Chapter 90.5: Turning on the Hot Stove

Ok, I have about three minutes to squeeze in a blog post (which is often the case, and a big reason why there are few posts here lately.) Anyway, I was just chatting with a work friend, who like me is a baseball fanatic.

He asked where I thought Luis Pujols would end up. I told him I expected that he'd remain in St. Louis, but I could also see him heading out to Anaheim, despite their young first baseman Mark Trumbo. "What St. Louis needs to ask itself," I said, "is whether signing a 31-year-old Pujols, who may be on the downward side of his career, or Jose Reyes, who is 28 but prone to injury." I don't think they have the capacity to sign both to the contracts they will command on the open market. Basically, do you sign a top-notch shortstop, a position very hard to fill with quality, or a Hall of Fame first baseman, a position that is easier to fill.

My friend talked about how Pujols might be willing to offer a "home-town discount." Of course, for a guy who's already earning upward of $20 million a year, a hometown discount is still more than $20 million a year! And I don't think Reyes could command that.

For the record, I don't think my Mets will resign Reyes. I also don't know that he's definitely staying in the National League. But his market will not be as large as some people seem to think. The teams that might be able to sign him mostly have a solid shortstop in place or are unlikely to be attractive to Reyes, who I woudl expect wants to go to a perennial contender.

What do you think?

Chapter 84.5: Hot Stove on Low

Anyone who knows me fairly well is aware that I'm a Mets fan. And if they've spoken to me in the past several months about baseball, they know I have very little hope for the Mets this year. I haven't been optimistic about the 2010 season since midway through 2009 — if then. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that I lost hope for the 2010 season somewhere around July or August.

But I'd been starting to feel slightly better after the Jason Bay signing. Bay is a good hitter, has some pop, and will fill a nice role in the lineup, but I figured he'd be a way of offering protection to David Wright or Carlos Beltran in the lineup.

Then Beltran went down, and the same feelings of hopelessness arose like a AAA outfielder when a star goes on the disabled list. I could opine on the Mets doctors and who I believe said what, when, and blah blah blahdy blah. But I also recognize that there's been little to no word about what we can expect from Jose Reyes. What it comes down to is that the offense is still in bad shape, and the more important element — pitching — is as full of question marks as a three-year-old.

So, what do I think will happen? I think Omar Minaya will be sipping margaritas by Memorial Day, paying for them easily with the contract extension he received before the 2009 season. Probably Jerry Manuel will close behind him, if Omar doesn't ax him prior to his own departure. The Mets are a mess right now. And as lovely as Citi Field is, I don't know that I want to spend any major league money on a seat for a game filled with minor leaguers. Call me crazy.

Chapter 70.15: Food for Thought

The Winter Meetings are upon us, and Omar has begun with an incomprehensible move. Lastings Milledge to the Nationals for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider. I don't mind the departure of Milledge, but wasn't Billy Beane supposedly interested in him? Does this mean that Beane's holding onto Dan Haren and Joe Blanton?

Last I heard of Ryan Church, he was Frank Robinson's whipping boy. And while Schneider's a good catcher, I'm not sure he's going to stay long; with Johnny Estrada and the re-signed Ramon Castro already in the fray, I can't help but think that one of the two newcomers is about to be shuffled off. I'd keep Schneider, unless he can bring back a starting pitcher.

God, this off-season is almost as frustrating as last September was!