Back In Action

    

It's been a while since I last checked in here and many things have gone on. There was the Collapse of '08, the signing of Francisco Rodriguez, the trade for J.J. Putz, and the Mets have begun to reshape their bench and edit the bullpen. I cannot guarantee that in the future I will be able to write long summaries on Mets games, but what I can promise is that I will stay up to date and make this blog worth reading.

What I want to talk about today is the upcoming bullpen for the 2009 New York Mets. Knowing that he wasn't going to make it to 2009 without changing up the bullpen, GM Omar Minaya made some big changes in the pen that pleased Mets fans. The most significant change was the addition of former Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez (a.k.a. K-Rod). K-Rod is a 27 year old Venezuelan with some very good stuff. He has a fast ball in the mid-high 90s and a killer changeup. K-Rod is currently #36 on the All-Time Saves list however, but if he continues to close out games at a consistently productive rate, he will have no trouble cracking the Top 10. In the last four years, he has averaged 48.5 saves a season, with his most outstanding season being last year, when he broke the MLB Single-Season Save Record with 62 saves. The critics are saying that if he keeps throwing the way he does, his arm will fall off and he won't have anything left in the tank. That comment is complete BS, especially because K-Rod has been developing his changeup into one of the top pitches in his arsenal. The Mets were used to seeing heat with Billy Wagner, and K-Rod can do just the same while throwing off batters with his off speed pitches.

In the event that K-Rod's arm does fall off, the Mets will not have to worry about trading for the next Luis Ayala, and they will not have to settle for pitchers the likes of Armando Benitez and now starting pitcher Braden Looper. Omar Minaya was smart, and he knew that if he was going to shape up this team and put a legitimate product out on the field, he would need more than arguably the best closer in baseball. His answer was J.J. Putz. The Mets acquired Putz in a three team, 12 player trade involving the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians. New York sent Aaron Heilman (he will prove himself in Chicago), Endy Chavez (Fan-Favorite), and Jason Vargas (awful acquisition) to Seattle. This trade not only brought a recently dominant closer to the Mets, but it also crossed off getting rid of Heilman from the list of things to do. Along with Putz, the Mets also acquired Jeremy Reed, a candidate for reserve outfielder, and Sean Green, a decent reliever whose religion I have yet to confirm. One stat that fans should note is that Green recorded 17 holds last season. In case you didn't know what a hold is, it is an undervalued stat that signifies that a pitcher entered the game with the lead and left the game with the lead. Leaving the game with the lead was not a very common site last season at Shea Stadium, so Green should be a valuable member of the bullpen this year. In this trade, the Mets also shipped out young reliever (with some good potential) Joe Smith to Cleveland and lost three minor league players, most notably, first baseman Mike Carp. Heading back to J.J. Putz, he has been a fantastic closer for Seattle, posting two solid seasons (36 saves and 40 saves) until last year when he only recorded 15. Putz was struck by some injuries last year, which held him back from another great season. Now however, with a healthy Putz and K-Rod, the Mets will have one of the best one-two punches in the league.

Some other notables, the Mets sent Scott Schoeneweis to Arizona for unproven reliever Connor Robertson. The Mets also signed Tim Redding to a one-year contract. Redding gives the team some flexibility because he can fill in as a #5 starter or, if necessary, he can be placed in the bullpen. Expect some better performances from Duaner Sanchez this season, as he should be just about fully healed from his shoulder injury. If Sanchez can be anywhere close to how he was in 2006, the Mets will definitely have a top notch bullpen capable of finishing off the opposition.

It has been a long off season and Spring Training is just around the corner. Pitchers and catchers report in about six and a half days and Citi Field is coming up strong. Sadly, Shea Stadium is inching closer to being completely wiped off the map although I have heard that the spots where the pitching rubber and home plate were will be marked. Along with that, the Home Run Apple is supposedly being moved to Citi Field, but I have heard that a new one is being constructed. Mets fans, rejoice, those 29 blown saves have been replaced with elite pitchers who should be able to survive New York. My goal is to make at least one post a week, and I will be sure to keep up to date and throw out anything Mets that I have on my mind. Thanks for reading, and check the blog every Friday.

Signs of Hope: Francisco Rodriguez has a career 2.35 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. 

                           In seven games last season, K-Rod surrendered only one run to NL teams,                                                                                and that team was none other than the New York Mets. 

                           K-Rod has a career 3.13 Postseason ERA.

                           

                       J.J. Putz has a career 3.07 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. 

                          When Putz was healthy in 2007, he posted a 1.38 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP.