Last night the Boston Red Sox came to terms with Joel Pineiro on a 1-year, $4M deal. Pineiro was perhaps the most talented, currently healthy, starting pitcher left on the market, and apparently the Mets didn’t fit into his needs. Pineiro would have been a nice addition, certainly a comparable option to Joe Blanton and — despite his current status as an enigma — light years ahead of Tony Armas Jr., Tomo Ohka, and Jeff Weaver. However, signing with the Bosox may turn out to be the best move for Jo-el, as he may very well end up as their closer. The guy has wicked stuff, yet unable to put together any kind of consistency since going 16-11 in 2003.

As much as I like Pineiro’s talent, I’m understanding why the Mets didn’t go hard after him. Rick Peterson already has enough projects on the plate when spring training breaks. There’s the health of Duaner Sanchez, the advanced development of Oliver Perez and John Maine into middle-of-the rotation guys, the nurturing of Mike Pelfrey, Jason Vargas, and Philip Humber, the Ambiorix Burgos Project (similar to last year’s Jorge Julio Project), and what to do with the sudden plethora of middle relievers (Jon Adkins, Jason Standridge, etc.). Who knows, maybe changing Aaron Heilman back to a starter is on the to-do list as well. Adding what looks to be another time-intensive project in Joel Pineiro, and at a fairly high price for a guy with a 6.36 ERA and a history of arm troubles — even in this insane market.

With Pineiro about to sign, David Wells staying on the West Coast, and Mark Mulder supposedly deciding between two teams not in New York, we’re left with Ohka, Weaver, Armas Jr., maybe Mark Redman, though there hasn’t even been a whisper on him. I keep looking at the available free agents, and it’s like when you’re not sure what you want to eat, but you keep getting up and opening the refrigerator door every ten minutes, as if something different will suddenly appear, or maybe you’ve missed a jar of olives behind the leftovers.

All that’s behind the previously mentioned meatloaves are a menagerie of lost causes — Rick Helling, Bruce Chen, Ramon Ortiz, Shawn Estes, Jamey Wright, Brian Moehler, Aaron Sele, Chan Ho Park, Russ Ortiz, Jason Johnson, and Jerome Williams. (I’ve left out John Thomson, who’s supposedly agreed with the Mariners, the two 2006 Mets unmentionables, and Roger Clemens.) If those names were the leftovers in my fridge, I’d call for take-out.

The one seemingly ideal platoon partner for Jose Valentin — Mark Loretta — is also apparently about to sign with the Astros. Good for him. He’ll be a good bat and solid player for Houston, stealing at-bats from the anemic-hitting Adam Everett, former-slugging Morgan Ensberg, and aging Craig Biggio. So there goes the idea that Stache would have a strong bat to rest him. Unless they’re crazy enough to sign Ronny Belliard, the Mets will probably gamble that Damion Easley will be Valentin of 2007, Anderson Hernandez can bat his weight, or Ruben Gotay can recapture the skills that once made him a prospect.

Hopefully, the Mets talks with Ohka break down, as he’s supposedly looking for a 3-year deal. Sorry, but the guy is 48-58 lifetime, and coming off a rotator cuff tear. Even if he’s healthy, I’d rather take my chances with any of the internal options.

Furthermore, I doubt there’s any real interest in Jeff Weaver, who’s also looking for a 3-year deal. His agent is Scott Boras, so he’ll probably get such a deal — assuming Boras uses his hypnotic skills or serves the mysterious stupid potion that worked on the San Francisco Giants.

Assuming the Mets balk on Ohka and Weaver, there’s a good chance they’ll throw a flyer to Armas Jr., who should come cheaper and at only a one-year commitment. Armas might not be anything special himself, and he has health issues, but at least — it appears anyway — we won’t be stuck with a multi-year deal for a guy who is as much a gamble as anyone else currently available.

Juiced Balls

As if the Hot Stove weren’t pathetic enough this week, there’s a report that the baseballs in 1998 were juiced. Yeah, right. Where did this come out of? Left field?

