Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

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Mets just traded relievers Royce Ring and Heath Bell to the Padres for OF Ben Johnson. Seems like a minor deal, but (and I'm just speculating here) you might see a Chavez/Johnson platoon in left (w/ Chavez getting the most time since Johnson is probably just a right handed bat off the bench) next year and Milledge traded.

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It's impossible to predict the future (if you are Minaya), but in retrospect that Milledge for Zito trade may have been a lifesaver given the injuries the Mets faced in postseason. I guess we can only speculate though....

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I'm thinking it would have taken more than Lastings Milledge to fetch Barry Zito...If I remember right didnt Oakland want Heilman, Pelfrey or Bannister along with Milledge?

Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

I'm not sure if I remember throwing in one of those pitchers with Milledge for Zito. I remember alot of rumors swirling of the Mets offering one of those pitchers and Milledge for Willis though.

I think that Minaya just wasn't going to trade Milledge for a 2 month rental at that point in the season. Pedro was *supposed* to come back and the other injuries had not hit the rotation yet. Now if Minaya knew El Duque would go down and that Pedro wouldn't come back I think maybe he would have made that trade.

And considering how poorly the Cardinals hit lefty's that series he might have been enough to get them to the Series.

Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

I think the Milledge and Heilman deal is still on the table for Willis. I'd have to say if they can make that happen do it. Heilman will be unnecessary with Sanchez coming back. And the Mets are also purusing Vazquez and Garcia. I just don't want the Mets to trade Pelfrey or Mulvy or that kid that is tearing it up in the AZ league, his name escapes me right now.

Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

Speaking of Heilman: their has been speculation that the Cubs are attempting to trade for Heilman, supposedly trying to trade a relief pitcher + a young 2b (whether it is EPat, Cedeno, TheRiot, or Fotenot, I have no clue).

Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

Bell and Ring for a Platoon OF? There has to be something else to that deal. If not, Omar is a moron.

Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

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Bell and Ring for a Platoon OF? There has to be something else to that deal. If not, Omar is a moron.

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Yeah, I'm not too fond of this deal right now either.

I don't know for sure but I have to figure Bell and maybe Ring are out of options and either have to be with the Mets after Spring Training or get released? Otherwise this move doesn't make that much sense to me either. Especially since Mota is gone, Bradford is a Free Agent, Heilman wants to get traded, Hernandez is a Free Agent, Oliver is a Free Agent and Sanchez is coming back from surgery on his pitching shoulder...

Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

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Omar is a moron.

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Their is nothing else to this deal. The Mets did not value either Bell or Ring i.e. they didn't value a cheap, solid middle reliever or a cheap 25 year old lefty who held lefties to a .137 avg in triple-A last year (translates to well under .200 in the bigs).

Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

Sometimes I feel like Minaya makes a trade, just to make a trade.

Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

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Bell and Ring for a Platoon OF? There has to be something else to that deal. If not, Omar is a moron.

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San Diego also sent over John Adkins. Supposedly he's not much of a pitcher.

I believe both Bell and Ring are out of options, so this might be a move to create some roster flexibility.

Re: ~~~Unofficial Baseball Offseason Thread~~~
 

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Mets just traded relievers Royce Ring and Heath Bell to the Padres for OF Ben Johnson. Seems like a minor deal, but (and I'm just speculating here) you might see a Chavez/Johnson platoon in left (w/ Chavez getting the most time since Johnson is probably just a right handed bat off the bench) next year and Milledge traded.

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It's impossible to predict the future (if you are Minaya), but in retrospect that Milledge for Zito trade may have been a lifesaver given the injuries the Mets faced in postseason. I guess we can only speculate though....

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It's impossible to predict the future, but we have the results of the past which makes this a silly notion.

The Mets failed to get to the Series based on their lack of hitting, not on ineffective pitching.