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If you’re a Mets fan, you are familiar with heartache. The very term “Mets fan” is synonymous with pain. This trade deadline has brought us too many moments of agony to rehash, but there are several that stick out in the collective memory of the fan of the Mets. These trades are the lemon juice in a cut type of transaction. They were the ones that really stung.

In the spirit of the MLB trade deadline winding down tomorrow at 4pm, I decided to take a look back at some of the worst mistakes the Mets have made in the trade market. It is not a fun task to undertake, but it is a necessary one. How else can we learn for our future if we do not examine the mistakes of the past?

Warning: to read this list, it takes a real fan, one that has courage and can remain realistic. This is not for the faint of heart. If you have heart trouble, please consult with a physician before reading this list, as the results of it may very well cause a stroke. It almost caused me one just compiling it.

5. Oliver Perez-

It’s been just about four years since Duaner Sanchez had that taxi cab accident. The ripples of that incident are still felt to this day in the Mets fan base. Why? The Mets acquired two pitchers on July 31st of that 2006 season. One was Roberto Hernandez and the other was the infamous and often documented Oliver Perez. What did they give up for them? Xavier Nady.

Okay, not a tremendous loss, but consider this: last season, the Mets and their fans were discussing the need for an outfielder that has power, so they go out and spend big money on Jason Bay. Bay still hasn’t “adjusted,” so they still need a power hitter in the outfield. Nady had two seasons of 20 and 25 home runs respectively during the time we’ve watched Oliver Perez struggle game after game.

Nady was hurt for a majority of last season and is struggling this season, but during the first few seasons after that trade, the Mets could have used him. Not to mention, the cut ties with Roberto Hernandez after that season. He did a solid job for them in ’05 and that part of ’06. They have had bullpen issues every season since. Then they cut ties with Sanchez eventually anyway. So the only remnants that remain from that day and that accident are Oliver Perez and his multiple seasons of an ERA over 6.00.

4. Scott Kazmir–

I remember this day like it was yesterday. Most older fans will say that a little later on too. But for now, allow me to set this situation up for you. Two seasons before that taxi cab accident that eventually brought us Ollie, there was another accident of sorts. An accident of impulse. On July 31, 2004, the New York Mets traded their highest scouted prospect, Scott Kazmir to the Tampa Bay (then Devil) Rays for Victor Zambrano. Not Carlos Zambrano, but Victor. Why? Because he had mild success against the Yankees.

Many fans have held this move much higher than # 4 for years, but looking at the overall numbers, it belongs here. The main problem is the word “potential.” Kazmir was exuding potential. Everyone deemed him the “next” Roger Clemens, only without the juice. He is a big lefty that throws hard. He wowed all of the scouts and opponents as well.

After the trade, he was a big part of helping Tampa Bay get to the World Series in ’08, helping many Mets fans cringe, though the Phillies won it, causing the fans here to cringe even more. Kazmir has been often injured and often struggling. He is not the pitcher that everyone has envisioned with a career 4.12 ERA. He is not the unhittable, but he is younger than Oliver Perez.

So, therefore, conventional wisdom would suggest that he could still turn it around with the right pitching coach. Though I am not so sure the Mets have that right now. What really made this so bad, was that Zambrano was often injured in his time with the Mets and sported a 4.45 ERA. You compare the numbers. I’d still take Kazmir.

3. Lenny Dykstra–

The day that Lenny Dykstra was traded was a terrible day in the Mets franchise history. No one seems to mention this trade, but it was awful. Lenny Dykstra AND Roger McDowell (the inventor of the hot foot) both were traded to a division rival, the Phillies. In June of 1989, the Mets moved two of their most beloved heroes of the ’86 Championship team and Dykstra eventually helped bring the Phillies to the World Series in ’93 while endearing himself to their fan base as he did with ours.

McDowell went on to Los Angeles eventually and continued success for several more seasons. What did the Mets get in return? Juan Samuel. The same Juan Samuel who sported a .228 AVG and was traded away just a few months later. So the Mets received nothing for these two warriors, Dykstra and McDowell, and they went on to help other teams to success. Another great front office move.

