As of now, many see the Mets as a .500 team. The Mets' biggest problem is pitching. The team is very talented offensively, but only has two great pitchers.
Ace Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey are anchoring the Mets' rotation right now. Everybody knew that Johan was going to be great, but Pelfrey has been a pleasant surprise.
No one really knew what to expect from Mike "Big Pelf" Pelfrey in 2010. Pelfrey labeled himself as a talented kid with an unstable mental side of the game.
All he needed was confidence and a better mindset.
That is exactly what Mike has now.
He goes out there expecting to win, and more often than not, he does. The Mets are 8-2 in Mike Pelfrey's first 10 starts this year.
Although the Mets have those two guys at the top of the rotation, they could really use another great pitcher. Hisanori Takahashi and R.A. Dickey have been performing well, but as much as I like them, they are only going to be good bottom of the rotation guys.
If the Mets can acquire another top of the rotation pitcher then they will go from an average team to a well-above average team. With that, there are many pitchers out there that the Mets can go after.
Some smaller names are Jake Westbrook and Kevin Millwood. Those two guys are solid pitchers, but definitely not what the Mets desperately need and want. The big guys are Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt.
Lee and Oswalt are two accomplished pitchers that would be a fantastic addition to the Mets starting rotation. They both have different reasons of why they're on the trading block.
Oswalt respectively asked for a trade because he wants to go to a contender. Oswalt is on the Houston Astros, and they're one of the worst teams in the league right now.
Oswalt fits what the Mets are looking for, he's a proven top of the rotation guy who will give them chances to win most of the time. His only problem is that he has a no-trade clause.
That means that he has the final say on where he goes. So, if the Mets trade for him successfully, he will have to approve of it. Some people think that that won't be a problem, but others do.
Oswalt has really stressed that he wants to go to a contender. It's up to him if he thinks the Mets are contenders or not.
Another guy that the Mets are looking at is Cliff Lee. Lee really came out of nowhere in his Cy Young season. He went from an above average starter to a Cy Young winner. Something just clicked for him, and he has been fantastic ever since his Cy Young season.
Lee is on the trading block because he has made it clear that at the end of the season he is going to turn to free agency. The Mariners are struggling and are now thinking that it might be better to trade Lee now and get some prospects.
The Mets' farm system has just recently gotten a lot better. Many young players are emerging in the Mets' system. This is the first time since the Mets traded for Johan Santana, that they have a strong minor league system.
The Mets certainly have the chips to deal for a top starter. In my opinion, if they want to trade for a starter this season then I would set my eyes on Lee. Lee is younger and one of the best southpaws in the game. It'll be great if the Mets trade for him and then work out a nice contract.
I'm looking at this situation differently, though. I think that the Mets can win the wild card with the players they have. Our rotation has been outperforming and if we can just get solid pitching after Santana and Pelfrey, I think the Mets will be fine.
I'm hoping that the Mets can sign Cliff Lee this offseason. The Mets' farm system is rejuvenated and I would love to see them hold on to their top prospects. We have the money to sign Lee, and it wouldn't cost any prospects if we acquire him via free agency.
This is a big thing for Mets' GM, Omar Minaya to think about. He is aware that the Mets need pitching for the future, but is our pitching good for the rest of year? Or do we have to trade this season? I'm just hoping that Omar (or whoever is the GM at the time) will make the right decision for the team.
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