SB Nation - Carlos Delgado

What Have We Learned? A Brief History of a Non-Dynasty, Part 1

Mark Himmelstein — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:22:12 -0000

More photos » by KATHY WILLENS - AP

First things first, allow me to (re)introduce myself. Many of you, grizzled Amazin' Avenue vets that may be, are probably thinking "Who the hell is Mark Himmelstein?" Well, Mark Himmelstein is me, formerly known around these parts as Meddler. Eric Simon and co. have been generous enough to have me join the site's wonderful team of writers. I'm honored, and look forward to lamenting, and maybe one day even celebrating (please?), with the greatest community of Mets fans there is.

Just three short years ago, if you asked a Mets fan how they thought this team would be remembered once the decade was over, you probably would have heard words like "accomplishment," "chemistry," "dominance," and even "championship," without a hint of irony. After a 2006 season that included 97 wins and a trip to the NLCS, it was a success that seemed destined to go on forever. It didn't. And though for the next two seasons the team would continue to be better than most Major League Baseball teams, they would stay closer to the average than to the elite. This relative mediocrity made the process feel more like a tease than the triumph that was expected, despite the relative level of success. Now, after a 2009 season lost to plenty of bad luck and at least as many bad decisions, there aren't many straws left to grasp at. What went so wrong? Everything seemed to be lined up so nicely for a sustained run at success, even a shot at a dynasty. Two of the best young players in the game had just shot up through the farm system and the organization had the financial resources to match any other non-Yankee club in the league. Looking back on the events of the last half-decade, things clearly have not worked out as hoped.

The Mets began the Aughties with a bang. They made it all the way to first World Series since Y2K had officially not happened. Though they would flounder through the rest of the early part of the decade, it wasn't long before hope would rear its head again. There was some optimism brewing below the major league franchise. Finally, some talent coming up through the homegrown ranks. A young shortstop named Jose Reyes reached the majors the day before his 20th birthday and dazzled crowds with a stunning array of tools. Meanwhile, a third baseman from the 2001 draft class was starting to garner lots of attention in the upper levels of the minor leagues. In 2004, David Wright joined Jose Reyes on the major league roster, and it soon became clear that the two were destined to be the face of any and all efforts to revitalize a broken franchise.

2005 - The Beginning

Enter Omar Minaya. Taking over the General Manager position, Omar brought lots of promises to the table. Youth, athleticism, an "old school" mentality, and a willingness to aggressively shift the organization's financial weight around on the open market. Right away, he brought in one of the best pitchers in the game and one of the best outfielders the free agent market had seen in a long time: Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran. Though the overhaul seemed as yet incomplete by the end of the 2005 season, the signs were encouraging. Here's a rundown of the final product (The less commonly referenced stats are linked to their glossaries):

Making Runs Happen

PA	Avg	OBP	SLG	wOBA	HR%	HR/FB	XBH%	BB%	SO%	SB	CS	bRAA	RS
6146	.258	.322	.416	.334	2.8%	10.7%	7.9%	7.9%	17.5%	153	40	-7.0	722

Making Runs Not Happen

BF	ERA	FIP	tRA (SP)	tRA (RP)	SO%	BB%	HR%	pRAA	DE	PADE	UZR	RA
6121	3.77	4.00	4.27	4.22	16.5%	8.0%	2.2%	52.1	.701	1.50	-24.6	648

Miscellaneous Facts and Musings

The team run differential was +74. The 83-79 record may have actually been an underachievement for this team.
Pedro Martinez accounted for 50.9 of the 52.1 pRAA. The rest of the rotation produced just 1.1 pRAA, essentially average. His tRA was a stellar 2.43. It was arguably best single season pitching performance the Mets got all decade.
Tom Glavine also had his best season in a Mets uniform with a 4.36 tRA and 5.2 pRAA. After Tommy and Petey, the rest of the rotation was below average, producing a combined -4.1 pRAA, which is perfectly acceptable when your top two starters combine for 57.3 pRAA.
Only eight different starting pitchers were used all season, and four threw at least 150 innings. Ah, the good old days.
David Wright lead the team in wOBA at .410. The second best mark on the team, .384, was not Carlos Beltran, Mike Piazza, Jose Reyes, or Cliff Floyd. That leaves _________________.
Though Mike Piazza appeared to be fading away by posting just a .343 wOBA, Cliff Floyd had one of the best years of his career with a .381 mark of his own.
Fun fact: the offense had exactly the same number of walks as extra base hits: 486.
Its curious how much the PADE and UZR methods disagree on the team-wide defense.

