-Jerry Manuel on job security
“I think we have to live with what we have, and do what we can with what we have, and play better baseball than what we've done.”
-Jerry Manuel on what the Mets have
7/21/09
Mets rejected proposed trade for Halladay [Updated]
According to Jon Heyman of SI.com (again), the Mets turned down a proposed trade between them and the Toronto Blue Jays for Roy Halladay.
Halladay, the most prized pitcher on the market and easily one of the best in the games, is being sought after by many teams. Heyman relays that the Jays asked for Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada in return for Halladay.
“The Mets responded with a resounding no,” writes Heyman.
Update – 10:02 a.m.: Keith Law tweeted that this proposal is “bogus,” citing multiple sources. (Still, the rest of the post stands.)
If you read my blog, you know I put very little stock in prospects. They’re too much of a hit or miss affair to have too much value placed upon them. But, these three prospects are probably three of the top five prospects in the Mets system right now.
But, Halladay is one of the top five pitchers in the league.
And here I am, on the fence about all of this. I’m glad the Mets didn’t pull this trade off in the situation they’re in. 2009 seems to be slipping away and shipping out more farm pieces for a cog in an otherwise broken down machine doesn’t do much good.
For 2010, though, this could have been amazing. Can you imagine a 1-2 punch of Halladay and Johan Santana? It would easily be the best combo of pitchers in the game.
Honestly, if the Mets made the trade, I would be ecstatic for the team. Bringing in a pitcher of that caliber must be celebrated, even if a lot of young talent was heading to Canada.
The Mets didn’t pull the trigger and I’m OK with that, too. It shows they’re not in desperation mode to try and save this season. Maybe they think they have a shot with what they have or maybe they’ve given up, but either way a knee-jerk reaction was not made, and that means something.
(Side note: Don’t you think J.P. Riccardi could have asked for some better players? Or did he not think they were going to take it anyway? Using the Mets to prompt the Phillies, I assume. But still… Where’s Holt? Mejia? Thole?)
7/20/09
Game Chat: NYM @ WAS [Game 92]
Livan Hernanez (5-5, 5.10 ERA) vs. J.D. Martin (First MLB Game)
Join in for some game gabbing and barstool banter with your fellow fans!
(Chat removed, as usual.)
Minaya and Manuel safe; Update on Nieve: Tear
SI/SNY/WFAN’s Jon Heyman just posted this to his Twitter…
minaya, manuel have been told by mets boss jeff wilpon they wont be fired over this painful season.
Very interesting
** *** **
Heyman also just tweeted that Fernando Nieve has a tear in his quadriceps muscle.
We already knew he was heading to the DL, as Cory Sullivan is en route to D.C. as I write this, but no one knew how bad the injury was.
I really feel bad for Nieve. He was getting a chance and making the most of it. And now he’s down with an serious injury.
Cory Sullivan in town; Lineup for Game 92
Cory Sullivan, who was signed to a major league contract before spring training, is en route to Washington D.C. to take the roster spot of Fernando Nieve. Nieve, to make room, was placed on the 15-day DL.
Sullivan, with the Buffalo Bisons the entire year, was batting .290 AVG / .352 OBP with 16 doubles, two home runs, and 24 RBIs in 85 games.
According to Bart Hubbuch, Jerry Manuel said Sullivan was promoted over Nick Evans because Sullivan is more versatile. Sullivan can play every outfield position, with most of his time coming in center field.
On to the lineup, still noticeably absent of Gary Sheffield…
- Angel Pagan – CF
- Luis Castillo – 2B
- Daniel Murphy – 1B
- David Wright – 3B
- Jeff Francoeur – RF
- Jeremy Reed – LF
- Alex Cora – SS
- Brian Schneider – C
- Livan Hernandez - RHP
Game Chat will go live at 7 p.m.
Figueroa named International League Pitcher of the Week
In another notch for Nelson Figueroa’s case for a promotion, he was named Pitcher of the Week for the International League. According to SmallBall USA, it was the second time Figueroa has earned the honors this year.
Here’s the release, via Surfing the Mets…
The International League announced that the Bisons' Figueroa has been named the league’s Pitcher of the Week for the period of July 16-19. It’s the second time Figueroa has been given the weekly honor by the IL, having also won Pitcher of the Week from June 8-14.
Figueroa began his week on Wednesday night as he pitched a scoreless inning for the IL in the Triple-A All-Star Game. The veteran righthander worked a scoreless eighth, allowing a hit and striking out two in the IL’s 6-5 win over the Pacific Coast League.
The All-Star returned to Buffalo to throw a seven-inning shutout in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of the Toledo Mud Hens. Figueroa allowed seven hits and no walks while striking out five in the Herd’s 2-0 win. With Jon Niese’s shutout in Game 1 the Bisons had their first doubleheader shutout sweep since 2006.
Figueroa’s gem lowered his season ERA to 2.32, the second-lowest mark in the International League behind only Charlotte’sCarlos Torres(2.20). Figueroa has won six decisions in a row and has allowed more than two runs in only two of his 15 starts with the Bisons this year.
Adam Rubin also notes that Brad Holt was named Pitcher of the Week for the Eastern League while pitching for the Binghamton Mets.
Funny job posting for the New York Mets
Just days after it was announced that the Wilpon’s lost $700 million or so to Bernie Madoff’s diabolical plan, a job posting popped up on MLB’s Open Job Board…
Finance: Accounting/Finance other
Staff Accountant - New York Mets (Flushing, NY)
The Mets need a new accountant? Why am I not surprised?
The next 14
The Mets have 14 very important games coming up. If the season outcome hasn’t already solidified, it will be soon.
The Mets kick off in Washington tonight for a three game series, then on to Houston for three more. They return home next Monday for four games against Colorado and four more against Arizona.
Those 14 games, coming against the good and the bad of the National League, will be the the true sign of the Mets season.
If the Mets can make some sort of run here, they might just have a shot. If they flounder like they have been for all of June and July, then the nail is officially in the coffin.
The next two weeks, 14 games in 15 days, will determine if the team has a shot in 2009. If it ends up like most fans think it will, the Mets might actually become sellers.
Wouldn’t that be weird to see?
What about Niese AND Figueroa?
A few hours ago I wrote about the choice the Mets would have to make between Nelson Figueroa and Jon Niese. Now, what if I told you I don’t think the Mets should make that choice.
I think they should call them both up.
Bring up both Niese and Figueroa. Replace Tim Redding and Livan Hernandez.
Redding, we know, has struggled the entire season. He’s 1-4 with a 7.16 ERA and a WHIP of 1.681. Just not good at all.
Hernandez, over his last six starts, has allowed 47 hits in 33 1-3 innings, to the tune of a 7.56 ERA and a WHIP of 1.963. (In his last two starts, where he pitched seven innings combined, his WHIP is 4.142. Woah.)
Yes, Niese and Figueroa have been collecting their stats at Triple-A Buffalo, but they’re also pitching for the worst team in the International League.
Send Redding on his way while eating the $2.5 million owed to his and move Livan somewhere else. He’s been eating innings but he’s not really helping the Mets.
Bring up both of the players from Triple-A Buffalo. It can’t get much worse.
Tracking David Wright [Day 10]
Oops. Missed a few days. Let’s pick this up again.
David Wright, 7/19: 0-3, BB, K
AVG: .322 (Change from previous game: -.002, Change from Game 81: -.004)
OBP: .411 (Change from previous game: -.002, Change from Game 81: -.003)
SLG: .457 (Change from previous game: -.004, Change from Game 81: –.013)
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