Elijah Dukes was apparently released by the Nationals. Carlos Beltran is indeed injured, and based on the past we cannot be sure how long he will be out. And while we certainly cannot count on good production from his possible replacements, Dukes is absolutely not the type of player the Mets should take in.
Despite my esteemed colleague TRS’ stating so, Dukes’ life and career have not been remotely similar to Lastings Milledge’s. Milledge did indeed find trouble—as a high school junior—for engaging in sexual contact with a minor. This is the only brush with the law that this writer can recall Milledge ever having. This writer likes rap music too; yet I have never been called a thug or a violent criminal; nor should Milledge be considered one.
According to various sources, Elijah Dukes has also had sex with a minor, but as a 23 year old, not as a 16 year old. And the minor was a foster child living with a relative of his. He supposedly has five children with four different women.
He has been arrested four times for violent incidents.
The Nationals hired an ex-police officer tail Dukes everywhere to try and curb his obviously serious inclination for violent, irresponsible behavior.
Gary Sheffield came with baggage, but not of the consistently violent, law-breaking kind that Dukes comes with. Sheffield also came with a near-HOF pedigree.
Dukes does not have much on-field success to offset his personal history, and would certainly be sitting on the bench if Beltran returns healthy soon and if Frenchy performs up to expectations. Dukes will soon turn 26, and has had fair-to-good stats in the minors and majors; this is not a young, budding star.
Is this what we want this team to go after? Is this who we want sitting on our bench all summer?
We need starting pitching and we need our players to be healthy. We have Pagan and Matthews to fill in, and if this spring is any indication, we have Fernando Martinez’s day rapidly approaching.
Just say no to Elijah Dukes, and say it loud and long.
He does not deserve the privilege of wearing a Met uniform.
37 comments
prismo
3/17/2010-11:33am at 11:33 am (UTC -4)
You go girl!
+1000000000
stickguy
3/17/2010-11:36am at 11:36 am (UTC -4)
Kick his sorry attitude off the float Kong (Dukes I mean).
trs86
3/17/2010-11:37am at 11:37 am (UTC -4)
Obviously based on my piece you would notice that I said think about it. Through thinking about it they would obviously check to see if those past issues are behind him. He has not had any of those issues in years and “according to a tweet from MASN’s Ben Goessling, the move had nothing to do with off-the-field issues.” I am not saying he would be a savior or that they should even sign him. However, I don’t see an issue with bringing the name up even if they quickly dismiss it.
stickguy
3/17/2010-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
they should consider everyone. And of course this would require extra due dillegence. But it also has a very low probability of happening, for many reasons.
I also have trouble believing that off field issues did not come into play. If he was being a good citizen, what possible reason wold a team in the place where the Nats are release a guy like this?
Never mind that he should have some trade value, if he is worth picking up.
trs86
3/17/2010-11:53am at 11:53 am (UTC -4)
Numbers crunch is what they are saying. 44 guys on the 40 man and a lot of guys with no options.
tkfj
3/17/2010-11:39am at 11:39 am (UTC -4)
WIN.
stickguy
3/17/2010-11:41am at 11:41 am (UTC -4)
whip inflation now?
I think we are OK on that front.
ceetar
3/17/2010-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
I’m not sad on Pagan anyway, I don’t look for a OF replacement, regardless of a personal-life situation similar to that of an NFL player.
What i disagree on is that “Based on the Past” we can’t assume Beltran would be back. While it’s the same general area, knee scoping and bone-bruises are two different things and the second does not affect the healing of this latest thing. The only thing he hasn’t done it sounds like, is pivot, hard, like to turn and run for a fly ball. Soon though,and if he feels no pain and starts playing games, we have eto assume he’ll be back soon.
stickguy
3/17/2010-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
anyway, I already predicted that the Yankees wil sign him for their hole in LF, and he will probably have a huge year for them. Just because stuff like that seems to happen in the Bronx, and it would really annoy me.
CaseStreet
3/17/2010-11:45am at 11:45 am (UTC -4)
nah, they’ll trade for Crawford and he’ll be awesome for them.
saltygary
3/17/2010-11:50am at 11:50 am (UTC -4)
Why would this even be a possibility? Take away the off-field issues and there is still no need for this guy. Both Pagan and FMART will produce above this guy.
wannybackstra
3/17/2010-11:52am at 11:52 am (UTC -4)
You sure? Dukes in 88 2008 games: 264 .386 .478.
wannybackstra
3/17/2010-11:54am at 11:54 am (UTC -4)
81 games.
trs86
3/17/2010-11:55am at 11:55 am (UTC -4)
But perhaps it allows you to trade Pagan at peak value and not worry about Fmart sitting the bench.
saltygary
3/17/2010-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
What are you gonna trade Pagan for? 4th outfields have some value but he’s not going to get a SP or a starting 2b/SS that is better than what we have now.
trs86
3/17/2010-12:12pm at 12:12 pm (UTC -4)
Hmmm, perhaps combined with other players he brings back what you want. Also consider that it’s very possible that some low budget teams would not consider him a 4th OF> When healthy the last 2 years he has put up very good starting CF #’s. Thus perhaps a team like KC would consider him a fit for a guy like Meche in a salary dump.
saltygary
3/17/2010-12:19pm at 12:19 pm (UTC -4)
Good point on the small market teams. I would be more down with getting rid of Pagan and still not bringing in Dukes and using what we have.
ceetar
3/17/2010-11:50am at 11:50 am (UTC -4)
Screw Dukes, can we talk about Cora hate? I don’t know if I want to (or have the time at work to do proper research) make this into a whole post worth of discussion, but for all the Cora hate I haven’t really seen one realistic name thrown out there as a better backup MI to sign, that would’ve signed on for limited duty.
prismo
3/17/2010-11:54am at 11:54 am (UTC -4)
I wonder if Lopez would’ve signed with the Mets for more money to play the backup role.