Though the starting pitching was excellent, the rest of the team still needed work. Carlos Beltran failed to live up to expectations in his first season in Flushing, and his collision with Mike Cameron in the outfield left the offense without one of its more productive players for a good portion of the season. Still, the offense, bullpen, and defense were all within earshot of average, and the starting pitching, mostly thanks to Pedro Martinez's stellar year, was superb.

2006 - Destiny or Illusion?

Just like in 2005, Omar brought in two new marquee names for the 2006 season. Though the faded star of Mike Piazza had finally physically departed, the additions of Carlos Delgado and Billy Wagner appeared to be the perfect way to balance a roster with potential for greatness. Delgado was a force of run creation at the time, coming off an excellent year with the with the Marlins after his shift to the Senior Circuit. Billy Wagner had the fastball to dominate the late innings and high leverage situations, plus the attitude to win over the infamously ravenous New York Media. The pair seemed to be a perfect way to correct two of the team's biggest weaknesses the previous season.

Making Runs Happen

PA	Avg	OBP	SLG	wOBA	HR%	HR/FB	XBH%	BB%	SO%	SB	CS	bRAA	RS
6291	.264	.334	.445	.348	3.2%	11.8%	9.0%	8.7%	17.0%	146	35	39.0	834

Making Runs Not Happen

BF	ERA	FIP	tRA (SP)	tRA (RP)	SO%	BB%	HR%	pRAA	DE	PADE	UZR	RA
6240	4.16	4.37	5.39	3.66	18.6%	8.4%	2.9%	20.9	.703	2.34	9.8	731

Miscellaneous Facts and Musings

The team run differential was +103. They were very much for real.
The offense was absolutely stellar, lead by Carlos Beltran's ridiculous .441 wOBA, which even more incredibly was held down by a .262 BABIP.
The second highest wOBA among Mets outfielders wasn't produced by Xavier Nady, Shawn Green, or Cliff Floyd. It was Endy Chavez's .359. Endy added to that a 12.7 UZR in just 814.2 defensive innings, making him a 2.5 WAR player.
Carlos Delgado was as advertised, his .389 wOBA was third on the team behind Beltran and Wright.
The surprise of the year was easily Jose Valentin, who managed a .360 wOBA and 9.2 UZR in 94 games at second base, a position he hadn't played since 1994, and had only played 19 games at in his major league career. His 3.1 WAR made him the fifth most valuable player on the team.
Among players with at least as many as PA's as Xavier Nady's 292, there were eight wOBA's greater than .350: Beltran, Wright (.394), Delgado, Reyes (.377), Valentin, Chavez, Nady (.358), and Lo Duca (.354)
The pRAA splits were 53.7 for the bullpen and -32.8 for the rotation. The bullpen supplanted Pedro Martinez as the team's pitching strength, and there wasn't all that much else to talk about in a positive light.
13 different pitchers started games. Only four provided positive pRAA figures. Pedro Martinez still lead the team at 10.3, despite missing most of the second half. The other three were Orlando Hernandez, John Maine, and Brian Bannister, none of whom pitched the full year either, at least not for the Mets.
Like Delgado, Billy Wagner was also as advertised, posting a 2.65 tRA, tied for the team lead among qualified relievers with Chad Bradford.
Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, and Duaner Sanchez also each had sub-4.00 tRA's in at least 50 innings apiece.
The team's PADE and UZR match up much better in 2006 than 2005. They were a quality defensive squad.

