This is why I keep dumping on the Mets

I don't dislike the Mets.

I really don't.

I'm always kind of shocked by how they do business.

They have been handed an advantage that only the Yankees have (the New York market) and still they somehow manage to average 86 losses each of their first three seasons at CitiField.

Will 2012 be any different?

They had stretches of solid baseball last year but still just narrowly missed the 90 loss mark.

And at the trade deadline they pulled off a great deal, sending Carlos Beltran to the Giants for Zack Wheeler. Everyone knew Beltran was good as gone and they got one the Giants top pitching prospects.

But they held onto Jose Reyes.

Reyes was more valuable a chip than Beltran.

I questioned their sanity THEN.

If they wanted to sign him to a long term deal, then they could have traded him for a pair of prospects and then when he became a free agent, sign him. You get Reyes AND the prospects.

My friends who are Mets fans said that not signing him was a sign of loyalty and they were confident that Reyes would see it that way and he'd be in New York for a long time.

Well now reports are coming out that he will probably go to the Marlins.

Now mind you, I don't think signing Jose Reyes to a long term deal is a smart move. There is something about peaking on a walk season that strikes me as very J. D. Drew-esque.

And someone whose game is built on speed will be deep into his 30s during a long term contract. Never a good sign.

So in a way, having him walk could help the Mets spend the money wisely.

But they could have dealt him!

Unless they use their draft picks and snag a few stars, they will look back at the trade deadline when a player like Reyes could have been a difference maker and got a few other pieces to join Wheeler and build a new team up... and grind their teeth.

The MLB Trade Deadline TV Spectacular - My latest for The Hardball Times

In my latest article for The Hardball Times, I continue my reimagining of the baseball reason. To go along with my suggestion to START the season with the All Star Game, now I say the trading deadline should be presented as a big spectacular on TV.

Baseball can't pull off the TV draft or lottery... but the trading deadline could be compelling TV. If only someone would listen to me.

Read the whole article HERE.

Ryan! You don't get hurt AFTER the Trade Deadline!!

Seriously... if you are going to go on the DL, make sure it is on July 30th or before. What good does it do on August 1st?

Anytime between opening day and July 31st, the Phillies can easily make a deal and BOOM! They have another star first baseman.

But now the Phillies are without their big guy in the middle of their lineup and the immortal Ross Gload will be starting at first base.

If Howard had done this a few days earlier, maybe Lance Berkman would be there... or maybe the guy covering first base on the play that sidelined Howard, Adam Dunn.

But noooooo....

Just remember people: TIME YOUR INJURIES!

Hold Steady

A year after they got swept from the Division Series and just a few years since a World Series title (with many World Champs still on the Roster), The Red Sox had an up and down season filled with some dramatic wins, frustrating losses, domination of the National League and man handling by the Yankees.

The main culprit were injuries that decimated the pitching staff and starting line up.
At the trade deadline, the Sox did nothing of note and held onto young players despite obvious needs.

Ultimately the Sox finished with a winning season but in third place.

Am I talking about the 2010 Red Sox? Or the 2006 Red Sox?

It's starting to feel like 2006... but unlike 2006 I am not screaming bloody murder that the Red Sox didn't go for it.

In 2006 I was screaming for the Sox to make a deal. GET SOMEONE! Who cares about young players like Dustin Pedroia? Clay Buchholz? Jacoby Ellsbury? Need to win NOW!!!

They held on to players... let the Yankees and Blue Jays finish ahead of them... got healthy... made a few nice moves and it is safe to say 2007 worked out well for the Red Sox.

So with all the names bandied about, I was most excited to see Ryan Kalish in the bigs.

Another home grown player... and maybe one who could catch on.

Could 2011 resemble 2007?

Let's hope so.

Phillies fans... don't nag your team about Cliff Lee

Have you ever screwed up badly and tried to make up for it?
It might be with your spouse, or significant other or family…

I’m not talking about something huge like adultery or tax evasion.
I’m talking about a judgment call.

A bad investment, inviting the wrong person over, turning down a job that turned into a big windfall, buying the wrong kind of car… something that they could throw a few “I told you so”s at you.

At the exact moment that you knew you screwed up, don’t you tend to overcompensate? Don’t you tend to try to patch things up as quickly as possible?

And while you are fixing the problem if you get a “I don’t know why you just didn’t do what I told you to do before” flung at you, doesn’t it REALLY suck?

When you hear “Why didn’t you do what I told you to do?” don’t you just want to scream “I KNOW! I’M SORRY! I’M FIXING IT! GET OFF MY BACK!”

That’s what the Phillies are doing right now.

They traded for Roy Halladay in the off season. But instead of just trading prospects for Halladay, they decided to replenish their farm system in the process and deal Cliff Lee to get prospects BACK.

And everyone, including yours truly, said “Why didn’t you keep Lee and have the best 1-2 punch in baseball?”

