Kuzul

Sports are all about adjustments. In football, the quarterback must adjust the play based on what the opposing team is doing. It is the same in other sports as well. In-game adjustments at halftime and between periods are a necessity for success. Baseball is no different.

However, instead of adjusting at a half, players must make adjustments with every pitch. Management must also make adjustments—that is what the trade deadline is all about. If a team has a need, it is up to the general manager to make the proper adjustment to put his team in a better position for the second half.

The best GMs in the league are known for this. Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees, Theo Epstein of the Boston Red Sox , and Ruben Amaro of the Philadelphia Phillies all come to mind as recent examples. What do they all have in common?

They have all built World Series teams in recent years. They have all done it by using all of their resources, including midseason trades. They are all also GMs for bigger market teams. The city’s particular size and market makes a difference. It impacts the team by either hindering them or enabling them based on how much they can spend.

The New York Mets GM Omar Minaya is in a big market. However, he often makes small market transactions. He will acquire players who are past their prime such as Gary Matthews Jr, Frank Catalanotto, and Mike Jacobs (combined one home run, three RBI in 42 at bats).

He also will claim players who were waived by bad teams for terrible output. Brian Bruney is a classic example of a Minaya waivers candidate. Bruney posted an 0-2 record with a 9.64 ERA for a Washington Nationals team that is in the basement of their division at 39-50 as I am writing this article. Minaya has made cheap moves in the hopes that they pay dividends.

So far, they have not. Too often, he has not been the type of GM to make the big market midseason move. This may be attributed to his time with the Montreal Expos, before they were relocated to Washington DC. They were a prime example of a small market mentality.

They produced many great players but failed to keep them, players such as Larry Walker, Pedro Martinez, and Moises Alou . They let those type of players swim in the free-agency pool due to a small market, low budget mentality.

To be fair, Minaya does sign the big contract free agent in the offseason. He has no problem spending the Mets ‘ money in that regard. He has even done a remarkable job rebuilding the depleted farm system. With this said, he has never been the type of GM to make the midseason trade consistently. He would rather wait until after the deadline for a bargain.

Bargains almost always fail. Every small market GM searches for lightning in a bottle. A very small amount of them find it, and when they do it is fleeting. The best GMs in the league use the trade option as a weapon. It is a way of re-arming themselves for a second half playoff run. This aggressive mentality turns the teams they represent into winners.

If Minaya does not share in this aggressive mentality with this current team, they will not win. What’s more, this team is ready to win now and may be just one pitcher away from being complete, assuming Jose Reyes will get and stay healthy. If they fail to reach the playoffs due to another season of inactivity from Minaya , he deserves to go.

In fact, if he does not make a move by the July 31 deadline, he should be relieved of his duties on August 1. This team has had several seasons of inactivity under his watch. Those seasons all led to late-season collapses. The last time he made a significant trade deadline move, was in 2006.

That season, they came within an out of the World Series. Is that a coincidence? I am not so sure. It is most likely that this is further evidence for an aggressive mentality in this market. The small market mentality is not a good fit in New York. The fans and media alike expect big things in a big city.

That expectation can make or break a career. Even the career of someone in management. Management is just as responsible for results as the players and coaches are. They build the team and spend the payroll on the roster. If this current payroll does not produce a playoff, it reflects on the one who assembled the roster.

That would be Omar Minaya . If he assembled it and failed to respond to its needs, he is not capable of making this team a winner. A good GM must recognize weaknesses and correct them. If he cannot be honest toward this current roster and make the proper adjustments, he is no better than a small market GM for a team out of playoff contention.

As it stands, he is the GM of a team in the largest city in the country. He needs to make the big market type of moves to help his team remain consistently contenting. If he makes a move and the player does not work out, that is a different story. Then, at least he tried to improve the team.

However, this transaction silence and inactivity in recent July trade deadlines is divisional suicide. If the Mets fail to benefit from this trade deadline and strengthen their team for the next few months and beyond, than they are a small market team.

If that is the case, then they need a new strategy because a small market team mindset does not win in New York. It rarely wins in major league baseball or sports in general for that matter. That mentality never wins in the NL East.

To read more of my work, check it out at www.metsgazette.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

For all the heat Omar Minaya got over the off-season, it is about time we give him some credit.

