Well how does the Beltran name slide in there? He's still in his prime. So I'm not really sure how the Mets were supposed to predict he'd degrade this much.
Honestly Valentin, Green, and LoDuca are not key cogs to the offense. They could have had their decline and no one would have cared all that much if Beltran and Delgado were hitting any where near their career averages.
Heck considering the way Gotay/Easley/Anderson and Castro have played I dont know that the Mets really lost anything major production wise at either of those spots....and even with his struggles, the Green this year has been better than Green was last year for the Mets.
Was it a stretch to lean on Delgado at his age? Maybe, but considering his post-allstar and october numbers last year I dont think anyone walked into this season expecting him not to hit 30 HRs and 100 RBIs (and who knows he still might get to both of those). |