Built from Within: A New York Mets dynasty

[tejdog1]

OK then.

The Mets ended August with a 97-38 record, going 20-9 during the month. The second place Atlanta Braves ended the month 23.5 games out, at 73-61, having gone 15-13 during the month.

Mike Carp, coming off a torrid month of July, endured a severe slump to begin the month, but rebounded to end the month at a .278, with 18 homers and 95 RBI. average. He had ended July with a .277 average, 14 homers, and 80 RBI.

Phillip Humber also ran into a bit more trouble during August. Despite posting a strong 4-0 record, his ERA climbed from 2.34 to 2.58 during the month, in 40.1 IP.

"He is most likely hitting a wall. The same with Carp. We're hitting September here, and this is about the time minor league seasons end. So Carp and Humber will be getting skipped quite a few times this month, Papelbon might see some action as a starter, and Humber may pitch out of the pen, just to curtail his innings. Of course, with a 6 man rotation, these guys are all pitching roughly 40 innings less then they normally would be, 5 or 6 starts worth. As for Mike, we may use a 3 man platoon of him, Marrero and Wiggy down the stretch. We do want to keep him fresh for the playoffs." Tejesh said.

* I managed until the division was clinched, then I simmed the rest of the season. I managed the playoffs, and defeated the Brewers 3 games to 1 in the opening round, and then won 8 in a row versus the Dodgers and DevilRays to capture my 3rd straight WS title.

In the offseason, the Mets opted to let Torii Hunter and Paul Lo Duca go, turning to in house options Fernando Martinez and Jesus Flores.

The Mets enter the 2008 season with a $115.8 mil payroll, the lowest of Tejesh's 4 years as GM/manager.

"That's been the goal, secondairly, of course. While we would never skimp on any free agents our team needs, the second goal has been to steadily decrease our payroll while maintaining a perennial World Series team. Of course, we would never sacrifice winning for lower payroll. If one of our rookies doesn't get the job done, we have ample room to take on payroll." Tejesh said. Indeed, the internal budget has been rumored to be around the $160 mil level, which leaves around 45 million available to be tapped into. Additionally, the Mets will be losing $37 million in players this offseason, including two big names, Ace Pedro Martinez, and Closer Billy Wagner. Neither are expected to be heavily pursued by the Mets.

[AnAmazin06]

Wow, 23.5 games ahead of the Braves

Congrats on 3 straight WS titles.

[tejdog1]

Thanks. I'm working (or procrastinating, take your pick) on a project which is due tomorrow, so no updates for a while.

[tejdog1]

Do you guys want to see more? I mean...3 years worth of a dynasty...

Or...would you like me to take over another team (as they give you that option after your 3 year contract is up), and if so, which team?

[drbeep97]

do w/e you wanna do...

if you take over a new team... my vote would be the angels :grin:

[tejdog1]

Ah I can't, cause I already took over the Marlins and saved it. Oh well...

I'll be mucho more free after Monday, when I finish (as in completely) college. GO ME!

[drbeep97]

haha... congradulations on completing college...

ah... even though it won't be the angels... i'll still be checking in...

how good are the marlins at this point?

[tejdog1]

Not very. I've determined that the CPU is quite possibly *gasp* a worse GM then Steve Phillips. I didn't think it was possible.

[tejdog1]

Beginning the 2008 season - Dynasty Reset

Starters:

Scott Kazmir

Pedro Martinez

Phillip Humber

Aaron Heilman

Mike Pelfrey

Brian Bannister

Relievers:

LRP Jon Niese

MRP Jonathan Papelbon

MRP Matthew Lindstrom

SU: Octavio Dotel

SU: Henry Owens

CP: Billy Wagner

Lineup:

SS Jose Reyes

RF Fernando Martinez

LF Lastings Milledge

3B David Wright

CF Carlos Beltran

1B Mike Carp

C Jesus Flores

2B Jeff Keppinger

Bench:

OF Endy Chavez

C Yorbit Torrealba

UTIL Chris Woodward

UTIL Ty Wiggington

UTIL Eli Marrero

Top Prospects:

AAA SS/2B Esmeily Gonzalez

AA SS Alcides Escobar

AA C Francisco Pena

AAA SP Deolis Guerra

AAA SP Larry Suarez

AAA RP Ryan Tucker

Internal Free Agents (MLB team)

1B Mike Carp - 100k

OF Endy Chavez - 800k

RP Octavio Dotel - 2.1m

C Jesus Flores - 100k

SP Scott Kazmir - 4.1m

UTIL Eli Marrero - 800k

SP Pedro Martinez - 13.1m

OF Fernando Martinez - 100k

P Jon Niese - 100k

RP Jonathan Papelbon - 3.2m

SP Mike Pelfrey - 1.1m

RP Billy Wagner - 10.5m

IF Ty Wiggington - 400k

SS Chris Woodward - 500k

With 14 of the 25 man roster up for free agency, GM/MGR Tejesh Patel has alot of work to do during the season and upcoming offseason, with regards to who to keep and who to let go.

"Definetly, this is a very critical year as far as our roster goes. We have a good idea of which FAs we will not be pursuing, and which ones we will. But alot of that will depend on how they perform this season, and who is on the market as a replacement."

[tejdog1]

Jesus Flores hit the ground running, going 2 for 3 with a run scored in his first major league game.

[tejdog1]

The Mets ended the month of April with a 23-5 record, good for first place in the NL East, and 5.5 games clear of the second place Florida Marlins, who ended the month at 17-10. The offense has been the story of the first month, as the Mets have 201 runs scored through their first 28 games, an average of 7.18 runs per game. Conversely, the Mets have allowed 103 runs, an average of 3.68 runs per game, and their team ERA is 3.35.

Two rookies were added to the lineup during the offseason, one with no prior major league experience, and one with 23 games of experience. Fernando Martinez, the highly touted 19 year old phenom, has gotten off to a tough start batting out of the 2 hole, hitting .229/.313/.356. And Jesus Flores, the 23 year old catcher, has gotten off to a torrid start, going .317/.360/.488 in his first month in the majors.

"We're not concerned about Fernando, not yet. The kid has barely 50 games under his belt. And we've put him right into the 2 slot, so he's got that pressure to deal with, as well. He's doing other things besides hitting, so we have no concerns there. And Jesus, he's doing everything we envisioned. He is doing a wonderful job behind the plate for us."

The pitching is being led by Scott Kazmir, who is 5-0 with a 2.03 era, and Phillip Humber, who is 4-0 with a 2.95, and Aaron Heilman, who is 3-1 with a 2.43. Pedro Martinez has struggled, going 3-1 with a 5.53.

Jon Niese, who didn't take to the long relief role in his rookie season, has fared better this season. In 14.2 innings, he's pitched to a 3.68 era.

"Our pitching has been phenominal during the first part of the season, here. This really has been a very complete month. There are a couple things we need to right, but with the team overall rolling, they're not glaring."

[AnAmazin06]

Wow, 201 runs is incredible :o

[tejdog1]

I know. I think it's cause Reyes gets on first, and steals 2 bases everytime ;)

[tejdog1]

May 20th, 2008: The New York Mets announced that they had reached a 3 year contract extension with second baseman Jeff Keppinger, worth $17.7 million, bringing the contract value to 6 years, 19.8 million total.

"We feel that this is a good first step in securing a longer term committment to our core players. Jose Reyes, David Wright, and Carlos Beltran are all signed for 4 more years, and now we add Keppinger to that mix. We will pursue deals with other players when we feel the time is right. I am firmly committed to securing the future of this team at a reasonable cost." GM Tejesh Patel said in a released statement.

The team is due to lose 14 players, totalling $37 million, after the 2008 season.

