Photo by r0sss

Since 2005, Mets fans have been used to seeing the same man run out to shortstop every day.  They have been used to seeing the same guy go diving into second base safely on a steal.  They have seen the same guy round second and head for third for a triple a dozen plus times a year.  They have been used to the same guy being called at the top of the lineup every day.  They have been used to the same man teach them new Spanish words every home game.  Now, yet another man will be taking his talents to south beach.

Jose Reyes will now be a member of the Miami Marlins.  Reyes signed a 6 year, $106 million deal on Sunday night.  The deal includes a $22 million option for a seventh year.  Reyes will leave the Mets for the team that looks to have a lot of promise in the future.  The Marlins have already signed closer Heath Bell.  They have been in contact with Albert Pujols and are prepared to make a huge offer.  Also, they are going to be looking for a starting pitcher, with Mark Buehrle being a definite option.  Not to mention, they have a brand new stadium next season and have changed their name from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins.  This move obviously changes the Mets team completely as well as the National League East.  The Phillies, Braves, and Marlins are now looked at as the major contenders in the NL East while the Nationals and Mets seem to be on the outside looking in.

Mets fans saw it coming.  They knew there was no way the Mets could bring an offer higher to the table than what the Marlins brought.  The Mets just do not have the financial room to keep Reyes and then add more pieces, which they clearly need after having an extremely disappointing last couple of seasons at Citi Field.  Losing Reyes completely changes up everything in Queens.  It ends an era of one of the most exciting players we have ever seen in baseball.  Reyes was exuberant on the field and a one of a kind type player.  From his stolen bases to his triples to his flashy fielding, Reyes will be missed in every sense of the word.  Taking over for Reyes as shortstop will be 22 year old, Ruben Tejada.  Tejada got a good amount of playing time last season playing in 96 games and batting .284.  For Mets fans, it will never be the same.  Reyes is a guy that you do not see everyday.  He is a special player and a guy who changes the face of the team.  Tejada will not be that guy and still is developing as a player.  The Mets lose a leadoff hitter, a leader, and an all star and replace him with a bottom of the lineup type hitter who is solid defensively.  The Mets will learn in the coming seasons that nobody can replace what they had in Reyes and it is a tough road ahead for the Mets, who seem to be in a rebuilding mode.

For at least the next six years, Mets fans will now have to watch Reyes compete against them 18 times a year.  Fans have to see Reyes run out to shortstop nine times a year at Citi Field….in a Miami Marlins uniform.  For nine times a year, the first pitch at Citi Field will be made to Reyes.  It is going to be a bizarre feeling for Met fans.  It is a tough loss for the Mets to swallow, but it is time for the Mets to move on and try and build pieces to somehow replace one of the best shortstops of our era.

Photo by Mike LaChance

C.J. Wilson and his agent, Bob Garber are seeking $120 million over six years. While Wilson had a great regular season with a 16-7 record, a 2.94 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.19, he showed his true colors during the playoffs. Wilson was 0-3 with a 5.71 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP during the playoffs.

When you look at pitchers who make over $20 million annually such as Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia, Roy Halladay, and Johan Santana, it’s hard to put C.J Wilson in that class of elite pitchers. Wilson has only pitched two full seasons as a starter and I’m not convinced that he can match his 2010 and 2011 numbers elsewhere.

The Yankees pitching staff had no problems getting the job done this season, especially in the playoffs. They were fourth in the American League during the regular season posting a 3.73 ERA and first in the MLB with a 3.27 ERA during the playoffs. If I told you at the beginning of the year that the pitching was going to be the Yankees strongest link, you would have laughed in my face.  If there was an award for the “biggest surprise of the year,” Ivan Nova would have taken it hands down. Freddy Garcia exceeded all expectations, Bartolo Colon resurrected from the dead, and C.C. was, well, C.C.

A.J. Burnett is the glaring weakness of the staff and it remains to be seen what Brian Cashman and the Yankees do with him. If the Yankees part-ways with Burnett, there are several pitchers in the free agent market that they could go after for a cheaper price than C.J. Wilson. Two proven starters that would make sense for the Yankees are Roy Oswalt and Mark Buehrle.