This was a team that got it done in exactly the way the 2005 version didn't, as well as failed in the one area that the 2005 version was superior. Carlos Beltran emerged as the player the Mets thought they were buying and then some, while Jose Reyes finally grew into the player Mets fans had been hanging their dreams on for years. Unfortunately, once Pedro Martinez's health began to fail him, the lack of pitching depth was brutally exposed. It was the one obvious weakness on an otherwise incredibly complete team. And despite the playoff push coming to a crashing halt in Game 7 of the NLCS, there was even some hope for life after Pedro. The second half arrival of John Maine and clutchy playoff performance of Oliver Perez promised to give the future of the Mets rotation a new, younger look, and the beginnings of the depth they so lacked in 2006.

2007 - Oh So Close

The playoffs seemed like the natural end to the 2007 season even before it began. The everyday unit that carried the 2006 team was still largely intact, and the previous year's high leverage relief specialists all returned as well. However, the trademark splash Omar Minaya had become known for in his first two years on the job was strangely absent. This was a bold decision, considering Pedro Martinez, the team's most effective pitcher over the last two years, was slated to miss the majority of the season recovering from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. And some of the moves that were made were eyebrow raisers. Scott Schoeneweis and Guillermo Mota were given multi-year deals based on strong, but very short performances from the end of 2006, while major contributors Chad Bradford and Darren Oliver were allowed to walk away in Free Agency. Still, the roster construction was very similar to the team with a +103 run differential the previous year. How hard could a second straight NL East crown be?

Making Runs Happen

PA	Avg	OBP	SLG	wOBA	HR%	HR/FB	XBH%	BB%	SO%	SB	CS	bRAA	RS
6343	.275	.342	.432	.344	2.8%	11.1%	7.9%	8.7%	15.5%	200	46	42.0	804

Making Runs Not Happen

BF	ERA	FIP	tRA (SP)	tRA (RP)	SO%	BB%	HR%	pRAA	DE	PADE	UZR	RA
6293	4.27	4.46	4.93	4.71	18.0%	9.1%	2.6%	-6.4	.701	1.51	6.8	750

Miscellaneous Facts and Musings

The team run differential was +54 runs. We'll get back to this in a bit.
Though it functioned differently, the offensive output was very similar in 2007 to its 2006 predecessor. Less power, fewer strikeouts, a more aggressive running game, and a slightly lower league average wOBA actually meant their bRAA improved by three runs.
David Wright lead the team in wOBA with a .422 mark. Moises Alou's .398 was second.
Nine different players had a wOBA of .345 or higher in at least 200 PA: Wright, Alou, Carlos Beltran (.377), Damian Easley (.367), Luis Castillo (.361), Lastings Milledge (.357), Shawn Green (.351), Jose Reyes (.349), and Ruben Gotay (.345).
The big offensive disappointment was Carlos Delgado, whose wOBA fell to .342.
Though the team lacked a dominant starting pitcher and the rotation as a whole only improved slightly from 2006, they did have three guys who contributed more than any starter from the year before. Oliver Perez, John Maine, and Orlando Hernandez all produced pRAA figures greater than Pedro's 2006 output of 10.3. This really says more about the 2006 group than the 2007 one.
Oliver Perez's 4.19 tRA and 16.1 pRAA lead the starting staff in both categories. I'll say that again. Oliver Perez once lead a pitching staff in something meaningful.
Unfortunately, the 2007 bullpen couldn't do what the 2006 version did to make up for the lack of quality in the rotation. Wagner was once again excellent, but beyond him, no other reliever managed a sub-4.00 tRA in at least 60 innings. The only other two relievers who were above average were Aaron Heilman and Pedro Feliciano, with 4.45 and 4.13 tRA's, respectively.
Believe it or not, the second and third best tRA's among relievers with at least 20 IP were from Jorge Sosa (3.74) and Ambiorix Burgos (3.81), but neither threw enough relief innings to have a huge impact.
Though the defense wasn't quite as good as the previous year, PADE and UZR both agree that it was still pretty solid.

