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Mets fans have wanted Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo off the team for a long time now.  They might get their wish very soon.  With all the negativity swirling around the Mets ownership with the Bernie Madoff situation, the team might be desperate to give the fan base something to be happy about.

Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo are great people but Mets fans can’t stand them as players.  They both have one thing in common: they are being paid too much money.  Perez is being paid $12 million a year to be mop-up reliever.  Castillo’s contract is not as bad as Perez’s but no team wants to pay an aged second baseman who can’t field anymore due to his bad knees.

Spring training is 10 days away and Perez and Castillo deserve the chance to at least try to win a job on the team.  As of now, it doesn’t look like they will get that chance.  Word around the Mets’ front office is that they might cut Perez and/or Castillo before spring training begins.

If the Mets do that, then they will finally give their fans something to smile about.  It may not be the right move to make regarding the baseball team, but it will cut the front office a lot of slack.

The Wilpons are in a mess right now and the fans aren’t too happy about it.  One way to make the fan base happy is to cut Perez and Castillo.

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New York Mets fans have been begging for Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez to be shipped out of Queens for a while now.  Both aging players have two of the worst contracts in the league, clearly not living up to their worth, and it will be almost impossible for the Mets to find a team that would take them in a trade.  That leaves the Mets with one option: cut both players.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson has made it clear that he doesn’t see the two players in the team’s future.  The only way that either of these two players will stay with the team is if they have a fantastic spring training.  It must be nothing short of fantastic though.

Alderson has a short leash with these two and will not give them any second chances.  That raises the question of when Alderson should cut them.

Some people want them gone as soon as possible, but I don’t agree with that.  I think that Alderson should see how they look in spring training.  Two of the Mets’ biggest holes are second base and a lefty reliever.  Castillo and Perez fit those roles.

Don’t think I’m crazy when I suggest this, but those two guys may be able to fill those spots nicely.  If they have a perfect spring training then I think that they should be kept on the team.  But, I mean perfect—one slip-up and they’re gone.

Let’s get a little more realistic, though.  Both players are due a lot of money, and even if they do shine in spring training, I’m not sure they can keep up that pace in the regular season. 

Here’s what I would do if I was Alderson:  If they both have perfect spring trainings, then I would keep Castillo and try to trade Perez.  If nobody wants Perez, then just cut him.

Oliver Perez has shown that the Mets can’t trust him and I don’t think that he deserves another chance.  He has already received too many.

The two players can save Alderson a headache and just go out there in spring training and stink it up.  Sandy would then just cut them and forget it.  That would set a great tone for the team and let them know Alderson expects them to compete.

My final answer is that the Mets should cut Castillo and Perez the second that they start to falter.  I respect both men as people, but not as players.  If and when the Mets cut them, then I will be happy, but I also hope that they will find success elsewhere and have good lives. 

Either way, they still need to be gone at the first sight of bad play.

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Earlier today, New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson sat down with ESPN’s Adam Rubin and addressed several of the issues surrounding the team heading into 2011.

Rubin is an excellent Mets writer and definitely asked the questions fans are most concerned about. Alderson, to his credit, answered all of them fairly well, but left a lot to the interpretation of the fans.

Chief among the issues addressed by Alderson were the Mets’ second base competition, the fifth starter, the use of Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo next season, and potential multi-year deals for several Mets players.

I’ll review the most important questions posed by Rubin, and Alderson’s answers, and give my analysis. Any comments or thoughts…leave them below.

Rubin: You’ve wanted to maintain flexibility for spending in future offseasons. Would that preclude a multi-year deal for any of those arbitration-eligible players?

Alderson: “I wouldn’t rule that out necessarily. Certainly we want to maintain flexibility for next year, but we also want to have flexibility in solving some of the issues we face this year. I wouldn’t entirely rule that possibility out.”

The arbitration eligible players in question are R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey and Angel Pagan. All three are arbitration eligible and Alderson said there hasn’t been much negotiation thus far, and there probably won’t be until the figures are exchanged between the two sides on Jan. 18.

