You can make the case that if Carlos Beltran and Luis Castillo didn’t come off the DL simultaneously and into the line up, the Mets would be playing meaningful games in September.
Let me state that I am a big Carlos Beltran Fan. I like him on the Mets because when he’s 100%, he can be a great player. I think he can still make a major impact a line-up and can be a force on the bases, not to mention his defense in the outfield. When he is on top of his game, he is that 5 tool player that every team wants. On the complete contrary, I never wanted Luis Castillo back 2 years ago when he was a free agent; when Omar signed him again, I still can’t for the life of me figure out why he gave him a 3 year contract.
I broke into a cold sweat when our own Mr. North Jersey posted a Carlos Beltran Return picture along with his entrance music. I didn’t want to see Beltran back in the line-up for at least another month, I knew he wasn’t ready. But there were factors and circumstances to deal with and I know that these might have sped up his rehab. For the sake of argument, let’s revisit these in the Met Season. The Mets were stumbling poorly in the Offense department right before the All-Star Break. Reyes had just went down in Puerto Rico and the Mets were losing games in all sorts of ways. Besides Santana’s starts, the Met pitching was sporadic. The Offense became a magic trick that would show up and disappear like a rabbit out of hat. The All-Star break came and the Mets announced that Beltran and Castillo, who was also on the DL with a bad foot, were ready to play. Castillo was to bat in the bottom of the line-up and Beltran was to bat 4th.
I wrote back in July that both these players should not be in the line up together and that Beltran should NOT bat in the clean up spot. The results speak for themselves.
Carlos Beltran would hit .204 in the month of July batting 4th, he collected 5 RBI’s and accumulated 11 hits in 54 at bats. Meanwhile, Castillo would bat .214 with no RBI’s and only get 9 hits at 42 at bats. This was not the Calvary to say the least, it was more like giving a sick man another virus. We all know how tough it was for the Mets to hit before these two came off the DL but now it was even worse. Lets throw in the fact that Beltran was to play with a knee brace that would not only hinder his ability to hit but also limit his range in the outfield. So was Beltran the same player he was last year? Absolutely not, not at the plate and not in the field. Do you disagree? Who would you like to see patrolling Center? Let me guess…Angel Pagan?
As far as Castillo is concerned, Omar should have released him as soon as he went on the DL. He is a broken down second basemen who hits for no power and is defensively challenged and yet he was to bump young Rubin Tejada, who will all knew couldn’t hit, but could play the position. If Omar released Castillo, it would’ve made it easier to bat Beltran lower in the line-up and have him work on getting his swing back. But the Mets were unable to do that because Castillo would occupy that very spot to try to do the very same thing.
The results were to much of a coincidence to ignore With these two players back on the field, the energy seem to evaporate, players went into slumps since everyone, except for Reyes was displaced. Writers all over began saying things like “chemistry and attitude” that was now different in the clubhouse.
I just think there were two players that should not of been in the line up together.
When the Mets played pre-Beltran/Castillo, they were fun and energetic, they had a good feeling about them and generally were exciting to watch. Pagan played a great center field and now had established himself as a bonafide fielder. I wrote before Beltran was to come off the DL that he should consider what is right for his own team and play in Right Field. Remember what a big deal everyone made when Tori Hunter switched positions in outfield? We all read it and I guess Beltran didn’t or the Mets never ever considered the switch. If anything, Beltran needed more time in Triple A to just get ready. In my opinion, he is still not 100% and that knee brace just gives me more confidence about that statement.
Should it be the end of Carlos and the Mets? Honestly, no. Not if Beltran is a 100%. If he loses the knee brace there is no reason why he should play center in 2011- as long as he’s back. If the brace is still on, put him in Right and let him play. It is his contact year and you know he wants to play for either the Mets or another team so he will be extra motivated. Castillo is all but done with the Mets, I think he knows it as well.
