If I were GM...

[ljshorty89]

I know it's something we say all the time, but I've come up with a plan to help the Mets.....suck less. I've come to believe that the team is just always going to fail to meet my expectations, but I think that these moves can help.

I understand that the moves I have listed may be somewhat unlikely.....I don't think that all of them are perfect, so feel free to criticize the fact that some of my trades may require the Mets to give more....this is just a spur of the moment thought process while at work today.

The one major thing is that I'm assuming money is no object. Because Putz, Wagner, and Delgado's salaries are all off the books after this year, and because I know that the Wilpons can spend money if completely necessary, I'm making these moves based on the assumption that there is no limit to the payroll.

Also, everyone to be acquired is either a free agent, a free agent after this year(in which case acquire them after this season), or a player who I've read articles stating their availability. According to a recent article, Alex Rios and/or Vernon Wells are available cheap for anyone willing to take on their contract. So, that's where I got the Rios idea from.

Anyway, here it is:

-Sign Ben Sheets when he’s healthy, and if necessary move Perez or Redding to the bullpen, because Sheets is better than them.
-Sign Damian Easley and have him replace Argenis Reyes on the roster as a backup IF and a veteran leader.
-Trade Schneider(expiring contract) and Parnell(plus cash, or a middling prospect if necessary) to the Jays for Alex Rios.
-Trade Niese, Murph or Evans, and a middling prospect for either Huff, Johnson, or Dunn(My order of preference is Dunn, Huff, Johnson).
-Sign Harden and either Bay/Holliday/Manny/Carl Crawford as a FA after this season.

Reyes, Beltran, Wright, Dunn, Bay/Holliday/Manny, Rios, Castillo, Schneider would be a decent lineup…

A rotation of Johan, Sheets, Harden, Pelf, Maine would be very solid.


So let me know, how insane am I? I mean, the team I created would be good, but like I said, I know most of it may or may not happen. On a scale of 1 to 10, how reasonable (or not) would you say these moves are?

[Kingdom]

Jays won't sell Rios that cheap. But.. Harden, really? You want him? Has the season of the injury gotten you dissensitized to frequent flyers of the DL?

[ljshorty89]

First off, I'm impressed with myself that you accepted everything else as within the realm of possibility.

Second off, I'm just going based on reports from Toronto newspapers that say that because Rios is locked in for 5 years, 45+ million, and because they want to give away ANYTHING in order to keep Halladay, that Rios will take very little. The article I read (which I will link to below) actually stated that the writer believes the Jays would give him away for nothing but salary relief.

Finally, yes, Harden is injury prone, but having him and Sheets only need to split the season as a #2 starter, Pelfrey, Maine, and Livan would have to be a 3, 4, 5 that they were meant to be solidifying our rotation greatly.

[Kingdom]

I don't think adding Sheets is a bad thing. Or Easley. I'm convinced that there's gotta be several decent veteran options than some of the guys the mets and other teams trot out while their stars are hurt or they never had anything to begin with. Sheets is great if he stays healthy, which is never, but I think he's worth having around on any team.

I think you can do better than Harden. You need a 200 inning quality guy, but not at the cost the braves paid for a Derek Lowe. It's shocking to me that Javier Vazquez has been a better investment than Lowe, but Vaz is a 200 inning guy with a decent ERA.

I think the Dunn suitors will be out of the closet if they're not already, he's done really well for the natinals and his experience on the USA team and his thoughts he shared on it really changed my opinion of the man and he's someone I'd even want.

[ljshorty89]

I don't think adding Sheets is a bad thing. Or Easley. I'm convinced that there's gotta be several decent veteran options than some of the guys the mets and other teams trot out while their stars are hurt or they never had anything to begin with. Sheets is great if he stays healthy, which is never, but I think he's worth having around on any team.

