According to Joel Sherman a Mets official was quoted with the headline above.
I think this is good because it means that barring the unforeseen circumstance the Mets will get one of this year’s holy trinity. However, I also have to wait and see what follows after one of the big names gets a big pay day. The old Mets would then back fill the team with 2nd chance players and misfits. So in my opinion the next 2 months will determine if it’s business as usual for the Mets and in my opinion determine the fates of Jerry, Omar and the 2010 season. Please don’t read this the wrong way. I am not saying the Mets have to go out and spend 50 million. I am saying that Bay, Marquis and a former Expo are not enough. Yes I know not all holes can be permanently filled in one off-season but they can be plugged. Last year, and I am sure Fongy would agree, the Mets stopped one short by not signing Abreu for LF. Leaving question marks in LF and RF. Both burned them. It was not the money in my opinion that stopped the Mets from getting Abreu. It was a vast miscalculation of what we had coming back. So for this year if a guy like Lopez is still hanging around in February and Castillo is still here, go get him. If it’s late January and you have Lackey and Cameron and Garland is still there for 1 year and 8 million go get him. As I have said since the injuries occurred last year, in my opinion 2010 will be a make it or break it year in many ways for the current Mets team. Omar will have to use all of his resources appropriately for the Mets to again be competitive for the NL East both next year and for years to come.
28 comments
DNDJohan aka kistics
12/11/2009-9:48am at 9:48 am (UTC -4)
I think one of the miscalculation was Murphy. Including myself, almost everyone thought that he would be .300 20-25HR, 30-35 2B kinda guy. Whether he is that type of guy or not we have yet to find out. But one certain thing is that Omar counted on Murphy to be that everyday LF. I still believe that Murphy can be that .300 15-20HR 30 2B guy, but it may take couple years for him to develop. Especially if he’s a platoon at 1B.
I wonder what Omar’s plan is for Murphy in 2011 when Ike Davis is ready.
trs86
12/11/2009-9:53am at 9:53 am (UTC -4)
Who knows about that plan DND. I thought at the time it was a bad idea to just give Murphy LF. That’s bad business for a team expecting to contend to depend on a rookie with that few games at the MLB level. I would expect how Murphy does this year will determine that plan. Does he learn how to play 1B? Does he hit like the 2nd half Murphy (still with a TERRIBLE OBP)? If he proves to even put up AVERAGE MLB numbers then I think his trade value would increase. If he does not then hopefully the Mets make a move during the season and send him to AAA to work on what I think his career may end up being. A utility man.
DNDJohan aka kistics
12/11/2009-10:02am at 10:02 am (UTC -4)
I agree on counting on Rookies. Unless you’re Pujols, you’re going to struggle in your Rookie year.
I know I’ve been disappointed in FMart, but once again, he was a rookie and had been under big expectations. I think same caution should be taken with Ike Davis as well. That’s why I think signing guys like LaRoche or a veteran 1B for 1+1 or 2 years is a good idea.
trs86
12/11/2009-10:06am at 10:06 am (UTC -4)
I agree. I still consider Delgado an option because of what I wrote above. To me even counting on Murphy next year is risky for a team wanting to contend.
DNDJohan aka kistics
12/11/2009-10:30am at 10:30 am (UTC -4)
I like Delgado option too, but I think Omar should also take a look at non-tenders that come out. I think there maybe couple interesting guys coming out.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-9:49am at 9:49 am (UTC -4)
Agreed! Fine post. I would add Dunn to the Abreu sentence; his HR and BB would have come in handy.
As for Sherman, and I know many people on here think more of these jokers than I do, but this morning in the New York Garbage Rag Post, he says this:
“Bay has already rejected a deal from Boston believed to be in the four-year, $60 million range. So was this an offer designed as a first step to more negotiations or an offer designed to be rejected, but also to get the Mets the positive feedback of being linked to a top player?”
Yeah, I am sure successful business people like the Wilpons throw out 65 million dollar offers casually, hoping they will be rejected.
Of course, on the other hand, we might actually want him, as we need a LF, we need power, he is very good, and he was even once a Met farmhand.
trs86
12/11/2009-9:56am at 9:56 am (UTC -4)
I like Dunn but at the time I would have wanted him for 1B and Delgado not re-signed. Dunn has cost more runs than any player in the majors the last 5 years.
I think it is very possible that we offered him a reasonable contract to get the Rsox to move. If they don’t we get a very good player at a reasonable price. If they do and we get outbid then at least it puts more pressure on Holliday, Lackey and even the Jays. I think the Mets are terrified of being held hostage by Boras for Holliday in January because Lackey and Bay went elsewhere.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-9:58am at 9:58 am (UTC -4)
I agree….it was definitely a real offer, either to get Bay, or to force the Sox to move, and thus to establish the price for Holliday, as it seems as though us and the Red Sox (and maybe the Mariners) are the only team in this at all.
trs86
12/11/2009-10:04am at 10:04 am (UTC -4)
I would not discount the Angels either. A sleeper team could be the Braves again. They have the rotation and if they could unload Lowe that could really get screwy. It may not even take them doing that. If they had 8 million budgeted for LaRoche they could most likely afford another 7 million for Bay. The Braves need Bay most likely even more than we do.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-10:06am at 10:06 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, but, if the reports can be trusted, seems as though the Angels want Lackey or Halladay….the Braves are interesting though.
