Free Agent Market: Position Players

The Mets will be looking at the free-agent market, for both position players and pitchers. No doubt there will be a trade or two as well.

We can all agree that this is the way things stand for 2008 (if not, let me know in the comments):

C – ?
1B – Carlos Delgado
2B – ?
SS – Jose Reyes
3B – David Wright
LF – Moises Alou (most likely)
CF – Carlos Beltran
RF – Lastings Milledge ?
Bench – Endy Chavez, Carlos Gomez, Ruben Gotay, the rest question marks

We don’t know if the Mets will bring back Paul LoDuca and Luis Castillo. We also don’t know for sure if they’ll re-sign Ramon Castro, Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson, Jose Valentin, David Newhan, Mike DiFelice, Sandy Alomar, or Shawn Green. Jeff Conine is supposedly retiring; Green and Alomar may do the same. The health issues of Castro, Easley, and Valentin make them question marks. Newhan never found a role. We’ll pray Omar isn’t dumb enough to let SuperMarlon leave again. All of these Mets will be addressed in a future post. For now, let’s take a look at the potential free agents, in regard to the question marks above.

Catcher

We went over this the other day; Paul LoDuca looks to be the best free-agent option — and in my mind, that includes Pudge Rodriguez. Next best after Pudge is probably Jason Kendall. Then Michael Barrett — though I’d rather have Castro back than Barrett. Some people like Yorvit Torrealba, but I don’t see him as a starter for a Championship team.

The Mets might make a deal for Ramon Hernandez of the Orioles, who have J.R. House waiting in the wings. Unfortunately, his forte is offense (his defense is only passable), and he hit only .258 with 9 HRs last year. We’d be better off bringing back Mike Piazza … or giving a flyer to Javy Lopez and hoping he can make a miraculous comeback.

Second Base

Luis Castillo is the best free-agent second baseman available, and Omar Minaya said at the time of the deadline deal that Castillo would be pursued over the winter. We know he can play, we don’t know for how long on those knees. He’s supposedly getting them “cleaned out” this winter.

Others on the market include Mark Loretta, Tadahito Iguchi, Kaz Matsui, and you might throw in there shortstop David Eckstein. Slim pickins’. My guess is that the Mets either re-sign Castillo, or make a blockbuster deal for a big bat. Jeff Kent is likely available, but doubtful he’d return based on his first tour. Omar could get creative, and pull off something crazy depending on what Alex Rodriguez does. But don’t count on it — expect to see Castillo.

And no, I sincerely doubt the Mets will be satisfied going into 2008 with Ruben Gotay at the keystone. I’d be OK with it, but it’s clear that Willie and Omar and the rest of management doesn’t think as highly of Gotay as we do here at MetsToday.

Outfield

Two issues here, in the corners. We’re going to presume that Alou returns, but will Endy and Gomez be enough insurance behind him? It might be nice to get another righthanded bat; having Jeff Conine around to play both the outfield and infield corners and come off the bench to pinch-hit was a nice luxury.

And then there’s Lastings Milledge. Are the Mets ready to hand him the rightfield job? Will they trade him now, while his value is still fairly high, for an arm?

Personally, I’d be very happy to see Shawn Green return — though not at the $10M option of course. The Mets will decline that option, but he might be willing to come back at a reduced salary — say, $3.5M — to be a role player. He’d be good insurance behind LMillz, Alou, and Delgado, and a good bat off the bench. But assuming Marlon Anderson is retained, Green probably will be looking elsewhere for employment.

That said, the Mets should be looking for a good righthanded bat — preferably one to play the corner outfield spots as well as first base. Maybe they’ll consider signing a starting corner outfielder too, with the idea of moving Milledge.

The top candidates:

Brady Clark, Jeff DaVanon, Shannon Stewart, Preston Wilson, Reggie Sanders, Jose Guillen, Sammy Sosa, Craig Wilson.

Yikes! Not much to choose from — and these are the better ones available! Guillen has an option for ’08, so he might be crossed off — assuming anyone cares. Sanders is there because he’s a good luck charm. Sosa … let’s hope not. Wilson was a bust with Atlanta; he might be a PED suspect considering his quick downfall. Some readers here keep mentioning Stewart, and though I’m not impressed with him, he looks to be the best outfielder available who fits the Mets’ needs.

I also like Darin Erstad, but like Green his lefthanded bat wouldn’t be needed with Endy aboard and presumably Marlon Anderson. But if Anderson is not retained, he, Eric Hinske, Travis Lee, Rob Mackowiak, or Ryan Klesko might be a nice fit (there are plenty of lefty hitters available, but strangely, few quality RH bats).

Bench

The best lefty bats available are the ones mentioned in the outfield section — but we’re going to hope the Mets bring back Marlon. As for the rest of the bench, the Mets definitely need a catcher, possibly a “supersub”, maybe another bat. My guess is they’ll try to bring back one or more of Castro, DiFelice, Valentin, Easley, and Newhan. The alternatives simply aren’t much more inspiring.

Among my favorites who haven’t yet been mentioned: Robert Fick (who can catch, play first and OF, and has a stick), Tony Graffanino, Luis Gonzalez, Mark Bellhorn (who strikes out too much), Scott Hatteberg (yet another lefty bat).