Dickey, at the age of 36, will finally get his first shot at a big pay day. Last season, Dickey went 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA and was arguably the Mets’ best pitcher.

Most likely, Dickey will receive a significant pay raise through arbitration, but wont receive a multi-year deal until the Mets see he can duplicate his 2010 numbers.

Mike Pelfrey (15-9, 3.66 ERA, 113 SO) is poised to receive the biggest raise of the three arbitration eligible players. He made just $500,000 last season, and that could increase to $3-4 million for Pelfrey, whose agent is Scott Boras.

Pelfrey is certainly deserving of a mutli-year deal, given his ability, age and the lack of starting pitching depth heading into 2011. Alderson may want to maintain payroll flexibility heading into next year, but Pelfrey needs to be locked up. I don’t think a four-year, $48 million deal is out of the question.

Angel Pagan, 29, had a breakout season in 2010.

He hit .290 with 11 home runs, 69 RBI and 37 stolen bases. He showed he is capable of playing all three outfield positions, but the majority of his starts came in center field. Depending on where the Mets choose to play Carlos Beltran next season, Pagan could, once again, serve as the Mets’ center fielder.

Pagan made $1.5 million last season, a figure which could double though arbitration. Beltran is a free agent after this season and could be dealt at the trade deadline. If the Mets see Pagan as their center fielder of the future, he could receive a multi-year deal. The Mets do have other outfield options, such as Fernando Martinez, and may chose to keep that payroll flexibility by holding off on a multi-year deal for Pagan.

We’ll wait and see what the Mets do, and Alderson said they’re not looking to use multi-year deals as a way of settling arbitration cases.

Rubin: As far as needs for the remainder of this offseason, the Chris Capuano signing does not preclude you from adding another starting pitcher? And how likely is it that you add a starting pitcher of that caliber/contract or greater?

Alderson: “First of all, signing Capuano does not preclude us from signing another starting pitcher. I’d like to sign another starting pitcher — probably the same type of deal that Capuano has [$1.5 million base, with roughly $3 million in performance incentives]. I am hopeful of signing another starting pitcher.”

The Mets’ payroll limitations have kept their focus on low risk/high reward-type players. Two of their offseason signings thus far (Capuano and Taylor Buchholz) certainly fall under that category.

Signing Capuano, though he does have a lot of potential upside, does not immediately solve the Mets’ issues at the No. 5 spot in the rotation, and they should look to add at least two other candidates. The Mets have been connected with names like Jeff Francis and Chris Young, both of whom are coming off injury, and Alderson said the progress with both of those players is “beyond the discussion stage.”

There haven’t been any formal offers yet, but certainly the Mets are in need of starting pitching. It’s unlikely they’d bring in Capuano, Francis and Young, as any one of those could fill the fifth spot, but the No. 4 spot is also possibly open, although Dillon Gee has been penciled into that spot for the moment.

Rubin: In terms of left-handed relief, do you foresee signing someone to a major league deal, or someone very capable to an invite to spring training? Or is the current roster of contenders (Oliver Perez, Mike O’Connor, Eric Niesen, Roy Merritt) the entirety of who is under consideration?

Alderson: “The short answer is yes, I do anticipate signing — or certainly trying to sign — someone to fill that role for us.”

The loss of Pedro Feliciano hurts the Mets bullpen in a big way. He was the Mets’ most reliable reliever (MLB-high 92 appearances in 2010), and he owned the big lefty bats of the NL East. Without him, the Mets need to find a way to keep guys like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Brian McCann in check.

No Mets fans wants to see Oliver Perez anywhere near the team in 2011 (and Alderson also addressed that issues which I’ll discuss later), but lack of options may leave them no choice. Out of the in-house candidates Rubin mentioned, only Mike O’Connor posted any numbers in the minors to get excited about. In 51 appearances, O’Connor went 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

Pat Misch is another in-house possibility, but he can’t be expected to fill Feliciano’s shoes. In terms of free agent lefty relievers, Will Ohman, Joe Beimel and Ron Mahay are available, probably on the cheap. The arm the should target though, if the price is right, is Brian Fuentes, who held lefties to a .128 BAA and righties to a .202 BAA.

