Centerfield Options
As we all know, Carlos Beltran has underwent knee surgery and is expected to be out for 12 weeks. No one is sure if “12 weeks” refers to the time before he can walk, run, or play ball. No one has made clear that it is “at least 12 weeks” or “a minimum of 12 weeks”. The recent history of communications from the Mets in regard to player injuries, though, tells us that the “12 weeks” means little or nothing.
That said, we’ll pretend that Carlos Beltran will NOT be in uniform, in centerfield, in April, and possibly not until May (which, in Metspeak, means, he most likely will be back in the lineup sometime in August).
Who will play centerfield for the Mets while we wait for Beltran’s return? Here are some of the possibilities.
Free Agents
Rick Ankiel
The best free-agent centerfielder still available on the open market. He has no desire to play in NYC, and is coming off an injury-riddled season in which he hit .231.
Alfredo Amezaga
The second-best free-agent centerfielder still available. Hits from both sides of the plate, has good speed, and can play every position on the diamond except catcher. He hit .217 last year and turned 32 a few days ago. In his prime years (27-29) he was a semi-regular super utlityman who hit in the .260s with no power.
Endy Chavez
Endy is coming off major knee surgery that ended his 2009 season. He turns 32 in a few weeks. His age and his surgery likely will affect his once excellent range. Neither issue should affect the fact he has no power, no plate discipline, and is a streak hitter.
Johnny Damon
There was a time that Damon was adequate in centerfield. That time has long past. Comically enough, there have been some pundits who suggest signing Damon for left field and shifting Jason Bay to center — many of the same pundits who previously insisted that Jason Bay’s defensive skills in left field would nullify his offensive production and ultimately doom the Mets.
Cory Sullivan / Jeremy Reed
Either of these choices would provide stellar defense, solid fundamentals, hustle, and good baserunning but only limited offensive production. The cost would be very affordable — likely under $1M.
Reed Johnson
This name is being bandied about more than Sullivan/Reed and I don’t understand why — Reed Johnson is essentially the righthanded, more expensive version of those two. I guess it’s a matter of people preferring change for the sake of change.
Rocco Baldelli
Is he healthy? Can he play every day? Does he want to play in NYC? If the answer is “yes” to all three it’s a no-brainer. But we don’t know the answers.
Randy Winn
Winn has been coveted by the Mets for several years, as his name comes up in rumors every July. He hasn’t been an everyday centerfielder since 2004 because his range is limited. He might be an OK stopgap, providing solid if unspectacular all-around performance. Certainly he is a well-rounded, fundamentally sound ballplayer with extensive experience and has a good rep off the field / in the clubhouse.
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
This name has been suggested by various sources recently. Why, I have no idea. Hairston is essentially an older, more versatile, but otherwise less-talented version of Reed Johnson. His main value is the ability to stand in several different positions on the diamond, but, at none is he particularly stellar — centerfield included. In any case, it appears he’s about to sign with the Padres.
Eric Byrnes
The price tag should be cheap, and if he’s healthy, he might be an OK option — if he’ll sign an MLB-minimum contract. The Crashtest Dummy last played CF regularly in 2006, and no one knows for sure if he’s healthy enough to walk out to center, much less play it.
Gerald “Ice” Williams
I’m kidding.
Trade Candidates
Gary Matthews, Jr.
The Angels are dying to rid themselves of Matthews and his contract — and will probably pay some or all of his salary to make him go away. He hasn’t performed anywhere close to his “enhanced” career year with the Rangers in 2006, and is now 35 years old.
Ryan Spilborghs
The rumor mill was rife with Spilborghs’ name earlier in the winter, and he remains an extra outfielder on the Rockies’ depth chart. The Beaneheads love him for his OBP, and he can cover centerfield adequately enough to be a worthwhile stopgap. But at what cost, and is he any better than Angel Pagan?
In-house Possibilities
Angel Pagan
The most likely and most sensible solution is Angel Pagan. He has the physical (if not mental) skills to handle center field more than adequately, and showed in 2009 that he can be an offensive force in spurts.
Fernando Martinez
Do we really want to watch him be overmatched in MLB when he should be further developing his skills, confidence, and ability to stay on the field in the minors?
Jason Bay / Jeff Francoeur
Even if either of these players was capable of handling centerfield for more than a week, it would still create a hole in one of the corners. Not plausible.