2. Nolan Ryan-

The name is equivalent to greatness and perfection. He was unarguably the greatest pitcher to ever pitch and he was a Mets player for a few short years of their early existence. On December 10, 1971, he was traded with a few other inconsequential players for Jum Fregosi. Who? The guy who managed in Philly and Toronto? Yeah, that guy. The guy who had a career AVG of .233 and only played 146 games with the Mets before being sold, not traded, to Texas? Yes, that Jim Fregosi.

So we received a forgettable player, who’s only real accomplishment was being an average manager, in exchange for the greatest pitcher of all-time. Don’t believe me, the numbers speak volumes, 5,714 strikeouts and 7 no hitters, the Mets still have none and he leads MLB history in both of those while being a Hall of Fame inductee since ’99. The Mets certainly pulled the trigger there, didn’t they?

1. Two words: “The franchise”. Tom “Terrific” Seaver –

He was simply put, the greatest Mets pitcher in the history of the team. Then, they traded him due to a dispute with management. That day is still referred to as the “midnight massacre”. It occurred on June, 15th 1977. The same day, the Mets traded Dave “King Kong” Kingman to San Diego.

As for Seaver, he posted a 2.57 ERA with the Mets in 12 seasons that included an attempt at making peace with them in ’83. He had 2,541 total strikeouts and 198 wins with the team. He, too, is a Hall of Fame member as of ’92. He led the Mets to glory and unexpected, miraculous success in both ’69 and ’73. He was the captain and leader of the Mets for more than a decade. After leaving the Mets, he, too, had a no hit game. He was a legend that deserved better from this team.

Perhaps the lack of perfect games or no hitters from this franchise is actually just the baseball gods getting them back for trading away so many legends. The old saying goes, the baseball gods giveth and they taketh away. In a more realistic way, the baseball gods giveth and the Mets front office taketh away.

Let’s hope that they do something this season to turn that around on this trade deadline. But knowing the history, they probably will not. In fact, all we really can hope for is that they don’t mess up too badly and trade away another future hall of fame inductee or world series winner.

For more of my work, please visit http://www.metsgazette.com

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Basbeall analyst Ken Rosenthal reported Sunday that the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals are in talks about trading Oliver Perez to Kansas City.

In return, the Mets would get veteran pitcher Gil Meche, who is currently rehabbing after his injury.

This trade would be dead even if it is made, as both are in their last year in their contracts, with each left with $12 million.

Not only is that situation similar, stats wise, too.

Perez and Meche are both 0-4, and their ERAs are hovering around above 6.

Meche might be able to regain his past sucess when he won 15 games in 2003, and 14 games in 2008 if he goes to the National League, as they have weaker lineups.

Many fans do believe that if Perez lands on an American League team, he would get pounded very badly.

But what would be the point of this trade, without adding in some players?

Outfielder Jeff Francoeur of the Mets is on the trading block, as the outfield is set with Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran, and Angel Pagan.

On the other side in Kansas City, they have the veteran reliever Kyle Farnsworth.

Keep an eye out on trades this summer, as many big ones have occurred already.

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The New York Mets are about to make Oliver Perez the most expensive left-handed specialist in the history of the game. The Mets will activate Perez from the 15-day DL today and will use him primarily as a left-handed specialist.

Despite having to pay Perez $12 million this year and $11 million next year, it’s actually not a bad idea for the Mets.

Is Perez one of the top-five most overpaid players in the game?

Absolutely.

But the Mets are doing the right thing by putting salary aside and trying to put Perez in the best position to succeed, and I think he can succeed as a left-handed specialist out of the pen.

Over his career, Perez has held left-handed batters to a .226/.315/.367 hitting line. The lefties’ .682 OPS against Perez is about 100 points lower than the righties’ OPS.

Here are the hitting lines for left-handed batters against Perez over the last three seasons.

2009: .200/.278/.363

2008: .158/.250/.271

2007: .206/.285/.340

So, as you can see, Perez has been getting lefties out both early and late in his career. Based on his past success, Perez should be able to get out one or two left-handed batters per game for the Mets.

Who knows? Maybe Perez can reinvent himself in this role. Heck, Darren Oliver was able to do it.  He has lasted 17 years in the majors, and is still going strong in 2010 (1.32 ERA in 41 IP).

Perez should be able to make it as a left-handed specialist. After all, he can’t be as bad as he was as a starter.

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Apparently, Oliver Perez is going to be activated off of the Disabled List for the New York Mets tomorrow, after making five poor rehab appearances.

Given Perez’s big league service, Perez has to approve a designation to the minor leagues. For whatever reason, Perez thinks he will be helping himself and the Mets by staying with the club, and the Mets front office has no option but to give him a spot on the 25 man roster, given that he has spent the maximum time allowed rehabbing an injury in the minors.

Jerry Manuel has made it clear that Perez isn’t going to see the mound very much, if at all. He is going to be buried in the bullpen, just wasting away a roster spot. In essence, Manuel is saying that Perez does not deserve a spot on this team.

Pretty much everyone on Earth agrees that Perez should not be playing on the Mets, let alone any team in the MLB. Except maybe Perez and his agent and extortionist Scott Boras.

Perez has been bad both in the majors and the minors. But what is worse is how much of a cancer he is to this organization. He is going to be wasting a spot on the major league roster on a team that is trying to make a playoff push, all while making $12 million this season and next.

What I don’t understand, though, is why are the Mets even bothering anymore. If Perez doesn’t want to accept a DFA, why don’t they just release him?

In my opinion, it’s hurting the Mets more that Perez is wasting a roster spot. If the organization is going to pay Perez to sit in the bullpen and force the Mets to play with 24 players, why don’t they just pay him to sit at home and not hurt the ball club?

It makes sense – if the Mets are paying him anyway, just get rid of him. That way, the Mets can keep their roster full of players that actually deserve a spot on the roster, and will actually help the team.

Right now, the Mets are carrying three catchers – Rod Barajas, Henry Blanco and rookie Josh Thole. All indications are, that when Perez is activated, the Mets will no longer be able to carry three catchers. If they have to demote one to the minors, chances are it will be Thole.

Yet, Thole has been the best offensive catcher by far for the Mets, and has maintained an average well above .500 in his stint in the bigs. While Blanco and Barajas have been awful at the dish, I wouldn’t be shocked if Minaya and company opt to keep the veterans up with the ball club.

Regardless, this dilemma should not exist for the Mets. They need to give Perez and his misguiding agent Boras an ultimatum: accept a designation to Triple-A (where he should be, and where playing would actually help his career the most) or you’re cut.

Perez’s contract is bad, and it’s holding the Mets hostage.  At a certain point, you just have to say, screw the money. Sure, releasing Perez is a waste of $12 million, but keeping him on the roster buried in the bullpen is a waste of $12 million and a roster spot.

I don’t even care about getting anything in return for Perez anymore. It’s not worth holding onto him. The Mets need to do what’s right for the franchise and the fans.

If they don’t? Well, have fun getting booed more than anyone in history Oliver!

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Oliver Perez pitched in front of Jerry Manuel and Dan Warthen, and Manuel said “He’s healthy and ready to go.”

Perez may be activated as soon as after tonight’s game. Josh Thole is in tonight’s lineup, but may be sent down after the game in Perez’s place.

Perez has been on rehab, and if the Mets do reactivate him, it’s not a given he’ll start on Thursday. He may be used as a lefty specialist and long reliever to eat up innings.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel did say he’ll advocate keeping Thole in the majors.

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The city of Chicago has seen its share of hard times. In 1871 they had a massive fire that lasted for days. It destroyed everything in it’s wake. The city rebuilt though and once again became a prominent destination in the United States, both economically and competitively.

They have had sports teams struggle in mediocrity and succeed to the heights of their profession. Among their teams are the Bears, who have such a storied history in the NFL that it speaks for itself and the Bulls, who have won many NBA championships and were the sports dynasty of the 90’s.