Like the relief pitching, quality free-agent position players — the ones who fit the Mets’ needs, anyway — are few and far between. My guess is that Omar will take that into consideration when choosing which current Mets to bring back.

Next up: the free agent market in regard to starting pitchers. And it ain’t getting any better.

How A-Rod Can Affect the Mets

It’s premature to start thinking about the offseason intentions of Alex Rodriguez — from what I understand, the postseason is still happening (when the Mets stop playing, I stop watching). However, it’s fun to dream up “what ifs”.

Presuming A-Rod opts out of his Yankee contract and goes on the free market, there will be a handful of bidders who can afford him. My non-educated guesses:

• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox
• New York Yankees
• Chicago Cubs
• Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim, San Jose, Napa Valley, the West Coast in General and the United States

There are probably other teams out there with more cash than we know (San Francisco Giants?), but let’s leave the list as is. What, no Mets? Then why are we wasting our time thinking about A-Rod?

Here’s my thought: a team may need to shed a big salary in order to take on the $35M+ commitment that Alex Rodriguez (and Scott Boras) will demand. There aren’t many other teams with deep enough pockets to take on a big salary, who won’t already be in on the bidding. The Mets likely won’t be bidding, but do have bucks — particularly if Tom Glavine, Paul LoDuca, and several other free-agents come off the books.

That said, some possible scenarios:

Orioles

O’s owner Peter Angelos loves to throw money at big-name free agents, and A-Rod is the cream of all crops. But Miguel Tejada is already at shortstop, already making a bundle, and has been something of a malcontent lately. IF Tejada were willing to move to second base, then either Angelos could send him (and the $25M owed on his contract) to the Mets for pitching and outfield prospects. If Tejada is willing to move to 2B and Angelos decides to keep him, then the O’s need to move Brian Roberts. The Orioles also have a logjam at catcher, with Ramon Hernandez — a guy the Mets coveted two years ago — and up-and-coming J.R. House. Who knows, if Angelos is willing to go on one of his wild, illogical spending sprees, he might be willing to take on the rest of Carlos Delgado’s contract as well. A-Rod or no A-Rod, the Mets and Orioles could be trade partners this winter.

Red Sox

The Bosox originally traded for A-Rod — sending Manny away — until the MLBPA stepped in. My thinking is that they’ll pounce on a second chance to steal Rodriguez away from the Evil Empire — at any cost. They could keep him at third base and let MVP candidate Mike Lowell walk, or keep Lowell and install A-Rod at shortstop — then deal Julio Lugo to the Mets, where he can take over at second base. However, Theo Epstein might have to shed some salary to make room for Rodriguez on the payroll — and send Manny Ramirez Sheaward as well. Manny has one year at $20M left on his deal, plus team options for ’09 and ’10.

It’s a longshot, but the logistics make sense for all involved. The Red Sox have wanted to rid themselves of Manny for years, but couldn’t replace his bat — they can with A-Rod. Having A-Rod means they can justify sending away Manny, which clears a big chunk of payroll in ’08 and removes them from the painful decision of the option years. In addition, one would assume they’d get a up-and-coming outfielder in return — Lastings Milledge? — as well as another useful part.

From the Mets point of view, they get one of the best hitters in MLB as a one-year rental with the option of keeping him around if he behaves (and performs). It would be a gamble, for sure — on many fronts — but Omar Minaya likes to make big splashes. If the Mets can get a second baseman of Lugo’s caliber in the deal as well, even better. There’s no question the Mets are playing for a World Championship in ’08, and pulling the trigger on a Manny deal would be a serious statement toward that goal.

Angels

I don’t see a deal with these guys — nothing matches up. Though, if they wanted to “dump” Vladimir Guerrero and his contract on the Mets, I’m sure Omar would listen.

Yankees

Ain’t gonna happen. With Clemens and Abreu off the books, plus Giambi, Pettitte, Pavano, and Mussina (among others) coming off after ’08, the Yanks have a windfall of cash — enough to afford TWO A-Rods.

Cubs

A real longshot, but you’d have to think that the Cubs would need to dump salary to fit A-Rod into the plans. Would they deal Alfonso Soriano, so early in his contract? Derrek Lee has almost $40M left on his deal, which goes through 2010 — though there is a no-trade clause. Probably nothing brewing here.

Conclusion

Again, this is all very premature … for all we know, the Yankees will re-negotiate an extension on A-Rod’s contract before he tests the waters. This was more for fun, and to spark some debate. What do you think? Are there other teams that I may have missed, that could match up with the Mets in a similar scenario? Do you think the Mets will be affected at all by what Rodriguez decides? Will the METS be a bidder? Post your thoughts.

Free Agent Relief: Thin Market

It’s no grand discovery that the 2007 Mets bullpen sprung some leaks. We’ve gone over it here (and here) and it’s been beaten to death by every pundit, sportswriter, and blogger covering the Mets.

Obviously, the Mets will take steps this winter to shore up the bullpen. Presumably, they’d start by checking out the free-agents available. Unfortunately, it won’t take long to peruse — it’s a thin market.

