Friday, April 10, 2009

Marlon's Swan Song

Jeremy Reed just ended Marlon Anderson's Mets career.

It's not official yet, but someone has to go to make room for fifth starter Livan Hernandez, who gets the ball on Saturday evening. Reed's ninth-inning game-tying single off Matt Lindstrom has to be enough to convince Jerry Manuel that he can send players other than Anderson up to pinch-hit and get positive results.

Anderson's ostensible value to the Mets was as the primary left-handed handed pinch-hitter - a role he has not played well since a 70 at-bat run with the Mets in 2007. Omar Minaya handed Anderson a two-year contract that off-season; I've actually run out of ways to call the decision a stupid.

Now, 24 players on the Mets roster have a specific role - the other guy is Marlon Anderson. Gary Sheffield's signing means that one aging vet will be replacing another, but Sheffield is a better fit for the Mets than Anderson is.

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