| Fair and Balanced New York Mets baseball news, game recaps, opinion, and analysis from the perspective of a player / coach

One of my favorite baseball sites — MLBTradeRumors — recently covered the Mets in their “Needs and Luxuries” series (hat tip to Micalpalyn and Isuzudude for inspiring this rebuttal).

Take a look at that post and then come back here. I’ll wait …

OK, so nothing earth shattering regarding the “current” Mets lineup — although it’s about 99.9% that Moises Alou will be back and you can plug him into the leftfield spot where Carlos Gomez is currently listed.

Beyond that, here are my opinions:

2B (Ruben Gotay)

I would be incredibly surprised (though equally thrilled) if Gotay is the starting second baseman come spring training. If the second baseman is not Luis Castillo, then I assume that Omar Minaya will look at Mark Loretta, David Eckstein, and Tad Iguchi as possibilities. I also strongly believe that A-Rod’s winter decisions could affect what the Mets do — not saying the Mets will sign A-Rod, but that his decision may create an opportunity to obtain someone else (i.e. Julio Lugo). I don’t think Freddy Sanchez is an option, simply because the Pirates seem to be high on him, and he’s fairly cheap. Though a new GM could have different ideas. Mark Ellis is an interesting possibility, but I think he’d only come East if he were part of a blockbuster that includes Danny Haren or Joe Blanton.

Catcher

If LoDuca doesn’t come back, then I’m betting the house that either Jorge Posada, Ramon Hernandez, or Miguel Olivo come to the Mets. I doubt Barrett is a consideration, and don’t see the Indians trading Shoppach when they want to transition Victor Martinez to 1B. Gerald Laird would be a nice pickup but I’d be surprised if Minaya went after a “no name” for such an important position on the diamond. That said, Bengie Molina is not out of the question.

Starting Pitching

We’ve been beating this to death. The Mets absolutely must sign a horse. If there’s a trade, I hope it’s Blanton and not Garland. D-Train is intriguing, but likely will cost too much. Nate Robertson is also interesting, if he can be pried away for a reasonable package. We’ve already discussed Schilling.

Relief Pitching

‘Cisco Cordero likely won’t be signed, especially if Milwaukee’s alligator arms reach into their pockets for some dough as has been suspected. We’ve covered Mo. Percival is a guy I was telling Omar to sign back in January, but he wasn’t reading my blog. He could be part of a rebuilding project, but they’d need to get a few more additional arms.

Luxuries

Have to strongly agree that the Mets’ greatest luxury is money, and strongly disagree that the Mets’s second luxury is prospects. The way I see it, Omar could put the future of this organization into a tailspin if he uses up too many of the minor league chips. My guess is there will be ONE major deal over the winter that involves names such as Pelfrey, Humber, Gomez, Milledge, Carp, FMart, Mulvey, etc., and that no more than three major prospects get sent away — they simply don’t have the depth to trade any more.

Final Comments

I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that Milledge is the rightfielder in 2008. Methinks he could be on the West Coast as part of a deal to get a big arm, and the Mets will sign or deal for another short-term corner outfielder. Just a hunch.

Also, although in the past bullpens have been “built on the cheap”, every team in MLB is desperate for relief arms, and that theory no longer applies. The Mets will have to be either incredibly lucky — like they were in the offseason prior to 2006 — or spend a combination of dollars and trading chips to get a few decent arms in the bullpen.

Posted in 07-08 Offseason, Around the Blogs, Hot Stove | 12 Comments

Cleaning House

Posted on October 16, 2007 by Joe Janish

As a follow-up to the previous post, let’s go one step further.

Let’s pretend that today in Tampa the Yankee “braintrust” (ha!) decides not to bring Joe Torre back as manager.

Now let’s pretend that the same braintrust believes they have the perfect replacement. He’s a “winner”, a longtime Yankee from their Championship teams, has already managed a MLB team to the postseason, and has already proven he can manage under the microscope of the New York press.

