If you're waiting for Alex Rodriguez to don a Mets uniform - or any uniform for that matter - in the near future, just keep waiting - and don't hold your breath while you're at it. A-Rod's agent is Scott (Bring Me The Bounty) Boras, and history tells you one thing in particular about Boras and his methods - he'll wait and push the envelope until the very last minute, playing each side against the other and both sides against the middle, until he squeezes the last possible nickel out of the winning bidder. Remember - Carlos Beltran, a Boras client, did not sign with the Mets until January 11, 2005 - about a month before spring training began - and only after Boras went back to the Yankees with a last-ditch, last-minute discount offer. This should take some time and if it doesn't, it will be totally out of character for Scotty B.
The Mets wasted no time in exercising their $7.5 million option on Moises Alou and justifiably so. Although limited to just 87 games and 328 at-bats and missing in action for 2 1/2 months due to a lingering quad injury, Alou was stupendous last season. He batted .341, constructing a Mets record 30-game hitting streak down the stretch. Alou had 13 HR, 19 doubles and 49 RBI, struck out only 30 times and had a .392 OBP. Alou mirrored the team's struggles with runners in scoring position this year. Moises hit .348 with RISP and less than 2 outs - with 2 outs he dropped down to .205. The Mets as a team batted .277 with RISP - but hit almost 40 points less (.238) when there were two out. Yes he's fragile, and yes, he'll turn 42 midway through 2008 - but the dude can flat out hit and you still can't sneak a fastball by him. I'll take the 100-120 games you hope that he can stay healthy for, cross your fingers and go.
The Mets also re-upped with Damion Easley, another good sign. Easley hit .280 overall before ripping up his ankle in late August. He was very productive, smashing 10 HR with 26 RBI in 193 at-bats - half of Easley's long balls either tied the game at the time or gave the Mets the lead. Easley can play all four corner positions and made 36 starts at second base.
The Mets have holes to fill at 2B and catcher and of course are always looking for more pitching depth. They have talked with Paul LoDuca and they will talk with Luis Castillo. Here's hoping that they'll speak at some point with the Minnesota Twins to gauge the availability of one Johan Santana. Who knows what the Twins will do, but as I've said before, overwhelm them and find out. You need durable pitchers and the Mets had exactly one starter give them 200 innings last season and that was Tom Glavine who may or may not be back. Since 2004, Santana has averaged 228 innings pitched per year. He has allowed on average just 176 hits per year in those innings. In those four seasons, Santana has averaged only 49 1/2 walks while striking out an average of 246 - a 5:1 strikeout to walk ratio. If there's a glitch, he does give up home runs - 33 to be exact in 2007 - and an average of 26 long balls since 2004. But an ace in his prime (28) to team with Pedro Martinez and other young starters is too enticing to overlook. Anyone notice what Josh Beckett did in this year's post-season and can mean to the Red Sox in future years?
Coleman's Corner: Pitching Perfection All right, we all know who Steve Pearce is now. And Mondays don't seem to be particularly good days to play the pitiful Pirates. But the Mets did return home after going 6-1 on their seven-game road trip, and in first place, someplace they weren't when they left Shea after blowing one to the Buccos last Monday.
Schwei Vision: Hurlers, Homers and Homestands Only three more Shea Stadium homestands remain for the New York Mets and this week's brings in their longtime rival--the Atlanta Braves as well as the last visit ever from their expansion twin--the Houston Astros.
Coleman's Corner: The NL East Rollercoaster After the Mets latest "worst loss of the season" - last Monday (8/11) when they blew a 5-1 lead to the Pirates in the final three innings and handed a game to a team that had already packed their bags to go home - they were in danger of falling 3 games behind the Phillies as they hit the road for a seven-game trip.
Schwei Vision: A Little Pitching History The Mets will see a lot of the Pittsburgh Pirates this week, playing five games against them thru next Monday, wrapped around three games against the N.L. East cellar dwellers, the Washington Nationals.
Coleman's Corner: Fasten Your Seat Belts The strained left forearm that sent closer Billy Wagner to the Disabled List and the recent uneven outings from several members of the Mets bullpen are not a great combination at the moment for the pitching staff. Yes, Wagner has blown 7 saves already this season, but take him out of the equation, and the progession to getting those final tough-to-get outs becomes that much tougher.
Schwei Vision: Heading Home and Hitting Homers When the Mets left Shea a week ago last Sunday they were atop the N.L. East but after a dismal 1 and 5 road trip they return home to play the San Diego Padres, who will make their final visit to Shea and the surprising Florida Marlins, who also head to Flushing to face the Mets this week.
Schwei Vision: Hitting the Road and Hitting HR's and Triples The Mets may very well hate to see the calendar turn as they wrap up the month of July with three games against the Marlins in Florida and then begin August with three games in Houston vs. the Astros.
The Mets wasted no time in exercising their $7.5 million option on Moises Alou and justifiably so. Although limited to just 87 games and 328 at-bats and missing in action for 2 1/2 months due to a lingering quad injury, Alou was stupendous last season. He batted .341, constructing a Mets record 30-game hitting streak down the stretch. Alou had 13 HR, 19 doubles and 49 RBI, struck out only 30 times and had a .392 OBP. Alou mirrored the team's struggles with runners in scoring position this year. Moises hit .348 with RISP and less than 2 outs - with 2 outs he dropped down to .205. The Mets as a team batted .277 with RISP - but hit almost 40 points less (.238) when there were two out. Yes he's fragile, and yes, he'll turn 42 midway through 2008 - but the dude can flat out hit and you still can't sneak a fastball by him. I'll take the 100-120 games you hope that he can stay healthy for, cross your fingers and go.