He signed with the Cards for $1MM presumably to be a starter, but would he have been the Mets’ SS/2B backup for twice that? $2MM’s the same Cora got, and I’d rather have Lopez.
Not sure he would’ve been into it, but the Mets seemed to go straight for Cora regardless.
trs86
3/17/2010-11:55am at 11:55 am (UTC -4)
I doubt he would considering he is also playing for next year’s contract right? Also Lopez is worse than Cora at SS statistically.
prismo
3/17/2010-11:57am at 11:57 am (UTC -4)
You might be right, but I’m not sure why the Mets rushed to get Cora and didn’t seem to thoroughly check other options.
trs86
3/17/2010-12:00pm at 12:00 pm (UTC -4)
Obviously because they love his non-statistical impact on the bench and team. We laugh about it but perhaps they signed Cora for 2M for the same reason they would not sign Dukes?
prismo
3/17/2010-12:02pm at 12:02 pm (UTC -4)
Fair point!
ceetar
3/17/2010-12:07pm at 12:07 pm (UTC -4)
I looked up the available SS guys going into the offseason. There weren’t a ton of them, and most ofthem were starters..and the others don’t seem to be better than Cora. I think the Mets identified that, figured that if Reyes became an issue they’d have to sign a different SS for a real starting job anyway and would still need a backup. Since they already had Cora so he knows the guys, they do like him as an intangibles guy, why not just give him what he got last year and move on to more pressing needs?
I don’t see why people think that 2million kept the Mets from doing anything else, nor why not believing it’s the reason they didn’t sign another starting pitcher is “drinking the coolade”
trs86
3/17/2010-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
Very true. Also they were praised for bringing in Alex Cintron for a AAA guy who was just as good as most of the FA SS.
stickguy
3/17/2010-12:25pm at 12:25 pm (UTC -4)
has he even played yet? I honestly don’t recall seeing his name in any lineup, but I don’t really pay that close attention.
stickguy
3/17/2010-12:23pm at 12:23 pm (UTC -4)
from what I heard on the XM discussions, Lopez is really best defensively at 3B (even though he had been playing 2B and SS). And I think he will get time there for the Cards, right? But don’t quote me on that.
but, if offered an exra million, I am sure he could have been persuaded.
What I found odd was signing Cora so quickly, for a large salary. Were there really going to be other teams lining up to take a run at this guy?
trs86
3/17/2010-9:23pm at 9:23 pm (UTC -4)
Thing is if you are the player you could be making an extra million this year and costing yourself multiple millions the next. If you go and ride the bench all year you lose out on stats and then your next contract is smaller.
wannybackstra
3/17/2010-11:51am at 11:51 am (UTC -4)
When was the last time Dukes got in trouble with the law?
And to say he has never had success in the majors is wrong. His 2008 season was probably better than what we could expect from any of Frenchy, Pagan or GMJ.
I’d try to put him in the minor leagues to see how he responds to seeing his career threatened.
Lots of bad people have become good people. Or at least have stopped being bad people.
Where will the moral police stand when we find out Jose Reyes was cheating and lying?
If Johan Santana was to have a domestic violence incident tonight would you advocate cutting him?
I don’t recall much opposition to Wally Backman being brought back to the franchise. In fact, I recall quite a few people happy that the wife beating rageoholic was brought back.
trs86
3/17/2010-11:57am at 11:57 am (UTC -4)
Agree on Wally completely. Also lets not go there with Reyes. Innocent until assumed guilty? LOL.
wannybackstra
3/17/2010-11:57am at 11:57 am (UTC -4)
Brett Myers is another one that several people here advocated signing (TRS brought his name up in the other Elijah Dukes topic).
trs86
3/17/2010-11:59am at 11:59 am (UTC -4)
I would have loved to have brought him in to compete for the #5 slot as well as setup.
Again, what we forget is that if he was arrested then he has went through the justice system and has been released.
stickguy
3/17/2010-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
I was up there with TRS on the Myers bandwagon. I also don’t have a litmus test for behavior, try to look at the big picture, and do believe in 2nd chances, to a degree.
That said, Myers had an incident, the police got involved, but IIRC correctly any charges (if they happened) were dropped? And his wife publically forgave him, and even said that the aftermath changed (improved) both him and their marraige.
So yes, it sounds like he did something abd, but there is also no indication that it is a chronic, ongoing issue.
CaseStreet
3/17/2010-11:58am at 11:58 am (UTC -4)
Beware of Litigators
mrose
3/17/2010-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
is this a record? An opinion piece an hour after the news broke, lol.
I am not saying I am clammoring for the Mets to sign him, but if its a minor league deal and as everyone says, his legal problems have been behind him… why not?
The whole “Doesn’t deserve to be a Met” is kinda elitist, don’t you think? We had Burgos on our team who had some pretty bad trouble. If he stays out of legal problems, you can chalk it up to being a REALLY disturbed kid in my mind and give him the chance to use his skill.
stickguy
3/17/2010-12:53pm at 12:53 pm (UTC -4)
I thought Burgos got into the trouble after he came onto the Mets. And was later relesed for it (well that, and you can’t pitch from a Venezualen jail!)
mrose
3/17/2010-1:58pm at 1:58 pm (UTC -4)
you are right .. he did and you have hurt my argument…
but it doesn’t change the fact that there hasn’t been anything this guy did off the field lately to help that reputation. As far as we know, he has been clean and on the right deal, I don’t see why not to give him a minor league shot