Manuel Screws Up Again

Why oh why oh why?! Only two days after Jerry Manuel says he is going to find playing time for Jeff Francoeur, he still sits him.

Here is what tonight’s outfield is looking like:

• Chris Carter -RF
• Angel Pagan – CF
• Fernando Martinez – LF

What the frig? I understand sitting Carlos Beltran. Yet, with them sitting him and placing Pagan in center, why is Frenchy not playing right field? It boggles the mind. it is no wonder that Frenchy wanted to discuss trade options.

Manuel says he sees the talent Martinez has despite not being able to put it together in the minors. So let’s just bring his problems to the big league level. That makes total friggin’ sense. Who is he kidding?

So Manuel feels he will only use Frenchy in left-handed situations. Oh because this whole righty vs lefty and lefty vs. righty crap has been working all season, right?

I cannot stand this anymore. The lack of logic makes me sick to my stomach. Maybe Manuel has something against right fielders. First Ryan Church and now Frenchy. Why not bench David Wright? With a batting average of .133, I can see why they want to keep playing him. Let Mike Hessman play third instead of Wright. He has a .188 average. So much better.

Sigh.

Problems = Bay

Jason Bay has hardly been the offense of our dreams. About the only thing he has done right is play left. When he was signed to a four-year, $66 million contract. Four years! That feels like a lifetime right now. A lifetime of emptiness. A lifetime of worry.

The fact that Jerry Manuel has yet to sit the offensive dunce does not sit well with me either. I understand that you have to sometimes leave a player in to play so he can get his groove back, but he has been in there from day one and has yet to prove he is worth $66 million. Frankly, I do not think anyone is. I find it an obscene amount of money.

With the outfield being sorely overcrowded, I feel the best thing for this team is to sit Bay for now. Let Angel Pagan play left and fan favorite, Jeff Francoeur, to play right.

The Mets have not exactly gotten off to the stellar second half start that some of us thought they could or would. Well, the offense is the chief blame for that. I mean, when you lose 1-0 and 2-0, you cannot blame the pitching. They did their job.

We could not expect Carlos Beltran to come and start hitting balls into the Cove. Yet we can expect more for everybody else. Could they be feeling pressure? Are they feeling the loss of Jose Reyes? Well, Reyes might be coming back on Tuesday.

It does not matter what is being felt. They need to get over it and stop acting like a bunch of pansies. With Beltran back, that should help alleviate any pressure on Bay. Which, if he is feeling pressure, makes no sense. He played in Boston. There is as much pressure there as there is in New York. Probably more so because Sox fans will kill.

There is no real solution outside of trades that do not involve prospects that will be here in next year or the year after. So the likelihood of the Mets acquiring anyone is not very likely.

Here’s to hoping the offense becomes the killer offense they have the potential to be.

One Comes, One Goes

While everyone has the “Welcome Back Beltran” banners, get out the “Come back soon” banners for Jose Reyes. He was initially put in the lineup for tonight’s game, but has now been pulled and replaced with Ruben Tejada at shortstop and Angel Pagan in the leadoff spot.

Oh this does not bode well for me. This is all because of that oblique injury from a few games ago. Reports are he should be in for tomorrow. I would not hold my breath. Reyes is a key component to this offense. If he goes, so do the Mets.

For tonight, Reyes does not go. Let’s hope the addition of Carlito will be enough of a spark to bring back an offense that will need to fight against a San Fran team who does not like to be hit against.

So Beltran, the night and beyond rests on your shoulders. Hit ’em hard and long! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPAAAAAAAAA!

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Say Goodbye To Frenchy

Some seem to think that Jeff Francoeur is the odd man out with the return of Carlos Beltran. After all, Angel Pagan will be playing right field on Thursday. Well then if he truly is the odd one, should he be traded?

One fan on the CFoD fan page, Leslie, seems to think he should be so we could get a pitcher in return. Really? I do not think so. Frenchy is not Ryan Church. Frenchy is keeping his feet firmly planted in right field in Citi Field. We need that arm of his.

I think some are jumping to conclusions that cannot even be jumped to. I mentioned it in a previous blog that Pagan does not have that much experience in right. Do you place him there now with your team in the middle of a pennant race? I mean, that is essentially what is happening now.

The Mets are entering the second half in second place. The Braves at some point have to die down. The Phillies are heating up. Everybody is trying to make a push. You have to have your best right fielder out there to fend off the aggressive base runners.

There really are no odd men out. Everyone is going to get their playing time because that is what is needed to win the bloody division.

Oh and kudos to the Braves for making a trade. Thanks for sending Yunel Escobar to the Blue Jays for Alex Gonzalez. He was a pain in our arse. Here’s the stupid thought of the night: Bobby Cox was said to have hated Escobar because he would not hustle. Now, why should it matter what the hell Cox thinks if he is gone at the end of the year? Not my team. Not my problem.

Welcome Home, Papa!

It is great to have an impact player back in New York City. Carlos Beltran is officially back with the Mets and will make his 2010 debut after the All-Star break.

To all of those who have been hating on him, you’ll be loving him when he helps the Mets get back to where they should be. Including the biggest Beltran hater: Joe Benigno. Oh how I cannot wait for that blowhard to eat his words.

So exactly will this affect the outfield of the New York Mets? Angel Pagan has not exactly been incapable of playing center. Well, Jerry Manuel said Beltran will be playing center in San Francisco on Thursday and  moving Pagan to right. So Jeff Francoeur will be the odd one.

Now is that the right call? Frankly, I do not think so. I would rather move Pagan to left and give Jason Bay some time off since he is not exactly doing much. Bay is hitting .265 with Pagan at .311. I would rather try to keep Frenchy’s arm in right.

You compound that with Pagan not having had much playing time in Citi Field’s right field. He’s had more experience in left. Last year he played 146.2 innings in left versus the 44 in right. Inexperience in right will prove to be fatal to our pitchers. Pagan really is not used to the way the ball bounces in that area.

Now if Manuel is planning on playing Pagan in right during away games, I think I can live with that.

Manuel also said that Beltran will be hitting cleanup. Now, having him come in and bat cleanup I think is a bit much. Even Beltran acknowledged that he will have to make adjustments. Better to have him in the number two hole because Reyes might not play. So you place Pagan in the leadoff and keep Ike Davis in the four hole.

Either way, with the offense seeming to have gone anemic, Beltran’s return could not have come at a better time. After all, he batter .367 in his rehab starts. Granted it was Port St. Lucie and this is the majors. I think Beltran will make the adjustments fairly quickly and will be among the biggest impact players for this team. Now if only Manuel would make some better decisions, everything would be honkey donkey.

Source: New York Times, Baseball Reference

Lee Coming To NY?

According to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, the New York Mets and the Minnesota Twins are considered the frontrunners for the services of MLB ace, Cliff Lee.

Who is being offered by who?

The Mariners want offense and prospects. Well the Twins are willing to part with their top catching prospect, which is what the Mariners are craving for, Wilson Ramos. They are believed to be building a package around him because they do have Joe Mauer.

However, the Mets have more to offer. They are being rumored to be making Jenrry Mejia available and Angel Pagan since Carlos Beltran is due to come back.

Personally, I say make the deal Omar Minaya. It is a good deal. Do it with a catch. It gets done when the Mets are able to keep Lee for at least three years. I’m not giving up my players for a rental. I want Lee for now, 2011, and 2012. It is a good deal.

A Change of Pace

So Jose Reyes is batting third tonight. I do not like it. I’ll be honest. I do not see why he should be the guy to be moved. Why not move Jason Bay out of the clean-up spot? He is not doing his job. As a lead-off hitter, Reyes is doing his job. He is getting on base. He is fast and can steal bases. So can Angel Pagan, but Pagan does not get on base as easily as Reyes seems to be doing.

Here is something to think about. Reyes is the one who seems to be hitting. So if Pagan and Luis Castillo can get on, should Reyes get a hit, those guys have a chance at getting home and scoring runs.

Is changing the order of a line-up good? Yes. Only if it is advantageous to the team. Moving Reyes does not seem to be the answer. This seems a little foolish to me, despite what I stated in the above paragraph. I think Reyes is going to be more tempted to swing rather than take pitches. I do not see him being able to do that.

This series will determine how this move turns out. I’ve already made my opinion. I do not like it. It is going to change Reyes completely as to how he approaches hitting. This is risky. He’s had problems in the past with his swing. This is going to bring those problems back. He’ll feel like he has to hit home runs.

Oh well! Let’s Go Mets!

Pagan In Trade Talks

Ken Rosenthal of Foxsports.com is reporting there are a number of teams that are eyeing Mets OF Angel Pagan, including the Kansas City Royals. You remember the Royals, right? They had Carlos Beltran before going to Houston.

From what Rosenthal is hearing, it does not look like he is going to be going anywhere as of right now.

Personally, I do not see him going anywhere anytime soon. Pagan played too crucial a role this past season when Carlos Beltran went down. He was one of those crucial pieces in the outfield.

Pagan had a .306 BA in the 88 games he played. He was a good centerfielder with a fielding percentage of .986.

Unless the Mets have another OF in mind to sign as a bench guy, you cannot trade Pagan. Who will take his place? Fernando Martinez? I’m pretty much ready to trade Martinez. Any takers?