The fatal flaws with Omar Minaya's team building philosophy Part 1: LF

by future on Oct 24, 2008 12:54 AM EDT Comment 24 comments

Omar Minaya is one of the better General Manager's in baseball, but he ignored some key issues for team building.

Rule 1: Everything bad that can happen will happen: have a contingency plan.

Before this season began we had several positions where the odds of getting a full season's worth of production were negligible at best.

In Left Field, we had Moises Alou. Even before the season, I pegged him at 100 games tops. Of course it turns out that even 20 games was an over-estimate. The always fragile Alou made it into a whopping 15 games and headed to the plate 54 times. Even in my worst nightmare, I thought Alou would make it through more of the season than that, even when you threw in his hernia operation. (Really Moises? A Hernia? What were you doing picking up a couch this close to the season?)

Omar failed miserably to have anyone to back him up: before the season he procured the services of Angel Pagan. Pagan's performance wasn't bad before he hurt himself on a remarkable defensive play and was lost for the season. Pause for the irony in that situation.

Wait a few more seconds.

Alright, back to Pagan's performance. While Pagan didn't hit poorly, he fielded like...a man whose poor fielding would make his last name into an adjective for poor fielding. He almost put up a league average OPS, but his fielding was atrocious, and he only lasted 31 games.

Endy Chavez could never have been expected to put up any sort of offensive value in LF and he didn't disappoint, failing to put to up any sort of offensive value. His defense was stellar, but with Alou there was NO backup plan. When you sign a 41 year old to play the field for you, you have to have a league average player ready to plug in, or have more depth in the minors, or be ready to make a trade.

Or suck it up and sign Barry Bonds.

Omar did nothing of these things. While he ignored the glaring problem in LF, that wasn't alone the reason for his failure to get the Mets back to the playoffs.

He also ignored two other field positions: 2B and RF.

He ignored the brutal truth that El Duque would never pitch again for the Mets and had no contingency plan for our starter injuries: Claudio Vargas and Tony Armas, Jr were not the answers either.

The man does not believe in backup plans.Before the season, Ibanez might have been had for a reasonable price before he solidified himself as a Type A FA. Traded for Xavier Nady or even Eric Hinske or Ken Griffey Jr. But Omar refused to make any moves, even after Pagan got injured. In all, the Mets had 12 different players make an appearance in left field. TWELVE.

Next time: a look at 2B and RF.

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To be fair

I supported the Alou option pick up in the beginning of last offseason expecting him to contribute 100-125 games. I understand your point about Omar not making a move but Tatis was playing well around the deadline and The Murphy/Evans platoon worked well.
The main thing about LF was that Omar did not really ignore that Alou might get hurt, he did have Tatis in AAA, aquired Pagan and, in his eyes, had a emergency starter in Chavez. It’s also not true the Omar did nothing, even though it failed, Omar did sign Trot Nixon, a move I supported as a good effort, and he did aquire Aguila and Val Pas even though he did not use them.

I don’t understand your point that Omar refused to trade for Nady. The Yanks gave up Tabata, who some prospect experts liked better than F-Mart before the season, for Marte and Nady. Would you have preferred Omar trading F-Mart? Would it really have helped with Marte 5+ ERA and Nady’s production replacing the aforementioned Evans/Murphy septemer and Tatis August?

So, to conclude, in my opinion, I don’t think Omar didn’t do anything in regards to trying to backup LF, 2B, RF, or SP and I don’t believe that he “refused to make any moves,” however, I believe what Omar did poorly was evaluting the talent that he thought he had with the prime examples being Castillo/Schneider.

by Sokojoe on Oct 24, 2008 1:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Lest I come off as condescending

I just wanted to point out that I am looking forward to your next entries, but may I recommend if you suggest players to trade for, it would be great if you included who you would trade in order to get a better picture of how you think the team should be run.

by Sokojoe on Oct 24, 2008 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wanted Nady

Before the season began. I wanted a potential Church-Nady platoon in right and Nady to play left when Alou was injured.

Before the season began, Nady was not the commodity he was at the trading deadline, due in part to a career season with the Pirates. In 89 games, he put up 30 less total bases than he had the entire previous season. Nady’s stock dramatically rose during the season. I doubt the cost for Nady would have been Tabata before the season began. It might have cost us lesser prospects with the Pirates seeking to dump his salary, as a player who was simply slightly above average at hitting at the conclusion of 2007.

Nady would have also given us a legitimate right handed power bat off the bench. I’m talking even before the season began, players Omar should have identified and traded for. This is part of the problem with Omar as a GM. He is a react-er, he’s not pro-active at all. He shouldn’t have waited for Alou to get injured, because that would have made teams ask for more for their corner outfielders.

And before this season began, there was little competition to trade for Nady, at the trading deadline more teams are willing to trade for valuable commodities in hopes that he would be the missing piece for a championship. Injuries made Nady more valuable to contenders.

The fact of the matter is the New York Mets had over 140 million dollars in payroll. Omar relied on a journeyman in Pagan and the ultimate journeyman in Tatis to put up production in the corner outfield spots: just because we got lucky with their production and Murphy/Evans doesn’t mean Omar shouldn’t have done more and done it more competently.

"I got my pregnant wife (the Yankee fan) with me. Hoping my kid learns to kick her everytime the Mets score." -Schifftis-

by future on Oct 24, 2008 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

These are fair points

Nady is a fine player, I am in no way disagreeing with you, who do you want this offseason and who would you trade to get them or would sign off the scrap heap.

by Sokojoe on Oct 24, 2008 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

As crazy as it sounds

I wouldn’t be adverse to re-signing Alou. But I would also sign a REAL starter for the OF who could play everyday. I’m enamored with Manny’s bat, but am horrified at his defense considering he only played adequately in the half season with his dodgers (aka playing d for the new contract.)

As soon as he gets paid he’s going back to being the living statue in left.

Maybe try and flip Castillo for Guillen and cash.

"I got my pregnant wife (the Yankee fan) with me. Hoping my kid learns to kick her everytime the Mets score." -Schifftis-

by future on Oct 24, 2008 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Alou

I tend to agree with future that one of Omar’s biggest failings this season was not having a viable contingency plan or two for the corner outfield spots. Tatis worked out beyond anyone’s expectations, but too often the Mets still had to rely on Endy Chavez as a starter.

This goes for first base as well. It seems crazy to suggest it now given the way Carlos Delgado played for the last three-plus months of the year, but the Mets were getting absolutely killed at first base in April and May, and there were no reasonable options on the Mets’ bench at the time.

by Eric Simon on Oct 24, 2008 1:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Fair enough

But just to reiterate, I was just pointing out that I think in Omar’s eyes, he did have contingency plans for injury. I believe his biggest failing is not having a lack of contingency plans rather not properly assessing his team and his backup plans.

by Sokojoe on Oct 24, 2008 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A contingency plan

Is not two players who are in single A and double A to start the season, or a guy who missed the last two seasons because no one wanted him. Those aren’t contingency options because you’re expecting the player to play 60 games even before this season began, and with the way Church’s career has gone, he’s only played one full season before this season, and played 144 games. He played 90 this year.

Omar should have had another major league outfielder on the roster: I would have expected 130 games for Church and as soon as Church had concussion issues I would have made a move.

In the end between our starting corner outfielders they played 105 games between them.

"I got my pregnant wife (the Yankee fan) with me. Hoping my kid learns to kick her everytime the Mets score." -Schifftis-

by future on Oct 24, 2008 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think I agree with Soko

If I’m shorter-ing Sokojoe’s comments properly: It’s not that Omar didn’t have contingency plans; it’s just that the contingency plans in place were terrible. Sounds about right to me.

'Catsmeat!' he cried. 'I see it all. It was that chump, Catsmeat.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Oct 24, 2008 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really

The spirit of each argument is the same. No one is arguing that Omar really had no contingency plan, just that the plan was inadequate. There’s always someone available to take over; the key question is whether that player is anything worth writing home about.

by Eric Simon on Oct 24, 2008 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yep

I mean, nobody expected Angel Pagan to ALSO get hurt and miss the whole year, but they probably should’ve expected that he wouldn’t be very good. And certainly nobody should’ve expected that Church would ALSO suffer a major injury, and also Maine, and also Wagner. We had a combination of inadequate contingency plans and the need to invoke more of our contingency plans than we expected.

by JoshNY on Oct 24, 2008 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely

We didn’t expect Pagan to also get hurt, but expecting Pagan to be good was crazy talk. Same with Tatis.

I think Omar should have had someone ready to play every day in the event of the expected injury to Alou before the season began. Thanks for Marlon Anderson, professional pinch-out, Omar!