I would very gladly take Lowe off their hands if they eat enough dough…
trs86
12/11/2009-10:15am at 10:15 am (UTC -4)
I can’t see the Braves trading Lowe to us. Now if somehow it came as part of a 3 way trade maybe but even then the Braves are not going to do anything to make the Mets better and honestly if the Mets took Lowe it would be making the Braves better because they need that money for offense.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-10:27am at 10:27 am (UTC -4)
They traded us Frenchy…
trs86
12/11/2009-10:41am at 10:41 am (UTC -4)
Kingman don’t you think that is extremely different circumstances? Neither Frenchy or Church were likely to help the other team tremendously. The Braves saw it as a way to unload a RH Frenchy that was near being benched for a LH guy they could platoon. The Mets saw it as a way to unload a disgruntle platoon player. I don’t think that’s the same as a guy on the level of Lowe.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-10:43am at 10:43 am (UTC -4)
Yes, I definitely agree it was VERY different in some ways, but it shows that the teams will deal with one another.
And I guess it all depends on how much they want to be rid of Lowe.
GravediggerHebner
12/11/2009-10:43am at 10:43 am (UTC -4)
Perhaps that shows how little they worried about that.
steveo
12/11/2009-10:14am at 10:14 am (UTC -4)
After reading this b/s article from Sherman it cracks me up because he like the rest of the NY writers are the ones always giving Omar hell for offering too much for players but when a real offer for a ton of money is given out it gets reported as a fake offer .I guess Omar should have just offered him 90 mil, the way the yankees make offers so no one bids against them unreal.
prismo
12/11/2009-10:21am at 10:21 am (UTC -4)
Hate hate hate Sherman, and I had the exact same thoughts as you after seeing his “article”.
dirtysanchez
12/11/2009-10:29am at 10:29 am (UTC -4)
haha then your going to love my next post. I think joel might be on to something and you cant deny that the low ticket sales are on the mets mind. I mean their offer only topped Bostons by 5mil, an offer that jason already declined. Not to mention their atrocious 2009 season and the fact that the phillies/marlins/braves are getting better, they have got to do something. I understand omars gameplan of patience considering how last years market went but he has new pressures on him this year than last and right now ya gotta think they gotta buy themselves as much time as possible to stick to their strategy and not overpay. What better way to do that then to stoke the PR flames a bit in the hopes that the average met fan who doesnt know that jason declined a similar offer to boston will bite and renew their tickets…even though the rest of us know its a BS offer.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-10:36am at 10:36 am (UTC -4)
Wow, this is really silly and ridiculous.
Be prepared to be slammed massively if you post a defense of this absolute drivel.
In the real world, businesses don’t offer 65 million dollars to someone they don’t want. And maybe Bay wants to play in NY? An extra 1.25 mil a year (assuming ANY of these numbers are even accurate) is not a Yankee-like offer, but even for a rich baseball player, that is a noticeable amount of money.
Cannot believe anyone could subscribe to this.
prismo
12/11/2009-10:37am at 10:37 am (UTC -4)
LOL the tiger is out the cage. I repeat, the tiger is out of the cage!
The Mets made a good offer. The top offer for Bay so far was 4/60. They offered 4/65. No one said they won’t potentially go higher at some point.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
Of course! Do we want to be the Yanks and top a 60 mil offer with an 85 million one??
This stuff really annoys me, and it is the downside of being heavily involved with a site like this.
I totally avoid the Ledger and Metsblog and MLBTR comments sections and places like the Post for this reason.
It is SO stupid and aggravating. I really am a tremendously positive and happy person, and sometimes this stuff really makes me question being so heavily into these sites.
It is SO stupid.
Not that they are perfect by any means, but can you imagine the eye-rolling among the Met front office at stuff like this?
dirtysanchez
12/11/2009-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
Then you are falling for the PR scheme the mets put together. Do you REALLY think Jason is going to leave boston for 5 million dollars…a place where he openly admitted that he wanted to stay in? If you think Jason would bite for basically 5 million dollars from another big market team, then you are ridiculous my friend. Jason knows his value and the fact that nobody has made an offer to matt holiday only helps him that much more. The perception is that Bay would be less expensive than holiday and since no offer has been made on holidays worth, the skys the limit so far with Jason. Im sure the mets (pay attention here) WOULDNT MIND HAVING JASON, but just going 5 mil over boston does not make me believe the WANT bay. Thats just my opinion. They have alot of pressure on them from the fans(ticket holders) to put a competitive team on the field but they do not want to overpay…so how do you accomplish this? You create buzz about a player and make a “ledgit” offer that you have a good feeling will be turned down because he already did on a similar offer but it “shows” the fans they are working to get people.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-10:50am at 10:50 am (UTC -4)
I disagree.
How much more should they have offered?
Be the Yanks and trump a 4/60 offer with a 4/80 offer?
That is just not how successful business people operate, unless they have unlimited funds like the Yanks. The Mets have a lot, but not that much.
And again, the more Bay gets, the more Holliday gets. Understand?
trs86
12/11/2009-11:08am at 11:08 am (UTC -4)
How do we know it’s a PR scheme at all? When was the last time the Mets did NOT spend on a big name FA.
To me it could also be that you are falling for a media scheme.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-10:27am at 10:27 am (UTC -4)
Why do you guys read him at all??
prismo
12/11/2009-10:28am at 10:28 am (UTC -4)
Don’t, but I have to follow him on Twitter because he has scoops sometimes. He mentioned his article – I didn’t actually read that smut.
Kingman 26
12/11/2009-10:32am at 10:32 am (UTC -4)
LOL! Yeah, me too…I saw a blurb somewhere and then had to go check out the article…I feel so dirty…
GravediggerHebner
12/11/2009-10:56am at 10:56 am (UTC -4)
By the way that’s one of my all-time favorite pictures of Mr. Met. If TRDMB could find an excuse to publish it every week or so for the rest of eternity that would be fine by me. I am not kidding or being sarcastic. I love that picture.