Category: Roster

Mets 2010 All-Star Lost Bonuses

One of the most interesting things about MLB contracts are the bonus clauses. They’re not allowed to give bonuses for most statistical performance entities. Many bonuses are structured around playing time or award selections. This is particularly true of free agent contracts and some arbitration eligible player contracts. I looked through Cot’s Baseball Contracts to see which Mets lost out on bonuses this year by not being selected to the 2010 All-Star game.

Here’s the list of lost bonuses:

  • Johan Santana – $100,000
  • Carlos Beltran – $100,000
  • Francisco Rodriguez – $100,000
  • Henry Blanco – $50,000

The Mets ended up saving $350,000 in bonus money this year and didn’t have to send the players above on a cross-country trip with the potential of getting hurt. It worked out really well for the Mets that none of their pitchers made the All-Star team. It’s always nice to have your players in the game for the exposure but the risk of a pitcher getting hurt is tough to swallow.

By the way, who would’ve ever thought that Blanco would have an All-Star clause in his contract?  He’s never been an All-Star in his career, so I don’t know where that came from.

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K-Rod and the Mets 2010 Bullpen

New York Mets pitcher Francisco Rodriguez follows through on a pitch against the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning of their National League MLB baseball game in Washington, July 3, 2010. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsForget Cliff Lee, how about solidifying the bullpen so that the anxiety levels of Mets fans throughout the Tri-State can subside late in games?

Yesterday (7/3), Francisco Rodriguez blew his fourth save of the season as he failed to protect a 5-3 Met lead in the bottom of the ninth against the Nationals. Following Ivan Rodriguez’s walk-off single to right, there was no pounding of the chest, no blowing kisses and pointing to the sky for our closer. Instead, the loss dropped the Mets to a disappointing 2-4 on the current road trip against sub-.500 NL East foes.

At this point, I am reluctant to even keep my television tuned into games when K-Rod enters in a save situation. Simply put, K-Rod is lacking as a stopper. He lacks the intimidation factor he once possessed with the Angels. He lacks good movement and location of his pitches. And he no longer is able to blow hitters away with plus velocity. His fastball is as straight as an arrow, and he often hangs his curveball. K-Rod’s control is erratic, and he has made a habit of getting behind in counts and putting runners on base. Basically, Franky has not given Mets fans a reason to feel confident in the 9th inning with a 1-3 run lead this season. With all of this said however, the one ounce of acclaim I will give him is that when his change-up is working he can be effective. Continue reading “K-Rod and the Mets 2010 Bullpen”

Video: Jose Reyes on Side Injury

Here’s some video from ESPN with Jose Reyes talking about the injury to his right side. He’s missed the last two games now and the lineup just isn’t the same without him. We know that all too well from all of the time he missed in 2009. But the Mets are 1-1 so far without him.

It’s a day-to-day situation, otherwise he would have been placed on the disabled list already. Let’s hope he’s back tonight against the Nats.

http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf

Mets Need Cliff Lee for the World Series?

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Cliff Lee releases a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of their MLB American League baseball game in Anaheim, California, May 28, 2010. REUTERS/Alex Gallardo (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsToday’s Water Cooler Topic: Why would the Mets even try to sign Cliff Lee when they know the Yankees will just steal him this offseason?

Ok, if you don’t already know I am a Met fan who knows entirely too many Yankee fans. Inevitably, I have to defend the Mets on a daily basis and this topic is a big one.

We’ve made it to July and are only 1.5 games out of first. This team just held it’s own against the Twins, Tigers and Yankees. Three of the top teams in the AL. The Mets are legitimate contenders.

My gut feeling is that the Mets should go all out and get Cliff Lee and not worry about losing him to free agency after the season ends. If the Mets always want to be a team that plays in the shadows of the current World Series Champions then why bother fielding a team at all? Do what it takes to win a World Series every year. That’s what that other team does. Continue reading “Mets Need Cliff Lee for the World Series?”

Johan Santana and Developing Young Pitchers

New York Mets Johan Santana (R) watches as Cleveland Indians Travis Hafner hits a pitch for a solo home run during the second inning of the Mets MLB inter-league baseball game in Cleveland, Ohio June 15, 2010. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsMets fans are quickly realizing that the 2010 version of Johan Santana is not the same pitcher that the team traded a proverbial “bucket of balls” for back in 2008. After Santana and the Mets agreed to a 6-year, $137.5 million extension following the trade that winter, the left-handed ace went 16-7 with an ERA of 2.53. Santana had a Cy Young caliber season that year, he could have easily had 4-5 more wins, if not for a horrendous bullpen that ultimately led to that team’s demise.

Fast-forward to the present, and it is plain to see that Santana is performing like anything but an ace. Coming off an injury shortened season in 2009, the wear and tear on Santana’s elbow is certainly showing, especially coming off surgery. The 31-year-old’s velocity is down considerably, which lessens the effect of his signature out pitch, his change-up. Combine the drop in velocity of his fastball with poor location of seemingly all of his pitches recently, and you have the make-up of a very hittable and predictable Major League pitcher.

With Santana’s 2010 campaign so far in mind, it reminds us of the importance of developing young pitchers within the organization (a big-market organization, at that), so the need for acquiring high end starting pitchers down the road isn’t as great. Continue reading “Johan Santana and Developing Young Pitchers”

Video: Cliff Lee 2010 Trade Market

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Cliff Lee throws a pitch to the New York Yankees in the first inning of their MLB American League baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York June 29, 2010. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsESPN’s Buster Olney talks about the current trade market for pitcher Cliff Lee. Although there are several teams that have Lee on their radar, Olney lists the Mets and Twins as the favorites to land him. Olney also says that the Mariners are ready to make a deal now so whoever is quickest to pull the trigger should come away with a front line starter for the second half of the season.

We’ve had some differing opinions about what the Mets should do before the deadline this year. Doug Gausepohl wrote that the Mets should forget Cliff Lee and focus on Roy Oswalt. Gabe Aguilar wrote that the Mets should trade prospects not depth for Cliff Lee and there’s a big difference.

Both make good points and we all hate to see good young players go. But the Twins didn’t come away with anything great in the Johan Santana deal. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I think we can all point to the Victor Zambrano for Scott Kazmir deal as one that got away.

http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf

David Wright Could Be MVP – We Believe in Comebacks

May 21, 2010 - New York, New York, U.S. - DAVID WRIGHT during the Mets vs Yankees at Citi Field in Flushing NY. The Yanks won 2-1.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsDavid Wright’s career hit a low point in 2009.

Sure, he hit .307, but he had a career low in home runs (10) and runs batted in (72).

Not to mention, the Mets won under 80 games for the first time since 2004, which was David Wright’s rookie campaign.

Coming off of that awful, putrid, and just plain unlucky 2009 season, the Mets started a promotional campaign claiming “We Believe in Comebacks”. Considering the terrible taste the Mets left in their fans’ mouths the past three seasons, not many people believed the Mets would be making any type of comeback this season.

But the Mets currently sit ten games above .500, and in the National League Wild Card lead. They’re also being led offensively by David Wright, who’s hitting .301 with 14 homers (four more than all of last year) and 61 RBI’s, which leads the National League.

Wright may have been happy getting a Comeback Player of the Year award this season the way last year went. But so far, he’s looking like a front-runner in the NL Most Valuable Player race.

At the moment, Wright is on pace to hit 30 homers and drive in 131 runs, all while maintaining that batting average above .300. Continue reading “David Wright Could Be MVP – We Believe in Comebacks”