And they won’t have to pay any relocation fees, because he lives in Upper Saddle River, NJ.

They hire Willie Randolph.

What an amazing coup for the Yankees — an ultimate backstabbing and move of disrespect on their crosstown adversaries.

For Randolph, it would be an ultimate fantasy. First, he returns to the Yankee pinstripes. Second, he’s blessed with the highest payroll in baseball history. Third, he gets to stick it to Omar and the Wilpons for making him sweat about his job in the early days of October. Finally, he gets to re-hire Rick Down to be his batting coach.

Now imagine just for a moment that this happens, and Omar Minaya turns right around and hires:

1. Tony LaRussa, the best manager in baseball

2. Leo Mazzone, the best pitching coach in baseball

3. Rudy Jaramillo, the best hitting coach in baseball

4. Larry Bowa, the best third-base coach in baseball

… and then goes and signs

1. A-Rod, the best player in baseball

2. Mo Rivera, the best closer in baseball

OK, we all know that Willie’s not going to the Bronx, and LaRussa probably can’t handle the New York media. And A-Rod probably wouldn’t move to rightfield to play in Flushing. Just throwing it out there for meaningless discussion — the possibility of the Mets bringing in “the best” of everything.

Posted in 07-08 Offseason | 14 Comments

Mets Vulture Over Yankees?

Posted on October 15, 2007 by Joe Janish

Tuesday is the big day for the New York Yankees braintrust, who will be having a big pow-wow in Tampa, Florida, to decide the fate of Joe Torre (among other things).

From the Mets’ fan’s point of view, the question is, do we care?

I think we should have a vested interest in the developments. After all, the ousting or retention of Torre could spark a domino effect.

For example, if Torre stays, that likely means that both Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera are re-signed. Both longtime Yankees are “Torre guys” and may be more inclined to stay in the Bronx if they know Joe will be captain of the ship in 2008.

In contrast, there’s a bit of a chance that Alex Rodriguez will be inclined to LEAVE if Joe Torre returns. Contrary to popular belief, Torre is not exactly on A-Rod’s Christmas card list. OK, that’s probably not true — a phony baloney like A-Rod should have 90% of MLB on his holiday list. But one must wonder if Alex has yet to forget Torre penciling him into the eighth spot of the batting order in a postseason contest. The greatest player (ego) in the history of baseball, batting 8th in one of the most important games of the season. Talk about a slap in the face.

Not that the Mets will pursue Rodriguez — but where he ends up could indirectly affect the Mets.

For example … let’s say the Red Sox want to sign A-Rod but want to shed some dollars. Like, Manny dollars. Omar Minaya will be on that one-year, $20M like white on rice. Or what if the Orioles decided to enter the bidding? Surely they’d look to deal Miguel Tejada, who might consider playing second base in New York. I’m reaching here, I know … but this is what makes the Hot Stove season so much fun.

On the other hand, if the Yankees choose to oust Joe Torre from the managerial position, how will that affect other personnel?

If he’s offended by the removal of Torre, perhaps Jorge Posada would like to come to Flushing. We’ll be happy to have him catch the inaugural first pitch at Citi Field in 2009 as well, for the princely sum of $30M over two years. How about it?

Similarly, his late-inning batterymate could really stick it to the Yankees by putting on the Mets’ orange and blue. And setting up instead of closing. He does have that restaurant to look over, after all. A three-year deal is not out of the question for the greatest reliever of all time.

In addition, if Torre was let go, the first call I’d make would be to Larry Bowa — who would be ideal as the foil to Willie Randolph in the role of bench coach. At the very least I’d ask if he wanted to replace Don Quixote … er, Sandy Alomar, Jr. … as third-base coach.

And what the heck, let’s bring Torre back to the Mets as well, as a TV analyst.

Oh, I know … we hate the Yankees and don’t want to have anything to do with them. But, Willie Randolph was a Yankee for a short time (almost a quarter century in pinstripes, in fact), and personally, I have no problem with Mo and Jorge coming this way.

