Daily Archives: November 3, 2007
In his blog for ESPN.com, Buster Olney writes that the 
Mets are among the teams that have asked about free-agent RHP Jason Jennings.
According to Olney, “He makes a ton of sense for New York.”
In 19 starts for the Astros last season, the 29–year-old Jennings was 2–9 with a 6.45 ERA.
However, he missed the final six weeks of the season after an MRI revealed he had been pitching with a tear in the flexor tendon in his elbow.
In 2006, he posted a 3.78 ERA in 30 starts for the Rockies before being traded to Houston last off-season.
During his six seasons with the Rockies, Jennings was 27–34 with a 4.36 ERA on the road, i.e., not in Coors Field, spanning 83 starts.
…last off-season, before he was traded to the Astros, the Mets, Cardinals, Reds, Cubs, Twins and Rangers were all rumored to have had interest in Jennings…
In a report for FOXSports.com, citing ‘major-league sources,’ Ken Rosenthal writes that the Astros will make a ‘strong run’ at free-agent 2B Luis Castillo.
Earlier this week, Mets GM Omar Minaya told reporters that he is in the process of talking with Castillo about returning to the Mets.
According to Ken Davidoff in Newsday, the Mets have contacted David Wright to tell him the team is very ‘happy with him’ as their third baseman, essentially reiterating what Omar Minaya told reporters during a conference 
call earlier in the week.
…that’s great, but we still don’t know if omar talked with him about the possibility of moving positions…and if he did, was wright open to it…
Nevertheless, according to Davidoff, Wright responded to questions on the topic with a text message that read: “Everything is great.”
According to Adam Rubin in the Daily News, the Mets will soon announce the re-signing of Marlon Anderson.
…he left the last time because the Mets would not give him a two-year deal, so i’m interested to see what his new deal will look like…i’m guessing it’s a one-year deal with an option…
In 43 games for the Mets last season, Anderson hit .319 with three HR and 25 RBI, while playing four different positions.
At his blog for Newsday, David Lennon has a must-read post about how he sees the Mets involvement with free-agent Alex Rodriguez playing out.
In short, Lennon believes the Mets will ‘definitely make 
a push’ for Rodriguez, while shifting David Wright to first base, and so he writes…
“The only remaining option is to trade Carlos Delgado, and it looks like the Mets are prepared to do that. Not only did he had a down year offensively, but Delgado shriveled in the spotlight when the Mets were looking for leaders down the stretch.”
…i actually agree with every thing lennon has written…as i noted a few days, i recently talked with two independent scouts, both of whom believe wright will do quite well at first base due to his quick feet, athleticism and soft hands, with one scout saying, ‘If Kevin Youklis can do it, Wright can do it.’…
…that being said, when it gets down to it, will the Mets have the stomach to pull the trigger on this…will they not only move wright and trade delgado, but then give $300 million to one player, who, by the way, is not a pitcher…
Earlier this week, according to a MetsBlog.com poll of more than 3,600 people, 47 percent of those polled did not want Rodriguez on the Mets, while 38 percent did, leaving 15 percent undecided.
In a second poll at MetsBlog.com, conducted five days later, also of more than 3,600 people, 46 percent of those polled now want Rodriguez on the Mets, while 40 percent do not want him, leaving 14 percent undecided.
Former-Yankees 3B Mike Pagliarulo is an independent scout and has started a blog, Dugout Central, which aims to bring ‘fans and scouts’ together to ‘discuss our national pastime.’
Today, at Dugout Central, a writer named Dugout Scout gives a detailed scouting report of 30–year-old, Japanese free-agent OF Kosuke Fukudome.
In the post, Dugout Scout writes…
“Fukudome is one of the better athletes playing in Japan. He is capable of playing center field and right field…capable of hitting in the middle of the batting order or in the number two spot…When evaluating the 2007 MLB line-ups, Fukudome could bat fifth in the line-up for 11 of the 30 teams. He projects to the following: .265 AVG, .380 OBP, 20–30 HR, 80–100 RBI and 10 SB.”
Last May, in a Rumblings & Grumblings report for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark quoted an MLB team official as saying of Fukudome…
“He’ll be a big name all winter. There may be more teams on him than were in on Hideki Matsui, because it was nearly a foregone conclusion Matsui was going to the Yankees. I don’t have any sense there’s a favorite team with this guy.”
…from what i can gather, he plays very hard; he’ll be strong defensively in right field, where he has a great arm, very similar to Ichiro; he will not be a big home run threat, though he’ll hit a lot of balls in the gap; think a better version of Tadahito Iguchi during his rookie season for the White Sox…the early buzz from baseball expects him to ask for at least a three-year deal, while the Red Sox, Padres, Rangers, Mariners and Giants will likely show interest…
For more on Fukudome, check out his profile page at Armchair GM, complete with a collection of video.
Yesterday, free-agent C Jorge Posada issued a statement denying any problems with new Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
According to Peter Abraham, at his blog for Journal News, this is a sign 
that Posada could be headed back to the Yankees.
In yesterday’s Daily News, citing ‘Mets sources,’ Bill Madden and Mark Feinsand noted how the Mets have made Posada their top priority at catcher.
Meanwhile, in a recent report for FOXSports.com, Ken Rosenthal writes that the Mets are expected to make a ‘huge push’ for Posada, as well.
However, in yesterday’s Newsday, Ken Davidoff quoted a friend of Posada’s as saying the all-star catcher is just using the Mets ‘big time,’ as leverage in talks with the Yankees.
…as i have said, this story will play out as follows, as far as i’m concerned: posada will most certainly check out the Yankees first offer, which will probably be for three-years; he’ll hit the open market, flirt with the Mets, get the Yankees to give him the fourth year, which may as well be titled the DH-year, and then he’ll re-sign with the only team he has ever known…
