Ambiguous Meaning

The Mets' 10-1 win in Montreal this afternoon put a temporary end to their recent struggles. It was an impressive outing all around, as Mike Cameron hit two home runs, Richard Hidalgo added another, Eric Valent hit for the cycle, and newcomer David Wright drove in a run with two singles. Al Leiter, meanwhile, allowed one run in six innings for his seventh win; he leads the league with a 2.18 e.r.a.

It would be easy to assume that today's romp will snap the Mets out of their recent doldrums, just as it would have been easy Monday night to assume that the disastrous 19-10 loss that evening signaled a total implosion. Both assumptions would be mistakes. Things aren't as bad as they appeared Monday, but neither are they as good as they seemed today. The Mets still lack even vaguely reliable fourth and fifth starters--they gave up on the Scott Erickson experiment after only two starts. They're nicked up--Jose Reyes is out with an ankle injury, leaving Ty Wigginton (already a defensive liability at third base) to play second, Mike Piazza isn't at full strength, and Cliff Floyd's constant pain has him contemplating retirement in a couple of years. The bullpen, except for closer Braden Looper, is inconsistent at best. And the infield defense is porous--witness shortstop Kaz Matsui's league-leading 22nd error today.

At the beginning of the year, owner Fred Wilpon said that he hoped the team would be playing "meaningful games" late into the year. For one exciting stretch in late June and early July--a time in which the Mets swept the Yankees in a four-game series and twice played the Phillies for a share of first place (losing both), that seemed a possibility. The recent slump, though, has left the Mets three games below .500, in fourth place, and six behind the surging Braves. While it's not impossible to come back from a deficit like that, it's extremely unlikely.

So, with the trading deadline 48 hours away, are the Mets buyers or sellers? Neither, I suspect. The Mets did spend much of July in pursuit of the Pirates' Kris Benson, but the Pirates were unwilling to take Ty Wigginton, and the Mets were unwilling to give up David Wright. A solid fourth starter would make the Mets a better team, no doubt. But the addition of a single player of Benson's caliber is not going to transform this bunch into a juggernaut. There are simply too many holes.

On the other hand, after two thoroughly dismal years, and with the team still hovering around .500, the Mets can ill afford to give up on this bunch by trading veterans for prospects. Al Leiter, Mike Piazza, Richard Hidalgo, and others would bring good prospects in return. But making that move would mean another two years of misery as the prospects matured. In New York, with the Yankees across town, that won't do. It's not an ideal approach, by any means. But it's reality.

So this team seems likely to end the year in much the same way it has played the past couple of months, finishing at or near .500. Barring a Braves collapse and a 1973-like jumble at the end of season (when the Mets won the division with an 82-79 record), that won't be enough for a postseason berth. But it would sure be a heck of a lot better than we've endured the past two years.

10:29 PM

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Posted by: at July 30, 2004 10:48 PM

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