Lost In Translation

Carlos Delgado, during last year's contentious free agent negotiations, called Mets' special assistant Tony Bernazard "the highest-paid translator on the planet".

Well now that the Mets have worked out an agreement to trade for Delgado (pending physicals), maybe Bernazard can translate this one for me.

OK, so you have the Florida Marlins, who can't get a new stadium deal, and can't pay for Delgado's or anybody else's contract for that matter, so they make a decision to unload everybody that's expensive.

Now along come the Mets, who not only give up two highly touted prospects (First baseman Mike Jacobs and pitcher Yusmeiro Petit) for him, but they get the Marlins to fork over $7 million to help pay for the contract.

So let's count the things that make no sense, shall we? The Marlins, who are hemorraging money, and have driven down the price of everybody on their team with their "we're looking at other cities because we have no money" announcement, give up a boat load of cash in order to rid themselves of Delgado's contract. The Mets, who have already been skewered in the past by trading a top flight pitching prospect to get a washed up middle reliever, choose the $7 million dollars over keeping either Jacobs or Petit to get a guy who didn't choose the Mets when he had the chance.

And that's key here...because the Mets have had a history of bringing in players, be it through trade or free agency, that have been horrible fits for New York. Bobby Bonilla was one. Robby Alomar was another. I remember thinking what a great deal the Mets pulled off for Alomar when I heard quotes from him on WFAN. Not once during Alomar's initial comments after becoming a Met included one statement about playing for the Mets, or what he was looking forward to. Every single thing out of Alomar's mouth was about Cleveland...how they lied to him...how he wanted to stay...and so on. That was the first sign that Robby Alomar wasn't going to work. This is going to be key as the first quotes eminates from Delgado's mouth about this whole thing...about last year's negotiations, about everything.

Now it's not all bad. After all, Delgado is the big stick that the Mets lineup so desperately needs. And if Mike Jacobs turns out to be Kevin Maas, and Petit turns out to be Floyd Youmans, then the deal is a steal. Not to mention that the acquisition of Delgado might be the clincher in convincing Billy Wagner that New York is indeed the place to sign. But there is a disastrous scenario. Delgado, in light of his initial trepidation about New York, his anthem flap of a few years ago, combined with the fact that the expectations now will be nothing less than a World Championship make him a higher than normal risk for a mental meltdown. You thought Beltran heard boos when he didn't get off to a hot start? That will seem like yodels in a canyon compare to what Delgado will hear if he starts off hitting .250 with 2 HR's in April. And if you combine a Delgado slow start with production from Jacobs and Petit, not to mention Billy Wagner in Philadelphia, Shea could be one difficult place to play (not to mention a difficult place for Mets fans to watch a game),

And here is the key: if it is a difficult season for Delgado, here is one fact that will loom:

Because he is a veteran player traded during a multiyear contract, Delgado would have the right to file a trade demand during the 15 days following next year's World Series.

Think of the ramifications if Delgado bombs, leaves, and Yusmeiro Petit leads the Las Vegas Marlins to a third World Series title before the Mets win their third.

Then again, perish that thought.