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In a report for the Daily News, citing ‘Mets sources,’ Bill Madden and Mark Feinsand write that the Mets have made free-agent C Jorge Posada their top priority at catcher.
According to Madden and Feinsand, the Yankees have discussed an offer of three years, $40 million for Posada. However, the two reporters cite one source as saying Posada will want 
‘more.’
…hmmm, ‘more’ money, or ‘more’ years…also, is he capable of playing first base, or some other position, because in the national league, as a 36–year-old catcher, i think we all know he will eventually have to come out from behind the dish…i suspect even the Yankees, with the designated hitter, are having that discussion…the thing is, for the Mets, who may need to give him four years, maybe five, a position switch will absolutely be necessary…
In 144 games this past season for the Yankees, Posada hit a career-high .338 with 20 HR, 90 RBI and a .426 OBP.
Posada has played in at least 137 games during each of the last eight seasons.
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I hope Madden is wrong. Posada at anything more than a 1 year deal is a huge risk. If they get him to go along with Alou and El Duque, then it’s AARP time all over again.
And Posada has always had problems with passed balls. What makes anyone think he could slide over to first base after next year? Besides the passed balls, he’s never seemed particularly agile or quick on his feet which I would think a good first baseman would need to be.
There is no way in hell the Mets should waste their time with this guy. He had a huge walk year and he’s not going to duplicate that at his age. The team that signs him will be lucky to have more than 1 productive year from Posada. This better be a smokescreen.
I completely agree…. The guy has never hit over .290 prior to this past year. If the Yankees want to throw money his way to make up for losing Torre and A-Rod, fine with me. But any other team seriously thinking about signing this guy for 3-4 or even 5 YEARS is CRAZY!!
What happened to the “No Catchers over the age of 37″ theory? Why not just give Piazza a 3 year contract as well!!
OMAR, if you are listening to the fans…. DON’T MAKE THIS MOVE
There are much greater needs for this team, and to say that Posada is a “top priority” makes me wonder how dedicated this front office is to winning a championship.
Yeah, agreed 100%.
STAY. AWAY.
I believe Posada started out in the yankee system playing second base. so it would not be a Piazza- type change, at least. Of course, Posada is another guy who throws up bad post seasons.
you know, Posada moved to the catcher position when he was 21 - 22 years old (I am sure it was in his 20s, just not sure what year).
That may extend his halflife at the position. He is fiery and wants to win. He is great with young pitchers. Also he can hit the ball.
Is it really that bad of a signing?
I mean, Pudge is still doing it.
Jorge Posada would be a huge mistake. His numbers will not be that much better than a platoon of Castro/FA or trade. If you are going to spend that much money on a Yankee do it for Rivera and get him.
If there is no A-Rod, which I think you have to at least explore, then your solutions are as follows.
1)Sign Silva and Livan and Romero. Total cost around 20 million.
2) Trade Gomez/Milledge and Pelfrey/Humber for Alex Rios.
Lineup
Reyes Rios Wright Beltran Alou Delgado Castro Gotay
Rotation
Pedro Maine Perez Silva Livan
Bullpen
Wagner Sanchez Heilman Feleciano Elduque Show Romero
Bench
Easley, Chavez, C(TBA), Milledge or Gomez.
Those changes put us back in the lead.
I think that is a good hope or wish. Is Rios even available? Does Toronto want a starting pitcher in return? I haven’t heard any of this stuff, but I love Rios - I would definately consider even doing a Milledge and Pelfrey deal for him, although I prefer another combo only giving up one of those guys.
As far as the Silva and Hernandez stuff. I think Livan would be a pretty good fit - reunite with his brother, he is an innings eater, he would love Shea. If they can get him on a 1 yr deal with an option I would do it.
Silva - he’s intriguing, but I don’t know. I kind of think that this is the put up or shut up year for Pelfrey (as well as Milledge) and if he isn’t a Major League Starter this year he won’t be for a while (because we know the mets will give up on him (see, Heilman, Aaron) and he would be pretty much untradeable).
