Kuzul

Remember a few weeks ago when there were all those rumors swirling around about the Mets going after an ace pitcher like Cliff Lee, Dan Haren, or Roy Oswalt?  Well, those times have changed.  The thing about being a New York franchise is everyone expects you to have the funds to pick up star players.  The Knicks, and now the Nets, have oodles of money, the Yankees have players that earn as much as some teams’ entire starting lineup.  But, the Mets are broke. 

It’s an unfortunate realization.  Bernie Madoff destroyed the Mets. 

The Wilpons, who own the Mets, reportedly lost upwards of 700 million dollars in the infamous Madoff pyramid scheme (and we thought Oliver Perez was a bad investment!). 

And things have gone from bad to worse.  Cliff Lee is gone, and it’s unlikely the Mets will fork over the kind of dough and prospects required to get Oswalt or Haren.  The current word on the street is the Mets are taking a long, hard look at Jake Westbrook.  If you haven’t heard of Westbrook, it’s because he’s not that good. He is sporting a 6-5 record and 4.67 ERA on the Cleveland Indians.

Making a trade for Westbrook would be a tragic mistake for the Mets.  The Indians are thrilled about the prospect, demanding only a single prospect in return, and not even a high-level prospect.  Of course they’re thrilled, they’d get to unload a pitcher they’re paying 11 million a year and who’ll be lucky to finish the season with a positive win-loss record. 

It’s like we got tired of Ollie Perez, so we’re going out and finding another overpaid, under performing starter.  If we’re trying to make a deal with Cleveland, at least go after Fausto Carmona. 

The point of going after a front-line pitcher wasn’t just that they’ll be better than the Jake Westbrook’s of the world (although that’s important too), but that it would free up some players to help the bullpen. 

If we got someone who could pitch in the 2-3 slot alongside the struggling Mike Pelfrey, then we can slide Hisanori Takahashi back into the bullpen. The bullpen has been in disarray and have not been aided by the fact that two of the past three starters failed to make it past the second inning. 

There’s no point in picking someone up to pitch in the 4-5 spots.  Firstly, Takahashi is probably just as productive as them as a starter, so we’re not going to see any benefit there.  Also, if all the Mets want is a mediocre starter they can wait for Maine or Perez (ummm…maybe not Perez) to come off the DL and save themselves a few million dollars.

We don’t just need a starting pitcher, we need a good starting pitcher.  If the organization is blind to that fact and starts pursuing anyone to try and plug the hole it could backfire horrendously.  If there really is no hope for a solid starter in the trade market, such as Carmona or Ted Lilly, then the Mets shouldn’t rush to pick up the garbage left behind by other teams. 

If you’re low on funds, you have to be wise with what you have.  Don’t waste an eight digit salary on a pitcher we don’t want, we’ve made that mistake.   Go after a second basemen, like Kelly Johnson, or some bullpen relief.  There’s an abundance of relief pitchers on the market, which means we could pick up a good eighth inning set-up man (and potential closer if K-Rod’s issues continue) for a good bargain. 

But, really, it’s time for the Wilpons to decide if they have what it takes to own the Mets.  If they’re not willing to spend money on things the team needs, then maybe it’s time to start thinking about selling the franchise, another rumor that’s been floating around. 

I sincerely hope that neither the Westbrook nor Wilpons selling the team rumors are true.  But it’s time for the Mets to make a decision whether they really want to catch the Braves and give themselves a shot at the postseason or fade ignominiously into third place. 

Any thoughts? Comments?

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It’s hard to be a Mets fan.  It means a lot of broken hearts and lonely Octobers.  But still we persevere. 

The Mets owe it to their fans to start taking themselves seriously and really go after a title. 

The Mets, who many believed would spend the season in the basement of the NL East, are within striking distance of the divisional lead.  And although optimism is something we Mets fans are wary of, there are undeniably good omens for this team’s outlook.

First, there’s the impending arrival of Carlos Beltran.  He likely won’t hit the field until after the All-Star break, but his addition will boost an already formidable outfield consisting of Jeff Francoeur, Jason Bay, and Angel Pagan.  Pagan has done so well as Beltran’s replacement that he’ll probably end up in a platoon with Francoeur In Francoeur, the Mets will have a well above-average defensive substitute with a starting quality bat. 

Presuming he’s anywhere near as talented as he was prior to his injury, Beltran is far better than any player available via trade.  This means that without spending money or losing prospects, the Mets will boost their defense and offense more than any other team who picks up a star player before the trade deadline. 

But the most crucial thing is the Mets MUST pick up a starting pitcher.  One more top-of-the-rotation pitcher would open up a whole new world of opportunities.

Let’s say, for instance, that the Mets pick up someone like Roy Oswalt or Cliff Lee (or Dan Haren or Ted Lilly…you get the picture).  That would mean the Mets would have Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, and another ace.  There aren’t many teams that can boast a one-two-three punch like that. 

But the addition of another star pitcher would have ripple effects that would hugely benefit the organization’s pitching within the rotation and without.  The final two spots in the rotation would go to either R.A. Dickey, who’s been a huge part of the Mets recent success, John Maine, Hisanori Takahashi, and Jon Niese.  All four of these options have the talent to occupy the four/five spot in any rotation.

Takahashi could be sent back to the bullpen, where he started the year before the disintegration of Oliver Perez and injury woes of John Maine.  Niese has recently come into his own, showing the kind of latent talent no one thought he had, and could possibly be sent back to the minors to develop further.  That is, if he hasn’t earned himself a permanent spot in the rotation. 

Takahashi  would be a huge boon for the Mets bullpen.  Ryota Igarashi has been struggling in relief since returning from injury, and Fernando Nieve has cooled off after a stellar start.  The team has called up Elmer Dessens and Bobby Parnell, who have stepped in admirably.  But with Takahashi and maybe one more solid pitcher in the pen, the Mets have some much needed breathing room. 

One huge benefit of this move would be that the Mets will feel no misplaced inclination to put Jenry Mejia back in the ‘pen. 

Mejia, the Mets uber-talented, young prospect, was projected as a potential front of the rotation starting pitcher.  He performed so well in preseason that he earned a roster spot in the bullpen. 

The Mets have been criticized for this move by those who believe the organization may shortsightedly be undermining their best homegrown pitching prospect since Dwight Gooden. 

As a relief pitcher, Mejia throws mostly fastballs, and hasn’t developed a skill set necessary for a starter. 

The cruel irony is that Mejia’s talent might have hurt his development.  Supposedly the Mets had thought about sending Mejia back to the minors to re-train as a starting pitcher, but he had become such an important part of our bullpen that the Mets couldn’t afford to let him go.  The organization finally sent Mejia back to the minors, but he’s experiencing shoulder problems and hurting his development (and potential trade value) even further.

The Mets have been rumored to be interested in another bat, one that almost certainly would reside at second base since the rest of the infield is pretty much solidified between Ike Davis, Jose Reyes, and David Wright. 

A quality bat at second could only help, and we could send Ruben Tejada back to the minors to develop (if he isn’t traded), as he’s shown definite promise in his short stint in the league. 

And I’ve never been a fan of Luis Castillo, perhaps because I can never quite forgive him for dropping that pop-up against the Yankees. 

But if the Mets are serious about being contenders, making the playoffs, and putting together a team that could win the title, then they have to pick up another ace.  They owe it to themselves.  They owe it to the team, which has done so well this season against all expectations.  And perhaps most importantly, they owe it to the fans, who have loved the Mets through hard times, and deserve a team that could bring the first ever World Series to Citi Field.

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