Daily Archives: November 15, 2006
The Mariners and SS Rey Ordonez have agreed to a minor-league contract. Ordonez has not played since 2004.
According to Bill Madden in the Daily News, Ordonez is friend’s with an M’s scout, who says the former-Mets shortstop is worth a ‘look-see’ to Seattle.
…sure, until he insults their fans and they boo him out of town…
Ordonez, speaking about Mets fans, as quoted by the New York Post on September 28, 2002…
“The fans here are too stupid. You have to play perfect every game. You can’t make an error. You can’t go 0-for-4. Are we like [expletive machines?
“They boo all the time. Why don’t they play baseball? Because it’s hard, right? It’s hard.”
Newsday’s David Lennon is the co-author of The Great New York Sports Debate.
Lennon, and co-author Roger Rubin, of the Daily News, will appear tomorrow, Thursday, November 16, at the Borders on Wall Street in Manhattan at 1 pm to sign books, meet fans and talk about Hot Stove baseball.
Lennon was kind enough to talk with me about the the Mets plans this off-season, and his book, for a MetsBlog miniCast.
In my discussion with Lennon, he had the following to say regarding…
LHP Barry Zito…
Lennon sees Zito as a huge priority for the Mets at this point, adding, “I think he’s their biggest target, it’s really their biggest need.”
OF Alfonso Soriano…
“From what I’ve talked to with Mets officials, they’re just not enamored with Soriano,” Lennon explained. “They just don’t like his swing, they think he has kind of a loping swing that’s prone to deficiencies, that he can go in to an extended funk because of that, they just don’t like him as a player overall, despite the gaudy numbers he’s put up lately.”
…to listen to this entire nine-minute conversation, click the play button below…
You can subscribe to future MetsBlog’s miniCasts by 
either entering the following feed, 
, into your music download software, such as iTunes or Yahoo! Music, or by simply searching MetsBlog, or Mets, on iTunes…
You can download an mp3 of this interview by clicking here.
In the New York Post, Joel Sherman writes that Mets GM Omar Minaya has considered ways to trade for Blue Jays OF Vernon Wells, who will earn roughly $6 million next year, at which point he is eligible for free agency. However, according to Heyman, the Mets had not yet broached the idea with the Blue Jays.
…the buzz from toronto suggests that for any team looking to trade for wells, they will require a proven, elite pitching prospect, like Angels RHP Ervin Santana, and a top position prospect, as well…
…i know mets fans will pounce on the idea of acquiring wells…however, as heyman writes, citing blue jays officials, the mets do not come close to having the pitching talent it would take to acquire him…
In 154 games last season for Toronto, Wells hit .303 with a 32 HR and 106 RBI with just 90 strike outs in 611 at-bats.
Heyman also reports on the status of Japanese LHP Kei Igawa, and the creative, free-agent, market strategy of Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens.
During a conference call with reporters yesterday from the GM Meetings in Naples, FL, Mets GM Omar Minaya explained that he is weighing a variety of trade options, which could come to fruition sooner than later.
According to the New York Times, the Mets have had talks with the White 
Sox and are interested in Sox RHP Freddy Garcia and RHP Javier Vazquez, who Minaya has pursued in the past.
…here is what i sense is going on…
…the mets want to sign free-agent LHP Barry Zito, but would prefer to give him a four- or five-year deal, not seven, and would rather pay him $11 million per year, not $17 million like his agent, Scott Boras, will likely seek…
…the thing is, the price for pitching is sky high and the mets are a) still waiting on Tom Glavine, and as such, b) still very much need a front-line starter…therefore, the mets have very little leverage with boras…so, to create leverage, they are doing a whole lot of dancing in and talking about the trade market, which i do believe is genuine…i do not doubt that minaya is seriously considering vazquez, or garcia, as solutions for his rotation…however, i cannot imagine it is his top choice…
…the problem for minaya is that, because of the market’s high prices, he can expect to be asked repeatedly to part with Aaron Heilman…the thing is, minaya cannot trade heilman without knowing who will be in his bullpen next year, which remains very much up in the air thanks to a) the free-agency of Chad Bradford, and b) the 55–game suspension tied to free-agent Guillermo Mota…if mota and bradford are not part of this team next season, the mets cannot afford to trade heilman, but may not know this in time to trade for vazquez or garcia or sign zito…
…one thing we need to remember is that minaya loves having more players than he needs, and he loves to act fast…with this in mind, we’re going to hear a boat load of rumors, ideas, mixed messages, and so on, most of which are likely based in fact, but few of which will actually become reality…
The Mariners have been in contact with free-agent OF Cliff Floyd, reports 
Ken Rosenthal at FOXSports.com.
Rosenthal also comments on the market for relief pitching, on free-agent RHP Adam Eaton, who may command a four-year deal, and on the wild off-season plan for the Cubs, which could include eventually moving Julio Lugo to center field.
At his blog for the Journal News, John Delcos recently quoted Mets GM Omar Minaya as saying the Mets have made a proposal to Floyd.
At the groundbreaking for Citi Field on Monday, Willie Randolph told reporters that Jose Valentin, who re-signed with the Mets yesterday, will serve as a super-utility player next season.
Multiple reports the following morning suggested that the Mets may still look to acquire another infielder, despite re-signing Valentin, who occasionally played in the outfield last season.
…the buzz this off-season had already linked the mets to Ronnie Belliard, Adam Kennedy, Rich Aurilia, Mark Loretta and Julio Lugo…
In fact, according to an anonymous baseball executive, speaking to the New York Times, the Mets are still interested in obtaining Lugo, who plays second base and shortstop and was raised in Brooklyn.
However, on a conference call yesterday from the GM Meetings in Naples, FL, Mets GM Omar Minaya told reporters that he expects Valentin to be his team’s starting second baseman next season.
…i’m starting to learn that these statements mean absolutely nothing, i’m sorry to say…understand that minaya is simply commenting on his team as it stands today, so, yes, of course valentin is his team’s starting second baseman…right now…with this 25–man roster…of course, should they sign aurilia or kennedy, etc, then the situation immediately changes…
Minaya, on Valentin, as quoted by the New York Times…
“He protects me up the middle, he protects me in other areas.”.
…after reading this, i immediately envisioned valentin as a super-hero, who, of course, gets his super-powers from a perfectly groomed mustache…valentin by day, the stache by night…
The Mets have until Monday, November 20, to decide whether or not to exercise a $14 million option on Tom Glavine’s contract that would guarantee he pitches for the Mets next season. …the buzz from new york has long been that the two sides have agreed that unless they both are on board with the mets accepting the option, the option will not get picked up…the mets feel they owe it to glavine to allow him time to find what is best for his family, i.e., if tommy decides he wants to play in atlanta, regardless of money, the mets will let him go… …if he wants to stay, the mets will either pull the option trigger, or the two sides will work out a new deal, most likely with a new option for 2008, which the mets are rumored to have already offered…glavine is still deciding on his future…
Glavine filed for free agency last week. However, he cannot negotiate with other teams, namely Atlanta, until the Mets decline his option.
Mets GM Omar Minaya, on Glavine, as quoted by John Delcos in the Journal News…
“We understand being close with his family will carry a lot of weight in his decision. I am hopeful he will be back with the Mets. What we are building we hope he will be a part of. He’s earned the right for us to be patient with him.”
…the majority of experts seem to feel glavine will eventually return to the mets…a) he likes new york, and likes the idea of winning in new york, which he waited a while to do…b) he’ll get far more money from the mets than he will from the braves, and, if you recall from his last round of negotiations, the player’s union has had a big impact on tommy’s decisions…