Question: Exactly why would I trade Alex Rios for Pelfrey- Milledge, the best of those combos. And aren’t you getting the anti-Whip twins in Silva and Livan? One would be too much. How about getting a real pitcher?
I don’t like Posada for anything more than two years. And obviously with that we wont get him. I mean he is a 36 year old catcher. Why would we dish out 4 years for one of the most physically demanding positions. Also, if he comes to Shea and then Citifield, he will lose many homeruns due to the absence of a 300 foot fence in rightfield. I don’t like this at all. We need to get younger.
Damn, I wrote a huge long rant, and it disappeared!!
short version: No. If Omar does this, he proves that he is unqualified for the job and must go.
Posada at 27-28 clogging up the roster and 1B will be a trainwreck.
And now it appears a few posts above!
Smokescreen. Nothing but a smokescreen.
There is no way in HELL Omar goes long-term on Posada. Way too old.
IMHO, there is no way that Posada is leaving the Yankees… Jeter is his best friend. Not to mention that the Yankees have to attempt to show that the ship is “righted”. They can’t let Jorge go.
Of all the people the Mets could be going after, Posada is the top priority? This somehow rubs me the wrong way.
A couple years ago, Pedro and Beltran were top priority.
Last year, starting pitching was top priority.
This year, it’s Posada? ugh….
In a word,
No.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
can we please get a young catcher for a change? We’re putting ourselves in a position to be in the exact same place in two years that we are now.
plus i hate posada
Yes, he’s a risk, but the man has averaged 90 RBI for the last 7 years, has done a great job with a pitching staff put together with spit and tape, and has been money on a team that perennially makes the playoffs.
Catcher is a leadership position. LoDuca is a leader, but he’s a singles hitter, and I don’t think you can afford to have 2 singles hitters in your lineup (C and 2B) and compete against the Bostons/Yankees of the world. Who else is out there that’s not going to cost you valuable chips? Torrealba? Prior to this year he’d never had more than 226 ABs; this year he hit .250 and slugged .376 - you might as well keep LoDuca. Barrett? Not exactly a stellar clubhouse fit, by all accounts. Other young studs, or a guy like Hernandez? What’s that going to cost you prospect-wise? Teams aren’t exactly clamoring to give away young catchers…unless they’re stupid enough to leave them unprotected in the draft.
This is this market’s reality. Posada’s the best option available, even if you overpay in $/time. I think it’s a risk worth taking, considering the options…
HE’S A YANKEE. DON’T WE HATE THE YANKEES? What is going on here? I feel like I’m in an insane asylum.
I just have to reply to this comment, and this in no way means I support getting Posada, because I think the deal necessary to pull him away from the yankees would be a huge risk and be overpaying. That being said, sure, Mets fans hate the Yankees, but is it Posada’s fault that he’s a Yankee? Hate the team, sure, but when us fans get all emotional about signing a FA who is a Yankee, it seems ridiculous to me. Why should it matter what team they’re from? This only perpectuates the inferiority complex of Met fans and is basically saying you care more about the fact that some player who happened to be drafted by the Yankees or signed by them at some point, then winning. I’m not saying Posada will make us a winner, but when it comes down to it, why should we care if a player comes from the Yankees? or any team in the league? Deal with FA people and if a player makes our team better, you shouldn’t care where they are from.
Thanks for saving me the bother of typing…
Sorry but I don’t buy it. There’s a reason that class act guys like Schilling say they won’t go to their rivals. It’s a rivalry for a reason, and when it’s a true rivalry, you hate the players just as much as you hate the team. I grew up hating the Yankees. Not some overall generalization of “the Yankees organization.” I grew up hating the players on the team - Reggie Jackson, Whitey Ford, etc. I don’t want these guys on my team after I booed them furiously. Just like I didn’t want Glavine on my team. When you sign a guy like that - you’re asking for him to stand out from the rest of the team. People act like they are surprised that Glavine never really became a “Met.” Really? You really thought after 15 years with the Braves he was going to blend in with their rival team? I’d rather not sign another guy who wishes he wasn’t here and only signs to prove a point to the team he really loves. I’d rather sign guys that actually want to be here. Plus the fact that Posada is an aging catcher, and this team does not have a very good track record with catchers in their mid 30’s. Sometimes it’s a better option to spend less money an somewhat less results. I am very confident that Ramon Castro could put up the same numbers as Posada over the next 3 years. Maybe not in 2008, but total over the next 3 years. So why spend $50 million on a Yankee?