Of course, we all know how this season ended, with one of the greatest collapses in regular season baseball history, and one of the greatest comebacks, care of the Philadelphia Phillies. Because it went down in this way, and because the Mets did indeed control the NL East for much of the 2007 season, many fans were still willing to write off the failure as the aberration to the rule that was 2006. But there was one particularly troubling statistical sign: The +54 run differential. Looking back at 2005, the +74 run differential yielded an 83-79 record. Did the Mets actually over-perform in 2007? Using the Pythagenpat method developed by David Smyth and Patriot, we can project that the 2005 team should have had about a .550 winning percentage, approximately 89 wins, and the 2007 team a .533 winning percentage, about 86 wins, so perhaps they did. Still, the high powered offense was intact even without superior production from Carlos Delgado or the surprise contributions from Jose Valentin, and Omar had found the back half a rotation that his team lacked in 2006. Now all they needed was a front.....right?

In Part 2: 2008, 2009, and beyond

Holiday Filler: Carlos Beltran's Greatest Hits

James Kannengieser — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:00:18 -0000

by Henny Ray Abrams - AP

View full size photo »

Here is a respite from the rumor mill, the top ten most valuable plate appearances of Carlos Beltran's Mets career, as ranked by WPA. There's some pleasant memories here:

10. 4/16/2005
Play: RBI single off Todd Jones in the 8th inning
WPA: .331
Game Result: Mets 4, Marlins 3

Beltran had a rocky first year with the Mets but was great in his first two weeks (.884 OPS). He tied the game with a single in the 8th and the Mets took the lead on a Mike Piazza single one batter later. Braden Looper blew the save in the 9th but earned a vulture win after Ramon Castro's walkoff base hit.

9. 5/31/2008
Play: Two-run homer off Jonathan Broxton in the 8th inning
WPA: .337
Game Result: Mets 3, Dodgers 2

Fernando Tatis put the Mets ahead three batters after Beltran tied it up. Mike Pelfrey pitched great and then went on his mid-summer hot streak.

8. 5/12/2009
Play: Bases loaded walk off Jeff Bennett in the 10th inning
WPA: .344
Game Result: Mets 4, Braves 3

Sadly, this was one of the better moments of the 2009 season. The walk happened on a 3-2 count and it's possible the pitch was really strike three. Just nine days until 2010.

7. 5/23/2006
Play: Solo homer off Ryan Madson in the 16th inning
WPA: .362
Game Result: Mets 9, Phillies 8

A sixteen inning, five-and-a-half hours long marathon ended about the best way possible: walkoff homer off Madson. The Mets bullpen gave up just two runs in eleven innings. Those were the days.

6. 9/25/2008
Play: RBI single off Kevin Hart in the 9th inning
WPA: .388
Game Result: Mets 7, Cubs 6

This was a must-win game, coming one night after the infamous David Wright vs. Bob Howry matchup. Micah Hoffpauir aided this walkoff single with some spotty glovework but not before going 5-5 with two home runs in a career night.

5. 4/10/2005
Play: Two-run homer off John Smoltz in the 8th inning
WPA: .415
Game Result: Mets 6, Braves 1

Pedro Martinez was spectacular in this one (9 IP, 1 R, 9 K) and a go-ahead two run bomb off Smoltz was all the Mets needed to win. Smoltz struck out fifteen in 7.1 IP.

4. 6/11/2008
Play: Two-run homer off Edgar Gonzalez in the 13th inning
WPA: .436
Game Result: Mets 5, Diamondbacks 3

Billy Wagner blew the save but Beltran picked his teammate up in extra innings. Willie Randolph would be unemployed just a week later.

3. 9/23/2005
Play: Three-run homer off Gary Majewski in the 10th inning
WPA: .454
Game Result: Mets 5, Nationals 2

Carlos Baerga tied the game with a two-run homer in the 9th off Roberto Hernandez but Beltran's three-run shot sealed it one inning later. Steve Trachsel tossed six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.

2. 8/29/2008
Play: Grand slam off Kevin Gregg in the 9th inning
WPA: .723
Game Result: Mets 5, Marlins 4

This put the Mets up three runs heading to the bottom of the 9th, which might as well have been one run given the bullpen at the time. Luis Ayala did what everyone expected him to do: allow two runs and give every Met fan a heart attack after allowing a mammoth foul ball home run which would have given the Marlins a win. Thanks for the memories Luis!

1. 8/22/2006
Play: Two-run homer off Jason Isringhausen in the 9th inning
WPA: .789
Game Result: Mets 8, Cardinals 7

Many fans call this their favorite regular season game ever and with good reason. I was in attendance and was treated to two tape measure shots from Carlos Delgado (one of which was #400 for his career), two homers from Albert Pujols and a Beltran come-from-behind walkoff.

Orioles to sign Mike Gonzalez?

Eli Greenspan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:59:53 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

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The Orioles are closing in on a two year agreement with lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez. The Orioles were considered a dark horse for the reliever, but it is possible the Orioles guaranteed that he would be the teams closer, which he was not in Atlanta.

Update: Gonzalez signed for two years, $12M with another $4M in incentives, so he can earn up to $16M in this deal. Also, Baltimore assured Gonzalez that he will be their closer, so that presumably weighed in Gonzalez's decision to go to Baltimore.

The Orioles will lose their second round pick for signing Gonzalez, who posted a 2.42 ERA last season. The Orioles are also expected to add a corner infielder, and could target Russell Branyan if talks with the Mariners head south.

Carlos Delgado is also available.

Arbitration Applesauce - Molina sanity, Braves get Wagner, Pedroia could move to SS

Joe Budd — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:37:20 -0000

The tea leaves are not looking too promising right now, are they...

Meet the Mets

Matthew Cerrone sides with reason when talking about Bengie Molina.

The Mets gave none of their free agents to -be arbitration offers. This, however, does not mean that Carlos Delgado will not return to the blue and orange.

Around the NL East

The Braves have signed Billy Wagner to be their closer, giving Boston their first round pick and a supplemental draft pick. Chris Carter still does not know how to field.

Atlanta declined to offer arbitration to their first baseman Adam LaRoche.

We're still going to see our fair share of Brian Schneider. He became quite popular on the internets yesterday as Philly fans are trying to figure out why on earth they got him.

Around MLB

If only we had an organization like Boston to root for. With the market for shortstops being overpriced, Boston management has approached Dustin Pedroia about switching to the other side of the diamond and pursuing one of the many second basemen. Oh, and they're also interested in Rich Harden.

The Angels have voted a full playoff share to Nick Adenhart.

Gregg Zaun expects to sign on with a new team by the end of this week.

And, finally, Rex Ryan has brought in Joe Girardi to teach Mark Sanchez how to slide.

Down on the Farm: Snippets from MLB.com

raygu — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:00:12 -0000

I've been waiting for the MLB.com beat writers to start writing their normal offseason Inbox articles, and today a bunch of them responded. The Mets beat writer Marty Noble and and the Marlin's Joe Frisaro were the only ones writing the Inbox articles until today.

Here are a few snippets regarding some of the top prospects:

Mark Bowman, Braves:

Can the Braves move Chipper Jones to first base and maybe look for a third baseman?
-- Edward G., Santiago, Dominican Republic

Chipper has said numerous times that he'd accept a move to the other corner if the Braves had a better third-base option. While they don't currently have a better option in their system, they could be tempted to make this move if they were to grab Chone Figgins, Adrian Beltre or Pedro Feliz off the free-agent market.

But with the strong possibility that Freddie Freeman could be ready to assume his role as the everyday first baseman by the start of the 2011 season, where would you then play Chipper during the final two years of his contract?

Ken Gurnick, Dodgers:

It sounds like the Dodgers already have no chance at trading for Roy Halladay. If their farm system is so good, why can't they swing deals for big-name players the way the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox do?
-- Seth F., Vero Beach, Fla.

