*Please note that the following italicized text was taken from President Barack Obama's 2009 State of the Union address, and modified to make sense in context of the New York Mets.
To the fans of the New York Mets:
I write here tonight not only to address the state of baseball at Citi Field, but to speak frankly and directly to those who spend their nights following each and every Mets game.
I know that for many fans watching right now, the state of our team is a concern that rises above all others. And rightly so. If you haven't been personally affected by this injury-filled season, you probably know someone who has--a friend; a neighbor; a member of your family. You don't need to hear the list of injuries to know that our team is in shambles, because you live it every day.
It's the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights. It's the team you thought you'd see succeed but now seems lost; the season you built your dreams upon that's now hanging by a thread; the dreams of a pennant you had to put in the back of your mind.
The impact of this season is real, and it is everywhere. But while our team may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are rooting through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every Mets fan to know this:
We will rebuild, we will recover, and the New York Mets will emerge stronger than before.
The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this ball club. The answers to our problems don't lie beyond our reach. They exist in our farm systems; on our fields and in our stadiums; in the imaginations of our management and the pride of New Yorkers, the hardest-rooting fans in sports...
... What is required now is for management to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more. Now, if we're honest with ourselves, we'll admit that for too long, we have not always met these responsibilities as a franchise. I say this not to lay blame or look backwards, but because it is only by understanding how we arrived at this moment that we'll be able to lift ourselves out of this predicament.
The fact is, our team did not fall into decline overnight. Nor did all of our problems begin when Jose Reyes tore his hamstring or Carlos Beltran went down with a bruised knee. We have known for months that our survival depends on finding new sources of offensive production. Yet we import more minor leaguers today than ever before. The cost of injuries eats up more and more of our payroll, yet we keep delaying putting players on the disabled list. Our team will compete for last place in a National League East that too many analysts do not deem as a strong division. And though all these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more money and pile up more losses, both of individuals and games, than we have in 5 years.
In other words, we have lived through a season where too often, short-term injuries were misdiagnosed and became long-term; where we failed to look beyond the next injury, the next
call-up, or the next prospect. A lack of depth became an excuse to transfer blame to Omar Minaya instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. And all the while, critical transactions and difficult trades were put off for some other time on some other day.
Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here. Now is the time to act boldly and wisely--to not only revive this team, but to build a new foundation for 2010. Now is the time to jump start the organization, re-start scouting, and invest in areas like left field, the starting rotation, and a new medical staff.
That is what I'd like to talk to you about tonight...
*http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_documents&docid=f:hd001.111.
End of modified text.
Parody aside, when it comes to my teams, I'm not one to easily give up hope. Like any die-hard Mets fan, I've toughed out the last two seasons, taking everything personally as though I had done something to influence the collapses. At this juncture though, it's pretty much safe to say that for the Mets, the rest of 2009 will be devoted to establishing some kind of foundation to build upon for 2010. That being said, Here's my outlook on the future of the franchise, the pieces they have now, and the potential shakeups for next year:
Catcher- Brian Schneider will be a free agent after this season, and given how well Omir Santos has played, I anticipate Santos being the starter next season. Who will back him up is another story, but unless the Red Sox don't pick up Victor Martinez' option, Santos has pretty much already earned himself the Mets starting catching gig.
- First Base- Daniel Murphy looks pretty solid moving forward at first base, where he will likely be next season barring some kind of heroic display from Carlos Delgado upon his return. Delgado's contract is up at the end of the year, and at age 37, it seems highly unlikely that he will be a Met next year. Though Murphy has not yet developed the power typical of a major league first baseman, many believe that for young contact hitters, power can develop.
Should the Mets decide to go for power, Russell Branyan, Aubrey Huff or Adam LaRoche may be on the radar, as well as Nick Johnson, who was mentioned in Mets trade rumors earlier this season. Should the Mets sign a first baseman and a left fielder, Murphy become an interesting trade chip.
- Second Base- We all got on Omar Minaya for signing Luis Castillo to that slightly ludicrous 4-year contract. Yes, at $18 million, they did overpay Castillo, but he has bounced back nicely this season and has been the most consistent piece of the Mets puzzle. As long as he remains healthy, it looks like the glaring holes will appear elsewhere on the diamond this offseason. However, the Mets will also have to at least entertain free agent options like Orlando Hudson, Mark DeRosa and Felipe Lopez.
- Shortstop- To trade or not to trade, that is the question. Many people have been calling for the Mets to break up their core, and Jose Reyes would probably have the highest return in any deal the Mets could work out. The outlook for free agency this offseason doesn't appear too promising in terms of shortstops, however. Outside of Miguel Tejada (36), Orlando Cabrera (35), former Met Marco Scutaro (34), Jack Wilson (32), and Bobby Crosby (30), there won't be much else out there.
Unless the Mets can justify having Anderson Hernandez as their starting shortstop, their next best in-house option may be Wilmer Flores or Ruben Tejada. Tejada is just 19 years old, and Flores is 17, and both still raw talents, probably still at least couple years away from the bigs.
At this point, I believe the Mets will hold onto Reyes, though I could see the Mets being able to work out a trade with Boston, perhaps involving pitcher Clay Buchholz, who at 25 already has a no hitter to his name. Another interesting BoSox prospect is shortstop-pitcher Casey Kelly. What may work against the Mets is the fact that Boston was able to acquire Victor Martinez without giving up any of their top-tier prospects. Then again, perhaps by pulling off the Martinez deal, maybe Boston maneuvered themselves into a position to trade those top prospects for one Jose Reyes.