Anyone who remembers 1998 will recall that everyone and his brother (and every MLB pitcher) was slicing up, unraveling, and otherwise dismantling baseballs, trying to figure out why the spheres were flying out of parks. Now, we know that those experiments were done to take our eyes off the bulging muscles ripping through hitters’ uniform sleeves. Despite all of those baseball dismemberments in 1998, some medical company came to this “juicing” conclusion based on “CT images” taken of balls. Sounds to me like a company with some fancy equipment has an ignorant PR team looking for some press. How a “CT image” does a better job of sizing the rubber inside than slicing a ball in half is beyond my comprehension.

But then, that’s why I’m wasting my time writing a blog for free and they’re making a bundle as this story rips through the media.

42 days till pitchers and catchers report to spring training …

I’m really, really hoping that Ken Davidoff’s source is wrong about the Mets’ interest in signing Tomo Ohka. I’m also hoping that they’re not interested in trading any active player for Rodrigo Lopez, since the Baltimore Orioles want a better offer than merely “mid-level prospects”. If the deal for Lopez involved moving Mo Vaughn’s contract, or maybe part of Bobby Bonilla’s (I think we’re STILL paying off on his deferred deal), then it might be worth it.

Funny, that the O’s would want so much value back for such a piece of trash. But then, Jim Duquette is the GM there, and he once thought that Victor Zambrano was worth Scott Kazmir. Ah, now it makes sense!

In other rumors, ol’ “Scoop” Heyman has uncovered this deep, dark secret: the Mets are using Lastings Milledge as trade bait in an attempt to obtain a starting pitcher!

As if that tidbit isn’t enough to make you jump out of your chair in surprise, Heyman further lets out this bombshell: the Mets are close to signing David Newhan! Personally, I have been up most nights ever since Chris Woodward left the team for greener pastures in Atlanta.

Picking up Newhan to compete with — or sit next to on the bench with — Damion Easley, Anderson Hernandez, and Ruben Gotay really makes you wonder what the heck Omar was thinking when he refused to give a 2-year deal to Marlon Anderson (yet have no problem handing one to the 48-year-old Julio Franco). Omar hasn’t made too many mistakes in his reign, but letting Marlon walk over the cost of a 2-year, $3M deal seems crazy now, doesn’t it?

And before the Mets sign Newhan to a contract — by the way he’s a Scott Boras client, which means he may very well be demanding a 5-year / $30M deal — you’d think they might send a spring training invite to Jeff Keppinger. But then, Jeff Wilpon might not yet be over the affair between his wife and Keppinger. At least, I think that’s why we traded Kepp for Gotay last spring.

While the last-minute free-agent signings are heating up, why are we not hearing Mark Redman’s name mentioned in Mets circles? Or in any circles for that matter? Looking at his stats over the last five years, and looking at Ted Lilly and Jeff Suppan and their 4-year contracts … well, maybe Redman needs a new agent. He’s no Barry Zito, but he’s an able-bodied, healthy, soft-tossing lefty that can probably provide 160-180 innings. You’re not going to get much more than that from Ohka, or Tony Armas Jr., who both have questionable health.

But then, if the Mets weren’t so stubborn about keeping Aaron Heilman in the bullpen, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. I’d much rather give Heilman a shot than throw bad money at Redman, Ohka, or Armas, or give up someone for crap like Rodrigo Lopez. Who knows, maybe that’s the plan … contingent on Duaner Sanchez’s health, of course.

Gosh, these slow news days are killers. If you would have told me last night that today’s big excitement surrounded Tomo Ohka, David Newhan, and Rodrigo Lopez, I’d have stayed in bed this morning … or at least left the laptop in its case for the day.

43 days till pitchers and catchers report …

Before spring training last year, the Mets had several “IFs” tied to their 2006 potential. Among them:

1. If Billy Wagner could fulfill his enormous (at the time) contract, despite nearing his mid-30s.

2. If Steve Trachsel could recover from back surgery and assume the #4 starter role.

3. If Victor Zambrano could find the strike zone, and emerge as a solid middle-of-the-rotation innings-eater.

4. If Aaron Heilman could make a successful transition back to the starting rotation, and claim the #5 spot.

5. If Carlos Delgado could continue to wield a powerful bat, despite being the age that many sluggers of the past (Jim Rice, Dale Murphy, Jeromy Burnitz) begin to lose bat speed and regress.