And you’re right, I do have an inferiority complex to the Yankees, because they’re better than us. Until we do something to prove we’re better, we are inferior to them. And we’re not gonna prove it by signing their own guys. We need to make our own team - not the NL Yanks with Arod and Posada.
get RIOS!!!!
So we are supposed to go 3+ years for a catcher who will turn 40 by the end of the contract. Pay him over 10 a year AND LOSE OUR draft pick (#22)? ARE YOU SERIOUS?
The only way this makes sense is if Delgado is getting traded and Posada is the everyday 1B for three years. That would work out just fine. Jorge has played a little 1B but not recently, and I think they considered putting him for 2B that time Jeter went flying into the stands. Suffice to say he’s better than Piazza at 1B, but probably not above average 1B quality.
I’m more against Posada than anything else this offseason.
THIS is a hand cuffing type move more than Arod would be, in my mind. We all know catchers break down, and when they do, it’s quick. Yes, he had his best year this past season. Fine. One has to think that’s an aberration and that, while he may be very good next year, year 2 will be average and then it’s crap time.
As for moving him to first . . . I don’t know. I don’t like the idea of signing someone with the idea that you KNOW he won’t be able to play the position you signed him for in a couple of years.
Say the idea is that he replaces Delgado, well, who’s the answer behind the plate then next year? We have to go through the whole thing over again.
Plus . . . he’s a Yankee. I know, he’s a FA, but he’s associated with the Yanks. If we were going to pick up their cast offs, why didn’t we try to pick up Bernie Williams last year when we had all those OF injuries? I’m thinking his presence and attitude would’ve added a bit to the clubhouse and he would’ve been better than Ledee and the cast ‘o nobodies . .
Question is, in Shea does he even give you better numbers than Delgado. Plus then you are paying him 10+ and picking up Delgado’s leftovers and have to sign a catcher. I would rather count on Delgado having a rebound year and if not say good bye to him at the end of the year.
sign posada…..ah, alou and posada together….both of the PP hands method
wait, posada pees on his hands too? maybe we should sign this guy…
Trade a package of some mid level (humber +) prospects to the Nats for Cordero and Jesus Flores…and resign Castro…..id like a Castro , Flores(he was a Met not long ago,and he has a cannon)platoon..2 birds w/1 stone
with what they would have to give up for that trade they would be better off trading for a starter. Too much value going away in a Cordero trade.
Oh, and besides the Mets passing, I like the idea of the Yankees resigning all these old guys for big money, and more importantly, long terms.
They seem to be willing to eat cash, but it helps make fun of them (and to denigrate their success) when they have a huge payroll.
Best though, is having a roster full of broken down guys with declining skills. Giambi is still around, right? Damon is about washed up. Hopefully Rivera and Posada join the parade soon. Even jeter ain’t no srping chicken. Matsui is pushing 35, right? Abreu is up and down.
Now they just need to sign Andru Jones, although with their luck, he will hire a PT and revitalize his career!
“who may need to give him four years, maybe five,”
How can you even write those words?
You’re talking about giing a 36 year old catcher a 5 year contract???
Are you basing that on ANYTHING?
Has someone in baseball written or said to you ‘it may take a 5 year deal to get Posada’? I seriously doubt it.
Why make absurd speculations?
You guys just remember Posada and Pedro dont get along………………
Definitely not anything…Yeah he had a big, big year last year– IN HIS WALK YEAR! No way he will ever put up those #’s again, especially in the NL where he does not have the luxury of DHing twice a week. Plus his defense really is pretty bad- his pass balls in that bug game cost the Yankees the series. He never blocks the plate either. And he has pretty much gone hitless in the playoffs the last few years. I’d sign Castro and play him everyday- 2 years, 11 million should get it done. He has sparkled when he has played. No way I go near Jorge Posada. Save the $$ for ARod.
