I know our offense will be top of the league if it can stay intact, but pitching is the area to address and maybe another lefty. Who do you feel is realistically on the Mets radar for the starting rotation?
The one person I would love to have is Haren from the Dbacks.
Pelfrey, F-mart and maybe Holt should do it?
Your thoughts? Just like him as a player. I know they have no interest in trading him yet but he has quitely been one of the best pitchers in the NL.
Mack:
Thanks for the email, Darnell.
You can't build a team and worry about injuries. They happen. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it
is named Katrina. Last year was the Mets' Katrina.
Actually, the defense will be pretty good too. Bay isn't the slop outfielder everyone seems to write about, Frenchy has figures out the right field wall, Beltran is a gold glover. Reyes, Wright, and Castillo are, well, Reyes, Wright, and Castillo, and Murphy will hold his own on first.
Offensively, all the Mets have to do is lower one wall and they'll win 5-6 more games.
The addition of Bay and (hopefully) Molina will win you 5-6 more.
Now pitching...
The soup won't be done until the SP2 is added to the mix. You like Haren, the next guy likes Sheets, and I like Sandy Koufax.
The way it works... you make 5-6 FA offers, knowing your offer will be shopped around first.
You make 5-6 more phone calls and talk trade for someone else.
You go have a ciggarette out on the porch.
And you hope your phone rings about three times.
If the Mets sign the last SP1 out there in the free agency market (Sheets), the Mets will win 2-3 more games than all the rest of the ones available. I believe Haren and just about every ballplayer in baseball is available for the right package.
Right now, your 2011 team is untradable, which includes Josh Thole, Ruben Tejada, and Ike Davis.
Fernando Martinez (I hate the F-Mart thing...) is a trump card, especially if Francoeur, Bay and Beltran play well and stay healthy. Remember... the Mets have one of the best 4th outfielders now in Angel Pagan.
Johan Santana is the SP2.
Oliver Perez (yes, Oliver Perez) is either the SP2 or SP3, depending upon who comes aboard and how well Ollie starts off. Ceiling wise, he still is the highest on the staff, though he sometimes misses the barn.
Mike Pelfrey will have one more year to duplicate his college stats. He is the SP4.
And John Maine, if his arm is 100% and he's not bombed in March at ST, will be the SP5.
Nelson Figueroa is the insurance, either as fill-in, SP5 if someone does a Freddy Garcia, or long man in the pen.
And Jonathan Niese needs warm weather and mound time in Flordia to fully mend from a bad injury last year. He won't start the season either in Queens or Buffalo. He'll stay in extended camp until he's fully healed and, around April 25, the Mets will decide where to send him.
The pen is great.
The outfield is still too big.
The Phillies and Braves are still better.
Happy New Year.
Mack
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