6. If Paul LoDuca could somehow return to his .300-hitting days, not fall apart in the second half, and make Mike Piazza’s departure a little easier.

7. If Kaz Matsui could erase his disappointing first two years in a Mets uniform, and become the “All-Star second baseman” Willie Randolph envisioned.

8. If not Kaz, than if Bret Boone can make a comeback and take 2B?

9. If not Kaz or Boone, if Anderson Hernandez can prove his winter league hitting and rookie of the year award was no fluke?

10. If Tom Glavine, could at the age of 40, rebound from an inconsistent 2005 and quiet the whispers that he was done.

11. If Pedro Martinez could somehow start another 30 games, despite myriad physical ailments.

12. If Cliff Floyd could have another productive, injury-free season.

13. If Carlos Beltran could put a terrible 2005 behind him, and start earning his nine-figure contract.

14. If Jose Reyes could have another pulled-hamstring-free season, and continue to develop as a leadoff hitter … like maybe take a few walks.

15. If Xavier Nady or Victor Diaz — or some combination of them both — can fulfill their potential and adequately replace the gaping hole left by the departure of Mike Cameron.

Looking at the above, you could make a case that Billy Wagner and Carlos Delgado were not question marks at all, despite their advancing age. However, the other 13 “IFs” were legitimate issues to ponder, at the beginning of spring training last year.

This year, we have plenty of “IFs” as well, but they don’t seem quite as concerning compared to last year. Here are a few that occur to me:

1. If Oliver Perez and John Maine can fill out the back-end of the Mets rotation.

2. If Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey, Dave Williams, Jason Vargas, Alay Soler, or possibly Aaron Heilman emerge as a reliable starter at the back end.

3. If El Duque can remain healthy throughout the season.

4. If El Duque cannot remain healthy, if someone from #2 step up and fill in.

5. If Duaner Sanchez can return to form after surgery.

6. If some combination among Ambiorix Burgos, Jon Adkins, Juan Padilla, Jason Standridge, and Steve Schmoll fill the bullpen roles formerly held by Chad Bradford and possibly Aaron Heilman.

7. If Jose Valentin can continue his late-career renaissance and provide some punch from the 2B position.

8. If Valentin can’t, if AHern, Ruben Gotay, or someone else emerge as a solid second sacker and adequate #8 hitter.

9. If Moises Alou can have a relatively injury-free 2007, and provide protection in the #6 hole behind David Wright.

10. If Shawn Green can at least maintain numbers in the 15 HR / 75 RBI / .280 AVG range and be a somewhat productive #7 hitter.

11. If Guillermo Mota can be the pitcher he was in September 2006, after returning from his 50-game ban.

12. If Paul LoDuca can have another solid year, at age 35.

This year’s “IFs” are worth consideration, but don’t seem nearly as tenuous as last year’s. We had a LOT riding on Trachsel, Zambrano, and Heilman anchoring the back of the rotation, and in the end, only Trax was a starter. Sure, we muddled through, but all in all, those “IFs” became irrelevant.

Likewise, we thought we needed another huge year by Floyd — which we didn’t get. We thought someone from the Matsui / AHern / Boone competition would make an impact, and instead someone completely off the radar — Jose Valentin — established himself as a new IF for 2007.

We also thought that if the Mets were going to go ANYWHERE, we had to have a healthy Pedro. Well, that was proved wrong. In addition, we thought replacing Mike Cameron was going to take a minor miracle. For half a season, we got it from Xavier Nady.

The “IFs” surrounding Wagner and Delgado were more paranoia of a pessimistic Mets fan than legitimate “IFs”. Maybe this year’s unrealistic paranoia is the concern over Mota, Alou, or Valentin.

Perhaps the biggest ifs last year were pinned on Beltran, Reyes, and LoDuca — and all three more than fulfilled expectations. We wanted Beltran to get back to being a 25-HR, 100-RBI guy and he did all that and more. We wanted Reyes to simply stay healthy and take a few walks — and he responded by getting serious consideration for NL MVP. We wanted LoDuca to ease the pain of losing Piazza’s big bat … and there are people today who want to know who is Piazza?

