Fonzi & The Latest Rumor Buzz
So now I hear that the Mets might be talking to the Giants about a swap, Kaz Matsui for Edgardo Alfonzo. I'm thinking if it's true, it's not a bad idea at all.
Salary-wise, it's a wash. For Matsui, it's his chance to get the hell outta New York, which I'm sure he'd waive that no-trade clause for in a heartbeat. Poor Matbooey isn't exactly getting a whole lot of support from Mets fans, and you can't entirely blame the fans for losing patience with him.
A left coast team brings Kaz about five hours closer to home in Osaka, Japan. San Francisco also has a large Japanese American community. Starting over in a friendlier town might be the boost he needs to play up to his potential in the majors. The only other place where he might be a better fit would be Seattle, but I have no desire to see a mediocre hitter like Brett Boone in a Met uniform, at least not when the possibility of getting Fonzi back exists.
Now, I know Fonz is not the player he was. But we don't need a superstar. What we need is a solid veteran presence in the infield, and a reliable bat that's good in the clutch. Many argue that we already have that in Cairo. I'm not so sure. Cairo is a good player, but Fonz is just great to have in the clutch. He has a lifetime BA of .312 with RISP. For 2005, he's hitting .370 with RISP. Cairo? Just .136 with RISP. Sorry, but that's just not good enough.
Considering that leaving runners on base seems to be the Mets biggest offensive problem, I'll take a guy who has a history of hitting well with runners on any day. Plus, we only need Fonzi to keep 2B warm for a year or two, until Keppinger is ready to come up.
Someone over at Metsblog also mentioned that Fonzi could be moved over to first. Not a bad idea, actually. But for now, my loyalty is with Minky. I wan't to see him back at first as soon as those ribs are feeling better. I just know his bat will come alive eventually, and I'm sure he's willing to sit in the eight-hole until it does.
Salary-wise, it's a wash. For Matsui, it's his chance to get the hell outta New York, which I'm sure he'd waive that no-trade clause for in a heartbeat. Poor Matbooey isn't exactly getting a whole lot of support from Mets fans, and you can't entirely blame the fans for losing patience with him.
A left coast team brings Kaz about five hours closer to home in Osaka, Japan. San Francisco also has a large Japanese American community. Starting over in a friendlier town might be the boost he needs to play up to his potential in the majors. The only other place where he might be a better fit would be Seattle, but I have no desire to see a mediocre hitter like Brett Boone in a Met uniform, at least not when the possibility of getting Fonzi back exists.
Now, I know Fonz is not the player he was. But we don't need a superstar. What we need is a solid veteran presence in the infield, and a reliable bat that's good in the clutch. Many argue that we already have that in Cairo. I'm not so sure. Cairo is a good player, but Fonz is just great to have in the clutch. He has a lifetime BA of .312 with RISP. For 2005, he's hitting .370 with RISP. Cairo? Just .136 with RISP. Sorry, but that's just not good enough.
Considering that leaving runners on base seems to be the Mets biggest offensive problem, I'll take a guy who has a history of hitting well with runners on any day. Plus, we only need Fonzi to keep 2B warm for a year or two, until Keppinger is ready to come up.
Someone over at Metsblog also mentioned that Fonzi could be moved over to first. Not a bad idea, actually. But for now, my loyalty is with Minky. I wan't to see him back at first as soon as those ribs are feeling better. I just know his bat will come alive eventually, and I'm sure he's willing to sit in the eight-hole until it does.
posted by curlygc at 2:31 PM
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