Actually, they made one of the biggest trades for a big-name player in recent years in 2008 -- for Manny Ramirez. In the case of Halladay, if the Blue Jays insist on a Major League starting pitcher in return -- and why wouldn't they? -- then the Dodgers are not a fit. That's the Dodgers' need, not a surplus. General manager Ned Colletti has said he doesn't believe he can improve his starting rotation by trading away a pitcher out of that starting rotation. One thing you haven't heard in recent years is that the Dodgers have blocked young talent, because their young talent has become the nucleus of the team. So there isn't a surplus of Major League-ready players to trade for marquee players. And one who would qualify in that category, Blake DeWitt, is likely to get a shot to be the starting second baseman next year.

More after the jump:

Marty Noble, Mets:

Daniel Murphy is not the answer at first base. The club should re-sign Carlos Delgado for one year, allowing him to demonstrate whether he has anything left. I believe he is an all around better player than Murphy, who seems like he cares, but I'm convinced he at best is a bench player. They should wait for Ike Davis to develop.
-- John A., Whitestone, N.Y.

I'm not sure about Delgado. The Mets have questions about his ability to move at first base. Off what I saw in 2007 and the first half of 2008, I have questions about his willingness to move. His bat seemed potent in the games he played before his hip surgery developed in May.

I suspect you and the club aren't on the same page about Murphy. And I don't see how Murphy and Delgado fit in the same roster, particularly if a right-handed-hitting first baseman is needed. But you and the club seem to agree on Davis. And I have the same sense. Give him time to develop.

Carrie Muskat, Cubs:

Have you heard if Ryan Theriot has been working on his footwork at second base? I believe Jeff Baker has more value off the bench with Aramis Ramirez having his shoulder issues and such.
-- Aaron L., Chicago

Theriot has been told to dust off his second baseman's glove because he could be switching to second base if the Cubs decide top prospect Starlin Castro is ready for the big leagues. Theriot has played second before in the Major Leagues, last doing so in 2007 (37 games). I agree about Baker being a valuable player to have on the bench.

Adam McCalvy, Brewers:

How does the addition of Carlos Gomez affect Lorenzo Cain's future with the organization?
-- Michael Holyoke, Thiensville, Wis.

It slows Cain's progress to the Majors, though injuries in 2009 probably took care of that already. Cain missed time with a left knee injury and then struggled to trust the knee when he returned, according to Nichols. Cain will begin the year at Double-A Huntsville or perhaps Triple-A Nashville while Gomez gets a chance to dig a foothold in Milwaukee. Remember, Gomez is raw himself (at least offensively) so there remains plenty of opportunity for guys like Cain or Logan Schafer or Caleb Gindl.

Jenifer Langosch, Pirates:

Why can't we look at moving Ryan Doumit back to right field to fill our offensive needs rather than trade him? -- Bob, Fombell, Pa.

That would seem to be a viable possibility, but not one the Pirates have shown interest in really exploring further for whatever reason. When I asked Huntington about the possibility of Doumit playing right field, he said the organization sees it as a possibility right now only on days when Doumit is off behind the plate. As a result, don't be surprised if you do see Doumit make a handful of spot starts in right when he isn't catching, in order to keep his bat in the lineup. You'll remember Doumit did just that one time last September.

Keep in mind, too, that the Pirates' right fielder is likely to soon be Jose Tabata. So, if the Pirates do pursue a corner outfielder this winter, it would likely be for a short-term fit. It might not be the best option to move Doumit to right knowing that he wouldn't be able to stay there but for a few months.

Jenifer Langosch, Pirates:

Where does Milledge fit into next year's lineup? I think he played a pretty strong second half this past year, and showed some improvements in his game. Is he an outfielder of the future, along with Andrew McCutchen?
-- Jake C., Kent, Ohio

If the Pirates' starting lineup is made up of players currently within the organization (meaning no additional offseason adds), I could very well see Milledge slotting into the fifth spot in the batting order, behind Doumit. Milledge finished the season by hitting .311 in his final 44 games, and there's no reason to believe he can't sustain offensive numbers like that for a longer period of time. Also, both Milledge and the Pirates' staff expect him to show more power in 2010 now that his right hand has returned to full strength after an early-season injury.

