Kuzul

Ozzie Guillen was a terrific manager for the Chicago White Sox the last eight seasons, but the 47-year-old new skipper of the Miami Marlins is going to fall flat on his face in 2012.

A World Series champion and former AL Manager of the Year (both 2005), Guillen has already set himself up for a few struggles next season and in one of the baseball’s most unforgiving divisions, it’ll be an uphill battle.

After the Winter Meetings massive haul, expectations are immense for Guillen and the new-look Marlins next season. I don’t see how he is going to meet them.

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Earlier this week, during baseball’s Winter Meetings, super agent Scott Boras categorized the New York Mets as a team that is normally in the “steaks section,” but now find themselves in the “fruits and nuts category a lot.”

Any Mets fan will admit there are plenty of nuts running around the organization at the moment.

It’s far too late to claim that fans want a contender—they’re dying for one.

In the wake of Jose Reyes signing with the newly-christened Miami Marlins, the only thing the Mets can do is shop around in the bargain bin and find any way to keep butts in the seats while their better prospects develop.

General manager Sandy Alderson, completely unwilling (and rightfully so) to concede anything, including the upcoming 2012 season, hopes to build a long-term contender no later than 2014. And with prospects like Zack Wheeler, Jeurys Familia, Jenrry Mejia, Matt Harvey and Brandon Nimmo in the fold, that just might be possible.

Yes, they should trade David Wright, but that’s an article for another day.

But with the farm system still unable to bear Major League-ready fruit, can the Mets actually find a way to compete within the NL East—a division which is arguably the best in baseball?

After several days of inactivity, Alderson finally made a flurry of moves, trading Angel Pagan to the San Francisco Giants for outfielder Andres Torres and reliever Ramon Ramirez, and signing relievers Frank Francisco (two-years, $12 million) and Jon Rauch (one-year, $3.5 million).

Ramirez, Rauch and Francisco give manager Terry Collins plenty of arms to choose from in Spring Training.

Francisco, 32, went 1-4 with a 3.55 ERA and had 17 saves in 54 relief appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays last season. Rauch, 33, is a good match for the Mets, finishing 2011 5-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 53 relief appearances. He missed the remainder of the season after being sidelined September 4 with torn cartilage in his right knee. Ramirez, 30, went 3-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 66 relief appearances for the San Francisco Giants last season.

In adding Torres, Alderson took a page out of the Moneyball Handbook, hoping that the Torres of 2010 will reemerge. He hit just .221 with four home runs and a .312 OBP last season, but two seasons ago, Torres was a monster.

Although he produced a ho-hum slash line of .268/.343/.479, he was tied with the Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista with a 6.8 WAR. Defensively, he posted a revised zone rating of 96 percent, first among centerfielders.

While Torres might be a slight upgrade, especially defensively, over Pagan, and the addition of three relievers gives Collins more flexibility to sort out the bullpen, Alderson didn’t add any actually wins to the Mets roster.

Once again, the Mets bullpen is going to be a trial-by-error system—everyone will have a chance to fill a role until they begin to show imperfections, at which time, hopefully, Collins will make a change.

Last season, the Mets bullpen ranked 15th in the NL in both BAA (.267) and ERA (4.33).

The Mets will enter 2012 with a team of retreads and returning players, like first baseman Ike Davis and starting pitcher Johan Santana. Unless Alderson puts the hammer down and trades a player like David Wright, the next few seasons will be highlighted by continual futility and failure.

Will the Philadelphia Phillies finally start to show their age? Will expectations become too much for the completely revamped Miami Marlins? The Atlanta Braves missed the playoffs only because of a nightmare September collapse; will they recover or enter a free fall not unlike the Mets’?

Heck, even the Washington Nationals, who are expected to break camp with stud Bryce Harper, have a brighter future than the Mets.

So what can Alderson, Collins and the Mets actually do?

For now…nothing.

If Alderson is unwilling to concede the season and start making serious trades, there isn’t much to be done. Yes, the Mets have reportedly been shopping young players like reliever Bobby Parnell and starting pitcher Jon Niese, but Alderson didn’t seem very willing to actually pull the trigger, and it’s unclear exactly what the market’s interest was.

We’ll have to wait and see if the Mets will make any aggressive moves between now and the start of Spring Training, but it seems that, once again, Mets fans will be looking at another season of disappointment.

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Mets fans have been running to message boards for the last two weeks to vent their frustration with Mets ownership and the approach the organization has taken in the Jose Reyes “sweepstakes”.

Most fans demand that the organization do whatever it takes to keep Reyes at Citi Field while other fans don’t see Reyes as a part of the future. To those fans, Reyes is a symbol of an era in the team’s history that is infamous for underachieving and monumental collapse. It’s hard to disagree with those fans.

Reyes supporters see him as the premier leadoff hitter in baseball. A player who brings the type of explosiveness and energy to a lineup that simply cannot be replaced. It’s hard to disagree with those fans, too.

The real question Mets fans must ask themselves is: Does re-signing Jose Reyes improve our chances of winning a World Series? I do not believe that it will.

Now before I am attacked by the Reyes supporters, give me a few minutes to explain. My call for Mets ownership to let Reyes go is not without a plan in place. Re-signing Jose Reyes for say, five years $100 million would tie up $20 million a year in a player that has not helped take this team to the next level since he’s been here.

Since Reyes came on the scene in 2003, the Mets have made the playoffs just once. Just one playoff appearance in eight seasons. Reyes is commanding an average salary of $20 million. Albert Pujols will most likely land a contract that pays him between $24-25 million a season. Pujols has played with the Cardinals for 10 years and delivered seven playoff appearances, three trips to the World Series, and two rings. It makes a hell of a lot more sense for the Cardinals to hold on to their premier player then it does for the Mets to hold on to Reyes.

Now you may be saying that it isn’t fair to compare the two. I say that they are most definitely comparable. They are both going to command superstar salaries. Salaries that will effect the teams flexibility to upgrade other areas of the team for years to come. It is up to the Mets to walk away from the negotiation table and move on from Jose.

If Jose had a resume that was even HALF of Pujols’ I would re-think my stance, but it isn’t remotely close. I will never deny that Reyes is a fun player to watch but Mets fans need much more than a dancing bear. Mets fans need a winner and the numbers just don’t support a case for Reyes in that department.

Earlier I said that I would not suggest cutting Reyes loose without a plan. The plan is as such. Letting Reyes walk will net the Mets two solid draft picks. The value of those picks could change with a new CBA agreement but nonetheless the picks will most certainly put the Mets in slot where two serviceable prospects can be obtained.

Go into next season with all intentions of moving David Wright at the deadline. Wright has been a good soldier but his resume is the same as Reyes’. As a Mets fan, you love to hear Wright being quoted that he wants to be part of the solution but the bottom line is that the Mets are in a transitional phase. A transition that will not be complete until Wright is nearing the end of his prime.

With the way that Wright’s contract shakes out, the Mets will probably only be able to grab one decent prospect from a desperate team at the deadline. Similar to what they received for Carlos Beltran from the Giants.

So now you have just received three prospects for two underachieving athletes. Not so bad.

Next up is Johan Santana. If Johan comes back healthy and effective, believe me I understand that this is one giant IF, the Mets need to do whatever it takes to move him for a prospect or two. Yes, they will probably have to eat a large portion of his contract, but as was the case with Beltran the more money you eat the better prospect you will get in return.

Now we are up to four prospects for two underachieving athletes and one that has just had rotten luck since joining the team.

Team those four prospects with Zack Wheeler, Jeurys Familia, Matt Harvey, Wilmer Flores, Juan Lagares, and Jenrry Mejia. That is one impressive farm system. A farm system that can produce the type of players that will most certainly contend for a World Series in the near future. Plus, add in the draft pick they have this season as well as the one they’ll receive for what is most certain to be a trying 2012 season and the Mets are on their way.

I understand that most fans won’t agree with this approach and that’s fair but stop and ask yourself this question first: Do you honestly believe that holding on to Jose Reyes is the key to winning a championship?

For those of you that say yes, I beg you to try and remember the past eight seasons and come back to me then. For those of you that say no, I thank you for shedding the New York sports fan mentality and getting on board with the road to recovery. It may be a long road, but as Mets fans; do we know any other one?   