If Wilson does cash-in this offseason with a $120 million dollar deal, he will be overpaid by whoever signs him. For the Yankees, they are fortunate enough to have money to ‘overpay’ players, but C.J. Wilson is not worth it.

Photo by Keith Allison

Whether Jose Reyes leaves or David Wright is traded, or both remain in New York, the “true” face of the Mets franchise is Johan Santana. Since 2007 the Mets have been filled with injury prone players, bad contract investments, failed to meet expectations, and enter 2012 with an uncertain future. Granted, the Mets have other nominees for these dubious distinctions such as Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo, and now Jason Bay, but none come close to the stature of $151 million stature of Santana.

Since joining the Mets in 2008, Santana has battled injuries in 2009, 2010, and missing all of 2011 due to shoulder surgery. Following the surgery Santana had setbacks in his rehabilitation towards the end of the season. The injury setbacks have placed doubt throughout the Mets organization that Santana can live up to the remaining guaranteed two years and $49.5 million left on his deal with a $5.5 million buyout option for 2014. As of the first four years of the deal, and nearly $78 million, Santana has won 40 games. That averages out to $1.94 million per win, which is the type of math that only Bernie Madoff would approve. With Santana anchoring the rotation the Mets have failed to make the playoffs since 2006 and his highest win total was 16 wins back in 2008. The bottom line is that Santana hasn’t been worth the large investment the Mets made to make him the ace of their pitching staff.

Heading into the winter and into the 2012 season the Mets future forecast is cloudier than ever. It’s anyone’s guess if Santana can return from shoulder surgery, if Reyes or Wright will be with the club, and what exactly are the financial restraints from the Madoff fall out. Santana will look to prove his critics wrong and show that he can return to his Cy-Young form as the face of a Mets franchise that’s in need of a facelift makeover.

Follow me on Twitter: @MikeAScotto

Photo by slgckgc

Crazy, right? Wrong.

In two seasons with the Mets, Jason Bay has a .252 AVG and 18 home runs. In one season with the Red Sox, Bay hit .267 and 36 home runs. The obvious answer to the dramatic decrease in production for Bay is the size of Citi Field compared to Fenway Park. Even with the renovations that will be made at Citi Field, it will still be one of the biggest parks in the league and Bay will never be able to showcase his power.

Before Bay’s term with the Mets, he hit 21 or more home runs in each season. I’m not trying to beat a dead horse here, but Bay has yet to hit 20 home runs in two seasons with the Mets.

Now it’s safe to say that Jose Reyes will not be back with the Mets in 2012. This calls for a replacement player. Although Carl Crawford did not live up to the hype in 2011, you would be pretty narrow-minded to think that he won’t have more seasons like he had in Tampa in the coming years.

The only way this could work would be if the Mets agreed to take at least 60% of Crawfords contract.

This would be a trade in which both sides could benefit. The Red Sox would open up a lot of money to go get a much needed starting pitcher, Bay would be back in Boston where he made a living off of the 310 foot left field wall, and Crawford would be able to slap the ball to each gap and use his speed to run out triples. Hence, replacement player.

Photo by Keith Allison

Heading into last year’s spring training the Yankees appeared wounded. New York failed to land their top target Cliff Lee and their rival, the Boston Red Sox, landed two premier offensive players in Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. Brian Cashman was left bargain hunting to add depth to his starting rotation and plucked Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon off the market. Both starters combined for 20 wins and helped New York capture the AL East division crown.

This year the Yankees find themselves in a similar situation. The rotation is anchored by C.C. Sabathia, along with the emerging Ivan Nova , former 18-game winner Phil Hughes and the enigmatic A.J. Burnett. With Hughes and Burnett question marks due to health and inconsistency, and a spot open at the back of the rotation- there’s a need to add depth. The current free agent market doesn’t bode well for the Yankees. C.J. Wilson is the best pitcher on the market, but wants to be paid like an ace without a proven track record. Yu Darvish is the latest Japanese phenom to draw interest in the U.S. Yet, questions surround the small workload Darvish had in Japan since he pitched only once a week and due to the recent failures of Kei Igawa and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Roy Oswalt has a lot of mileage on his right arm and was hurt much of last year with the Phillies. As for Colon, he was injured and ineffective the past four years before his comeback performance with the Yankees. Towards the stretch run Colon appeared fatigued and became ineffective. At 38, his career appears at its twilight stage.