We’ll see what the story is on Wednesday …

Posted in 07-08 Offseason | 24 Comments

Schilling to Phillies?

Posted on October 15, 2007 by Joe Janish

Curt Schilling pitching for the Phillies Well that’s a picture I don’t want to see again.

Before Curt Schilling was a big-mouth pitcher making cross-country headlines and competing for Cy Young Awards with the help of bloody socks, Curt Schilling was a big-mouth pitcher no one listened to because he toiled in Philadelphia for a very bad Phillies team. He looked to be a future star in Philadelphia while in his mid-twenties, winning 30 games in 1992 and 1993. However he won less than twenty over the next three years combined, and appeared on his way out of town before having a breakout year in 1997, pitching 254 innings and going 17-11.

The Phillies were an awful team back then, with a starting lineup comprised of guys like Rico Brogna, Marlon Anderson, Gregg Jefferies, Desi Relaford … oh wait, better description … um, the second-best pitchers to Schilling back then were hurlers like Paul Byrd, Robert Person … oh, never mind, take my word for it … even with a bunch of ex- and future Mets, they stunk!

Anyway, Schilling was dominating from then on, but was the only man on the Phillies staff who resembled a Major League pitcher, and they finally traded him to Arizona at the deadline in July 2000. From there you probably know the story — combining with Randy Johnson to beat the mighty Yankees in the World Series, pitching for the Red Sox with the bloody sock, calling out steroid abusers, blah blah blah.

After the World Series, Schilling becomes a free agent. He was asked recently about whether he’d consider returning to Philadelphia, and here was his answer:

“You have to put that my first choice is to stay here (Boston),” he said during batting practice last night. “But if it doesn’t work out, the Phillies are absolutely on the short list of places we’d want to go.

“There are probably still some people in Philadelphia who would rather not have me back. So we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Lovely. Let’s hope that a) there are enough people in Philly who don’t want him back; b) the Red Sox want him back; or c) the Yankees are willing to open up the wallet for him.

Yes, the guy’s a pain in the neck and getting older, but he can still throw the ball with the best of them on some nights. He’s still one of the top ten or fifteen guys you’d want to start a postseason game. And at age 41 next year, he should still be able to give a team 150-175 innings, maybe 10-12 wins.

Sounds a lot like another 40-something year-old free agent pitcher, doesn’t it? Would you take Schilling or Tom Glavine if given the choice?

There is one side effect of the Curt Schilling signing with the Phillies — it could possibly keep them from signing Mike Lowell to play third base. Not sure about you, but I don’t want to see the Phillies getting either of these current Red Sox.

Posted in 07-08 Offseason | 8 Comments

Bullpen Candidate

Posted on October 15, 2007 by Joe Janish

After a year of “retirement”, Keith Foulke would like to return to MLB.

And why not? With the state of bullpens across the NL and AL, he’s likely to get a guaranteed 7-figure contract simply for showing up to spring training in February.

Foulke’s agent announced the comeback late last week:

“He is definitely going to play next year,” Foulke’s agent, Danny Horwits, said by telephone. “He just needed to get healthy.”

Keith Foulke pitching for the Boston Red Sox in 2004 According to Horwits, the Red Sox will be the first team called to gauge interest. One would suspect that Foulke, an Arizona resident, would also be interested in the Diamondbacks. Whether either of those clubs would be interested in him is another matter.

Foulke turns 35 this Friday, but has a full season of rest. He recently had bone spur removed from his pitching elbow and will begin throwing in November. The surgery reportedly is not serious and requires a short rehab period, so he’s expected to be ready in time for spring training.

If he’s healthy, he would have to be a candidate for consideration by the Mets. His effectiveness as a pitcher spiraled downward immediately after the magical 2004 postseason — a period when he pitched in 11 of the 14 Red Sox playoff and World Series games, covering 14 innings and 257 pitches. That’s a lot of work in a short period of time, and likely had something to do with decline. He may not be the most talented closer of all time, but he’s a tough competitor and known to have pitched through pain.

A longshot, perhaps, but I’ll take a chance on him before bringing Guillermo Mota back.

Posted in 07-08 Offseason, Pitching Staff | 1 Comment

A Different Look

Posted on October 12, 2007 by Joe Janish

Kent Tekulve pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates During the offseason, I fill my need for baseball by watching DVDs of old-time baseball games from the 1960s-1980s (going back to my old school beginnings as a fan). Recently I’ve been watching the The 1979 World Series between the Pirates and Orioles
(a classic, by the way), and was reminded of the phenomenal pitching of a skinny submariner named Kent Tekulve.

Back then, Tekulve was a freak and a pioneer — one of a handful of pitchers at the time who dug a niche as a short-relief specialist. His gangly frame and underhand delivery was effective against batters over the entire course of a 16-year career that ended in 1989 at the age of 42. Out of sheer curiosity, I checked out his stats and found some remarkable numbers.

In that Championship year of 1979, Tekulve pitched in an unheard-of 94 games, saving 31, winning 10, and posting a 2.75 ERA in 134 innings! It was a near duplication of the previous season, when he tossed 135 innings over 91 games with a 2.33 ERA. In 1977 he pitched in “only” 72 games covering 103 innings. At the time, I distinctly remember “Teke” being profiled by Mel Allen on “This Week in Baseball”, and learning that his ability to pitch so often was due to his submarine style, which placed little stress on the arm.

Tekulve continued to be the Bucs’ closer through the early 80s, before losing effectiveness in 1985. At that point he was sent to the Phillies, who used him in what we’d now call a setup role, and in 1986 he went 11-5 in 73 appearances and 110 IP. The following season — at age 40 — he appeared in another 90 games and 105 innings, posting a 3.05 ERA. At age 41 his ERA jumped to 3.60 while pitching in 70 games, 80 innings — not too shabby.

This got me to wondering … if it’s true that a submarine delivery puts less stress on the arm, and allows a pitcher to pitch with more frequency and durability than overhand throwers, then maybe the Mets made a HUGE mistake in allowing Chad Bradford to walk. While we can’t ignore ChadBrad’s back issues, his rare style is ideal for the everyday, burn-em-out demands placed on middle relievers these days (especially those under W. Randolph and J. Torre).

Naturally, I had to look further into this oddity and see how other submariners fared. The only other ones of consequence I could remember were Dan Quisenberry and Gene Garber.

Quisenberry burst on the scene in 1980, helping to lead the Royals to the World Series in the closer role. He wasn’t like the one-inning closers of today, though — like Tekulve, he frequently pitched in multiple innings. In 1980 he appeared in 75 games, saving 33, winning 12, and amassing 128 IP. 1981 was a strike year so he pitched in only 40 games, but from 1982-1985 he AVERAGED 74 games and 134 innings per season. The 139 innings he logged in 1983 (when he posted a 1.94 ERA) rival the output of a typical 4th or 5th starter today — in fact he’d be in fifth place in innings pitched for the Mets in 2007 , right behind El Duque. Also like Tekulve, “Quiz” pitched well into his 30s.

Garber, ironically, was in the Pirates organization with Tekulve, but they didn’t see a need for two submariners. Though he wasn’t the lights-out closer that Teke and Quiz were, Garber did enjoy a serviceable, 19-year career — finishing up at age 40. He regularly appeared in 60-70 games and topped 100 innings 7 times.

What’s all this mean, and why am I wasting so much space on the topic of submariners?

You have to buy into my first theory of relief pitching before you buy into submarine theory.

