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Mark Hale: Mets management, you're doing a helluva job

ABG Mar 14 2006 12:16 PM

This gets into 2007--I know it's too early for that, but it addresses a larger topic of how the Mets are being run and implies that, in fact, they may just be run quite well. http://www.nypost.com/sports/mets/61026.htm ]March 14, 2006 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - The second baseman next year could be Anderson Hernandez. Mike Pelfrey and Brian Bannister might be in the rotation. Lastings Milledge might be one of the starting outfielders. And if you couple those prospects with some of the Mets' inexpensive key players (David Wright, Jose Reyes, Aaron Heilman) and consider their 2007 finances, the Mets should be in a position next winter to go after some of the free-agent gems. That means GM Omar Minaya could be making a bid for Barry Zito. Or Jose Contreras. Or both. The 2006 year hasn't even begun, but in looking ahead to the salaries beyond this season, they are in an interesting position. They have only six major league players with guaranteed contracts for 2007, meaning they are going to be fascinating to watch dollar- and transaction-wise over the coming year. The players with 2007 guaranteed money are Carlos Beltran ($12 million), Carlos Delgado ($14.5M), Julio Franco ($1.15M), Paul Lo Duca ($6.25M), Pedro Martinez ($14M) and Billy Wagner ($10.5M). Technically, Pelfrey and Philip Humber are guaranteed money as well, albeit at less than $1M combined. The total is less than $60 million in salary - giving the Mets plenty of options for next year. Not only are the Mets only financially committed to a few players, but assuming Beltran returns to his pre-Met form and nobody suffers a career-altering injury, all the contracts are seemingly for good players who you'd probably want to return. In other words, there is no bad money, like Kazuo Matsui this year ($8M) or Mike Piazza last year ($15M). There was some commentary--I think on Metsblog--that this was essentially the mid-90s Yankee model of having positions filled with young, good, cheap players and then having the financial flexibility to fill holes with top-tier FA/trade market talent. That worked out well for our cross-town rivals. So, is this a design? Luck? Is it good management? Who gets credit/blame/has a horseshoe up their butt?

Zvon Mar 14 2006 12:23 PM

Its karma. We are due for our first bonifide string of championships. Oh my,...I feel faint. *Z fans himself.

duan Mar 14 2006 12:41 PM

"all the contracts are seemingly for good players who you'd probably want to return." It's hard to know about 2007 now. If Pedro's shoulder/elbow/toe falls off he's not going to be cheap, similarly if Carlos Delgado follows a Frank Thomas/Sammy Sosa career path then that's $30 million... They're big risks y'know, not risks I wouldn't take, but risks.

seawolf17 Mar 14 2006 12:47 PM

Jose Contreras, free agent gem? Yikes.

duan Mar 14 2006 12:53 PM

also, what ever about Zito (whom I'm not convinced over by a long stretch) the idea that Jose Contreras is some kind of $12 million a year player is something that I'd be VERY quesy about. I mean he's HAD ONE good season. ONE. Actually next years pitching's as thin as this years. from [url]www.mlb4u.com/0607FA.html[/url] RHSP: Paul Wilson (Team Option) Wade Miller Jeff Weaver Tomo Ohka Hideo Nomo Andy Ashby Pedro Astacio Ramon Ortiz Jason Johnson (Mutual Option) Gil Meche Joe Mays Byung-Hyun Kim (Team Option) Sidney Ponson Tony Armas Jr. Jose Contreras Kevin Jarvis Greg Maddux Brian Moehler Jason Schmidt Jeff Suppan Rick Helling Woody Williams Brad Radke (May Retire) Kerry Wood (Mutual Option) Mike Mussina (Team Option) Cory Lidle Kelvim Escobar Chan Ho Park Jose Contreras Ryan Franklin Orlando Hernandez Jaret Wright (Team + Player Void options) Kip Wells Jason Marquis Vicente Padilla Adam Eaton Tim Wakefield (Annual Team Renew Option) LHSP: Ted Lilly Brian Anderson Mark Redman Shawn Estes Tom Glavine Kevin Appier Jamie Moyer Andy Pettitte Mark Mulder Barry Zito Doug Davis Randy Wolf Mark Buerhle (Team Option) David Wells (Likely to retire) Wilson Alvarez (Retired) Darrell May Eric Milton (Void Option)[url][/url]

