Feature: Off Season Report Card

Over the last 3 years now, we’ve all watched Mets teams that were built to win a World Series, but have so far failed to even make it to the Fall Classic. This year is no different.  In the time he’s been here, Omar Minaya’s brought the Mets back to relevancy, starting with big moves like the acquisition of Pedro Martinez and has since managed to make the big moves the team needed to address its biggest problems.  Now it’s about time to grade this past off season.  Sure, it’ll be a fairly arbitrary system, but that’s what makes it fun.

If I would’ve written this about 3 weeks ago, I might’ve been harsher, but I’m starting to come around on the team the way it’s constructed.  If you ask me, there just has to be an effect on the funding of the team by the whole Madoff disaster, so my stance on spending money, for this season, is a little softer than it would normally be when considering the high-profile free agents that were floating out there.

Lineup

Guys like Bobby Abreu and Raul Ibanez were available with some guy named Manny Ramirez somehow STILL out there, and the Mets seemed interested in none of them.  The pattern so far has been that some good players are going for rock bottom prices, so it boggles the mind that the team hasn’t done anything to improve a position out of  which they only got 10 homers last season while frankly, right field remains a question as well.  Also consider that catcher and second base are huge question marks and you have to have major concerns over the lineup.  The bottom 3 can become a significant problem before too long.

Grade: C+

Bullpen

Last year, the Mets’ bullpen ERA was 4.27.  The Phillies’?  3.22.  So it’s obvious that Omar had to do what he could to improve the Mets’ relief situation.  And improve he did.  Getting Francisco Rodriguez, who set the single season saves record last year, and JJ Putz, who’s only a year removed from a 40 save season.  Add Sean Green to the equation, and more importantly subtract Scott Schoeneweis and Aaron Heilman, and you have to believe that the bullpen is going to be more than solid.  The only real knock that I have is that there isn’t a left-handed presence past Pedro Feliciano at the moment.

Grade: A

Rotation

The rotation on opening day will likely look like this:

1) Johan Santana

2) Mike Pelfrey

3) Oliver Perez

4) John Maine

5) Freddy Garcia/Tim Redding/Jon Neise

That looks great to me.  I can’t really see how the Mets can suffer from any sort of extended losing streak when you have a guy like Maine in the 4 spot.  At the same time, there will of course be issues.  Will Big Pelf (aka Golf Speed Racer) take a step forward, or two steps back?  Will John Maine be healthy?  Will Ollie return to 2007 form or will we see the “bad” Ollie again and again?  Personally, I would’ve liked Derek Lowe instead of Perez in the rotation, but Ollie seemed to respond to pitching coach Dan Warthen so perhaps more time under his tutelage will do him good.  A cast of thousands is competing for that 5th spot, including Livan Herdandez, which to me is a great thing because the Mets will have depth should a starter falter during the season.  I personally believe that Omar couldn’t have done much more to significantly improve the rotation, and what’s there isn’t half bad at all.

Grade: B+

Bench

Last year, the bench had no power threat.  This year, the bench has no power threat.  Of the guys returning to the team, Angel Pagan showed some promise, but with such a short stint before the shoulder injury, he remains a question mark, and that’s if he even makes the team. Marlon Anderson is still somehow on the team, and was a complete ghost last year.  There really is nowhere to go but up for him, but how high could he possibly go?  Alex Cora provides a little bit of depth to the infield, should Luis Castillo prove just about every Met fan right, and Jeremy Reed and Cory Sullivan aren’t much more than bit players.  Can  Nick Evans step up a bit and show that he’s ready for the major leagues?  He did a fine job last year and I expect him to improve on that this year, should he be a part of the team.

Grade: B-

A lot of people argue that the Mets haven’t improved themselves since last year, but I beg to differ.  The chief reason the Mets didn’t win the division last year was the inordinate amount of blown saves, and with the bullpen the way it’s constructed right now, I find it hard to believe that it will be a problem again this season.  That said, the lineup was not improved, and the bench will likely provide the same production as it did last year.  The Phillies haven’t done much to improve themselves either, and the Mets have beaten them in the season series in 2008.  It’s going to be a fun, albeit stressful NL East race this year, as the Braves are also going to want to be a part of the dance.  Prepare for a 3-way dogfight all year, with the Marlins doing what they can to throw yet another wrench into the whole thing.  In the end, it’s about one thing, and that’s the World Series.  But first, the National League East.

The New York Mets’ 2008-09 Off Season: B+

So now I pass it off to you guys.  How would you grade the Mets off season?  Sound off in the comment section below.