But until then, we have to look at the Phillie fans waving Phillie Hankies at a sold out games and the watch attendants at Citi Field ask all the fans to move down toward field level.
19 comments
njstuckintx
9/21/2010-9:31am at 9:31 am (UTC -4)
You could make the case for it. But I would counter-balance that by saying the players who would be playing in their steads putting up average numbers would not have vaulted them into playoff contention. They’d be better than their almost .500 record, for sure, but I won’t say playoffs here we come!
And on a side note, I do see Carlos back. Luis… He’s gone, even if he’s just cut loose.
stickguy
9/21/2010-9:40am at 9:40 am (UTC -4)
I side with Tx. on this ne. They were already in the tank when they came back, so I don’t think you can blame them. But, to be fair, they sure did not help, adding 2 more black holes into an already dark lineup, at exactly the wrong time.
Batting beltran 4th was also Jidiocy at it’s finest.
Castillo I also did not want back.
But, if all those ABs went to Frenchy and Tejada, not sure that the offense would have been any better
And al teaslt Beltran has hit in September, giving hope for 2011. Because I do expect him back (agree withyour idea of making him prove early in ST he can handle CF< otherwise, off to RF you go), but Castillo 100% has to be gone.
TRS86
9/21/2010-10:31am at 10:31 am (UTC -4)
The problem is that they had to be forced back into the lineup and counted on because of the deficiencies of the rest of the lineup.
metsfan4decades
9/21/2010-11:01am at 11:01 am (UTC -4)
Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Castillo get a 4 year contract from Omar – not 3?
Either way, we all know Tejada has a long way to go before anyone can say with any certainty he can hit ML pitching. That being said, my eyes told me he was the better second baseman. However, the stats as little as 2 weeks ago said otherwise. Who would have guessed that Castillo still had better defense stats?
Pagan, to his credit, played well anywhere in the OF they put him. I don’t know about Castillo b/c IMO, he’s done but I think the Mets brass thought Beltran would contribute more than whoever we were sticking out in LF to replace Bay and Francoeur in RF. Didn’t work out that way and can’t say I’m surprised. I haven’t seen any player come back after taking a half year off – let alone a full year – and pick up where they left off.
I don’t know if Beltran figures into this team next year. I think there’s only a 20-30% chance he’s traded. I hope if he is back, he ditches that leg brace if at all possible b/c that does appear to be slowing him down.
Castillo shouldn’t be anywhere near this team next year.
TRS86
9/21/2010-11:24am at 11:24 am (UTC -4)
Yes it was indeed a 4 year contract. Houston offered him 3.
fongy2
9/21/2010-11:34am at 11:34 am (UTC -4)
Supposedly!!!….I agrued this here and on mattsblog too many
times…..As someone who reads may out of town papers daily
on line, I never once came across any article which suggested
The Astros ever “offered” any more than two years before Omar
blew them out of the water with the four year deal……
But…..Whatever…..It was a bad sign!….As was the Alou signing
AND re-upping about the same time. Those two were Omar
at his absolute worst!…Jumping on guys very early in Free Agency before letting the market set itself and tying up guys
whos bodies were breaking down, expecting them to be the final
pieces to a championship team….BECAUSE…THOSE were the
guys HE wanted AND focused only on them to fill a particular
need.
TRS86
9/21/2010-11:39am at 11:39 am (UTC -4)
While true you could also say that it was a big market team targeting their needs and doing whatever it took to take care of those needs. Only problem is that it backfired. I had no problem with the Alou signing. Not a bad move. It was the reupping that I had the problem with. As for splitting hairs over the Castillo signing, we have been there and done that. I just don’t think that Omar would have went 4 unless someone was willing to go 3 and that was the basic notion at the time as well. There were rumors on many websites about possible contracts but of course there were no released statements from the player or teams.
fongy2
9/21/2010-12:06pm at 12:06 pm (UTC -4)
Yes we can argue opinion forever my friend BUT signing
a 40 year old with one of the great injury histories ever,
to replace a 34 year old who had close to as bad an
injury history to be our final piece of the puzzle was……
An All-Time bad move! We had just gotten rid of the
big contract of Uncle Cliffy who could never stay healthy
throughout his career and in a blink, jumped right into the
Alou situation who was then 40, a non-steroid player with
as I said above, one of the all-time injury histories the game
has ever known…(At least for a Star player)….
