their year. It was their chance. Their opportunity. And they blew it. And they’ve been a step behind, plugging holes, sticking their finger in the dike, fixing last year’s problems, or even the problems from the year before that, ever since. Unfortunately, the big problems who go by the names of Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel (is Wally Backman waiting in the wings now that he’s been hired to manage Brooklyn? God, I hope so) are still here, so we’ll have to live with them at least through the beginning of the 2010 season.

The Mets’ failings are more than the bullpen issues of ’07 and ’08, and more than the power outage and injuries of ’09. The team needs more than Matt Holliday and John Lackey (though they definitely need them). The Mets have shown a glaring lack of hustle, effort, competence, intensity and anything that remotely resembles solid fundamentals on the baseball field. They need a wholesale change of culture. They’ve been much too blasé about winning over the last few years. What they need is a more powerful will to win. All too often we saw them shrug t heir shoulders when losing started piling up, with the attitude that they’d start winning sometime in the vague, nebulous future. “You can’t win ’em all,” was the phrase they seemed to so easily embrace. When the Mets traded for Jeff Francouer , my first reaction was, “Now I have to root for that guy?” He was the last player I thought I would like, but he’s shown more intensity with a will to win than any other player on the team. We all know about his shortcomings at the plate and he’s probably not as good a fielder as his defensive reputation makes him out to be, but he’s the kind of complementary player the Mets need. If he’s batting sixth or seventh, fine. Not every player in the lineup can have a .400 OBP. He’s got that football player mentality that no one else on the roster possesses (well, except Johan Santana ). There’s no need to trade Carlos Beltran , David Wright or Jose Reyes , but they need a new breed of sidekicks in order for the Mets to change their ways on the field.

The Omar Minaya Mets don’t have any grit and toughness. No team is going to win with nine David Eckstein s or nine Jeff Francouers; you need more talent than that to be a successful team. But, no, grit and toughness don’t have to be “intangibles.” If you barrel over the catcher, instead of gently sliding around him, Mets-style (or not even sliding at all), and knock the ball out of his glove to score a run, that’s tangible. That shows up on the stat sheet. Francouer’s the only Met I could even imagine knocking over a catcher. If you block a base preventing an easy path for an opposing team’s base runner and tag him out, that’s tangible. If a fielder sacrifices his body to get in front of a hard-hit ball (Carlos Delgado could barely put in the effort to move his body at all to field a grounder, let alone get in front of a ball, and Wright’s come up with a bad case of the olés the past year) and record an out, that’s tangible. And just running out pop-ups and ground balls can do wonders for a team.

There are rumors the Mets are looking to trade Luis Castillo , with names like Orlando Hudson , Chone Figgins and Brandon Phillips popping up as possible replacements. Good. The Mets need to cut ties with guys like Castillo, and Delgado and Fernando Tatis as well. And their starting rotation is in a shambles. Would you trust Mike Pelfrey , John Maine and Oliver Perez to be three-fifths of your rotation? I can propose some cockamamie trades and signings, but like many Internet/blog proposals, they’d never happen and I’m not smart enough to come up with realistic trade proposals or think I can be a GM. So I’ll just say the Mets need to do more than add a couple of free agents. You can’t keep bringing the same players back and expect different results. Beltran recently stated that he wants to see Delgado back for another year. I surely wouldn’t expect him to publicly say that he doesn’t want the first baseman to return, but I don’t think the players realize the team has bigger problems than last year’s injuries.

The Mets are more than one free agent signing away from being a World Series contender. They need to reshuffle their roster, and import a different brand of player. The Mets look at themselves in the mirror and think all they have to do is comb their hair and straighten their tie and they’ll be all right, when, in fact, they’re not even wearing any pants. They need to stop looking to fix the past and instead find a plan and identity for the future.

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Does Citi Field Need Some Neon?

Michael Donato — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:09:14 -0500

Does anyone miss the neon figures on the outside of Shea?