Note: Rubin asked Alderson whether or not any Mets personnel had gone to Mexico to see Oliver Perez pitch in person. Alderson replied, “Nobody has gone yet. That hasn’t materialized, and it may not at this point.”

Rubin: In terms of second base, Luis Castillo — in addition to Oliver Perez — is a lightning rod for the fan base. If Castillo does not win the second base job, is there another role for him on this team? He does not have a lot of pop, or run-producing ability as a pinch-hitter. And I don’t know that he’s capable of playing multiple positions. Is it kind of second base or bust for him?

Alderson: “Well, that’s certainly his best role on the team. If he’s going to be on the club, it probably will have to be as the regular second baseman, or somebody who plays quite a bit of the time at second base. He just doesn’t give us enough coverage other places to play a utility role. So I would say he needs to have a role on the team. And I think that’s probably his best and maybe only role — regular duty at second base.”

Castillo appeared in just 86 games for the Mets last season, 74 at second base. Castillo is due $6 million next season and much like Oliver Perez, most Mets fans want him kept away from the team in 2011.

Luckily for the Mets, Alderson certainly gave the impression that Castillo’s only option for making the Opening Day roster is as the starting second baseman, and the Mets have a lot of in-house candidates for the position to compete. Rule 5 pick Brad Emaus, Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner are all potential second basemen and were impressive in the Winter League this season.

The Mets also traded for infielder Chin-lung Hu, but Alderson has said his role is most likely as a bench player and back up middle infielder.

Castillo has a lot of competition heading into Spring Training and if he can serve no other purpose other than second base, it may be that Mets fans will get their wish and Castillo will be given his money and shown the door.

Rubin: Johan Santana’s timetable for picking up a baseball and tossing following shoulder surgery had been moved up to early January. Has that occurred yet? Is it imminent?

Alderson: “I think he’s supposed to be seen by doctors this week or next — maybe this week — to get a clearance to do that. So I would expect once he obtains that clearance he will go ahead and start throwing. I don’t think that has occurred yet.”

No one can question former Mets GM Omar Minaya’s decision to trade for Johan Santana. At the time, Santana was arguably the best pitcher in baseball and even now, the trade was a steal for the Mets. However, given the Mets’ inability to score runs for Santana and the fact that Santana’s seasons have ended in injury three straight years, his presence in the rotation has been inconsequential.

That said, the Mets desperately need Santana to come back from injury if they’re going to have any chance of contending in 2011. At the moment, the timetable for Santana’s return is some time around the All-Star break. If the Mets are anywhere near contention at that time, and Santana pitched well after his return, that would be a huge boost to the team.

For now though, Mike Pelfrey moves into the No.1 spot in the rotation and the Mets will hope R.A. Dickey can repeat his 2010 success, Jon Niese continues to develop, and the Mets’ No. 4 and No. 5 starters produce.  

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Despite the gripes of New York Mets fans, Luis Castillo will at the very least be in spring training this season vying for the starting second base job that he once possessed.

He no longer has the range of his younger self and has also lost a step or two on the base paths.

But the one thing about Castillo to keep in mind is that he is owed a ton of money in the final year of his contract. Omar Minaya signed Castillo to a four-year deal after the 2007 season.

Part of the reason was to lock up a familiar face for Johan Santana. Santana and Castillo had been teammates, albeit briefly, in Minnesota.

What’s done is done and you can’t change the past. In my last article about shaping the Mets’ 2011 bench, I constructed the bench with the assumption that Castillo would be the starting second baseman.

Now, obviously I nor do many know what will happen during spring training and beyond this season. But since there aren’t exactly teams lining up for Castillo’s services and he is owed a good chunk of cash, maybe the Mets would best be served by letting Castillo play out the final year of his contract in a starting role.

Personally, I think Castillo should have been sent packing awhile ago. After he hit .302 two seasons ago, there must have been some team willing to trade for him, assuming the Mets paid some of his contract.

I know I’m bound to be attacked for this proposal, but the following might be a situation in which the Mets can get the most out of Castillo.