Just a week ago, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, the most prized trophy in the NHL.

Both the White Sox and the Cubs have tasted success as well, although the White Sox remain the only one of the two teams to win a World Series in the past century.

These days, despite all that success, the city is preparing for another fire of sorts: a fire sale. Both of the baseball teams are mired in over-sized contracts for players and have been underachieving.

Both the Cubs and the White Sox have openly discussed the possibility of trades for several players on each of the teams.

This rebuilding stage has led to other players wanting to be traded. The uproar has, and will, create a domino effect over the next month as the trade deadline looms closer.

As these teams unload their highest paid and most attractive talent, the frenzy can benefit a contending team.

Provided that there are teams that have a savvy general manager, I believe several other MLB competitors can grow stronger from the Chicago fire sale.

If a team is close to first or second place in their division, in other words if they’re in contention, expect them to become possible buyers for the talent that Chicago has to offer.

One such team is the New York Mets. They have a few weaknesses that, despite being a few games over the .500 mark, are still noticeable. They do need another starting pitcher to go along with their two aces, Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey.

The rumor swarm is buzzing all around the internet that the Mets are in serious contract talks with the Seattle Mariners for Cliff Lee.

However, the Mariners will be asking for a lot if they’re going to send Lee to Queens. In particular, they would want the man who just last week joined a small list of Mets pitchers to throw a one hitter, Jon Niese. To many fans, that will be too much to ask. Allow me to propose another alternative.

One player that does not want to stay around for the rebuilding in Chicago is Jake Peavy . 

Lee will be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Mets are not guaranteed the chance to resign him if they pull the trigger on that trade. So they would give up Niese and others for Lee for a half of a season.

Peavy may command just as much for the White Sox, but he is still under contract for several years. If the Mets have to include Niese in any package for a top tier pitcher, than it should be a pitcher under a contract like a Jake Peavy or a Roy Oswalt . Both have recently been rumored to being open to trades to contenders like the Mets.

Personally, I think the Mets should only pull the trigger if they can keep Niese and include someone else in a trade package.

There will be many mid-level starters open to trade as the deadline nears. Starters that would cost the Mets far less and still be productive for the team now and in the next few seasons.

These major trades are the hardest to pull off. The Mets would be more prudent if they were to think of small splashes instead of major tidal waves.

With this in mind, the Cubs have expressed interest in trading several players also. Players like Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukodome would cost far less for the Mets to acquire.

The Mets don’t have a need in the outfield, so Fukodome would not be worth any interest, but Theriot proposes an intriguing proposition. He is currently a .289 hitter with 14 stolen bases. He has been on winning teams, so he knows what that winning experience entails and what it takes to get there.

The Mets do need another starter, but they also need another utility infielder with a solid bat. They have tried Frank Catalanotto, Mike Jacobs, and Gary Mathews Jr. among others to fill that void on the bench.

Struggling defense or cold bats have led to all of them being demoted or released. The Mets still search for a bat to contribute in that part time role.

Theriot could be just that bat, and the Mets could get him with only giving up one player. Perhaps that player would be Nick Evans. I wrote on Evans being wasted in the minors. If the Mets don’t want to promote him to the majors or even to AAA to face better pitching, then perhaps they should consider using him as trade bait.

There are several players the Mets have to choose from at the minor league level. Despite the opinion of some, the Mets are deeper than most think in the farm system. Nick Evans makes more sense, though, because he has some experience at the major league level.

The Mets have a short list of untouchables. That list includes Johan Santana, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Mike Pelfrey, Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Francisco Rodriguez, Ike Davis, and Reuben Tejada.

Just about everyone else is up in the air. There are some players that no team would take off their hands. That list includes Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo, and John Maine.

The Mets have to be smart when they decide to make a move. They must consider financial restraints, roster depth, minor league depth, and impact on the current team. These are all factors. They can’t over spend and be stuck with an enormous contract.