I’ve gone over the potential free agent list a dozen times, thinking maybe I missed something. But every time I look, I see the same so-so names.

Closers

I could be wrong, but I simply don’t see the Mets shelling out closer money for an 8th-inning guy. And if I’m wrong, I also don’t see a potential closer taking a setup role. But, I’ve been wrong before, so here are the closers who could potentially be on the market (in no particular order):

• Eric Gange
• Mariano Rivera
• Joe Nathan
• Armando Benitez
• Jason Isringhausen
• Todd Jones
• Bob Wickman
• Joe Borowski
• Octavio Dotel (doh-TEEL, if Rickey returns)
• Francisco Cordero
• Al Reyes

Mo’s not coming, forget it. There’s a better chance of Benitez returning than Izzy, so forget that idea as well. The Twins have an option on Nathan, so cross him off too. Todd Jones is turning into Bob Wickman, and Wickman was a free bird who the Mets passed on. Gagne and Dotel are both health questions, and Gagne has flopped in the setup role for Boston. Regardless, I like Dotel, but he has the option to return to the Braves. Cordero is going to get serious closer money from someone, to be a closer. I love Joe Borowski — used to catch for him in the offseasons — but that doesn’t cloud my opinion that he is Bayonne’s version of Bob Wickman. And he’ll probably find a team who wants him to close (in addition, the Indians have an option for ’08 which they may exercise). Al Reyes? Please. Like Borowski, he’s 37 and “closer” to 40 than being a reliable setup man. Plus, Tampa Bay has an option on Reyes for next year. It’s possible Mo, Gagne, and the ‘cisco kid will be the only legit closers on the market — which can’t hurt their contract demands.

Setup Relievers

• Scott Linebrink
• Joel Pineiro
• Antonio Alfonseca
• Shawn Chacon
• Scott Eyre
• Jeremey Affeldt
• Doug Brocail
• LaTroy Hawkins
• Matt Herges
• Jorge Julio
• Roberto Hernandez
• Byung-Hyun Kim
• David Riske
• Rudy Seanez
• Tanyon Sturtze
• Russ Springer
• Julian Tavarez
• Luis Vizcaino
• Mike Timlin
• Scott Williamson
• Jay Witasick
• Troy Percival
• Kerry Wood

Riske, Tavarez, Pineiro, and Hawkins have options for ’08, so they might not be available. Linebrink is the best of the bunch, and isn’t nearly the pitcher he was two years ago — yet he’ll get paid for his past performance and not his more recent struggles. If Timlin doesn’t retire I’d think he’ll return to Boston. Likewise, I can’t see Wood not re-signing with Chicago — and if not, his health makes him a big question mark. Sturtze would have been a great pickup if Joe Torre hadn’t gotten to him first; he spent the entire year on the DL after rotator cuff surgery (the Braves picked up the tab). Vizcaino is a nice pitcher, but … oh, there’s that Torre again — I’ll pass, since anyone leaving the Yankee pen is an injury waiting to happen.

Affeldt has been on the Mets’ radar for seemingly forever (the Royals once demanded Jose Reyes or David Wright for him). But that was back when he threw in the mid-90s; he barely cracks 88 these days — he’s basically a younger, taller version of Scott Schoeneweis. Chacon might be worth a look — but I doubt he’ll be a bargain based on the tiny bit of success he enjoyed a few years ago. Witasick’s ERA was 5.17 this past year, yet he looks better than Alfonseca, dontcha think? Lots of people like Scott Williamson, perhaps remembering the 1999-2002 version. The 2007 model — like most years since the good ‘ol days — was injury riddled; he appeared in 14 games for the Orioles. That brings us to the return of Jorge Julio. Hey, why not?

LOOGYs

• J.C. Romero
• Eddie Guardado
• Aaron Fultz
• Joey Eischen
• Mike Myers
• Ron Villone
• Ron Mahay
• Ray King
• Trever Miller
• Joe Kennedy

A lot of LOOGYs this winter, eh? If MLB decides to expand the roster to 30 men, it might be worth signing a few of them. By the way, Fultz, Guardado, and Myers have options for ’08 — not that it matters.

The above three groups were the best names I found on the free-agent list, but you are welcome to go through it yourself and let me know who I missed. I purposely omitted such future HOFers as Mike DeJean, Ricardo Rincon, Scott Sauerback, Dan Kolb, and several others for what should be obvious reasons. Also left off my personal favorite, Scott Strickland, because he was available all season long and the Mets weren’t interested.

Unless I missed someone, there isn’t a whole lot to excited about. Outside of the closers, the only arms I’d have taken for this year would have been Linebrink, Eyre, Vizcaino, Wood, Dotel, Pineiro (who could have been picked up for a song), and Romero (see: Pineiro). As for the rest, I’d have preferred to take my chances with, say, Steve Schmoll or Carlos Muniz.

Again, there are a few decent names — Linebrink, Vizcaino, Dotel jump out — but because of the lack of quality their prices will be sky high (that means committed years in addition to cash). Taking a look at the starting pitchers with the idea of finding a potential conversion, and there is nothing (Bruce Chen? Tony Armas? yuck).

