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According to the Daily News, citing ‘a person familiar with the situation,’ GM Omar Minaya met yesterday with agents Sam and Seth Levinson, who represent free agents Luis Castillo and Ramon Castro.
“The Mets were said to be working on a two-year deal last night to retain Castro,” notes the report.
…from what i can gather, castro is seeking a two-year, $5 million deal, but would prefer to find a job as a starting catcher first…however, those options seem limited, and offer very little security, and so i would not be surprised to see him return to the Mets sooner than later…
Meanwhile, in the New York Post, Ben Shpigel writes that Castillo could command a four-year deal.
Last week, at FOXSports.com, Ken Rosenthal wrote that the market for Castillo could ‘intensify,’ noting that, in addition to the Mets, the Astros, Indians, Padres and Dodgers may also show interest.
According to today’s Houston Chronicle, the Astros will be making an offer to Castillo.
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Might want to read Keith Law’s top 50 FA tracker on ESPN.com first! Not exactly glowing endorsements.
His take on Loduca:
Catchers as a breed do not age well unless they’re shifted off the position, and Lo Duca appears to be more rule than exception. Always a bit overrated because of some nonsense about “chemistry” and “character” and “clubhouse leadership” — all of which evaporated when his off-field activities came to light — Lo Duca’s game fell apart in 2007. His bat speed has started to slow, a fact that doesn’t mesh with his pull-oriented approach and refusal to go the other way. He’s never been a plus thrower, though his receiving skills are fine. His years as a starter may get him a starter’s salary, but in 2007 he played like a backup.
Now, on Castillo:
Castillo is a mediocre leadoff option whose days of providing strong defense and base running value are largely behind him. At the plate, he has an inside-out slapping swing that produces a lot of contact but zero power; he goes for infield hits, bunting for hits often, and will draw a handful of walks along the way. His bat speed isn’t great and he can’t catch up to harder stuff, trying to shoot it the other way to compensate. He’s a slightly above-average runner but isn’t a great base stealer, and his range at second base is below average, although he’s strong on the double play.
When his speed goes completely, he’ll be a replacement-level player. Because of this, a long-term commitment to Castillo would be insanity. Two years would be the limit of reason, and he’s a much better fit for a team that has a .380-400 OBP guy to lead off so that they can bat Castillo eighth or ninth rather than succumbing to the temptation to put the formerly fast guy in the leadoff spot
I’m thinking maybe they should trust their scouts and baseball people more than a writer…just this quote kills the credibility
“his bat speed has started to slow, a fact that doesn’t mesh with his pull-oriented approach and refusal to go the other way”
Paulie is well known for his hitting the other way, this is the reason everyone wanted him hitting 2nd all year, to “move the runner over” and all that. The rest is hard to argue with, but this is a key point here.
The scouts can see the same thing the rest of us see. LoDuca hit .272 /.311/ .378. Not acceptable numbers for the 2-hole or the 7-hole. Especially you want to match up with the Phillies’ offense. Unless you can make up for that lack of production elsewhere in the line-up (by adding A-Rod), you need to find a better catcher.
“find” him?
he needs to exist is the problem.
I had the same reaction to that quote, m00kie. What a howler!
“Always a bit overrated”? Overrated by whom? Even before last year, there were always “experts” lining up to crap on Paulie. He’ll bat close to .300, he’s a great clutch hitter, great two-strike hitter, works the count well, gives runners a chance to steal, and can hit good pitchers as well as he hits weak pitchers. But he’s overrated because he doesn’t hit for power. Bozoes.
If there were a clear upgrade available, I’d say go for it. But there’s not. LoDuca has a couple of years left in him — let him play out the string.
This actually agrees with my own opinions (subjective at best, of course). My biggest problem with these guys is, neither was particularly good last year (average to below at best), but given age and injuries, I have no expectation that either one will do better, so the most we can hope for is they don’t decline too much!
Find someone else if possible. Either a young guy with upside potential, or a vet out of the risk/reward catagory.
Because with thesse 2 in the line up, it wil be 2 black holes dragging them down.
Actually, the “best” guy on the FA list just might be Jose Guillan. Not that they really need an OF, but he would blow the doors off of Fukudome with the bat. And talk about risk/reward!
Is it just me or all this talk about re-signing Castro, Castillo and LoDuca just doesn’t excite me. It just gets us the same team back that we had last year….
the team that was 1 game away from the playoffs … needs some tweaks, some pitching, but the offense and defense overall were pretty good.