They weren’t the prettiest or the classiest, but they gave the place a unique character that many Mets fans enjoyed. It’s cool that they incorporated the images into the carpets in the clubhouse, but I think a lot of what people miss about Shea is that uniqueness that right now is missing in many ways at Citi Field.

From Denver

Coors Field in Colorado features this on the side of the building. Ignore the awesome fact that it’s actually over a park entrance that’s also a brewery where Coors tests experimental brews, but it’s still something that I would love to see at Citi Field.

Maybe instead of this simple play at the plate, they could do something similar where the ball gets under a fielder’s glove (Buckner’s?) and it flashes “Mets Win!”

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New York Mets Should Bring Home Josh Thole and Lance Broadway From Venezuela

Wendy Adair — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:13:05 -0500

Several Mets players are participating in winter baseball this year, and Josh Thole and Lance Broadway are in Venezuela where there is incredible political unrest and fear of war with Colombia.

Johan Santana is from Venezuela, but does not want to participate in winter ball and Francisco Rodriguez is expected to begin play there in a few weeks.

Baseball related injuries are, to a certain extent, accepted during the games and workouts. However, putting players in a war torn country or hostile political environment for baseball activities is not acceptable .

Being in the midst of political and cultural warfare should not be a role of a visiting professional baseball player, regardless of their age and experience.

The reason these players participate in winter ball and other such tournaments is for development of existing or learning of new skills and for the love of the game.

Last March, the Mets sent a large contingent of their roster to participate in the World Baseball Classic, which was held in several different cities and venues.

Several players went to either Japan, Mexico, or Puerto Rico, and a few went to Toronto.

There was some reason for concern in Mexico, but the only Met to go there was Oliver Perez and that is his native homeland, so he was not in immediate danger.

However, being in a foreign country that is about to enter into a war with neighboring Colombia is unwise, and Thole and Broadway should return to the United States as soon as possible.

As Americans in a foreign land, they are conspicuous, and even though they may be shielded to a degree by baseball coaches and officials, the risk of their safety does not outweigh the benefits of their baseball growth.

Both players are having a good time and have been offered the chance to go back to the United States but they have declined and intend to stay there for the remainder of the schedule

The Mets will not insist that they return because they are adults who can judge for themselves, but as fans, we are and should continue to be concerned for their safety.

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If Luis Castillo Were to Go

Matt Clemente — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:33:19 -0500

As the hot stove begins to heat, like last off season the New York Mets are rumored to be shopping their starting second-basemen, Luis Castillo. Unlike last season, Castillo is not untradable. After an injury-plagued 2008, Castillo had a resurgent season in 2009, hitting .302 with a .387 OBP and 20 SB's. As the hot stove begins to heat, like last off season the New York Mets are rumored to be shopping their starting second-basemen, Luis Castillo. Unlike last season, Castillo is not untradable. After an injury-plagued 2008, Castillo had a resurgent season in 2009, hitting .302 with a .387 OBP and 20 SB's. To many Met fans, Castillo is their favorite whipping boy. They love to hate poor Luis. Just when he was beginning to win over hearts in Queens, he committed a devastating error. Infamously he dropped a routine pop up to cost the Amazin’s a victory against their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees. Personally, I am not a big Castillo-hater. He is a shell of his gold-glove base stealing-self, but he is a solid #2 hitter. He can take a strike and logs quality at bats, giving Jose Reyes enough time to steal a base. That being said, I think the Mets would be wise to move Mr. Castillo. The Mets should learn a lesson from Carlos Delgado’s rebound in 2008 and sell high. There are some very interesting options at second base on the market (as will be seen). If the Mets can line up a deal for one of these players, they should plug the trigger. Here are some alternative to Luis Castillo as the starting second baseman in 2010.

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The Best Third Basemen in New York Mets History

Joe Viola — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:28:03 -0500

The long awaited fourth installment of my All-Time Mets list will focus on third base. Third base has been fielded by some great players, borderline Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers. When looking at all the players who fielded third there have been many who were great fielders, batters and leaders for some very successful Met teams.

