Master Index of Archived Threads


Return the Offense

Edgy MD Nov 07 2011 11:45 AM

I'm always a stand-patter, but this time, I may not be crazy. The Mets were sixth in the league in runs, despite a well-above-the-league injury rate and a park that depressed offense. Yeah, that was with Beltran. But I say that Duda hit comparable after the trade to Beltran before, whether that's true or not. A little health, some gerrymandering (or ungerrymandering) of the walls, and we're skating like Scott Hamilton. We have more guys entering maturity than exiting it. Yeah, there might not be room for Murphy, Tejada, and Turner, but that's a good problem to have. Yeah, the defense may be hurting the pitching, so if you want to keep talking turkey on upgrading on Pagan, I'm listening. Yeah, we've got to replace Hairston and Harris, and probably Paulino, but whatever. I tell you, if we can get this Reyes thing worked out, we're winning gold medals at Lillehammer. So... anybody got 100 million dollars?

Vic Sage Nov 07 2011 12:13 PM Re: Return the Offense

Ceetar's got ya smokin the coolaid. or drinkin the crack. or somethin. Actually, if they re-sign Reyes (and don't trade Wright), i think the O will likely be ok. Not great, but adequate, especially with a wall-shortened boost for Wright, Davis and Bay. But if they don't bring back reyes, then the dropoff to Tejada is steep, and the rest of the lineup seems that much more exposed. With Tejada at SS, Does Murphy at 2b create more runs than he costs? Duda had a great late-season run, but he's a butcher in RF, and i have no more faith in him repeating (much less improving) as a hitter than I do Murphy. Both their performances seem fluky, compared to their career minor league numbers. Bay is still a "?", and so is thole and Pagan. In fact, the only offensive contributors i have confidence in to produce next season are Reyes, Wright and Davis, and they're all coming off significant injuries. Still, whatever success they have next year will be based on health of Santana, and development of Niese and other young arms, and figuring out the bullpen.

Edgy MD Nov 07 2011 01:21 PM Re: Return the Offense

Vic Sage wrote: Actually, if they re-sign Reyes (and don't trade Wright), i think the O will likely be ok. Not great, but adequate, especially with a wall-shortened boost for Wright, Davis and Bay. What, are you smoking crack?

Centerfield Nov 08 2011 11:16 AM Re: Return the Offense

Forget whether you want to or not, bringing back the current lineup may be our only option. Assuming we re-sign Reyes, which is, unfortunately, looking more and more remote as time passes, we will have a few guys that are firmly entrenched: SS: Reyes 3B: Wright 1B: Davis LF: Bay That leaves the following positions: 2B: Figure this has to be some combination of Murphy, Turner and Tejada. CF: Likely Angel. Don't see any other possibilities out there. RF: After Duda's performance in the 2nd half, only an injury or a terrible spring keeps him from being the starting OF on Opening Day. C: Thole. For lack of a better option. Any changes will require a great deal of creativity. And so far, Alderson has shown me nothing to suggest he will be creative.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 08 2011 11:29 AM Re: Return the Offense

If we could swap Santana to a loser(s) in the Wilson/Oswalt/Buerhle sweepstakes we'd have more $$ to afford JoseJose. I still don't know that the team wants Pagan back. I think there's solutions out there.

Edgy MD Nov 08 2011 11:33 AM Re: Return the Offense

Forget whether you want to or not, bringing back the current lineup may be our only option. But I do want it. I think wheeling and dealing isn't really about being creative. At least, not necessarily. It tends to be about acknowledging that, at some level, you've lost faith in your own creative process. Impulsiveness over planning. And yeah, creativity comes in impulses too, but not the kind of planned, developed, systemic creativity that I think an organization needs to achieve a level Hank Hill might call hawesome. Impulses need to be folded into the process, not overwhelming and exploding the process, which is what big off-season splashes do.

Ceetar Nov 08 2011 11:41 AM Re: Return the Offense

I'm okay going to war with the lineup we have (WITH Reyes). If you want to find some mostly lateral but maybe more upside swap for Pagan or Thole I'd be okay with that, but don't see it drastically changing much. the place to get 'creative' is with the rotation and bullpen.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 08 2011 11:55 AM Re: Return the Offense

With or without Reyes, I think the infield will be comprised of guys who played for the Mets in 2011. (At least to start out.) Wright and Davis at the corners, Tejada and Murphy (or Tejada/Murphy and Reyes) in the middle. Like Ceetar said, catcher and center field are the likely places to upgrade. Edgy DC wrote: I think wheeling and dealing isn't really about being creative. At least, not necessarily. It tends to be about acknowledging that, at some level, you've lost faith in your own creative process. Yeah... maybe. But the presence on the Mets roster of Pagan, Thole, Bay, and others are not the result of Sandy Alderson's creative process, but Omar Minaya's. If Sandy decides to ditch them, it doesn't mean he's flip-flopping; it means he's putting his plan ahead of that of his predecessor.

Edgy MD Nov 08 2011 11:56 AM Re: Return the Offense

Sure. Same can be said of most of the other better guys/better bargains. I'm pretty cool with Thole returning.

Ceetar Nov 08 2011 12:03 PM Re: Return the Offense

Edgy DC wrote: Sure. Same can be said of most of the other better guys/better bargains. I'm pretty cool with Thole returning. I'm not ready to give up on him for sure. And there are a lot of BAD catchers out there.

Edgy MD Nov 08 2011 12:03 PM Re: Return the Offense

Most older and more expensive than Thole.

Ashie62 Nov 08 2011 12:17 PM Re: Return the Offense

I don't see any major changes to the offense coming other than the loss of Reyes. Mets might get a cheap SP, a relief pitcher or two and not much else. The big teams are at the Poker table this winter. The Mets are at Chucky Cheese.