It's Time for the Mets to Sign Pedro Martinez

Jason Bay is apparently our everyday left fielder for major part of the next decade, and on this New Year's Eve I'm finally realizing that the Mets should sign Pedro Martinez.

I was not a fan of the Mets bringing Pedro back last year, but a friend of mine warned me that Pedro would come back with a vengeance and boy was he ever right.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think that Pedro will be the Pedro of old, but I think he might be the best free agent pitcher for the Mets. Right now the Mets don't have a gamer outside of Santana. You've got three guys in Pelfrey, Maine & Perez who are the epitome of question marks. Then you've got a young pitcher in Niese who is coming off of a season ending injury and is still making his way in the majors.

The Mets need a veteran pitcher in the worst way. Sure you could sign Ben Sheets and I'd be open to that but not at the current price he is asking. Piniero is ok, but no better than if John Maine returns to normal.

Pedro would only start 25 games at the most, but his clubhouse presence and ability to step up during big games is what the Mets have to have. If Pedro was open to it, I'd see if he would like to take the role of what Roger Clemens did for the Yankees. Plan on coming back in June instead of having to deal with pitching in the cold weather games of April.

Who knows if Pedro wants to come back or if he'll require a multi-year deal. If the Mets aren't making moves to trade for a guy like Carlos Zambrano or another solid #2 starter, I think that at the very least they need to explore bringing Pedro back to Queens.

At the very least he'd fill some seats.

Mets Get Jason Bay, Now What?

So it appears the Mets will sign Jason Bay to a four year deal. Only took Bay the entire winter to decide that money does mean more to him than happiness and sign with the Mets.

Omar Minaya is feeling pretty good right now. Angel Pagan? Not so much. Nice move Omar although I'd rather have Holliday, but Bay will be a solid bat in the middle of the lineup and fills the void the Mets have had for the last four seasons.

But now what? Is the Bay move enough to make the Mets brass feel good about 2010? I know I don't.

Pitching, pitching pitching. The starting rotation must be addressed before the winter is out. There's not many free agent pitchers that people would covet, but the Mets should exhaust every option out there from Zambrano to whomever to try and improve potentially the worst rotation in baseball outside of Johan Santana.

At least the Mets did something, but I hope no one has false hope that this is enough to field a competitive team in 2010.

Can the Mets Ever Have Enough Pitching?

The answer is no. It's impossible to have too much pitching. Ok, if you have 20 pitchers on your roster, that might be overkill, but for the most part pitching is like a good meal you never can get enough.

So while the Mets infatuate themselves with  the likes of Jason Bay and any catcher whose name ends in a vowel they're neglecting the most pivotal element of any successful team: starting pitching.

We have arguably the best pitcher in the game, but he's surrounded by Moe, Larry, Curly & Shem. Look at the Yankees that just won the World Series or the Cardinal team in 2006 or those great Braves teams in the 90's. Sure they had some decent bats in their lineup, but their success was contingent on solid, reliable pitching. Those are two adjectives that you will never hear to explain the Mets staff.

Pineiro is not the answer. Neither is Garland. While these guys might be an improvement, they're not the long term solution to the Mets problems. I'd rather see Daniel Murphy as our starting left fielder and have a solid #2 pitcher on the mound, than the Mets sign Bay/Holliday and be stuck with our existing staff.

I'd rather sign Carlos Delgado to a one-year contract and make Angel Pagan our everyday left fielder and have an upgrade to Perez or Pelfrey than get Benjie Molina and Adam LaRoche.

You can build a team around pitching. You can't build a team around a left fielder. If the Mets don't make a move in the next 45 days to improve their pitching, you can kiss the 2010 season goodbye.

Mets Lifers Get Coal for Christmas

It appears the memory of the 2009 season will not soon be forgotten as the Mets continue to disappoint even when they're not playing baseball.

Holiday wishes of Roy Halladay, John Lackey or any improvement to our starting pitching have been squashed by the Grinch (a.k.a Omar Minaya) as dreams of catchers at every position danced in his head.

There will be no joy to the Mets world or rest for merry Mets gentlemen as the lack of direction, strategy or even common sense in the front office hinders the hope for good tidings of great joy.

2010, as it stands today, appears to be another rebuilding year for the Mets. Even if we sign a Jason Marquis or the highly coveted Joel Piniero, the Mets rotation will be no better than it was last season.

We may sign Jason Bay, We may even find a Festivus miracle in Matt Holliday. And pretty soon the herald will hark that the Mets have signed their 18th catcher in Bengie Molina. But all around us our rivals are improving and we seem to be fading like Frosty in that heated greenhouse.

So Merry Christmas Mets fans, but the thought of a happy new year is fading fast.

Mets Starting Rotation in One Word: Shambles

The Mets starting rotation is in complete shambles.

John Lackey is off the table as it appears he's signing with the Red Sox. Roy Halladay is evidently in Philadelphia talking contract extension with the Fightin' Phils. And who are the Mets eyeing? The fearsome combo of Joel Pineiro and Jason Marquis.

While Omar and team have been busy signing every catcher born in the early 70's, the top two pitching options on the market are quickly being taken off the table. So where does that leave the Mets rotation? Absolutely nowhere.

The Mets will open the 2010 with the same disarray of arms that started the stellar season that will be remembered as the 2009 campaign. So what if we sign Pineiro or Marquis? We just dropped Tim Redding and here are two guys of equal talent. Okay, they're a step up from Redding, but still #4 or #5 starters at best.

I hope and pray that I'm wrong, but the Mets starting rotation next year will be Santana, Pelfrey, Maine Perez, & #5 starter that we'll probably overpay for.

