Although Mets’ fans continue to look at the standings and are bewildered as to how this team is only 5.5 games out of first, one thing is for sure. The Mets are going to be sellers at the trade deadline, barring a miracle.
Across town, the Yankees are neck and neck with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, while Tampa Bay and Boston would need to go on a winning streak to get back in the race. Although the Bronx Bombers, as they call them, are in contention, they’re still a couple pieces away from completing the puzzle.
The Mets can help, unfortunately.
There are two guys who match up well with the Yankees current issues, which lie at the back end of the rotation and at second base. Brian Roberts is hitting .244 while Kelly Johnson is hitting .225. That’s not exactly the .332 clip that Robinson Cano is sporting in Seattle right now.
Cue Daniel Murphy. He’s hitting .299 with a .355 on base percentage. He was one year left on his deal after this season before entering free agency. Although the argument can be made that he’s been the Mets’ most consistent hitter, it may be time to cash in.
The back end of the Yankees’ rotation has been scary, with the main issues revolving around Vidal Nuno. He enters Saturday’s game with a 1-4 record and a 5.88 ERA. The Yankees are hoping they’ll eventually have the returns of C.C. Sabathia and Michael Pineida, but nothing can be taken for granted. They’ve also gotten more from Chase Whitley than anyone expected.
Cue Bartolo Colon. He’s 7-5 with a 3.88 ERA on a lousy Mets’ team. He thrives on contact, so he may not be the ideal fit for Yankee Stadium, but he eats up innings and can provide valuable relief for the Yankees’ bullpen and this would keep Adam Warren in the pen, which is where he’s most valuable.
The Mets have others who can be dealt, but I don’t think they match up with the Yankees with names like Daisuke Matsuzaka, Bobby Abreu or Chris Young. Who knows? In what looks like a sellers market, a guy like Jonathon Niese could be dealt as well. It should be an interesting summer in Metsland, as it looks like another year in which we’ll be rooting for whoever the Yankees play against in the playoffs.
Typical.
But don’t you trust management? I feel like the eternal message is this: wait until next year.
2 Comments