Omar Minaya attempted to apologize by speaking to the media a few minutes ago. Here is a video recap of what he said:
1 CommentOliver Perez is the Mets fans equivilent to Clark W. Griswold receiving his Christmas bonus in the movie ‘Christmas Vacation’.
Clark: “It’s a one year membership in the jelly of the month club.”
Eddie: “Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.”
Clark proceeded to have a mental breakdown upon receiving it and threw a tantrum. Similarly, Oliver Perez breaks down every 5th day, causing Mets fans to throw a tantrum of their own.
“Hey. If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I’d like Omar Minaya, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where’s the Tylenol?”
I don’t know how Omar Minaya can actually sit through an in game interview with a straight face, while that scatterbrain that he signed for millions of dollars continues to give up as many walks as he makes dollars. Omar actually sits there with a straight face.
He really is a good actor.
All the talk in town today is Roy, I finish my own damn games, Halladay. Since Jon Heyman reported yesterday that Omar Minaya and the Mets rejected the Blue Jays offer to trade Halladay for prospects, Mets fans have been having a collective meltdown. Who could blame them? Roy Halladay is by far the best pitcher in the American League … and you’d have to make the argument that he’d be the better ‘ace’ if he were in the same rotation with Mr. Johan Santana. Personally, I would love nothing more than to have this pair of Smokin’ Aces in the Mets rotation, and there is not much I would hold back in terms of players in a deal for Doc Halladay. After all … it’s been far too long since we’ve had a ‘Doc’ in our rotation.
Omar Minaya: This is the same guy who traded for Bartolo Colon when he was GM of the Expos. What he gave up: Lee Stevens, Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips. What’s funny about that is at the time, people didn’t think much of Sizemore, Lee and Phillips. We all see how that turned out. That’s not to say that Halladay is a fat slob like Colon … but the similarities between the Mets prospects and the batch that went for Colon are very close. It would be scary to deal them all for a year and a half of Halladay, who frankly does not guarantee the Mets anything, since there are so many other flaws on the roster.
With that being said, we have to consider all the facts in a potential trade like this. Toronto asked for half of our farm system, which is already pretty baron at the upper levels. Fernando Martinez, Jon Neise, Bobby Parnell and Ruben Tejada. Was Omar right to reject this trade? Lets take a look.
What we know about Halladay:
• Roy Halladay is 32 years old.
• His contract is signed through 2010
• 2009 salary-14 mil … 2010 salary-15 mil
• Toronto will not allow for an extension negotiation window in the trade
• Once becoming a free agent, Halladay will command a huge contract from many suitors
• He is the best pitcher in the American League and paired with Johan Santana the Mets would have the best 1-2 punch in the game.
What we know about the Mets:
• Trading for Halladay won’t be enough to pull them out of the doldrums this season.
• The Wilpon’s have been very stingy with money since Madoff-Made off with all their loot.
• Omar Minaya has done a very bad job with the farm system, leaving the upper levels with not much depth.
• Fernando Martinez just had surgery and is out 6 weeks.
• Carlos Beltran may not be back until next year, with the possibility of missing more time if he gets microfracture surgery.
• The Mets would have the best top of the rotation in baseball next season, supported by another swiss cheese offense, unless a lot of money is spent.
Damn, they look good side by side, don’t they? Though, when considering all of this, I have to say, reluctantly, that Omar made the right decision to reject the deal. The Mets have been in a constant cycle of gutting the farm for high profile players, only to find themselves in the situation that they are in this season … an aging team with no impact players from their own farm system. Trading these 4 players for Halladay would be irresponsible for the long term. We have left the steroid era and the new trend in baseball is to emphasize your young players and develop them to keep cost down. All teams must do this, even big market ones.
Fernando Martinez is the only legit outfielder that will be major league ready in 2010 … and there are lots of whispers that Beltran may need micro fracture surgery, which could keep him out for a long time. If that is the case, with no Martinez, who plays center field next season? Angel Pagan? Jeremy Reed? Spend more cash for another player? Sure, Beltran could be fine and not miss any time next year … but the Mets can’t continue to operate with no depth at multiple positions.
I would not have a problem parting with Neise, Parnell, or Tejada for Doc Halladay. In doing so, though, you open up another hole in the bullpen that will have to be filled. They can pick up Putz’s option or spend it elsewhere in the free agent market.
Now, while I totally understand Omar rejecting this deal, a few things trouble me about the way he has done so. I also wonder if Ricciardi is trying to use the Mets, by trying to bait other teams into offering up more in terms of prospects. Here is what bugs me about Omar…
1) Where is the counter offer? Was there one made? If not … why the hell not? The Jays just offered you the best pitcher in the game, for a steep request of your prospects … and you just say no … and that’s it?! How could Omar not counter? He has to make a counter offer. He has to try to make Halladay a Met at his price. If he’s not even trying to do that … what the hell is going on?
Is money the biggest issue here? Did the Wilpon’s get so hurt by Madoff that they simply will not allow their GM to take on Halladay’s contract, with the knowledge that he will cost a lot more to keep him here long term?
Also, why the hell would Toronto want a prospect who just had surgery … and is out for at least 6 weeks? That makes entirely no sense. Something does not sit right about that. There must be more to this story.
2) I heard a sound clip of Omar commenting about this tonight on Steve Somers show, on WFAN. This is not fabricated, I heard this with my own ears. Omar was asked about rejecting the trade and stated, “I’ll say this off the record … I can’t give up all those prospects for a guy that will be here 2 months”.
Does Omar realize Halladay is signed through 2010? While I agree with him rejecting the trade, it’s very troubling to me that our GM does not know the contract status of Doc Halladay. Sometimes I wonder what planet the man is on.
In conclusion, as a Mets fan, I want Roy Halladay. If he can be gotten for the right price, it has to get done. Omar has to counter and get him. Take Fernando Martinez out of the deal and figure out a way to create a package without him in it. Get it done.
If there is no counter offer … there has to be something else going on … that something else is the Wilpon’s willingness to spend money. If they won’t spend money on Doc Halladay, then we as Mets fans have a lot more problems than what is being said on the surface. I guess what I’m saying is … I hope Omar makes a counter offer and the Mets land Halladay.
I won’t hold my breath though.
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