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Willie is done in New York, at this point it’s not if but when. The problems with this team go beyond the manager though.
Are the Mets underperforming? Definitely
However, are they a well put-together team? That is the responsibility of the GM and given the lack of depth both on the bench and in the pen, Omar has not done a good job.
John Peterson over at MetsGeek puts together a good analysis of this team from, well, a geek viewpoint.
“The Mets have been a little unlucky, but “luck is the residue of design,†and Omar Minaya hasn’t designed this team very well.
Consider the offense: Moises Alou is still a good hitter even in his forties, but it’s no secret to anyone that he misses lots of time to injury. But his backup options for Alou this year consists of Marlon Anderson, Endy Chavez, Angel Pagan and Brady Clark. Endy is the only one of the group who excels defensively, but his career 74 OPS+ is abysmal and not good enough to play for any length of time in the outfield. So the other guys are good hitters who make up for their poor gloves with the bat, right? No.”
Minaya has been overrated as a General Manager. The Johann Santana trade was a no-brainer. especially after Boston and the Yankees dropped out of the running (though questions now are coming up about Santana’s speed – seems to be off by about 5 mph). Other moves he has made though, especially the non-big name ones, when looked at with a critical eye are very questionable. Get ready for the Omar Watch.