[tejdog1]

May saw the Mets go 21-7, upping their record to 44-12, and opening up a 10.5 game lead over second place Florida, who ended the month with a 33-22 record.

The Mets took a solid step towards maintaining their unique situation (having a squad full of prospects all develop within 1-2 years of eachother), by resigning second baseman Jeff Keppinger to a 3 year, $17.7 million extension, keeping him in blue and orange until the year 2013.

"Jeff and his agent were very aminable to hammering out a deal, and we felt it was the right time to do so. We'd just signed a 3 year, $2.1 million deal during the offseason, and at that time, I conveyed to Jeff that I wanted to work out an extension at some point during the upcoming season." Tejesh said.

Pitching continued to be in focus during May, as Phillip Humber stepped to the forefront, going 4-0 while lowering his ERA from 2.95 to 2.58. However, in his last start, he suffered slight tendonitis of the elbow, landing him on the 15 day DL.

"It's nothing serious. We'll most likely monitor his innings for a month when he returns." Tejesh said.

Jesus Flores cooled off slightly in May, dropping his season totals to .271/.323/.424, while Fernando Martinez had a torrid May, raising his average from .229 to .289, his line through 2 months is .289/.367/.435.

"Nando's a special kid, that's for sure."

So the team is, once again, in the midst of opening up a large early lead in the division, while at the same time, incorporating rookies into the lineup.

"The staggered approach that we've taken, sprinkling in one or two kids at a time has really worked well for us. We're very lucky that they've all played up to expectations."

[tejdog1]

June 4th: The Mets announced that they've come to terms on a 3 year contract extension for right fielder Lastings Milledge. The new contract takes him through the 2012 season, and is worth $27.6 million over 3 years. The total value of Milledge's contract now stands at 5 years, $30 million.

"Lastings is having a tremendous season, and we felt the time was right to get this deal done for him. I am very happy that Lastings and his agent wanted to hammer out a deal in season, and avoid the possibility of free agency. I hope this sends the message out to our fans, we're not going to allow this team to crumble." Tejesh said.

With the signing of Milledge, the Mets now have 5 positions locked up through the 2011 season: shortstop, third base, second base, center field, and right field.

[tejdog1]

June 15th: The Mets released reliever Octavio Dotel, who had compiled a 0-3, 8.75 line in 23.2 inning.

"Octavio was a strong contributor to this bullpen during his 3 plus years with us, but he just could not get into a consistent groove this season. We have nothing but the best wishes for Octavio, whereever he signs, we hope he can rediscover the magic which made him one of the games premiere setup men." Tejesh said in a released statement.

Michael Garza was called up from AAA Norfolk to take Dotel's spot, and Jonathan Papelbon was moved into the secondary setup role.

[tejdog1]

June 18th: Three days after booting a pitcher, the Mets resigned one, reupping Mike Pelfrey to a 4 year, $53.9 million extension. The new contract takes him through the 2012 season, and is worth a total of $55 million over 5 years.

"Mike has made enormous strides in each of his first three seasons in the majors, and as with Jeff and Lastings before him, we make sure our player doesn't hit the free agent market. Fred and Jeff have been more then accomodating this year, with regards to allowing me to negotiate long term deals with our stars. The fans should be very excited that they have an ownership group which will not let cost be a prohibitive factor in putting a superior product on the field." Tejesh said.

[tejdog1]

June 23rd: The Mets today announced that they would be abandoning the 6 man rotation, a staple of Tejesh's teams since the end the end of the 2005 season. Brian Bannister will be the casuality, he will be moved into the pen for the remainder of the year.

"This isn't an indictment on Brian's ability to start, it's more of an indictment of the state of our bullpen right now. We have 3 reliable relievers out there, and then 2 serious question marks in Jon Niese and Mike Garza. Banny will solidify the front end of the pen. He'll be working in long relief, with occasional middle relief duties. We just had a game where our secondary setup man was forced to go 5 innings in an extra inning game. Until we get a better read on Niese and/or Garza, we need that fourth quality arm out of the pen, especially with our pitching staff going through a bit of a funk right now." Tejesh explained.

