10 Reasons to Ditch Him
Reason No. 1 The Mets are not in the spending mood this holiday season. In fact, they seem more like mean Mr. Scrooge than jolly St. Nick and with good reason.After making deals to raise $140 million to pay their debts, they are still in the hole by $60 million.That's right. They owed $200 million before this past season even ended. They just don't have the money to spend on a player that would demand a big payday.And here's why. It's reported the Mets plan to only spend between $100-110 million for their total payroll next year.Most of that is tied up into a handful of players (Johan Santana, David Wright and Jason Bay). Their payroll flexibility is in jeopardy as it is. This wouldn't be an issue if this team didn't have so many needs.They need to replace Chris Capuano and get another starter, even if Santana is healthy.They also need a closer. This is their biggest priority. They need bullpen help as well. They may need a catcher to back up Josh Thole or take the reigns of this pitching staff.They will need to fill up their bench as well.That's at least seven players this team is in need of just to take the field next year, let alone to be competitive. With more than half the salaries tied up in a few people, how can they afford to spend another big chunk of money and still expect to get all these needs filled?It can't happen.
Reason No. 2 There have been comparisons to Rickey Henderson when talking about Jose Reyes and his potential. The truth is, he's the best leadoff hotter in all of baseball.When he's healthy. That's an important phrase.The fact is he has not been consistently healthy from wire to wire in a season since 2008, when he played 159 games.Since then, it's been 36 games in 2009, 133 in 2010 and 126 this past season. The man is getting older.His body will no doubt be feeling the effects of a full-season grind much more evidently than it did in the past. Perhaps, this is what's so inviting to him about Miami—the weather allows for less nagging aches and pains as the season progresses.His biggest injury has been his hamstrings. For a player built for the speed game, that's a big issue. How often can he come back at top speed from yet another injury?Time will tell, but eventually the speed will be gone. Injuries will hasten that departure.In the case of Henderson—and Tim Raines for that matter—they never had traumatic injuries that called their careers into question. They slowly lost a step over many years until they just weren't at top speed anymore.This is not the case with Reyes. It is apparent he's on the cusp of losing his acceleration in the next few years because of his age and health history.If the Mets signed him to an extended deal and were stuck with another player on the DL for a year at a time (like Johan Santana currently), the backlash would crumble the team.Right now, everyone is saying he needs to be signed at any cost. But what if he signs, gets hurt in spring training and then is lost for a year-and-a-half?Would it be a wise investment then?The job of a GM is not only to balance the roster from a financial standpoint, it's also to predict trends and see what the fans don't see. It would be irresponsible of Alderson to ignore this very real danger.
Reason No. 4 Jose Reyes has never won a Gold Glove for his dynamic play on defense. He has been an All-Star four times, but that's almost completely due to his offense.Make no mistake—he's a solid defender, though not without the potential to make some errors.In fact, he posted as many as 18 errors this past season to tie a career mark. His speed allows him to get to many balls that an average fielder would not be able to get to.That helps him make plays more frequently but also allows for more opportunity to commit errors.Perhaps, this is why his errors were so high this year. He has solid range now, in the prime of his career. But like his health, his range will begin to deteriorate.The same speed that is missing on the base paths in a few years will be the same speed that eventually will not get to the hole in time to knock down grounders for force-outs at second.Those types of things add up.He will certainly lose his range as his body continues to break down. When he does break down, it will hurt much more than one position or one game. It will affect games at a time as the entire defense loses confidence.That's a dangerous combination for the mediocre pitching staff they have right now or the young staff they will eventually develop in the near future.Those errors will mount and they will turn into losses as a result. Then, his range, or lack thereof, will matter.