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Although it is much more uncommon to see tattooed athletes in Major League Baseball when compared with the NBA or the NFL, there are still a number of players who sport the ink. 

From players covered in body art, such as Ryan Roberts of the Arizona Diamondbacks, to the players who are a bit more tame with their tats, I’ll compose a team of these players if they played on the same team. 

Position by position, this is what the tatted team would look like:

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Jerry Seinfeld is a huge baseball fan, but an even bigger New York Mets fan. I can’t say the same for David Letterman, though. 

Seinfeld stopped by Letterman’s show recently and dished on his pets, one of which is a dog named Jose. Without any prodding, Seinfeld offered why the pooch’s name is Jose. 

It seems that Seinfeld and his wife can’t bear to see the less-than-amazing Mets lose Jose Reyes. So they guaranteed at least a Jose will stay in the family by naming the dog after him. 

Now that’s a fan. 

There is so much more that I wanted to know, but Letterman let the bomb Seinfeld drop to just waft over his head. You live in New york, ask the man if his dog is prone to injury. Does his dog have to go on the shelf every 15 days or so?

These are all important questions that Letterman fails to swing at, and so the interview misses. For Reyes, he is currently a hot commodity on the free agent market. The New York Daily News reports the Miami Marlins are hot to trot for his services. 

They also state the Mets are still in the race to keep the star shortstop they groomed. There is just one thing that we know for sure, though: Reyes is about to get paid. 

I encourage everyone in the New York area to name their dogs Jose. If you are partial to “Reyes” or “Disabled List,” those would work fine as well. 

Now we need to find out if Reyes is even a fan of dogs. 

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The New York Mets face a steep challenge in their upcoming effort to re-sign star shortstop Jose Reyes.

The problem: they simply do not have the money to do so. Reyes won the batting title for the NL this year and is expecting a lot of money to stay with the Mets in Queens.

After many trade rumors involving the All-Star, the Mets still have him in their sight and are looking to keep him on the squad.

For the Mets to keep the talent of Reyes, they will either have to give up a lot of their money or give up a chance to help their team in other facets of the game.

Reyes is a huge talent, but if the Mets would like to keep him, they will have to do a lot of work.

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The New York Mets have a tremendous talent who is playing in what may be his final home stand as a Mets player. His name is Jose Reyes. Every baseball fan is beginning to salivate over the potential of a healthy Reyes being added to their team. And why shouldn’t they?

Jose Reyes is the most dynamic single player in the game today. He is the prototype of a leadoff hitter. He has speed. He has power to hit in the gap. He creates runs where there is nothing to create. He changes the game when he is base. The opposing pitcher is distracted by his speed and hurries his pitches. Reyes is a different breed of player in the league.

When he hits the open market, teams will begin fighting over him. He is easily the most-coveted free agent coming into the market.There will be several major names available, but few teams will be able to afford them. Reyes is the one player every team is willing to take a chance on. He is the most obvious choice for any team to want to add.

This sounds oddly familiar. The NBA had a similar scenario just a year ago. LeBron James decided to leave the team that drafted him, the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he had great success in turning a franchise around in order to test free agency. Sound familiar now?

The Mets signed Reyes as a teenager. They brought him up when they were struggling. He, along with a few others, led them to the NLCS just a few years ago. He has had success here. Now, he is curious about his worth on the free-agent market. LeBron James turned his experience into a mockery and a nationally-televised event for advertisers and ESPN to benefit from.

While I doubt that will happen with Reyes, still, there are a lot of similarities between the two. Both have had several teams trying to court them. LeBron James had President Obama trying to convince him to consider the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks, the Nets, the Bulls, the Lakers, the Celtics and the Cavs were all rumored to have interest and players courting James.

Jose Reyes has had former teammate Carlos Beltran speaking up for him to come to San Francisco, Ryan Braun has suggested he’d love to have Reyes in Milwaukee. Red Sox players have spoken up for him. Alex Rodriguez stated that Reyes is the best player in baseball this past summer. They are all lining up to make their pitch for their respective teams.

