I don't know if it's fair to sit here and complain about the Mets all the time, especially when plenty of other teams have it much, much worse. Still, I fritter away the hours banging away on my little keyboard, dreaming up things to gripe about.
For two consecutive nights, the elder statesmen of the Mets' starting rotation -- Steve Trachsel and Tom Glavine -- have been roughed up by the anemic Cubs' offense. This is a team who, even after plating sixteen runs over the past two games, is still the lowest scoring team in all of baseball by 24 runs. The Mets have allowed the third-fewest runs in the National League, and yet, right now, I have very little confidence in almost any of their starters.
Until Pedro Martinez returns on Friday night, I think if I had to pick one guy to go out and have a good start it would be John Maine, who incidentally will be pitching tomorrow at noon and will look to snap the Mets' three-game losing streak.
In other news, the trade deadline is fast approaching and there hasn't been too much brewing in terms of Mets rumors. I suppose a lot of that comes as a result of so many teams in or on the cusp of contention for a playoff spot. While I like almost every player on this Mets team, there are certainly some spots that could use some upgrading. Everybody points to the rotation as a weak spot, and I think there is definitely plenty of room for improvement there, I just really question whether Omar Minaya will make any substantial moves in the next week.
We've all heard the names that may (or may not) be available: the Zitos, the Willises, the Vazquezes, the Meches. In my opinion, only Dontrelle Willis is worth trading top-tier talent for, and he may not even be available. Even if he were, the price tag is said to be in the "multiple A prospect" range, and there's no way I would even consider trading Milledge *and* Peltrey for Willis, who isn't even an ace as I see it.
The Astros lost again, and are now ten games back of first and six games out of the Wild Card with *six* teams ahead of them. They have two more games this week against the Reds, and if they happen to lose them both they'd be eight games out of a playoff spot with as many as eight or nine teams ahead of them. In that scenario, do you think they'd consider trading Andy Pettitte or even -- drools -- Roy Oswalt, both of whom appear to be free agents at the end of the season? (I'm positive about Pettitte, and all signs point to Oswalt's contract being up). I'm not sure how a trade of either of those guys would sit with Sir Roger Clemens, but the Astros are running a business, just like everyone else.
I for one really hope that Alex Rodriguez is traded. Despite his struggles this season I would still step over my own mother to trade for the guy. Really, I would be perfectly happy if he got dealt anywhere outside of the NL East. I am such an enormous fan of the ballplayer but it pains me to no end seeing him in a Yankee uniform. Three years ago he might have been my favorite non-Met in all of baseball, and now I can't stand to see him do well. He needs to be set free from the shackles of Yankeehood so that I can root for him again.