Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

The Chris Carter era has ended.

Sunday, August 22
@ Pittsburgh

Jose Reyes – SS
Angel Pagan – LF
Carlos Beltran – CF
David Wright – 3B
Jeff Francoeur – RF
Ike Davis – 1B
Henry Blanco – C
Ruben Tejada – 2B
Johan Santana – LHP

This is from a few days ago but it’s pretty darn strong:

What puzzles me most is the fact that the Mets are not shy to spend money and they are not necessarily risk averse.  However, when it comes to the single place where a baseball team can extract the most value over the long run, the Mets barely qualify as bit players.  The amount they have spent on the draft is absolutely pathetic and is manifested on the team’s roster in two ways.  First, the Mets have very little young talent with high upside to call up in order to round out the team’s pitching staff, bullpen and bench.  Instead we end up with a cast of Coras, Easleys and Valentins.  Only this year has the team been able to call up some young players with upside (see: Davis, Ike).

Second, and perhaps most importantly, the Mets lack the tools necessary to make trades that will improve the Major League roster.  The team had the chips to make a deal for Cliff Lee; however, the lack of depth made such a trade nearly impossible.  Were the Mets to trade for Lee there simply would be nothing left for a rental.  Meanwhile, the Yankees took a legitimate stab, and the Texas Rangers won out, because both teams possess a stash of young, nearly Major League ready prospects.

The Business Mess of the Mets

John sent me a note clarifying that Kiner’s Korner will be on-line only.

The NY Times wrote about it:

During their move to Citi Field from Shea before the 2009 season, the Mets gave SNY a box of unlabeled videotapes. Some of them were the “Korners,” and others were team marketing films made from 1962 to 1988, which the network turned into the “Mets Yearbooks” series that has been running since last year.

Saturday, August 21
@ Pittsburgh

Jose Reyes – SS
Angel Pagan – LF
Carlos Beltran – CF
Chris Carter – RF
David Wright – 3B
Ike Davis – 1B
Josh Thole – C
Ruben Tejada – 2B
Jonathon Niese – LHP

Some interesting things from Jayson Stark on ESPN:

“An exec” talking about Beltran: “every time he comes back and does play, the team seems to go right down the tubes.”  Ouch.

Stark also mentions this quote about Torre:  “I think he’ll be the Mets’ manager. New York is the place if he’s going to work anywhere after this year. And he’d be perfect for the Mets because he’d be their way to sweep everything under the rug.”

I think the day after Torre left the Yankees the Mets should have blown out Willie and brought Joe in.  It would have been a good gamesmanship move, and at that time I believed this generation of Mets was actually solid enough to win.   Silly me.

While Joe Torre to the Mets in 2011 would make for a fun day and half of newspapers and sportstalk, I don’t think it makes sense.

First of all, nothing makes me think the Mets want to pay “Joe Torre money” for Joe Torre.   His laid back style works with some situations, but I think this team needs a kick in the pants.   Man Up and Play Better, right?

The next manager will wear number 6, but it won’t be Joe.