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The Case For Mike Cameron


By Howard Megdal ~ October 26th, 2009. Filed under: Howard Megdal.

All over New York, fans are eagerly discussing: should Mike Cameron play left field for the Mets in 2010?

There also seems to be a World Series coming to New York. Hopefully, it doesn’t distract too much from the potential offseason moves in Queens.

But Mike argued against the Mets bringing Mike Cameron to Queens, while I believe this is the perfect move for the Mets to make.

Let’s summarize two positions I hold:

1. The Mets have to get better production out of left field in 2010, offensively and defensively, to improve their chances of winning in 2010.

2. Matt Holliday, while a skilled player, isn’t worth close to the 7/119 or more many people believe he will get.

So what’s a team to do? Jason Bay is older and far worse defensively, as per every defensive metric under the sun. Vladimir Guerrero shows signs of breaking down, something the far-sighted Mets knew was coming way back in 2003. (Hooray?)

Adding Cameron means adding a player with a career OPS+ of 106, and a three-year average of 107. He steals bases, he hits home runs. Yes, he strikes out a lot, but this isn’t something that remotely bothers me.

And while players tend to be evaluated on offense first, Cameron’s defense must be considered. He is a tremendous defensive outfielder, meaning he would give the Mets value above and beyond his strong offense. Consider also that if Carlos Beltran’s knee gives him problems next season, the Mets can simply move Cameron to center field.

Best of all, the Mets shouldn’t have to sign Cameron long-term. A one-year deal for Mike Cameron allows them to fill the 2010 season in left field, and reassess after next year, when both prospects in the free agent market and internally have had another year to improve. By winter 2010, Fernando Martinez may be ready, Adam Dunn could be on the market, and who knows which players could be available in trade?

Cameron offers a short-term solution and long-term punt. Considering the Met needs, and the options to fill them, Cameron is by far the best choice.

Howard Megdal is the Editor-in-Chief of The Perpetual Post. He covers baseball, basketball and soccer for Capital New York, MLBTradeRumors.com, New York Baseball Digest and has written for ESPN.com as well as numerous other publications. He is the Poet Laureate for SBNation New York. His book about Jewish baseball players, “The Baseball Talmud,” is available for purchase on Amazon.com and wherever books are sold. His next book, "Taking The Field", is available for pre-order on Amazon.com and will publish in May 2011.
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5 Responses to The Case For Mike Cameron

  1. Lundy
    October 26th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    Are you forgetting the abject failure of Cameron playing something other than CF (including his pouty belly-aching) a couple years ago? Do you remember the shots of Cameron and Beltran smashing faces in San Diego that year? I didn’t even mention the PED issue…oh wait, I guess I just did. I agree with you that Mike Cameron is a good player, but this isn’t fantasy baseball. They need an actual leftfielder.

  2. Jason
    October 26th, 2009 at 4:09 pm

    Beltran would be a great leftfielder.

  3. RonOK
    October 26th, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    Lundy, you hit all the points I would hit.

    Howard, what makes you think that Cameron would want to play anywhere other than CF? What makes you think that he would sign for just one year?

    Frankly, if he did do both of these things, I agree he is far better than anything the Mets had out in LF in 2009, but he is getting up in age, is a .250 hitter and his strikeouts bother me a ton ….

    Let’s face it, the Mets are a mess. IMO, Mike Cameron is just not an answer.

  4. James K.
    October 26th, 2009 at 10:17 pm

    Nice, good stuff.

  5. Howard Megdal
    October 27th, 2009 at 10:30 am

    “Are you forgetting the abject failure of Cameron playing something other than CF (including his pouty belly-aching) a couple years ago?”

    Yes, that abject failure of a 114 OPS+ with strong defense. Who could forget that debacle? If anything, the collision makes both Cameron and Beltran likelier to avoid such a communication lapse again.

    “Howard, what makes you think that Cameron would want to play anywhere other than CF? What makes you think that he would sign for just one year?”

    Well, his last contract was for a year with a club option. So I’m thinking with him even older, that would likely happen again.

    As for why he’d sign, my suspicion is that if the Mets offer him the most money, he’ll sign with the Mets. If he doesn’t agree to play LF, that does ruin the plan. We shall see if he’s willing.

    “but he is getting up in age, is a .250 hitter and his strikeouts bother me a ton”

    His performance has been consistent, so the one-year risk is pretty safe. The average and strikeouts haven’t kept him from being a significantly valuable player for about 15 years, so I’m still okay with them.

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