Conclusion
I think we know the way the Mets will go — they’ll plug in Angel Pagan and hope for the best. And looking at the alternatives, it’s not a bad plan. Though, I’d prefer they also back him up with a solid, cheap defender such as Jeremy Reed or Cory Sullivan, AND have a “Plan B” in place — Randy Winn would appear to be the most logical choice in terms of availability and cost. Winn can fill in as a late-inning defender in center and left, and be a veteran bat off the bench — he can just as easily play every day, and/or split time in a platoon situation. Maybe if Ankiel were more interested in playing in New York I’d think differently, but that plus his history suggests he isn’t “built” to play in a big market.
What do you think?
Judging F-Mart’s Debut
For once, I agree with Marty Noble. And it’s unfortunate. Read more
Fernando Martinez Disabled Again
Top Mets prospect Fernando Martinez is off the field again, this time suffering from blister problems.
F-Mart is currently on the roster of Escogido in the Dominican Winter League.
From Adam Rubin’s report on the issue:
The continued trouble has led to advice from ex-Met Moises Alou, who is GM of Martinez’s winter-ball team. Alou, who used to urinate on his hands to increase the skin’s toughness, has recommended Martinez do the same thing.
Martinez injured again. Moises Alou is the GM. Before you even get to the urine thing, there are already a dozen jokes to be made.
If nothing else, this Mets offseason is providing plenty of laughter.
The Price for Roy Halladay
According to a “high-ranking official” cited in an article by The National Post, the Toronto Blue Jays will take as much time as needed to trade Roy Halladay — if they trade him at all.
Would they actually keep Halladay through 2010 and allow him to leave via free agency next winter? Read more
2009 Analysis: Fernando Martinez
Ever since signing out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year-old in 2005, fans anxiously awaited the debut of young man touted as the next Mets superstar.
Thud.
That was the sound of “F-Mart” falling flat in his first shot at the big leagues.
However, it doesn’t mean Fernando will be a bust — quite the contrary. His 2009 MLB debut taught us quite a bit about his skill set, and suggested that he does have a future in the big leagues. The main question is, when will that future begin? Read more
More Mess News
Oh, did I misspell “Mets” in the headline? Sorry, I get the words confused when discussing the baseball club in Flushing.
As if the last ten games of the season aren’t dragging enough …
According to Mack’s Mets, Tobi Stoner has ticked off his teammates, who are offended by his “cocky attitude” and inability to adhere to unwritten rules that apply to MLB rookies — to the point where Francisco Rodriguez (who is not cocky?) instructed Stoner to perform an impossible act on himself. Hmm … is Stoner really “cocky”, or simply “German“?.
Mack suggests that Stoner’s failure to make nice with his teammates is the reason he hasn’t seen much time on the mound lately. Maybe, though his mediocre stuff and two homers allowed in nine innings aren’t helping, either.
In other news involving Mets rookies, Fernando Martinez was mugged in an amusement park in the Dominican Republic. According to the Latino newspaper Diario Libre via Adam Rubin:
His wallet reportedly was stolen “with US$2,000, four credit cards from American banks and some important documents like his Dominican ID. It was stolen while he was in a party with some relatives in an amusement center near his native town, Rio San Juan, in the north of the Dominican Republic. The name of the place where the incident took place is Drink Together, on the road Rio San Juan-Cabrera. He called to the program La Opcion de la Manana 93.3 FM (The Option of the Morning) to confirm the fact and he promised a reward to whomever gets him the documents.”
The credit cards can be canceled, and the Dominican ID shouldn’t be too difficult to replace (and he can probably get one that makes him 16 again), but let’s hope he didn’t lose his passport or work visa — otherwise he may not get them back in time for spring training.
(Hat tip to loyal MetsToday reader “Walnutz” for these links)
How low have the Mets sunk? Someone is trying to make his feet more popular than the Mets. He may be succeeding.
Carlos Beltran to the Disabled List
Just got word that Carlos Beltran’s MRI did not look good, and he’s headed to the DL.
Fernando Martinez reportedly is on the way back up to take his place on the roster.
In addition, Wilson Valdez has been DFA’d and Ken Takahashi demoted to AAA Buffalo. Taking their places will be lefthanded pitcher Pat Misch and and RHP Elmer Dessens.
Adding Misch and Dessens to the bullpen makes sense, since Dessens has been pitching well as a middle reliever in AAA (as loyal MT reader/commenter Micalpalyn has noted on several occasions), and Misch can’t be any worse than Takahashi as a LOOGY. Misch was used as a starter and reliever by the San Francisco Giants prior to being released by that club, and is one of those crafty lefties (meaning, don’t expect him to overpower anyone with a 95+ MPH heater) who relies on pinpoint control. Dessens is a longtime MLB veteran swingman who survives on guile and luck. Both arms are a welcome addition to the bullpen, whose main three men are about to pass out from overuse.
