|
Written by Mark Healey
|
|
Monday, 23 June 2008 |
 Regardless of who got Willie Randolph fired – and really, had Willie
found a way to reach his bumbling club after the All-Star break last
season, he'd still have a job – the focus should now shift as to how
the Mets can reach their desired destination this year: the World
Series.
With Ryan Church hopefully healing, Trot Nixon looking like a fit the more he plays, and the perception (Omar Minaya has almost ruined this once-awesome word for me) that they are done waiting around for Moises Alou to get healthy (when he gets here, they'll deal with it), the needs for the New York Mets to resume their pursuit of the NL East title is clear, make a significant deal to alter the club's fortunes.
Last September, the Mets got production from their three important players (David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Alou) but the slumps by Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes and a mish-mosh bullpen that was tired, misused and sloppy. The cure? Admit a past mistake, get over some present misgivings and acquire Chad Bradford and Kevin Millar from the Orioles.
The missing piece in this year's bullpen, as much as I like him personally, is not Carlos Muniz.
Also, the fact that interim manager and new pitching coach Dan Warthen have stressed that the starters will go longer and the bullpen will have more defined roles is – at the moment – lip service. As colleague Joe Janish pointed out on this week's “Live at Mickey Mantle's”, not s single reliever has been able to fill any role as of yet. In fact, since they resumed playing competitive baseball in 2005, the one reliever that made the most sense, and fit his role perfectly is Chad Bradford.
No one in the current mix who is considered an “A” reliever, Duaner Sanchez, Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith or Scott Schoeneweiss, is at his most effective when asked to get more than three outs, or to work three days in a row. Adding Bradford would allow Warthen and bullpen coach Guy Conti to create roles based on matchups and a more solidified bullpen “rotation” that was the team's strength in the latter half of 2006.
Bradford would be providing a much-needed ability to prevent inherited runners to score (and the ability to pitch multiple innings 3-4 times a week), and by adding Millar to the deal to add a clutch bat against left-handed pitching and some sorely-needed leadership skills (the current first baseman is susceptible to the former and unwilling to provide the latter), this deal could make a great deal of sense – and success – for the 2008 Mets.
The price would likely include young talent, something the Mets can ill-afford to part with, but that is the reality they have created for themselves.
|
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 23 June 2008 )
|
