Daily Archives: November 12, 2007
Tonight, at 6:30 pm, and again at 11 pm, SNY will air The Mets Hot Stove Report hosted by Kevin Burkhardt and featuring Ron Darling, as well as guests David Wright and Jeff Wilpon.
Meanwhile, today, at 3 pm EDT, Darling will be a guest 
on The MetsBlog Podcast, during which we’ll discuss his off-season vision for the Mets, his thoughts on Willie Randolph and Jose Reyes, and how today’s Hot Stove compares to when he played.
During the 13–minute interview on The MetsBlog Podcast, which will air later today, Darling had the following to say, among other things, regarding…
…whether or not free agency, and players swapping from team to team, has altered the level of competition in baseball…
I will say this, the players are as tough, if not tougher, than when we played, but because of this changing around they’ve made the game less tough.
I think the players are bigger and stronger and they’re tough as nails, but what happens is, when you have, before the game, every one is giving that uncomfortable man hug – and I’m trying to rid the world of man hugs, by the way, one hug at a time – that hug that they all share, you know, it’s symbolic of this, it’s symbolic that every one knows each other and that’s great, it’s a nice fraternity, and they’re all making a lot of money, and that’s a great thing, but I think the toughness…that toughness is gone forever – and we can argue all day whether that’s a good thing, but is gone.
…the potential disconnect between an old-school guy like Willie Randolph, and young players from this modern ‘man-hug era.’…
Yeah, that’s a really good question. I’ll say this, never have I met anyone classier than Willie Randolph…It’s not an old-school guy talking, it’s just that, the most important thing, I think, a baseball player, manager, coach, whatever, is you don’t assume anything…make sure you explain it, and I think that’s maybe where Willie came up a little short. Willie was one of the classiest and one of the toughest guys to play the guy, and I think he assumes that sometimes these guys know how to play the game right, and sometimes that doesn’t always happen.
This winter, I’m sure he’s giving a lot of thought about that first conversation he’ll have in spring training…that is going to be one of the great rallying cries, because he’s not ever going to assume anything again, and I’m sure he’ll make sure all of his players know that baseball is a weird game and there’s only way to play it, and that’s the right way. What is that? Well, that’s on each manager and each manager defines that and I’m sure Willie will define that.
…the late-season struggles of Jose Reyes…
This is totally my opinion, and has nothing to do with fact, but the one thing I would look at is that Rick Down was let go at the break…he and Reyes seemed to hit it off…He and Jose had, whatever that is, they were able to connect and work.
Another thing is, I think at one point the manager got angry at him and rightfully so and he’s a young man. A lot of times, what happens to young people is, when they’re called on the carpet, is that there is a moping point of time…
Lastly, I think, and I’ll probably have this argument with the powers that be in Spring Training, but, I don’t ever envision him stealing more than 50 or 60 bases, I think that’s a max for him. I say that, because I played with Rickey Henderson, who could steal more than that, but Rickey had a different body – he was built like a full back and he could take the pounding…Just piling up stolen bases, for Jose, I would not want to see that. He is only gonna get stronger, and I’d like to see him ease that burden of stealing, not increase it…Those 10 to15 extra bases are gonna wear on a guy who’s not built like Henderson is, like a full back.
Don’t forget, tonight, at 6:30 pm, and again at 11 pm, SNY will air The Mets Hot Stove Report hosted by Kevin Burkhardt, featuring Darling, as well as David Wright and Jeff Wilpon.
Tagged Ron Darling, SNY |
In a recent update for FOXSports.com, Ken Rosenthal tells us to forget about the Mets trading SS Jose Reyes to the Twins for LHP Johan Santana.
In fact, Rosenthal writes…
“Maybe forget about the Mets getting Santana, period. Though the Mets are deep in outfield prospects, their top young pitchers – right-handers Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber – aren’t as highly regarded as the Yankees. And the Twins presumably would want elite pitching back for Santana.”
Meanwhile, in Newsday, citing ‘a person familiar with Minnesota’s operations,’ Ken Davidoff writes that the Yankees will be asked to part with All-Star 2B Robinson Cano in a deal for Santana.
…i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again, if the Mets want to trade for a young starting pitcher, and intend to use Lastings Milledge to get him, they should aim towards the Bay Area and Baltimore, not Minnesota and Miami…
In an article for yesterday’s New York Post, Kevin Kernan makes a case for trading Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman to the A’s for RHP Dan 
Haren, assuming Oakland will trade him.
In the last three seasons, since becoming a full-time starting pitcher, Haren has won 43 games with a 3.64 ERA while striking out 531 batters through 662 innings.
In a recent article for FOXSports.com, Ken Rosenthal writes that A’s GM Billy Beane could decide to trade Haren or Joe Blanton, which is similar to what Buster Olney wrote to his blog for ESPN.com last week.
According to Kernan, the Mets and Red Sox have already shown interest in Haren, who is 27 years old and under contract through 2010.
However, Olney writes that rival executives question whether the Mets have the young talent to make such a trade, adding that most view Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber as low-end starters with only middle-relief potential.
In Olney’s best guess, the Mets will end up working out a deal with the A’s for Blanton, “but it won’t be easy.”
However, in a recent mailbag for MLB.com, A’s beat writer Mychael Urban suggested that, if the A’s are going to trade a starting pitcher, it will be RHP Rich Harden, not Blanton or Haren.
As Urban points out, Harden has missed roughly 60 percent of his starts over the last three seasons due to injury.
Of course, during his last 38 starts, Harden is 16–7 with a 2.95 ERA, having struck out 197 batters through 200 innings, while opponents have hit just .193 against him.
Tagged Rich Harden |Free-agent C Jorge Posada wants to stay with the Yankees, though he will meet with the Mets today, writes Peter Abraham at his blog for the Journal 
News.
According to Abraham, whose colleague caught up with Posada for an interview during half time of the Knicks game, the catcher is close to a deal with the Yankees, which does not hinge on ‘money,’ but ‘the best situation.’
In a report for the newspaper, Abraham notes that the Mets, Blue Jays and Marlins are among teams that contacted Posada since he filed for free agency.
Last week, at FOXSports.com, Ken Rosenthal wrote that Posada can expect a ‘monster offer’ from the Mets.
According to Mark Feinsand in the Daily News, Posada is seeking a four-year deal, with his major concern being the length of the deal. However, yesterday, according to the New York Post, the Yankees will make a new three-year, $40 million contract offer to Posada tomorrow.
…so, when posada tells the Journal News that he is more concerned with the ‘situation,’ i’m thinking he’s talking about the number of years on the contract…the thing is, from his point of view, i can’t understand why, even if the Mets give him the additional two years, why he’d want to spend them, at age 40, switching positions and learning first base, as he’ll have to do with the Mets…
Japanese OF Kosuke Fukudome declared free agency on Monday.
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.”
…as i have written before, from what i can gather, he plays very hard; he’ll be strong defensively in left field and 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, i.e., .290, 15 HR, at least 30 doubles, 10 SB, 100 K’s, etc…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.
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