The way it all went down may make you want to gut the team and start over, but the final standings were really not that far from the desired results.
And if it wasn’t for the Phillies slow start we would have been 6 games out. And they’re bringing back the same lineup that scored 5.51 runs per game last year, highest in the NL. They may very well add a third baseman who is more productive than Abraham Nunez. If the Mets expect to compete with the Phillies offensively they need to replace LoDuca, and maybe even Castillo, with more productive bats, or add that production elsewhere.
they don’t need to compete offensively. They need to shut people down with pitching.
pitching, pitching, pitching
did I mention pitching?
it is baseball after all!!
i’d deff take castillo again because he at least can move runners along and make contact, and is a great bunter. He also does play very good 2b, NOT AMAZING, but good.
As for Lo Duca, eh…i’ll take him back as long as Castro gets a lot of time. BUt a poster here brought up a good point i think. It would take a lot but Try to get Bedard/Cabrera and Ramon Hernandez from the O’s. Kill 2 birds with one stone.
You’d have to include Heilman and another young relief pitcher, since Baez and Ray are both out for the season, as well as Milledge and one of Gomez/Carp/F-Mart. I think that would be an amazing deal for us.
Let Castillow go and take the draft pick!
Also saw in the Post article about DW that he said he would play SS “if it opened up” since he played it in HS< but “no, no second base”. Didn’t mention first though!
FOUR effin years??? Are they kidding???
Castro, Fine— as long as Loduca comes back as well.
But FOUR effin years for Castillo with bad knees, a bad hip
AND 50 lbs heavier then when he broke in.
This has got shades of Baerga, Alomar and Matsui written
all over it!
Heavy contract, long term, manager most play everyday !
AND that’s best case, provided he doesn’t get hurt(again).
Someone please tell me, What’s wrong with Iguchi???
I think the METS are being smart here. I think they stop at 2 years for all 3 guys if they resign them (LoDuca,Castro and Castillo). I think they may believe they have their second base solutions already in house. I think since they have resigned Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley and Gotay had such a prolific year for him last year specifically from the left side of the plate, they may be considering those guys in some type of platoon at 2b. Easley raked against LH pitching and Gotay was very productive against RH pitching. If gotay regresses, Marlon can split some time in 2b as a left handed hitter replacing Gotay.
As to Catching, I vote to resign both Castro and LoDuca. both have flaws but are certainly combined a pretty solid hitting and acceptable defending catching platoon. The only way I would consider other options would be to get involved with Baltimore for Bedard and Ramon Hernandez. I would live with Ramon and his albatross contract if we could get Bedard back in the same deal.
Dealing for Bedard will be costly though. He is a real ace in the most prolific hitting division in the game (Manny, Ortiz, Posada, Jeter, Arod, Abreu, Giambi, Alex Rios, Carlos Pena….etc.)
Bedard and Ramon Hernandez for Milledge, Heilman, Kunz and Humber.
I would only re-sign LoDuca if he takes a one year deal with a team option for a 2nd and at a discount. He’s only going to decline and I could see him being a malcontent. He’ll wear out his welcome.. again.
I’d resign Castro and find a caddy or him or try to trade for Ramon Hernandez.
I’d stop at 2 years w/ an option for Luis Castillo. I think Castillo is going to walk.
Is Castillo a Type A free agent? If so, that can land a nice draft pick from the Astros
Castillo was an emergency pickup, and IMO a GREAT one by Omar, to fill a need both as a 2b replacement for your injured starter, and to have a legit #2 hitter…..Castillo is not a solution for this team, and was only brought in with the idea of the push not just to the playoffs, but within the playoffs…..I got FLAMED the other day for suggesting he is a #8 hitter in a lineup that could include arod among the other great hitters, and it looks like im not such a jackass….according to keith law ;o)
*** should read, “However, Castillo is not a solution…..”
There are very few 2Bs who command top $. Castillo will never be one of them. That said, he fills a valuable place in 2008, and maybe in 2009.
So, if he wants a 3 year deal at market $ (say $5mm per), why not structure is as $7mm year 1 with $2mm deferred without interest until year 3, $5mm year 2, and $3mm year 3.
It’s the same $ to the player, but if they need to dump him after 2 years, they’re only dumping a $3mm contract — and by 2010, that may be the rookie minimum!
4 years? whatchoo talkin’ bout willis?
2 years max. castillo is 32 with a bum knee. want him back, but no way for 4 years.