They can’t trade too many prospects and leave the cupboard bare. They can’t tinker with the current team’s chemistry and cost them the confidence and unity that they have developed in recent games. However, they need to improve on a few aspects.

If the Mets can use the desperation of teams like the White Sox and Cubs to their advantage, they may be able to improve and not over spend or give up too much.

They must act with wisdom and patience if they are to make the right move for this current team. Otherwise, by the wrong deal or inactivity, they could be burned by the Chicago fire sale.

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This season has been full of surprises for the New York Mets . They have shown dominance at home and futile efforts on the road. They have had several injuries to key players, but these injuries have also been considered a blessing to some.

They have taken advantage of injured players and their vacated roster spots. Most notably, John Maine, Oliver Perez and Carlos Beltran. They have done this by inserting hungry players to take their place—players like Angel Pagan, R. A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi .

Take Dickey and Takahashi , for example. They have combined for a 7-2 record in nine combined starts and their ERAs are 3.20 and 3.80 respectively, compared to Oliver Perez and John Maine, who are a combined 1-6. Both are also sporting an ERA over 6.00.

Granted, Dickey and Takahashi have amassed this combined record in half of the combined starts, but are still impressive nonetheless. It is an estimated eight starts for the Dickey/Takahashi duo and 16 for the Perez/Maine combination.

Still, this has been a breath of fresh air for not only the ball club, but for their fan-base as well. Another case in point would be Angel Pagan. In his time with the Mets , he has shown flashes of greatness, only to have that fire extinguished by injuries.

Now he seems as healthy as ever and also as productive as ever. In his time so far this season, he has made the most of his opportunity. Going into today’s double header, he has a .294 batting average with four home runs, four triples, 25 RBI’s and 11 stolen bases in 56 games. In other words, he is not just taking advantage of his chances, but also of the ballpark in which he is playing.

While Carlos Beltran has been ridiculed and criticized for his poor decision to have surgery nearly a month and a half before spring training, Pagan has flourished. With all this good, warm sunshine on the roster, news of rain must come. Not the rain that forced a double header today, but rather an interesting tidbit of news on the rehab front for the club.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post , Maine and Beltran are making progress. Maine is preparing to make a few starts in the minors with the AA Binghamton club.

He begins his stint with the AA team on June 13. Also, Beltran has been starting split squad games down in Port St. Lucie under the careful watch of Mets’ brass and trainers.

This is all good news for them, but not necessarily for the team. If the Mets are to continue their rise in the standings and preserve team unity, they need to keep these hungry players around as long as they can. Keep in mind, the players that are being discussed in rehab assignments are part of the old regime.

Beltran has been under the continual microscope over the past few seasons due to his repeated comments about division rivals and rivalries. His stats when healthy have been wonderful, but he is not the best clubhouse presence. Some may even call him stale air as opposed to the fresh air of the youth that has been pumped into the locker room as of late.

Maine has been scrutinized for his heart and passion, after comments in spring training and poor outings so far this season. He is considering a move to the bullpen upon his return, which shows he is thinking of the team’s needs. Still, how effective will he be if he continues to show a lack of intensity, especially in that role?

Oliver Perez has been a constant distraction in the locker room and in the media. His open refusal to be demoted to the minors to work out his problems and unproductive outings have left him ostracized by both the media and the fans. Perhaps even the players may have alienated him for his selfishness as well.

This was followed by a controversial decision by the Mets to place him on the disabled list. That move has been investigated by the MLB and has since been approved, though the transaction had odd timing. A supposed injury to a disgruntled, struggling and cancerous-to-the-clubhouse type of player is a curious move indeed.

All of these players may be nice people, as written and reported countless times by the Mets and their media affiliates, but they are not helping the team with their controversy or selfishness.

The replacements, however, are helping the team in several ways. If these players are in fact riding a hot streak in their careers and the Mets are catching lightning in a bottle, then they must be given every opportunity to succeed.

By succeeding individually, the team will succeed collectively. That is the common goal—teamwork, dedication, and energy. These present players are exhibiting those qualities. The old regime has proven one thing: They can’t stay healthy long enough to be successful enough to make a run to the World Series.

