On the Mets beat

yeah i think he panicked a bit,hernandez hasnt really been used in too many high leverage situations. at the same time trading nady for the chance that oliver perez can get back on track is a gamble id take. Corner outfielders,for the most part are a dime a dozen. Young lefthanded pitchers with the ability to strikeout alot of people is pretty rare. Well except for that one lefty we had in our system a couple years ago,but last i heard he flamed out in the devil ray orginazation

I'm hoping if he's healthy enough that the Mets will sign Cliff Floyd for one more year to platoon with Milledge. I think it'd help keep up the comraderie in the clubhouse, and also Cliff could teach Milledge a lot about everything.
http://www.pickmeup.mlblogs.com/

Dan.....do not say that name. Please do not say that name.

K - A - Z - M- I - R

That name will bring a pox upon us all.

During this offseason, there are a few good outfielders available as
Free Agents:
Anduw Jones, Alfonso Soriano, Juan Pierre, Torii Hunter, Carlos Lee to name a few.

Shawn Green can very easily be a first baseman, outfield utility guy. He talks a lot about his glory days hitting 49 homers. That was a while ago and he needs to be realistic about where he can fit in on a ball club.
D-backs paid a bunch of his mulah so if he can accept a lesser role-- then he can fit in with the mix.

But Cliff Floyd will retire. He is hurting.
The Magic 2006 and the ring will be his last.

I don't think Omar panicked when he made the Hernandez trade...Nady was a decent OFer, but he really struggled with RISP and his average kept dropping...Honestly, I wouldn't trust Nady too much in the post season...I feel much better about Green...Omar was patient and waited the DBacks out for a couple weeks, got $6 mil and only had to give up Evan MacLane(who wasn't getting past Maine, Perez, Williams, Pelfrey or Humber)...Hernandez has proven he can pitch in NY and I feel comfortable with him in the post season...Omar will REALLY look like he did not panic if the Mets can fix Perez and he becomes another starter in the rotation next year(his last 2 starts in Norfolk have been excellent)...Omar is still one of the top 5 scouts in all of baseball, even if he is a GM now...In Omar We Trust!

Memo to Shawn Green...Welcome and Mazel Tov !

I think that Nady turned out to be a good hitter and a mediocre outfielder. Shawn Green, even in his current state is at least equal with Nady, and probably an upgrade defensively.

I don't think that Minaya panicked making the Nady trade, but there was an immediate need for another arm in the pen, and if Petersen can bring Oliver Perez back to where he was two seasons ago and he can sustain that performance over several years the trade will be recognized as a steal. In the mean time, Hernandez has pitched well, and the Mets did need another arm in the pen after Sanchez got hurt.

Another point about the Shawn Green trade is that having Green in right field and Floyd in left, once he returns, greatly improves the Mets bench with Chavez being able to pinch hit in key situations and come in as a late inning defensive replacement. I will feel much better about having Chavez come up in a key situation to face a right handed pitcher than Ricky Ledee, that's for sure.

Listen up folks, there is a lot of rhetoric flying around in the blog and the truth is plain. Xavier Nady was having a "career year". He has never been an everyday player. He has never played a full season.
He has never had brilliant success and he was bound to
be ordinary again. Like maybe in the 2006 playoffs.
But all of a sudden people make him out to be Joe Jackson.

I'm not okay with a Milledge/Beltran/Green outfield next year. Green is over the hill and overpaid. He's a good addition for right now given what was available and the need to stabilize the outfield after losing Nady and Floyd. But, beyond this season, we could do a lot better. Milledge simply isn't ready to perform at the big league level. His talent is obvious, but it is also obvious that his outfield play is shaky and that his hitting needs a lot of work. He may or may not ever justify the hype. The acquisition that would put the Mets another level above the rest of the National League would be Soriano. Insert Soriano into the Met lineup and you have something that could compete with the best teams in the American League.

Well, Soriano is (most likely) only going to go somewhere he can play second base - not OF -- so signing with the Mets may not help him there (if we are looking for OFs). I think Beltran, Milledge and Green next year can work -- Milledge would not have any pressure and can hit low in the batting order.

As for Nady -- that was a great trade for Omar - we were overusing our bullpen to begin with and then Sanchez got hurt -- Hernandez was great for us last year and has been very good for us this year. And if Perez can turn it around...this might just be a steal!

I don't think he panicked. I think it was pretty shrewd to get Hernandez before news spread of the Sanchez injury and have other teams trying to hold Omar up. And getting Perez in the deal may end up being huge

What is the difference between a "book author" and Norton?
The answer: Published pages last forever but oh ,...those bathroom walls are eventually washed clean you moron.

GO METS.

I don't Omar panicked at all. He seems to be a great judge of talent. In addition to that, he's proved that you don't have to mortgage away your whole organization for the sake of obtaining a "superstar" or better yet, a stop-gap. In the beginning, I questioned pick-ups such as Endy Chavez, Julio Franco and Jose Valentin. Not to mention keeping Chris Woodward on the roster.

Back in April, we had Kaz and Hernandez sharing the play at second base. Valentin and Chavez at that time, were at best, pinch hitters that struck out with regularity. Franco's early success was key, but more importantly for the team's sake, it was (and still is) his leadership in the clubhouse that's priceless.
As for the Nady deal, only time will tell, but I truly think Omar has pulled off a "reverse-Kazmir" magic trick.

Being the life-long Met fan that I am, I remember the Mets giving up on a young phenom named Nolan Ryan at the tender age of 24. If Oliver Perez can get that head screwed on (because he's got the "stuff"), he could be around along time in this organization.

Lastly, I think that the top six batters in the current line-up would be fine for next year, however, I wouldn't mind adding Soriano to it. I would let him choose where he wants to play, 2nd or leftfield. As far as I'm concerned, both positions are available.

Youth and Experience combined, it's an exciting combo. I remember '86 !!!

I HAVE TO AGREE WITH MIKE VISOSKY.
WHAT HE SAID WAS PRETTY BRIEF.
BUT HE SHOWED A FIRE AND A LEADERSHIP THAT
IS REALLY HARD TO FIND NOW.
HE HAS MADE ME A BETTER PERSON.