STEVE Phillips needs to trade the way everyone needs oxygen. So while most GMs perused and did not act before the non-waiver deadline came at 4 p.m. yesterday, the Mets’ wheeling GM made two deals involving 10 players.
In the end, the Mets moved because they believed Steve Reed is better than Mark Corey and John Thomson is better than Jeff D’Amico. And while that may indeed be true, it promises to have the same impact as a fresh coat of paint on a foundering house unless Phillips’ really important acquisitions play well over the final two months.
Without the constraints of a deadline, Phillips long ago traded for Roberto Alomar, Jeromy Burnitz, Shawn Estes, Mark Guthrie, Mo Vaughn, Scott Strickland and D’Amico, and bought Pedro Astacio, Roger Cedeno, John Valentin and David Weathers. Those moves soared payroll and expectations, and remain what Phillips will be judged by. Not Reed, not Thomson.
“Thomson and Reed are going to help us,” Phillips said. “But we are going to get to the postseason with the Vaughns and Alomars.”
Last night, therefore, was encouraging. Estes produced a third straight strong start (two hits in seven shutout innings). And before the first inning was over, Cedeno (single), Vaughn (RBI double), Alomar (RBI triple) and Burnitz (three-run homer) had combined for the cycle.
The onslaught enabled the Mets to beat Houston 10-0 a day after losing 16-3. It marked just the second time the Mets had lost by double-digits then won the next game by double-digits. The previous occasion also was against Houston when the Mets lost 16-3 June 22, 1962, then won 13-2 the next day.
On the trade front, Phillips could not produce a blowout, but – as usual – not from lack of desire. The Giants decided to hold Livan Hernandez unless they got a better starter, and neither D’Amico nor Estes fit that mode.
Expos GM Omar Minaya, after being criticized for getting too little back from his old team for Strickland, wouldn’t deal Cliff Floyd to the Mets unless they moved one of their untouchable prospects – Justin Huber, Aaron Heilman, Jose Reyes or David Wright.
Tampa Bay (Esteban Yan) and Toronto (Kelvim Escobar) wanted Heilman for their closer, as did Kansas City for Paul Byrd. The Mets inquired about lefty set-up men, most seriously Oakland’s Mike Venafro, and decided Guthrie and Jamie Cerda were better.
So the Mets completed deals for Reed and Thomson that may become most noteworthy for reuniting the two Bobby Joneses in San Diego, and the exchange of an admitted pot-smoker (Mark Corey) for a graduate of alcohol rehab (Thomson).
For Reed and Jason Middlebrook, the Mets gave up the lefty Bobby Jones and two minor leaguers (Jason Bay, Josh Reynolds) not among their top prospects. Reed could be beneficial, but the history of set-up men obtained near the deadline being huge helps is not great.
For Thomson and Mark Little, the Mets dealt Jay Payton, Corey and Robert Stratton, a Kingman-esque homer hitter who might be a sight one day at Coors Field. Thomson has stuff superior to D’Amico, but an injury-prone history similar to D’Amico.
The Mets like that he is under control for 2002, but will like it more if he masters an off-speed pitch, finally wins in the majors (he has one in his last 11 starts) and handles the Coors-to-New York switch as well as Astacio.
The Mets dealt Payton at the ideal time; when they could fool someone else rather than themselves.Even with an extended hot streak, Payton had fewer extra-base hits (17) than Rey Ordonez (22). With Payton gone, the disappointing duo of Burnitz and Cedeno will play every day, the same as Alomar and Vaughn.
More than Reed and Thomson, the Mets need that quartet to excel to be wild cards. That is because the Mets’ most important acquisitions came long before yesterday’s deadline.