Reason No. 5 Jose Reyes is an offensive weapon. There's no question he's a force on the basepaths and at the plate when he's healthy. Again, that's the important phrase.Allow me to pose the same scenario as I did a few slides ago but in a different perspective.Suppose the Mets re-sign Reyes to a multi-year contract. He's locked in as their leadoff hitter and all is going well. Then, one day, he pulls a hamstring and is gone for three quarters of the season.The Mets, over the longer term, would still be stuck with that contract. But in the short term, who takes over as the leadoff. Angel Pagan? We all know how well he did there.Pagan had a .262 batting average this season while being shuffled between the leadoff and batting sixth. He is not the answer. He has the speed, as evidenced by his 32 stolen bases, but he is not the on-base percentage type this team needs to fill in for any length of time should Reyes go down.That hurts the lineup. All of a sudden, a middle-of-the-order-guy is at the top.The second hitter is usually batting with one out in his first at-bat in that case, because the leadoff hitter is up there hacking and rarely does that lead to success.Then, the fifth hitter has no protection behind him and doesn't get a good pitch. Therefore, he makes an out in a key moment. That affects two spots because of one player.All that could be avoided by not signing Reyes in the first place and working on the leadoff plan in spring training.Losing Reyes for an extended amount of time and seeing this scenario play out is a very real possibility.He played 125 games this year. He missed 37 games. That's a quarter of the year. Even with that, he won the batting title. That's the amazing potential he has.Yet, he also has the potential to be on the DL for stretches at a time. Not a good mix. High risk for high reward.That's a risk Sandy Alderson may not be willing to take to preserve a healthy and productive lineup.
Reason No. 6 New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson is an avid believer in the money ball system. He looks for talent in stats for cheaper prices. One stat he lives by is on-base percentage.When it comes to a prototypical leadoff man, OBP has to matter.For the Mets, it has not mattered for far too long. Jose Reyes has shown so many great sparks of being that type of player. One that can work a count and draw a walk if there is nothing good to hit. A hitter that can allow the rest of the team to see the opposing pitcher's entire arsenal.Just when you think Reyes has turned that corner, he goes back to being a first pitch-hacking slap-hitter.His career average is .292, and his career OBP is .341. Those aren't horrible, but they are not elite leadoff hitter numbers.They are better than Jimmy Rollins (.272 AVG/329 OBP) but not better than Jacoby Ellsbury (.301 AVG/.354 OBP).Both those players are considered to be comparable hitters to Reyes.He gets stolen bases when he gets on, but the trouble has been getting on. He makes far too many fly-ball outs and strikeouts for a leadoff man. His strikeouts (one per every 13 at-bats) and fly-ball outs (0.82 ground-outs to fly-outs ratio) were down last year in a career year, but that's most likely a good stretch of seasons than it's a trend.The fact is he averages 79 strikeouts a season in his nine years in the majors. That's not the small ball Sandy Alderson way. That's not how this current Mets team is looking to improve in their new ballpark.They want to have hitters they know will get on base in any way possible, who will make something happen when they are there.Unless Alderson thinks Reyes will get on consistently in the next few years like he did this past year, it is doubtful they will take a chance on a big contract for that inefficiency.Reason No. 7 When the Mets ownership decided to fire Omar Minaya a little over a year ago, they were making a statement. They were no longer spending big money on players that had questionable health issues and/or streaky performance potential.Players like Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo were major roadblocks to the Mets for a few years due to their enormous and undeserved contracts.Perez was a constant distraction, as he could not find his way back from mediocrity and refused a minor league stint. Similarly, Castillo was injured frequently but still collecting his checks from the Mets.The Mets hired a GM who knows how to build a team on a long-term basis. To build for the future and do it as inexpensively as possible. Enter Sandy Alderson, who was the architect of the San Diego Padres and Oakland A's for several years.Neither team broke the bank for average talent. They only spent money on extended contracts for exceptional players.Jose Reyes is an exceptional player, but he also fits into the criteria of what the Omar Minaya era would have signed. The Mets still have one such player on their roster in Jason Bay. There were some questions of his game translating to Citi Field.Those questions were valid. He has been terrible. But he's a perfect example of a talented player who has probably peaked and is beginning a downward trend.Alderson would not have made that deal for Bay.In the same reasoning that Bay should not have been offered that huge sum, the same could be said for Jose Reyes.This is the perfect example of an Omar Minaya signing. A player at his peak and about to hit a downward trend, who has been riddled with injuries.Minaya often took a gamble on these players hoping to squeeze a few good years out of them. In some cases he succeeded—in most cases, he didn't.If Alderson wants to succeed here, he has to take this old mindset into consideration.I'm not saying by signing one player (no matter how good he is) to a big contract that the Mets are taking a step backward. Rather, the contract situation with Jose Reyes has been very similar to those past failures.All signs point to a bad contract. Too many of those will cost Alderson a job.
