The Mets seem to be notorious for trading away good talent for little in return, not trading for someone who could have made a difference, and keeping players who should be traded too long. While there are a number of players who fit into each one of these categories, I would like to focus on one in particular: David Ortiz. Yes, David Ortiz, the man who is getting ready to retire at season’s end, could have been traded to the Mets in 2002. Why was he not traded? Well, the Mets were too caught up on Ortiz’s bad knee, and decided to pass on him and take a chance on Tony Clark. Clark ended up having a terrible season, hitting .232/.300/.472, and Ortiz hit .288/.369/.592. Clearly, Ortiz would have been the better option in 2003, but what about beyond? How would the Mets have faired with Ortiz at first base? Would there be a third championship in the Mets organization?
To start things off, let’s discuss age. In 2003, Ortiz played his age 27 season. This means he was entering his prime, and would stay in his prime for the next few years. We all know what Ortiz was able to accomplish in his prime, so just imagine if he was with the Mets! From 2003-2008, the length of Ortiz’s prime years, the Mets went through four first basemen, the best of which was Carlos Delgado from 2006-2008, and none of them were able to accomplish what Ortiz was able to do with the Boston Red Sox.
While playing in Boston, Ortiz has brought three World Series championships to the city. During the same time period, the Mets have made the World Series once and made the post season twice. The Mets also suffered two major collapses in 2007 and 2008, and the Red Sox only suffered one collapse in 2011. Ortiz became the pride of Boston for a number of years, and is regarded as one of the best players ever to play with the organization. He has hit 445 home runs during his time in Bean Town, and kills the Mets every time the teams match up.
So what if Ortiz played with the Mets? For starters, he probably would not have played in New York past his age 32 season, but in that seven year span he would have owned New York sports. Defense had not been looked upon so intensively in mid-2000’s, so it makes sense that Ortiz would have stayed with the Mets through the 2010 season. Therefore, he would have made his impact with his big bat…and it would have been great! The power of Ortiz would have led the Mets to multiple division titles, and I believe the Mets could have won two or more World Series during the time span (especially 2006 and 2007). Ortiz never would win any MVP’s in the National League, but he would be a staple in the top 10 for multiple seasons.
If the Mets had traded for Ortiz, the entire history of the Mets would likely have been very different. There would be no heartbreak from 2006-2008, and Mets’ captain David Wright would likely be wearing a few World Series rings on his hand.
He could barely stay healthy as a pure DH, so I doubt his PED-infested body would be able to withstand 150+ games at first on a daily basis. Not to mention that he would likely take his defensive problems to the plate and so he wouldn’t put up such pretty numbers. Just look at our good friend A-roid.
Dan, I remember Ortiz pretty well because I had drafted him on a fantasy league team at the time. Ortiz was cut by the Twins due to his bad knees. As a Twin, they spoke greatly about his power but more greatly about his DL stints. He was always injured. The Mariners traded Ortiz for a pretty good player in Dave Hollins, but Ortiz would never have lasted in the daily grind as a position player. Notice he was available for a month in late 2002/early 2003 for merely a signature? Here is his transaction record:
November 28, 1992: Signed by the Seattle Mariners as an amateur free agent.
September 13, 1996: the Seattle Mariners sent David Ortiz to the Minnesota Twins to complete an earlier deal made on August 29, 1996. August 29, 1996: The Seattle Mariners sent a player to be named later to the Minnesota Twins for Dave Hollins.
December 16, 2002: Released by the Minnesota Twins.
January 22, 2003: Signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
October 30, 2011: Granted Free Agency.
December 7, 2011: Signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
October 29, 2012: Granted Free Agency.
November 5, 2012: Signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
I like David Ortiz but give thanks he didn’t become a Met. At best would have been a pinch hitter in the NL for the Mets if his knees would have held up if called to play 1st base once a week. The National League demands a complete player and that means playing defense with a fielders glove on one hand. Just permit me to stray off topic. Just imagine telling 1920’s through 1960’s long deceased greats that a one dimensional DH would be enshrined in Cooperstown. They would be turning flips in their graves for the “game” they passionately loved. Notice emphasis on the word “game”. Nothing personal against Frank Thomas and the future David Oritiz who has been fabulous for the Red Sox. Who or what is next? Could it be a yet to be determined instant replay umpire in New York that excelled gain entrance into the HOF in year 2050. The point being baseball was a game to get our minds off our troubles, stressful careers, illnesses and world problems. You get my point. I fear within the next 20 years players will actually be replaced with politically correct cloned robots that will play on environmental friendly artificial dirt. On a positive note agents and free agency will be replaced with genius software engineers. Where will it all end? Hopefully I won’t have to root for the Silicon Valley Mets. After all, the Giants and Dodgers went west to prosper. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!