Who Gets Sent Down

The San Diego Padres are in town and the Mets have a chance to make a statement. They are playing a first place team from another division, perhaps the team they will see in the first round of the playoffs. They just had a very successful road trip. They acquired Jeff Connine to help strengthen the bench following the injury to Damion Easley. Endy Chavez maybe returning this week and Pedro Martinez pitched the best he has in a rehab start. Everything seems to be favoring the Mets.

How come, then, I am not as optimistic as I should be. The fact that the Mets are struggling at home, and the way they performed on the last home stand has a lot to do with it. Overall, I like our team better than the Padres. The question is how will they perform. If the Mets play like they are capable of, play the way they should be playing, then this set could be huge, and a big boost for them.

Of course, with Chavez coming back and Conine coming over, the Mets will have to send two players down and that could be a problem. I would like the Mets to Keep Gotay and Milledge in the bigs. That means that Anderson Hernandez gets sent down (and I see that happening), but they need one additional player to send back to AAA. It could be Marlon Anderson but I do not see the Mets doing that (although if you go to the Mets website and look at the depth chart, it appears as though it is being suggested the Mets will send Marlon Anderson down to make room for Conine, which means it could be Marlon Anderson and Anderson Hernandez being sent down). If not Anderson, however, or Gotay or Milledge (the two I want to keep here), it would have to be a pitcher. I am thinking with Sosa and Sele both in the bullpen, able to act as long men, they could send either Schoenweis or Mota down, but I do not see that happening. My guess is it will be either Gotay or Milledge and probably Milledge with the claim that he needs to play more. They could also release Shawn Green, but I am guessing that will not happen either.

Still, I would rather be in this position than in one where they have too many people they want to send down. I am hoping for a good series against the Padres and a good home stand.

Let’s Go Mets!