Wow, the Mets are bad. No other way to put it right now. Actually bad is being polite. They have won one game in the last week and that was a gift win against the Giants. The Diamond Backs just swept them in three games. The Diamond Backs a team that was 34 and 58. The Mets have made the Giants and D’Backs pitching staffs look like they consisted of : Warren Span, Cy Young, Bob Gibson and fill in the name of any other hall of fame pitcher. Normally I like to give stats but the stats are so sad I can’t. The Mets are just plain awful. They now trail the Braves by 7 games.
The good news, if there is any good news is, well, there still is time to turn it around. Will they? Can they? At this point I doubt it but being a loyal fan I can’t give up yet. (Of course that doesn’t mean I can’t whine and complain.) So, what can the Mets do to turn it around?
Well first of all, I know it’s kind of trite to say this but Jerry Manuel needs to go. He’s had two seasons now (more or less) and it’s not working out. He’s a smart guy, he’s a decent guy but the Mets need more. The Mets need a kick in their collective butts. They need somebody with a bit more fire. Part of me would kind of be interested in seeing Wally Backman, but he might be too much of a loose cannon. A return trip from Bobby Valentine would certainly be interesting to watch.
Next, the Mets need more pitching. I still haven’t given up hope on Pelfry but I am starting to on Perez and only God knows what Jon Maine’s future holds. One more starter would be nice then they could put Takahashi back in the pen. He’s great for two trips through the lineup. Dan Haren is probably a pipedream though.
Finally, I also hate to say this but the Francoeur experiment just isn’t working out. He seems like a good guy but I think he needs to play somewhere where there is no pressure on him. The same for Castillo, the knees are just gone. I’d rather see Tejada at second, more up side.
On the bright side, Wright and Pagan are having good years. Beltran is back. If Beltran stays in the lineup… If Reyes gets healthy… If Bay starts to hit… (If not I like Duda in the minors.) If the Mets get another starter… If K-Rod gets consistent… The Mets could still turn the season around, but that’s a lot of ifs…