First Theory: Pitching After Steroid Testing

Prior to 2006, when legitimate steroid testing of MLB players became mandatory, pitchers — particularly relievers — were remarkable when it came to recovery. Relievers had no problem pitching in 3-4 games per week, pitching back-to-back games, and maintaining a high level of effectiveness. Simultaneously, starting pitchers were throwing less and less innings — partially due to the MLB-wide insanity of adhering to the 100-pitch count and partially because the middle relievers were performing at a high level of competence.

Let’s stop right here and admit something: that above paragraph is conjecture. I actually don’t know the stats will bear it out, but I’m working on statistical comparatives as we speak and will come up with some numbers next week. But I have a strong feeling we’re going to find that relief pitching performance, for whatever reason, has regressed considerably over the past two years. Perhaps it has nothing to do with the initiation of steroid testing. Maybe the “X factor” is that all starting pitchers are now groomed to pitch to a predefined limit. Maybe it’s a combination.

But the bottom line is, every year, relief pitchers are pitching more innings, and being overused.

Second Theory: Overhand vs. Underhand

If we are to buy into the theory that Kent Tekulve, Dan Quisenberry, Gene Garber, and other TRUE submariners (and Joe Smith does not fit into this group; he doesn’t get his hand low enough) put less stress on their arm, then we can also surmise that they are capable of throwing more innings, more often, and maintain effectiveness without breaking down as quickly as an overhand thrower.

Of course, the theory could be flawed. Teke and Quiz may have simply been rubber-armed freaks. And it could have nothing to do with their underhanded delivery.

But if you buy into the theory, then it would make sense to find a true submariner — preferably one who pitches effectively — to add to the bullpen. And not for a “different look” as Willie Randolph likes to say — but to be a nearly everyday workhorse out of the bullpen. Ideally, a guy who would be used in the 6th-8th innings of close games — and take some of the pressure off of your main setup reliever. I think we can all agree that Randolph’s abuse of Aaron Heilman (and others) the last two years has been detrimental to both Heilman’s and the team’s performance. Further, I don’t believe there are any post-steroid pitchers who can make 80+ appearances per season and remain consistent throughout. Your setup man — be it Heilman, Feliciano, Sanchez, or Mo Rivera (!) — should be treated like your closer, and only brought in when you have a lead.

Operating on that plan, the setup man won’t pitch in 80 games — more likely, 55-65, which is more manageable. But you do need the rest of the ‘pen to eat up those other innings, and that’s why it would help immensely to have a submariner to “abuse” — a guy you can bring in every other day if need be. A guy like Kent Tekulve.

Candidates

Naturally, finding an underhander is about as easy as finding a knuckleballer. But chances are, the cost will be cheap. Former Met Chad Bradford is the first to come to mind. The Mets already have Steve Schmoll, but I haven’t seen him throw — can anyone confirm that he has a true underhand delivery? Mike Myers? Maybe Byung-Hyun Kim could reach a little lower. Or perhaps there is a diamond in the rough to import from Japan or Korea — the submarine style seems to be more accepted in the Far East.

Ideas? Thoughts? Am I off my rocker?

Posted in 07-08 Offseason, Pitching Staff | 5 Comments

Potential Non-tenders

Posted on October 11, 2007 by Joe Janish

It’s early for this kind of stuff, but we may as well get as much information as possible ahead of time. Surely you’re all like me, scribbling out depth charts and potential targets on a chalkboard or dry-erase wall in your office, right?

A fairly thorough list of potential non-tenders can be found here. I reiterate, they are POTENTIAL non-tenders. This means there is a possibility that their current team does not offer them a contract, thereby making them a free agent. Some of the players on this list likely will be “tendered” (offered a contract) rather than “non-tendered” (let go). For example, Joe Crede of the White Sox is one that jumps out right away as a player who likely will be tendered. Additionally, Jayson Werth, Clay Condrey, Chad Qualls, Wily Mo Pena, Xavier Nady, Scott Podsednik, Sergio Mitre, John Patterson, David Bush, Daniel Cabrera, Luis Ayala, Juan Cruz, Mark Prior, and Brandon Lyon are almost guaranteed to be tendered — much the same as Endy Chavez and Ollie Perez are certainly to be offered contracts by the Mets.

