Thursday, July 31, 2008

Fishy Business

It hasn't been a great night all around for the Mets, who lost to the Fish on Wednesday, dropped to series, and dropped to second place in the division. Tomorrow, an off day, has the potential to be a whole lot worse.

Look, I'm into free thinking, and I'm not into telling you how to think. I'm not Big Brother. But I'm here to give you some friendly, free advice that you would be wise to heed. This Manny to the Marlins rumor that's getting way too close to reality? You do not want that to happen. No, seriously ... you don't want Manny to be a Marlin. Look at the Manny Fish. Look directly at it. You are getting sleepy. Your eyes are getting heavy. When you wake up and I snap my fingers, you will hope and pray that after 4:00 ET on Thursday, Manny Ramirez will still be wearing "Red Sox", and not teal socks.

Go ahead and tell me about "Manny being Manny". Go ahead and bring up the goofy fielding. Talk to me until you're blue in the face about the six seconds it regularly takes for Manny to get down the first base line on a grounder to third. You can tell me all of that. But at the end of the day, if you add a future hall of famer to a lineup that has more home runs than anyone in baseball, that spells disaster for the Mets.

Because that future hall of famer ... for two months ... is going to be the most motivated baseball player on Planet Earth. In his quest to stick it to the Red Sox, he's going to stick it to the Mets ... and they'll be fighting for the wild card. Of course after that, Manny will revert to being Manny once he gets that contract. But for two months, it's on.

I'd suggest that the Mets intervene and get Ramirez for themselves to join forces with Pedro Martinez (another player Manny claims was mistreated by the Red Sox), but that's not happening for a myriad of reasons. This trade being discussed now is way too far along in the process. Mets ownership can't even handle Paul Lo Duca being controversial, there's no way the Wilpons would except Manny urinating in the visitors bullpen during a pitching change. And most importantly, the Mets don't have that right mix of young players and prospects that the Marlins do ... it's an advantage Florida has by being bad all these years, selling off their parts, and then being good all at once. The Mets, meanwhile, will tell us that their trading deadline acquisition came during the winter when all their chips were placed on Johan Santana. It will be the easy and legitimate bouquet of flowers to present to Mets fans when the Marlins are getting Manny Ramirez and the Mets respond by bringing back Jay Payton and adding Arthur Rhodes.

So don't expect the Mets to be anywhere near Manny Ramirez this season. I don't expect it ... and I accept it. But you don't want him anywhere near the Marlins either. It's the difference between the trading deadline passing peacefully, and the trading deadline hitting you upside the head with a frying pan. So light another one of those candles leftover from Billy Wagner's injury, and light it for a reconciliation between Manny and the Sox. And if that doesn't work, then you mind as well light your hair on fire instead.

11 comments:

katherine said...

I will pray that the Marlins don't get Manny. Aren't the Mets going to get anybody, though?

How is it that the Yankees got all those good players, Xavier, Domaso Marte, and now, Pudge Rodriguez, and we get NOBODY?

I am totally happy with Fernando in left field, but a reliable 8th-inning reliever? We need that so much.

Demitri said...

yes - an 8th innning guy!. too many times have we watched the bullpen take a close game and put it out of reach (like last night).

Anonymous said...

I am convinced Brian Cashman is the HypnoToad. "BZZZZZ....YOU WILL TRADE ME YOUR BEST PLAYERS... FOR A JAR OF MAYONNAISE!...BZZZZZZ"

Anonymous said...

Kathering and Demitri are right on. In game 1 of the Marlin series, we had one run lead in the 8th inning, and lost by 4. In game 3 we were within one run, and the pen gives up a two run homer (after walking the lead-off batter).

Anonymous said...

Bwahahahaa! Mutt$ do nothing while cubs, brewers, phillies, and dodgers all improve!

bWAHAHAHAHHAHA! Mutt$ are a joke!

Omar has sold you idiots a bunch of snake oil!

Life is good!

Anonymous said...

No worries about Manny going to FLA....but he is going LA wearing Blue....
And Omar continues not to do anything....

Thanks Omar!!!!!!!!

Beezermess

Krup said...

omar has nothing to work with. who would you like to see him give up?

Anonymous said...

Maybe we can get Eric Gagne. That was one of those great deadline deals of 2007 that people forget when they say you have to do something. Sometimes nothing is better.

Anonymous said...

Omar needs to go get some of that Jedi training that Cashman has.

"You don't need to see our identification. these aren't the droids you're looking for."

And how about Damaso Marte and Nady for a some pocket lint and an old toothbrush?

Plus it wouldn't hurt if Omar got a clue that there are other potential trading partners besides the Nationals. Jeez, its starting to scare me, Luis Ayala?

yikes.

Anonymous said...

Krup....
I wasn't asking for Manny...I was asking Omar to do something because there is no way we can win in the playoffs w/ Endy and Fernando in left and Ryan Church who is one slight bang away from missing the rest of the season....
Beezermess

Metstradamus said...

Beezermess,

What exactly would you have wanted Omar to do? His hands were tied here. Seattle was asking Arizona for Max Scherzer in return for Raul Ibanez. Hearing that, I can only assume that they would have been asking for probably Fernando Martinez, maybe Jon Niese, or perhaps both for them. Would have wanted that to happen?

And the Pirates, for the horrible job they did getting zero for X and Marte (the Yankees always seem to use their financial clout in place of decent prospects), got Andy LaRoche, Brandon Moss, and Craig Hansen plus one other prospect whose name escapes me for Jason Bay. Would you have traded Martinez, Niese, Eddie Kunz, and Daniel Murphy for Jason Bay, after only getting Steve Reed for him in 2002? The Mets payed just as much to get Santana!

As tenuous as the corner outfield spots are for the Mets, the market sucked. People were asking for too much ... Omar correctly stayed with what he got. You know who else was out there? Jay Payton. Is Jay Payton an upgrade over Fernando Tatis, whether he stays hot or not?

And as for the bullpen ... was there really anything out there better than what they already had? The Rockies are hot so they kept Fuentes. Billy Beane would have asked for the entire farm for Huston Street. Arthur Rhodes? Really?

Yeah, Omar bashing is cool but he can't do something for the sake of doing something. That's how stupid trades happen (Lee, Sizemore, and Phillips for Colon?)

Feels right to be back on opposite sides with you.