There is a rumor the Mets just traded for Scott Linebrink, but it's unconfirmed.

Mets swap O.Perez for Linebrink.

Good move getting rid of Perez.

Man, I'm really bumbed out over this shit. What the hell are they going to do now rotation wise come playoff time? Glavine scares me as the next best thing next to Pedro.

If the rotation stays like this, the Mets have some very serious issues for the playoffs.


Don Cardi

WFAN is reporting it isn't true. ESPN News says it's done.

I agree, the Mets are in trouble when the playoffs come around.

Omar Minaya reports Linebrink is not a Met right now.

I can't believe that it takes someone as good as Nady to pick up a guy to pitch the 8th inning.

They have a huge lead and 8 weeks left to develop someone from within for the role, or make a waiver pickup or something in the next four weeks.

The Nady trade seems like a panic move to me in which they gave up too much to fill a need.

I'm not even sure that hernandez can even do the job.

I agree with DC, too.

They desperately need another reliable starter.

Glavine has been terrible his last 8-10 starts.

I liked Nady, but he really wasn't that good. He's a below average fielder, and doesn't hit in the clutch. He started out
strong, but that has been the story of his entire career. If the can ever get Perez back to where he was when he first came up, it will be a great trade for Mets. My only question now is, what do they do next year? Floyd is a free agent and it was assumed he wouldn't be re-signed. Do they sign him now, and play Mileage in RF permantly?

I say let's worry about this year first.

To make a decision about Floyd let's see what he does for the rest of this year and into the playoffs, then take it from there.

If the Mets are realy serious about going to the big show, then they MUST somehow bolster up their pitching staff. They may be able to get through the NL playoffs with the staff that they have now because in truth the NL is not that great. But once you get into the WS and possibly have to face teams like Boston, Yankees, Detroit, etc. this current Mets pitching staff, as it is right now, in my opinion is not strong enough to beat one of those AL teams.
Offensively I will put the Mets up against ANY team in baseball. But we all know that it's good pitching that wins in a playoff series.

One month ago the big ? on this staff was a number 3 starter for the playoffs. Well in truth, now it looks as though their big problem is both a number 2 and a number 3 starter for the playoffs.

Again, I just don't have enough confidence in Glavine to be the man in a game 2.


Don Cardi

if the Mets really pull off the Linebrink trade, then it's a great deal. he had a couple of terrible outings last week but he'll be a remarkable addition to the bullpen anyway. and bullpen is the most important thing for a baseball team, regular season wise. Linebrink is still better than Sanchez, and when Sanchez comeback, the Mets will have one of the best bullpens in the MLB.

now, Hernandez is as much of a doubt as all the other relievers they already had. Oliver Perez was a smart addition because the Mets need any help they can get at SP.

Coming off Pedro's stint on the DL, I wouldn't be 100% confident that I'll have a #1 starter also.
Yeah, but that's not why they made the trade. If Perez can regain his form, that'll strictly be a bonus (Maybe Rick Peterson is gonna do one of his "10-minute jobs" on perez.)

If they don't win this year because Hernanadez doesn't do the job, this will be horrible deal no matter what Perez and Nady do for the rest of their careers.

And if Hernandez does do the job and the Mets win and he is an integral part of the team, this deal will be considered successful even if Nady becomes a star.

I just don't think the role should be that difficult to fill with some of the relatively free talent out there.

Or, Heilman can't pitch the 8th and some combo of Feliciano, Bell, and Bradford the 7th? That's exactly what I mean.

Hernandez pitched the 7th yesterday, and heilman got racked up in the 8th.

So they gave up Nady for a guy to pitch the 7th inning?

Sorry, but I can't see it.

Like TM and I both said....Is Hernandez any better than what they had already or what was available for a lot less that they had to trade Nady?

Remember, Hernandez was here last year, and the Mets presumably opted not to re-sign him, figuring that what they had - Bell, Feliciano, Bradford, etc. - was better.

Don't misunderstand me, here...I'm not suggesting that Nady is the second coming of Babe Ruth or anything, but he seems a lot more valuable to me than a guy like Hernandez, considering the role that they seem to plan to use him in.

The Mets kinda tried to re-sign him. They only offered him a one year deal, and the Pirates offered him more money and 2 years. When the Pirates are offering you more money, then I guess you're right. They didn't really want him.

Unless Hernandez pitches like shit the next couple of weeks, he will be the setup man come September. Heilman just plain sucks.

