Holed up in my Manhattan home office, making calls and waiting for David Wright's fundraiser tonight, I took a minute to sketch out a projected Opening Day roster. Just to see how good/bad the Mets will be if they don't make a major move like trading for a Johan Santana, Joe Blanton or Dan Haren in the coming weeks. Check it out:
Lineup:
Jose Reyes ........... SS
Luis Castillo .......... 2B
David Wright .......... 3B
Carlos Beltran ........ CF
Moises Alou .......... LF
Carlos Delgado ....... 1B
Lastings Milledge .....RF
Yorvit Torrealba ....... C
Pedro Martinez ...... RHP
Starting Rotation:
Pedro Martinez
Orlando Hernandez
John Maine
Oliver Perez
Mike Pelfrey
Bench:
Damion Easley
Marlon Anderson
Ramon Castro
Carlos Gomez
Endy Chavez
Ruben Gotay
Bullpen:
Billy Wagner
Aaron Heilman
Guillermo Mota/Duaner Sanchez
Scott Schoeneweis
Pedro Feliciano
Jorge Sosa
What do you think? Needs a little work, wouldn't you say? That bullpen worries me more than the rotation.
Update: Thanks for the heads-up, guys. Of course Pedro Feliciano belongs in that mix. Bad oversight on my part. As for Duaner Sanchez, he's going to pitch winter ball, but it may be too early to count him as a lock for next season.
Comments (20)
That's an old lineup....bon jour, mulyan.
sorry, dude...I meant mullion. what was I thinking?
Let's hope that is not the opening day lineup!
Mota and Schoe need to go.
Hopefully Smith can carry his success through a full season.
Although I think Milledge has unlimited talent, I can't see him as the everyday rightfielder. They need to package him in a deal with a few more prospects and go get Johan Santana, Dan Haren or Roy Oswalt. There are many teams out there who are very interested in our prospects and we should not be afraid to use them to get full value back in return. Without a stud ace, this pitching staff will never make it. They also need to address the bullpen. I cannot sit thru another season watching Mota and Schowenweiss give up game tying/winning hr's. I'm not sure what free agent reliever's are out there but I'm sure there are 1 or 2 that can help the Mets. I heard the Nats might be willing to trade Chad Cordero. He would be a great set up man for Wagner. Also, I know he's been hurt but imagine a healthy Eric Gagne setting up for Billy? There's a lot of options out there and I don't think the Mets can afford to depend on Mota or Schowenweiss any longer.
IF this is a mere projection; i.e. "The team on paper," aren't you forgetting Duanar Sanchez (still Mets property, young, and I'm sure will be given an opportunity to prove his health in March) and to a lesser extent Juan Padilla, likely to be given a similar shot to make the team and prove his health ?
That said, I like El Duque out of the pen, and think the Mets aught pursue Eric Gagne, and David Riske to set up, and Shawn Chacon, Jeremy Adfelt or Matt Herges for the middle.
Though I almost did so myself - - forgetting him ;
WHERE IS PEDRO FELICIANO????????
I imagine as constituted it underscores the need for pen help, but one of the few mainstays more than likely to retain his job is Feliciano.
Though I almost did so myself - - forgetting him ;
WHERE IS PEDRO FELICIANO????????
I imagine as constituted it underscores the need for pen help, but one of the few mainstays more than likely to retain his job is Feliciano.
Um I'm pretty sure that's the same group that blew a 7 game lead with 1 to go. Oh wait, nevermind Yorvit Torealba is here to save the day.
Obviously some of you so called baseball fans arent keeping up with todays news. Gagne already has said he is NOT setting anybody up so you can scratch him. The one name i do like is Affeldt, he throws hard he's young and if we sign him maybe Feliciano can be put in a package with Heilman, Humber and we get Cordero in return along with a minor league arm in return,sounds fair to me. Then you'll have Wags,Cordero,Sanchez (fingers crossed) Affeldt,Shoenweis,Sosa and Mota. If Sanchez stays healthy and not to mention Padilla also, But Sanchez stays healthy and Shoenweis can bounce back wich i think he can that is a dominant bullpen. And definitely dominant 7-8-9 guys.
Ohh yeah and Joe Smith can work his way in maybe come up in july and keep him fresh.
God that was a depressing post...
IF healthy, 1-6 in the order is not exactly chopped liver. Not that it it got us very far last year though.
I'm really kind of pissed with the Muts at this point! I mean to blow a 7 game lead from last year...to not re-signing Lo Duca,,,to not getting A-Rod, Posada, a decent front line starter...to signing a .220 starting catcher. I mean where do they go from here...signing Lee Mazzilli to be a starting outfielder ?!? I'm Still Pissed about them getting swept by the Phils! Also I'm tired...sick and tired of watching Randolph watching a game with No (Zero) emotion as though he were a spectator!!! I want a manager thats gonna light a fire under their Asses!!! Give me Lou Pinella or a Tom Coughlin or someone like that...not a spectator! I mean A-Rod is selfish, Etc, but we could have used his 60 Homers and 160 Ribbies !!! All this coming from a 40 Year Met fan !!! I haven't been this pissed off with the Muts since they hired Art Howe! Well, if they're going to stay at this pace the rest of the winter it'll be another Long season in Queens!!! Heres to Hoping someone in the organization sees what is going on and does Something, Anything constructive about it!!!
Anyone else really underwhelmed by the team as currently constructed? Major changes should be in store. How about we send Gomez, Perez, Humber, Carp to Oakland for Haren and Street. Whatever the package is, we should target these two.
The first comment I have on the previous comments is this:
Eric Gagne is toast. He has proven he can't be healthy enough to help a major league ball club anymore. How many years will it take of him going from a bad active player to a disabled list player and back and forth a few times before everyone realizes he's done. He blew his arm out after that rediculous streak of saves, and it's obvious that not even the best performance enhancing drug can save him now.
Gagne is done. I say to the Mets, PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM GAGNE. I suppose as a typical, gluttenous Met fan myself, I would consider a spring training invite. But that would be the only window I'd give him. No trade, and no contract offer.
The Mets need to make a couple of moves obviously. We need to trade our young talent for a front line starting pitcher (Santana? Oswalt? Haren?). Of course, we can spend a little less and go after "an innings eater" like a Livan Hernandez or John Garland, but I think we need a little more help than that (though I'm not opposed to bring Livan or Garland on board so long as we get a primo starter too.
What do you guys think about offering a contract to Bartolo Colon or Randy Wolf?
I don't think we have enough young talent to get a Santana or Oswalt, unfortunately.
What's Mota doing on that list? You're kidding right? As for trade-bait, Milledge has long proven his serious limitations for any scout to see, and can only be packaged along with a batch of unproven or mediocre Met pitchers. A serious starter can only be acquired in a trade that would include ML-ready position players leaving the Mets. Wright is the only untouchable.
Well on this opening day line-up you have remove Torrealba, Mets did the right thing and not sign him, for with the staff we will have in place a better catcher throwing runners out will be needed. Still say we should go for Lo Doca. As for rightfeild, I rather see Gomez then Milliage. Gomaz although he is still learning to hit major league pitching is a better all around player then Milliage in my opinion, plus if Minaya, had traded Milliage when he had the chance we probably would have had the frontline starter we wanted. But the winter is just starting and Spring training is 3 months away, lets see what Minaya plans will be. So far it has been a difficult start.