Omar's hand is forced
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by user MadMetsSusan
With quite a slow build up to the deadline where it seemed as if the Mets would go for a Major League starter with experience and in the early hours rumours floating of deals for Roy Oswalt and Jason Schmidt the day turned out very different as the 4PM non-waiver trade deadline passed.
At 1am yesterday morning Duaner Sanchez was riding a taxi in Miami when it was struck by a drunk driver. Details were not quickly known and therefore rumours about starting pitching deals swirled but as Omar Minaya found out the extent of the injury (separated shoulder) to one of the best pitchers in his bullpen it meant he had to go out and find someone to fill the set-up role.
Before the 4PM deadline the Mets Opening Day right fielder was headed to Pittsburgh for a reliever they could have re-signed this offseason and a left-handed starter with potential that hasn't come good in the Majors yet. Xavier Nady was shipped from the best team in the National League to the worst while Roberto Hernandez was back in the role he filled with the Mets last season and Oliver Perez headed to Norfolk, Virginia.
Then as the deadline neared ever closer metsblog.com, ESPN and CBS began reporting that Perez had been flipped with Heath Bell to San Diego for stud reliever Scott Linebrick. However as deadline passed and no confirmation came it was clear that the deal had fallen through. Details now say the Padres pulled back because they felt they weren't getting enough.
Overall without getting Linebrick and losing fan favourite Nady for only serviceable pitchers it was quite a bad day for the Mets. They were worse off than they had been when the day began but to be honest this is a deal Omar wouldn't have wanted to make but he was forced into it by the actions of a drunk driver in Miami. If Sanchez hadn't been lost (most likely for the season) then our deadline would have been very different. You cannot control freak accidents and therefore Mets fan will have to live with this deal.
Tonight Mike Pelfrey makes his 4th Major League start facing off against Scott Olsen and the young Marlins who according to sources entered the Soriano sweepstakes late in the day but ultimately Alfonso stayed in Washington.
Date
Tue 08/01/06, 8:25 am EST
Pitching, the Mets will have Pelfrey for those three years and Pedro should still be very effective next year. With Perez, Humber, Bannister, and Maine, the Mets are likely to have one or two additional effective starters.
The framework for the future is in place, no?