Originally posted on Midwestropolitan .
All winter long I read about how the Mets were going to sign Bengie Molina.
Yesterday, news broke that Molina is still bitter that he didn’t wind up with the Mets.
I am still trying to understand his rationale for complaining, when he turned down the Mets one-year $5 million offer and wound up accepting a one-year $4.5 million deal with the Giants.
Instead of Molina, Omar Minaya decided to stick to his guns and not offer a two-year deal to Bengie Molina. He chose to sign Rod Barajas and Henry Blanco to handle the pitching staff instead.
Handle the pitching staff, they have.
I will be the first to admit that I don’t understand all of the nuances that go into calling a game behind the plate.
However, I do get the feeling that both Barajas and Blanco have a plan for every situation their pitchers face. More importantly, their pitchers appear to believe in the plan that 'B Squared' has provided.
If you would have told me that Barajas and Blanco would have helped straighten out this pitching staff at the beginning of the year, I would have gladly accepted it, without a care about their performance at the plate.
Not only have they helped straighten out the pitching staff, they have become an integral part of the offense.
Barajas especially.
He is leading the team with nine home runs and is starting to convince fans that he is a legitimate clean up hitter .
The much-maligned Minaya needs to be given credit here. Instead of giving in to an over-priced veteran, he came up with a better solution that has improved the Mets both offensively and defensively.
Barajas and Blanco have placed an exclamation point on how right this move was. They have given the Mets back to back wins with walk off home runs.
Right in front of Molina’s eyes.