Youth Movement

Brad over at Bugs & Cranks has just put together a very intriguing post about the current Mets situation, and is asking Omar Minaya to Roll the Dice with the young stars the Mets have protected over the recent trading deadline.

It's something a lot of Mets fans will argue is dumb to do in the heat of a pennant race, but I think it's because we're fooling ourselves into thinking this team is better than it is.

With injuries galore and lackluster clutch hitting, what makes you think this team will magically put it all together for a run deep into October? On the other hand how rejuvenating would it be to see these young players come up and be given a shot to play for a team in contention?

What's that? You'd rather see Marlon Anderson and Robinson Cancel get more playing time? Or would you rather Omar go out and get some great waiver wire pickups like Freddy Garcia or Rich Aurillia because they would really turn the tide for this team?

I find myself falling into the same trap. I just hope that this team will find their groove and take off. I'm starting to think that's not going to happen. Why not take a shot at Dan Murphy, Jon Niese and Eddie Kunz getting some regular roles? Why not see what FMart has in store for us in the future?

What's the worst that could happen? We lose the pennant? We're already in position to do that now.

The Winds of Change are Gusting

The Mets are no longer in first place. Their proclaimed everyday left fielder is no longer playing left field. Their starting rotation now has huge holes. And the oldest team in the NL now has 4 rookies on their roster.

All this happened in the span of a week.

Welcome to life as a Mets Lifer in 2008. John Maine is now headed for the DL leaving an enormous gap in the starting rotation. Pedro is unreliable. The Mets refuse to win for Johan Santana. Mike Pelfrey is having to deal with making adjustments midway through a season. And unbelievably Oliver Perez is the most reliable starter.

You want to know the crazy thing? The starting rotation isn't the biggest problem. As you well know, here at Mets Lifers we've  been preaching about the Mets need for bullpen help since April. So what does Mets management do about it? Nothing. Well, actually today they called up Eddie Kunz from the minors to hopefully invigorate a beleaguered bullpen that can't close a game to save their lives.

Kunz will be the 4th rookie on the roster joining recent call-up Dan Murphy, Nick Evans, and Argenis Reyes.

Why has the team's situation changed so drastically in the last week? Because it's the Mets and this it what they do. Be prepared for a long stretch of games coming our way. We're playing some of the worst teams in the NL over the next two weeks and the Mets desperately need another win streak to right this ship. This team should handedly beat the Padres, Pirates, and Nationals over the next 14 days, but that doesn't mean they will.

The sad part is even with all this change, it's not the change the Mets need. The right type of change is spelled B-U-L-L-P-E-N-H-E-L-P.

Dan Murphy, Welcome to the Big Leagues

Adam Rubin of the Daily News is reporting that minor league phenom, Dan Murphy, has been called up to the majors to replace Marlon Anderson who was put on the 15-day DL. Marlon Anderson apparently has a"hamstring injury." If this is the only way to get Marlon Anderson off the Mets, I'll take it.

Some are calling Dan Murphy the Mets best hitting prospect, even better than Fernando Martinez. Apparently Murphy has played a little bit of everywhere in the minors this year including 3B, 2B, 1B and left field.

I love watching the young guys get playing time, but not as much when we're in a losing streak and slowly slipping away. However, I've heard a lot about Dan Murphy that makes me curious to see what this kid has got.

Is he being called up as trade bait? Possibly, but I think it's a little late for that kind of maneuver. If the kid can truly hit he might be that little spark that gets a club going.

Too bad he can't pitch out of the bullpen. Anyone have Eddie Kunz's number?