While talk around the baseball world is whether the New York Mets will make a trade for a top-end pitcher like Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt, the players themselves are taking somewhat of a laissez-faire approach to the whole rumor mill circus.
While everyone acknowledges what another ace like Lee or Oswalt could do for the rotation, the players on the field are somewhat more muted in their expectations, saying the team will continue to play hard and challenge for National League honors with or without a trade.
Just 24 hours after Johan Santana reportedly said he’d like to see the Mets progress a big name hurler to help strengthen the pitching staff, Santana took a step backwards on Tuesday by saying he is happy with the state of the club as it is, and that it’s entirely up to the front office.
“I never said they are going to [deal for a pitcher],” Santana said during pre-game warm ups. “If the front office wants to improve the team there’s nothing wrong with that; it’s always good when you improve your team. We feel good with what we have right now.”
Santana’s thoughts were echoed by left fielder Jason Bay who said that while every team in the league wants to get better and improve, it’s not going to be a deal-breaker when the final standings start to take shape in late September.
Bay added: “I think any team in the big league wants more pitching, there’s no doubt about it. Any team would probably like a little bit more, so if you can get a premier guy like that it will make us that much better.
“I think a lot was made of wanting another guy, but that doesn’t mean it has to happen. We’re doing well with the guys we have. The guys we have right now are doing pretty well and that’s no slight to them. They are a huge reason why we’re here. Without those guys filling in—not just the numbers they have, but the innings they’re giving us—we wouldn’t be here, so they deserve as much credit as the Johans and the Pelfs.”
The players know the decision rests firmly with the management and owners, and most seem content to let the trade dealing scenarios play out in the background.
“It’s up to them,” first baseman Ike Davis said. “Anything that they feel will help the team is up to them. Right now we’re playing pretty well and…the GM will do what [he] needs to do.”
With so many rumors swirling around in the media, Jeff Francoeur says it often detracts from what the current crop of players are doing on the field. Still, Francoeur—as he always seems to do—lightened the mood in the dugout Tuesday afternoon when he said with a smile, “Bring them both,” referring to Oswald and Lee.
“We’d love to see them both, but that’s managament’s job. But the way we’re playing I’m sure they’re going to give us something. I’m sure they’ll boost this team up and give us something to work with and go forward, but until then we got a great team with what we’ve got, and you keep fighting with what you’ve got.”
“If we’re able to land one of those guys that’s great because it’s only going to help us, but if you worry too much about that you get off beat with what with we’re doing here. Right now that’s winning games with the team we got and the players we have. If it happens, good we’ll welcome it, but until then we’ve got to keep going.”
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