Reason No. 8 The Mets have needed a change internally for a while now. Their personnel has become stagnant. Their roster has become predictable. The names have changed, but the concept and core are still there.Let's take a look at this core. David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Pedro Martinez.How successful was this core? They got to within one strike from being in the World Series. One time.Beyond that, they've never made the playoffs. In fact, they collapsed in late September two different times. The Mets realized it was time to move on.They let Delgado and Martinez walk in free agency. They traded Beltran just this past July.Now there are two—Wright and Reyes. Wright is still here for another couple of years (unless they decide to trade him). Jose Reyes is a free agent. This team let Carlos Delgado and Pedro Martinez walk in free agency.They could be more than willing to do the same for Reyes and cut their losses in order to move on from the Omar Minaya regime and the core he set in place.If they were wise, they would cut him loose and start all over with just Wright. He's a better option for a leader for these younger players.Reyes is talented but is the face of the highly unsuccessful "New Mets" that Minaya preached so many years ago. It's time for a change. Let Alderson build a new "New Mets" team around his vision.You never know—it might just work. Even without Reyes.
Reason No. 9 There's a certain mentality in professional sport that says a player has to celebrate everything.An NFL receiver catches a first down at midfield late in the fourth quarter when his team is down by 20 points, and it's time to party!An NBA player shoots a three-pointer with under three minutes to go with his team is trailing by 25 points, so it's time to dance and beat his chest!The notion that this is passion is ridiculous. It's one thing to have passion and enjoy playing your chosen sport.It's another thing entirely to taunt and showboat your accomplishments in any and every given situation.Baseball is different from these other sports. If a player watches his own home run from the batter's box for an extra second, he's showing the pitcher up.Next plate appearance, he can expect one high and inside. There is a balance.In the case of Jose Reyes, he celebrates every little thing.Hit by a pitch? Time to hoot and holler. Gets a seeing-eye single? Applaud like it's the biggest thing you've ever done. Hit a double when your team is down by six runs in the eighth inning? Time to beat your chest and raise your fist to the sky.It's absurd and over the top. Teams get angry over it. The clubhouse antics of Reyes and other Mets players were a big motivator to teams like the then Florida Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies.What came of all the chest pounding and excessive celebrations? Nothing.Not a thing was gained by overindulging in the waters of passion. In baseball, it takes a focused love for the game to succeed at a high level. No one can say the St. Louis Cardinals don't love the game of baseball or lacked passion.Yet they didn't go overboard when congratulating one another on something good, regardless of the situation.Jose Reyes needs this as a part of his game. If he plays with uninhibited emotion, what will the younger players around him learn? More of the same, obviously.Then, eventually, the Mets will be in position to once again be the most targeted team in baseball because of the excess celebrations.Is that a road this team wants to continue down?
Reason No. 10 The Mets are young and rebuilding. With Jose Reyes becoming a free agent, the team is at a crossroads. They can continue to stay the course and re-sign him, or they can make it known they are changing direction.The young players need a leader. Someone to lead by example on and off the field. Let's define the term leader for a minute.A leader is someone that goes to the manager when a player has been traded and tells him the team is not giving up.A leader is someone who calls closed door meetings for players only to kick them in the teeth for poor play.A leader is someone who, when you think of the team, you think of that player.A leader is someone who stays to answer all the criticism the media offers when the team just saw a multiple-game lead in the division evaporate. He will show his emotion, but he's what the other players aspire to be.Any of this fit Jose Reyes? Nope. In fact, when the Mets blew their division lead in 2007, Reyes was running out the back door and avoiding the tough questions like everyone else.Did Reyes go to Terry Collins and tell him man-to-man the team is not going to fold because Beltran and K-Rod were gone?No. That wasn't Reyes. All these things were done but not by Reyes. They were done quietly and without fanfare by David Wright.Say what you want about Wright's struggles and the high energy of Reyes—the fact is Reyes has rarely shown the qualities of a leader off the field.That's all Wright does. Fans get on him for not showing passion. He takes it in. Fans and media get on him for not hitting home runs. He takes it in. Fans and media get on him for playing hurt. He takes it in.The man shows his emotion at the right time. The man plays through pain because the team needs him on the field for more than his bat.David Wright is a leader. He is the leader this team needs moving forward. As long as Jose Reyes is in that clubhouse, the younger and more impressionable players are getting mixed signals.That hurts the manager, the team unity and the play on the field.I'm not saying Jose Reyes is a bad guy. Far from it. But he's not the leader this team needs.
10 Reasons to Keep Him BY FRANK GARY, WHO HAS CHANGED HIS MIND!:
Reason No. 1: Moving on from the "core"The "New Mets" as they were called a few years ago are long gone. But the group of players that comprised the main core of that movement are down to two: Wright and Reyes.Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Pedro Martinez and Francisco Rodriguez are all gone. They have to move further into a direction of winning.The "core" of that old team never really won. Sure, they went to an NLCS, but they failed to complete their primary objective of winning the World Series. They had a team in 2006 that should have done exactly that. Since then, however, the team has fallen on hard times and has fallen apart. It's no surprise they are being dismantled.The two members of that core that remain are the heart of the team. Trading one would signify a change. It may be the drastic change the rest of the players and the organization, for that matter, needs to move on from the not-so-glory days of 2006.They have to break free from their losing ways and move on. This is a chance for a fresh start.
Reason No. 2: Trading Wright lightens the financial loadThe Mets are strapped for cash—that's not a secret to anyone. You don't have to be "in the know" or a financial wizard to understand that the team needs to lift some of the weight off of them that is bearing down from previous heaving contracts.Mets GM Sandy Alderson said it himself just a few days ago that the team has been hamstrung by bad contracts, stating:"It's very difficult, unless you're one of a couple of teams, to have three, four guys making $15 million-plus. I don't care who you are -- again, with the exception maybe of a couple of teams. So I would expect we'll be looking actively in the free-agent market, but we've got to get it to a position where we can be active every year and not be hamstrung by existing contracts. Part of that is making good decisions in the first place. I mean, if you invest $15 million, you hope you're going to get $15 million worth of performance. We haven't always gotten that."They need to get away from over-spending and become more financially responsible. Is David Wright's contract irresponsible? No, but it is part of the four major contracts that are tying them up from re-signing a player that they desperately need.There was a time when the Mets were operating under the delusion that money is no object, but now, not only is it an object, but it is a road block.They have to make better decisions for the future. I believe they will try to re-sign Reyes AND keep Wright, but they may get into the situation where they have to decide on one or the other.If that is the case, they need to keep Reyes. The problem is finances.
Reason No. 3: There is no replacement at the topOne of the main reasons that Reyes is so valuable is because he is a leadoff hitter. First, he is one of the best overall players in the game. Just ask Alex Rodriguez.But not only is he one of the best overall, he is an elite leadoff hitter in the league.Despite two separate stints on the DL this year, he has 84 runs scored, a .867 OPS and is competing for a batting title with a .333 AVG. All this from a leadoff man. Most of the time, he will only start the inning once or twice in a game, but he brings more to the position in the lineup than just batting first.He sets the table for the offense. He gets on, he steals, he causes disruptions on the base paths with his presence. Pitchers get distracted with his potential to steal, they hurry a throw to the plate and make a bad pitch for the batter to rip. All of a sudden, there are two runners on the corners rather than one on first. All because of Reyes. Just the threat of him stealing.Then, he can steal too. He has 35 this season. All of a sudden, he's on second and scores on a single in that scenario. A quick 1-0 lead is a major boost for their pitcher to have. He plays the game within the game—the part of the game that goes on without being analyzed and is so pivotal to the success of a team. The mind game that Reyes plays on the opposition creates havoc.The Mets don't have a viable option to replace or come close to his production in that role. His stints on the DL have proven that. Angel Pagan has been less than stellar (.263 AVG) in the leadoff and there really is no one else that fits that speed and contact hitter mold of Reyes.
Reason No. 4: Reyes plays with a passion that is irreplaceableJose Reyes plays the game the way it should be played. He brings a youthful energy to the field that is seldom seen. He always hustles. He always plays hard. He celebrates the good and is supportive in the bad.He is the first one to greet players after they have come through with a big hit or scored a big run. His celebrations have been the focus from some teams, but he has become a standard for reacting to positive events in the sport.All across MLB, you see players excitedly celebrating a play, just like Jose. That's okay for them, but not for the Mets?A few years ago, the Marlins made it their goal to eliminate the Mets from playoff contention because of their perception of Mets' celebrations as being arrogant. They were not, but it was a noticeable motivator.When Reyes is not there, the team lacks energy. They lack spunk. They still have heart and play gritty, gutsy baseball, but they lack the pure excitement and joy that they have when Reyes is in the lineup. He makes those around him better.
Reason No. 5: Reyes is a cornerstone type of playerJose Reyes is the type of player that teams want. Other teams were drooling over the option to trade for him in June until the Mets took him out of the trade rumors.He is a player that other players look up to. He is supportive and vocal. He is a leader. Players want his approval.The team knows they are not the same without him. The players got depressed and worried when he came up lame on two different occasions this season. In truth, he was the injury that stopped their momentum in July.When David Wright went down, the team still produced because of Reyes. When Ike Davis was hurt, the team still won. It was entirely on the shoulders of Jose Reyes. Reyes responded with an MVP-type of season for that stretch until he was unfortunately injured too.How much is he liked by the team's new administration? When the season started, Sandy Alderson said they would evaluate every player. The decision would be made to offer Reyes a contract only in the following offseason. Alderson was so impressed with the leadership and skills that Reyes possesses, that they reached out to the star's agent to begin negotiations for a contract extension midseason.That's not Alderson's style or track record; Alderson is a smart baseball man. He not only knows talent, but he knows natural leaders and recognizes essential personnel. If Reyes wasn't that important to the team and that well liked, Alderson would not have tried to work on an extension. He is the type of player a GM builds around.When compared to Wright, they have equal value in that respect, but Reyes has shown his worth more this season than any other. They overcame Wright's injury—they didn't overcome Reyes' until Reyes came back. That has to say something.
Reason No. 6: Jose Reyes plays Citi Field type of baseballMuch has been made of Citi Field in the past few years of its existence. Most of it falls to David Wright when the conversation gets going.Citi Field, however, is a spacious cathedral of grass. It's perfect for a fast player and a gap hitter will excel there. Perhaps the Wilpons had Jose Reyes, rather than David Wright, in mind when designing it.Jose Reyes has legged out 12 of his 16 triples there this season, six last season and two in an injury-shortened 2009 season. In other words, when he feels up to it and he hits in it the gap, Jose Reyes can leg out a triple. A triple is an even more exciting play than a home run. It is more explosive. It takes more athleticism. It can score just as many runners (except when compared to a grand slam) and it is dramatic.As the runner rounds first, the fans can feel the potential intensify. As the runner rounds second, the fans know there will be a chance taken. The exuberance that breaks out in the stands and dugout alike when a player like Jose Reyes slides safely into third is unmatched.Citi Field is a canyon for home run hitters. This is why players like David Wright and Jason Bay have struggled so mightily there.It is a pitcher's park with deep dimensions to the corners, and nearly impossible dimensions to straight away center. It is imposing to most hitters. Players like Reyes find a place to put the ball and let their legs do the rest. That's the style of play that is required there. The style of game that Jose Reyes plays.
Reason No. 7: David Wright is better off in another ballparkAs much as the Mets' home ballpark helps a player like Jose Reyes, it hurts a player like David Wright. Wright has 12 home runs this year, but only five of them are at home.He does have 12 doubles in Citi Field this season, but how many of those were massive blasts to center or left field that hit the wall? His speed made them doubles, but any other ballpark would have made them home runs. Still don't believe me?Last season, he hit 29 home runs. Among those, only 12 were at home. In the inaugural season there, in 2009, he hit only five. Again, that season he had 14 doubles. How many would have been home runs elsewhere? His power numbers have struggled enormously since the Mets moved from their former beloved home, Shea Stadium.Even arch-enemy Chipper Jones has expressed empathy for Wright's struggles in Citi Field. He stated:“It is a huge ballpark to center and right center and right field. You know, I actually feel sort of sorry for some of the guys out there because their power numbers are really going to take a hit; guys like David Wright. The days of them hitting 35, 40 homers — they’re over.”“I juiced the ball just right of center field as hard as the good Lord can let me hit a ball, and it hit midways up the center-field wall for a double,” he said. “And every time there was a long fly out or a double that hit off the wall or something, David Wright would run by me and go, ‘Nice park.’There was a time when Wright was off to a brilliant start in his career and it looked like the Mets were on pace for another Hall of Fame representative. Citi Field has all but ruined that. A more well-liked player, Jeff Francoeur called Citi Field "a joke."He cited the inability to hit home runs there as a direct result of the dimensions. Many tend to agree with him too. David Wright may or may not be as vocal about it, but there is little doubt that the park has hurt his career.Another home would help his numbers. Since the Mets aren't building a hitter-friendly ballpark any time soon, they plan on moving the fences in a little bit. The main question, though, is will it be too late to help a player like Wright get the past out of his head?
Reason No. 8: Others can step into Wright's shoesDavid Wright is a big bat in the lineup. To trade a bat of his magnitude for some teams may be a difficult blow to their offense, but it may not be for the Mets.There are several players that are capable of playing the position in the field and have shown that they can replace his offense to some degree. Two names immediately come to mind.First, is Daniel Murphy. Though I have petitioned for him in the past to be the everyday second baseman, he is naturally a third baseman. His offense this season has been severely missed since his recent injury a few weeks ago. His .328 batting AVG to go with 28 doubles was a surprise spark in an offense that was loaded with questions. He is expected to be a major contributor for years to come if he returns healthy.Secondly, is Nick Evans. Evans also plays third base as his natural position. He has developed much slower than most people expected, but even he admits that he has felt more comfortable the more opportunities he has had. It has shown. He has four home runs in just 86 at-bats this year and has raised his batting average up to .279 in a very short span of time. His hot hitting has made people sit up and take notice.The performances of each of them, combined with upstarts in the minors like minor league MVP Valentino Pascucci (who is listed as a 1B/3B on the minor league roster) have almost made Wright expendable. At the very least it would suggest that they can absorb his loss offensively.Wright is a big bat (12 home runs, 49 RBI and a .279 AVG in an off year), but it is a bat they can replace.
Reason No. 9: His market value now is higher than Beltran's was in JulyIn July, the Mets traded Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez. They received Zack Wheeler for Beltran, a highly touted minor league prospect in the Giants farm system. For K-Rod, they received two players to be named later.One of them is currently on the Mets roster in the person of Danny Herrera, who has been solid so far in his first few outings in a Mets uniform and could be a part of the bullpen plan next year.Both Beltran and K-Rod were in-demand type of players. Both had reasons why the Mets would not be getting full value for them though. For Beltran, it was because he was in the final year of his contract.For K-Rod, it was because he had a multi-million dollar option guaranteed to kick in after a certain amount of games finished. Some teams were scared off. In both cases, it worked out okay for the Mets and GM Sandy Alderson came out looking smart.In the case of David Wright, he still has a few years left on his contract. They have him locked up until 2013, if they pick up all of the options on the deal. For a player in his prime, near 200 home runs (181 currently), near 1,000 stolen bases (869 currently) and closing in on 1,500 hits (1,232 as of today) in just 1,083 games played, a team will have to pay for him.Even if his contract includes $14 million this year, $15 million next year and $16 million in 2013, the Mets could pay part of that in exchange for top level prospects and MLB-ready players.If Carlos Beltran reeled in a top pitcher like Wheeler, how much more would a David Wright bring for the Mets right now?
Reason No. 10: It would be a good thing for DavidDavid Wright has been a model player for the Mets organization. He has handled the media circus day-in and day-out for seven years.That's seven years of ups and downs. That's seven years of media second-guessing of managers and him having to defend players' words and actions. He has to be mentally exhausted from the experience.Just two weeks ago, the team placed him on waivers. He downplayed the entire ordeal, but it had to hurt him inside. Behind closed doors, he has to be frustrated. When the camera is not rolling or flashing, he has to be suffering pain from the constant scrutiny. No one is that thick-skinned. Through it all, he has handled it with dignity and class.He was reassured by organizational leaders that he wasn't going anywhere, and that helped him get back into the spirit of the rehab in order to make a comeback this year. But how much can this man take? His confidence is up and down like minor league replacement players and his psyche must be as fragile as an egg right now.Still, he goes out and gives it his very best. A man like that deserves better. He deserves to be revered by the franchise he plays for, not treated as the scapegoat or spokesman for everything that is said and done by everyone at every moment. It's too much of a strain.On another team, he would be a god. Imagine how he would be treated by a small market team like Kansas City or St Louis. He would have a street named after him. Here, he is treated like garbage from the media and the fans, when he is struggling. Even if he is playing through a bad back, he is booed because he is not hitting.It's remarkable the expectations we have for him. He deserves respect. If the New York Mets can't offer it to him, they should have the decency to trade him to someone that will.
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