If Castillo happens to show enough to win the second base job and if he proves he at least somewhat has his legs back, the Mets should consider hitting him ninth in the order. That’s right, hit Castillo after the pitcher.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa has had some success with this in the past, more so though because his pitchers could actually hit a little.

The Mets would do it for a different reason. Though Castillo in his prime was best suited as a No. 2 hitter, Angel Pagan has solidified that spot in the order. In my mind, hitting Castillo eighth is useless.

Despite his flaws, the man can still bunt very well and is a decent base runner. However, the idea of having him in the ninth spot wouldn’t be to move runners over. That’s the pitcher’s job.

Castillo would serve as a second leadoff man. If the pitcher makes the last out of an inning, the Mets would have Castillo, Jose Reyes and Pagan in that order. That combination of speed and bunting ability could set up the Mets with some great scoring chances. It would then be up to David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Jason Bay to drive them in, which is a completely different can of worms.

Naturally, having the pitcher hit eighth would mean that the pitcher’s spot would come to the plate more often. It’s definitely a risk and something that doesn’t need to be employed every game, unless it’s working of course.

And again, this is only a suggestion in trying to make the most out of the parts we have. If Daniel Murphy, Brad Emaus or Justin Turner wins the second base job, I would feel more comfortable batting him seventh or eighth and not ninth.

I wonder if Terry Collins has at least pondered this scenario with Castillo. Yes, it’s risky, but it can also be a way to give some value back to a former All-Star caliber player.

Happy New Year everyone! Let’s hope for some Mets success in 2011.

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It’s always sunny in Philadelphia recently, but the prediction in New York is stormy weather for the foreseeable future. There are a lot of holes in the Mets organization, and the fans are sick of being rained on, over and over again. This list encapsulates the top nine ten players, theoretically an entire team, that the Mets need to replace during the 2011 season.

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The Mets now have to contend with the quartet of pitching that is the Phillies. Not to mention a young Atlanta team that seeks revenge. Florida? We’ll see. And then, there are the up and coming Nationals, with a hot new pitcher, albeit hurt, a catcher quickly gaining attention, and a multi million dollar Jason Werth deal. Not to mention Nyger Morgan, who brings his quirky optimism, but also isn’t afraid to charge the mound. Count on them in the not-so-near future. So what do the Mets need to do to contend? Well…

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With the Winter Meetings in full swing, teams are scrambling to find pieces to add. The New York Mets held nothing back in telling fans that they wouldn’t be big players in free agency, but would be bringing back players.

So far, the Mets have added backup catcher Ronny Paulino (one year, $1.3 million) and reliever D.J. Carrasco (two years, $2.5 million). They have also been in talks with the Boston Red Sox concerning a trade involving outfielder Carlos Beltran.

To say the Mets have not been involved in free agency is unfair, whether you think their signings up to this point are poor. However, Alderson never said the Mets were going to be in the running to land the bigger free agents; guys like Carl Crawford, Cliff Lee, Rafael Soriano and Jayson Werth.

This afternoon, I put on the radio to listen to Mike Francesca on WFAN New York. His opening topic was the Mets and whether or not fans would be going to the games next season after watching what the Mets have done so far.

His contention was that if the Mets are unwilling to call 2011 a rebuilding season and insist they can contend in the division, they need to show fans that they’re willing to make the moves for that to happen.

A fair point.

The majority of callers said they wouldn’t be going to games, buying Mets memorabilia or basically giving them a single dime of their hard earned money because the Mets aren’t making the “right moves”.

So, I started to wonder, what exactly are fans expecting? By all reports, the Mets only have $5-10 million to spend this offseason, which is not going to land them any high-impact players.

But are you, the average Mets fan or season ticket holder, willing to attend games and support a team that says they’ll contend in 2011, but clearly doesn’t have the personnel?

Let’s look at each side of the argument.

Pro-Alderson

If you’re pro-Alderson, you’re willing to go to these games and spend your money because they’re your team. They’ve been your team for many seasons, perhaps, and you’re not going to turn your back on them.

