A. you can't piss the fans off any more than you have... I take that back... play Tatis and Cora everyday and see how today's piss level becomes undetectable
B. You can't sell less tickets than you have been doing right now. Some day you're going to have to make public your advanced sales this year.
C. And, you can't get worse press from the beat reporters. Don't criticize the blog-world. Frankly, all beat reporters are now full time bloggers, copying the formats of sites like mine. The only difference is that most of them are children of limited height that have no spine, can't spell the word loyalty, and have the personality of a lug wrench.
D. You can't win a pennant, no less a World Series, without three top line SP pithcer.
Here's an old CEO's plan (ya know Jeff... you could have called me directly and turned down my proposal... I always did when someone took the time to spell out something that was intelligent, but not implementable) for how to start the 2010 season:
1. Release 1B/3B/OF Fernando Tatis - don't fuck with the guy... he did you well in 2010, but there's no room for him in 2010 and beyond. First base is covered (we'll get to that...), you have a better 5th outfielder, and the dude doesn't play third anymore. I think this is a minor leauge contract, but, even if it isn't, eat the mil and give him a chance to latch on somewhere else.
2. Release OF/3B/1B Nick Evans - D.F.W.T.G. v2.0... he's a great kid with less future in Queens than Tatis. Evans deserves a chance to catch on with an American League team, hopefully out west close to his family. Let the poor boy go with grace.
4. Don't Play Alex Cora with more than 80 starts in 2010 - his guaranteed contract calls for a 2011 option if he starts at least these many games. Hire an unpaid stringer and give him a pad. Tell him he can drink all the milk shakes gratis if he keeps an accurate list of Cora starts. Cut him off at 59.
5. Don't renew John Maine's contract for 2011 - this is it for Maine... he never should have been a starter and, though he was a pleasant surprise for a year and a half as a throw-in on a trade, he can't eat innings. He might have had secret SP bypass two year ago becasuse the only time he sees the sixth inning is from either the shower or the clubhouse. And, he hates being a reliever. Heilman v2.0
6. Send Daniel Murphy (if Ike Davis is going to be your 5-year first baseman starting in 2011) to AAA or AA, to learn second base, while you quietly shop him within a pool of players for an SP. -
There are strong batting options for 2010 until Davis is ready.
7. Platoon Mike Jacobs and Chris Carter at first base in 2010 - yeah, I know they're both lefties, but Murphy and this snafu falls back on Jeff, not Omar or Jerry. Carter offers you a double lefty option as the 5th outfielder, and I guarantee you the combo of Chris and a rejuvinated Jacobs will bring in 35-HRs and 90-RBIs. Yes, neither is going to in a gold glove but they are a hell of a lot better than Davis in the Field.
8. Quietly start the process to trade Jose Reyes before the trading dealine - yeah, yeah... "as Jose goes, so goes the Mets"... well, he sure proved that the past three years. Jose's contract runs out at the end of 2011 ($11mil option), but they Mets can get out of it with a $500k option... trade him so he can get his last 5-6 year contract... in the AL... for an SP2 that can start pitching after the all-star break.
9. Make sure Carlos Beltran is fully healed before you bring him back... than play him in hopes he's spot on... that quietly, or loudly for all I care, trade him at the trading deadline for an Sp3. Injury or not, he's one of the most respected hitters in the league, and ex-golden glower, and many teams would get hard imaging him in their pennant race lineup. Tis will be the best time to turn over the center field jon to Fernando Martinez for the nex five years.
10. Back to 1st base... if for some reason you truly, truly, truly, don't think this Ike Davis has the stones for 5 years (remember... the Marlins were convinced that Jacobs had the stones for 5 years there, hit 36 home runs one year, and poof...)... stick him in trading pool we started to establish above with Daniel Murphy. There's a 90% chance that, if Davis is in the pool, with his current "Deolis Guerra hype job", he's be the first to go, leaving Murphy for pool 2. You will still have Jacobs and Carter as a two-headed monster for one yar, who will hit more home runs that Delgado ever did as a Met.
11. Re: Second base: Play Luis Castillo at second every game you play Ruben Tejada at short. Castillos veteran savey will be just what the rookie needs beside him.
12. Play Baraja, Blanco, and Santos in Queens this year. The Mets may have to carry 8 relief pitchers with this motley cue of SPs, so look for Santos to start the season Binghamton with dud Francesco Pena. Chris Coste will train Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas may be the odd man out, or become an assistant catching coach...
13. Place C JoshThole in the trading pool - yah, he'll spray hit another .330 at AAA, and probablt hit at least .280 in Queens some day, but no matter how mcuh I love this kid, I think he's already peaked. The Mets, through free agency, can do better here. Keep the hype up press wise.
14. Outfield wise, Bay and Martinez are set for the future. I'm going to give Fancoeur a push here for 200/2011. He's a great asset to the team, especially in the locker room. If they cna get .275./.375./4.75/.800, I'd be thrilled here. Plus, this is only a six-year vet wiht a Gold Glove already on his mantle (or is it 2 golf gloves?)
15. Don't renew Mike Pelfrey's contract - you have new pitching help on the way
16. Trade Jose Reyes for two pitchers... then trade Carlos Beltran for another pitcher - make sure two of these guys are stud starters who will fit in nicely with Santana being SP1.
17. Create that trading pool I've been mentioning... Shawn Bowman, Daniel Murphy, Josh Thole, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez (good luck), John Maine, Luis Castillo, Angel Pagan... get these names out there in hopes of securing equally talented young players for the pen, catcher, and infield. You don't have to concentrate on starters if you generate the right people through the Beltran and Reyes trades. And, you'll be hearing soon about kids like Brad Holt, Jeurys Familia, and Robert Carson.
18. Keep Anderson Hernandez - he's your perfect future utility infielder. He plays excellent defense on both shortstop and second base, he's a base stealing threat, and he'll bat .250 for you.
19. Take every talented infielder prospect you have in the organization and make them a second baseman - it's not the most critical of positions, but it should be home grown
That's it. It ain't perfect. And I welcome any suggestions. But at least it's a plan for the future.
Mack.
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