Further, people like Valentin, Chad Bradford, Darren Oliver, Duaner Sanchez, John Maine, Endy Chavez, and El Duque came out of nowhere to make significant contributions.

So before you panic, and start listing all the “IFs” that make success in 2007 seem so questionable for the Mets — be it the rotation, the AARP members in the lineup, whatever — remember that every year has its question marks. Somehow, some way, they all get answered or erased — often out of nowhere.

We still have about 45 days before pitchers and catchers report — the time when hope springs eternal — yet there is a general panic among Mets fans because of Omar Minaya’s “lack of action” in the postseason.

We were spoiled by the previous two offseasons, in which we garnered the likes of Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Billy Wagner, and Paul LoDuca — all major impact players. Since October 2006, we’ve added just one hopefully impactful body: Moises Alou. Not nearly the same excitement, huh?

What happened to Barry Zito? Alfonso Soriano? Carlos Lee? Or at least Freddy Garcia? Where’s the splash, Omar?

Let’s put this into perspective.

First, the Mets didn’t need a big splash this offseason. We’re not coming off an Art Howe-led sub-.500 season. We’re not coming off a year where our hopes were pinned to young hopefuls such as Ty Wigginton and Timo Perez. Rather, Omar is looking to add just the right pieces to a fairly well-put-together juggernaut that came within one swing of the bat of going to the World Series.

Say what you want about the Mets’ starting rotation — but it has more potential right now than it did this time last year. And last year we ran away with the NL East.

If your memory is weak … this time last year we were looking at a starting rotation of Pedro, a Tom Glavine coming off an inconsistent year, Victor Zambrano, Steve Trachsel coming off back surgery, and the eternal prodigy Kris Benson. A few days from now, Jae Seo would be traded for some run of the mill middle relievers that the Dodgers didn’t want (Steve Schmoll, Duaner Sanchez), and before the end of January Kris Benson would be gone too (for another enigma, Jorge Julio, and some non-prospect named John Maine) leaving the #5 spot open for competition between Aaron Heilman, Jose Lima, and a Korean import named Dae Sung Koo (Brian Bannister was on no one’s radar until midway through spring training).

After making big splashes with the Wagner signing and the trades with the Marlins, Minaya seemed to be making a few last tweaks to bolster the bullpen depth. His rotation looked fine to him despite Pedro’s annual health issues, Glavine’s seeming demise, and Trachsel’s back.

Take another look:

1. Pedro Martinez
2. Tom Glavine
3. Victor Zambrano
4. Steve Trachsel
5. Heilman, Koo, or Lima

Remember again that the world was wondering whether Tom Glavine was becoming an overaged, very hittable, .500 pitcher.

Also, Mike Pelfrey was nothing more than a consideration for AA. Philip Humber was still in physical therapy after Tommy John surgery. John Maine was an unknown throw-in, presumably acquired to fill out the Norfolk Tides’ roster. Brian Bannister was a non-prospect. Oliver Perez was the ace of the Pirates’ staff, and had to shoulder a heavier load because #3 starter Dave Williams had been traded to the Reds for Sean Casey. Jason Vargas was being touted as a possible top-of-the-rotation starter for the Marlins, after a short, but impressive 2005 debut.

What a difference a year makes !

Looking from the above perspective, did Omar really need to make a big splash again?

He may still … remember, the deals that brought John Maine, Jorge Julio, and Duaner Sanchez occurred after the first of the year. At the time, though, they didn’t seem like splashes. Once again, we may not hear the splash until after the season starts, when, say, Jon Adkins, Ambiorix Burgos or Jason Standridge are pitching lights out from the bullpen, or Ben Johnson is hitting towering homeruns, or another player from a soon-to-come, seemingly small deal emerges. Or maybe, the splash will be the result of a NON-move — like Mike Pelfrey becoming the Justin Verlander of 2007, or Oliver Perez returning to his 2004 form, or Aaron Heilman taking a rotation spot and showing why the former Notre Dame star was a two-time first-round draft pick.

Before you start wondering when Omar Minaya is going to make the big splash, consider last offseason, and understand that the splash may have already happened — we just didn’t hear it yet.

Happy New Year’s to everyone. Hope everyone has a healthy and happy 2007!

