Yesterday, I asked my Twitter followers for two internal roster moves they would make as general manager. Today, I’m expanding on that to a few more moves and trading some players.
Here’s my plan to get the Mets back on the winning side of things.
Put Jose Reyes on the DL
Tendinitis or no tendinitis, the man is in pain. I may not be a doctor, but I know the basics of being an athlete. Ever stub your toe, then limp around on the other leg for a while? Doesn’t that other leg start to hurt more from the added effort? Think of that, but multiply it by 100.
He’s better served to the Mets sitting out for two weeks in May than two months. They would be able to call up another player, preferably one with pop and not named Fernando Martinez. Javier Valentin, who only has seven hits after signing last week, also has two home runs in his short stint.
Don’t call up F-Mart
Unless the top prospect is going to get into five games a week, it’s not worth it. Having to compete with Ryan Church, Fernando Tatis, Gary Sheffield and Angel Pagan for playing time is unfair for all the players. The outfield is already overstuffed with players. Don’t throw another name into the mix.
Trade J.J. Putz
This one might be a little drastic, but hear me out.
The Cleveland Indians need a closer (Kerry Wood’s 7.71 ERA just isn’t cutting it) and the Mets fancy Mark DeRosa. The contract numbers are fairly similar, with Putz owed $5 million this year and DeRosa earning $5.5 million.
Putz does have a team option for next year, another reason the Mets would probably land another player as well. Putz should be able to return at least another major league player, and maybe two decent minor leaguers. I could see the Mets getting two major leaguers and two B-level minor leaguers for Putz.
The Indians have a few players that could be up for the taking, such as Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee and Kelly Soppach. Obviously, to snag Lee, the Mets would have to sweeten the deal with F. Martinez and a few other very good players (Jon Niese, Eddie Kunz, Nick Evans). V. Martinez is intriguing as he can play both catcher and first base. He has seven home runs this season and is batting .400 over 42 games.
Bobby Parnell would take over in the 8th inning for the Mets. This means the Mets would have no backup option if Francisco Rodriguez did suffer an injury, but I think it’s worth the trade.
If the Mets could somehow land DeRosa and Martinez, a lot of answers would be solved.
Send Ramon Martinez packing
He can’t hit, can barely field and is a waste of a roster spot. I’d rather see a player with a much better glove (Argenis Reyes) trying to learn a “new” position and stinking at the plate over a player who is bad on both sides of the ball. Promote A-Rey in place of R-Mart.
Keep Daniel Murphy at first base
Say the Mets do land Martinez from the Indians, let him be the backup at first base and catch most of the games. Begin grooming Murphy for his future role at first base or keep him there as a showcase if you plan on trading him this season. I think Murphy could be a very good first baseman, but power needs to be found elsewhere in the lineup.
Play a consistent roster
With Interleague Play coming up, stick Sheffield at DH, batting fourth, for the whole shebang. Play Church in right field for the next 15 games. On the other side of the outfield, play Pagan for the next 15. Consistency helps players and the constant roster shuffling is nauseating.
Jeremy Reed is a late-game defensive replacement and not much else. Fernando Tatis is the super-utility player. Let him come in every two weeks for a start, have him pinch hit (even is he’s pretty awful at it) and keep the same seven fielders fielding, day in and day out.
These are just a few fixes that you may or may not agree with. I think if the Mets brass pulls a few of these moves (or non-moves) the team would be in better shape.