At the end of the 2010 season, in which the Mets fans watched their team finish four games under .500 and fourth in the division, the Mets clearly needed to deal with GM Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel.

Since Minaya took over as general manager following the 2004 season, the Mets were a combined 506-466, but collapsed and lost division leads in historic fashion in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

Jerry Manuel, who took over for Willy Randolph during the 2008 season, managed the Mets to a 204-212 record.

Both were fired at the end of last season. The Mets then hired Sandy Alderson as general manager and Terry Collins as manager.

Alderson is going to need time in order to get the Mets back to where the fans want them to be—on top of the division and playing serious October baseball.

At the end of next season, when the contracts of Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez come off the books, the Mets are going to have a lot of money to spend.

Until then, we need to be patient and let Alderson make the signings and trades he needs in order to make the team as good as possible for 2011 and they’ll eventually return to their 2006 form.

The Mets aren’t going to be able to sign big name players, so they’ll have to do the best they can. But, this is our team and we’re going to be out in force to support them in 2011!

Pro-Mets Fans

After watching the Mets win the division in 2006 and come within one win of the World Series, they proceeded to take massive steps backwards. In 2007, they lost 12 of their last 17 games in September before eventually losing the division on the final day of the season to the Philadelphia Phillies and were once again eliminated on the last day in 2008.

Since then, the Mets have only gotten worse. 2009 was plagued by injury and 2010 saw them finish under .500 and fourth in the division.

Though they’ve added big players in the last few years (e.g. Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez and Jason Bay), they’ve never really accomplished anything.

The tickets are too expensive to watch a sub-.500 team and, if the Mets aren’t going to put a winning product on the field, we’re not going to spend any money at the stadium.

The Philadelphia Phillies have a higher payroll than the Mets, yet charge their fans less for tickets and concessions.

No matter how much money they have to spend this offseason, they don’t look to be getting any better and if it could actually be worse in 2011 than 2010, there is no way anyone will take the time to go to Citi Field.

Which ever side you’re on, your argument is probably something like ones above. You’re either going to the games no matter how bad the Mets might be because you love your team or you’re not going to support them at the stadium because they’re not giving you anything to look forward to.

Personally, I fall under the dummies at the stadium. I plan on going to the games and wearing my Mets jersey in public because they’re my team and I’ve supported them through worse. At least we have a new general manager with a new direction and a new manager who might light a fire under some of these guys.

I understand they don’t have the payroll to make big moves, but I actually think D.J. Carrassco was the lone bright spot in the Arizona Diamondback bullpen last season and might actually be better in the pitcher-friendly confines of Citi Field.

If you’re not going to Citi Field out of spite or to protest the team, that’s fine. The lines for the bathroom are long enough already.

Have an opinion, want to defend your position on the team or any suggestions for moves the Mets should make? Leave them in the comments sections.

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The New York Mets have finally taken the right steps towards building a respectable front office. They’ve brought in Sandy Alderson to be general manager, J.P. Ricciardi to be a special assistant and Paul DePodesta to be vice president of player development and scouting.

That’s all fine but those guys don’t play and even when the new manager is signed, the team is still the same on the field. Luis Castillo, Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez to name a few, are still on the roster.

Perhaps Beltran is healthy and can play out his final season but it shouldn’t be a given. In a walk year, Beltran is motivated to earn a final big contract from another team. If the Mets feel he’s healthy enough to play 145 games in 2011, then there should be other teams interested in trading for him.

Right now, the Mets outfield consists of Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran and Angel Pagan. Bay still has to prove he can play in New York and Pagan may be better suited to play center field daily.

Plus, Beltran just brings a bad feel to this team. There’s always something about him and it may be time to part ways one year early.

It’s either that or change up the core, but Jose Reyes has already had his option picked up and David Wright was phoned and told he’s staying.

If the current three of Reyes, Wright and Beltran all remain Mets, it would be the seventh season of that trio, and still only one playoff appearance. Eventually those kinds of groups have to be split up. It’s not as if they’ve done what the Yankees’ “core four” have done.

