The Mets picked up 1B Carlos Delgado’s option for 2009 today. Nobody would have bet on them doing that back in April or May. After his second-half performance, though, the move was kind of a no-brainer.
I don’t know if Delgado is capable of putting up those numbers again in 2009, but there’s little to lose by giving him a shot. And the Mets could still try to sell high and trade Delgado to address some of their other needs, though I do expect him to be the first baseman when CitiField opens next April.
Six more Mets filed for free agency today: Pedro Martinez, Moises Alou, Luis Ayala, Ricardo Rincon, Tony Armas Jr., and Ramon Martinez.
There’s really no one on that list that I want back, but I wouldn’t be upset if Ayala, Rincon or Armas were brought back on minor league contracts.
Pedro is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, but his days as a dominant starter are over. He could probably hang on for another year or two as a number five starter, but I don’t think he’ll ever be able to take to that role in New York. More importantly, the Mets can’t afford five-inning pitchers. As we’ve seen over the past two seasons, those kind of starters kill a bullpen.
Alou is a borderline Hall-of-Famer, but he’s proven that his health can’t be relied on. Ayala, Rincon and Armas failed to impress in their chances this season, but it never hurts to have pitching depth at AAA. Ramon Martinez was pretty much a non-factor.
PaulHadsall.com 