- Third Base- David Wright isn't going anywhere unless some club floors the Mets with an outstanding offer. The only issue here is the mystery of where his power stroke went. He'll be the third baseman, and depending on the Mets offseason moves, might slide nicely up to the 2 spot in the batting order, given his high average, good speed on the bases, and sudden void of power.
Left Field- After the Daniel Murphy experiment took a different direction, the Mets will most likely be faced with the same hole in left field for the second straight offseason. For now, Corey Sullivan and whoever else Jerry Manuel throws out there will have to do, at least until Carlos Beltran returns. If and when he does, Angel Pagan should,, without question get the nod in left the rest of the way.
For 2010, the Mets will have several tempting options. Jason Bay and Matt Holliday are both scheduled to become free agents, and with Boston's acquisition of Victor Martinez and Mike Lowell still under contract, Kevin Youkilis could potentially stick in left field in place of Bay. Holliday has been on a tear since arriving in St. Louis, and at 30 years old, would be a great option for the Mets to consider if he doesn't sign a contract extension with the Cardinals.
- Center Field- Carlos Beltran is supposed to return this season, but who really knows any more? Given his age, he probably won't be as tradable as Jose Reyes. The bottom line is that Beltran is still one of the best center fielders in the game, and I'd be very surprised if he's not a Met in 2010.
- Right Field- Jeff Francoeur. Period.
- Starting Rotation- Outside of Johan Santana, the rotation probably holds the most question marks for the Mets heading into 2010. Mike Pelfrey has regressed quite a bit this year, his ERA is up and his strikeouts are down significantly. I still believe that he's better suited to be a number 3 or 4 starter at this point in his career, and has suffered from being thrust into the 2 spot after thriving last season as the 5th starter.
John Maine was showing some improvement before injuring his shoulder, but his durability has to be a major concern. Maine's '08 season ended with him on the shelf, and 2009 may bring the same outcome. Still, he'll likely be the number 3, 4 or 5 starter next year, whichever order you'd like to put Pelfrey-Maine-Perez in, as I assume the Mets will invest in a more viable number 2.
Oliver Perez. Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jeckyll has shown his face more often since Perez returned from the DL. For the $36 million coming his way, Perez better damn sure harness his control- physically and mentally. As shaky as he can be, all the Mets can do is keep working with him and keep their fingers crossed that he'll bounce back as Luis Castillo has done this season.
As servicable as Livan Hernandez has been this year, I don't foresee the Mets bringing him back, unless it's as an insurance policy for their top 5 starters. Eric Bedard, John Lackey and Rich Harden are probably the best free agent options for 2010, but if the Mets turned around and signed someone like Randy Wolf, Brad Penny or Joel Pineiro, I wouldn't be shocked. With the money they have tied up in Oliver Perez' and their apparent hesitancy to expand their spending limit, they may very well go for one of those second-tier starters.
Keep in mind that Bobby Parnell is moving into the rotation for the remainder of 2009, and Jon Niese's hamstring is expected to be 100% by next spring, and either young gun could end up at the back of the Mets rotation. We also can't rule out the possibility of a trade for a pitcher.
- Bullpen- Shockingly, the bullpen may be the most stable aspect for the Mets heading into 2010. K-Rod will be the closer and J.J. Putz will be the setup man. Billy Wagner will be gone, leaving Pedro Feliciano as the lone lefty, assuming his arm doesn't fall off from overuse. Sean Green and Parnell- if he's not a starter or traded- should be fine going forward, giving the Mets 5 solid arms out of the 'pen.
Joe Biemel, who had been suggested last season in Mets trade rumors, will see his contract expire at the end of the season, and could be considered as another left-handed option. Chad Cordero and Brandon Lyon will also hit the free agent market and both have experience as closers.
- Bench- If Angel Pagan isn't starting in left field, he's definitely proven himself to be a valuable asset to this ball club, and in my mind, must be on the roster next season. The same goes for Daniel Murphy, though I don't see him benefiting from being on the bench after starting for the majority of this season.
In terms of utility players, Alex Cora will be a free agent. Cora is a positive presense in the clubhouse, but honestly, I'm not sure I feel confident that the Mets will bring him back. Felipe Lopez can play 2B, SS, 3B and OF, and would give the Mets more flexibility, power and speed than Cora.
General Manager/Manager- I can't see how Jerry Manuel will take the fall for this season's mess. The only scenario that I can come up with that doesn't include Manuel at the helm is one in which Mets ownership clean house, fire Omar Minaya and start from scratch. If that's the case, then a lot of what I've just written about the players may be scrapped as well, and I would probably try to head a campaign to bring back Bobby Valentine, or begin a fund for a year's supply of fake mustaches. But the fact is that for some reason, the Wilpons love Omar Minaya, and that ridiculous contract extension they gave him last season is enough for me to believe that we'll all continue to follow Omar blindly into 2010.
Predicted 2009 final record: 78-84, 4th Place and 16 GB in the NL East.
Predicted lineup projection for 2010 (before free agent signings):
- J. Reyes, SS
- L. Castillo, 2B
- D. Murphy, 1B
- C. Beltran, CF
- D. Wright, 3B
- J. Francoeur, RF
- A. Pagan, LF
- O. Santos, C
- J. Reyes, SS
- D. Wright, 3B
- R. Branyan- 1B
- M. Holliday, LF
- C. Beltran, CF
- J. Francoeur, RF
- O. Santos, C
- L. Castillo, 2B
