March 21: Mets Chat: Let’s try it again
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- March
- 21
Good morning. I hope we’re able to communicate today. Just throwing out a couple of ideas at you. Of course, if there’s anything else on your mind. Speak up.
-Mike Pelfrey looked great again last night. If the goal is winning, then he has to be the guy. Chan Ho Park hasn’t come close to him. Park, however, has been a lot better than Jorge Sosa. I wouldn’t be disappointed to see him get the long-relief job. If Aaron Sele pitches well this week, it’s not impossible he might be the long man.
-If they go with seven relievers, the last position spot could come down to Ben Johnson vs. David Newhan. Johnson can play anywhere in the outfield and has power potential. Newhan hits lefty and can play both the infield and outfield. Personally, I might be inclined to keep both and cut loose Damion Easley or Julio Franco.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 at 9:50 am by John Delcos.
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John:
After reading your article yesterday I see things as working out like this (at least to start the season):
Catchers (2):
LoDuca
Castro
IF(6):
Delgado
Valentin
Reyes
Wright
Easley
Franco
OF(5):
Alou
Beltran
Green
Chavez
Newhan
Starters(4):
Glavine
El Duque
Maine
Perez
Relievers(8):
Park
Wagner
Heilman
Feliciano
Schoenweiss
Smith
Sosa
Adkins
To the Minors:
Milledge
Johnson
Padilla
Sele (if he accepts it)
Burgos
Adkins will probably make it because he is out of options. Park will make it as a long man, at least for the first 2 weeks.
Pelfrey will be sent down to get some work in. On April 15, Pelfrey should be called up to start (as 5th starter) and either Adkins, Sosa or Park will be sent down (or in Adkins case released).
Since it seems Franco is not going anywhere, only an injury to a reserve or starter will open the door for Johnson or Milledge.
It seems Sele will most likely refuse a minor league assignment.
Burgos and Padilla both need more work but again, if Sosa, Adkins, Park or Joe Smith falter, Burgos and Padilla should be next in line.
If El Duque starts the season on the DL, Pelfrey or Sele will make ther roster
Thoughts?
One more thing:
What do you make of this? Mondesi has the Mets interested in him?
http://www.endi.com/XStatic/endi/template/nota.aspx?n=181871
John,
I wonder why you didn’t mention Latings Milledge as part of the last position spot. The kid has been on fire this Spring, I think he’s hitting .381 and in my opinion has played better then Ben Johnson.
OK, i feel Pelfrey is the way to go, with Park in long relief.
Get Franco to coach! thats the key here.
also, keep newhan, he’s been hot, and is the new Chris Woodward. we need a super utility guy for the unavoidable bangups and injuries.
Valentin can sortof do that, but his job is at second now.
It is so ridicules to keep Franco on the club this year. Even when they signed him it amazed me that they made it for 2 years.
But at the last half, of last season he showed that he was an old man playing MLB.
Getting a dumb slap hit once in awhile does not mean that he can be a player in the majors
How could a team like the Mets who will be deep in the race big time, give up a very important position to a guy who HAS ALREADY LOST IT.
It just does not make sense.
What is up with Padilla going back to NY to get his elbow examined?
In other news former Gen K #1 draft pick Paul Wilson was released by the Reds this morning.
fredsaid,
i feel that Franco is on the team, to serve a very limited role and to coach players, both young and old.
as we saw with Beltrans curtain call last year, he has an effect on even the best players. he serves a very limited role, occasionally PH and playing first. but he is on the team as more of an adviser and coach.
I wonder how often a 7th reliever is needed vs. a sixth hitter on the bench. I’m guessing that the chances that you’ll need an extra hitter are greater. The Mets BP is good and while the starters won’t go deep into games, prefer having the extra hitter in case of extras or he needs a pinch-hitter/runner.
Franco still has plenty left.
Franco was not that bad last year, and sorry the stats side with me. Go look up Franco’s situational hitting stats and you will be surprised.