Castro is NOT an everyday player… He has proven that year after year… He plays extremely well in short stints. But as soon as he’s asked to hold down the fort, he falls apart (both statistically and health wise)
I’d bet anything that LoDuca would come back for a 1 or 2 year (option) contract for prob $7M/year maybe less with some incentives
He’s as good an option as anyone else out there
Agreed.
Does anybody have any info on minor league catching prospects? I’m looking for a team that has a glut of young talent at the position (I think someone mentioned the mariners last week) that we could trade one of young outfielders, like Gomez, for.
I’d be more inclined to bring a catcher up a year early and have him develop in the big leagues as our catcher of the future alongside LoDuca for a year or two, than have guys like Gomez stuck in triple-A or sitting on the bench.
Just checked Baseball Prospectus…
Doesn’t look like there’s much out there, though I don’t have the full article.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5839
Maybe we can turn Victor Zambrano back into a catcher?
Maybe we can turn Delgado back into a catcher.
:-)
The mariners have 3 catchers of high quality or potential,
Johjima, Clement, and Jaime Burke.
We should be able to get one of them at lowish cost.
I have justified a lot of unpopular movies made this FO the past year, looking at it from their perspective and honestly seeing the logic in it.
But there’s no way even I could justify signing Posada, period, for anything more than a 1-2 year-deal, and even at that I’m highly, highly skeptical.
I feel like there were several problems that causesd the Mets to miss the post-season. If iwere to rank them they would be:
1) Bullpen - for anybody who watched the last two of the season this is fairly obvious since literally no lead was safe including 4 or 5 run leads.
2) Starting pitchers who can go deep into games- Mets pitchers inability to go long into games caused the bullpen to be overworked which caused their late year colapse.
3) Age/injuries - Mets had 12 players on their roster last year 35 or older. Of those 8 of them (Duque, Pedro, LoDuca, Delgado, Easley, Valentin, Alou and Green) ended up on the DL this year. 2 of the remaining three seemed to run out of gas by the end of the year (Wagner and Glavine) Sele and Conine were the only vets who did not suffer this and they hardly played.
Posado does not help 1 and 2 and makes number 3 worse.
To me this seems like a wild overreaction to last year’s failings. Just get the biggest name out there even if it doesn’t really help the problem and probably makes it worse. Lets get younger here.
The validity of this article should be questioned simply by this statement:
“Mets sources say GM Omar Minaya has identified Posada at the top of the team’s list of free agent targets. Like he did with Pedro Martinez before the 2005 season, Minaya might be willing to go above and beyond to secure the rights of a possible Hall of Famer.”
“POSSIBLE Hall of Famer”? What HOF might that be? Surely not the Baseball HOF.
If you’re a catcher with 300 HRs and 1200+ RBI, you’re in the running. He’s at 218/861. 4 more average years for him and he’s right there…plus the four rings…
Posada would be a mistake!
How about Jason Kendell (33) as a younger substitute for Paul LoDuca (36). Kendell is a career .297 hitter with a .375 on base. He has no pop, but he’ll only be batting 8th.
Don’t sign Posada. Can’t sign him to eventually move him to 1B. A-Rod will eventually play 1B for the New York Mets. Believe it, or not…. (RIP Jack Palance)
erm
I wouldn’t put much faith in this rumor. These could be the same sources who said a deal for Guerrero was all but done a few years back (or that Beltran was being fitted for pinstripes).
I honestly don’t think Omar would be that stupid to offer a 4 year contract (or even a 3 year contract) to someone like Posada.
The old adage “don’t believe everything you hear and only half of what you read” is doubly true during the offseason.
My post didn’t go through.
To be concise, ditto
Omar just thinks Yankees are better than Mets. He hired Willie, didn’t he? He thinks the Yankee aura will rub off. Of course, the yankee aura has dimmed somewhat. But no mater to Omar. A 37 year old Yankee catcher somehow does not violate the sound business strategy of not signing 35+ catchers to long term contracts. Maybe Omar thinks the DH is coming to the national league? Or maybe he is just a fool with a checkbook.