What can Omar do to get us over the top?

by AnthonyR on May 16, 2009 9:10 PM EDT

I'm just praying he doesn't do anything stupid to give "Manuel in need of a Manual" any more options than he already has.

I would love a Starting Pitcher to purge Livan from the rotation (or at least, give Niese the chance to develop while getting the same results).

Who is out there than can help us?

Cliff Lee? Roy Oswalt? Carlos Lee?

I'm not finding a whole lot else out there, but hopefully when some teams fold tent for the season, there will be other options.

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I think its really easy to be anxious right now

But this is the time to be patient. The Mets are red hot despite a plethora of injuries. They’re third best in baseball in third order winning percentage. Delgado’s status uncertain. Ollie’s status is uncertain. Struggling teams aren’t quite in sell-mode yet. The best thing Omar can do right now is let things take shape a bit more and just keep things like this in the back of his mind, unless something blatantly obvious falls into his lap.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 16, 2009 10:07 PM EDT reply actions

Resign.

King of the bling come to lay down the evidence//Not George Bush, L-Millz be da president

by Sam Page on May 17, 2009 12:53 AM EDT reply actions

and fire Jerry before you go out

by DevonEdwards on May 17, 2009 1:21 AM EDT up reply actions

This really should be a comment in an open thread somewhere.

We've got ourselves a ball club, the Mets of New York town!

by kingcritical on May 17, 2009 3:54 AM EDT reply actions

Basically

Not even worthy of a FanShot let alone a FanPost.

by Eric Simon on May 17, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Sorry...I just started using this a few days ago and am not a big poster.

I’ll learn…

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Resign

by Gina on May 17, 2009 11:33 AM EDT reply actions

Damnit Sam beat me too it

by Gina on May 17, 2009 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions

What has he done that was so horrible?

He picked Tatis up off the scrap heap, got Johan and Maine for a song.

The only things that really stick out to me are the Heath Bell trade, not addressing the bullpen at the end of last year and signing Ollie to that monstrocity of a contract (along with botching the Willie firing).

I’m playing devil’s advocate here, and believe me, I’ve cursed the day he was born many times, but we could certainly be worse off.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 11:41 AM EDT reply actions

I'll start:

Jesus Flores

"The definition of edge is going out there and getting a few wins, and then all of a sudden you don’t have to worry about anyone talking about edge anymore," Wright said. "That's a thing in the past. Go ask Omar about that."

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on May 17, 2009 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Pretty much every year he addresses one issue from the year before

And is completely unable to anticipate new issues arising. He doesn’t seem properly value players/talent and seems to let his biases get in the way, i.e disliking unathletic mashers. And basically has shown a complete inability to actually build a whole team. And in free agency issues getting anything but major no brainer moves right. Occasionally he finds a piece of the scrap heap, but he doesn’t always properly value that player either, like Endy.

by Gina on May 17, 2009 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh also spending officially when he's allegedly put on a budget

by Gina on May 17, 2009 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Long term...would you rather have Endy getting time...

Or D Murp/Tatis? There were too many outfielders and Endy’s value was high. Not to forget, he picked him off the scrap heap as well and turned him into a valuable trade piece that helped us get an All-Star closer.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions

He also pulled J. Reed out of that deal and

while I like Endy better, he’s done a decent job for us so far.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Resigning Oliver Perez

Period. Not even over Derek Lowe, which is such an embarrassment at this point that it’s too cruel even to mention. You can make a reasonable argument that signing nobody over Oliver Perez would have been more defensible. The list of actual pitchers preferable to Perez is as long as the list of pitchers who were available.

I don’t even consider myself a Minaya-hater. I think he’s done some good things, some nasty things and some otherwise forgettable things. There are worse GMs, but there are certainly better ones and some of the latter are definitely available.

by Eric Simon on May 17, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes. Thank you. That should not go unpunished.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on May 17, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Obviously his biggest mistake. That was the easy solution for him this offseason and he botched it.

Everyone seems to want to throw Manual and Minaya out the door and you bring up a good point. Who is out there available now who could be plugged in. Everyone wants to say Billy Beane, but that is never happening. Good luck trying to pull Terry Ryan out of MIN, even with the lure of a much higher payroll.

Who is there? In a perfect world, we’d highjack Tony LaRussa and Billy Beane and sit back and watch it all happen, but realistically who could we get?

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

DePo

by jasondg on May 17, 2009 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Was few losses from being canned last year.

But you can’t argue with the results this year and the stable of young pitching.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Personally

I’d love to see what Manny Acta can do with a team like this. He has a progressive approach to managing that incorporates — more than most managers, as best I can tell — advanced statistical analysis, and seems to understand, at least based on interviews I’ve read, the appropriate circumstances in which to bunt, steal, etc.

As a modern baseball fan, that sort of managerial approach is far more compelling than managing “from the gut” or “by the book” that most other skippers employ.

by Eric Simon on May 17, 2009 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah i don't think he's an awful gm

I think he’s middle of the road, but I think with our resources there’s absolutely no reason we should be living with a middle of the road front office, not just when it comes to analyst but we seem to be lacking in the scouting department too. I don’t understand how any big market team can look at what the Red Sox have accomplished and still decide to go in the other direction, or at minimum be the dodgers their gm is probably worse than Omar but they manage to make up for it with awesome scouting departments.

by Gina on May 17, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

When you look out there at other possibilities

All the young, hot-shot GM’s like Josh Byrne, Jon Daniels, et al, there is not a lot of success there. I just don’t think that there is one obvious guy who we could get our hands on to prompt making a move.

Our system though is another matter. I went to Arizona State and watched Ike Davis play constantly and I still have no idea what made them draft him in the first round. I’m no baseball scout, but that decision puzzled me. Never looked like a big-leaguer when I saw him.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 1:19 PM EDT reply actions

Jon Daniels had a bad start

But he’s been pretty successful the last few years. The point is it doesn’t have to be a hot shot gm. Just building an entire competent front office that’s balance in scouting/analysis.

by Gina on May 17, 2009 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Davis

He is hitting a perfectly respectable .296/.415/.439 over his last 28 days with a 24% line drive rate. He has a ways to go but has been a lot better this year than last.

by Eric Simon on May 17, 2009 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions

But his ceiling is no higher than Nick Evans

I don’t see him ever making an impact and I’m biased. I know and like the guy. I hope I’m wrong and he continues to progress.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd say

his ceiling is quite a bit higher than Evans’s. But we’ll have to see.

by Eric Simon on May 17, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey, I like Evans quite a bit.

He’s got some really good power potential, IMO.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on May 17, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I like Evans too

And think his Power Potential is much greater than Davis’

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Based upon what exactly?

A poor first professional half season and the fact that the FSL eats flyballs? Its way to early to make that call.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 17, 2009 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Just watching him for a few years

I never saw him as a guy who would hit 20-25 HR’s in the Big Leagues. I’m not even taking in to account the poor season last year. I actually think that was an anomoly and he’ll hit for a decent average, but I don’t see him as a better option to Evans.

But your right, it’s too early on him.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I can see that

The only time I ever saw him was in Brooklyn, which obviously was not the most optimistic time of his career. But, at least according to Baseball Cube (which can be fairly inaccurate, anyone know a better place to find amateur stats?), he did hit 32 homers in under 700 ABs while at Arizona, which while certainly not spectacular, is a decent indication of power potential, especially combined with the 68 doubles.