Either the Mets are going to have to pony up SERIOUS dough for one of the closers, overpay for one of the top-top setup guys, or pick a name out of a hat and hope he turns out to be another Chad Bradford-type renaissance man. A trade is almost out of the question — anyone worth trading for, would have to be pried away with an overvalued package.

Bottom line? Omar has his work cut out for him in trying to patch up the bullpen.

Glavine Interview

If you missed yesterday’s interview of Tom Glavine on the Fatso and Rabid Dog show, you can listen to the replay on the WFAN website.

Very few softball questions, they put him on the hot seat re: Game 162, the collapse, his future, etc., and to his credit Glavine answered them all. Worth a listen.

Glavine Hem-Haw Part Two

We were too quick to jump the gun on the Tom Glavine situation.

Although we were correct in believing that he’d decline the $13M option to pitch for the Mets next season, apparently he’s still undecided about what he’ll be doing in 2008.

According to the Mets.com website:

“No one who’s been around me all season could be surprised,” Glavine said, “because I’ve said all along that I had no idea what I was going to do and that I’d need time to think it over. Five days was never going to be enough time.

“And after what happened Sunday, I’m sure I need more time.”

Glavine said that his decisions — whether to pitch, and whether to pitch for the Mets — probably would come at about the same time he decided last year to return to the Mets, in late November or early December, but no earlier than the end of this month.

“I don’t know. There’s a lot of things to consider,” he said.

Glavine is also unsure if returning to the Braves is a possibility. Atlanta made no effort to re-sign him last winter and apparently still has fiscal restraints despite freeing Andruw Jones and thus making significant money available to spend in other areas.

Glavine said that the Mets want him to return.

“I’ve spoken to Jeff twice and [GM] Omar [Minaya] once,” he said. “I didn’t get the impression they didn’t want me back.”

Personally, I’d be very surprised if he pitched in 2008 as a Met. My hunch is he’ll be a Brave, and pitching, next season.

Hopefully, Omar Minaya and co. will move forward with the idea that Glavine is NOT part of the Mets’ 2008 plans. While he can probably be counted on to make 30+ starts, and throw 200+ innings, he likely won’t be top-three starter material. Best to plan without him, and then if by some stroke of fortune he chooses to pitch in New York next year, he can be the fifth starter. But the Mets can’t do what they did last winter — simply wait around sitting on their hands waiting for Glavine to decide whether he’d come back.

Rethinking LoDuca

There were at least three more articles ready to go concerning the collapse of the Mets, but at this point who cares? It’s over. The subject has been saturated. Time to move on, and start looking ahead to 2008.

Let’s begin with Paul LoDuca.

When the Mets refused to discuss an extension with LoDuca in the spring, it was a red flag that the 2007 season might be his last as a Met. And while his spirited play was a breath of fresh air on an occasionally lifeless squad, his defense took another step backward and his offensive production dropped considerably compared to 2006.

[TABLE=26]

The RBI were up, but that was more a function of his being in the bottom half of the batting order, rather than in the #2 spot that he called home for most of 2006. Still, it was nice to see that production at the bottom of the order. And though nearly doubling his homerun output, it came at the expense of 21 less doubles. Bottom line was, he didn’t get the bat on the ball nearly as often in 2007 as he did in 2006 — and for a guy that doesn’t walk, that is a major problem when trying to get on base and score runs (i.e., start rallies).

Looking at LoDuca in a vacuum, it’s easy to say “let him test the free-agent waters, we’ll get someone else in here.” However, the pickings are slim; in fact, LoDuca may very well be the best value available on the market.

Herewith the list of potential free-agent catchers:

• Jorge Posada
• Ivan Rodriguez
• Brad Ausmus
• Jason Kendall
• Mike Piazza
• Damian Miller
• Michael Barrett
• Kelly Stinnett
• Yorvit Torrealba
• Josh Paul
• Doug Mirabelli
• Mike Lieberthal
• Robert Fick
• Rod Barajas
• Paul Bako
• Jason Larue
• Todd Greene
• Chad Moeller

That’s it folks. And the Tigers may or may not be picking up Pudge Rodriguez’s option — something the Mets will be watching closely, we presume. I don’t see Posada crossing town, and I don’t see Piazza returning. Barrett was a guy I once thought might be OK, but he can’t hit and he can’t catch and Lou Piniella says he can’t call a game either (he does have a good left hook, though). Ausmus will either re-sign with Houston or go back to San Diego (it’s simply what he does, for whatever reason). Lieberthal’s days as a regular are over. There’s been some talk about Torrealba, but he looks to me like a Paul LoDuca who strikes out twice as often. Who’s left, realistically? Rod Barajas? Jason Larue? I’m thinking … no.

Before you get on the “Ramon Castro should start” kick, here’s some news: Castro is a free-agent as well. And coming off back problems. Further, though you may not care, both Mike DiFelice and Sandy Alomar, Jr., are free birds as well. So in all likelihood, the Mets’ 40-man roster in November will be devoid of catchers. (Damn the Nats for rule-5-drafting Jesus Flores!)

