Mets fail fans again

It amazes me that the Mets failed to sign one of their top 10 draft choices because they waited too long to increase their offer and then still offered too little. All the draftee sought was $200,000. The Mets last offer, which was for $185,000, wasn't made until the draftee had already moved to his college campus. This fiasco typifies the mess that the Mets organization is in, a mess that has to start at the top.

What's Jerry Manuel doing?

After spending his season as a reliever, Bobby Parnell started his first game for the Mets. He was allowed to throw 68 pitches. (Why?) In his second start, Jerry Manuel will let Parnell throw up to 85 pitches. (Way too many.) That contradicts what a New York Daily News article reported that Parnell said after his last start:

My arm strength was good, but obviously it's going to take a little while to keep building it up. I think we're just going to take gradual steps and build it up slowly."

It doesn't appear that Manuel intends to gradually let Parnell build up his arm strength. Hopefully, Manuel's plan won't damage Parnell's arm.

Mets make another mistake

I'm not surprised that Bobby Parnell lasted only seven outs in his first start. To try to convert a reliever into a starter in August after he's been a reliever the whole season is a BIG mistake. But then, this season the Mets management keeps on making mistakes. And Jerry Manuel compounded the latest error by allowing Parnell to throw 68 pitches. That's a good way to ruin a young pitcher's arm. Hopefully, the Mets will regain their senses and return Parnell to the bullpen, replacing him in the rotation with Figueroa.

By the way, the two runs Parnell surrendered cost the Mets the game.

Manuel leaves another pitcher in too long

Eleven games out of first place and seven games below .500, it appears the Mets are preparing for next season. Tonight, Bobby Parnell starts his first game against the Padres. His removal from the bullpen will weaken the Mets middle relief; however, that doesn't appear to concern the team. Hopefully, he'll be on a strict pitch count so he won't injure his arm.

On the injury front, Castillo is out of the lineup due to an ankle injury suffered when he tripped on a dugout step. To replace him, the Mets traded for ex-Met Anderson Hernandez, who must have become out of favor with the Nats. The Mets had to make the trade because their farm system is so weak.

In yesterday's game against the Padres, Jerry Manuel once again erred in leaving a pitcher in a game too long. This time the pitcher was Francisco Rodriguez. With the Mets up 2-1 entering the ninth, all Rodriguez had to do was to get three outs. He couldn't do it. Instead, here's what Rodriguez did:

• He walked the first batter he faced.
• The next batter doubled, scoring a run.
• He walked the next two batters, the second intentionally.

At this point, if I were the Mets manager I would have removed Rodriguez from the game. Manuel didn't do that and the next batter hit a grand slam.

Manuel left Rodriguez in despite the fact he was having control problems. In his brief stint he threw 28 pitches; only 12 were strikes.

I expect that this will be Manuel's last season with the Mets. I wouldn't be surprised if Minaya, if he's still around, hires Manny Acta to replace him. Another mistake, but Minaya can't seem to avoid making them.

Figueroa's 53 pitches cost Mets the game

How a manager could allow a starting pitcher to remain in a game long enough to surrender 10 hits and a walk in just 1.2 innings defies explanation. Among the 10 hits were three home runs. Unfortunately, it's not the first time that Jerry Manuel has left a pitcher in far too long. The six runs that starter Nelson Figueroa gave up were just enough to cost the Mets the game. They lost 6-5.

Moves I'd make if Mets GM

If I were Mets GM, before the 2010 season begins I'd make these moves:

1. Trade Oliver Perez. We've seen the best he can be, and it's not good enough.

2. Trade J.J. Putz for a starter to replace Perez.

3. Trade Luis Castillo for prospects, and move Alex Cora to second base.

4. Acquire a better catcher than Santos and Schneider. This season, I would have tried to trade for Victor Martinez.

5. I wouldn't re-sign Delgado; instead, I would acquire a first baseman who can hit with power if Ike Davis isn't ready. Then, I would use Daniel Murphy as the backup at both first and third.

6. Trade Mike Pelfrey for prospects. He's too inconsistent.

Mets, yawn, win

Salvador Aguilar, a 27-year-old pitching for the Gulf Coast League Mets, may have had the worst start today of anyone in the Mets organization this season. In three innings he yielded 10 hits and 11 runs.

On the plus side, the B-Mets Ike Davis has upped his batting average to .308. He's hitting right-handed pitching well, batting .346 against them; unfortunately, he's only batting .222 against lefties. What the Big Club doesn't need is another platoon player.

The Big Club won on the road, beating the Astros with Hernandez on the mound an a patchwork quilt of players behind him. Unless a miracle happens and the Wilpons stop playing ostrich and pull their heads out of the ground, this team will be lucky to finish above .500.

Madden nails Mets problems

Today's New York Daily News contains an article written by Bill Madden titled Fred and Jeff Wilpon need to completely overhaul the Mets, starting from the top. In it, he nails the Mets problems and says what the team needs to do to get back on the right track. For Mets fans dissatisfied with the current situation, it's a must read.
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If hope is on the horizon, don't expect it to come from Binghamton. Yesterday, the B-Mets got pummeled 16-3. I read recently that if you combined the won-lost record of each team's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, the Mets top two Minor League teams would rank last.
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One of the few bright spots in Binghamton is Ike Davis. His OPS is .901. Only two current Mets have a higher OPS, Beltran and Delgado.
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Why is Daniel Murphy still starting? His OPS is only .660. Even Brian Schneider, not known for his hitting, has a higher OPS.