I do think you can mention Milledge as one of the club's potential outfielders of the future. He was not brought in as a placeholder. In fact, at this time next year, I'd expect we'll be talking about a pretty intriguing outfield trio of Milledge, McCutchen and Tabata.

Josh Johnson still with the Marlins

craig — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:23:12 -0000

The front office is saying that Josh Johnson will be a Marlin next season.

Count on Josh Johnson being a Marlin when the 2010 season opens.

As speculation continues, seemingly on a daily basis, as to where Johnson will be next year, Marlins general manager Michael Hill added some clarity during a radio interview.

Appearing as a guest on Marlins flagship station 790 The Ticket's "Hot Stove Show" on Saturday, Hill was asked if Johnson would be with the team next season.

"Yes, I can say with certainty, yes," Hill said.

Naturally, I want JJ back. But forgive me if I don't find solace in the words above. This is the same club that Loria told Carlos Delgado to his face and in front of the media that he would be back for the next season. Of course, he wasn't.

Every Marlins player is up for trade consideration, there are no exceptions. JJ included. But some come with a very high price tag, when I say a high price tag, I mean a HIGH PRICE TAG. Josh is one of those. If someone is willing the mortgage the farm, then maybe he is gone.

I have no idea whether the Marlins are posturing or if they think they still have a chance to sign Johnson to a long term contract. Of course, maybe they think we can win the division title next season and in order to do so, we need JJ for that to happen. In the latter case they would be right.

The answers will soon follow. Welcome to the offseason.

Mets interested in Jack Cust?

Eli Greenspan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:54:07 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

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Adam Rubin of the Daily News is reporting that the Mets have interest in trading for Athletics DH and first baseman Jack Cust. Cust, who is set to go to arbitration with the A's this offseason, could earn up to 5 million dollars in 2010.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Jack Cust	149	513	88	123	16	0	25	70	93	185	4	1	.240	.356	.417

The Mets, who are looking for low cost alternatives, could use Cust at first base to replace Carlos Delgado, who likely won't return next season.

While Cust puts up decent power numbers, he strikes out way too much to be considered any sort of answer for the Mets. However, slotting him at the bottom of their order could give them some stability that was no where to be found last season.

One NL source said the Giants and Indians could approach the A's about Cust, but haven't just yet. The Orioles could also make a move as well.

Marlins to Play Mets in Puerto Rico?

GameFish — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:28:14 -0000

Joy of joys, the Marlins are once again entertaining the idea of playing one of their home series in Puerto Rico next season. Yes, we've heard this particular rumor before, but according to reports, the series is a lot closer to happening than the one that was being negotiated for the 2008 season:

Major League Baseball is considering a proposal for the Marlins to host a series against the Mets at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in June or July, according to a Marlins source.

The Marlins’ 2010 schedule has Florida hosting the Mets at Land Shark Stadium June 28-30 but not in July. The Marlins also host the Mets May 13-16 and Sept. 21-22.

Normally I would be excited by anything and everything that would keep Mets fans a nice stretch of ocean away from Land Shark Stadium, but not in this case. As much as I loathe being crowded by blue and orange-clad New Yorkers at home, the Marlins-Mets series are the most popular and well-attended home series of the season, and as such, it doesn't make sense to move one of them.

I will never be in favor of something that short-changes Fish fans three home games, especially not three of the most popular home games of the season. And, as much as I like to see them suffer, this isn't exactly going to please all the transplanted Mets fans, either.

For all their complaints about attendance, the Marlins certainly aren't helping their own cause here.

Then there's this:

The Mets would be a particularly attractive draw because of the team’s Puerto Rican presence, including Carlos Beltran, Pedro Feliciano, Angel Pagan and Omir Santos. The Mets also are investigating re-signing Alex Cora, who hails from the island, and won’t rule out bringing back Carlos Delgado, a native of Aguadilla, P.R.