Castro’s not a lock to return, despite his homerun heroics in limited duty. The Mets are concerned with his back, and may not be willing to pay the money he could get from another team — such as, an AL team that could use him as a backup catcher and DH. There is no one outside of 17-year-old Francisco Pena in the minors. There’s a very real possibility that the Mets will have to find a starting and backup catcher from outside the organization.

But unless a trade (or two) can be made, it may make the most sense to bring back LoDuca. The fans love his spirit, the team can use his leadership, and his numbers aren’t that bad compared to what’s available on the market. He’s proven that he can handle the New York media, and the various pressures that go with playing in the big city. The pitchers like pitching to him, and he handles the staff well. He’s a team player, and though he whines once in a while, he’s hardly a distraction. One must wonder who will take the pressure off David Wright — as far as speaking to the media — once LoDuca and Glavine are gone. That duty can’t be measured, nor ignored. It’s not like one of the Carloses will suddenly become the Mets’ spokesperson.

Outside of free agency, I’m not sure there are any good fits worth trading for. Ramon Hernandez? Maybe. Contrary to reports, I don’t believe Victor Martinez can be pried away from the Indians — and if he is, the price is sure to be hefty. There’s been talk about Ronny Paulino of the Pirates, as well as Miguel Olivo of the Marlins, but I’m not sure either of them is an improvement over LoDuca. Gerald Laird is available now that Texas has Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but do you really think Laird is the answer? In New York? Maybe on the 1981 Mets, but not the 2008 version. Johnny Estrada is a possibility, but again, isn’t he essentially LoDuca? Why give up personnel for a guy when you can sign someone similar and give up nothing?

If there were a backstop out there who we could definitely say is a good fit, and could improve on LoDuca’s production, then fine — let Paulie go. But that doesn’t appear to be the case. Barring a blockbuster deal, or an infatuation with Pudge Rodriguez, the odds of Paul LoDuca returning may be better than we originally thought.

Response: Top-Step Celebrations

Over at MetsBlog, Matt Cerrone posts his opinion on the Top-Step Celebrations.

While I respect Matt immensely, his comparison of the 2007 Mets “exuberance” to the 1986 Mets “cockiness” couldn’t more off-base.

Yes, the ‘86 Mets were cocky, and colorful, but I don’t remember any dancing at home plate.

What I DO remember were a bunch of guys who played all-out, hard-nosed, tenacious baseball. Their competitive fire, will to win, and confidence were the energy behind their “flamboyance.”

In contrast, the energy behind the ‘07 Mets “exuberance” comes from what? The selfish need to showboat? Narcissism? Unexpended effort? Empty braggadocio guarding against the fear of failure?

Enthusiasm is great. Over-the-top, flagrant displays of emotion in the middle of a game is a symptom of a lack of self-control. As was pointed out by another MetsBlog reader, the dancing around at home plate after a homerun is akin to ” … guys in the NFL who do their asinine sack dances when their team is losing by 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter. Like Jim Brown used to say: ‘act like you’ve been there before’.”

Matt Cerrone finished his post with:

… i actually believe this argument is not really about the Mets anyways…instead, i suspect it is a proxy fight between fans who are ‘old school,’ i.e., people who like the quaint pre-ESPN game from yesteryear – you know, like with Reggie Jackson and Rickey Henderson – against those who are ‘new school,’ i.e., fans, like me, who like a bit of flash and fun with their baseball…

He’s on to something here. I’m definitely of the “old school” variety, and have a hard time with all the flamboyance from these young whipper-snappers. However, I’m not understanding how his examples of the two biggest hot dogs of the 1970s and 1980s — Reggie Jackson and Rickey Henderson — fit into the argument. But as long as he brought up Reggie, I’ll have to say that Jackson’s bravado was probably the beginning of what’s become a rampant epidemic in all the major sports. First came Jackson admiring homeruns, simultaneously with his NFL counterpart Billy “White Shoes” Johnson doing touchdown dances. Soon after, nearly everyone in the NFL had their own touchdown spike or dance (remember the “Smurfs”?). Around the same time, the NBA built its entire image on singular hot dogging — using the slam dunk contest as a springboard (pardon the pun). Through the years we saw the emergence of trash talkers, “Neon Deion”, sack dances, slow homerun trots, and myriad other self-important spectacles. Cerrone calls it ” … a bit of flash and fun … ” but I call it selfish, ‘look at me’, self-centeredness that does little other than expose a person’s repressed fear, self-doubt, and starvation for attention.

Let’s get one thing straight: I LOVE to see Jose Reyes smiling, laughing, and enjoying the game. I love his enthusiasm on the field. But there’s a point where the excitement can be tempered — and controlled.

Players who get too high tend to get too low. The extremes may work in football, but not over a 162-game baseball season. Case in point: the Jose Reyes emotional rollercoaster was a fantastic ride in April, but not much fun in September. Don’t you think there could be some connection between his abysmal performance down the stretch and his emotional immaturity?

I’m not saying that Jose’s overindulgence in homerun celebrations was the reason the Mets lost 76 games this year — that’s a myopic and incorrect analysis. However, his occasional over-excitement — and the Mets’ tolerance of it — is both a symptom of Reyes’ emotional imbalance and a first step toward Willie Randolph losing complete control of the team (if Jose can do it, then Lastings can do it; if those two can do it, then … etc.). With proper guidance, I believe Reyes can learn when too much is too much, and also learn to be more levelheaded emotionally. He doesn’t (and shouldn’t) have to be the boring, workmanlike drone that Randolph was during his 18-year MLB career, but he can benefit by not getting SO high and later dropping SO low.

Or the Mets can live and die riding the Reyes rollercoaster — hoping the highs outnumber the lows over the course of a season. Assuming, of course, that we buy into the idea that “as Reyes goes, so go the Mets”.

Lastings’ Disappointment

Nearly lost in the sea of post-mortem articles covering the collapse was this Daily News article, headlined,

“Lastings Milledge Expresses Disappointment Over Collapse”

My response, to quote the great Miles Davis: “So What?”

From the article, we find out that Lastings Milledge is — not surprisingly, based on the headline — disappointed that the Mets didn’t make it into the postseason. Here’s a quote:

“As a team, we’re disappointed a little bit,” Milledge said Sunday after the Mets’ season ended.”

First of all, I had no idea Milledge was a spokesman for the team. Though I suppose the morgue-like clubhouse didn’t house many yappers after the atrocious game 162.

Secondly, that was the last sentence that did not include the pronoun “I”.

At MetsToday, we’ve been hard on Lastings … and received quite a bit of flak for it. However, it’s not ending anytime soon. His “improvement” in behavior in 2007 was a step in the right direction, but hardly the leap that was necessary for a “future star” playing under the heat of the New York limelight. Yeah, yeah, he has the right to produce rap albums and sing misogynistic lyrics on them as well. He’s misunderstood, representative of the youth of America. I get it. His outbursts on the field — the taunting of opponents, the dancing, the mouthing off with umpires, and the temper tantrums are products of his “enthusiasm” and “exuberance”. Yeah, I get that too. His sometimes abrasive cockiness is the “mark of a confident ballplayer”. Believe it or not, I get that as well. I also get the fact that he has immense skills — specifically, lightning hands that drive the bat through the zone and swat fierce line drives.

And with that complete package (or is it “baggage”?) that is Lastings, we get: a .272 batting average, 7 HRs, 29 RBI, in 59 games and 184 at-bats. Over a 150-game, 600-AB season, that translates to around 23 dingers, 90 RBI, and the same .272 average. Not bad. The RBI look good. It’s better production than Shawn Green. Are the numbers worth the complete “package”?

There are some who believe Milledge will one day approach the production of Gary Sheffield, who has similarly quick hands in the batter’s box. The quick hands, of course, are not the only parallel drawn between the two.

However, there’s one thing about Sheffield that Milledge has yet to show: hustle over a 162-game season. Milledge hustles all right — when it suits him. Such as, when he’s trying to make the team out of spring training. Or trying to stretch a double into a triple. Or looking to score from second on a hard-hit single. Most of the time, he hustles. Unfortunately, not all of the time.

Add “lazy” and “unfocused” to the list of complaints against Milledge — be they fair or not. He’s been caught — on camera — jogging down to first on easy ground balls. Taking his time in getting to balls hit over his head. Standing on second base because he didn’t know there were two outs. Jawing at umpires over balls and strikes, and then swinging at balls over his head. Missing the cutoff man.

Cut him some slack, the apologists cry. He’s just a kid.

So was Carl Everett. And Milton Bradley. And Sheffield, for that matter.

Next year, Lastings Milledge turns 23 years old. Though it will be his third year in a Major League uniform, in many ways he’s still a “baby”. Will we continue to treat him like one? Will we continue to look the other way when he makes a mistake? Will we glaze over the immature actions, and accept them as the cost of doing business with a man-child who can blast the ball over the fence? If so, at what point — or what age — do we begin to make him responsible for his actions, and ask him to respect both the game and his opponents? At what age does a selfish youth become a veteran malcontent?

We let the immaturity of Jose Reyes slide by when he was 23 — and upon turning 24, it’s not so cute anymore. Yes, Jose’s issues were very different from Lastings’ but nonetheless they were there, and they were excused as the innocence of youth. Now they’re being examined as possible flaws.

The head of Mets management — Omar Minaya — is confident that the immaturity of Milledge, Reyes, and other youngsters on the Mets will work itself out. They’ll mature as they age, simply by hanging around as time passes — like a bottle of fine wine. If that’s the case, I hope these kids are bottles of Grand Cru Burgundy, rather than Gallo Hearty Burgundy.

Glavine Likely to Bail

Well, at least we now know why Tom Glavine wasn’t nearly as broken up as the rest of us after singlehandedly eliminating the Mets’ last chance at the postseason.

Tommy wasn’t “devastated” because, it appears, he can’t get out of town fast enough. Most likely, it didn’t help that some of his teammates seemed indifferent about winning and losing back in June (that one postgame interview with Tommy, when he pitched well but suffered a tough loss, and in the background players were joking and laughing, couldn’t have sat well).

