Comments on: Omar, Let's Discuss 2010

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:06:43 +0000

When you look at Dunn's HR, RBI and OBP totals for this year, he is indeed having a great year–and on a crappy team. Despite what James says, it's entirely plausible for a team that has struggled so much offensively, that having Dunn's stats instead of Tatis/Murphy/Evans would have resulted in three more wins. Go back and see how many games they came up short by a run or two. And that having Dunn protect Wright, both in the lineup and psychologically in terms of shouldering the burden after Beltran went down, would have helped Wright (and all the other hitters in the Mets lineup), providing another couple of wins. And, voila, first place. Not entirely ludicrous at all.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:37:15 +0000

Word. No one outside the handful you mentioned should be untouchable. But Omar's been bad at making the small moves for roster depth, as my man Cannotar discusses here:
http://sheahey.blogspot.com/2009/07/everybody-loves-parnell.html

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:08:10 +0000

Jerry's not going anywhere either. Not for at least another year. And if he gets fired now, Sandy Alomar is your manager. Nothing much changes. They're not going to fire the manager AND all the coaches AND the GM AND every other key person in the front office simultaneously. No team ever does that. I don't know why anyone would even consider that within the realm of possibility.
This is a mostly veteran team. Nobody's going to “kick their butts.” Why? The manager has NO leverage, ZERO, when almost everyone is on a guaranteed contract. Jerry is no dumber a field manager than Bobby Cox, and Cox isn't going anywhere either. About the only thing a manager can do to screw up a team that badly is to be an elbow-grinder with the starting staff a la Dusty Baker. (Jerry is following the Cox model pretty much exactly: baby your starters and your closer, work the crap out of your middle relievers.) That, and treat your veteran players like children, to the point where they actually point and laugh at you.
If you want them to play better, you get them help so they're not pressing to the point where their heads are about to explode. I'm not opposed to getting decent prospects for Schneider, Church, et al, but I certainly wouldn't give them away for nothing. And right now everybody wants something for nothing.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:29:15 +0000

Pardon me, but the notion that, assuming that everything else about the season to this point being unchanged, having Adam Dunn puts us in first place is ludicrous.
Even if you assume that Dunnls production would be the same, having him doesn't counterbalance the astonishingly incompetent level of play displayed thus far.
It seems to me that I remember Bill James demonstrating pretty conclusively in the '80s that one player, no matter how good, makes a difference of no more than 2 or 3 games over the course of a season,and my recollection is that that was in the context of discussing *great* players…which Adam Dunn is not.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:56:26 +0000

The problem starts with the fact that Omar is allergic to Dunn. Could have had him this off-season. And if we had him we'd probably be in first right now. Likely could have traded for him a month ago if Omar was generous enough. And if he had we'd probably be in first right now.
For some reason, they don't get the fact that Dunn is not Kingman. Well, he may be in terms of defense and Ks but he is much more consistent at the plate and has a great OBP every single year. I'd still give up Parnell and prospects for him right now.
A few days ago I was opposed to giving up on this season but the new reports on Reyes and Beltran make it obvious that by the time they return this season will be out of reach. So you are right: trade away. But not Church, who I think would be a good fit on a good team which the Mets could be next year. And I also think Hudson is overrated and honestly I'd love to keep Cora as a supersub for next year since I doubt you'd get much in return. But Livian, Sheffield, Castillo, Schneider, everyone else can go.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:24:24 +0000

We're not in fourth place, we're just drafting.
(Apologies to the vast majority who aren't surrounded by NASCAR fans and missed that reference.)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:43:09 +0000

Tough to trade Castro, seeing as he's been the property of the Chicago White Sox since the beginning of June.
NEXT?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:39:59 +0000

Trade Reyes, Church, Castro, and Castillo for Halladay and use the off-season to pick up a functional shortstop and one more big bat in the outfield.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:35:19 +0000

fourth is optimistic
nats are better than we are and not too far back

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:24:01 +0000

At one point last night, I thought “this has got to be rock-bottom.”
Then I realized “Ollie starts tomorrow.”
This will get worse before it gets better.