The Five Mets Most Likely to Get the Victor Zambrano Treatment in 2007

(Note: The latest entry in our Section 423 column on the Knicks appears immediately below this piece by A.F.O.M.G.)

Know who I'll bet was really happy to hear the Mets didn't tender Victor Zambrano a contract? Gary Cohen.

I'll bet he wasn't the only one, either. Me, I'm relieved to hear he won't be coming back. There's really only so much negative karma I can stand, and when you get right down to it, that's all Zambrano ever contributed.

Zambrano went 10-14 in 39 appearances as a Met with a 4.42 ERA. He got injured shortly after the trade that sent Scott Kazmir to the Tampa Bay Scott Kazmirs, and then injured again shortly into the 2006 campaign.

In between, he walked an inordinate amount of batters, grimaced at every possible occassion, and was booed by Mets fans for being so resoundingly bad and unlikeable.

Mets fans have had to endure a number of bad and/or unlikeable players over the years. Heading into 2006, there were four such players on the Mets: Jorge Julio, Kaz Matsui, Steve Trachsel, and Victor Zambrano.

Julio was gone by May, Matsui a few weeks later in early June. Trachsel played out the string on his contract, providing him with the opportunity to kick our playoff chances in the balls before he went.

And now, at long last, Zambrano is gone too. I hope they don't even make an offer. I know I speculated yesterday that from the baseball-as-business vantage point, bringing back Zambrano at $2.4 million made sense.

But I also said "The fan in me wants him gone," and that's the line I'm sticking to today.

It was just too much fun last year not having a guy like that on the entire roster. Sure, Trachsel was there, but he was always different than Kaz, Victor and Julio as well. Trachsel at least experienced success at some point in his Mets career.

Is there any way we can replicate our 2006 utopia? It's possible, but I've been a Mets fan long enough to know that that kind of harmonious dichotomy between the fans and the team is pretty effing rare.

Looking over the 40-man roster, here are the five most likely candidates to inherit the relentless booing mantle left vacant by the loss of Zambrano:

1. Jose Valentin.

Fair is fair, Valentin did a nice job for us in 2006. You know what it is with him though? I think the fans have a keen sense that we were living on borrowed time when it came to Valentin's success last year.

The fans are savvy enough to remember his tepid early- and late-season production, and I think a lot of people were surprised that we forked over a solid chunk of change to re-sign him.

Most Mets fans, I think, wanted us to sign someone else -- not Julio Lugo necessarily, but a younger short-term option than Valentin -- to man second base in 2007. Instead, Valentin is back for another go-round. If he struggles early, look for things to get ugly with the Shea faithful.

2. Damion Easley.

I'm not sure anyone knows why we signed this guy. When we think of super-subs we think of spritely young guys like Joe McEwing, or at least Chris Woodward.

In 2007 we'll have the 37-year-old, not-demonstrably-very-good Easley. Omar's proven adept at finding diamonds in the rough, but Easley, I just don't know.

3. Shawn Green.

It sure seemed like a good idea at the time, didn't it? I know I supported the trade that brought Green -- who, in case you weren't aware, is Jewish -- to New York, and there's still a part of me that thinks it was the right move.

I mean, what would our outfield have looked like in the postseason with Cliff Floyd injured? Endy Chavez in left or right, sure, then what? Lastings Milledge? He who looked like a deer in headlights in front of the Green Monster? The kid's got a high ceiling, but he wasn't ready for the big stage in 2006.

All that said, Green just wasn't that good for us. He's a fading former star, part of a breed Mets fans don't take kindly to (i.e. Mo Vaughn, Robbie Alomar). Will Green's tenure in New York be marred by the same catcalls and boos that haunted Big Mo and Alomar? We shall see.

4. Carlos Beltran.

It's so unfair, but tell me you disagree. Tell me you don't think Mets fans wouldn't turn on this guy at the first sign of a slump and give him the 2005 treatment.

Life ain't fair, kids. I know I won't boo him, but somehow I suspect that Beltran is hanging on by a very thin thread.

5. Julio Franco.

The good news for Julio is that, in his age 49 season, he can count on being cheered by the fans at every opposing stadium. Really, it's impossible to not admire his longevity.

But let's be honest here, Franco made like he created the GIDP-bomb in 2006. I have no question but that he's worth his weight in gold in terms of clubhouse chemistry, and there's a part of me that wishes that wise sages could be treated with due respect, always.

But hey, this is New York. Franco's only gonna get credit for convincing Beltran to take that curtain call for so long, and there's an argument to be made that that's been the highlight of his Mets career.

If Franco's bat continues to slow in 2007, well, there's always 81 road games to look forward to.

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And that about does it. That list sound about right? Anyone up there that doesn't belong? I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

- A.F.O.M.G.

(All pictures in the article above appear courtesy of MLB.com.)