Did he hit into too many DP’s sure that i agree with, but he was darn good in situational hitting which is exactly what we need from a PH bat.
I trust no one on our bench more to get a big base hit coming off the bench.
and he’s batting over .300 in the spring…pretty good for a guy who is soooo obviously done.
The team is not going to release Julio Franco unless he becomes just god-awful at the plate. His fellow teammates respect him quite a bit and there are intangibles he provides on a day to day basis which we fans know nothing about.
On a postitive note, Adkins was effective last night. I think it was his first 1-2-3 inning of the spring. Let’s see if he can put two or three of those type outtings together. I think he will head north as part of the pen. But when Sanchez, Padilla or Mota returns and Adkins is still not performing he may be released at the point.
John,
Does Ben Johnson have options left? Given their need for backup infielders, and barring a late acquisition, I kinda sorta think that they’ll keep Newhan and Easley, and with Chavez and Newhan both available as outfield insurance on the bench, would like to send Johnson and Milledge to New Orleans.
Which would give New Orleans a starting outfield of Johnson, Gomez, and Milledge. Worth the price of admission right there.
Barring a total collapse of the Mets offense, Green is going to get half the season to show whether or not he’s truly done, though he’s difficult to watch defensively. He and Alou will get lots of days off, and Chavez will get 3-4 starts per week.
Milledge gets a chance to show that he’s got his “grown man on” sufficiently to keep his focus and dedication while playing in AAA, and comes up the first time either Green or Alou (or, heaven forbid, Beltran) gets injured. My guess is that if Chavez or Newhan gets injured, Johnson is the call-up to sit on the bench.
I still think that Pelfrey’s earliest possible day in the bigs this year is April 15th, and that the club would like very much if it was later than that. Park comes north, and if the Mets are playing well, 9-4 or whatever at that point, gets the 5th spot at least once through.
Eddie C on Beningo said this morning that if Sele has a good start, he’ll be ahead of Park and Sosa for the long man job.
He also said not to be surprised if milledge goes north instead of ben Johnson, at least to start the season, if they only bring 4 starters.
Sele signed a Minor League contract IIRC, so he does not have to be on the 25 man roster.
Franco is a pinch hitter. He may start once in a while, but his role is to pinch hit, which he does well. Think of him as Rusty Staub. He will play a key positive role for this team this year. He is not the guy that is going to cost this team a game or more.
I think they should get off the Adkins plan and cut him. I prefer Smith at this point.
Sosa or Park for the pen. Either can do short work or long when needed, much like Oliver last year.
If Sele doesn’t make the big club, he has to go to the minors as per his contract. Park however does not.
And like some of you, I also wouldn’t be surprised if Milledge makes the team and remains there at least until a 5th starter is needed. As for Franco, it’s time to hang it up and make room for a younger, more versatile player who could thus contribute more. On a five-man bench that includes both Franco and Castro, there’s not a lot of manueverability.
Milledge could make it, since Delgado will be with his wife who is due to have a baby around April 1. Green could play 1st and Milledge right.
Ed in Westchester,
Interesting look at the Delgado situation. I hadn’t thought about that.
It’s possible that can happen. I still see Johnson as trade bait.
Is it really necessary to have a long reliever? Feliciano and Heilman could probably both easily throw two-three innings if they didn’t pitch much or at all the day before. Couldn’t they combine to serve that role rather than having an inferior pitcher like Park up with the Mets? It’s especially important to have space when the injured and suspended relievers return.
Brandon,
As we saw last year, Darren Oliver was used a lot. Some pitchers may just not have it on some days, and may need to be pulled with the game still in reach. Long relief guys are much more needed in the common era of baseball, and i think it will be a mainstay for many years to come.
Here’s a novel thought: The Mets have a ton of candidates to be their long man out of the pen—Sosa, Sele, Park. Where they might be thin, however, is short men, especially if Sanchez isn’t going to be ready and Heilman’s elbow isn’t quite there. I see Lino inching his way onto the roster as a short reliever.