Jon Springer – Page 98 – Mets by the Numbers

Mets Acquire Fregosi for Ryan

OK, maybe it’s not that bad. Maybe it is! The Mets tonight pulled a series of staggering moves, gutting the farm system in exchange for two pitchers who probably won’t provide the pennant the Wilpons are so hungry for but at best add stability to an aging rotation. Dealing pesos on the dollar, the Mets sent AAA catcher Justin Huber to Kansas City for third base prospect Jose Bautista, then packaged Bautista, jobless infielder Ty Wigginton, and promising righty Matt Peterson to Pittsburgh for Kris Benson, the free-agent to be, and minor-league infielder Jeff Keppinger.

Moments later we learned they’d also paid through the nose for erratic, possibly injured Devil Ray righty Victor Zambrano. All they coughed up in this deal was studly prospect Scott Kazmir and, just for the hell of it, intriguing longshot pitching prospect Joselo Diaz. Along with Zambrano came a cup-of-coffee reliever called Bartolome Fortunato, who was assigned to Norfolk.

Comings and Goings

Onto the disabled list: Karim Garcia 20. Off it: Orber Moreno 49. Designated for assignment: Ice Williams 21. Rescued from oblivion: Tom Wilson 6.

Welcome Home

Jose Reyes finally returned to the Mets. To make room for him the team designated catcher Tom Wilson for assignment, leaving the team temporarily with two catchers and six outfielders and importantly, freeing up uniform No. 6 for another issue. Reyes looked great in 7, hustling in one run and tripling to set up the gamewinner.

In another move the Mets once again sent Pedro Feliciano 55 back to Norfolk before seeing any action in New York. That Feliciano’s replacement, Jose Parra, saw action in his first opportunity probably didn’t make the return trip any sweeter for Pedro. Parra, a veteran righthanded reliever who was closing in Norfolk, suited up in the dreaded No. 46.

Short People

The Mets on May 25 officially surrendered in their attempt to make Tyler Yates 33 a starter and returned him to Norfolk with orders to rejoin the bullpen. In his place the Mets recalled Pedro Feliciano 55. (Update: Feliciano was sent back down without having made an appearance June 1 so as to make room for the return of Al Leiter from the disabled list).

Cone, as in Done

Leave it to the Mets to see a player retire — and have him replaced by guy even older. That was the news today when 40-year-old worn-out warrior David Cone 16 called it a career and was replaced on the roster by 42-year-old rehabbed reliever John Franco 45. Good luck to David, who joins Mo Vaughn among pretty good players who seem to have spent their last days of their careers with the ’03 Mets.

Leiter DLed, Snead Visits

With Al Leiter’s sore shoulder forcing a disabled-list stay, the Mets on Thursday recalled Norfolk outfielder Esix Snead for a short visit. It’s expected the Mets will send him back Saturday so that Tyler Yates 33 can take Al’s turn in the rotation. You might remember Snead from his brief appearance in 2002 (including his game-winning HR against the Expos in a meaningless September game). He wore No. 23 then; this time he appeared in No. 1 and displayed a Mookielike quickness scoring from first base as a pinch-runner.

The Met Who Wasn’t There

The Scott Erickson Experiment may have ended before it ever started. The Proven Veteran Starter, listed as No. 19, didn’t make it out of warmups Thursday before hitting the disabled list — David Cone last season at least waited until May. Back in his place is Jae Seo 38, whose evil cackle we could hear all the way from Norfolk. So for the time being, we’ve reduced our All-Time Met list to 726 players and are left waiting. Update: Seo appeared in Saturday’s game wearing No. 26. That makes three numbers for Seo in as many seasons as a Met. He made his MLB debut in 2002 in 38; switched to 40 last year and back to 38 this spring after Braden Looper took 40. See here for a list of Mets who wore multiple uniform numbers.

Ready for Opening Day

The Mets packed their bags and headed to Atlanta and Tuesday’s night’s opener, leaving behind a weird spring training. In the final hours it was revealed that Jose Reyes would begin the season on the disabled list, that seeming longshots Eric Valent, Scott Erickson and Orber Moreno would make the team, and thatJae Seo, Roger Cedeno and Timo Perez would be elsewhere. Valent, a minor league phase Rule 5 pick from the Phillies dressed in No. 57 for spring training; we’re waiting to see whether he gets more dignified number. It’s our guess that Scott Erickson ditches the 89given him and takes his customary 19 instead.

We welcome them, along with Ricky Gutierrez 6, Karim Garcia 20, Kazuo Matsui 25, Tyler Yates 33, Braden Looper 40, Shane Spencer 43 and Mike Cameron 44 to the All-Time Mets Numerical Roster, with Todd Zeile 27 making a second appearance in a new number, and Rick Peterson 51 cracking the Coaches and Managers list.

Roger, Over

Check the vector, Victor! The unhappy second chapter of the Roger Cedeno Story came to a predictable end on Saturday when the Mets “traded” the embattled right fielder to St. Louis for two guys who probably won’t make the team, catcher Chris Widger and reserve infielder Wilson Delgado. The Mets also kicked in almost all of Cedeno’s considerable salary. We wish No. 19 good luck in St. Louis; it wasn’t entirely his fault that the Mets overestimated his abilities, and we feel bad knowing that if fans made that distiction, it still sounded a lot like “Boo!” The upshot seems to bode well regarding a potential trade for Cleveland outfielder Milton Bradley; at the very least it may give Eric Valent a shot to be the lefty pinch-hitter they’ll need in Roger’s absense. Stay tuned! The offseason’s going out like a lion.

Yates Up, Seo Down

Barring additional last-minute gynmastics, it appears that hard-throwing righty Tyler Yates has made the squad as the 4th starter and veteran Scott Erickson is hanging on for the fifth slot. Yates, who made a one-day appearance on the Met roster in April 2002 wearing No. 32 (he didn’t appear and subsequently blew out his elbow), will debut against the Expos later this week wearing No. 33. Erickson, should he last these final 48 hours, will likely get a change from the obscene 89 on his back during spring training. We can’t help but point out his customary 19 is available now that Cedeno is gone. Jae Seo 38 is meanwhile scheduled to start the year at Norfolk, with bullpenners Grant Roberts 36, Orber Moreno 49 and Dan Wheeler 39 also surviving the final cut.