16
That’s how many homeruns the Mets have from their left fielders, right fielders and first basemen combined.
17
That’s how many homeruns Adam Dunn has for the Washington Nationals.
Two and a half months into the season, and I am ready to declare the 2009 offseason a bust. I will elevate that to the status of “epic fail” if the Mets fail to make the postseason.
Sure, they addressed the bullpen. But any 12 year old playing fantasy baseball could have figured out that the Mets bullpen needed fixing. It would take at least a 15 year old playing fantasy baseball plus to realize that Daniel Murphy might not be that good, Ryan Church probably won’t suddenly start hitting lefties and the 37 year old Carlos Delgado definitely won’t hit 38 homeruns again.
Any lineup with Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado should automatically be one of the strongest in baseball. But a weak supporting cast and limited backup plans left the Mets with limited leeway in terms of injuries.
Unfortunately, the front office did nothing to address these issues, despite a handful of attractive options at reasonable prices. They did not plan for anything to go wrong, and that is why the Mets are in the situation they are now in (Gary Sheffield was a great signing, but it is becoming clear that he will not be able to play the field every day).
If the Mets had signed/ traded for one of these six players, I believe that they would currently be in first place in the NL East (or at least in the Wild Card).
Adam Dunn- Dunn can play both corner outfield spots and first base, although he is a butcher in the field. The Nationals signed him at the bargain-bin price of $20 million over two years, and he has produced with 17 homeruns and a .918 OPS. Dunn would be the perfect #5 hitter for the Mets, and he could take over at first base next year should the Mets not bring Delgado back. The only only possible explanation for not signing Dunn is that it made too much sense.
Pat Burrell- The poor man’s Adam Dunn, the right-handed Pat The Bat also would have made a great #5 hitter. He has gotten off to a rough start so far, battling injuries for much of the season. But he usually hits 30 homeruns and gets on base at a great rate. Mets fans would have felt conflicted to see him in Orange and Blue, but at two years, $16 million, it would have been a financially smart investment.
Nick Swisher- The former first round pick is hitting only .244, but he walks and hits for power. He can play both corner outfield spots, as well as first base. Swisher sure would be an upgrade over the anemic platoon the Mets are now employing at first base. He may not be an all star, and he is probably the worst option on this list, but he only cost the Yankees a bag of balls (Wilson Betemit, who has since been designated for assignment by the White Sox).
Bobby Abreu- The ex-Yankee has only 3 homeruns, but he has a .304 batting average, a .398 OBP and 15 stolen bases in 16 attempts. He hasn’t hit less than 15 homeruns in his career, so the power should come. His speed and patience would fit in perfectly as the Mets’ #2 hitter.
Raul Ibanez- I’m willing to give the Mets a pass for not signing Ibanez. At 37 years old, it only makes sense that he would be on the downside of his career, and the Mets have been burned in the past by signing older players. I also cannot blame them for not topping the Phillies’ offer of three years, $30 million. Most people thought the Phillies gave too many years to a player that would be 40 by the end of the contract, and that they should have waited for the market to set itself. Of course, that was before everyone found out that Raul Ibanez is actually a better version of Ted Williams.
Manny Ramirez- In retrospect, I’m glad the Mets did not sign Manny, for obvious reasons. But I don’t believe that the Mets knew anything about his steroid abuse. Their decision to pass on Manny was strictly based on payroll and/or the belief that Daniel Murphy could contribute this season. Either way, the team decided to stand pat with a glaring hole in their lineup and one of the biggest impact bats on the market.
Pete Lappin (3)