Both James and Reyes were and are considered the single game-changing free agent at the time of them entering free agency. Both were homegrown talents looking for greener grass somewhere else. Just like the Cavs were in the final running for LeBron, the Mets will be in the final running for Reyes.

After all, it’s hard to let go of what you already know. Change is hard. Reyes is settled in and happy in New York. The trouble is when all the other teams get involved in offering him a deal, his free agency will explode into a media storm.

Imagine this: the Phillies (who will be thinking of parting with Rollins), the Yankees (who may be thinking of Reyes more to hurt the Red Sox), the Red Sox (who have platooned shortstops for years to no avail), the Angels (who need speed since they lost Chone Figgins), the Brewers, the Dodgers, the Nationals, the Rays, etc all get involved in the sweepstakes for Jose Reyes.

Then Reyes has to choose not just location, but money. Let’s say the Mets offer him $50 million and two years less than the Phillies or Yankees, don’t blame him for taking it.  No one in their right mind would turn that difference down. Who would turn down that much money to take a hometown discount? No one.

The Mets will need to make a longer and more expensive offer than they want to if they decide they need him. Otherwise, get used to seeing him somewhere they don’t want him to be. That’s what the Cleveland fans had to face when LeBron James landed in Miami with two other All-Stars (Wade and Bosch). A team that stood in their way when James was with Cleveland, now James is with the enemy.

Mets fans will not be happy with the end result. The buildup of bidding in the market will push Reyes out of the Mets’ reach. This is not a scenario fans or the Mets really want, but it may be a reality. The Mets claim they need a closer next year. They will need to sign at least one starting pitcher and two others for the bullpen. They will need an outfielder too.

There are too many holes to fill to spend that much on Reyes. They already have a fortune locked in to Johan Santana, Jason Bay and David Wright. If they add more to it for Reyes, they will be way over their self-imposed cap maximum of $120 million after signing everyone else.

Logically speaking, Reyes will have to accept a much more disappointing offer from them than he expects if he wants to stay. Like LeBron, the temptation may be too great for him not to leave.

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Nine different shortstops in eight seasons. 

That is the harsh reality of the Boston Red Sox since the beginning of Theo Epstein’s tenure as general manager of the team. Nomar Garciaparra, Pokey Reese, Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria, Alex Gonzalez, Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie, Nick Green and Marco Scutaro all the starting shortstop at one point in time in those eight seasons.

For the right pieces, the Red Sox may be able to trade for the franchise shortstop Epstein has been after since the departure of Garciaparra in 2003.

The recent financial quagmire of the New York Mets and majority owner Fred Wilpon, Jose Reyes has become very available with the team unlikely to be able to keep him beyond this season. Reyes’ contract is up at the end of the season, and in all likelihood he will be looking for a long-term deal in the area of the seven-year, $142 million deal Carl Crawford signed with the Red Sox this past offseason. 

With the Mets in such a financial bind, Reyes may come at somewhat of a discounted price. Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez are proof that trading prospects for proven veterans works, so why not do it again with Reyes? Both Beckett and Schilling were major keys in championship runs for the Red Sox, and Reyes could prove to be the same by filling the ever empty hole at shortstop.

Despite trading three top prospects in the deal that brought Gonzalez to Boston, the Red Sox still have plenty of talent in the farm system to include in a trade for Reyes. One player who would almost certainly need to be included in a deal is outfielder Ryan Kalish.

Kalish, considered by many as the top prospect in the Red Sox system, is seen as the right fielder of the future when J.D. Drew’s contract expires. He has become expendable with the emergence of Josh Reddick who seems to have finally figured it out and is ready to produce at the major league level.

Top shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias would become expendable as well because Reyes, just 28, would become your starting shortstop for the foreseeable future. The Red Sox could then package a mid-level prospect such as Double-A pitcher Stolmy Pimentel or Triple-A pitcher Kyle Weiland to complete the deal.

The Red Sox certainly have the personnel in their farm system to complete a deal, yet many would question the financial logistics of committing to another $100 million long-term deal having handed out $142 million to Carl Crawford and $154 million to Gonzalez this past offseason. 

