"…i still believe santos is sent to triple-a regardless of how he does, or how castro behaves… unfortunately, it's not like the Mets to cut a player like castro, in favor of a younger, potentially-better player, like santos… at least not yet…of course, this is all meaningless right now, if schneider is unable to return any time soon…"
This is the kind of crap that makes me crazy. I love Metsblog. Love it. But a blog like that isn't a responsible place for an opinion stated like fact.
This isn't saying that he isn't entitled to his own opinion. That's' the great thing about blogs and the internet - you can get information out there, you can express your opinion - its a free open forum through which information can flow and people can learn. It's great.
But it's not great in this context. The owner of Metsblog is no longer a blogger having fun - he's been endorsed by SNY. His site is one of a handful of most-trafficked sports blogs on the internet. The power that this guy wields to influence the opinion of other Mets fans is huge. And with great power comes great responsibility. Metsblog, like it or not, is the mouthpiece of the organization on the internet. I hear people parroting the stuff that Matt Cerrone says all the time, almost line for line. It is irresponsible given the context he is now in. Three years ago, it was fine.
This above post is a perfect example of this problem. In one fell swoop he disparages the organization and makes a pretty silly comment comparing Castro and Santos. You wonder why people are turning against the Mets? Because opinions like this are no longer confined to bar stools and private conversations - now, they are blasted all over the internet and given the credibility of the organization's endorsement.
And for what its worth, there is no chance Omir Santos is anywhere even close to the player Ramon Castro is. Castro is an INCREDIBLE second catcher, and if it weren't for his fragility, he'd be a starter. Maybe he's got a conditioning problem or something, but the indisputable fact is that the Mets are better with Castro behind the dish than with Schneider or Santos. Why?
#1: Castro is an infinitely better defensive catcher than Schneider: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2009/01/whats-the-catch.html
"These numbers are so stunning it suggests that the unfortunate Schneider was somehow tipping off pitches:
SANCHEZ caught by CASTRO 65 ABs, allows 0 HRs and OPP SLUG%=292 SCHNEIDER 108 ABs, allows 6 HRs and OPP SLUG%=454
HEILMAN caught by CASTRO 50 ABs , allows 0 HRs and OPP SLUG%=340 SCHNEIDER 195 ABs, allows 9 HRs and OPP SLUG%=456
FELICIANO caught by CASTRO 36 ABs, allows 0 HRs and OPP SLUG%=306 SCHNEIDER 134 ABs, allows 6 HRs and OPP SLUG%=455
WAGNER caught by CASTRO 49 ABs, allows 0 HRs and OPP SLUG%=204 SCHNEIDER 99 ABs, allows 3 HRs and OPP SLUG%=313
SANTANA caught by CASTRO 333 ABs, allows 6 HRs and OPP SLUG%=297 SCHNEIDER 524 ABs, allows 15 HRs and OP SLUG%=401
PEDRO M caught by CASTRO 138 ABs, allows 2 HRs and OPP SLUG%=377 SCHNEIDER 185 ABs, allows 15 HRs and OPP SLUG%=600!!!!!
Same phenomena holds with John Maine, Claudio Vargas and Nelson Figueroa. Fascinating, isn't it?"
Of course, that doesn't help the comparison to Santos, who I know nothing about defensively. But its a good data point to suggest that Castro is a good defensive catcher (this aside from what we already know by watching him).
#2: Castro is a better hitter than Santos, and it isn't even close.
Here is Omir Santos' age, level, and OPS for the last two years.
2007 - 26 years old - AAA: 613 OPS 2008 - 27 years old - AAA: 651 OPS
His career minor league batting line is .258/.304/.348. The guy can't hit. At all. He CAN NOT HIT. The guy has 4 home runs TOTAL since 2007. He hits one this week and people start to think he's a better option than Castro. In his time with the Mets, Ramon Castro has posted a 770 OPS. That is a damned good number.
Barring injury or something like that, there is no universe in which Santos is "potentially better" than Castro.
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