(Over the next 30 days, BERNing on Sports will be previewing every team in the Majors, yes, even the Royals. Only one a day, every day, so try not to get too hooked)
Keeping It Real
It took them a while, but finally the Mets did what everyone wanted them to do for the past few seasons: shore up their bullpen. Last season alone, the Mets bullpen blew 29 games. For those of you keeping track at home, they missed the playoffs last year by 3 games and two years ago by a single game, each collapse both pathetic and memorable (if even historic) in its Septemberish way. So, finally, the Mets stopped relying on Aaron Heilman (who they finally traded and I believe has since been traded 35 other times---have fun Cubs fans) and got lucky that Billy Wagner got hurt. Yes, I said it. Wagner, for as great as he was, loved blowing games and with him still in the picture you couldn't realistically spend big time dough on a Frankie Rodriguez. So, now you have K-Rod and J.J. Putz, which is real nice, but did you do enough to keep tabs with the Phillies? Read on...
So Yeah, About That Bullpen...
Unless you lived in the area, you really don't have a sense for how bad this group's been over the past two seasons. Leads going into the 8th were about as solid of a lock as the Nationals beating the Globetrotters. Whether it was Luis Ayala, or Heilman, or the recently departed Duaner Sanchez or Wagner. Either way, who ever was trotting out there was cause for heart attack. And so, it goes without much analytical saying that getting Putz was nearly as (if not as) important as getting Rodriguez. One of them will get hurt or need some time off, that's nearly a guarantee. Having two guys in your pen that throw gasoline and have seasons worth of closing experience (and we're not talking Mike Macdougal here) should be enough.
The Year of The Comeback
What Fernando Tatis did defies logic. Carlos Delgado's little run you could call a career resurgence. He'd at least done what he did (put up nice power numbers, not so hot average, in bunches) in recent memory (2006). Tatis, he just...wow. Think about it. After not playing in 2004, 2005, and 2007, Tatis came back in 2008 to put up his best season since 1999. No joke. And while both of these stories are nice and cozy, they (like that Rays bullpen) aren't likely to repeat themselves. Players of Tatis' caliber and Delgado's age don't often see spikes in their performance at these points in their career. Tatis may not play as much if Daniel Murphy can push him out, but again Murphy's only a young kid and what exactly you'll get out of him is really unknown. Throw in that Ryan Church seems like he's had as many career concussions as Eric Lindros in right field and you've got the makings of a very questionable lineup.
And Ode To How Bad Luis Castillo Is
We all know how much of a waste he's been, how terrible the 4 yr/40 mil contract was, so no need rehashing that. But, all I'll do is (attempt to) quote WFAN's Evan Roberts who was at the very first Mets spring game this year.
"[Castillo] lead off today and struck out looking on three pitches. Didn't get the bat off his shoulder, just watched three straight. Then, next at-bat he wound up making an out, but looked at the first two strikes in that at bat too. Took the first five pitches for strikes. I feel like he's in June form, already."
Vying For The Right To Throw Batting Practice
The clowns that the Metropolitans have in camp for their 5th starter spot are laughable. Freddy Garcia, bless his heart, doesn't have it any more. That shoulder's shot. I've watched him this spring and his ball is as flat as a 5th grader, and doesn't get much higher than the 80s.
Tim Redding has never been any good, and yesterday he got absolutely trashed. Not that spring stats mean much, but no one wants to give up 14 runs and 5 homers in their first 2.1 innings. And, the last vet in the mix is the incomparable Livan Hernandez. I say this because I can't figure how he's A) stayed in the league so long, B) not gotten killed by a line drive back up the box, and C) racked up so many wins along the way. He's pitched at least 200 innings nearly every year since 1998 (on year he actually threw 199.2, and last year he only got up to around 180), so durability's not a question. But, it just seems to me like if anyone should be campaigning for him to make the club, it's David Wright, so he can throw to him in the Home Run Derby. I could go on for ever about how amazed I am by how hittable Hernandez is, but I'll spare you.
Bold Predictions
The Mets will finally hold on this September and win the division, for a few reasons. One, the Phillies didn't make themselves much better. Two, you know Brad Lidge isn't going to go another full season without blowing a game. And three, despite expected failures from the Mets lineup, that staff/pen should be good enough.
There will be only three players worth having on any fantasy teams in the Mets lineup (they play center, short and third). Maybe not that bold, but I'm also going to say the rest of the positions on the field will fail to produce anything more than boos or laughter.
Up Next...Saturday, Tigers
No comments:
Post a Comment