What We Will Now Never Get For Xmas

One of the sickly sad things immediately following the second consecutive Mets September collapse was not just the collapse itself but the gargantuan wish list many Mets fans produced as a result.

I had to stop listening to the FAN after those first few games, reliving the bitterness and hearing the Mets needed to immediately sign CC, K-Rod and Manny.



It did cross my mind early yesterday when reading that Mark Teixeira suitors like the Angels and the Red Sox were dropping out of the Sweepstakes that it was plenty similar to the early chase for Johan last season and how the Mets swooped in at the last minute, unexpectedly, to surprise baseball with the trade that changed the Mets' rotation.

And admittedly, I did allow a little crumb of hope that Omar would do something similar this season with Teixeira; swoop in at the last minute with a double move, trading Carlos Delgado to the Angels in return for a few draft picks and simultaneously announcing the signature of Tex to a Mets contract.

Instead, of course it was the Yankees' turn this season to pick up the pieces of an unfinished race to grab a top player.

Of course the Steinbrenners appear to have escaped losing $100 million in the Madoff Swindle like Fred Wilpon, so they probably had a little extra loose cash lying around.

Similarly, the sponsors of the new Yankees Stadium didn't need a $300 BILLION bailout to save themselves.


Psst. Got some cheap wine for sale, Metsies...

So whilst the Mets signed K-Rod and traded for JJ Putz, got rid of Schoeneweis, Aaron Heilman and Joe Smith to strengthen their most glaring weakness, the Yankees signed CC, A.J. Burnett and now, Teixeira - basically three of the biggest free agents available.

And yes, the Mets needed the bullpen rebuilt, badly. But equally, they'll need another starter and could badly use one more righty bat at the plate.

So don't kid yourself thinking you wouldn't have wanted that to the be the Mets swooping in for Tex, a first baseman for the future, a switch hitting, great fielding contact hitter with a great eye for Delgado, a rapidly ageing strikeout and double play machine with alot of question marks.

Don't kid yourself thinking you'd rather see the Mets sign the schitzophrenic Oliver Perez instead of Derek Lowe just to save a few bucks.

No, money doesn't buy pennants and the Yankees might be just as disappointing next year as they were last year.

But be honest: you'd rather see Tex in a Mets kit instead of Delgado, wouldn't you?

The combination of C.C. and Johan would have been mouth-watering.

Instead, it's going to be a rebuilt bullpen, a mediocre starting rotation and a likely repeat of Delgado's disappearing act in the middle of the lineup next summer.

*****



I saw this and my first thought was wow, how good IS this Wilmer Flores kid anyway?

I have to admit two things:

1. I know sweet f.a. about him. Don't know if he's cocky or quiet, flashy or steady, intelligent or a bufoon.
2. I started salivating at the thought of ridding ourselves of The September Chokemeister, Jose Reyes.

I have to admit, hearing the effete Phillies pitcher Bimbo Cole Hamels talk about how much everyone hated Reyes' cockiness and sky-pointing in meaningless moments I remembered back to that Marlins debacle in Game 161 of 2007 and Jose's cockiness causing thoughts of revenge by the Marlins.

I started to think about this kid Reyes and how the cockiness translated to chokiness the last two Septembers and wondering what kind of man sticks out his chest or points his finger to the sky in meaningless moments yet chokes like a bloody dog when the games start to matter?

It's no coincidence that Reyes' Septembers mirror the Mets own consecutive collapses.

So yes, I wouldn't mind seeing him gone, If we had a decent replacement ready and If we got a great package in return for him, which one would expect, despite everyone's hatred of him and his history of choking.

I also have to admit I was all for dumping him when he couldn't go 10 games without hurting his hamstrings back when he was first starting out and he did get over that after all. But will time rid of him of his short attention span on the field, a more subtle lack of discipline or his impatience at the plate?

I know, it's too early. Surely this kid Wilmer Flores is nowhere near ready but it gives me something to hope for. The long-awaited Reyes departure.

Of course, that's never going to happen on Omar's watch.

Still, it's fun to dream.

Whilst wondering why the Mets haven't signed former Sox Manny and Lowe yet.

Especially whilst watching the Yankees act like well...you do the maths.



And whatever you are doing over the holidays, don't forget to Measure the Strength of Your Metfandom.

Happy Holidays!