From an article entitled “Glavine Most Likely Done with Mets” on SI.com :

“I know if I decide to become a full-fledged free agent, I’d have a lot of interest from a lot of teams…Atlanta is home. The hardest thing for me in New York is playing and being away from home. I’ve played in New York for five years now. If you break it down, I’ve been away from my home for four years now. I’m at the point where my wife and kids are making sacrifices for me.”

“I have five days at the end of our season to accept or decline [the option],” Glavine said from his Alpharetta, Ga., home. “Most likely, I’ll decline it.”

That’s great, Tom, just great. Don’t let the door hit your backside on the way out, OK?

Most likely, Glavine will pass on the guaranteed $13M player option he earned by pitching 160 innings this season, and take the same (or less) money from the Braves. Let’s face it, he wanted to go back to Atlanta last year, but the Braves were too stingy to pony up the dough (ironically, they tried to dump Tim Hudson to make it work). This year, though, it’s already been made official that Andruw Jones will be off the books, so there’s suddenly a windfall of money. So Glavine can go back to his “home” (didn’t he grow up in New England?) and play golf with his best buddy John Smoltz next year.

Personally, although I loved watching Glavine, in my mind he’s worn out his welcome — and it began with his indecision of last November. His two postseason gems of 2006 have been erased by his final three abysmal starts of 2007 — most notably, of course, the torturous Game 162.

On the one hand, it’s good that it appears Glavine will be making his decision sooner rather than later. His hemming and hawing last November, waiting for the Braves to offer him a contract, was more than annoying, and it froze the Mets’ offseason dealing for the weeks leading up to the winter meetings. This time around, the Mets will know of his plans immediately — purportedly by Friday — and can then move on with their revamp of the pitching staff.

On the other hand, Glavine will join a rotation that already includes Tim Hudson and John Smoltz. If the Braves had Glavine this year, the Mets might have finished in THIRD place, not second. Whether Glavine can continue the magic that got him through the first 31 starts of 2007, or if his last three are more indicative of his 2008, remains to be seen. Even at his worst, you’d have to think that Glavine will make another 30-33 starts, and find a way to win at least ten games.

Also annoying will be the outpouring of emotion when Glavine makes his return to the Braves — we’ll have to hear all about the lovefest from the Atlanta media for weeks on end, I’m sure. Hopefully we won’t have to read too many quotes like “I never wanted to leave” and “I never felt comfortable in New York” and “Atlanta fans are the best”.

Assuming Tom Glavine does indeed return to the Braves for a final season, I offer him one piece of advice: leave your family in Atlanta when you make your first trip to New York. It’s not going to be pretty.

What Went Wrong: Attitude

In our third installment of “The New York Mets 2007 Season: What Went Wrong?”, we’ll address the issue of attitude — which is a bit complex.

We’ll call it “attitude” but also take the liberty of extending the definition to include “cockiness”, “overconfidence”, “disrespect”, and “defeatism”.

Overconfidence / Cockiness — and Defeatism

The 2006 Mets were very similar to their 1986 brethren — they steamrolled over the competition, locking up the division by a landslide early in September. It was hardly a race after the All-Star Break, in fact.

At the beginning of 2007, I mistakenly believed that the return of most of the 2006 squad was a good thing. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? I was also under the false assumption that the core group — guys like the Carloses, Jose and D-Wright, Glavine, Heilman, Wagner, and LoDuca — would be extra-motivated to return to the postseason, and “get it right” this time. While everyone else in the NL East was revamping their roster, I thought the continuity would be an advantage for the Mets (if you missed it, it’s here: Continuity Is Key).

Boy, was I off the mark.

As it turns out, the return of the core guys only caused the team to be overconfident. They won by a ton last year, so they figured they could put it in cruise control and blow the doors off everyone in 2007. There was a long stretch during June that the Mets simply lost interest in putting in an effort — if they were losing by two or three runs by the fifth inning, the game was effectively over.

Back in mid-June, I accused the Mets of tanking — i.e., not putting forth their best effort — both here on MetsToday, as well as a commenter on MetsBlog. At the time, I was poo-pooed for such a silly evaluation. Body language? Facial expressions? They mean nothing. The Mets were simply in a slump, a bad run. Willie Randolph had a slew of explanations, most of which sounded something like ” … we just gotta get it going … gotta turn the page … gotta tip your cap to your opponent sometimes … blah blah blah … “

Willie wouldn’t admit it, but the Mets would give up — they’d accept defeat early on in ballgames. The ironic thing is, they gave up because they felt they’d have no problem getting a win the next day — so why overextend yourself in a seemingly lost cause? Down by four? Heck — let ‘em take the game, there’s always tomorrow. An indifference to losing, which now weighs heavily for a team that needed only two more wins to take the division.

And now, after the season, the truth comes out — from two of the Mets’ veteran “leaders”:

“We’ve got so much talent, I think sometimes we get bored,” said first baseman Carlos Delgado.

Um …. WHAT ?????

“Sometimes when you’re a team as talented as we are – I don’t know if I’d use the word ‘bored,’ but I guess you can get complacent at times,” said veteran pitcher Tom Glavine.

Oh, gee … thanks for clearing that up, big T!

