Now Is The Time For Mets To Make Moves

Added by Eddie Utley on July 3, 2012.

With the Mets directly in the playoff race, how should they look to improve the team?

Watching the New York Mets’ game Sunday was disappointing. Manager Terry Collins went with a right handed lineup instead of keeping hot hitters like Daniel Murphy and Ike Davis in. I will never understand why hot hitters get sat down for has-beens, wannabes and AAAA players. Guess who lost the game for the Mets on Sunday…THE REPLACEMENTS.

The Mets don’t have quality bench players and this will hurt them in the long run. That was always a staple of Omar’s teams. Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson, etc.

The Mets elder statesmen may represent the Mets at the All Star Game. David Wright and R.A. Dickey are in and Johan Santana may get a chance if players are replaced. The Mets don’t realize what they’re getting from these players may not ever happen again. Who expects Dickey to be 12-1 again next year or Wright hitting .350?

Justin Turner, nice guy, clutch hitter, plays too much. Ronny Cedeno, nice replacement but has been playing too much. Omar Quintanilla, had a nice little run but too many middle infielders on the team. Why not keep a right handed bat with some pop like Vinny Ro who ended up DFA’d. The guys the Mets have can’t seem to cover up their shortcomings. If they made these errors then hit a homerun after that, it would even out over time. But instead we get error after error and then floodgates open.

Should they go for a star pitcher? Maybe. Depends, when Alderson shakes the tree and see what falls out. Chris Young has looked good so far but sooner or later they will start catching up to his not fast fastball. Dillon Gee and Jon Niese have been good but maybe there is a rental who would work and someone becomes the swingman, it’s what they thought Gee would end up being anyway.

Power hitter? Yes. They need to stop counting on Jason Bay to turn it around, if he goes somewhere else and turns it around then good for him but his bat speed is gone and he just doesn’t look like he will ever be the guy again until he stops trying to be. If Lucas Duda and Davis can stay pointed in the right direction then the need lessens but Duda keeps going in and out and Davis is just getting up to speed. Imagine what David Wright would be doing this year with Carlos Delgado type protection.

Catcher is another place where you could add something. Rob Johnson looked okay for the time he was up but the Mets went with Nickeas, Mr. Instant Out in the lineup. The Mets need someone backing up Josh Thole, who can contribute at the plate. Hopefully Thole figures it out again too or it might be time to consider replacing him.

The Mets are sitting and waiting for next year with the crop of young pitchers but you can’t harvest them all at the same time. Wheeler will probably spend time at Buffalo but Harvey may be ready to move NOW. Familia started off good but it looks like he might end up getting demoted to Bingo.

The Mets would be the 2^nd wild card if the season ended today. Sandy Alderson, the ball is in your court, take it to the hole.