With a shaky bullpen, they could have 2 aces who could throw 9 consistently and give the relievers a rest.

Yet the Phillies tried it out… and Halladay has been solid but Cliff Lee has dominated in both a Mariners and a Rangers uniform. And while the Phillies struggled it was clear they needed a #2 starter.

And oh yeah, the prospects they got for Lee have been stiffs so far.

And even though the Phillies seem to have righted their ship, they went out and traded for Roy Oswalt.

And it cost them prospects (including J. A. Happ) which is what they wanted to save when dealing Cliff Lee.

And Oswalt’s contract is going on for two more years while Cliff Lee’s expires after this year and the Phillies could have let him go and picked up 2 first round picks… which could have helped replenish the farm system.

It’s a solid move for the Phillies, yet virtually everyone is bringing up the Cliff Lee move when talking about the Oswalt trade.

They now have a great 1-2 punch, yet everyone is claiming they told the Phillies so.

The Phillies know!
They are sorry!
They are fixing it!
Get off of their backs!

Did the Astros blow it?

I've been saying the Astros should deal Roy Oswalt since before the 2009 season... and I've been adamant about it.

And I warned them that if they wait too long they could end up like the Orioles with Brian Roberts... where he was the prime trade chip but they never pulled the trigger. And now he is hurt and has no value.

Well look what happened today. He has a ball hit his ankle and shortens his day.

Now it isn't going to bring back memories of Dave Dravecky's arm snapping, but if he comes back in his next start and stinks, then any trade suitor might think he is damaged goods. And with only 2 weeks until the trade deadline, even one bad start could torpedo a trade.

In other words, the Astros, who should have been wheeling and dealing in the spring, could be sitting on a #1 starter trade chip at the deal deadline and won't be able to move him.

Yeah yeah yeah, his contract is big. Something could have been worked out. The Padres got a bunch of solid young players, including Clayton Richard, for Jake Peavy.

Almost every team could use a pitcher like Oswalt... and they may have let this chance to get a building block or two slip away.

To paraphrase Robert DeNiro in CopLand, you had a chance to deal Roy Oswalt AND YOU BLEW IT!

Hey Dodgers... what is wrong with this picture?

On July 21, 2009... less than a year ago, Cliff Lee was a pitcher for the Indians.
He threw a complete game 2-1 victory for the lowly Indians and as the defending Cy Young winner was on the trade block.

And the Dodgers, who made it to the 2008 NLCS, desperately needed an ace pitcher. They had some decent pitching but were also leaning on the Clayton Kershaws and Chad Billingsleys too much. They needed a stud to put them over the top.

He was traded to the Phillies 10 days later... and threw 8 shutout innings in the NLCS against the Dodgers.

He's been traded three times in the past year.

The Dodgers still desperately need a #1 starter.
Cliff Lee would have been PERFECT ace for the Dodgers. They may have won the 2009 NL Pennant and probably would be in first place as I type this instead of being in 4th place, 6 games back of the Padres in the loss column.

And yet with the need for Lee, the minor leaguers to trade, the pitchers park for him to thrive and the big market to resign him.

And how many proposed trades did we hear involving the Dodgers?
That would be ZERO!!!

Hey Frank McCourt... remind us how your divorce isn't affecting how the team is put together again?

Nobody knows who the big trade deadline winner is!

The trade deadline came and went and of course it is always one of the coolest days of the year for a baseball fan.

It's the sports equivalent of Randolph and Mortimer Duke trying to corner the frozen concentrated orange juice. And of course rumors flew, trades were analyzed, and some stunning deals took place.

Some teams decided to go for it, like the Mariners when they acquired Jack Wilson and Ian Snell.

Other teams decided to cash it in, like the Mariners who dealt Jarrod Washburn?

Confused?

So was I when I saw the Rangers had stockpiled prospects and were within striking distance of the AL West and the Wild Card...and stayed pat.

So was I when I saw the Yankees with a glaring need for a starter and a lefty reliever saying "We're fine with Jerry Hairston."

So was I when I saw the White Sox say "We don't care if he is hurt and clearly doesn't want to play for us... we NEED Jake Peavy!"

So was I when I realized the Red Sox felt they didn't have ENOUGH first basemen.

So was I when I saw Riccardi say "Nah... we think it's best to deal Roy Halladay when his value dips!"

But now EVERYONE is writing up their "Winners and losers of the trade deadline" articles. And the funny thing about every one of those write ups is they are all meaningless now.

We don't know!
Sure, it looks like the Phillies are a big winner with Cliff Lee throwing a complete game victory in his first game for the Phils. But what if he slumps? Or what if he doesn't throw well in Philadelphia?

I made fun of the Yankees picking up Jerry Hairston, but what if he gets some big hits down the stretch?

Sometimes what looks like a big time move at the deadline can look downright rotten when the season ends.

Just taking Red Sox deals as an example, in 2007 I celebrated the pick up of Eric Gagne.

There wasn't a lot of reasons to crow after the deadline.