Disrespect

In addition to the cockiness — and perhaps connected — was the disrespect shown toward both the game and the opponents from a few choice players. Omar Minaya has his own “synonym” for it — he calls it “exuberance”. Strangely, that “exuberance” doesn’t always translate to “effort”, and you’d think it would.

Perpetrator number one is Jose Reyes. And I’ll be the first one to admit that I LOVE watching Jose smile, laugh, and express emotion on the field. He’s one of the very few ballplayers who shows how much he purely enjoys the game. But, when his enthusiasm extends into dances, flamboyantly complex high-five combinations, and similarly taunting outbursts — well, a line has to be drawn. There’s a fine line between enjoying the game and showing up your opponent, and on many occasions, Jose crossed that line. Willie Randolph made a big stink punishing Reyes for not running out a ground ball, but he never did a thing about the over-the-edge exuberance (perhaps not his choice, though). And Reyes is old enough to learn the difference and control himself.

Because Reyes “got away” with it, Lastings Milledge did too. Milledge is immensely talented, we know, but unfortunately he knows it better than we do. He’s a ballpark frank developing into a foot-long — a dyed-in-the-wool, authentic hot dog. At first it was innocent and cute — even I, one of the most critical of LMillz, thought the high-five around the stadium was a fantastic and refreshing act of genuine, kidlike enthusiasm. But it’s not cute anymore when Milledge hangs around to watch homeruns, initiates disco dances at home plate with Reyes, and openly taunts the opposition. It’s also not cute when he lollygags after balls in the corner, allowing opposing pitchers to stretch doubles into triples. And it’s not cute when he doesn’t run hard to first on a grounder back to the pitcher, then stands on second base on a popup with two outs. His inexcusable string of actions (and inactions) of games 161 and 162 were not independent — but rather, representative of his “maturity” in 2007. But you can’t get on Lastings until you first get on Reyes — and whether that happens remains to be seen. Already, Omar Minaya has released them both from responsibility, excusing their disrespect as “exuberance” and being “what young kids do”.

Before we single out Milledge and Reyes, let me extend the point to Paul LoDuca, who does not have the excuse of youth. Ninety percent of the time, I like Paulie’s emotion — at some points during the season, he seemed the only Met with a pulse. But he needs to cut down on the dramatic complaining to umpires on balls and strikes. First of all, it’s bush and disrespectful to the umpires. Secondly, whining about calls doesn’t do anything to help your team — neither the pitchers nor the hitters. And a catcher, of all people, should know better.

Oh, and for those who say “it’s OK, Omar’s right” and “what’s the big deal?”, may I refer you to game 162, which might have been a different contest had the Marlins not been externally motivated. Think it’s hogwash? Then I suggest you spend more time with the sabermetricians, who are convinced that the human element has no bearing on wins and losses. And root for the Athletics. People — whether they’re baseball players or janitors — don’t like being kicked when they’re down, and most will find a way to regain their pride at the expense of the kicker. This isn’t the NBA (thank god), so childish antics, finger-pointing, and trash-talking don’t have a place on the diamond — because amped-up emotions tend to be detrimental to execution in baseball.

Additionally, the players who tend to tend to be exuberant when going well also tend to brood and sulk and hang their head when things are not so good. Or get violent (i.e., Milton Bradley). It’s dismissed as immaturity, but it’s more than that — it’s the inability to control and temper emotions. If a 23-year-old kid learns that it’s OK to have extreme highs and lows, what would make him change as a 25, 26, or 27-year-old? That kind of emotional rollercoaster may work in football or basketball, but it’s not the best way to approach a 162-game baseball season. The highs and lows have to be balanced from April through October if one wishes to be successful. Willie Randolph is an example of the extremely level-headed drone, and Milton Bradley is an example of the extreme opposite. Ideally, a player would be somewhere in between — but closer to Willie than to Milton. Otherwise, we’d we’d be seeing daily pep rallies before games instead of batting practice.

How To Fix It

The first issue of overconfidence will fix itself — the one good thing (if there could be such a thing) to come out of the monumental collapse. The aforementioned comparison to the 1987 Mets grows — those second-place finishers learned from their underachievement and came back roaring in 1988. Many from the 2007 team will return in 2008, and we can be fairly certain that effort is one thing that won’t be a question next season. Thoughts of unfulfilled promise and wasted talent will weigh heavily on their minds all winter — and they wouldn’t have made it this far without self-respect and pride. Both need to be regained in 2008.

On the other hand, the second issue could be a chronic problem. Minaya’s “exuberance” stance is a step backward, and handcuffs Randolph — who I think could “fix” the problem if given the go-ahead. Unfortunately, Willie isn’t much more than Omar’s sock puppet, which is part of the reason his ideas on how the game should be played falls on deaf ears. Say what you want about his in-game management, his handling of the pitching staff, and other technical issues — but the guy is a straight-shooting, old-school ballplayer who knows how the game is supposed to be played. He respects himself, his teammates, his opponents, and the game itself. As a player, he played hard, always hustled, always knew what to do with the ball and on the bases, and focused on the task at hand — and expects his players to do the same. It wouldn’t be the worst thing if the Mets players chose Randolph to emulate. Whether that will ever happen, though, is another story.