METS AUGUST WRAP-UP

Unfortunately for the Mets, their trend of following a terrible month with a great month did not continue as it did with May/June. After a 9-17 month of July, the Mets posted a mediocre 12-16 month that saw the team fall out of contention, leading to questions about where the future of the club lies. The Mets ended the month 2 games under .500 for the first time since May (65-67). The Mets also sit in fourth behind the Braves, Phillies, and Marlins.

Honestly, the worst thing about the 2010 Mets is that they're so boring and predictable. They were a much worse team in 2009 and a much bigger disappointment in 2007 and 2008, but in 2010 they've been completely and utterly predictable. They follow up a great homestand with a horrible road trip. They match up good pitching with bad offense and later bad pitching with offensive outbursts. They are only consistently disappointing and can never seem to keep a good vibe going longer than a week. They couldn't take advantage of series against bottom feeders like the Pirates and Astros or even against the Marlins at home.

The month started ominously with a disasterous 14-1 loss against the Diamondbacks in front of the new members of the 2010 Mets Hall of Fame Induction class. The Mets went 2-4 on the road trip that pitted the Mets against their biggest divisional rivals, further cementing their place as a non-contender.

However, it was their inability to dominate teams at Citi Field, like they have all year, that made August an alarming month. The Mets managed to split six games against the Rockies and Phillies in the first homestand and later split six games against the weaker Marlins and Astros. This sandwiched a road trip that saw the Mets go only 4-3.

The Mets ended the month with the first two games of a four game series against the first place Atlanta Braves. Mathematically, the Mets are still alive, but it was already hard enough to take them as contenders without seeing them going into Turner Field and sweep the Braves. Two losses in the first two games all but eliminates the Mets from the division hunt. The Mets enter September 12 games back of the Braves.

It's all about 2011, and sadly maybe even 2012 for the New York Mets now. With so many contracts not set to expire until after next season (Luis Castillo, Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran). The Mets have shown they have no intention of raising the payroll. Whether it's because of the Madoff scandal or not is up for debate, but actions show that this team is cash strapped. They lowered payroll from $149 million to $132 million this year and with so many large contracts next year, it may only go down next year. Players like P Cliff Lee and OF Carl Crawford would be a major help to the club but at this point, this seems unreasonable.

September will be geared towards the young guys. While Jerry Manuel will try his hardest to win because he knows he is the lame duck manager going into the offseason, eventually guys like Luis Castillo, Jeff Francoeur and Pat Misch will no longer get much playing time. Ruben Tejada, Lucas Duda, Kirk Niewenhuis, and Jennry Mejia will get a lot of playing time as the Mets try to find pieces they can use next year in lieu of expensive pieces in the offseason. If any of these guys can sort any progress and promise, the Mets may catch a big break in 2011 and finally begin to build a team that is capable of contention. If not, it's looking like a long 2011 season.