Poll: Mets Firing Jerry Manuel?

Jerry Manuel
Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

The Mets are headed home from a 2-9 road trip that dropped them to one game over .500. They’re now 7.5 games behind the Braves and fell behind the Phillies to third place in the division. It’s not an insurmountable lead, but the offense has disappeared and the roster is pretty messy.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Mets fired Jerry Manuel tomorrow. I don’t hope he gets fired. He seems like a good, well-meaning guy. So I never like to see someone like that get fired.

Let’s face it though, it would be easy to fire Manuel on tomorrow’s off day. You can’t fire all the players so the manager will be the one to take the fall when things aren’t going well. We all know that. And the Mets have almost no commitment to Manuel left. He doesn’t have a contract for next year. The team would only have to pay him for two more months. There’s no financial constraint against letting him go right now.

What do you think? Will the Mets let him go now?


Will the Mets fire Jerry Manuel this week?survey software

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Report: Mets-Royals Trade Talks

May 09, 2010 - Queens, United States - epa02150708 New York Mets starting pitcher Oliver Perez firing a pitch to home plate to the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Citi Field, in Queens, New York, 09 May 2010.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsFox Sports Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Mets and Royals are still talking about an Oliver Perez for Gil Meche deal. That isn’t news. It’s been out there for a few days. It wouldn’t be an earth shattering trade considering both pitchers are considered diminished goods with bad contracts.

The big news is that there are several other names included in the discussion including Jeff Francoeur, Luis Castillo, Kyle Farnsworth, and Jose Guillen.

It would be interesting to see if they could work out a deal that was a minor facelift for the Mets. I’m not sure that a trade like this would have any major implications for the season other than to shake things up. But sometimes, that’s all it takes to get things moving in the right direction.

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Dodgers 1 – Mets 0 July 25, 2010

New York Mets starting pitcher R.A. Dickey (2nd R) speaks to manager Jerry Manuel (L) as Manuel takes him out of the game while catcher Josh Thole (2nd L) and first baseman Ike Davis look on during the sixth inning of their MLB National League baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, California July 25, 2010. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets had no offense again and go down in flames for the ninth time on this road trip. R.A. Dickey was pitching well into the sixth when he appeared to injure his leg on a fielding play in front of the plate. Jerry Manuel pulled him with two outs in the sixth and the two had words on the mound. He was pitching masterfully only allowing 2 hits, no runs, no walks, and had 6 strikeouts.

The Mets offense was weak again with only 7 hits and 1 walk. Luis Castillo had 2 hits in the game and the Mets had 3 doubles but Clayton Kershaw is a tough pitcher and the Mets offense has been dreadful. That’s a bad combination leading to the Mets getting shut out again.

Pedro Feliciano gave it up in the eighth inning on a Russell Martin double that scored Matt Kemp and that was the game.

The Mets head home from a 2-9 road trip and will certainly face some dissatisfied home fans.

Box score

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Preview: Mets at Dodgers July 25, 2010

New York Mets (50-48) at Los Angeles Dodgers (52-46) 4:10pm

R.A. Dickey (6-4 2.73) vs Clayton Kershaw (9-5 3.15)

TV: WPIX   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets try to even the series at 2-2 before heading home today from this 11 game road trip. The Mets have lost the last five games that Dickey started despite him pitching very well in his last four starts. The Dodgers have lost the last two games that Kershaw started. He hasn’t pitched as well over those starts against the Cardinals and Giants giving up 6 earned runs over 10.1 IP.

Don’t forget to visit The Mets Report Facebook page during the game to chat with other Mets fans! Connect with The Mets Report on Twitter too.

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Chone Figgins To Mets Trade Could Work

Jul 16, 2010; Anaheim, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Chone Figgins (9) bats during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. The Angels defeated the Mariners 3-2. . Photo via Newscom

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsIf Omar Minaya was smart, he would contact the Mariners’ Jack Zduriencik about trading bad contracts before the non-waiver trading deadline. I have to imagine that the Mariners would love to dump Chone Figgins after the fight in the dugout on Friday with manager Don Wakamatsu. Obviously, the Mets would love to unload their own bad contracts, i.e. Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo.

The funny thing is that the money is pretty even. Castillo and Perez are owed a combined approximately $25 million over the next year and a half. Figgins is owed about $29 million through 2013 plus he has a vesting option for 2014 for $9 million if he gets 600 plate appearances in 2013. The money is fairly close.

The Mets would appear to be getting the better player in the deal but they’d be absorbing more money and potentially more risk if Figgins continues to be a problem. He’s also 32 years-old and his offensive numbers have fallen off a cliff this year. There’s the added risk that he’s in a severe performance decline and the Mets are stuck with a long-term contract for him.

I think it’s a nice “change of scenery” deal for both teams that the Mets had luck with last season when they moved Ryan Church for Jeff Francoeur. I don’t think it would be as easy as the deal with the Braves. But the Mets would probably have to throw in a prospect to make it work. Continue reading “Chone Figgins To Mets Trade Could Work”

Video: Oliver Perez on Mets July 24, 2010 Loss

Here’s some video from ESPN talking to Oliver Perez after yesterday’s 3-2 loss to the Dodgers. Perez gave up the walk-off home run to James Loney in the 13th inning. He decided to go with the “everybody makes mistakes” argument for why he blew the game.

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

http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Dodgers 3 – Mets 2 July 24, 2010

New York Mets pitcher Oliver Perez reacts after giving up a three-run home run to Florida Marlins batter Dan Uggla during the third inning of their MLB National League baseball game in Miami, Florida May 14, 2010. REUTERS/Rhona Wise (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets got a fair start from Mike Pelfrey going 5 innings and allowing 2 runs. That’s a major upgrade from his most recent starts. The Mets bullpen took over and threw 5+ shutout innings for Pelfrey and the game went to 13 innings tied 2-2.

The Mets offense was pretty weak with 9 hits and 4 walks over the 13 inning span. Jose Reyes and Jason Bay were both 2 for 5 in the game. But the only extra base hits were doubles by Ike Davis and Luis Castillo. Angel Pagan did have two steals in the game.

Rod Barajas left the game with a strained oblique muscle suffered during an at-bat. Oddly, it was a hit which he hasn’t had many of lately.

Oliver Perez blew the game in the 13th allowing a home run to James Loney. It’s gotten to the point where he can’t do anything right for this team. His new role as lefty specialist isn’t working out so well when he gives up a walk off homer to a lefty on a tough road trip.

Box score

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js