Still, check out the list for yourself, to get more of an idea of how the market is looking this winter. You’ll see that in regard to the Mets’ top priorities — catcher, second base, and bullpen — this particular vehicle doesn’t offer much promise.

Here are a few that strike me as possibilities, and worth considering as ST invites:

Neal Cotts (Cubs) – a highly sought-after lefthanded relief pitcher a year ago, Cotts had a terrible time after moving across town from the White Sox, and spent most of the year in AAA. Perhaps a move out of the Second City is what he needs to rediscover his former promise.

Kiko Calero (Athletics) – Calero was one of the keys to the Mark Mulder deal a few years back, and pitched well as a setup man for the A’s — until last season. His ERA ballooned by over 2 full runs (to 5.75) his WHIP jumped to 1.64, and his strikeout rate dwindled considerably. His poor performance is the result of a mysterious shoulder issue, which landed him on the DL during the season and forced the A’s to shut him down in September. It’s possible the A’s will non-tender him because of health concerns — and if so he’s a guy the Mets absolutely should take a gamble on. If healthy, he could be a legit 8th-inning guy. He throws a live, moving fastball, a good changeup, and a hard curve, can retire both lefties and righties Another thing going against him: age — he’ll be 33 when spring training opens.

Shawn Camp (Devil Rays) – He pitched in 50 games for the Devil Rays and was godawful. Terrible. He made Guillermo Mota’s season look effective. A 2.02 WHIP and 7.20 ERA. So why consider him? Because in 2006 he showed a bit of promise, actually tabbed as the Rays’ closer for a few weeks, throwing a hard sinker and changeup for lots of strikes. That’s his main issue — he’s hittable — but he pitches to contact and doesn’t walk many. He also has never pitched in the NL, so he could have that to his advantage for the first two months of the season (see: Joe Smith).

Horacio Ramirez (Mariners) – The Braves swindled the Mariners into taking this lefthanded starter in return for fireballing reliever Rafael Soriano. Ramirez was a bust, posting an unsightly 7.16 ERA in 20 starts. He showed some promise with the Braves in his early 20s, but has regressed since. Still, he’s only 27 and a lefty, so worth taking a flyer on. He could be a fifth-starter candidate, and would likely benefit from both a change in scenery and a return to the National League. He throws in the low 90s, mixes in a good overhand curve, and had excellent command before heading to Seattle. It’s hard to figure out what went wrong with this guy — but likely there is a sabermetrician who can tell us about BABIP or something.

Mike Maroth (Cardinals) – Maroth was a solid if unspectacular back-end starter for the Tigers when the Tigers were cellar dwellers. However he’s had a flurry of elbow issues dating back to 2005, became very hittable, and failed miserably in a move to the NL with the Cardinals this past season (except for, ahem, a stellar performance against the Mets). Chances are, his days are numbered as a Major Leaguer. But, he’s a tireless worker, a lefty, and just turned 30 — perhaps with a little luck he can resurrect his career. Based solely on his attitude and previous success, he could be one of the cans of paint to throw on the wall and see if it sticks.

Brendan Donnelly (Red Sox) – The goggled reliever was having a nice year for the Red Sox before succumbing to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in August. He’s scheduled to miss all of 2008, so he won’t be much help to the Mets next season. But he will have a new elbow come ’09, if you want to look that far ahead.

Tyler Walker (Giants) – This former Met came back from Tommy John surgery to become the Giants’ closer in mid-September, posting a 1.26 ERA in 15 games. However, the Giants had few leads in the late innings so he didn’t notch any saves. Though he made a great recovery, he’ll be 32 next year and the Giants are planning to go with youth in 2008; maybe that means they’ll let him go — but don’t count on it.