While it was definitely warranted to question him in the past, Minaya has overseen a farm system that has provided some quality players for the big league team this season. I am talking about first baseman Ike Davis and starting pitchers Mike Pelfrey and Jonathon Niese.

Ike Davis has solidified first base for the Mets, a position that has not seen a full season of production since 2006.

Carlos Delgado never picked up his play in 2007 and while he went on a tear the latter half of 2008, his bat was pretty much non-existent the first half of the season. With the injury to Daniel Murphy the 2010 season was looking like much of the same with journeymen Mike Jacobs and Fernando Tatis splitting time at the position.

Luckily for the Mets, Davis hit well enough in Spring Training and the start of the season for the AAA Buffalo Bisons that there was little resistance to calling him up. While he is barely hitting .260 on the year, he has still provided power with 7 home-runs, great defense, and most importantly—hope for the future.

Pelfrey has flat out dominated from the start of the season. I do not think it is a stretch to say that I feel more confident when he takes the mound than when Johan Santana does. Pelfrey has gone 9-1 on the season with a 2.39 ERA. He has given the team half of the 1-2 punch they need, and gives the team loads of confidence every time he takes the mound.

Finally there is Niese. He came up last season and pitched pretty well, but suffered a nasty hamstring injury during his third start in the majors. The fear was he would not be able to recover enough to warrant a spot in the rotation to start the season.

That fear was put aside early as he pitched so effectively during Spring Training that Jerry Manuel put him in the second spot following Santana. During the season Niese has managed to keep the optimism going with a stat-line that reads: 3-2 3.61 ERA 45 K/ 19 BB. To follow that up, Niese had only one blemish in his last start, a double in the third inning. Despite that hit, Niese was perfect in a complete game effort where he shut-out the Padres.

Since David Wright and Jose Reyes were called up years ago, the Mets have failed to add impact players to their big league team.

This is Pelfrey’s third season, but following last year his career did not look promising.

While it has only been a few months, at this point it looks like Minaya has done a better job with the farm system than anyone has given him credit for. Not to mention the great acquisitions of Angel Pagan, Rod Barajas, Henry Blanco, Hisanori Takahashi, and RA Dickey.

Give Minaya a little bit of credit.

by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

(This article was originally posted on my personal blog, MetsJetsNetsBlog , and can be found here .)

July 30, 2004 is a day that lives in infamy for Mets fans of my generation.

The Mets were six games out of a playoff spot, not exactly contenders, but not exactly out of it. So, they decided to become buyers at the deadline.

That’s when arguably the worst trade since the Nolan Ryan deal came about. The Mets traded stud pitching prospect Scott Kazmir to Tampa Bay for Victor Zambrano.

Unlike most fans, I was a Zambrano supporter, believe it or not. At least he tried.

Zambrano was already injured when New York acquired him, with a messed up elbow that the Mets soon-to-be-former medical staff approved, despite insufficient medical reports.

It wasn’t Zambrano’s fault the Mets higher-ups traded their best pitching prospect for a run-of-the-mill starter. It also wasn’t his fault that New York traded their best pitching prospect for damaged goods.

Zambrano pitched parts of three seasons with the Mets. He’ll likely be remembered for his bizarre final appearance in Queens, when Zambrano’s screwed up elbow finally gave way. If you recall, he struck out Andruw Jones. Then, without warning, the pitcher ran off of the mound, and into the clubhouse, never to be seen again.

The Mets, of course, would go on to finish the 2004 season with a 71-91 record. Art Howe was fired, and Omar Minaya was hired to fix the mess.

I hate to rehash the memories of that fateful year, but I bring it up for good reason.

It’s starting to feel, to me at least, like this 2010 season is playing out like 2004.

Like 2004, the Mets have a lame-duck manager. It’s one of the worst kept secrets in baseball.

Like 2004, the roster is littered with young talent, in Mike Pelfrey, Ike Davis, and Angel Pagan, that is showing signs of stardom.

Like in 2004, the Mets have a top pitching prospect in Jenrry Mejia, who is being mishandled by people who shouldn’t be in charge of such decisions.

And, like 2004, the Mets are pseudo-contenders, middle-of-the-pack, and in prime position to sell if they don’t improve by the trading deadline.

That is, of course, as long as a stupid trade isn’t made in a desperate attempt to save someone’s job.