That leaves Garcia and Mark Buehrle as the best remaining options. Buehrle has been a model of consistency for the past eleven years in the White Sox rotation averaging 14 wins per season and nearly 221 innings pitched. Buehrle has also thrown a perfect game and no-hitter in that span. Garcia won twelve games for New York last year and posted a 3.62 ERA, his lowest in eight years. Both provide a different look as soft tossing pitchers that rely on location and movement to get hitters out. New York would benefit from their consistency and veteran presence in the rotation for a run at title number 28 in the Bronx.

The ALCS starts tonight and there are no Yankee or Red Sox lineups involved. Even more interesting is the fact that when the NLCS starts tomorrow there will be no Cliff Lee or other Big 4 pitcher from the Phillies on the mound. Very interesting, since most experts including this writer had some combination of the 3 in the World Series this year no less an LCS. That won’t happen though. Instead, Detroit and St. Louis will try to earn the right to go after their 5th and 11th titles, respectively, while Texas and Milwaukee keep working for the chance to play for their 1st World Series championship.

ALCS- Detroit Tigers vs Texas Rangers
The Tigers were 6-3 vs the Rangers this season with all games played before the end of the first week in August. This was before Detroit really got hot, because starting on August 19 the Tigers bulldozed through the AL and rolled to a 30-9 finish and a overall record of 95-67. The Rangers finished the month of September with a 19-6 record, and overall they were 96-66 which was good enough to earn them home field in the ALCS.

Texas has a strong lineup that features Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young. They also have a more balanced starting pitching staff and better bullpen.

However, the Tigers have Justin Verlander to start the series and the edge in the manager department. They also have an underrated lineup, as proven by the fact that Miguel Cabrera was hitless in 4 of 5 games vs the Yankees, while hitters like Delmon Young, Don Kelly and Magglio Ordonez came through with big hits. The Rangers have the home field but the Tigers won 2 at Yankee Stadium including a crucial series deciding game 5.

Detroit over Texas in 7

NLCS- Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals
The Milwaukee Brewers (96-66) won the central division over the St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) by 6 games, but head to head the teams split 18 games with 9 wins a piece. The Brewers won their first playoff series since 1982 and the Cards got a tremendous performance from Chris Carpenter in Game 5 vs the Phillies to pull off the biggest upset of all 1st round series. It was only the third 1-0 series deciding game in MLB history with the others in the 1962 and 1991 World Series.

The Cardinals have Albert Pujols and a serious edge at manager. The Brewers have Ryan Braun and a back end of the bullpen that has not allowed an earned run in the postseason yet. More importantly, the Brew Crew has home field which was their strength in the regular season. They had the Majors best home record at 57-24, used it to their advantage in their series win vs the D-Backs and will capitalize on it here also.

Milwaukee over St. Louis in 7

Here are the Waz’s selections:

Yankees vs. Tigers
Detroit has the best pitcher in Justin Verlander and the most dangerous hitter in Miquel Cabrera, plus a closer in Valverde who hasn’t blown a save (46) all season.
Tigers over Yankees in 5

Rangers vs. Rays
Texas has the dominant lineup with power and some speed throughout. It all starts with their leader, Michael Young, who put up 213 hits(.338 avg.) and 106 RBI.
Rangers over Rays in 4

Phillies vs. Cardinals
Philadelphia will send out Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. They have a solid bullpen and proven experience in their lineup with Howard, Utley, and Rollins. Albert Pujols had less than .300 avg and less than 100 RBI for first time in career.
Phillies sweep Cards in 3

Brewers vs. Diamondbacks
Milwaukee is all about the power duo of Ryan Braun (NL MVP to be) and Prince Fielder, who are as good in the 3-4 holes as any in baseball. They have better depth in the bullpen which will help them pull this one out.
Brewers over Diamondbacks in 5

Photo by Chris Ptacek

When exactly did Michael Kay decide he needed to come up with his own signature line to “perform” during Yankee broadcasts? Did he feel the need to be more like his old radio counterpart John Sterling- whose self serving style is tough to stomach for many, including myself.

“Put it on the left side!” Kay now exclaims at the conclusion of Yankees victories.

What?

Could Kay have come up with a more contrived phrase? Suddenly, after nearly 20 years of calling Yankee games- this is what he comes up with? It is downright embarassing to hear him utter this ridiculous phrase. To say it sounds forced would be an understatement. I wonder exactly how long he spent trying to come up with such a statement.

Has there ever been a time in Yankees history that it has been more nauseating to listen to a Yankee broadcast? Now more than ever I appreciate the broadcasts Frank Messer, Bill White and Phil Rizzuto put together for so many years. At least Rizzuto’s rants were genuine. There was nothing contrived about their broadcasts.

Kay has been in the business a long time. While I am not a fan of his- even he should be above this manufactured catchphrase. Please Michael Kay, say “See Ya!” to “Put it on the left side!”

Last night, the Yankees road to the postseason may have gotten a bit easier as they enjoyed yet another solid start from rookie Ivan Nova, but manager Joe Girardi’s job may have become more difficult. The pitching rotation, which currently consists of six men, has been the topic of nonstop debate while the Yanks have opened a wide lead on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card race. CC Sabathia is the undisputed ace and a Cy Young candidate, while Freddy Garcia (10-7, 3.16 ERA) and Bartolo Colon (8-6, 3.33 ERA) have earned their spots in the postseason rotation with eye-opening career reclamation projects in the Bronx. The 4 through 6 spots on the staff, however, are a mess. $82.5 million man A.J. Burnett, who entered the season as the 2 starter on paper, has been a disaster after a promising first couple months, and now owns a 4.60 ERA and a losing record. Phil Hughes has battled injuries and ineffectiveness while trying to regain his 2010 form which yielded 18 victories, and has a very shaky spot in the rotation after throwing only 38 uninspiring innings thus far to the tune of a 7.11 ERA.

Finally, there is Ivan Nova. The least recognizable name of the bunch just may be the most essential part of the equation in October – if the Yankees realize what they have and decide to keep him around. Nova was unjustly sent to the minor leagues for over a month despite showing some impressive signs in the first half of the season. With his current 11-4 record and 3.85 ERA, one cannot help but wonder whether he could have had a Rookie of the Year-type campaign if he was allowed to pitch an entire year in the majors. Before his six-plus innings of work last night in a 9-3 win over the Angels, Girardi indicated that he has earned his spot in the rotation for the time being. What the manager left unanswered, however, was at whose expense Nova would be staying. In the midst of a tight race with Boston for home field advantage in the American League, the Yankees can simultaneously relax somewhat with the knowledge that their Wild Card lead is very comfortable.

Girardi and GM Brian Cashman can begin to plan for the postseason, which means that if there is a pitcher among their current six starters who is not a part of their playoff plans, they are wasting everyone’s time if they continue to trot that hurler out once a week. In my opinion, A.J. Burnett stands no chance to make the ALDS roster, and his status for the ALCS and World Series is doubtful, as well. His salary should not factor into this equation, just as Jorge Posada’s salary does not matter to the Yanks anymore, and players such as Jason Giambi, Kei Igawa, Javier Vazquez and Kevin Brown did not hold the organization hostage in the past simply because they were well-compensated. If the 2, 3, and 4 spots in the rotation are up for grabs, then Colon, Garcia, Nova and Hughes should spend the next 47 games auditioning, and Burnett should be shut down. Colon and Garcia have postseason experience and have shown steadiness and consistency this year, while Nova has a young, live arm which playoff hitters will be unfamiliar with, giving all three starters an edge over Burnett.  Hughes has been shuffled between the rotation, the bullpen and the minors for far too long, and the Yanks owe him a chance at some type of normalcy if they want him to reach his potential and avoid being “ruined” like Joba Chamberlain may have been.  That leaves Burnett, the 6 starter and the odd man out.  Place him on the DL with some mysterious ailment or relegate him to long relief, just find a way to stop halting everyone else’s progress by extending the rotation by one distracting piece of dead weight. And make the decision today.

Photo by Keith Allison

The July 31st trade deadline looms! We’re now into the peak period when general managers try their luck, play the hand they’ve been dealt and maintain their best poker face in trying to either better their ballclub for the heat of the pennant race or cut their losses and live to play another day. In a few days, we’ll find out who’s selling and who’s buying. The Mets, predictably, will most likely be selling and streamlining the big club for next season while trying to re-stock down on the farm.

The Mets have already lightened the load by sending closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Brewers for 2 of the proverbial players to be named later. As long as these unnamed players are still breathing when they get here, the Mets made a good deal. Fans complained that letting go of K-Rod well before the deadline leaves the team without a closer, shows management has given up, etc. The front office struck while the iron was hot after finding a pigeon in Milwaukee and then closed the deal as soon as they could. The Mets were very fortunate that Rodriguez has behaved himself since his major snap of last season. That made the process of shipping him off that much smoother.

Aside from the obvious tolling of Carlos Beltran and the impending free-agency of Jose Reyes, I don’t see the Mets as having too many more desirable chips to deal away. Unless someone wants one of the young former Buffalo Bisons or if Ronny Paulino has convinced another club that he’s actually a good hitter, pickings are slim. Sandy Alderson should start off his phone conversations with a joke, “Trade? Sure! How about Bay and Pelfrey?! LOL!” If by some sheer miracle the other party bites, reel them in like they’re Captain Kidd’s treasure!

I think Alderson will make a strong play to re-sign Reyes, and unless Jose’s a great actor, he looks like he sincerely wants to be here. You just have to cross your fingers that the hamstrings hold up and if they do, you’ve got one of the best and most exciting players in the game locked up. And unless Sandy’s a great actor, I think he’s finally realized how popular Reyes is with the fan base and that he’d have a mutiny and mass exodus on his hands if he let Jose slip away without an excruciatingly major struggle.

Beltran is gone. It’s just a matter of the details – where and most importantly, for whom! Some say his career as a Met would have been much different if he didn’t look at Strike 3 in the 2006 NLCS. If he popped to short, would that have made a difference? Not really. The only way things would have been different? If he won the game and if that Mets club went on to take the Series that year. Even so, Carlos was not vilified after the Mets were so abruptly eliminated in ’06. He’s been a good soldier here, aside from that minor Walter Reed visit bump-in-the-road. He was not a free-agent bust. He’s had some great games as a Met, capped off by his game-tying HR the other night up into the Pepsi Porch that landed next to Gary, Keith & Ron who were doing the broadcast from up there. He’s remained healthy and put together a great season, earning an All-Star nod. He deserves to go to one of the teams on his trade list and help them win, just as he did with the Mets on many occasions. Gracias, Carlos. Adios y buena suerte.

Photo by Keith Allison

Does the name Mark Teixeira ring a bell? He plays first base for the New York Yankees. You may not have heard his name much lately because… well, I’m not sure actually.

There is a lot of talk about the red hot Brett Gardner who found himself in the lead-off spot in the lineup Thursday night against the Rays. Curtis Granderson’s name seems to come up a lot also since he is tied for second in homeruns and is having a very solid year.

Yankee pitching is in the conversation. Another starter couldn’t hurt this team, and a middle innings guy wouldn’t be the end of the world either.

Derek Jeter is Derek Jeter. He has over 3,000 hits now and his name pops up side-by-side with Brett Gardner now with all this lineup change stuff.

But what about Mark Teixeira? How does he manage to slip under the radar? He is a high profile performer in the number one media market. And with Alex Rodriguez on the DL, one would think there is more attention on Mark Teixeira. But somehow, I am not hearing much.

Shouldn’t I hear a little more? In the last 11 games (including Thursday night), Teixeira is hitting just .204 with 2 RBI. In those 11 games, the Yankees have lost five games, three of which were by a one run margin.