This is a legitimate concern, but the Red Sox have some money coming off the books at season’s end that would ease the financial burden of a potential Reyes extension. 

One contract that is coming off the books after the season is that of J.D. Drew. Drew’s departure will take $14 million off the payroll. It is widely believed that Jonathan Papelbon is in his last season with team as well. If he walks at the end of the season, the Red Sox would have $12 million more coming off the payroll. With Reyes’ arrival, the likelihood of the team picking up Marco Scutaro’s option for 2012 is slim, which clears another $5 million or so off the payroll.

With a few smaller contracts expiring, it would appear that the Red Sox would have the financial flexibility to complete an extension for Reyes if a deal is done. 

When the opportunity to deal for a player of Reyes’ caliber presents itself, you jump at it, especially when you have the resources that are at the fingertips of Epstein. 

Think about it Theo. This could be your chance to finally get the shortstop you have longed for. 

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With the New York Mets recent financial situation and the San Francisco Giants desperate need for offense and a real short stop, Jose Reyes has been one of the hottest names floating around MLB trade rumors. 

This is an intriguing idea for both teams. They have exactly what each other wants and needs. However, neither team will be bite the bait for a small price.

Reyes will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Mets are facing a $1 billion lawsuit due to their involvement with the Bernie Madeoff scandal. All that is for sure is that they will be reducing their payroll significantly in 2012.

If New York is not a postseason contender (in the highly competitive NL East) when the July 31 trade deadline rolls around, you can bet that there will be no more “Joseeeeeè, Jose, Jose-Joseeeeeeè, Josè, Josè” chants for Los Mets fans at Citi Field come August.

The defending World Champion San Francisco Giants have been plagued with issues in 2011 of similar magnitude but very different circumstances.

San Francisco won their championship in 2010 because of their dominant pitching staff and timely hitting. A band of misfits and castoffs was strategically strung together by mastermind general manager Brian Sabean. 

Sabean did everything in his power to keep his champions together, making only a few small moves during the offseason. However, fate destroyed his careful work when San Francisco was plagued by several majorly devastating injuries.

A team that has notoriously struggled offensively and barely strung across enough runs to secure wins for their staff has already lost almost all of it’s biggest producers at some point this season. 

Heart-breaking injuries to the comeback Pablo Sandoval, sensation Buster Posey, the consistent and reliable Freddy Sanchez and a few other utility players, have created a “giant” need for an offensive spark-plug. 

The Giants currently hold the sixth worst batting average in the majors and are last in runs scored.

Somehow they have managed to stay on top of the NL West within half a game of first place the entire season (proof that great pitching really does go a loooong way, my friends). Although the NL West is admittedly not the most competitive division to compete in, this has been no easy feat for the Giants, and they will need to make a move to stay there.

The Giants have a big hole at shortstop, especially with an aging Miguel Tejada picking up most of the playing time there and hitting just .226.

With second basemen Freddy Sanchez possibly out for the season and the middle infield positions being held down by high-potential but not so high-impact players who have been brought up to the majors in wake of recent injuries, the need for an offensive shortstop with speed and range just became a high priority for San Francisco.

If you looked up “Jose Reyes” in the dictionary, that is exactly what you would see. “An offensive shortstop with speed and range” and one having one of the best years of his career leading the league in runs and average with the second most stolen bases. 

If San Francisco wants to have a shot at repeating their title, or even remaining contenders for that matter, they will probably need someone of the likes of Jose Reyes to fill the void in 2011. 

What exactly would the Giants have to give up to make this happen?

New York needs good, young players, particularly pitchers. San Francisco has many very valuable young players and pitchers, but some may have too much future value to be traded. 

This could involve Giants top pitching prospects such as first-round draft pick Zack Wheeler, as well as young position players such as Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford, who both still have developing to do but have already shown potential at the big league level. 

Other players that will be targeted are members of the Giants top tier starting rotation.

Giants GM Brian Sabean will not give up his ace Tim Lincecum or workhorse Matt Cain. He would be lucky to get rid of Barry Zito in a package to the Mets. However, this could be even more costly for the Giants, who still owe the struggling lefty over $40 million and would likely have to buy out the rest of his contract.

