Defending Omar Minaya and the Mets' Inactivity at the Trade Deadline

Tell me if you've heard this one before. The New York Mets head towards the trade deadline with rumors they'll acquire a stud pitcher, only for Omar Minaya to do nothing and the Mets fans call for his head.

This seems to be an annual event in the Major League Baseball season. Mets fans have every right to be frustrated with their team, owner and general manager and anybody that thinks Minaya should have been fired months, if not years ago, is not wrong. However, this one time I have to defend the Mets stance on not making any changes at the trade deadline.

Even though Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel can be blamed for a lot of problems the Mets had in the past few years, the failures of the 2010 season lies squarely on the shoulders of the players. The Mets have a good team on paper and the players just aren't getting it done. The Mets have assembled perennial All-Stars at third base, shortstop, left field and center field. In right field they have a player that is becoming a break out star. At first base and catcher (assuming Josh Thole continues to play) two of the Mets young players are shining.

The Mets starting pitching has been solid at worst and really good at best. Johan Santana is in the midst of his usual second half domination. Jon Niese has been a number two pitcher since the beginning of June, Mike Pelfrey is starting to fade but had a great first half and R. A. Dickey has an ERA almost a full run lower than all of them.

The fans have been adamant about getting a starting pitcher at the trade deadline but why? The Mets have four very capable starting pitchers. Takahashi will have some good starts and some bad starts, but he's the fifth starter, who cares? Yes, the Mets could get another starter, move Takahashi to the bullpen and improve the starting rotation and bullpens but it wouldn't make much of a difference on the Mets current standing.

The New York Mets fell out of contention in the month of July, but their pitchers had a 3.43 ERA for the month. Meanwhile, that San Francisco pitching staff that made the Mets hitters look like the Gas-House Gorillas in the Bugs Bunny baseball cartoon had a 3.41 ERA. The Mets in the month of July pitched as good as anybody.

The reason the Mets dropped out of the race is due to a .227 batting average in July and a National League low 88 runs. How does giving away their top prospects for a 2 month rental of Cliff Lee fix a .227 batting average? Cliff Lee is a great player but his .132 career batting average will not help much.

The most refreshing aspect of the 2010 season is also the Mets biggest downfall at the trade deadline. In 2010 the New York Mets uncharacteristically decided to let the talented young players get a chance to play. When the Mets started looking for trade deadline partners almost all of them wanted Ike Davis, Niese or Thole but all three are now ingrained in the current Major League team. The Mets only options were to give up a player that is contributing to their current team or give up their best prospect, Jenrry Mejia. The Mets were right to balk at those choices.

Unfortunately the Mets fans will have to accept that they are not playoff contenders in 2010 but 2011 looks bright. Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran playing like they are capable would completely change the team's standing in the National League and if you're looking for optimism with the two Mets stars look no further than the other two stars.

Bay and Beltran are in the same position that David Wright and Jose Reyes were earlier. Wright had the worst season of his young career in 2009 but after a year of playing in Citi Field he is back to normal. Who is to say that Bay doesn't also need the same one year adjustment?

Meanwhile Reyes came back from almost a year of being injured and needed some time before he was himself. Likewise, it is going to take Beltran some time to be back to normal. In 2011 all four could be back to normal to go along with the emerging Angel Pagan and a more experienced Ike Davis and Josh Thole. The offseason will also give the Mets the opportunity to get that fifth starter without giving up any current starters, Takahashi can go back to the bullpen and hopefully something will happen with Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo.

For once Omar Minaya and the New York Mets did the right thing by sitting out of the trade deadline mix. Of course, if the New York Mets started the 2011 season without Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel then you'll get no complaints from me.

Sources:
Bill Madden, New York Mets GM Omar Minaya sits on hands as Phillies acquire Oswalt, increase stakes for Manuel, NYDailyNews.com

Andy McCullough, Mets GM Omar Minaya 'not able to find right fit' at traded deadline, The Star-Ledger