Wilfredo Ledezma (Padres) – spent time with three clubs in ’07 — the Tigers, Braves, and Padres — and was miserable with all. He’s a tall (6’4″) and skinny 27-year-old lefty who throws heat from an unusual angle, but hasn’t figured out how to put it all together — some scouts believe it’s a confidence issue. The San Diego bullpen is pretty well stocked and they may cut him and his 6.28 ERA loose. If so he’s worth a spring training invite.

Ryan Wagner (Nationals) – This 25-year-old righthander was part of the deal that sent Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez from Cincinnati to the Nats in return for a pile of garbage. Wagner had rotator cuff issues in 2007, and finished the year on the 60-day DL. Before the injury, he threw a nasty slider and a good sinker in the low-90s, and was considered the Reds’ closer of the future. His health questions make him a gamble, but he has age on his side. And the Mets will need to roll several pairs of dice if they want to re-stock the bullpen.

Eric Munson (Astros) – He was once a jewel of the Tigers organization, a slugging corner infielder. But he never made the offensive transition to MLB pitching and was converted to catcher. So now he’s an offensive-minded catcher who can’t hit. Considering that there are currently no catchers under contract, and he has the versatility to play first base, he may be worth a look. Plus, I like catchers named “Munson”.

Josh Phelps – A big, strong, heavy-hitting catcher and first baseman. Unfortunately, his skills behind the plate and first base remind one of Mike Piazza at the same positions — and he’s not half the batter of Piazza. Still, you have to like his pop off the bench and ability to both catch and back up Delgado at first.

Kevin Cash (Red Sox) – He’s Mike DiFelice, only ten years younger.

Miguel Olivo (Marlins) – If he didn’t swing at everything within a yard of the strike zone, he might be a decent offensive player. He does have a cannon for an arm, and is aggressive with it. He can outrun Luis Castillo, but his right hook is no match for 60-year-old Sandy Alomar Sr. After his meltdown in Game 161, not sure if the Mets are high on him. But then, what’s the difference between him charging Jose Reyes and Paul LoDuca’s “fire”? If he’s non-tendered as expected, don’t be surprised to see him serving his 5-game suspension as, ironically, a Met.

Adam Stern (Orioles) – If by some strange development Endy Chavez is non-tendered or unable to return to the Mets in ’08, this speedy, lefty-hitting Canadian would be a potential replacement.

Kevin Mench (Brewers) – The free agent market is devoid of righthanded-hitting outfielders with punch. Not sure if the Brewers will non-tender him, but Mench would be a nice pinch-hitting contrast to Marlon Anderson and Endy Chavez. Of course, a lot depends on what the Mets decide to do with Lastings Milledge this winter. If the Mets use LMillz in a trade, I’d be all for a “supermensch” platoon of Mench and Shawn Green.

Hector Luna (Blue Jays) – Luna was a fine utilityman for the Cardinals from 2004-2006, hitting around .285, but was a flop with the Jays this past season. I doubt he’s a platoon option for second base, but he has good speed, makes contact, is a good defender at all four infield positions and can play the outfield in a pinch. Basically, he’s a righthanded version of David Newhan. If the Mets did invite Luna to camp, it would behoove the Mets to let Willie Randolph know that his value is that he plays multiple positions — as Randolph apparently missed the memo on Newhan.

Alex Cintron (White Sox) – Not long ago, Cintron was an up-and-coming second baseman. A line drive hitter with good speed and a steady glove, Cintron hit .317 with 14 HRs with the Diamondbacks as a 24-year-old in 2003. However, he has regressed in all areas since then, and hit only .243 as a part-timer. If the Mets don’t re-sign Luis Castillo, Cintron might be a good platoon partner for Ruben Gotay.

Any other ideas from the potential non-tenders? Post them in the comments.

Posted in 07-08 Offseason | 12 Comments

The Funny Pages

Needs and Luxuries

Cleaning House

Mets Vulture Over Yankees?

Schilling to Phillies?

Bullpen Candidate

A Different Look

Potential Non-tenders

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