I think you can do better than Harden. You need a 200 inning quality guy, but not at the cost the braves paid for a Derek Lowe. It's shocking to me that Javier Vazquez has been a better investment than Lowe, but Vaz is a 200 inning guy with a decent ERA.

I think the Dunn suitors will be out of the closet if they're not already, he's done really well for the natinals and his experience on the USA team and his thoughts he shared on it really changed my opinion of the man and he's someone I'd even want.

Agreed completely. I don't think Harden is the ultimate option, but out of the free agents next season, he's the only one I'm convinced is capable of being effective(assuming healthy). So, I went with him. Either way, I truly believe that these moves would at least solidify the Mets, and at least make them less tough to watch.

[ljshorty89]

I've changed my mind. If I were the GM of the Mets, I would pull a Warden Norton from Shawshank, gun in the mouth and pull the trigger. There's just no way to fix this mess.

[Kingdom]

Depends on how bad you want to make the playoffs. You have prospects you can deal to patch up things, but most of the options seem like rentals- although it's not out of the question the mets can resign a guy like Holliday. But is Holliday an answer? They need confidence, especially when it comes to fielding. And they're probably going to need arms if Santana is in a funk and there's no way Livan lasts the season. Plus you cannot depend on Redding, Nieve, and Perez when he gets back.

DeRosa would have been huge, just for his great character alone. But it's understandable that the mets didn't want to top the cardinals offer.

[ljshorty89]

Depends on how bad you want to make the playoffs. You have prospects you can deal to patch up things, but most of the options seem like rentals- although it's not out of the question the mets can resign a guy like Holliday. But is Holliday an answer? They need confidence, especially when it comes to fielding. And they're probably going to need arms if Santana is in a funk and there's no way Livan lasts the season. Plus you cannot depend on Redding, Nieve, and Perez when he gets back.

DeRosa would have been huge, just for his great character alone. But it's understandable that the mets didn't want to top the cardinals offer.

At this point, the Mets aren't making the playoffs. No matter what. I will be FURIOUS if the Mets deal serious prospects for anything other than a YOUNG STAR UNDER CONTRACT BEYOND THIS YEAR. Build a team for the next 5 years, because this year might as well be over.

[browntown653]

I can't wait until the Mets get their injured players back, the Mets make a second half run, and you get all giddy about this team's chances, even though you've completely given up on them thanks to 5 games against 2 good teams.

[cjkalt]

This isn't just LJ, my mets friend from school called them a lost cause

[ljshorty89]

I can't wait until the Mets get their injured players back, the Mets make a second half run, and you get all giddy about this team's chances, even though you've completely given up on them thanks to 5 games against 2 good teams.

I will be the first to admit that if this team manages to make a run, I will be giddy and everything. As wrong as that may be.

But let's be real. Beltran and Reyes may or may not be back after the all star break. Delgado will not come back and be productive, he's having the same surgery as A-Rod, and the younger A-Rod is struggling with it. Maine has had a dead arm for like 3-4 weeks now, and shows no sign of improvement. Putz won't be back till late August or September. And Oliver Perez.....he's not what is going to help this team.

I sincerely hope this team can get healthy and make a run....but I certainly don't expect it.

[henks]

If I was GM of the Mets, I'd quit my job and pretend to be the world's greatest color commentator on ESPN.

[ljshorty89]

If I was GM of the Mets, I'd quit my job and pretend to be the world's greatest color commentator on ESPN.

...The problem is Henks, you're not the dumbest human being in the history of the world. Steve Phillips is AWFUL at everything he does.

[henks]

...The problem is Henks, you're not the dumbest human being in the history of the world. Steve Phillips is AWFUL at everything he does.

Thanks LJ!

[ljshorty89]

Thanks LJ!

Haha. I know it's a backhanded compliment and all, but I would rather you have been the GM of the Mets instead of Phillips. I mean, really. Would you have traded Jason Bay for Steve ****ING Reed and Jason ****ING Middlebrook?!?!?!?!?!?!?