Rotblatt Mar 14 2006 12:59 PM

Let's see how it all plays out. I agree that we have a unique opportunity here to build for our future, but I have little faith that we'll fully capitilize on it. I wouldn't be completely surprised to see us deal Bannister & Diaz for Soriano, for example, and then sign Soriano to a $13M/year contract. By midseason, we might see Milledge go for Zito, then Hernandez &, say, Ring, go for a mediocre LOOGY making $3M a year. In this scenario, we'd enter 2006 off-season with holes at RF & LF, and my guess would be that we'd pay through the nose for them, another RP & at least one SP--and I bet the average age of these incoming FA would be pretty high. What I'd LIKE to see would be us sitting tight on our high-potential youngsters like Pelfry & Milledge and only dealing the rest of our prospects/youngsters for young, high-impact players--none of this middle reliever garbage. If we send Diaz & Bannister for someone, I want it to be a Brad Wilkerson, not a Duaner Sanchez. Jesus, but we've made some bad trades this year. Have I already made a prediction about Seo? I think he's going to be one of the better pitchers in the NL this year.

Yancy Street Gang Mar 14 2006 01:22 PM

I pretty much agree with Rotblatt. They're set up nicely for 2007, but I have little confidence that they'll take full advantage of it, and that they won't squander some of these prospects, especially if they're in the thick of things (or near the thick of things) on July 31. How did this happen? I wouldn't say it was from great planning. It's probably partly a side-effect of their short-sighted policy after the 2003 season of not giving more than three-year contracts. But I wouldn't mind too much if Vladimir Guerrero was the guy making that list of locked up 2007 players longer by one.

Elster88 Mar 14 2006 02:14 PM

]I agree that we have a unique opportunity here to build for our future, but I have little faith that we'll fully capitilize on it. ]I have little confidence that they'll take full advantage of it, and that they won't squander some of these prospects WTF is this? Who are you people and what have you done with the regular Kool-aid-drinking, Wilpon-ass-kissing, blue-and-orange-glasses-wearing CPF'ers that think Omar's shit is chocolate sauce? (And do I really need to mention that my SC is about a billion here?) Or can we all agree that we have a above average, level-headed group of Met fans with only the occasional clown who likes to try and justify the Benson for Julio deal?

Yancy Street Gang Mar 14 2006 02:32 PM

What??? Omar's shit isn't chocolate sauce? No wonder my sundae tasted so awful. Blecch!

KC Mar 14 2006 02:36 PM

E: >>>CPF'ers that think Omar's shit is chocolate sauce?<<< Funny line of the month.

Johnny Dickshot Mar 14 2006 02:42 PM

Mmmmm... Boscomar.

heep Mar 14 2006 03:59 PM

The article fails to get into necessary specifics. After this year, considering Glavine, Floyd, Trachsel, and Matcui, the Mets have close to 30 million coming off their payroll. Correct? But, with Delgado high deal, Beltran's contract backloaded, and the inevitable paydays of Wright and Reyes, I don't think the Mets have any real pressing needs to address in the free agent market right now. Of course, this is assuming Milledge progresses, Diaz and Nady produce this year, and Pelfrey, Humber, and Bannister can step into the rotation, which is what I would love to see. Why trade for Zito when we could sign him as a free agent? That seems like nonsense. Isn't Hudson in his walk year, too?

ScarletKnight41 Mar 14 2006 04:04 PM

I think that Hudson signed an extension with Atlanta.

Yancy Street Gang Mar 14 2006 04:06 PM

One reason to trade for Zito would be if the Mets feel that they need him in July. Another would be to lock him up before free agency. Ideally, they'll win the World Series in 2006 without having to deal any prospects for veterans during the season, and then sign Zito (or whoever) over the winter. I'm okay with getting Zito early; I'm just leery of who they might have to give up. And if that happens, I'd like it to be one of those 72-hour negotiating window deals.

Edgy DC Mar 14 2006 04:17 PM

IWell, ideally, they'll be so set going into 2007 that they won't feel compelled to sign anybody.

Yancy Street Gang Mar 14 2006 04:20 PM

That would be good, too.