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2010 New York Mets Bullpen Breakdown: Brian Stokes

Phil Hoops — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:29:15 -0500

While the 2009 season as a whole was a lost cause for the New York Mets, it did hold some significance for certain players on the team.

One of those players was reliever Brian Stokes .

Last season, Stokes, 30, appeared in a career-high 69 games and pitched 70.1 innings, which were also the most in his four-year career.

All the while, the hard throwing right-hander was able to maintain a 3.97 ERA, which isn’t all that spectacular, but certainly is acceptable.

The main concern with Stokes was that he was inconsistent at times. During the start of the season, the young pitcher was lights out, as he did not allow an earned run throughout his first 12 innings pitched.

He continued his successful run well into the middle of May, where he accumulated an ERA of 0.52. Unfortunately, he took a couple steps back on May 24th against the Red Sox, in which he allowed five earned runs in only 1.1 innings.

From there, aside from similar meltdowns against both the New York Yankees in June and the Chicago Cubs in August, he pitched relatively well until the month of September.

September was by far Stokes’s worst month on the mound, as he was roughed up by the Rockies, Cubs and Nationals. In total, for the month, Stokes allowed 10 earned runs in 11 innings pitched, which equates to a nasty ERA of 8.18.

It seems as if September is not the month for Brian Stokes. Even in 2008, his ERA was nearly two runs higher in September than it was in August.

One reason behind this is that the pitcher may be tiring out. Nonetheless, when looking to build a contender, you need players that can step up their game for a playoff push.

I had read recently that Stokes could be under consideration to be the team’s setup man next season. Despite the fact that I am a fan of the pitcher, I do not think this role is appropriate for him.

Setup men generally are power pitchers who throw hard and strike out batters frequently. While Stokes may be a power pitcher, his strike out numbers could use improvement.

Last year, he had a 45:38 K/BB ratio, which is OK for an average reliever, but you would want more out of a setup man.

To me, Stokes is an average, to slightly above average, middle reliever. Keep in mind though, unlike other positions, a 30-year-old relief pitcher is still considered very young. Thus, there is a lot of time for improvement.

This season, Stokes made somewhere just north of $400K, which is hardly anything in terms of baseball money. He should be looking at a similar salary next season before he heads for his arbitration year following the 2010 season.

Final Verdict

The fact that Stokes is still young and has had success under the tutelage of pitching coach Dan Warthen, coupled with the fact that he earns a relatively low salary, makes Stokes an ideal choice to round out one of the final spots in next year’s bullpen.

As in the case of Sean Green , if Stokes struggles, the team can afford to let him go and replace him with someone else, without having to suffer a significant financial burden.

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Where Should Fantasy Owners Draft Johan Santana?

Eric Stashin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:14:44 -0500

Johan Santana had long been considered the best pitcher in baseball. From 2004-2008, there wasn’t a pitcher who could touch him, posting some remarkable numbers, especially when you consider that he called the AL home up until 2008:

Struck out 200 or more batters every season
Had a sub-3.00 ERA in four out of five seasons (the other year saw him at 3.33)
Posted three WHIPs of 1.00 and better (and the other two seasons saw him post marks of 1.07 and 1.15)
Won 15 games or more every season, including years of 19 and 20

How many pitchers can boast that type of consistent success?

His 2009 season looked to be off to a similar start, going 7-2 with a 1.77 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 11.73 K/9 over 66 innings (10 starts) over the season’s first two months. Then, the wheels seemed to fall off.

He struggled in June, posting a 6.19 ERA, before recovering in July (1.82) and August (3.94).

While the ERAs were still respectable, the strikeouts in those two months were down significantly (5.90) and while the WHIP was still good (1.15), he was allowing more base runners than he had been.

So, that leads us to ask, just what should we expect from Santana in 2010?

The injury that ended his season prematurely was to his elbow, an immediate red flag. Despite Santana’s claims that he would have been able to complete the season had the Mets been in contention, it still has to make you wonder.

The Mets and Santana can claim that he will be ready for Spring Training, but until he takes the mound and proves that he is the same pitcher that he used to be, there will be significant questions.

