The Mets were enamored with Cliff Lee but lost out on the lefty when they wouldn't include Ike Davis in a deal, and now Andy Martino of The New York Daily News hears from "people familiar with the team's thinking" that they are less likely to make a trade for a pitcher now than they were last month. The team believes that R.A. Dickey's success has reduced the urgency to add an arm.
Dickey, 35, has a 2.63 ERA in 11 starts for the Mets, stymieing hitters with his knuckleball. Martino says the Mets maintain interest in Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, Brett Myers, and to a lesser extent Roy Oswalt, and they are still open to making a move if the opportunity presents itself. They are not optimistic about adding an impact reliever though, and consider the overall market for bullpen help to be underwhelming.
The Mets were reportedly in on Lilly, but they have concerns about his drop in velocity following a shoulder injury. The Cubs are getting serious about making trades and moving cumbersome salaries, but Lilly's market isn't limited to just the Amazins. They shouldn't have trouble finding another suitor.
Omar Minaya's payroll situation and ability to take on salary are unclear, though a team official told Martino that the Mets will be able to add payroll if needed. Those decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Myers is the most affordable option, with just $1.37MM or so left on his contract this year and a $2MM buyout of his $8MM mutual option for 2011.
They need to do something significant at the deadline for one. You can’t have a choke one season, come up short the next, and have a miserable year after that and still have your only deadline trade be acquiring Roberto Hernandez 4 years ago.
that’s pretty stupid considering Dickey will run out of gas sooner or later, I mean he is 35. And who else do we have? Santana, Pelfrey, Niese, Dickey and Takahashi?? Takahashi sucks! and if he’s moved back to the BP than who are we gonna put in the other spot in the rotation? Perez or Maine? yeah ok. It’s beneficial to the mets if they acquire another starter
Dickey is also a Knuckleballer. Derp.
Of those knuckleballer starters that have famously pitched into their 40s, how many of them only got decent at 35? Let’s not compare him to the five outliers just yet.
I don’t think he was saying he’s going to be awesome because he’s a knuckleballer, but that his arm won’t tire out because a knuckleballer doesn’t have to throw hard. Most knuckleballers, even terrible ones, usually don’t tire at the end of the year.
And also, Tim Wakefield didn’t really become a solid pitcher until his 30s, and now, he gives you at least 10 wins, and 15-20 good starts.
I believe that aap212 mentioned the 5 outliers.
I know he did, but I’m just pointing out that his age means nothing, and that he has a high chance of not fading down the stretch.
While I agree that he is unlikely to tire during the 2nd half, you can’t possibly say that his age means nothing, that’s just dumb.
I agree saying age means nothing is stupid, but in the context of fading down the stretch, his current age should have no bearing. Maybe getting a bad back, but nothing arm related.
Of those knuckleballer starters that have famously pitched into their 40s, how many of them only got decent at 35? Let’s not compare him to the five outliers just yet.
Please, someone, explain to me how the situation is not urgent when the Mets are — as of now — on the outside, looking in, with potential 5th starters in Hisanori Takahashi, an injured John Maine, and an “injured” Oliver Perez.
I hope you haven’t been holding your breath.
I am a Mets fan. By definition, I have a high tolerance for this kind of stuff.
I hope you haven’t been holding your breath.
This really is a JOKE! Omar is a JOKE!! they need a starter bad and of course they won’t get one. Mets are gonna win anything until they get rid of Omar!
agreed they need a starter because to get anywhere in any playoffs elite starting pitching and depth is a necessity..but it seems that their rotation as of late has not been an issue…comparable to other 5th starters in the league..takahashi is not as bad of an option as it may seem…it just seems that the mets are a team that when they pitch right they don’t hit and when they are hitting their pitchers arent pitching to say..outside of perez..the staff really has not been the major issue with this team
agreed they need a starter because to get anywhere in any playoffs elite starting pitching and depth is a necessity..but it seems that their rotation as of late has not been an issue…comparable to other 5th starters in the league..takahashi is not as bad of an option as it may seem…it just seems that the mets are a team that when they pitch right they don’t hit and when they are hitting their pitchers arent pitching to say..outside of perez..the staff really has not been the major issue with this team
Minaya looks at anything good and assumes it’s sustainable. That’s why Ollie got the contract. That’s why Franoeur had a starting job all season. That’s why Omir Santos was kept on after a good start last year. God help the guy if he ever goes to a craps table.
Omar is a joke. They’re in a situation where they can’t trade for anyone because it will end up being a bad move. He’s screwed this team good since 07. Keep Thole and Mejia, and might as well wait it out.
Manuel has proved he is a terrible manager after yesterday. Batting Bay second and Francouer over Pagan when Reyes is out is unbelievable.
The team believes that R.A. Dickey’s success has reduced the urgency to add an arm. Haha mets front office is joke.
He’s been legitmately good…..high GB rate, good K/BB rate….of course that doesn’t change the fact that Takahashi has sucked badly as a starter, and that they do need to add a starter.