Why, I ask you fellow members of the Shea Faithful, does it feel as though Omar Minaya’s leadership hasn’t brought this franchise anywhere in his six years with the club, but back to square one, right back where the franchise was in September of 2004 when he got the job?

Wasn’t he hired to make this team relevant again?

Instead of fixing the Mets by being an intelligent, thrifty baseball mind (such as Rays general manager Andrew Friedman, for example) Minaya tried to rebuild the Mets by aimlessly throwing money at good players. He showed them the money to make them come to Queens, and make the Mets a contender again.

To his credit, the Carlos Beltran deal was a success in my book. As was the Billy Wagner signing and the Carlos Delgado trade, among others. Pedro Martinez, Manaya’s first big splash as Mets GM, was great for the first two years. Unfortunately, there were too many years in Martinez’s contract.

But, that’s what Omar Minaya did. He got his man, no matter how recklessly he had to spend to do it.

For every Beltran, Johan Santana and Endy Chavez acquisition, there was a Heath Bell-for-scraps, the J.J. Putz deal, and the Luis Castillo contract, etc.

Here we are, in 2010, with the fifth-highest payroll in Major League Baseball , behind only the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Phillies. Yet, the Mets are six games back of the Phillies in the division, 4.5 games back in the Wild Card, with a whole lot of teams in front of them. Their manager’s job is on the line in every series.

Will anyone be shocked if Minaya gets the boot after this season? Is there someone out there, maybe a Kevin Towers, or maybe even a John Ricco, who can oversee this franchise without running it into the ground?

I’m inclined to say yes, because I’m the optimistic Mets fan. But, it’s clear that something has to change.

2006 should not have been the peak of the Minaya era, but it’s obvious in retrospect that it was.

The Mets have gone in a circle over these past six seasons. From upstarts in 2005, to runaway kings of the National League to 2006, to chokers in 2007, to near-misses in 2008, and to rock bottom in 2009. 

Yet, the same people are still in charge.

Some people have criticized the Mets for having a weak off-season, signing only Jason Bay and wasting money on Chris Coste and Alex Cora.

But, I think the off-season was actually one of Omar Minaya’s best.

He didn’t give Bay too much money, all things considered. Most importantly, Minaya didn’t trade away our top prospects. Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, Jenrry Mejia, Jon Niese, Josh Thole, Wilmer Flores, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis are still here.

The Mets are going in the right direction, especially since they hired Terry Collins to run the farm system. They’ve got bright managers in the minors in Ken Oberkfell, Wally Backman and Tim Teufel. If they hire a guy to run the big league team, they need to find the right man for the job.

They need a 21st-century general manager to run the show. Someone who understands the value of pitching and defense, unlike the man in charge currently who talks about pitching and defense, but doesn’t walk the walk.

I want a general manager who can understand UZR and BABIP. I want a general manager who can talk the finer points of FIP and wOBA.

In other words, I want a general manager who can get us to the promised land. And keep us there. And that guy is not Omar Minaya. Not anymore. 

The man who’s responsible needs to get his walking papers after this season.

Thankfully, there is nowhere to go but up. This roster is too talented to fail.

They’ve shown the ability to play up to competition, like they did this weekend against the defending World Champions.

With the right leadership in place, from the General Manager on down, this team can be contenders in the near future. It’s only a matter of time.

Ya gotta believe.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Two years ago, Mets GM Omar Minaya went to Anaheim California to deliver Willie Randolph and Rick Peterson a pink slip. Randolph deserved better; if the Mets wanted to fire him, they should have done it that Sunday after the Mets split a double-header with the Texas Rangers at Shea Stadium.

Plus, Randolph brought the Mets out of the doldrums of the Art Howe years, taking the Mets to within one inning of the 2006 World Series.

Two years later, we see little difference in the work of the Minaya/Manuel administration.

In fact, times have gotten worse, not better.

If Omar’s outburst directed at Adam Ruben didn’t raise red flags, if Omar’s rather inactive offseason didn’t raise a red flag, than a 19-20 club that is tied for last in the NL East should be the cherry on top.

One would think.

Blame Jerry Manuel for batting Jose Reyes third. Blame Jerry Manuel for sticking with Oliver Perez and John Maine for far too long. You can blame Manuel for just about anything, but one thing you can’t blame him for is the fact that he has found ways to get some fight out of this undermanned team, a team he never put together.