What schooled baseball could possibly think Alou would
be healthy all year and perform at a high level???
fongy2
9/21/2010-11:25am at 11:25 am (UTC -4)
What is there to say???……..
I thought when the season started this squad reminded me of our
1991 team and the year would pretty much play out like that one.
Thought we were a 77/78 Win team, 4th place, 15+ games back of
The Phils and about 10 back of the Wildcard.
I hope this off-season doesn’t bring the mistakes of the ’91/’92 year.
For that reason alone we shouldn’t bother with Torre as much as I’ve
grown to respect the man. With no Johan and likely stuck with at least
2 of the 3 contracts of Beltran,Castillo and Ollie, there is little chance
to be a playoff contender in 2011. So…If not Bobby V., I think choices
are narrowed to Teufel and Wally for the Mgr job. THIS however, shouldn’t be addressed unti AFTER a veteran GM with a solid
backround in drafting and player developement is hired AND allowed
to operated without Jeffey looking over his shoulder.
It all starts there…..As I’ve said for the past two,three years now…..
Omar Must Go!!!!
Mr North Jersey
9/21/2010-11:27am at 11:27 am (UTC -4)
It’s a Fongy sighting!!!
fongy2
9/21/2010-11:37am at 11:37 am (UTC -4)
Football season Homey!!!……Money to be made!…AND our
beloved Mets dead since July, having left their spirits on the
Left coast!!!
Besides, everyone knows my position…..Not much changes
until Omar, Jerry and most all their staffs are replaced!!!
TRS86
9/21/2010-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
And I did not even have to come up with the title… “You could make a Fongy”
wannybackstra
9/21/2010-11:35am at 11:35 am (UTC -4)
If not the injured Beltran it would have been the useless Francouer. Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other.
TRS86
9/21/2010-11:36am at 11:36 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. Or perhaps more of the great and powerful Jesus.
fongy2
9/21/2010-11:38am at 11:38 am (UTC -4)
Jesus is a Yankee fan.
TRS86
9/21/2010-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
Wrong one.
metsfan4decades
9/21/2010-11:47am at 11:47 am (UTC -4)
HAHAHA.
Way back when in my youth I read a Mets book titled something like: ‘Yes, God is a Mets fan’. I couldn’t remember much else about it. I tried to find it recently online on sites that deal with out of print books but couldn’t find it. I probably don’t have the name even close but it was all about the Met team that couldn’t lose…..
njstuckintx
9/21/2010-11:48am at 11:48 am (UTC -4)
Montero?
GravediggerHebner
9/21/2010-11:48am at 11:48 am (UTC -4)
I don’t disagree that Beltran returning to the major leagues when he did was a bad idea that contributed to the ultimate failure of the 2010 Mets.
But I don’t “blame Beltran” as the popular meme that took over twitter this summer suggests.
He simply wasn’t ready. Whether league rules forced the Mets to activate him or they simply chose to I don’t recall but either way he wasn’t ready after 14 games (49 at bats) at class A. That’s like half of a spring training, while injured and rehabbing, against inferior competition.
It’s only since the calendar turned to September that he’s actually started to put up decent numbers:
64 July PA .204/.313/.333
106 August PA .227/.340/.330
61 September PA .286/.328/.482
but even those September numbers are below his career:
.281/.359/.493
The team as a whole simply wasn’t good enough with or without a recovering/rehabbing Beltran playing. That we might coincidentally be able to point to the moment in time when he and Castillo returned as a turning point for the worse is just that, a coincidence.