With that out of the way, there isn’t much else to report, other than a tidbit from Ray Ratto suggesting that the Oakland A’s will trade Joe Blanton for Lastings Milledge.

Granted, this could be as much a guess as the NY media thinking the Yankees were trading Randy Johnson to clear salary for a Barry Zito run. However, it’s been a slow few days, and the most passionate (read: insane) of us are happy to attack and ponder any hint of a rumor we can find in early January.

Straight up, Milledge for Blanton is a nice, fair deal for both sides. The A’s need some outfielders, have a surplus of solid starters, and Billy Beane supposedly covets Lastings Milledge. The Mets don’t appear ready to insert Milledge into the starting lineup in 2007, and are hungry for an innings-eating starter. Looking at what became of Alex Ochoa, Alex Escobar, and even Jay Payton, bargaining the future by trading a “potential star” such as Milledge in return for a solid (if unspectacular) starter who can make a contribution now seems like a good idea for our Flushing favorites.

Yes, there are some people who like to compare Lastings Milledge to Gary Sheffield. Unfortunately, the comparison includes not only raw skills but attitude. The chance that Milledge eventually matures into a “good” Gary Sheffield — meaning, the guy who lost the clubhouse cancer personality and evolved into one of the top five pure hitters in MLB — is slim. Even after hitting 33 HRs and driving in 100 RBI as a 23-year-old in 1992, Gary Sheffield was still a punk, and was enough of a distraction that the Padres still found it a good idea to move him. It really wasn’t until 1999, when he turned 30 and played under the laid-back Davey Johnson, that Sheffield began to shed his bad reputation — despite occasionally putting up great numbers.

At age 22, Lastings Milledge is nowhere near where Sheffield was at the same age. He might get there in, say, two or three years — but by then the Mets should have Carlos Gomez ready, and/or have a good idea of what Fernando Martinez will become. The Mets are built to win in 2007, and with Gomez and Martinez waiting in the wings (and Carlos Beltran locked up through 2011), can afford to flip Milledge without compromising the future.

There are some who may feel that the Mets should get something more than “just” Joe Blanton in return for Lastings Milledge. However, two things need to be considered. First, the 26-year-old Blanton has won 28 MLB games and pitched nearly 400 innings over the last two years — nothing to sneeze at. Those numbers place him as a legitimate #3 starter in the Mets’ rotation — in fact, his sheer stats make him their #2. Secondly, this offseason’s market has seen people such as Gil Meche get 5-year contracts, and Jason Jennings fetch three top prospects. If the Mets could get Joe Blanton for Lastings Milledge straight up, there shouldn’t be a moment’s hesitation.

The problem is that Billy Beane knows the market all too well, and wouldn’t dream of releasing Blanton for just Milledge. He’ll try to squeeze Aaron Heilman out of the Mets as well, and/or Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber. At that point, the Mets must say “no thanks” — after all, Pelfrey or Humber have much more upside than Blanton, and Heilman may very well be as competent a starter as Blanton if given the chance.

Unfortunately, the Mets don’t have too many “expendable” trade chips beyond Milledge. Gomez and Martinez are widely coveted, but probably untouchable — especially if Milledge is dealt. John Maine and Oliver Perez would be decent chips if the Mets weren’t so reliant upon them both to fill out the back end of their rotation. Newly acquired Ben Johnson, Jon Adkins, and Jason Vargas might be expendable, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of interest in this trio. Alay Soler and Anderson Hernandez didn’t show enough last year to impress anyone, and former KC Royals prospect Ruben Gotay has fallen off of most scout’s lists. The only decent prospects they have at AA and AAA were left off the 40-man, available to anyone in the winter draft. It seems that if the Mets are to acquire a worthwhile starter without overpaying, they’ll either have to find someone who overvalues Lastings Milledge, is willing to include a prospect of their own, or lasso in a third team to make a trade happen.

In the end, if the Mets can’t get Blanton — or someone similar — straight up for Milledge, I’ll be happy if they stand pat. I’d rather see Oliver Perez and John Maine fall flat on their faces (but give the youngsters another year of seasoning), than watch Mike Pelfrey, Phil Humber or Aaron Heilman win 15 games for someone else. Apparently, I’m still not over the Scott Kazmir deal.

