Mets are set for the long haul

ORIGINALLY POSTED JUNE 2006

OK, so we're up 9.5 games in the NL East and the All-Star break still isn't in sight. Like most Mets fans, I'm feeling pretty good about our chance to make some noise in October this year. Beltran is hitting to his contract, not his past performance, Delgado been the big bat in the middle of the lineup the Mets needed, Wright is meeting and exceeding expectations, and even Jose Reyes is managing to get some walks (now if he'd stop hitting fly balls...). Coming off of a 9-1 road trip the Mets offense looks like a juggernaut, pummeling even the ace of our opponents staff (Myers) and scoring in the first inning in 8 straight games. That's how you put your opponent on its heels.

Meanwhile, the pitching has been more than good enough. Dumping Julio for El Duque looks like genius now. Glavine and Pedro have done what they get paid the big bucks to do. And the back end of the rotation is looking young and capable with Bannister (before the injury) and Soler (more recently) looking major league ready.

So after we win the Series this year, how do the Mets pursue dynasty?

Well, reviewing the free agent options that are expected to be on the board this winter, there are a few interesting possibilities:

Alfonso Soriano could be brought in to fill the Mets biggest hole at second base. Valentin is filling in nicely for the time being but he is not the future. With Floyd's body in decline, and the ever-present threat that his productivity might finally start to drop off, the Mets would do well to add another RBI producing bat. Especially if they make the expected move of letting Floyd walk and giving Milledge his shot.

One never knows how a rookie will produce, and expecting him to be a run-maker in the middle of the lineup like Floyd is setting the bar too high. People forget what a service Willie did for Wright by keeping him at the bottom of the lineup while he got his major league bearings. I was at wits end with the hysterical-crew, with leaders like Benigno, who wanted him in the cleanup slot his third week with the Mets. I'm convinced that Willie deserves credit for bringing David along slowly, which has enabled him to take on additional responsibilities without hitting the wall the way so many young players do.

The same should apply with Milledge next year, which means a bat like Soriano's could play an important role in the offense. Ultimately, I think this move will not happen for three reasons: (1) he's probably going to be traded and locked-up by another team before the post-season; (2) the Mets could really use a left-handed bat at second base to preserve the great balance they've had in the lineup this year, since a righty in Milledge will be replacing a lefty in Floyd; and (3) I think Nady will emerge as someone who can handle the 6-slot responsibilities that Floyd currently occupies, and do it well. That said, despite Soriano's obvious appeal, I think the Metties will still be in the second base market after Soriano's off the board.

The guy who I think makes a lot of sense for the Mets is Adam Kennedy. He's proven himself capable of hitting .300 in the past, and is a lifetime .280 guy. He's a left handed bat, 30 years old, a gold-glove caliber fielder, and can likely be had for a lot less money than the big names that will be out there this winter, which will save up money for pitching. As a 7 or 8 hitter he would be more than adequate, a huge upgrade over say, Anderson Hernandez.

Starting pitching is where the Metties need to make some hay. Glavine and Pedro are doing the job, but next year will almost certainly be Glavine's last and Pedro's penultimate campaign. Top-of-the-rotation talent needs to be acquired that will go beyond the next two years. Pelfrey is being considered a top-three type pitcher right now, but even if he pans out as such in a couple of years, we'll need another playoff type starter next year and another one the year after that. The obvious name right now is Barry Zito, and I think the Mets need to throw money at him. He's been dependable, sucks up tons of innings, hasn't shown a lot of drop off from his earlier years (a la Mulder), is a lefty among a sea of young Met righties, still has another 5-10 years left in his arm (in all probability), and has a great rapport with Mets pitching coach (and former A's pitching coach) Rick Peterson.

So there's my wish list for this off-season to keep the dynasty going: Kennedy and Zito. The year after another starting pitcher might be needed for Pedro, if he retires post-'08 as he's already indicated he's considering, and we'll have to see how LoDuca's body is holding up behind the plate. But that's two years away. First, I want to enjoy the ride to post-season meaningfulness this year, and see the pieces put in place to maintain success into 2008.


Cross posted at The Occasional Observer