The nucleus of this team is not getting younger, and their time and prime are dwindling down, game by wasted game, season by wasted season. The Mets roster has been turned over more times than a hamburger in a frying pan these past few seasons.

While the same few players that the franchise has been built around are stuck in mediocrity, the team as a whole has either come up short or come up lame.

If they are to contend, they need passion, heart and confidence . I have previously written about this in an article entitled “Five Things the Mets Need to Seriously Contend.”

In it I wrote the following:

“The swagger I speak of is that of confidence, not so much arrogance, but a realization that you’re good and can match up with anyone. They had that once, and they need to reacquire it, or else they will be doomed to mediocrity.”

These players bring that energy and confidence to every start and every at bat. If the Mets and their fans want all of the players to bring that energy and that air of confidence, then the Mets need to hang on to players that invigorate others.

These players not only do so, but they make the team stronger, deeper, and more exciting. That is something that has been missing for a few years now.

For more of my work, check out my blog- http://nyfaninsjersey.blogspot.com

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I’m hoping that Ollie Perez decides to walk (pun intended) away from baseball to open a hair salon so he can carve fancy lightening bolts in my sideburns, like he does with his.

He could charge $36 million dollars for a haircut.  And the same way he struggles repeating his delivery, he’d also forget how to cut hair in the middle of each cut, upon which a back-up barber would come in to finish the job.

And every time you ask Ollie the Barber to make an adjustment, like make the top shorter or the mullet longer, his phone would ring.  The man on the line is his agent Scott Boras, and the answer is no—he won’t do it.  

Ollie the Sideburn Architect doesn’t do a lot of things.  He doesn’t throw strikes.  He doesn’t care about his team.  He doesn’t care that the man who made him a multimillionaire would like him to go to the minors.  

Sideburns.  He does care about them.

So I’m hoping that Ollie takes his $36 million dollars of the Mets’ money, “walks” from baseball and opens up a hair salon.  I’m suggesting that he names it…

Cut From the Team Salon.

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It’s official. In order to make room for today’s start Jon Niese on the roster the Mets have placed Oliver Perez on the disabled list with what they are calling tendinitis in his knee . Yeah right, and if frogs had wings they wouldn’t bump their ass when they hopped.

That jokes refers to the fact that this is not a real injury. The Mets have twice asked Perez to take a minor league assignment so that maybe he can regain some confidence and enough stuff to become a productive member of the team. He has twice rejected them and instead of asking him, and being rejected, a third time, the Mets have simply decided to put him on the DL with a phantom knee injury.

This, however, only buys the Mets a little bit of time. He has to spend at least 15 days on the DL and then eventually has to play in some rehab games. After a certain number he must be activated or he has to give his permission to stay in the minors. We’ll see what happens with that down the road. Until then at least the Mets have 25 productive players (alright they actually only have 24 thanks to Henry Blanco ).

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The Mets suffered a pretty brutal 18-6 loss last night to the San Diego Padres that drops their record to 26-26 and into a three way tie for last place behind the Phillies and the Braves.

Here are some other notes

Hisanori Takahashi had his first bad start: 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.

Oliver Perez ’s agent apparently told the Mets to put the pitcher on the DL so he could go to Florida and see a sports psychologist and the Mets declined.

Carlos Beltran supposedly expects to play in an extended spring training game within a week.

Daniel Murphy is playing second base tonight for Triple-A Buffalo—for the first time this year. With Ike Davis at first base Murphy should only be playing second base. I don’t understand why they waited so long to move him over there.

So the Mets could have found a way to at least temporarily rid themselves of Perez and they passed?

And as far as Beltran goes, I’ll believe it when I see it.

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Related Stories:

May 26, 2010—Mets Notes: The Bullpen, Injuries, and Saturday’s Starter 

May 17, 2010—Takahashi To Make First Start of the Season

May 17, 2010—Jon Niese Left Game with Injury Scare

May 12, 2010—Mets Injury Updates: Beltran, Murphy, Igarashi

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