Since I have nothing better to do in this post-Zito Hot Stove season, I’ve researched some previous World Champions and identified the “gamers” on those clubs.

If you read this blog frequently, you know I’m not much for analyzing Win Shares, ZiPS projections, PECOTA cards, and other hard-core baseball stats. MetsGeek covers that stuff in fine detail — and they do a wonderful job at that.

Being more of an “old school” baseball guy, I tend to look at intangibles and other immeasurables (though the statheads have interesting points as well).

Maybe it’s because I hate math, or am too lazy to try and understand SABRmetrics. It’s all too concrete and final … I like opinions that have arguments attached. Makes for a more interesting offseason.

As mentioned in the earlier post, a “gamer” is a guy who plays with extreme passion, and visibly does everything he has to do to win the game. In many cases, he is an overachiever, but is occasionally a star. Often he’s called “pesky”, or a “scrapper”, and opponents may hate him. He’s usually vocal — both in the clubhouse and with opponents — and may sometimes get in trouble for his mouth. He plays the game hard: gets dirty, plays hurt, fights, crawls, scratches, runs into walls, and takes out the DP pivotman. He is also almost always fundamentally sound in all areas of the game, including bunting and/or hit-and-run, is a solid if not excellent fielder, and runs the bases well regardless of speed. He’s willing to give himself up for the team, such as playing out of position or poking a grounder to the right side to move the runner from second to third. He’s the guy you have faith in to execute a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the ninth, and to somehow come up with the big hit in the World Series. He’s the guy whose heart you’d never question, not for a second.

The Mets have some great athletes on their team, but maybe not enough gamers. Carlos Beltran is a fine example of a near superstar who might not be considered a gamer. Have you ever seen him crash into a wall for a ball (the Cameron accident doesn’t count)? Seen blood on his pants? Would you trust him to bunt a guy over?

Carlos Delgado might be there, especially after coming up big in the postseason. David Wright is getting there, but his flop in the postseason sent him backward in the gamer class. Shawn Green used to be there, when he was younger, but his skills are not what they used to be. Jose Reyes? Another fine talent, not really a gamer … but maybe someday. Paul LoDuca, and, to a degree, Endy Chavez, are the only legitimate, down and dirty gamers the Mets play on a regular basis. They could use at least one, if not more, of these type of players, if they want to go to a World Series.

Herewith are examples of “gamers” from previous World Series Champions … with the hopes that the Mets can find one or two more of these gritty types to fill their roster in 2007.

2006 Cardinals
David Eckstein, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen. To a degree, Scott Spiezio, So Taguchi.

2005 White Sox
Joe Crede, AJ Pierzynski, Aaron Rowand. Maybe Tadahito Iguchi.

2004 Red Sox
Jason Varitek, Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller, Mark Bellhorn.

2003 Marlins
Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Lowell. Maybe you throw Juan Pierre or Luis Castillo in there.

2002 Angels
Bengie Molina, David Eckstein, Darin Erstad, Adam Kennedy, Scott Spiezio.

2001 Diamondbacks
Mark Grace, Jay Bell, Steve Finley, Matt Williams.

2000 Yankees
Scott Brosius, Derek Jeter, Paul O’Neill, Chuck Knoblauch

1986 Mets
Ray Knight, Lenny Dykstra, Wally Backman. You could also put Mookie Wilson, Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter in there.

1979 Pittsburgh Pirates
Tim Foli, Phil Garner, Willie Stargell. Dave Parker, Lee Lacy, and Ed Ott were close.

1978 Yankees
Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, Lou Piniella. To a lesser degree, Brian Doyle.

1976 Reds
Pete Rose, Johnny Bench

1973 A’s
Sal Bando, Gene Tenace. To a lesser degree, Joe Rudi and Bert Campaneris.

1969 Mets
Buddy Harrelson, Tommie Agee, Jerry Grote.

Now, surely there have been World Champions that didn’t have a David Eckstein, Scott Brosius, or Ray Knight — but those teams seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

And while it’s true that pitching wins, consider the ’79 Pirates, who did not have a 15-game winner on their staff (John Candelaria led the team with 14 wins). That may not seem like a big deal today, but back in the late 70s, it was routine for a first-place team to have at least one 20-game winner, if not two. The 1976 Reds were similar, with only one 15-game winner — but they also had an unbelievable offense headed by Bench, Rose, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan and George Foster.