In fact, like the photo above, Minaya has been virtually unseen all season. In fact I can’t remember him doing a public interview since that infamous November afternoon when he appeared on Mike’d Up with Dave Howard and Wilpon at his flank.

Minaya has failed. He thought he found gold when he acquired John Maine and Oliver Perez in 2006. Both pitched well that year, but as time has worn on it was fools gold! We have found out why the Orioles and Pirates were so willing to let those two go.

He thought he had enough pitching for the 2010 season, so he refused to even think about signing Jon Garland or Randy Wolf on the cheap. Both Garland (4-2, 1.88 ERA) and Wolf (3-3, 4.66 ERA) are pitching well for the Padres and Brewers respectively. And dare I say, Omar and the Wilpon’s refused to throw some $80 million at John Lackey, a bull dog who would have fit nicely behind Johan Santana? Lackey is 4-2 with a 4.86 ERA for the dreadful Boston Red Sox.

But these recent failures are not the only Minaya mistakes. Luis Castillo and his lackluster style of play, dropped pop ups and mediocre hitting was enough for Minaya to give him a four-year contract worth $6.25 million per year!! And there was a better second baseman on the market at the time of the deal in Orlando Hudson, who has stated in the past he wanted to be a Met.

Pedro Martinez? That worked out…for one season. The remaining three years with Pedro were marred by injuries and a Pedro who was a shell of his former self. That’s the way to spend $53 million isn’t it?

Even the minor league system is still thin. Yes, there are some promising prospects: Ike Davis, Jon Niese, Jenrry Mejia, Ruben Tejada, and Wilmer Flores, but Fernando Martinez has lost value due to injuries, and Bobby Parnell became a bust faster than you can say “go.” Three of these top prospects are already in the majors, which is a plus, but more has to be on the way if the Mets want to build a successful franchise for years to come—the development isn’t there.

Being a GM is not easy. One day you look like a genius, the next, a buffoon.

Nobody questioned Minaya in 2005 when he brought in Martinez and Carlos Beltran, and followed that up with Billy Wagner, Paul LoDuca, and Carlos Delgado in 2006. He was regarded as the genius, the savior, the man who knew more than Steve Phillips. Yet, the opposite has been proven true ever since.

Minaya should not be allowed to survive another manager; he must go, and go now.

John Ricco, the assistant GM, is not the answer; the last time the Mets promoted from within Jim Duquette proved to be more of a novice than Phillips. For the stench to completely abate, the Mets would have to blow every last one out of that office.

J.P. Ricciardi, formally of the Blue Jays, and Kevin Towers, formally of the Padres, are out there waiting for another top GM job.

Ricciardi was born in Massachusetts; he knows what the atmosphere of baseball in the North East is all about, having worked in the AL East. He played in the Mets’ minor league system, before joining revered A’s GM Billy Beane in Oakland as his assistant.

Ricciardi went to Toronto in 2002 and built a feisty team with the likes of Roy Halladay, Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, Aaron Hill, and Adam Lind. They could never really compete in the AL East because of the powerhouse Yankees and Red Sox, and never really had much revenue to stay competitive over the long haul. Yet, if Ricciardi had the payroll like the Mets, imagine what he could do?

Want another reason to think about Ricciardi with the Mets…he works on Baseball Tonight on ESPN, and shares the desk with some guy named Bobby Valentine.

Towers built a World Series contender in San Diego in 1998. His Padres had a lot of bumpy years ever since, a lot of that due to low revenue and time for its prospects to develop; Towers got the axe after another bad season in 2009.

Towers spent 14 years in San Diego, and is widely considered a guy with an eye for young talent, and an overall good guy. He found a star in Adrian Gonzalez and managed to keep him San Diego, in spite of constant trade rumors. Kevin Kouzmanoff, who leads the Oakland A’s in RBI this season, was a Towers draft pick in San Diego. Towers even got a steal when he acquired reliever Heath Bell from the Mets to be his closer.

Currently Towers is a scout in the Yankees orgainization—if an opportunity knocks to run a wealthier franchise like the Mets, Towers may jump at it.

So, whatever that 90 minute meeting was really about between the Mets brain trust, the next time it happens, Wilpon must make sure that Minaya packs up shop, before any Met coach ever does.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com