At different times over the last few months, we've heard talk about breaking up the Mets' core of David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado. Now Reyes looks like he is joining Delgado on the "out indefinitely" list. Even if Beltran is fully recovered from his recent illness, the Mets are going to learn what life is like with half the core gone. And it is not likely to be pretty.
Sure, if the Mets had decided to trade Reyes in the offseason, they presumably would have gone into the season with more than Alex Cora to fill the shortstop spot. Rafael Furcal was a free agent. But Furcal is struggling this year and his best years appear behind him. Same with another free agent, Orlando Cabrera. So even if the Mets had planned to be without Reyes, they would still be in a lot of trouble.
The problem is that Reyes is irreplaceable.
But so are Wright, Beltran, Johan Santana and K-Rod, and while two of them have also had injury and illness concerns, at least they are all healthy now. All is not lost. Not yet, anyway.
Can the Mets still make the playoffs if Jose Reyes is out for an extended length of time? Tell us what you think.
Showing posts with label Jose Reyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jose Reyes. Show all posts
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Jose Reyes, Mets are day-to-day-to-day-to-day...
Why can't the Mets deal with injuries in a straightforward manner? From Ryan Church last year to Johan Santana in spring training, players, coaches and front office often do not seem on the same page. And now a decision on whether Jose Reyes will go on the disabled list has been put off until Friday, which will be sixteen days since he first got hurt.
By not putting Reyes on the DL, the Mets are suggesting that he is not that badly hurt. Every day we keep hearing that he is about to return. Jerry Manuel says that 80% of Reyes is better than most alternatives. The implication is that management wants Reyes back now and that he could play if he really wanted to.
If Reyes does go on the DL, the Mets will finally admit that he really is hurt, but by then the DL stint, which would start retroactively on May 20, would be more than half over.
With Ryan Church also unable to play, the Mets' bench is two men down. Carlos Beltran is going for an MRI on his knee tomorrow. Ramon Martinez nearly missed the game tonight. Gary Sheffield is now a full-time outfielder for the first time since 2005. This is no time for a depleted bench.
And it is no time to make one of your core players look bad. Met players shouldn't have to undergo surgery or be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance to prove that they are hurt.
Only two days after that ambulance picked up Francisco Rodriguez, he was pitching tonight and converting his thirteenth straight save chance. K-Rod was praised on the air for inspiring his teammates with his quick return. K-Rod deserves the praise, but if a player is unable to rush back, he - and his team - should not be left in limbo.
Now the Mets have created a situation in which Reyes either comes back in a few days before he is ready, and runs the risk of further injury, or he goes on the DL and six days later, the daily questions begin anew.
Having inadequate backups for Reyes and Alex Cora is not Reyes' fault. It is Omar Minaya's.
What do you think of the way the Mets have handled Reyes' injury?
By not putting Reyes on the DL, the Mets are suggesting that he is not that badly hurt. Every day we keep hearing that he is about to return. Jerry Manuel says that 80% of Reyes is better than most alternatives. The implication is that management wants Reyes back now and that he could play if he really wanted to.
If Reyes does go on the DL, the Mets will finally admit that he really is hurt, but by then the DL stint, which would start retroactively on May 20, would be more than half over.
With Ryan Church also unable to play, the Mets' bench is two men down. Carlos Beltran is going for an MRI on his knee tomorrow. Ramon Martinez nearly missed the game tonight. Gary Sheffield is now a full-time outfielder for the first time since 2005. This is no time for a depleted bench.
And it is no time to make one of your core players look bad. Met players shouldn't have to undergo surgery or be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance to prove that they are hurt.
Only two days after that ambulance picked up Francisco Rodriguez, he was pitching tonight and converting his thirteenth straight save chance. K-Rod was praised on the air for inspiring his teammates with his quick return. K-Rod deserves the praise, but if a player is unable to rush back, he - and his team - should not be left in limbo.
Now the Mets have created a situation in which Reyes either comes back in a few days before he is ready, and runs the risk of further injury, or he goes on the DL and six days later, the daily questions begin anew.
Having inadequate backups for Reyes and Alex Cora is not Reyes' fault. It is Omar Minaya's.
What do you think of the way the Mets have handled Reyes' injury?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Jose Reyes and all that jazz
I've watched or taped several live baseball events recently, but today was the first one in some time that did not involve apologies or cousins. There was an honest-to-goodness game on! And the Mets beat the Marlins, 9-0. Didn't make up for how they played against the Marlins at the end of last season, but it was great to see the Mets out on the field again, at the dawn of a new season filled with hope.
***
When Willie Randolph tried to tone down Jose Reyes, the Met shortstop went into a slump. But Jerry Manuel seems to have found the right words to inspire Reyes, or should I say the right music:
"I love the energy that Jose Reyes brings, but I don't always like the anxiety that comes with it. I want to calm that down. He needs to play at jazz time. And he's playing at a hip-hop level. I want him to the best jazz player he can be."
Comparing Reyes to jazz is almost as odd as batting him third. Does this mean his at-bat music will now be "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck?
Instead of singing "Jose, Jose, Jose," will Met fans instead perform jazz hands?
Then again, Reyes did hit two homers and drive in six while batting third today. That's something to get jazzed about.
True, it's only the second day of spring training, and Reyes was hitting in his usual spot after the pitcher, since Manuel batted Oliver Perez second to make sure he would get a time at bat.
And Johan Santana has been scratched from his next start due to elbow soreness.
But there was a ballgame on today. Baseball is back!
***
When Willie Randolph tried to tone down Jose Reyes, the Met shortstop went into a slump. But Jerry Manuel seems to have found the right words to inspire Reyes, or should I say the right music:
"I love the energy that Jose Reyes brings, but I don't always like the anxiety that comes with it. I want to calm that down. He needs to play at jazz time. And he's playing at a hip-hop level. I want him to the best jazz player he can be."
Comparing Reyes to jazz is almost as odd as batting him third. Does this mean his at-bat music will now be "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck?
Instead of singing "Jose, Jose, Jose," will Met fans instead perform jazz hands?
Then again, Reyes did hit two homers and drive in six while batting third today. That's something to get jazzed about.
True, it's only the second day of spring training, and Reyes was hitting in his usual spot after the pitcher, since Manuel batted Oliver Perez second to make sure he would get a time at bat.
And Johan Santana has been scratched from his next start due to elbow soreness.
But there was a ballgame on today. Baseball is back!
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