Hey Omar, What’s Not To Like About Reed?

By J Platt on March 25th, 2008 6:54 AM
This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 6:54 am and is filed under Baseball, Mets Rumors & News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

reed.jpgWith Moises Alou starting the season on the disabled list and the lack of depth in the Mets outfield, the news that the Blue Jays had designated Reed Johnson for assignment seemed like a blessing. Johnson, a speedy outfielder with an above average arm, would be a perfect fit for the thin Mets outfield.

Apparently not…

While teams like the Cubs and Rangers are taking a serious look at Johnson, the Mets are said to only have “mild interest,” and plan to look internally to address their depth in the outfield.

This might be a smokescreen on Omar Minaya’s part. With Alou on the DL, Endy Chavez moves into the starter’s role, and Marlon Anderson will become the 4th outfielder. While this isn’t a terrible set-up temporarily, this probably won’t be the last time Alou visits the DL. Should the injury bug bite the outfield like it did last season, and outfield of Chavez, Anderson, and Angel Pagan isn’t going to win you any games; I don’t care how good your pitching is.

Acquiring a guy like Johnson doesn’t give the Mets a bat they can rely on in the clutch, but it does give them depth. Something this Mets team lacks. Alou is older, and has shown signs of breaking down. Ryan Church has some great potential, but only has one season under his belt as an everyday player. Carlos Beltran is one of the league’s best, but due to his hard play, missing some time this summer isn’t out of the question. Odds are the Mets are going to need more then the five outfielders on their current roster.

Is Reed Johnson the answer? Not for an every day player, but as a fifth outfielder who will come cheap, he’s an upgrade over Pagan or Brady Clark.

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