The Mets Next Moves:

I’m sure you have all read that Carlos Beltran is not healing as fast as all of us hoped he would. His return has been put back to sometime in June, his agent isn’t saying shit, and basically, the Mets need to put together a plan in case Carlos doesn’t come back at all this year. No problem… they can just promote Fernando… err… no, “Day-To-Day” Martinez is, yup… day-to-day.


For now, the Mets have to live with a starting outfield of Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, and Angel Pagan. Not what we all wanted, but not chopped liver either.


Everything is clicking right now for the Mets, but things are very fragile. Hitting isn’t winning games. Pitching without giving up runs is. I specifically say it that way because, though the team currently has the third lowest team ERA, they also lead the league with the most base on balls. What all this means is the Mets pitching is very lucky right now and majoring in scramble. Eventually, those extra base runners will turn into extra runs scored, which will create wins against the Mets unless they start hitting.


Normally, I wouldn’t change anything during a streak like this, but it seems to me that the next two moves are quite obvious:


1. Return Manny Acosta to Buffalo when RP Ryota Igarashi comes off the DL.


2. Release Frank Catalanotto when Daniel Murphy comes off the DL.


This would represent two quality upgrades in both the pen and the bench. I still would rather have Jenrry Mejia at AA at this point of his career, but he’s been in 10 games in Queens and as long as his ERA stays below two, why move the kid?


Regarding Murphy, he probably has lost any chance of getting his first base job back, which shouldn’t be confused with the outfield and infield position he has lost in the past. Still., he’s a quality team player that offers a much better alternative to Catalanotto, which was a nice idea gone nowhere.


That should do it until either Beltran returns or the all-star break happens. The Betran move will probably be the end of Gary Mathews Jr. as a Met, and, if the Mets are still in the race at the all-star break (which sure looks right now as a lock), this would be the time to go get themselves an additional SP for the stretch run.


But that’s another post.