With the year comeback player Ryan Vogelsong is having, you can bet that the Giants are going to hold on to him as long as he keeps up the best numbers and performance of the entire pitching staff.

However, No. 3 starter Jonathon Sanchez, who has had several shaky starts this season although he can be lights out when he’s locked in, has been relatively inconsistent with 38 wins and 44 losses in six seasons with San Francisco.

It might be smart for the Giants to include Jonathon Sanchez in a package with prospects to bring Reyes to SF. 

It all depends. Do the Giants want to give up the potential future success of their franchise over the next decade to bring Jose to the team for the rest of 2011? 

Yes, with the year Reyes is having, his addition would all but guarantee postseason success.

However, if San Francisco makes a trade for Jose, it would likely be a short term “rental,” as when he goes on the free agent market after the World Series they would have to re-sign him. 

Reyes is only 28 years old, and if he keeps up his All-Star numbers through the second half he will demand,and likely be awarded a big time superstar contract of the likes of those of Troy Tulowitski and Carl Crawford. 

The Giants will not sign Reyes to a long term contract. If they do, it will cost them.

Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson’s contracts are all up in the next few years. This is a team that is built around pitching, and it won them a World Series. If the Giants want to repeat as champions anytime soon, they need to save their money to keep the pitching staff intact. 

Look for a team with a higher payroll to sign Reyes for 2012. The New York Yankees? That’s a whole other story. 

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Fans of the New York Mets want Jose Reyes to stay. He is young, energetic and immensely talented and would be a cornerstone of any franchise. Unfortunately, the Mets will be better off if they let him go.

Picture you are the general manager of a major league franchise. You have a 27-year-old middle infielder who is one of the fastest players in baseball. He just had one of the best years of his career. He raised his batting average to well over .300, became an All-Star and a Gold Glover and even earned a few MVP votes. He has led the league in stolen bases a few times and cemented himself as a premier leadoff hitter in baseball.

You have to keep that guy around right?

Well, that player was Luis Castillo in 2003. Even more, Castillo helped lead his team to a World Series championship with the Florida Marlins. Fast-forward five years and he is now batting .245 for the Mets and can barely field his position. I am not saying that Jose Reyes will automatically fall as fast as Castillo did, but it is important to remember to be weary of players who build their careers based on speed.

The key to this situation is value. Throughout the decade, the Mets have gotten into trouble by signing free agents at the height of their value. Francisco Rodriguez had just broken the major league record in saves, Carlos Beltran tied the major league record of postseason home runs and Jason Bay was coming off the best year of his career. Omar Minaya gave these players long-term contracts and so far they have failed to meet their unrealistic expectations.

Right now, Jose Reyes is at the peak of his value. He is currently leading the National League with a .340 batting average and has a ridiculous 11 triples. As dynamic a player as Reyes is, it is unrealistic to believe he can keep these kinds of numbers up. For once, the Mets should take advantage of immediate value and attempt to get long-term value.

Reyes’ suitors include contending teams like the Red Sox, Reds and Angels, which could help the Mets bring back quality prospects for the shortstop. The most intriguing team to me is the San Francisco Giants. They can give the Mets 21-year-old LHP Maidson Bumgarner and/or 23-year-old OF Brandon Belt. Either of these players would help the Mets in the future, and they are already major league ready.

The biggest problem that will come from trading Jose Reyes will be the backlash from the fanbase. Mets fans have already grown tired of the administration and attendance has been down throughout the season. However, the fans should accept that the current team is not yet a contender. By the time the pieces are in place to succeed, Reyes and maybe even David Wright will be past their primes. If they can replace one of these stars with multiple pieces that can help them in a few years, the Mets should jump at the opportunity.

New Yorkers are not patient by nature. They do not want to wait to see their team rebuild and they especially don’t want to see them lose a superstar in his prime.

Nevertheless, Sandy Alderson was brought here not for one year, but to help create a championship team. This year’s draft showed that the team is not interested in fillers, but future championship pieces. With the return they get from the trade, they will hopefully add even more of those pieces. In a few years the franchise will be better off than having an aging, expensive Jose Reyes.

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