I remember in 2002, Cliff Floyd came over to the Sox in what was supposed to be a tide turner.

And in 2003, when the Red Sox acquired Jeff Suppan and Scott Sauerbeck from the Pirates, it looked like they got the pitching depth they desperately needed.

How did those turn out?

And in 2004, who noticed the Red Sox picked up Dave Roberts? NOBODY! And now he is a beloved Red Sox icon.

We don't know how any of these trades will pan out and we won't for a few years.

When the Tigers traded for Doyle Alexander on August 12, 1987, Detroit was 1 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays.

He went 9-0 for the rest of the season for the Tigers.
Not only did he win all 9 decisions (and the Tigers clinched the division on the final day of the season, so needed every win) but he pitched remarkably in crucial games.

He beat the eventual World Champion Twins twice. He outdueled the eventual Cy Young winner Roger Clemens. He got a no decision pitching into the 11th inning of a 13 inning win against the Blue Jays on September 27th. And finally on October 2nd, he pitched 7 strong against the Blue Jays as the Tigers tied them for the Division Lead... only to clinch 3 days later.

The Tigers got all of that production and did have to sacrifice a single player from their major league roster.

And this writer calls THAT trade one of the worst of all time FOR THE TIGERS.

Of course that's because the minor leaguer the Tigers parted with was John Smoltz.

But the trade won the division... and what else can the GM do besides give the manager the horses he needs to get into October.

Writers should be banned from analyzing this years trade deadline and instead breakdown the deadline from 5 years ago.

I'd do it, but I need to go to bed.
Perhaps tomorrow.

Two bullets dodged and some curious moves

Sorry dear readers. I've been swamped the last few days so I'm a bit behind.

And not exactly an uneventful few days for the Red Sox eh?

When we last left the Red Sox, David Ortiz tested positive to the surprise of nobody and looked like with the Phillies dealing for Cliff Lee that Halladay might be Red Sox bound.

Also the Yankees were surging and the Sox fell to 3 1/2 back... and the A's took a 4-1 lead and looked like they were going to take 3 of 4 in Fenway.

A day and a half later, the Red Sox had two come from behind games, pulled to within 1 1/2 games of the Yankees and decided to acquire every first baseman in the American League.

Seriously, where the hell is Casey Kotchman supposed to play?

Two more months of baseball with a magic number of 60 to clinch a playoff spot.

It's certainly going to be interesting.

Let's update the tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 14

April 17 - 10-8 win against Orioles. (Overcame 7-0 deficit.)

April 24 - 5-4 win against Yankees. (Bay homers off of Rivera in 9th to tie it.)

April 25 - 16-11 win against Yankees. (Overcame 6-0 deficit.)

April 29 - 6-5 win at Cleveland. (Overcame 5-0 deficit.)

May 12 - 4-3 win at Anaheim. (Down 3-1 in the 8th.)
June 11 - 4-3 win against Yankees. (Down 3-1 in the 8th. Rallied against Sabathia.)

June 12 - 5-2 win at Philadelphia. (Overcame Ryan Howard's 9th inning shot to win in 13)

June 21 - 6-5 win against Atlanta. (The wind turns Nick Green's fly ball into a walk off shot)

June 27 - 1-0 win at Atlanta. (Masterson and Papelbon wiggle out of late jams.)
July 1 - 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Sox score 4 in the 9th and Lugo wins in in the 11th)

July 8 - 5-4 win against Oakland. (Wind keeps Hairston's 9th inning go ahead homer in the ballpark)

July 10 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Pedroia drives in the only run with 2 outs in the 8th.)

July 30 - 8-5 win against Oakland. (Ortiz tests postive then hits a 2 out 3 run go ahead homer.)

July 31 - 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Youk's 2 run homer saves Smoltz from another bad start.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 16

April 14 - 6-5 loss at Oakland. (Sox blow early 3-0 lead. Lose in 12)

April 28 - 9-8 loss at Cleveland. (Sox blow early 5-1 lead. Lopez drops 3rd out.)
May 14 - 5-4 loss at Anaheim. (Ortiz goes 0-7 stranding 12 runners.)
May 15 - 5-4 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox blow their second 4-0 lead in three days.)

May 17 - 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)

May 23 - 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)

June 18 - 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)

June 28 - 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)
June 30 - 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)
July 3 - 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)

July 4 - 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)

July 9 - 8-6 loss to the Royals. (Bullpen blows early 4-0 lead.)

July 21 - 4-2 loss at Texas. (Beckett loses a complete game and the Yankees take over first.)

July 22 - 3-1 loss at Texas. (Sox are swept for the first time all season.)

July 28 - 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox blow 3 run lead in 9th. A's rally with 2 outs in 9th and 11th.)

July 29 - 8-6 loss to Oakland. (Down 5-0 in the first, Sox comeback falls short)

Up to -2.

Isn't playing the Orioles such a soothing tonic?