"I got my pregnant wife (the Yankee fan) with me. Hoping my kid learns to kick her everytime the Mets score." -Schifftis-

by future on Oct 24, 2008 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sure, in an ideal world

But what legitimate everyday MLB outfielder is going to sign with you after you tell him “you’re going to be our starter if/when Moises Alou gets hurt”? I mean, sure, it’s an easier sell than “you’re going to be our CF if Carlos Beltran gets hurt,” but it’s still not something you’re going to be able to sell a good hitter on, because good hitters can get contracts to start somewhere else. (Eric Byrnes wasn’t going to sign a contract to be a backup after the career year he had in 2007, for example.) It’s only natural that the guys you’re going to get for that role are going to be retreads (Tatis), borderlilne young players (Pagan) or one-dimensional (Chavez). I’m not sure who else you think was out there on the free agent market or available in a trade at a reasonable price who was A) any better than the other options already lined up, and B) would’ve agreed to take that role.

by JoshNY on Oct 25, 2008 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think

Eric Hinske for one, would have been a guy that the Mets could have picked up for little to nothing in expectation to play 90 games or so rotating between left and right field.

I think people also ignore the fact that Church wasn’t the automatic choice in RF to play everyday. In fact most of us expected him to be platooned for.

I’m pretty sure there were better options out there besides Pagan and Tatis. And Omar went into the season assuming Endy would just be a defensive replacement. I’ve already mentioned people I would have looked at.

I’m also confused why John Rodriguez never got called up from AAA. He had ML experience and watched bums like Trot Nixon get called up.

"I got my pregnant wife (the Yankee fan) with me. Hoping my kid learns to kick her everytime the Mets score." -Schifftis-

by future on Oct 25, 2008 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Catsmeat, you summed up my words just fine

Agreed, Eric. Future and I are in agreement that Omar had really shitty backups, a back up plan should not be “two players who are in single A and double A to start the season, or a guy who missed the last two seasons because no one wanted him” or Endy f’ing Chavez. I guess I’m just nitpicking at Future’s wording, since I believe we should be pissed at Omar for having awful contigency plans rather than not having them at all, but I guess the latter is irrelevent as we are saying the same thing, some people think cucumbers taste better pickeled.

by Sokojoe on Oct 24, 2008 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

To conclude

I think we all can agree that the reason the Mets lost had little to do with Omar’s roster constuction and everything to do with statistical numbers.

by Sokojoe on Oct 24, 2008 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wrong again

Their shortcoming was in the numerical statistics; anyone can tell you that the Mets’ statistical numbers were among the best in baseball.

by Eric Simon on Oct 24, 2008 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Touche sir.

I looked it up, you’re right. That’s why you run this part of the interweb and I am a mere commenter.

by Sokojoe on Oct 24, 2008 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're both wrong.

It was their lack of nutistical staterics that cost the Mets the postseason.

by BobbyV_Incognito on Oct 26, 2008 9:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think the reason the Mets lost

is because they had the worst bullpen in baseball. Yea, it would have been nice to have had a better left fielder or second baseman, but even with the crap they had, they still had one of the best offenses in baseball. And Tatis and Murphy actually combined for some pretty decent numbers. Granted, their defense was brutal, but probably not much worse than a full year of 41 year old Alou would have been. In short, blame it on Aaron Heilman.*

*this sentence works for everything from the Mets missing the playoffs, to the Iraq war, to poverty.

by cjmulrain on Oct 25, 2008 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

*is because they had the worst bullpen in baseball.

Without Wagner. With Wagner, they make the playoffs. Even if it was still a shitty bullpen, it was a shitty bullpen with one of the top 5 (3? 2?) relievers in the league.

Who's world is it? It's yours.

by BlackOps on Oct 26, 2008 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

fair enough

though don’t forget, Wagner had already blown 7 saves when he went down.

If you traded our bullpen straight up for the Phillies bullpen and kept everything else the same, I bet we would have won the division by 15 games.

by cjmulrain on Oct 26, 2008 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Minaya average

Too many stupid moves of the kind you describe to call him average just yet. Wait until more of his drafts pan out to call him average.

I will not allow the denigration of the life essence

by GenJackRipper on Oct 25, 2008 11:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

To be fair,

Omar has made several good moves. He stole Perez from the Pirates (remember, Ollie was the throw-in in that trade. Without Omar running things, we may never have been able to sign Pedro and Voltran. Santana was an absolute steal, getting the best pitcher in baseball for 3 prospects who are at least 2-3 years from being meaningful contributors to an MLB roster. And he at least deserves some credit for digging up ‘Stache in ’06 and Tatis this year. He’s done at least an OK job at finding veterans to provide valuable contributions for the short-term.

by BobbyV_Incognito on Oct 26, 2008 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs