Second baseman Luis Castillo was placed on the disabled list Friday by the New York Mets, who also cut slumping backup outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. The Mets recalled 20-year-old Ruben Tejada from Triple-A Buffalo to fill Castillo's starting spot. Omir Santos was called up from Double-A Binghamton, giving the club three catchers on the big league roster.

Posted under mlb

The Mets' biggest hit in their best offensive effort of the season just barely reached the outfield. Luis Castillo's two-run single snapped an untimely skid, Angel Pagan homered and R.A. Dickey's knuckleball danced for seven innings to help the New York Mets avoid a sweep with a 10-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

Posted under mlb

Spring Training is approaching quickly and the Mets, despite making major changes to their beleaguered bullpen, have done nothing to address the team’s needs for position players. No one wants to watch a Tatis/Murphy platoon in left and Luis Castillo at second. No one. The Mets desperately need a power bat in the lineup. A couple thoughts:

Ditch Castillo. I know he’s got that ridiculous contract, so what. Offload him somewhere. The Mets will have to pay the lion’s share of the freight, so what. He’s not getting any younger or healthier and New York isn’t going to be any easier a place to play in the next few years. This guy could be the next Kaz Matsui except with more trips to the DL. And don’t whine about the economy, use the money you were going to give Bernie Madoff and pay his way out of town.

Give Murphy secondbase to lose Let the guy compete for the deuce in Port St. Lucie. Is Dan Murphy the next piece of the Mets long term core? Hellifiknow. Let’s find out. It beats the hell out of watching Castillo flail at outside pitches all year.

Trade for Nady I may have already written a thousand articles advocating a trade for Nady but since he’s no longer under control of the Pirates and rumored to be shopped by the Yanks, make the deal now. We know Nady. Nady works in New York; sign him now.

Bring Uncle Cliff Back. I have railed against the Mets signing aging players and expecting results many, many times in the past. This is different. Cliffy Floyd won’t be expected to play everyday, shoot, he only played in 80 games last year. Cliff is respected as a veteran leader and clubhouse presence and it isn’t like he’s say, oh I don’t know, a 42 year old player who pees on his hands. I always felt that Cliff’s departure took away some of the great chemistry the Mets had in 2006. Omar is going to bring in some aging has been anyway, might as well be someone we already love.

Sure these moves aren’t as sexy as signing Manny Ramirez. Let’s face it; that is never going to happen. The above moves can allow Omar to concentrate on shoring up the rotation when and if Boras ever decides to let one of his clients sign.

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The deal for Derek Lowe still isnt done. Based on an inside source close to no one, and verified by a source that I just made up, Boras won’t lower Lowe’s asking price and is confident another suitor will emerge, most likely Philly or Boston.

Meanwhile, the Mets, wary of repeating last years mistake of waiting it out for the best player available and neglecting other aspects of the team (namely bullpen) have extended an offer to Tim Redding and have now made Oliver Perez their main target to fill the hole in the rotation. Redding will be merely an insurance arm that may be plugged into the bullpen and pushed into a starting role should Perez struggle.

The longer this years off-season wears on with so much inaction, the more likely we will be stuck with a leftfield platoon of Dan Murphy and Fernando Tatis and a season of watching Luis Castillo limping out to second, hacking at outside pitches and not moving Reyes over in 2009. Oh, goodie.

Posted under Unsubstantiated Rumors