[tejdog1]

June 28th: The Mets bullpen roulette wheel continued to spin as they optioned reliever Mike Garza to AAA Norfolk and recalled reliever Jay Rainville. Rainville appeared in one game earlier in the season, working 3 innings, allowing 2 runs.

[tejdog1]

The Mets ended the month of June by resigning their ace lefty to a huge mega contract. Scott Kazmir was resigned for 5 years, $100 million, bringing the total number of Mets reupped during the month to 4.

"Ownership continues to show they are dedicated to putting a winning product out on the field, and I am extremely pleased to continue resigning our top players. We hope to take care of everyone, when the time is right. Ownership has committed $204.8 million to keeping our own players right where they belong, and I hope that we can continue to facilitate that process."

During June, the Mets had numerous bullpen meltdowns, culminating on June 15th when Octavio Dotel was DFA'd. Jay Rainville ultimately has taken that spot, though Mike Garza was the first up following Dotel's departure. The Mets had only their second 10 loss month under Tejesh, and their worst month to date, going 16-10. Still, they increased their lead in the NL East to 15 games over Florida.

Pedro Martinez has returned to form following a putrid month of April, and now sports a 9-2 record with a 3.46 ERA. Phillip Humber continues to excel in the major leagues, he is 8-2 with a 2.80 ERA.

Fernando Martinez maintained his hot hitting, ending June with a .288 average, while Jesus Flores' up and down rookie season took him down to .243.

"We've been spoiled here with first Mike Piazza, and then Paul Lo Duca's stellar offense from behind the plate. Jesus will improve, but we're not looking for .300/40 from him. He is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, already, and if he can maintain a consistent .250, .260 average, with decent power, 10-15 homers, we'll take that in a heartbeat."

With the bullpen woes, the Mets took drastic measures, abandoning the 6 man rotation, and going back to a conventional 5 man rotation. Brian Bannister was the odd man out, as he was moved into the pen, to shore that area of the team up.

"Brian understands. He doesn't necessairly like it, nor relish it, but he understands." Tejesh said. "Aaron Heilman was not a candidate to go to the pen."

So with the 15 game July lead, Pedro Martinez looks to get alot of rest between now and season's end.

"We'll skip Pedro from time to time, sure. But we're not going to go back to a 6 man rotation. Once the decision was made to abandon, you can't reverse that. Brian cannot be stretched out again. That's how you ruin arms."

[tejdog1]

New York (AP) - Persistent rumors have been circulating over the past few days about the New York Mets interest in Oakland closer Huston Street. Sources familiar with the situation indicate a deal may be close to being completed, but a sticking point is starter turned emergency reliever Brian Bannister. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated to us that Tejesh Patel, the GM of the Mets, is very hesistant to deal Bannister, with the departure of Pedro Martinez at the end of the season all but a foregone conclusion. That would leave the Mets one short in the rotation, and with one of their top two pitching prospects likely to be included in any potential deal for Street, the Mets would have little recourse but to hand a rotation spot to a 19/20 year old. Tejesh did not return calls asking for comment, and a spokesmen said "we always are on the lookout for ways to improve this team. We do not comment on rumors."

[tejdog1]

On August 14th, against the Pirates, Scott Kazmir joined an elite group of pitchers, as he no hit the Pirates, the Mets first no hitter in their 46 year history. The Mets gave their ace lefty all the offense he would need in the 2nd, scratching a run across. From there, Kazmir ran with it, only 2 walks standing between him and perfection.

In pitching the no hitter, Kazmir ran his record to 19-3, lowering his ERA from 3.01 to 2.87.

[comeonover]

You should really think about spicing this up a little if you continue to do this.

[GEOLINK]

wow seems like the years are just passing you by.

Add some pics to up the anti.