If the Mets are such an attractive draw in Puerto Rico, let them give up a home series to play there.

Jauss Applesauce - Mets go with Jauss as bench coach, Backman seems like shadow manager, Marquis and Mets are "perfect fit"

Joe Budd — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:28:10 -0000

Meet the Mets

Bart Hubbuch writes that Wally Backman would be the logical heir to Jerry Manuel should the Mets dump their manager mid-season. Jason Fry is a little hesitant to take that risk. At this point, I can see the Mets going with Backman to appease the grission crowd, but it would be odd to jump over a candidate like Tim Teufel who has been a loyal, competent, and controversy-free manager in the Met minor league system for a few years already.

Speaking of Met coaches/managers, the new bench coach is Dave Jauss.

Carlos Beltran continues to be a class act off the field.

Jason Marquis thinks that his home town Mets are a perfect fit as his new home. The guy was an All-Star AND won 15 games...

Ben Shpigel puts in a pitch for Carlos Delgado. I'm starting to think that he might be the best choice at this point.

The Mets have shown some interest in John Smoltz this off-season who has mentioned that he'd be willing to go to the bullpen as well.

Around the NL East

The Nationals may actually get involved in the 2010 off-season by making a bid on John Lackey. I see this ending like Mark Texeira.

Nationals manager Jim Riggleman owed former Mariner skipper John McLaren something.

Crashburn Alley thinks it might be time to sell high on JA Happ.

Around MLB

Sabremetric follower Zack Greinke won the Cy Young almost unanimously. Justin Verlander took one vote away, however. Here's why.

Toronto will allow any team that trades for Roy Halladay a window to negotiate a contract extension.

John Lackey is hoping to land a Barry Zito level contract. Oh my.

Sandy Alomar Jr. is leaving the Met system to return to Cleveland.

Yu Darvish shared the MVP award with Alex Ramirez in Japan's Central League. Darvish posted a 1.73 ERA.

Farewell Carlos Delgado

James Kannengieser — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:27 -0000

Note: I have enjoyed making small tributes/eulogies for various Mets when they leave - Marlon Anderson, Ramon Castro and Billy Wagner are some examples. Carlos Delgado filed for free agency and it seems unlikely, but not totally out of the question, that he will return to the Mets for a variety of reasons. What better way to "eulogize" Delgado than by channeling Sergeant Jay Landsman from "The Wire" and his patented Irish wake tributes? If you aren't familiar with the show or the scene, check out the video at the bottom of this post for some context (NSFW - language) and then add Seasons 1-5 of "The Wire" to your Netflix queue.

Carlos Del-ga-do. Power hittin' first baseman, borderline Hall of Famer and all it cost was Mike Jacobs. Delgado wasn't the greatest defensive first baseman and he wasn't the worst. He had some memorable hits and he let us down in some big spots. But the son-of-a-gun had his moments, yes he did. You remember that walk-off homer against Benitez in early '07? 416 feet, he crushed it. How about the 2 bombs off Hollywood Hamels that Sunday night in '08? That was Carlos Delgado at his best. And in the playoffs in 2006? He caught fire when a lot of his mates were cooling down. Yes indeed. He won as much as he lost, much as any of them.

Did he piss off a manager and maybe some fans in the process? No freaking doubt! I think the last manager actually got kinda used to him thank God. Did he say the wrong thing every so often? Did he bust balls and swing for the fences and boot the occasional grounder every now and then? Who doesn't!? Was he as upset about 2007 and 2008 as every other Mets player wearin' the blue and orange in that Flushing clubhouse? Ab-so-lutely. Let us not forget his off the field contributions - we're looking at the 2006 Roberto Clemente Award winner. Carlos Delgado stood with his teammates, doing his best to crush the ball as he entered his late 30's. His body let him down in 2009 but he hardly ever took a day off until then. He was called; he played; he is counted. Farewell.