The Mets’ piddling offense over the last week in the wake of so-called day-to-day injuries to Carlos Beltran and Kaz Matsui highlighted the need for a more threatening bat and so the team recalled Victor Diaz 20 from Norfolk. But the failure to send either player to the disabled list may wind up costing the Mets pesky reserve outfielder Eric Valent, whom they’ll try to sneak through waivers and stash at Norfolk to make room for Diaz.
At the moment, this move has yet to earn the MBTN Seal of Approval: Though Valent was off to a slow start this year, lefthanded bench players who cost nothing and hit 13 home runs in part-time work are hard to find and probably, in demand. We also admire Valent’s contribution to Met Uni history, continuing to wear the absurd No. 57 he was issued as a non-roster spring-training invitee in 2003 when he made the team unexpectedly. Could the Mets have lived with 11 pitchers for a while instead? Did Willie have to give all the lefthanded pinch-hitting opportunities to Marlon Anderson, who for all his success can’t smell Valent’s power? Will Valent clear waivers? How many days before day-to-day becomes week-to-week? We shall see.
When the Mets failed to recall Norfolk reliever Scott Strickland last Sunday, triggering the rehabbing righty’s right to free agency, they also clipped off the lone remaining branch of a Trade Tree with roots in the infamous Ed Hearn-for-David Cone trade of 1986.
Well, the Willie Randolph Era is off to a rotten start with enough caught stealings, caught lookings, walk-offings, bad-callings, grand-slammings, double-plays and double-switch debacles to last a while already. To that we add an emergency start Saturday by Aaron Heilman 48, back from Norfolk much sooner than expected given Mike Cameron’s rush to return from an injury and subsequent retroactive DLing.