When it comes to fantasy owners, just how do you rank him? Clearly, he has been unearthed from the top spot (now belonging to Tim Lincecum).

In fact, in our early Top 35 Fantasy Starting Pitchers (click here to view), he came in at No. 6, behind Lincecum, Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez, Zack Greinke and CC Sabathia.

Many believe that drafting starting pitchers early is a mistake, feeling that you can find pitchers later. While that strategy is sound, I am not against taking someone early on if it makes sense.

If I am picking late in the second round and Tim Lincecum is sitting there, staring me in the face, I’m not going to be able to turn him down.

He’s a lights out starting pitcher, almost a guarantee to post a sub-3.00 ERA and 250 Ks in a season. That’s just not something that you will “find” in the later rounds.

When it comes to Santana, at this point, you just don’t know what you are going to get so to gamble on him in the early rounds is an extreme risk.

While he could return to his Cy Young ways, especially in the confines of CitiField, how do we know for sure that he is completely over his injury?

That’s not to say that I think he’s a bad risk, because he’s not. I truly believe that he’s going to regain his form and be a dominant starting pitcher, but in the first four and a half rounds on draft day, it is going to be extremely difficult to pull the trigger.

If he’s still sitting on the board at that point, however, it would really depend on how the first few rounds went to determine if I’d select him. It certainly would be a very realistic possibility.

How about you? Will you be targeting Santana on draft day? How high are you willing to take him?

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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Former Met, Edgardo Alfonzo is Keeping His Big League Dreams Alive

Jeremiah Graves — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:19:08 -0500

Baseball can be a great game, a dream come true, if you will.

However, baseball can also be a fickle game.

That sentiment rings especially true for Edgardo Alfonzo.

Alfonzo was once one of the top infielders in all of baseball, splitting his time between second and third base while playing for the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

From 1997-2004 , Alfonzo hit for an impressive line of .291/.371/.448 and averaged 17 home runs and 77 runs batted in per year.

After that impressive eight-year run, things went south in a hurry.

Injuries and rapidly diminishing skills snowballed on Alfonzo, eventually costing him playing time and his job in San Francisco.

He would catch on again in short stints with the Los Angeles Angels and the Toronto Blue Jays, but by the end of 2006, Alfonzo was out of the big leagues at just 32 years old.

It was a shame for someone as classy and good for the sport as Alfonzo to be prematurely exiled from the game he loved.

Alfonzo has been quoted as saying, "baseball is the one thing in my life that I know how to do.”

In keeping true to that statement, Alfonzo has done his damnedest to not give up on baseball, the way it has on him.

Since his last big league appearance with Toronto in 2006, Alfonzo has plied his trade in the Mexican League, the Venezuelan winter league, for the Long Island Ducks, and, most recently, playing in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants.

Now, more than three years removed from his last Major League at-bat, Alfonzo wants one more shot.

According to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post, Alfonzo is looking for a spring training invite from the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent back in 1991, the New York Mets.

"My dream is to retire with the Mets colors," Alfonzo said. "That's my dream. That's what I'm praying for, maybe it will happen, maybe not, but dreams sometimes come true, you know."

Alfonzo was beloved in his eight seasons with the Mets. He was a major contributor during the club’s deep playoff runs in 1999 and 2000, coming up with clutch hits and playing his usual stellar defense.

He was a selfless player who switched positions twice at the big league level to accommodate aging veterans, Robin Ventura and Roberto Alomar, respectively.

Alfonzo was a classy player who loved playing in New York so much that when he signed with San Francisco as a free agent following the 2002 season that he ran a full-page ad thanking the fans for embracing him during his time with the Mets.

Essentially, Alfonzo is exactly the type of player the Mets need in the clubhouse after last year’s disastrous campaign.

The club lacked a presence like Alfonzo last season, someone who has been there and done that and isn’t—well—Gary Sheffield.

Alfonzo has a .284/.357/.425 line and 1532 career hits in the majors.

Does that mean he deserves a spot with the Mets? Probably not.

