Q&A with Rubin- Beltran,Thole,Wright, Matt Harvey and more.

Adam Rubin has almost an hour long chat with fans yesterday that of course I missed. Hate when work gets in the way! Here are some of the highlights. Did get to ask him some questions that he answered after the chat. Don’t forget to check out the latest on the Mets new star prospect Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Why is Beltran still in CF? Why is Beltran still batting 3rd? If consistent playing time is what Beltran needs to get his act together, shouldn't Jerry put him someplace where his bad knee and rusty swing won't kill us?

Even if it's clear Angel Pagan is a better short-term answer in center field than Carlos Beltran, the Mets already picked a fight with Beltran and Boras over the surgery in January. That's a huge can of worms. Officially, Jerry Manuel said that if Beltran is having difficulty with reads in center, where he's accustomed, moving him to an unfamiliar position would only make it worse. As for third, if Wright and Beltran aren't in the middle of your lineup, and Bay is out, who is batting in the heart of the order?

I agree with you that Madoff has bankrupted the Wilpons, Have you heard anything about them looking for someone to buy up to 49% of the team so Jeffy can keep control?

Whoa! I never said Madoff bankrupted the Wilpons. You don't know exactly the impact, but you can surmise that it hurt them. Even if the person overseeing the recovery of funds for the government deemed the Wilpons net gainers, consider this hypothetical example:If you invested $1 million over 20 years. Your account said you had $10 million. You actually have $1.1 million.Does that feel like a net gainer/winner in the mess?Throw in litigation by Sterling Equity employees whose 401(k) was invested through Madoff, a depressed real estate market for their other business and dwindling attendance despite a high payroll and you've got a recipe for being stung financially.

Hey Adam, signing time for draftees is closing in. Any updates on Matt Harvey or Greg Peavey for that matter?

The deadline is the 16th, after next weekend. I suspect it would go to the wire with Matt Harvey, a Boras client and the seventh overall pick. The Mets obviously knew what they were getting into when they drafted a Boras client, so you'd imagine they're prepared to shell out cash.As far as i can tell, Greg Peavey (sixth round) is the only other unsigned pick in the first 20 rounds. I have no insight on his status.

 

Do you believe that Jason Bay will return to form next season such as Carlos Beltran did in 2006 after a disappointing 2005 season? 


You hesitate to fault an adjustment period for Bay to New York, since he was playing in Boston, whereas Beltran came from KC/Houston. Still, maybe there's merit to what you're suggesting -- since Bay never had a contract like that and felt pressure to justify it. Still, even the Mets didn't expect him to hit 36 homers like he did last year with Boston. They estimated 30. Obviously having six and due to be out for a while longer with concussion symptoms isn't what they envisioned.

 Has anyone asked David Wright about why he changed his stance and now is far away from the plate. 

Wright doesn’t elaborate when asked this question he just says he moves around.  Manager Jerry noticed it on the day he sat out for touching the umpires cap.

 
Why is the NY media so quick to bury Carlos Beltran? He was arguably the best outfielder in baseball from 2006-June 2009, and everyone is saying he is done after 80 AB's. Jose R also had a slow start after a long layoff.

 

Jose had established his leg health in spring training. He was coming back from thyroid-related inactivity and it took a while. Beltran is in his 30s, with an arthritic knee and wearing a brace. I don't think people are burying Beltran, saying he's washed up. But you have to conclude he's diminished. Wherever he's playing next year, it will be the final year of his current seven-year contract, so you should get a lot out of him.




Taking a look at the Mets farm system, obviously Kirk Nieuwenhuis stands out to me. Have you heard scouts say how far he is away? His bat looks strong, I'm curious about his glove.

I just watched Kirk yesterday at the Buffalo-Lehigh Valley game. He'll be up at some point next year. I would like to see him called up in September if the Mets are out of it, but there's a crowded outfield already and he doesn't need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter.He's got a football mentality and running back frame, and moves well for a center fielder despite his size. If everything broke right, he could be a 20-20 guy in the majors. That may be asking a lot, but that's the optimistic projection.

 

Was watching EPSN baseball tonight last night. GM Jack Zduriencik firing of don wakamatsu now is probably a good thing in preparation for next year. Best to assess your players with a new coach now than the start of 2011. why can't omar pull the trigger now? what else is vested in manual? Clean house. Is that why omar did some cleaning by releasing cora and putting out the homegrowns during the last game in philly?

 

The official answer with the call-ups is to shake things up and try to energize the team with youth. The unofficial answers: The Mets could not allow Cora to reach 80 games, which would have caused a $2 million option for 2011 to kick in. And if you're not really in it, why not see if Martinez and Tejada can play at this level so you know exactly what you need this winter?

Do you have any insight as to why the Mets don't admit their mistake in the Oliver Perez contract? Why would an organization handcuff their manager by letting players that don't produce at a major league level occupy a roster spot. They are consistently short handed on the bench and in the bullpen.

They don't understand sunk costs, are stubborn, don't want to admit mistakes, think they can rehabilitate him and salvage some of the money they've spent, don't understand the ramifications of playing with a 24-man roster ...

 

What's the chance the Mets release Castillo and Perez this winter if they can't trade them

 

They have to on Perez. I imagine you can eat enough of Castillo's contract, or match up a bad contract, to find some taker. I mean, hypothetically, if you ate $5 million of the $6 million owed to Castillo, someone would take him as a $1 million second baseman, no?

 

Is there any chance of the Mets trading Beltran and signing Carl Crawford? Or signing Cliff Lee.

As I mentioned on the blog yesterday, it's hard to envision the Mets throwing around big dollars this winter. They can always backload deals with low base salaries in 2011, but that's how the Mets got into the bind they are today.


Am I nuts or does Pagan not belong in the two spot? Move him to an rbi spot and move Thole to the 2 hole. Even as a rookie, he has good bat control and puts the ball in play. Thoughts?

 The Mets used to have Paul LoDuca in the No. 2 hole, and Thole hits for a higher average and primarily is a singles hitter.

With the infield struggling with errors, does Chip Hale deserve any blame? Seems the same problems at Arizona are showing up with the Mets.

I actually think Chip Hale is a very hands-on, hard-working coach. Jerry attributed Jose's lapses to being "lax" as the pitcher is about to deliver. Is that on Chip?