This is not rocket science. You play in one of the most cavernous parks in the league. Your starting pitching lacks anyone who can support Johan Santana. You have 3 starters who are as inconsistent as Dunkin' Donuts coffee. But yet the first item on the docket is to secure a catcher?

The only good thing that will come from this is Omar's early exit. Start looking forward to 2011.

Simmer Down Now About Josh Thole

I'm in full agreement with the universal head scratching going on in Mets fandom right now at the seemingly ridiculous amount of catchers the Mets are taking. The way the Mets are feeding on catchers is like the green room in the tryouts for The Biggest Loser.


But the one thing I take issue with is the constant reference to the fact that the Mets have Josh Thole and therefore shouldn't get an upgrade at catcher.

May I remind you of a certain fellow by the name of Daniel Murphy? Remember he came up, much like Thole, hit well and played well in September and then every Mets fan and front office employee was crowning him the second coming of Pete Rose. Look where that got us.

Let's not anoint Josh Thole the next best catcher in the world quite yet. Yes, he played well in September in pretty much meaningless games. Sure he's doing ok in winter league ball. But if you think that Thole will be a contributor to the Mets next season on an everyday basis, you're kidding yourself.

Don't rush this kid. Let him spend another season in the minors and look at potentially calling him up if needed midseason/September. He might be the future catcher for this team, but Mets fans need to simmer down before we have another Murphy-esque disappointment on our hands.

Jerry Manuel Has Lost His Mind

Ah, Jerry. He's always good for a fun line or two during an interview. But this afternoon, he showed just how far off the deep end he's gone.

While on Sirius Radio's MLB Home Plate show earlier today Manuel said that people should consider Mike Pelfrey as the number 2 pitcher in the Mets rotation.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Perhaps by process of elimination, but I would argue that Elmer Dessens might even give him a run for his money there. Are you kidding me? Is this a statement to make Mets management realize the plight of this team or has Manuel just lost his marbles.

Manuel went on to say that this is a big year for Pelfrey if he wants to considered in the same class as Justin Verlander. Verlander? Verlander? Pelfrey wishes.

Omar, this should be an eye opener for you. Mike Pelfrey is your number two starter. He's your best pitcher after Johan Santana. Quit all this catcher talk and Corey Hart nonsense and go get a good (not Piniero) starting pitcher.

Why Are the Mets Obsessed with Catchers?

Is it just me or is it becoming a habit that the Mets sign as many catchers as possible in the offseason?

The Mets currently have Josh Thole, Omir Santos, Chris Coste, Henry Blanco and are pursuing Bengie Molina like they're in desperate need of a prom date. Somewhere right now Robinson Cancel is crying and filling out an unemployment form.

We did the same thing last year. And the year before that the Mets had 4 catchers on their active lineup at multiple points during the season. I assume the Mets are thinking Thole will be in the minors next year which is probably a smart move, but that still leaves you with 3 potential starting catchers and a free agent who would jump them all in the depth chart.

Please Omar, tell me you have some deal in the works that requires a catcher to be traded for a top notch starting pitcher. Otherwise this looks like yet another chapter in the poor management class that is the New York Mets.

Omar Burning Up the Hot Stove

I don't know about you Mets Lifers but I'm sure getting fired up for the 2010 season. With the recent signings of Alex Cora, Chris Coste and Heny Blanco, Omar Minaya is proving his mettle yet again as a brilliant GM. How did he ever pry Chris "I'm Still a Phillie" Coste away from Philadelphia? Stroke of genius that's how. And just in case us Met fans weren't satisfied with one back up catcher, he got us another one just a day later in Blanco. Woah! Two backup cathers in two days! I can't believe it! I hear he's even thinking about signing another cather to play full time. Imagine that? Three catchers in one off season to go along with the two we already have? Just awesome! Minaya is on such a hot streak he better try his hand at the tables in Vegas.

He is just burning up the hot stove! So much so that I'm already forgetting about 2009...and 2008...and 2007. That's what I'm talking about. All you knuckleheads who are criticizing our great GM and this awesome ownership should just go shut your pie holes. In case all of you forgot, Jeff and Omar promised us they will be 100% committed to putting a a championship caliber team on the field for 2010 and boys and girls, I gotta tell ya, they are putting their money where their mouth is.

Fired up I'm tellin ya!

Who needs Roy Halladay when we got John Maine and Oliver Perez? Come on Mets fans, wake up! Roy Halladay....he's like 45 years old now. Washed up I tell ya! And you just wait, just wait, because I know Omar has another swift trick up his sleeve. That mad magician is going to bring us Joel Pinero. And when he does, I'm serious, I'll just explode with excitement. I'll probably pee in my pants. Where are those season tickets? Sign me up! Joel Freakin' Pinero - I'd like to see the Yankees top that signing. All those titles, the mega-star players, the money...Puh-lease people. The Yankees? Come on, we are the freakin' NY Mets of Flushing! The Steinbrenners? Shoot....We got the Wilpons and all that cash from the billions of billboards and ads at Citi Field. Man, I'm feeling it...we are just killing the Yankees next season and anyone else who comes into our parameters. You wait and see.

Believe? You bet'chya. We are taking it next season....and Omar needs another extension right now. Right now I'm telling you.

Hey Chris Coste, We Don't Want You

If you haven't heard already, Chris Coste really likes being on the Mets. Here's what he had to say:

“It’s the last team I ever saw myself playing for. I knew I was going to accept it, but had to think about it for a few days… It wasn’t my choice to leave Philly… I never wanted to leave Philadelphia, I will always consider myself a Phillie.”

The thing is I always saw you as a lousy catcher. Funny how beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Right now you're an ugly bench player. Don't bother calling a real estate agent. You won't be in Queens long. Tool.