He also hasn't had more than 87 at-bats in a season since 2005 and hasn’t shown himself to be anything more than a shell of the player he once was in nearly half a decade.

What it does mean is that the club—coming off a morale-killing 2009—would be wise to bring back Alfonzo, a local icon, if for no better reason than as a reminder of the last wave of Mets’ success.

Sure the odds are against Alfonzo making the club out of Spring Training, despite being three days younger than fellow New York favorite, Johnny Damon and just a year older than Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui, but his presence would be about more than just the game on the field.

New York is a town that embraces stars of any age, if they can contribute.

Alfonzo may be beyond the point where he can contribute on the field, but his knowledge, approach, and respect for the game could pay huge dividends off the field.

Inviting him to Spring Training seems like a no-brainer and keeping him around in some capacity, no matter the results in February, seems like it would also be a wise move.

Alfonzo, for his part, is doing everything he can to make the decision an easy one for New York.

He is heading back for another year of winter ball in Venezuela with the hopes of keeping the dream alive.

“I love the Mets and I love the Mets fans,” Alfonzo said. “I would like that dream to come true.”

Biased opinion be damned, I'm pulling for Alfonzo. He's one of the good ones and deserves to go out on his terms.

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My Thoughts On The 2010 New York Mets: Left Field

Nick Carlo — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:25:34 -0500

Left Field is arguably the Mets biggest need this off season. They have many holes to fill, but left field stands out the most. The Mets lacked power last year and that is something that they are looking for in their new left fielder.

The Mets are interested in not only one left fielder. The Mets are looking at multiple left fielders such as, Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Carl Crawford, and Mike Cameron. All of those players can greatly contribute to the team.

Holliday brings one of the best bats in all of baseball along with Jason Bay, and Crawford brings great speed, and let's not forget about Mike Cameron's fielding ability's and power. The Mets might not even have one of those players in left field on Opening Day.

They are looking all over the place for a left fielder and those are the player's who have the biggest chances to come to the Big Apple to play for the Mets. Three of the four are free agents this off season.

Holliday, Bay, and Cameron are all looking for a new contract, while Crawford will be acquired in a trade. I would be happy with either one of those players in left field for the Mets next season, but if I had to rule a player out it would be Jason Bay.

Bay has plenty of talent, but I just don't think that he would fit in with the Mets. The Mets used to have him in their farm system, but they traded him away to the Pirates. Although it would be great to see the two sides reunite, I just don't see it happening.

That leaves three candidates. The Mets' farm system isn't the best, and I would call it average. They have a handful of solid players that they could trade, but that would leave the Mets with close to no big prospects. The Mets need to stick to free agency.

They just don't have enough prospects to give away to other teams, but they do have enough money to spend on free agents. Fans would love to see, Mike Cameron reunite with the Mets, but I think they would rather the Mets sign Matt Holliday.

Cameron is one of the best fielders in the game, and he would add to the Mets already great defensive outfield. He has above average power, but his contact isn't what the Mets are looking for.

I think the Mets have to pony up and spend some money on Matt Holliday. Holliday is one of the best hitters in game. He hit's for a high average and plenty of home runs. Holliday would make the Mets' lineup so much stronger.

His only weakness is his defense, but Beltran can help him out by tracking down some balls in mid-left. So, his defense shouldn't be a problem for the Mets. He made that crucial error in the NLDS this postseason that might have cost the Cardinals a trip to the NLCS and possibly the World Series. But, if the Cardinals didn't have Holliday then they might have not even been in the playoffs in the first place.

The Mets have plenty of holes and signing Holliday won't mean that the Mets are ready for 2010, but it would certainly help them out. Holliday would make the Mets' lineup a whole lot scarier to opposing pitchers. Holliday is the right choice for the Mets in left field.

They will have to spend a good amount of money on him, but in the end, I think he will be totally worth every dime and penny he earns. You can't put a price on a player of his caliber, if it means helping the Mets get back to the playoffs.