Looking at the other players who should be cut or traded just because it’s the right thing to do, three guys come to mind.

Of course, right in the center of that conversation is Oliver Perez. There’s no point in giving an explanation as long as you are a true Mets follower, and he must be cut.

Just like Beltran, he has one year remaining ($12 million) but he can’t be traded. It wouldn’t hurt for the Mets to eat the money because they’ve said they’re not signing any big free agents anyway.

Another guy that must go is Luis Castillo. He can’t do anything anymore. The only thing he’s good for is slap hits to the opposite field. He has no power whatsoever, can’t steal anymore with bad knees and carries around a bad attitude on the field. He always shows bad body language after making an error or doing something wrong at the plate.

He can be traded because there are teams, notably the Cubs, who have shown interest in him. The Cubs you’d figure are going to rebuild next season. Lou Piniella is no longer the manager, the team has had bad seasons, and they traded some players away last season. Derrek Lee, Ryan Theriot and Ted Lilly are gone, and perhaps they’d make a trade for Castillo.

Another team could be the Mariners if they swap bad contracts. Chone Figgins could come the Mets way if possible and produce in a change of scenery situation. The bottom line is, there are options for getting rid of Castillo.

The final player the Mets should trade away, although they’ve said he’s returning, is Francisco Rodriguez. He’s only going to be 29 years old by the start of the season and he obviously can still close games, but there are two reasons why he should leave.

First of all, who knows where his head is at with the problems with his girlfriend. The second thing is, why bring back any negativity from the disaster that was the 2010 season?

The problem with letting him go is that the Mets didn’t re-sign Hisanori Takahashi and by not going after big free agents, they wouldn’t have a closer in 2011. There aren’t any available ones on the market anyway and Bobby Parnell won’t cut it.

The point is, this current Mets 25-man roster can’t stay the same. Year after year, the Mets have kept the same players and have gotten nowhere and with a new front office, things must change. If a couple of the aforementioned players aren’t let go, the Mets will have another irrelevant season.

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The players in Major League Baseball are no doubt their own fraternity that goes beyond what most fans can comprehend, but where does fraternity end and distraction start?

Many players do not spend more than a few years with any given team so changes in teams and bonding with new teammates is a big part of being a professional baseball player. 

Team loyalty has given way to free-agent market exploration for the big contract that will keep a player and his family secure for several years.

Players from the same country, county, city or neighborhood in the US or in Latin America can end up on different teams but the bond will still be there on and off the field.  Baseball is a game and it is supposed to be fun.  The verbal interaction between players at home plate and on the base paths is a part of the game.

Their lifestyle of travelling, training and competition is what bonds them together, no matter what country they are from, and winning the game is the objective, regardless of any language barrier that may occur within a team.  Players are American, Latin and Asian descent so many teams are a melting pot of players and cultures. 

After the season ends, players return to their home countries or states and spend quality time with their family and long lost buddies.  More importantly, time is needed for their bodies and minds to heal from the long stretch of playing baseball that starts with Spring Training in late February..

A big part of the winter months is spent conditioning and training to ensure that they are fully prepared for the next season.

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The Mets have a lot of decisions to make this fall and winter, including GM, Manager, Coaching Staff and roster changes.

One of the most controversial positions for the last few years has been second base. Luis Castillo started 2010 as the everyday second baseman, but a heel injury sidelined him for most of the first half. 

After the All-Star Break, Castillo returned but was still hampered by foot pain, which made him ineffective and tentative. He eventually lost everyday status to Ruben Tejada. 

Obviously, this did not go over well with Castillo as he knew that his future on the Mets was in jeopardy.  He is owed approximately $12 million in 2011, which the Mets may decide to swallow in order to make a deal for a new second baseman.

Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy may both be given the chance to audition for the job in spring training, or a trade involving either Dan Uggla or Orlando Hudson may make the competition even fiercer this spring.

Murphy was in line to begin preparation for the role of second baseman last year before he had a knee injury in spring training.  He would have returned to the team early in the season, but a takeout side in a rehab game ended his season before it had a chance to begin, so he is playing in winter ball and made his debut last night.

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