The Mets picked up the $12 million option on first baseman Carlos Delgado, signed outfielder Fernando Tatis for $1.7 million, and learned Oliver Perez filed for free-agency where he stands to make much more.

By acting quickly, the Mets are addressing their offensive obligations before concentrating on pitching.

Bringing back Delgado should stifle most of the trade rumors and signing Tatis should lessen the need to go after an outfielder this winter (toward that end, Pat Burrell rejected a two-year, $22-million package from the Phillies).

Delgado, who made $16 million last year, turned around his season, and that of the Mets, with a hot second half, and over the final 85 games hit 27 homers with 80 RBI to merit MVP consideration. Tatis, who hit .297 with 11 homers and 47
RBI, is expected to share left field with Daniel Murphy.

Meanwhile, on the first day of the FA filing period, Perez, Damion Easley and reliever Matt Wise all filed.

Posted under New York Mets

As the Phillies were rolling around on the infield last night much to the dismay of most Mets fans, take solace in that 2008 is officially over. The last out of the World Series officially brings with it the start of the 2009 season, although the Mets have been thinking for the past month about what went wrong and what to do about it.

It’s time to build GM Omar Minaya’s shopping list for the Hot Stove Season.

Here’s my list:

1. Starter #1: Fixing the bullpen begins first with fixing the rotation. They need to add a starter to begin shaving innings from the bullpen total. They will attempt to re-sign Oliver Perez and add a solid, but not spectacular starter such as Derek Lowe.

2. Closer: The Phillies proved a dominant closer is better than a closer-by-committee format. Brian Fuentes appears first on their list. The money is too steep for Francisco Rodriguez.

3. Starter #2: The Mets need fifth starter. They could go in the market, they could gamble with Jon Niese or they could bring back Pedro Martinez.

4. Adding bullpen depth: The Mets’ bullpen blew 29 saves, but Billy Wagner only coughed it up seven times. There were a lot of collapses in the seventh and eighth innings. Help is needed.

5. Bench (right-handed hitting outfielder): Fernando Tatis should be re-signed, I could go with the platoon of he and Daniel Murphy. Adding a proven bat would be beneficial, but not at the expense of adding pitching.

6. Re-signing Carlos Delgado: It’s doubtful Delgado will duplicate last season’s second half, but there shouldn’t be that big a dropoff. I don’t understand the eagerness of some to trade him. Afterall, for a team with holes, trading him adds another. Delgado does have a no-trade clause so it will cost something to get him to waive it.

Posted under New York Mets

When you come down to it, it’s not a “must have’’ list of the Mets’ own free-agents. Sure, they’d like lefty Oliver Perez back, but nobody really expects it, and truth is they can live without him.

The follow is a list of the Mets’ free-agents to be and those players arbitration eligible.

FREE AGENTS

-LF Moises Alou: Say good-night, Moises.

-INF Marlon Anderson: Nice knowing you.

-RHP Luis Ayala: Could be brought back.

-OF Endy Chavez: Could be brought back, but never as a starter.

-2B Damion Easley: I like him, but Mets should go younger on the bench.

-RHP Orlando Hernandez: Time to write his autobiography.

-RHP Pedro Martinez: Doesn’t want to retire, but is only fifth starter caliber right now.

-2B Ramon Martinez: Made impact, but age won’t let Mets consider him for job.

-LHP Oliver Perez: Wants mega bucks. Doesn’t deserve them.

-LHP Ricardo Rincon: Won’t be missed.

-OF Fernando Tatis: Deserves to return.

-RHP Matt Wise: Good-bye.

ARBITRATION ELIGIBLE

The following are arbitration eligible: RF Ryan Church, LHP Pedro Feliciano, RHP Aaron Heilman, RHP Duaner Sanchez, RHP John Maine and OF Angel Pagan.

Posted under On the Table

-Damion Easley’s quad isn’t getting any better. He could be lost for the season. Who do you want to see play the rest of the way, Argenis Reyes or Luis Castillo?

-Fernando Tatis has a Grade 3 shoulder separation. The Mets are saying with rest and rehab he might be available in three weeks. That would be the NLCS. Would you take your chances with a gimpy Tatis or keep somebody like Nick Evans on the playoff roster?

Posted under New York Mets

Finally, Daniel Murphy is back in the lineup, batting second and playing left field in place of the injured Fernando Tatis. Murphy has been a spark plug since he joined the Mets when the team was in Houston last month. His numbers have been good, but he’s seen limited time since Ryan Church’s return.

Argenis Reyes is playing in place of Luis Castillo.

Here’s the lineup:

METS

SS Jose Reyes
LF Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
1B Carlos Delgado
CF Carlos Beltran
RF Ryan Church
2B Argenis Reyes
C Brian Schneider
RH Brandon Knight

Posted under New York Mets

This quote from Jerry Manuel on Fernando Tatis is surprising: “”When we lose Tatis, we definitely have to reassess where we are offensively.”

Huh?

He came out of nowhere and had a good season, but the truth is he is a role player. He was part of a platoon. You reassess with a full time starter.

The Mets will miss Tatis, and the cynic in me says they’ll do so because the Big Three has stopped hitting. Losing Tatis should mean more Daniel Murphy, and hopefully that will include against lefty pitchers.

There was a spark to the offense with Murphy batting second that has gone. The Mets need that back.

As far as Tatis is concerned, he gave the Mets more than they could have hoped for when they signed him and he deserves to be brought back.

Tatis separated his shoulder trying to make a diving catch on pitcher Odalis Perez’s double. He is gone for the remainder of the season and that includes the playoffs.

“He’s done,” Manuel said. “That’s very discouraging, to lose a big piece of where we are and what we’ve accomplished so far.”

Tatis hit .297 with 11 home runs and 47 RBI filling in for Moises Alou and Ryan Church.

Alou, by the way, hasn’t said anything about retirement.

Posted under New York Mets

The Mets are putting an awful lot of pressure on Mike Pelfrey tonight in DC. He’s been the Mets’ most improved player all year and they are depending on him to turn things around tonight. He’s proven he can throw a strong seven, but the offense has to take over tonight.

And, they have to score a bunch of runs IMO because I have no faith in whomever comes out of the pen after Pelfrey.

Here’s the lineup, and nice to see Argenis Reyes is in it:

SS Jose Reyes
RF Ryan Church
3B Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Fernando Tatis
2B Argenis Reyes
C Brian Schneider
RH Mike Pelfrey

Team meeting today. Yawn. Just shut up and play.

Posted under New York Mets

 

 

METS

SS Jose Reyes
RF Ryan Church
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Fernando Tatis
2B Luis Castillo
C Brian Schneider
RH Pedro Martinez

Posted under New York Mets

 

 

 

METS

SS Jose Reyes
RF Ryan Church
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Fernando Tatis
2B Damion Easley
C Brian Schneider
LH Johan Santana

Posted under New York Mets

 

 

 

METS

SS Jose Reyes
RF Ryan Church
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Fernando Tatis
2B Damion Easley
C   Brian Schneider
RH Mike Pelfrey

Posted under New York Mets