The Hag Has Balls

I have been debating this with another Mets fan at work who did not think this was a big deal when it happened but now agrees it wasa mistake.

I think letting these guys go was a TERRIBLE decision that had a trickle down effect on the rest of the bullpen. It removed options from Willie's arsenal including terrific lefty/righty match-up scenarios. It RUSHED Joe Smith to the majors rather than being able to call him up late in the season (like now) with team's never having seen him and his delivery being baffling as it was early on. It removed a very reliable middle man who threw from the left side and often held the opposition in place while we clawed back from behind. It also led to the signing of garbage like Sele and Showensuck, possible also trading off Bannister for damaged goods, and also probably the resigning of Mota.

I know it's spilled milk, but with the bullpen being a pile of sh*t, I think this reflects upon the lack of common sense by Omar.

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"The New York Mets...where legends become GARBAGE"

The_Kings_of_Quit

Heath Bell was apparently more of a mistake. But I always liked Bradford, and would have liked to have seen him back. For the money and years they gave Schoenweis, they certainly could have had Bradford back. At least he PROVED he could do well here already.

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Led, the Revenge

I didn't really have any problems in letting Bradford and Oliver (especially) go - relief pitchers are typically very flaky in year to year performance (though Bradford had a career of being a good righty specialist at least). What I DID have a problem with was eschewing the method he HAD gone with of trying anyone and everyone to mix and match the bullpen and instead being happy with a smaller selection and then signing multi year contracts to guys who hadn't even had recent success.

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The Hag Has Balls

But letting them go and resigning Mota and signing crap like Sele and showensuck?

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"The New York Mets...where legends become GARBAGE"

tfc3rid

Lindstrom
Bell
Ring
Owens
Bradford
Oliver
Bannister

We could have had these guys potentially on the team instead.

Led, the Revenge

Oh yeah, I agree - what I mean is, going in I had no problem because I had faith he'd repeat the previous winning formula that got him such a great bullpen. Then he signed those pieces of junk and I whined about it here pretty much all season.

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MrHat

Oliver I couldnt care less about. A Long reliever does not make or break the team.

No one here should be crying about Bell. 99.9% of the mofo was done with that guy 2 years ago.

Bradford was a mistake, but at the same time Led hit it on the head. Omar "built" bullpens in 2005 and 2006 by getting about 5-6 guys off the scrap heap to compete -

I mean even Bradford last year was coming off a crap season and signed on the cheap. Feliciano was an unknown. Sanchez he got by selling high. Oliver scrap heap.

2005 we brought in Robo (garbage). Padilla (unknown). Took a chance on guys like Koo....and converted a failed starter in Heilman into a bullpen force.

This year Omar took the Steve Phillips approach and signed a bunch of guys who had either "done it" elsewhere or "done it" once....like Mota and Shoensuck. The only scrap heap guys he brought in to look at were guys who were largely here to compete for a starting or long relief spot - Adkins, Sosa, Park, and Sele.

MetfanBren

Like others have said, even when he was with the Expos Omar put together very good bullpens. He deserved the benefit of the doubt going into 2007, but obviously doesn't going into 2008. He's going to have get creative to improve it for next year though...

Jersey Shore

I
agree, I think after coming so, so very close in 2006 Omar thought better to scrap the young guns: Lindstrom, Bell, Ring, Owens and bring in some veteran guys to get us over the hump....You can't balme Omar for the strategy, it just didn't work out. Its one of those "looked good on paper" kind of things. The real test will be this offseason to see what type of job he can do to correct the previious years offseason mistake

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15 Day DL Alou

How can you call guys in their late 20's young guns?

The bullpen has blown but neither Bradford nor Oliver have been dynamos this year.

RkFast

I cant get on Omar for Showenweis, who was a proven lefty reliever.

Led, the Revenge

The thing is though, it's accepted wisdom in baseball that you can never rely upon a relief pitcher repeating a good year, and the best way to construct a bullpen is to bring in a bajillion guys and mix and match. Omar himself has said it in the past, so I think it is fair to blame Omar. Like I say, overall I've liked his work but I think he REALLY screwed the proverbial pooch on this one, and I felt from early on if anything were to undermine an otherwise good team it would be the bullpen. I'm curious to see if they'll have the balls to scrap schoensuck and Mota this offseason.

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MetfanBren

Who was brought in as a LOOGY, but has rarely been used like one. He's still given up all of 3 XBH's to them all year though...

MrHat

Honestly I dont care if they bring Schoensuck back. Not because of the money, but because he's a guy I could just as easily see putting it back together and being at least somewhat productive.

I mean his numbers were never really great, but he played a huge role in those good Angel bullpens. He always seemed to be able to get the "big" outs.

Mota however....never wanted him back after his post season last year. He better be gone

Led, the Revenge

Not really. For his career he had an overall ERA of 5.01, and whilst better against lefties, he still gave them an OBP of .304 - which isn't amazing. Given that Omar gave him a three year contract, it was a bad move. You don't give contracts of that length to LOOGYs.

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