om nom nom
I don't want to waste a lot of time talking about Mike Pelfrey, having covered my frustration with him in earlier posts. I just don't understand how he can hang fastballs like he did in the beginning of the game, and then suddenly figure out how to blow them by hitters, as he did when he struck out the side in the sixth. Knowing the Mets' luck, he will be traded for a life-AA prospect, and then suddenly find his natural calling as a Brandon Webb clone (without the arm made of paper mache and hope), and pitch seven no-hitters.
This weekend wasn't without silver linings.
got heeeeeeem (courtesy The Agony of Defeat)
The Mets are in a stretch of seven games where they are facing seven All-Star pitchers and, if nothing else, they showed a little bit of fight against Vogelsong, Lincecum, and Cain. It's too bad that the offense didn't show up (it seems like the team finally looked around and everyone kind of noticed, 'Hey, you seen Jose? No, YOU seen Jose? Hey....wait a minute!'"
Before they entered this current stretch of 23 games that featured series against all six of MLB's first-place teams, I thought that 14-9 or better would be necessary in order for the Mets to think that they had a legitimate shot at a Wild Card. However, that was before the Reyes injury, and so far they're 9-7 and now we're back to this bullcrap where every loss means that the Mets are 'inching towards unloading" and every victory means that they're merely "treading water." This won't go away until if/when K-Rod and Beltran go, but thankfully, whatever happens, it seems reasonably assured that Reyes isn't going anywhere this year.
That brings me to the first-half analysis that I was doing in my head as I drifted off to sleep last night, ("Hey, at least Beltran KINDA swung at THAT game-ending pitch...") and I came to the realization that despite every preseason assurance that the Mets would be dismantled and sold for parts, and playing meaningless baseball by June, that I have enjoyed this season more than any since 2008, and genuinely LIKED the players as a group more than any since the 2000 World Series team. They are still playing meaningful, entertaining baseball and have a winning record at the All-Star break, which I would have gladly signed for before the season began. Granted, I expected bounceback years from Wright and Bay, and a huge step forward for Davis, but instead, they've been getting solid contributions from rookies (Tejada, Justin Turner, Gee), Daniel Murphy, who finally seems to have found a place, and unexpecteds Paulino and Capuano. I feel that these contributions are more encouraging than the ones that I was expecting, since it seems to reflect that the front office has a good eye for talent available within and from outside of the organization, and that Terry Collins knows how to implement and motivate the players that are available to him once they reach the Majors.
These are all positive things. Why, however, do I feel a sense of disappointment? Probably because if the Mets had been able to play with any level of mediocrity when they were completely awful in the first month of the season, they would be right in the thick of things instead of on the fringe, deciding whether or not they were going to get involved. They had six one-run losses in April, if they had managed to take half of those, then they're in a completely different place altogether.
If I had to guess, I would say that K-Rod will almost certainly be gone for peanuts by July 31, most likely to become setup-man to Neftali Feliz or Mariano Rivera, and that his $17.5 million vesting option will remain unfulfilled.
Beltran is harder to figure. Obviously, with the deadline approaching fast, the first week back from the All-Star break (three against Philly, one against Florida, and three against the Cards) will most likely be the most crucial yet in determining what kind of team this is, and whether or not Beltran is worth a rental, albeit a pricey one, to a true contender. Or maybe the decision's been made already.
K-Rod and Beltran maybe on their way out. Wright, Davis and Reyes on their way back, and Johan Santana seemingly in some state of limbo. What will the second half bring?
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