He’s been legitmately good…..high GB rate, good K/BB rate….of course that doesn’t change the fact that Takahashi has sucked badly as a starter, and that they do need to add a starter.
It’ll cost you, but you can have Paul Maholm. Dude would win 14 games annually if he had some offense.
the mets have their own version of maholm in takahashi..he is hardly an upgrade over anything else in their rotation..he’d be a number 5 starter..if the mets add any person to the rotation it needs to be a number 2 to slot in after johan or a number 1 to slot in before him…anyone else is hard to argue would be anything of an upgrade over takahashi because niese has been pitching like a potential ROY candidate since returning from injury (outside of a 2 hour return from rain delay start)
Maholm is much better than your typical number 5 pitcher, in my opinion.
i like maholm as a pitcher…a lefty who can throw mutliple pitches for strikes when on..but on a contender..he’s nothing more than a 5 at best (hes also unproven in a big market)..if the mets goal is to make a decent push for the playoffs then maybe a move for a comparable number 5 to slot takahashi into the BP is a decent move to not miss much from rotation and strengthen the pen..point is though..to make them a legitimate playoff threat they need to add top of the rotation depth.. a move for a comparable number 5 will do nothing but slightly increase their chances of getting some meaningful games going late in the season
i like maholm as a pitcher…a lefty who can throw mutliple pitches for strikes when on..but on a contender..he’s nothing more than a 5 at best (hes also unproven in a big market)..if the mets goal is to make a decent push for the playoffs then maybe a move for a comparable number 5 to slot takahashi into the BP is a decent move to not miss much from rotation and strengthen the pen..point is though..to make them a legitimate playoff threat they need to add top of the rotation depth.. a move for a comparable number 5 will do nothing but slightly increase their chances of getting some meaningful games going late in the season
Maholm is much better than your typical number 5 pitcher, in my opinion.
the mets have their own version of maholm in takahashi..he is hardly an upgrade over anything else in their rotation..he’d be a number 5 starter..if the mets add any person to the rotation it needs to be a number 2 to slot in after johan or a number 1 to slot in before him…anyone else is hard to argue would be anything of an upgrade over takahashi because niese has been pitching like a potential ROY candidate since returning from injury (outside of a 2 hour return from rain delay start)
It’ll cost you, but you can have Paul Maholm. Dude would win 14 games annually if he had some offense.
The Mets have two holes keeping them from being a top NL team. A #2 starter and a second basemen that can produce offensively. Just so happens the Diamondbacks have Kelly Johnson and Dan haren…I would put serious money that if they can trade for those two, they will be in the post season. Haren has been hurt by 1 thing this year, home-runs. In citi field, I doubt he will have that prob. No one in baseball can say Santana, Haren and Pelfrey isn’t a scary rotation. Kelly Johnson is not a top tier 2nd basemen, but compared to the offensively challenged Ruben Tejada and the aging Castillo (with his poor defense)…he mine as well be an all-star. It sounds simple enough, now if only the Mets fire Omar and bring in someone to make it happen.
The cost for Haren would be ridiculous. Think Mejia, Neisse, Havens, PTBNL. I’ll pass.
nah i think mejia, havens and flores. which for basically being guaranteed the playoffs is a small price to pay. haren is under contract for 3 more years and is only like 28 anyway
Mejia, Havens, and Flores isn’t a small price to pay for anything that’s actually available.
Mejia, Havens, and Flores isn’t a small price to pay for anything that’s actually available.
nah i think mejia, havens and flores. which for basically being guaranteed the playoffs is a small price to pay. haren is under contract for 3 more years and is only like 28 anyway
The cost for Haren would be ridiculous. Think Mejia, Neisse, Havens, PTBNL. I’ll pass.
The Mets have two holes keeping them from being a top NL team. A #2 starter and a second basemen that can produce offensively. Just so happens the Diamondbacks have Kelly Johnson and Dan haren…I would put serious money that if they can trade for those two, they will be in the post season. Haren has been hurt by 1 thing this year, home-runs. In citi field, I doubt he will have that prob. No one in baseball can say Santana, Haren and Pelfrey isn’t a scary rotation. Kelly Johnson is not a top tier 2nd basemen, but compared to the offensively challenged Ruben Tejada and the aging Castillo (with his poor defense)…he mine as well be an all-star. It sounds simple enough, now if only the Mets fire Omar and bring in someone to make it happen.
I hope that Minaya realizes that if they are less likely to add a pitcher, then they are less likely to make the playoffs. And, if they do make the playoffs they are less likely to win a series.
Delusion disease strikes the Mets front office again. This year’s version? R.A. Dickey is the answer!!! He and his golden knuckleball will lead them to the promised land! Been a Met fan all my life, almost as old as the team, and I’ve endured a lot. But if this is true I am just completely fed up with the delusional ineptitude of the people running this team.
And forgive me if I think that such delusional ineptitude doesn’t have some correlation to the woeful underachieving of this team on the field. How many more punchless at-bats especially in big situations? How many more leads blown by the bullpen?
For God’s sake they actually have a shot this year after the worst season ever lasts year. Don’t stand there, do something.