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Is Omar Asleep at the Wheel? |
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Written by Joe Janish
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Wednesday, 30 July 2008 |
 A week ago, it was suggested that the Yankees "beat" the Mets to Xavier
Nady and Damaso Marte (they did, for the record). Then out of nowhere,
Brian Cashman pulled a second highway robbery in acquiring future Hall
of Fame catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez for streaky reliever Kyle
Farnsworth. In the meantime, the Phillies upgraded their rotation with Joe Blanton,
the Angels acquired Mark Teixeira from the Braves for Casey Kotchman,
the Dodgers picked up Casey Blake, the Indians grabbed Anthony Reyes,
and the Astros, of all teams, added Randy Wolf to their rotation.
Through all of this, Omar Minaya has sat -- but is it patiently, or on his hands?
While the Mets have moved into first place for the first time since early April, it is a tenuous position. The fightin' Phils are not nearly ready to quit and the surprising Marlins are breathing down their necks. In short, the race for the NL East crown is sure to be dogfight through the dog days of August and likely to segue into September. The Mets are looking strong right now, but don't be fooled. If not for their 10-game winning streak, they'd still be looking up from a lower section of the standings, and much of their success can be attributed to unconscious hitting by Carlos Delgado and Fernando Tatis, and similar pitching by Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez. At some point, the bats of Delgado and Tatis will cool to more realistic numbers, and one or both of Pelf and Perez will fall back to Earth. And what then?
In other words, there are still a few pieces short of completing a playoff-bound puzzle. A corner outfielder with power is a priority, and so is a reliable reliever for the late innings. The recent rotator cuff strain suffered by John Maine also suggests that the Mets should be in the market for a starting pitcher -- at least for insurance.
Looking at the Mets' minor league affiliates, there isn't much to call on for help. The resources have been tapped after plucking Tatis, Argenis Reyes, Robinson Cancel, Carlos Muniz, and Nick Evans, among others. Take a second look at that list, and go ahead and add Nelson Figueroa, Tony Armas Jr., Raul Casanova, Chris Aguila, Brandon Knight, Abraham Nunez, Claudio Vargas, and Gustavo Molina. Other than Tatis' hitting in July, this is a group that is far from impressive. Yet, they represent the best the Mets have below the big league level -- their most MLB-ready players.
The Mets have holes, and if that previous list is any indication, they have no way to fill them from within. A deal -- or deals -- must be made. However, Omar Minaya has yet to pull one off, continuing the mantra "I'm confident in our team". The last time he was so confident, he was talking about his starting rotation -- a week before the Mets acquired Johan Santana. So I'm not buying into it -- sounds to me like an empty preventative measure in the event a deal can't be made.
And just why hasn't Omar pulled the trigger on a deal? Could it be due to the whispers we're hearing regarding the Mets' "untouchables". Jonathan Niese, untouchable? Bobby Parnell, untouchable? Surely you jest. Niese may be a solid prospect, but he's no Tim Lincecum. Heck, he's not even an Ian Kennedy. And the Mets positioning Parnell as "untouchable" is bordering on comedy -- he's a nice kid, with decent stuff, but he has very pedestrian numbers in a pitcher's league. The "untouchable" moniker sounds more like a smoke screen -- or another excuse for not being able to make a trade.
The one legitimate untouchable is Fernando Martinez. But again, if F-Mart stands in the way of the Mets going to the postseason in 2008, he sure as heck better turn out to be the next Darryl Strawberry and not Alex Escobar. Yes, the Mets have already emptied the system of all their "toolsy" position players -- most notably and recently, Carlos Gomez and Lastings Milledge. That said, it behooves the Mets to hold on to their last bastion of hope, who happens to be more projection than can't-miss character at this moment. But if the player coming back is the caliber of a Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, or Manny Ramirez, there shouldn't be a thought -- do the deal, and do it now, before the other team changes their mind.
But perhaps we're scratching the surface of the REAL reason the Mets have yet to pull off a trade for an impact player: they simply do not have the chips. Nearly everyone on the 25-man roster is immovable, and nearly everyone below it is uncoveted. Minaya can say all day that the Mets don't want to "mortgage the future", but the bottom line is, no one's willing to offer him re-financing.
Let's get something straight: I agree with the idea of holding on to what's left of the Mets "prospects" -- especially in talks for has-beens such as Raul Ibanez, or aging flukes like George Sherrill. But please, don't tell me Fernando Martinez or Jonathan Niese are too good to "give away" for a young All-Star such as Matt Holliday or Huston Street -- and please refrain from telling me you can't pick up a reliever the level of Brian Fuentes or a corner outfielder along the lines of an Aubrey Huff because Bobby Parnell is "untouchable". It insults my intelligence and portrays the Mets organization as hubristic, unrealistic, and arrogant -- not the ideal characteristics for someone seeking external help.
Hopefully, Minaya is simply being ultra-patient in the game of chicken, and will pull off a deal or two just before the deadline. He did it in February with Johan Santana, so there's reason to believe he'll do it again.
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