And when you think about the Yankees needing another pitcher, when C.C. Sabathia continues to pitch gems, those are the games the Yankees need to win. C.C. Sabathia is obviously not the problem with the Yankees starting rotation. Players like Mark Teixeira need to come through.

Even Derek Jeter has received negative attention this year. And if you ever heard anyone talk about Jeter, you would think he was related to Jesus, or that he might even be Jesus living underneath a different name. I mean come on, Jeter and Jesus? You think he could do a better job of coming up with a fake name. We can see right through that nonsense.

If Alex Rodriguez had a stretch like this, there isn’t one soul in the universe that would be unaware of it. Yet somehow, Mark Teixeira has been given some free pass. Nobody is talking about him at all. Is it because he is fourth in the majors in homeruns? I’m not sure.

But the bottom line is this. Mark Teixeira has not been hitting, and whether it is noticed or not, it is the truth. And you can talk about the high payroll, and the 17 games above .500 but that isn’t relevant because it still isn’t good enough. The Yankees are not in first place and that is where they want to be.

So as nice as it is to see Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner perform at a very high level, the first baseman who is making 22.5 million dollars this year needs to step it up. 25 homeruns is impressive, but a .240 average is not. With Alex Rodriguez out, Mark Teixeira needs to be the big man on campus, and as of late, he has fallen well short of that.

Photo by Keith Allison

Looking back on the happenings of the past few days in Yankee Land, even Alex Rodriguez might turn out to be a less-vilified character than Derek Jeter is within the pinstripe panorama when all is said and done.  To all, that is, except the Yankee fans, who are blinded by the light of their celestial superstar and who would follow their hero into the lion’s den wearing Yankee pot roast suits.

Let’s look at the “holy grail” of all sports memorabilia – THE BALL that went for #3000.   As “right” as everyone thinks the act of Christian Lopez returning the ball to Jeter is, it was absolutely the WRONG thing to do.  Even Lopez will realize that in time. Unfortunately, he looks like a good, honest kid who didn’t deserve to be dragged into this mess – and now he may be socked with a five-figure tax bill for his decency and from the Yankees’ lovely parting gifts. Things are much different today than in 1961 when Sal Durante caught Roger Maris’ 61st HR ball.  Lopez should have kept the ball and sold it – paid off his famous student loan and more.  What’s more, Jeter (who looked ridiculous while wearing a t-shirt and cap with his own picture on it) seemed pretty nonplussed when he got the ball back.  He said something to the effect that the ball looked and felt like all the other baseballs he’d handled.  Ideally, Jeter should send the ball to Cooperstown where the game’s historical mementos belong.

How about “Captain Courageous” passing on the All-Star Game?  He’s gone through so much – the half-season, the injury, the rehabbing in Tampa, the stress of the road to 3,000.  What Maris went through in ‘61 when he was chasing the ghost of the most beloved Yankee and an American legend, THAT was stress.  Jeter just passed a very significant baseball milestone and he should be at the Mid-Summer Classic in Arizona so the fans can see him – whether he plays or not.

Perhaps Jeter will spend the break signing memorabilia so he can further cash-in.  I’m holding out for the plastic bags with the “DJ3K” logo filled with Yankee Stadium air from last Saturday.  It’s fully authenticated, of course.  There are “DJ3K” balls, bats, photos – a thousand poses from every conceivable (some inconceivable, as well) angle, bases, ticket stubs, jerseys, caps, cleats, socks, dirt – anything tangible!  And if “Captain Intangible” could find a way to sign something intangible, he would, and they’d sell that, too!

Granted, Jeter is a great ballplayer and he’s accomplished so much on the ball field.  And cashing in has become as American as baseball itself.  He might even be the “face” of the game right now.   (Which is why he should be at the All-Star Game.)   Unfortunately, Jeter’s been “deified” by blind faith.  He’s been turned into this larger-than-life icon by pinstriped hands & fans.  We don’t know how the book on Derek Jeter will end.  Enjoy the present and revel in watching it play out.  Allow history to forge the legacy of a great player.