I May Be Wrong, But… Mike Baxter, Trade Deadline, Outfield , Shutting Down, Return of MMs Writers

I May Be Wrong, But…  Mike Baxter, Trade Deadline, Outfield , Shutting Down, Return of MMs Writers

1.     The Mets are going to begin to let selective, non-prospect type players show the team if they have what it takes to be offered a 2013 contract. One in particular will be OF Mike Baxter (480,000), who will most probably play the rest of the season in Queens. 

2.     I was surprised that both OF Scott Hairston (1.1mil) and RP Tim Byrdak ($1mil) weren’t moved before the deadline. Both won’t be back and I have to assume that the lack of the Byrdak movement was the need to play him out as the left-handed reliever in the current pen. Hairston will sign somewhere next year in the $2mil range and he could have go the Mets a nice AA-prospect. Makes no sense.

3.     The Mets will continue to play Jason Bay in LF and Andres Torres in CF, with Baxter, Hairston, and Jordany Valdespin backing them up. The Mets feel they can control Valdespin better having him in Queens, where he is begining to show some positive maturing signs as well. (FLASH – Torres went down last night in the 8^th inning with a hand injury. You might see the Mets shut him down and bring back up Kirk now…) 

4.     Speaking of ‘shutting down’, this is the time of the year teams come up with some mysterious ailments that put under-producing, aging ballplayers in their living rooms rather than the team bus. My candidates include, Manny Acosta, Ramon Ramirez, Mike Nickeas, Ronnie Cedeno, Jason Bay, and Torres. 

5.     David Rubin, Jack Flynn, and Mike Friere return to Mack’s Mets as active writers.