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Dear Mets' Front Office, This Is What The Mets Opening Day Lineup Should Be

Steven Merriam — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:19:34 -0500

The 2009 Mets season was caertainly a season Mets fans around the country would like to forget. Near the begining of the season a lot was expected of the Mets, Sports Illustrated even predicted them to be the World Series Champs. This season went down the drain when the Mets suffered the losses of key players Carlos Beltran, John Maine, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and many more. The Mets had to play guys like Nelson Figueroa and Wilson Valdez in their absences. Mets fans would just like to put this season behind us and see what Omar can do for the team this offseason. So I decided to make my hopefull Opening Day Starting-Line Up for the Mets next season.

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Memo To Omar: Invest On Big Names

Leslie Monteiro — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:34:45 -0500

Reports circulated that Mets general manager Omar Minaya is hesitant to spend the money on the stars of the 2010 free agent class. His approach is to build around the team with lower-level free agents.

Typically, Minaya loves to target the big names and do whatever it takes to get their signature on the dotted line of the contract, and that approach worked out well for him, but with the team playing awful these last two years, he realized it was time to change the way he does business.

This is the wrong time for him to do that especially in light of the Yankees winning a World Series championship last week. After how this season turned sour for the Mets, they need to spend the money to get the best players in this uninspiring free agent market.

It worked for the Yankees this past season.

The Mets feature a roster that has many weaknesses along with an abysmal farm system so it's imperative for them to spend.

As a big-market team, the Mets benefit from overcoming past mistakes by displaying an unlimited amount of financial resources so they have an advantage over the teams in their division even with Bernie Madoff stealing money from Fred Wilpon.

The Metropolitans must target three guys that can be difference makers in 2010.

Jason Bay fits what they need when they look for an outfielder. He hits for power and doubles, and he plays well defensively.

He knows what he is doing. He played in Boston so playing in New York won't be a problem based on his experience of playing in a pressure cooker.

No one can say that about Matt Holliday. Holliday would be a poor fit since Citi Field would be tough for him or any good hitter to hit with the park being devoted to defense and pitching.

He is not worth the money that Mark Teixeira received from the Yankees last year especially with him being on the downside of his career. He peaked during his heyday in Colorado, and odds are he won't match those numbers again after performing decently this past season with the Athletics and the Cardinals.

The Mets need to fix the starting rotation. For them to do it, they should go after John Lackey and Brett Myers so that they can complement Johan Santana.

By signing those two, Mike Pelfrey can develop as the fourth starter rather than being the second starter. The Mets forced Pelfrey to take on the role of the second starter when he never pitched like one in his career.

Once they nab Bay, Lackey and Myers, they can sign those complementary players to build around the team, and based on recent history, those guys will likely get their contracts a month before spring training so there is no need to sign them before signing the crown jewels.

Forget about Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays are not going to accept garbage for an ace unlike the Twins so stop with the fascination of him wearing a Met uniform.

This goes for any other player that the Mets like to get in a trade.

After the Mets finish their player transactions, they should pay up for a new manager by hiring Bobby Valentine. He would be an improvement over Jerry Manuel. Valentine would demand accountability out of his team, which is something Manuel can't say.

This division is there for the taking. The Phillies will likely deal with the hangover of not winning a championship while the Marlins are a young team that doesn't know what it takes to be a playoff team. The Braves are not what they used to be, and the Nationals are the Nationals.

Now is not the time to act like a small-market team.

The Amazins need to seize the opportunity.

Minaya's job can be saved by doing those things so he would be a fool not to do it.

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New York Mets: An Outside The Box Offseason Plan

Richard Resch — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:45:37 -0500

With recent talk that the Mets may not be spending on a top tier free agent, many Mets fans have begun speculating which second tier free agents or trade targets may be a fit. With this in mind, I have come up with a four-part off-season plan that would make fantasy baseball players, as well as Jerome-From-Manhattan-type WFAN callers proud. I don't know what Minaya's budget is going to be (and honestly, neither do you), but with contracts like Delgado ($12 mil) and Putz ($5 mil, $1 mil buy out) coming off the books, let's set the bar at $35 mil.

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