Meanwhile, I think that starting pitching is the bigger issue right now.

There's Pedro, and then there's um, then there's, uh, er....

Who's after Pedro? (Assuming he's healthy in the first place.)

Glavine looks like he's shot and Trachsel's a "never was", AFAIC.

So that leaves who? Hernandez? Maine? Pelfrey?

I don't see how the Mets can win a playoff series unless they score about 7 runs a game.

Not that they can't, but if that's the game plan I don't like it.

Its probably going to be a quick hook on whomever starts, and then rely on the bullpen to keep the game close.

There's a plan..... :rolleyes:

Darren Oliver to the rescue!

Based on Glavine's recent performance, has there ever been a team with starting pitching as weak as this who did anything in the playoffs, much less even made the playoffs?

It's funny that we can even discuss this when he's now 12-4, and tied for league lead in wins.

His run support has been great, but his personal stats have been shit.

I'll look up some numbers....

Glavine's high point was on May 4th, when the Mets were 5-2 in games that he started, and he had a 1.94 E.R.A. in 46 IPs.

Glavine was pitching great, and the Mets weren't scoring all that many runs behind him - only 2.86 per game.

But since May 4th, Glavine has started 17 times, with an E.R.A. of 4.89, and if you graphed his performance this season, he's basically been getting worse as the season has prgressed - it's not like he had one bad stretch which caused his numbers to baloon.

In any case, in those 17 starts the Mets are 14-3 behind him, mostly because they've scored 109 runs, or 6.4 per game.

exactly. in fact, he had one great stretch which caused his numbers to inflate.

Holy Shit. This guy Maine is turning into the ace of the staff.

Where the hell did Michael Tucker and Ricky Ledee come from?

The Mets purchased the contract of Michael Tucker from the international league. I believe that Ledee came from the Dodgers through waivers.


Don Cardi

I thought I was looking at the wrong box score yesterday.

From the Salary Cap Game thread, but this really belongs here as well....

Personally, I don't care how much money they offer Zito or spend on him as a free agent; after all, the Mets are not my father's business, and I'm not all that concerned with their profitability.

In terms of giving up prospects, it gets a little bit trickier.

The Mets are headed for the playoffs -- do they have even one reliable starter at this point?

All the talk about Lastings Milledge -- Have any of us really seen enough of the guy or are any of us really astute enough to judge whether or not he's a "can't miss" player?

When we start talking about guys like him, I'm always reminded of Alex Ochoa and, more recently, Alex Escobar - two more guys who "couldn't miss" being stars. :rolleyes:

The Mets have a chance to win it all this season.

Next year, Pedro, Glavine and Delgado will all be a year older, so who knows?

Zito isn't Roger Clemens or Johann Santana or Roy Halladay or Chris Carpenter or any of the "elite" starting pitchers in baseball, but the Mets have some big question marks with their pitching, Zito is certainly in the Top 20 or 25, and he could be what the Mets need to win a World Series (or at least an NL Pennant) this year.

On that basis, if I were a Mets fan, I'd trade for a guy like him if I could, and if I had to give up a top prospect I would, even if Zito were only a "rent-a-player" for the rest of this year.

Yeeeeeeeeeeesssssss!!!!!!!!!!!

John Maine!

Carlos Delgado!

Let's go Mets!


Don Cardi

The Dodgers really ran themselves into a loss in the 2nd inning.

JD Drew can't fail enough for me.

I remember how he sat out and whined for a year instead of signing with the Phillies for what would have been a record breaking amount of money paid to a rookie.

Since then, he's bounced among 3 teams and hasn't exactly lit the league on fire. Watching that pompous ass run himself into an out seconds after the previous runner was tagged out by a mile made my day.

yeah that double play at home was nice to watch. Lo Duca will be remembered for a long time, but it was basically a nut-head decision from J.D. Drew (or from the 3rd base coach)

what I can not understand is why Brad Penny was called to pitch in the 7th inning. it's funny to see that, year in and year out, managers try to do a surprising move in the post season, but it just keeps NOT working out. at all.

anyway, the Mets don't have the pitching to go anywhere in this postseason.

What were the Dodgers doing? JD Drew ran right through the 3rd base coach's stop sign and Kent totally misjudged the hit thinking he would have to tag up at 2nd. Both were such fundamental errors that it make one scratch his/her head.

I have never seen such a bizarre play and dumb mistake.