The 2007 Mets will have a strong offense, though not one that compares with the Big Red Machine. In fact, it’s more similar to the ’79 Pirates — a mix of of hard-hitting veterans with good speed, adequate defense, and strong fundamentals.
Those Pirates won 98 games before beating a strong Orioles club. They had the “We are Family” thing going on, led by Pops Stargell, and reinforced by the scrappy play of the likes of Garner and Foli. The Mets could have similar success in 2007, but rather than giving up the farm for a frontline pitcher, maybe all they need is to find an inexpensive, overachieving second baseman or outfielder with unquestionable heart. Though a less glamorous move, in the end it might be more impactful.

Maybe I’m nuts, but perhaps the Mets should have made an under-the-radar run for Craig Counsell, Darin Erstad, or someone else of that ilk, while everyone was focused on Barry Zito.

Matt Cerrone brought up a good question and poll at MetsBlog: Who Do you Trust in the Media?

Personally, I trust no one, and lately have zero faith in the traditional newspaper journalists-turned-web columnists. The immediate impact of the internet has a lot to do with this … guys like Jon Heyman had a set deadline for years, often giving him hours or even days to confirm a rumor or legitimize a “source” while they worked for the Holy Grail of “breaking a story”. Now all of a sudden he’s writing for a medium that wants information five minutes ago, and he doesn’t have the time nor means to confirm information.

I use Heyman as an example because he’s the most recent newspaper guy now trying to make it on the internet. As with the others —Murray Chass, Buster Olney, Peter Gammons, to name a few — Heyman is clinging to the journalistic dreams of Peter “Scoop” Brady (remember that Brady Bunch episode?). Between the “reliable, unidentified sources” and the blatant personal speculation (a.k.a., “wild guesses”), Heyman had turned into one of the most unreliable sources since moving to SI.com a few months back.

Further, instead of backtracking or correcting a rumor, he tends to re-state it over and over, much like a radio driveler will talk louder to force a point. Prime example: Heyman’s insistence that the Yankees were shopping Randy Johnson to clear up dough for Zito — could his “sources” have been more wrong?

Heyman’s not the only one, of course, and we don’t mean to beat up on him — most of the old newspaper guys are having a hard time with this newfangled internet thing that all the young whippersnappers are using. Eventually Heyman, and the others, will learn to keep moving forward, roll with the punches, and present their personal guesses and rumors as “speculation”, rather than rushing to the keys to be the first one to break the story.

I guess what they don’t understand is that in the end, we the reader don’t really care who broke the story, so long as we get the facts straight. And it doesn’t matter if you’re first to get your story to the screen, because within five minutes over a thousand other internet sources will be breaking the same story, often WITHOUT a link and credit to your original post. Even if there is a hyperlink, how many people are going to rush to hear it from the original source, when the story is right in front of them on their favorite website, blog, or RSS reader?

Not sure about you, but I don’t rush to ESPN.com to see if Buster Olney has a juicy rumor, because I know if anything is brewing, I’ll read it on one of my RSS feeds or find it on MetsBlog or MLBTradeRumors. Sure, I may eventually get to Olney’s column, assuming it’s not one of those “INSIDER” articles — another ridiculous concept. It’s not like the old days, when you might decide whether to purchase a Daily News, Post, or Times for your subway ride — so whoever you trusted got your 35 cents. Today, we can read all three, plus every major newspaper in the world, in a matter of minutes online — for free. We’ll download everything we want automatically onto our Palm Pilots or laptops to read whenever. If I can’t read Olney’s article because it’s “for INSIDERS”, and therefore requires the purchase of an online subscription, I’ll simply find someone else online who is telling me the same story, for free. Sorry, but I can wait the ten minutes for the breaking news to reach across the globe. I don’t need to pay $84 per year to get news faster than that — especially when the “IN” story turns out not to be a scoop but someone guessing that the Yankees might be clearing payroll to go after Barry Zito.

Let’s not think about the starting rotation for a moment — it’s too depressing and stressful right now. Instead, re-focus on another missing piece of the Mets roster: a gamer.

The Mets came within one swing of the bat from the World Series. Ironically, it was not the pitching that kept them out, but the hitting. Unfortunately, hitting will always be a crapshoot — the 2006 New York Yankees a prime example. But there was one more element that the Mets missed: another “gamer”.

A “gamer” is a guy like Tim Foli or Phil Garner on the old Pittsburgh Pirates teams of the late 1970s. Bill Buckner was a gamer, despite his folly in the 1986 Series. Or Paul O’Neill and Scott Brosius from the championship Yankee teams of the late 1990s. These are guys that fight, kick, scream, break, and bleed in order to win. They play with sheer passion, and singlehandedly fire up a team. Sometimes they’re relatively untalented guys who overachieve, like a David Eckstein, and sometimes their talent equals their grit — such as a George Brett or Don Mattingly.

The Mets had a few gamers in 2006. Paul LoDuca was the most visible one, and Endy Chavez was close. David Wright looks like he might develop into one, but didn’t quite live up to the label after falling on his face in the postseason. Carlos Delgado is also close, as is — don’t laugh — Shawn Green. Unfortunately for Green, his talents are eroding too quickly to be seen as a gamer in the twilight of his career.

So outside of LoDuca, there isn’t a starting player who fits the mold of the hard playing, sonofabitch-tough scrapper that every World Series Champion inevitably has in their lineup. The fire and passion of a gamer is an intangible that rubs off on the other players and can push the team as a whole to a higher level.

The 2007 Mets need a Ray Knight, a Wally Backman, or a Lenny Dykstra — geez, when you look at that ’86 team it’s loaded with gamers. Again, David Wright might be close, but even still the Mets need to add a little more passion to their starting nine. There doesn’t look to be anyone on the current roster who fits the bill, so they’ll need to obtain new blood.

Earlier in the offseason, there were a few gamers available — most for a song. Craig Counsell, Frank Catalanotto, Adam Kennedy, Mark DeRosa, and Marcus Giles are all Tim Foli – types who would have fit right in at second base (it’s funny how middle infielders tend to be gritty; it must have something to do with hanging in there on double plays). Jim Edmonds is the epitome of a gamer, but may not have been willing to leave the comfort of St. Louis, or move to a corner outfield position. Darin Erstad is still available, but it’s pretty unlikely the Mets are interested in his services. Too bad, he seems just the type to stir things up a bit in the groovy, relaxed Mets dugout.

However, Mark Loretta is still available.

Loretta may not be the epitome of a gamer, but he’s close. In fact, he’s a lot like Paul LoDuca or Ray Knight, when you look at his overall game. First, he is impeccably fundamentally sound — he can hit and run, bunt, run the bases well, is solid defensively, and is a patient, contact hitter. Second, he’ll do whatever is necessary to help the team win. For example, he’s played nearly every position on the field, as needed, and even volunteered to pitch an inning in a laugher while with the Brewers. He’ll rarely overwhelm anyone or make the headlines, but is appreciated over the course of the year for his consistency. He’s pretty tough, doesn’t complain, and willing to play hurt, when necessary.

While Omar Minaya has stated on several occasions that Jose Valentin is the Mets’ starting second baseman, we have to believe that obtaining a guy like Loretta can only help everyone. Valentin’s epiphany last year could well be a swan song as he ventures toward his 40s, and can’t be expected to start 140-150 games and produce numbers similar to last year’s. Plus, everyone is aware of Valentin’s inability to hit lefthanders — something that’s been an issue his entire career, to the point that he once gave up batting righthanded altogether. Adding a righthanded bat such as Loretta’s in a platoon situation makes perfect sense — not to mention the fact that Loretta can also back up all three of the other infield positions, is probably athletic enough to play the outfield as well, and can provide a contact bat off the bench.

Signing Mark Loretta makes so much sense, from so many angles, it seems remarkable the Mets haven’t been more aggressive.

They may have lost out on Barry Zito, Jeff Suppan, and some other big names, but the Mets can end the offseason with a tiny splash that may swell into a tsunami by the time the 2007 season ends. He may not singlehandedly win any games, but Mark Loretta could be the impetus of the ripple effect that pushes the Mets over the edge and into a World Series.