August 2009 – The Mets Report

Mets News Aug. 31, 2009 Santana, Beltran, Perez, Thole

: Image by ddoyle1112 via Flickr

The Mets are flying from Chicago to Colorado today. There’s no game but still plenty of news. Today is also the deadline for any trades of players that cleared waivers to play on the acquiring team’s postseason roster.

Anyway, here’s the news:

Carlos Beltran got the okay from Mets team doctors to start playing again. He hasn’t played since June because of a bone bruise on his right knee. He’ll play on Wednesday night for the Brooklyn Cyclones. I’d pay to see that game.
Josh Thole is the first Mets minor leaguer to get called up. He’ll be in Colorado with the team and wearing number 30. He was hitting .348 at Double-A Binghamton.
Johan Santana and Oliver Perez are both having surgery tomorrow. Santana is having bone chips removed from his elbow and Perez is having scar tissue removed from his knee.
Joel Sherman of NY Post has a good column on how poorly the Mets and Tony Bernazard treated Freddie Garcia when they released him. It’s very telling.
The Mets deny that they’re canceling the fall instructional league to save money.

Mets Cancel Fall League To Save Money

Multiple media reports today are covering some comments that former Mets GM Jim Duquette made on Sirius XM Radio. Duquette says that the Mets canceled their fall instructional league to save roughly $300,00. That’s the cost of running the league and housing and feeding the players and coaches.

Duquette says it’s a big mistake to reduce costs by cutting instructional time for the team’s young players. Of course, this adds credibility to the stories that we’ve heard about Fred Wilpon experiencing serious financial problems. So serious are those problems that it’s reported that he may be forced to sell the Mets next year.

Besides the obvious concern about the financial condition of the Mets, there have been serious questions about the quality of players that the Mets are developing. The Mets spent the least money of any team in Major League Baseball on their high draft picks this season. And Jeff Wilpon recently went to Buffalo and Binghamton to apologize to fans for fielding teams that weren’t even close to competitive this season.

The writing will be on the wall in the off-season if the Mets reduce the payroll from their current $140 million. That will be the tell-tale sign of financial trouble for the owner. In a brand new stadium, with new sources of revenue, there’s no reason to cut payroll. Until the free agency period gets going in a few months we’re left to speculate and have plenty of reason to be concerned.

Mets 4 – Cubs 1 Aug. 30, 2009

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The Mets avoided the sweep in Chicago on the back of Nelson Figueroa. He pitched into the eighth inning with 10 strikeouts and only allowing 1 earned run. He’s auditioning for someone for next season and really put on a show today. It still surprises me that they don’t give Figueroa a shot at the long man job out of the bullpen. I’d rather see him on the roster than someone like Tim Redding next season.

The offense was somewhat potent with 12 hits including 3 by Angel Pagan. Although the Mets only managed 1 extra base hit, a triple by Anderson Hernandez. The wind was blowing in today and the Cubs didn’t have any extra base hits.

The Mets are off tomorrow and start a series in Colorado on Tuesday night with David Wright back in the lineup.

Box score

Preview: Mets at Cubs Aug. 30, 2009

New York Mets (59-71 Road: 24-40) at Chicago Cubs (65-62 Home: 38-24) 2:20pm

Nelson Figueroa (1-3 5.40) vs. Carlos Zambrano (7-3 3.80)

TV: WPIX

What to watch: The Mets are trying to avoid the sweep today before they have a road off-day and then head to Colorado. Figueroa is making his fourth start of the season and pitched well in his last start at Florida. He went 5 innings only giving up 1 earned run in a 2-1 loss. Zambrano got bombed for 8 runs in 4.1 innings in his last start against the Nationals. But prior to that, the Cubs had won five straight games that he started.

Don’t forget to visit The Mets Report Live Game Chat during the game to chat with other Mets fans!

Mets News Aug. 30, 2009 Wright, Minaya, Prospects

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I’ve already written so much about the Mets injuries this season that I’m really tired of it. Unfortunately, the injuries are the theme of the season and I do have some more links on the topic for you today. But we do have something to look forward to as well with news about the Mets prospects and the ones that’ll be joining the roster in a few days.

Anyway, here’s the news:

Bill Madden of the Daily News has a great summarizing column about the injuries. The Mets have lost 1,095 days to the disabled list.
Bob Raissman of the Daily News wrote a column about Omar Minaya and his communication problems. This topic has been beaten to death but Raissman brings up some good points like whether Minaya has these same communication issues with his staff or other GM’s.
Although this isn’t Mets-related, David Waldstein of NY Times writes about players tipping pitches. Specifically, he gets into the allegation that Miguel Tejada was tipping pitches to his friends on opposing teams in 2001 when he was with the A’s (and Art Howe). It’s definitely an interesting read.
Dave Singer of NY Sports Dog has a good piece about Mike Pelfrey and the Verducci Effect.
Mark Hale of the NY Post wrote about Adam Wogan who’s been filling in for Tony Bernazard since he was fired.
Marc Hulet of FanGraphs wrote about the Mets having hope for the future with some minor league talent coming. Specifically, he writes about Kirk Nieuwenhuis a 22-year old lefty in the Florida State League.
The NY Times reports on David Wright returning from the disabled list on Tuesday in Colorado. He’ll immediately start wearing the new, more protective, batting helmet that we saw Ryan Dempster wearing yesterday.
Adam Rubin of Surfing The Mets has the September call-up list including catcher Josh Thole who will be with the team in Colorado this week.

Cubs 11 – Mets 4 Aug. 29, 2009

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The Mets got their brains beat in on national TV by the underachieving Cubs today. The biggest culprit was Bobby Parnell getting ripped in his third consecutive start. Today he gave up 8 runs in 4.2 innings. He’s not fooling anyone with his weak slider that only appears to break about half of the time he throws it.

The Mets managed 9 hits but only two were for extra bases. Those were only doubles by Jeff Francoeur and Brian Schneider. Although Schneider had a 2 for 4 day and raised his season average to .188.

The game was over in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Cubs scored 6 including a grand slam by Jake Fox. All of the runs were on Parnell.

We did get our first look at Lance Broadway today. He was acquired from the White Sox in the Ramon Castro deal. He gave up 2 runs in 3 innings of mop-up duty to finish off the blowout game.

The Mets have lost the first two games of the series in Chicago. They try to avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon.

Box score

Poll: Mets Angel Pagan An Everyday Player

Angel Pagaon One of the things that I’ve wanted to get your opinion about is whether or not you think that Angel Pagan is an everyday player. He seems to be one of those five-tool players that’s always hurt. Pagan has tremendous athletic ability but he occasionally makes silly plays in the outfield or on the bases that make you shake your head.

Pagan has never played in more than 77 games in a season during his short career. Some of that was due to being an inexperienced player and some due to injuries. Clearly, he’s playing as well as he ever has as a Met since Carlos Beltran went on the disabled list. He has 211 at-bats this season, by far the most of his career.

The most likely determining factor into Pagan getting a shot to play everyday in left field next season is first base. Do the Mets continue with light-hitting Daniel Murphy at first and get a slugging outfielder in free agency? Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are both free agents after this season. Or do the Mets get a slugging first baseman and go with a more athletic outfielder like Pagan in left?

For those viewing this in a feed reader there’s a poll embedded in the post. Please visit the site to vote.

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