Now what about F-Mart? Does he become the Mets’ starting centerfielder? Or does he play RF while Ryan Church shifts to center? Church has played 114 MLB games in centerfield. Otherwise, it’s Jeremy Reed’s time to shine.
Martinez Down, Evans Up
The New York Mets have sent outfielder Fernando Martinez back down to AAA Buffalo and have promoted Nick Evans from AA Binghamton.
It is assumed that Martinez was sent down in order to ensure that he would continue to play every day. Though F-Mart did not look overmatched in his debut stint in the bigs, he also did not prove to be much of a difference-maker. What we’ve learned is that he’s a solid all-around ballplayer who needs more time to develop his bat. A star in the making, but not a star just yet.
Interesting to see Evans get the callup as opposed to Wily Mo Pena, who has been hitting .333 in the month of June and starting to show some power. But, Pena is not on the 40-man roster and is out of options, while Evans is on the 40-man and can be optioned back to the minors.
After a very rough start and a demotion to AA, Evans has recently righted the ship, batting .390 with 2 HR, 6 doubles, and 6 RBI in his last ten games. My guess is the Mets are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle, and take advantage of the fact Evans is currently “locked in”. If so, it makes sense to start him at 1B right away, if not tonight then tomorrow. Evans has been sharing time with Lucas Duda at 1B and also playing some outfield.
Mets DFA Emil Brown
Before I could get around to announcing Emil Brown’s promotion to the Mets, he’s been designated for assignment.
The move is to make room for Ryan Church, who is 100% and ready to contribute. It is assumed Church will start in right field against Nationals rookie righthander Craig Stammen on Sunday.
Also of note, the demotion of Brown means Fernando Martinez stays around for a while. I’m liking that idea, as F-Mart brings great athleticism and speed to the Mets — two things they need tons of, especially when playing in Citi Field. Martinez will also likely start on Sunday, in left field, as Gary Sheffield was promised a day off.
Murphy vs. Martinez
While the Mets are hurting now, parts of the cavalry are making their way back. Carlos Beltran should be feeling better soon, and Ryan Church can come off the DL about a week from now, which means Fernando Martinez will likely be sent back to AAA Buffalo.
Or will he?
Because Carlos Delgado is out until at least July — maybe longer — there has been some chatter regarding the acquisition of a big bopper to take his place in the middle of the lineup. Unless Mike Piazza comes out of retirement, it’s obvious that the import would be a first baseman and/or outfielder.
If indeed the Mets bring in, say, a Matt Holliday or Jermaine Dye, then Dan Murphy has a chance to stay at first base. But, if they acquire a first baseman — Nick Johnson, for example — that puts Murphy back in the outfield, possibly in a platoon situation.
There’s a problem with that second scenario, though, which is that the Mets have decided that Murphy is not an outfielder. The other issue is that the outfield is already crowded, once Ryan Church and Angel Pagan return.
And then there’s Fernando Martinez, who is not being overmatched at the plate.
Whether F-Mart can keep it up is anyone’s guess, but if he does, that changes the situation — it puts the focus on getting a first baseman, displacing Murphy. Add in another factor: Ryan Church is the Mets’ most eligible everyday player to be dealt. He’s only 30, under contractual control for another year, inexpensive, and undervalued by Mets management. The Mets have no “MLB-ready” prospects in their minor-league system, which means they almost certainly would have to provide at least one starting player from the 25-man roster in a blockbuster deal. Church fits the mold — as does Murphy.
If Martinez continues to show he belongs in the bigs, the Mets might consider giving him the right field job and moving Church to obtain a first baseman (Garrett Atkins? Chad Tracy?) — particularly if Murphy continues to struggle at the plate. Though not yet the complete package, Martinez right now has better raw tools than Murphy in the areas of speed and defense, and he might have the edge in power. Hitting under .250, Murphy brings little value to the starting lineup — his defense is a detriment in the outfield, only adequate at first base, he has below-average power for a corner infielder, and is below-average to average as a baserunner. In other words, if Murphy’s not hitting .300+, there isn’t much point in playing him.
Martinez, on the other hand, can at least give you solid defense and baserunning, and he might smack a few extra-base hits. Of course, his batting average needs to improve by at least 75 points — but if it does, it may be enough for him to stick.
The next two weeks could turn out to be a competition of survival between Fernando Martinez and Danny Murphy. Which one will remain standing?
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