I mean, just looking at what I can reasonably analyze, he’s doing exactly what a developing power hitter should do in the FSL, hit lots and lots of doubles. I’ve heard he’s hit some very loud, long, and ringing ones while there too. Would you like to see more than one homer? Of course, but in such an extreme pitcher’s environment, you’ll take the solid patience and lots of XBH, and also use it as a realization of just how impressive Reese Havens has been.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 17, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Compare Packard Stadium at Arizona State

to Citizen’s Bank. Hitters park and I always took HR totals there with a grain of salt. I wish I could find his Home/Road splits from college, but I saw him hit some pop-up homer’s there.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions

And yeah

It make what Havens is doing that much more impressive. I don’t want it to seem like I am downgrading Ike. I really like him, but don’t see him as anything more than Evans, who is only 1 year older.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah but the thing is

Even if Davis becomes a platoon bat, which is essentially what Evans is and seems like a distinct possibility for Davis, at least he’s left handed. Its really tough to work a young right handed hitter as a platoon bat, since he’ll spend so much time rotting on the bench. Usually when you’re looking for the righty half of a platoon, you go veteran, a la Fernando Tatis or Gary Sheffield.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 17, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions

This is NY, not KC

I don’t see an Evans/Davis 1B platoon in the future. All I’m saying is, with a 1st round pick, you want to use it to better your organization. Davis may have been a nice pick for a lot of clubs. I just don’t see it here…

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh no I agree

I wasn’t actually suggesting a platoon, just using the term “platoon bat” to describe guys with big lefty-righty splits and questionable ceilings overall.

I don’t necessarily disagree with you, but I feel like there’s still something with Davis we’re yet to see. If he can ever translate/develop his power, he seems to have a really nice approach, and one that’s probably more advanced than Evans’ is.

Also, how did he look as a LHP? Its not very meaningful at the moment, but its just another small advantage Davis could have long term over a guy like Evans, he’d make a legit prospect as a pitcher as well from what I’ve read.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 17, 2009 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Thought he looked very good...

as a LHP. He’s got the bloodlines for it certainly. His dad pitched for the Yankees. Was always fairly impressed by him on the mound. I remember him looking awful as a starter, but his last 2 years he came out of the pen and looked good. 0.88 WHIP his Junior year which is pretty impressive in the PAC-10

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly

So if he’s still single digits in homers at the end of next year after a full season in the EL, I’m sure you’ll start to hear conversion rumors pop up.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 17, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey, I thought Dustin Pedroia

wouldn’t amount to much more than an decent middle infielder, so who the hell am I?

Hopefully he develops like DP did.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Haha

Yeah, and I’m just some jerk who spends way to much time discussing this stuff on the internet ;). We’re all entitled to our opinions, and expressing them is how we become better at what we do, in this case, player evaluation.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 17, 2009 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm with you...

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I actually semi agree

I think Davis was a solid safe pick but I certainly wish the front office would take more high risk/high upside guys. I feel like we never take prep bats, which I assume is because they think bringing in young latin players supplements that. I don’t think Davis was a bad pick just that we could take more risks.

by Gina on May 17, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Reese "White Lightning" Havens

may very well be a beast. And honestly, I think we have to give Omar some credit here. Despite everything you hear about him not going over slot, he always signs great young Latino players, drafts respectably whenever he has any high draft picks, and usually finds a couple later round steals. His scouting talent is pretty good.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on May 17, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah

Its interesting to, since Havens was supposed to be kind of an “all-polish” pick, and yet his power has just been tremendous. He didn’t seem like a future superstar when he was drafted, but more like a guy who was a reasonably sure bet to be a solid player. But if the power he’s shown these last few months is legit, combine that with his quality approach (which should eventually translate to improved contact rates), and there’s some superstar potential here.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 17, 2009 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions

But I love this...

I’m not being overly critical. It’s the draft…there is not a more hit-or-miss draft than MLB.

by AnthonyR on May 17, 2009 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah

But that power potential isn’t like, a 40 HR monster, its a 25 HR guy. For a right handed 1B/LF whose career minor league OPS is over 100 points lower vs. RHP, that’s more of a platoon bat than a full time player.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 17, 2009 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Fair enough.

But he’s better than what a lot of people see him as now that he sucked at AAA.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on May 17, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh definitely

I’m not being reactionary to Evans. He was probably also a little over-hyped after his awesome Spring Training, and right now, he’s obviously sold himself short so far this year. But this is the same opinion I had of him last year. He’s not going to be a full time MLB first baseman, he could be an adequate platoon player, but its just hard to finagle that with a young right handed hitter.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 17, 2009 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions