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How About Carlos Quentin in Mets OF in 2012?

As we attempt to ignore another miserable Mets loss, their fifth straight, that featured yet another David Wright error that led to the only two runs in a 2-0 loss, let’s contemplate a 2012 outfield that features slugger Carlos Quentin.

In an online chat with fans on ESPNChicago.com on Wednesday, White Sox beat writer Doug Padilla said, “the odds of Quentin being moved are very high.” He would fit quite nicely in the Mets outfield.

carlosQuentin would play left field and Jason Bay would slide to center, signaling the end of Angel Pagan’s Mets career. As far as money, Quentin is making $5 million this year, so he will likely command around $7 million in his final year of arbitration. Pagan is making $3.5 million, which means he’ll likely get $5 million for 2012. For $2 million more, Quentin is a much better option than Pagan.

Quentin had a breakout season in 2008 with 36 home runs and 100 RBIs and was on his way to a possible MVP award when he missed the last month of the season with an injury. He regressed a bit in 2009 and 2010, but still had 21 and 26 homers, respectively. This season he has 24 home runs and 77 RBIs — more than any other Met by far.

The negatives are that Quentin does have some trouble staying healthy, and he didn’t do much in parts of two seasons with the Diamondbacks before being traded to the Sox. What happens when he gets back to the National League?

Quentin is a former first-round draft pick and is just 29 years old. Do the Mets have enough to get him if indeed the White Sox will be looking to trade him this off season? Stay tuned.

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Date: September 14, 2011

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  • Guy

    Hey there (don’t know your name).

    I have a few issues with this proposal (actually more than a few) but I guess it is a possibility.

    My immediate concern is that Jason Bay cannot play CF in Citi Field. No way. He’s doing a fine job out there in LF but he has played all of… what 32 games there in the majors? Plus he’s the wrong side of 30 and on top of that he’s struggling with the bat and we don\’t need to give him another problem. Angel Pagan hasn’t been fantastic this year but there’s reason to believe he can turn it around and even if he doesn’t he still has surplus value. Let’s face it, plus batting CFers are hard to come by.

    The Mets batting this year hasn’t been their biggest problem and it’s clear that the pitching staff (as well as Jose Reyes) needs to be their offseason project this winter. The fan trade proposal that’s been floating around is Jason Bay for Jake Peavy and I’d make that trade in an instant. From there you can push David Wright to LF (a la Ryan Braun) and slot Murphy or Zach Lutz (if he’s healthy) in at 3B. The pitching staff gets a possible boost for what’s essentially dead weight, you get rid of David’s terrible D at the hot corner and still have some money left over for Reyes and some more pitching.

    Above all the Mets really can’t afford to trade top prospects right now, we’ve really just got to be patient with them and not make any rash Omar Minaya moves.

    Thoughts?

  • Mark Berman

    Hey Guy (it’s Mark, by the way),

    I agree with you that pitching has been a huge problem this season, and that’s why I proposed a couple of weeks ago that the Mets go out and get another ace. I would do Bay for Peavy in an instant as well. But I doubt the White Sox would; do they need another overpaid, underperforming outfielder/DH to go along with Adam Dunn and Alex Rios?

    I also think the lineup needs an upgrade, especially in the power department, which is why I think someone like Quentin would be a good idea. Can Bay play center? Who knows? But it was said that he was a poor left fielder, and that could not be further from the truth.

    Can Wright even play the outfield? What if he looks like Murphy out there?

    I have no faith in Pagan at all. I wrote more than a year ago that they should trade him while he had value after an excellent 2010. Now he’s back to his mediocre ways.

    I agree with you that the Mets should not empty their farm system just as it is being built up. But they have enough young arms to perhaps trade one of them for an impact player.

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  • Balls

    You do realize that Quentin is an abhorrent fielder. He plays in a hitter’s park and has only posted one outstanding season back in 2008.

    If we want to piss off our pitchers, then yes, make this trade.