Mets "not interested" in Manny?

I'm just going to tell myself that this is just a well-wishing New York press corps helping Omar and company maintain negotiating leverage over the Red Sox, because the alternative explanation is that my beloved team is being run by a bunch of clowns.

Newsday reported yesterday that "Team officials don't see Ramirez as a fit because of his behavioral issues."

Now this kind of thing is common enough in all professional sports that I should be able to read that sentence and not freak out, but I can't. Behavioral issues? You mean behaviors like hitting for power and average? No, they're referring to Manny's lack of hustle (home to first in about an hour) and antics (like this).

To that I say: "Give me all the laziness and clubhouse distractions a .300/.400/.540 hitter could possibly bring to Shea's left field."

A friend emailed today that he heard a Beltran for Manny and Ellsbury deal. That sounds a little too good to be true, but it's something to wish for. There's no way Omar really doesn't want Manny Ramirez. He's not my favorite GM but he's better than that.

Update:
To elaborate a bit on the scenario involving a trade of Beltran: it's not that I think Manny would be that much of an upgrade on Beltran, all things (especially speed and defense) considered, but I'm a Jacoby Ellsbury fan. Through May this year his OPS was over .800, and sure, it's gone south quickly, but he's still 24.

Fred Wilpon: "I screwed up"

Uh, yeah. But he doesn't actually apologize for firing Willie at 3:18 am after the first game of a west coast trip (a win). He just "said he should have anticipated how the timing would go over with the media." What a schmuck. I didn't even like Willie Randolph, but having an owner and "CEO" this inept can't be good for the franchise.

In the notes section of that Courant piece is a rumor that the Mets have asked the Rockies about Brian Fuentes and the asking price is Jon Niese. Omar is apparently balking but as I've said before I don't consider Niese a real blue chip prospect, and after watching Tuesday night's debacle a consistent, high K:BB reliever would really hit the spot. If he's going to gear up for a playoff run, I think it makes sense. Of course I'm not sure how good a bet the Mets are to make the playoffs, but they are tied for the division lead!

Jon Niese's availability for trade

I haven't been a close follower of Jon Niese's career, but I did read a little bit about him going into this year, after he threw some nice innings in spring training. Baseball Prospectus, in the print version I believe, called him the Mets' best lefty pitching prospect, but added in characteristically smarmy fashion that it said more about the Mets farm system than Niese.

Ed at Mets Fever sees that his most recent outing (a 7 inning shutout) was well attended by scouts, raising the possibility of his inclusion in a trade. But Ed is wary about giving away a pitcher who may be ready for the rotation next year, given the thinness of our pitching staff:

While Bay, Nady, or Holliday would be great, we could have three rotation holes to fill and only one starting pitching prospect almost ready for the majors. Any top level player will cost left handed starter Jon Niese who could be in the rotation next year if he isn't traded.

I'm not even sure how great Bay or especially Nady would be, but Holliday is the kind of guy you don't sweat some B-level prospect over. I hadn't even been aware of the rumor, so I looked it up and, per Dom D, Jerry Manuel expressed an interest in having him (duh) about a week ago, but today Joel Sherman comes along and dashes my hopes. Apparently the Rockies are aware of how good Holliday is and want more than the Mets would be able to part with.

But in general, as much as I love young homegrown talent, I'm not at all convinced Niese is good enough to be considered untouchable. He's 21, and he's been pretty good at Double-A (110.2 IP, 5 HR, 40 BB, 97 K, 3.05 ERA), which is nice, so don't flip him for Xavier Nady. But if he's the lynchpin of a deal for a Matt Holliday-type corner outfielder, Omar needs to do the damn thing.

"Mets New Leaders in Santana Sweepstakes?"

That's the Yahoo headline I've been waiting all winter to see pop up in my RSS reader.

Instead I've been getting steady doses of Angel Pagan news and the thrilling drama of the Torrealba-Schneider musical chairs at catcher (the result of a Lastings Milledge deal which made them look stupid for not dealing him when he was still a glamor prospect).

Our pitching staff as currently constituted is an utter shambles. I'm on record saying that if we don't get Santana or at least two other decent arms, we will struggle to stay above .500 next year. But mostly what we need to do is get Santana. At any cost. This story reports that Omar was reluctant to trade Gomez and Martinez in the same deal. My response to that is "Tough shit." Pedro, El Duque and John Maine just cannot be counted on to hold down the fort.

Just give them what they want.

10 Ks for Chien Ming Wang

That's really not his usual game. The guy's been awesome, and a very good #2 starter behind Andy Pettite, but but he's been doing it without missing a lot of bats (to say the least), relying instead on the heavy sinker and pitching to contact. Tonight every Mets starter except Lo Duca struck out at least once, and he only had one AB before leaving with a bruised left elbow.

El Duque did not look good. Not that Alex Rodriguez really seems to care what the opposing pitcher throws these days, but a slow fastball on the inside corner is guaranteed pain.

The high point of the broadcast was the trade speculation, which I hadn't been paying much attention to. Apparently Omar is in talks with the White Sox about Mark Buehrle, and Houston about Brad Lidge.

I would make Buehrle the top priority of the two. The Tom Glavine career death watch is back in full effect after is last two drubbings, and even though Hernandez, Maine and Sosa(!) have been solid there's no need to bank on their remaining so. And aside from a disastrous 2006 (36 HR allowed) Buehrle has been damn good, like a more durable if slightly less effective Chien Ming Wang.

Brad Lidge would also be handy, and given the way the Astros pulled his closer card in mid-April it's possible he's underappreciated in Houston. Lidge had to whittle his ERA down to 2.35, and get some help from Dan Wheeler to get the job back, and of course what does he do but cough up a one run lead in his first opportunity. So he's still technically save-less, which is unusual for a closer at this point in the season.

BUT, he's also struck out 44 in 34.2 innings with a 2.44 ERA. So I predict that if the Mets get him and have him pitch the 8th in front of Wagner like old times, he will get effusive praise for pitching the exact same way he had been in Houston, just because he will no longer be measured by the most ridiculous statistic in baseball.

Whomever the Mets deal for, the idea is that the consideration will include Milledge, Gomez, and/or Fernando Martinez. I'd be fine with that. That's what those guys are there for, at least while the Mets are a legitimate championship contender, which they are... even though they just got dominated by Chien Ming Wang.