Daily Archives: November 14, 2007
According to the Denver Post, free-agent C Yorvit Torrealba is ‘zeroing in’ on a three-year, $15 million offer from the Mets.
…Update…11:10 pm…
However, in the Rocky Mountain News, Tracy Ringolsby reports that, while Torrealba is ‘seeking’ a three-year deal, the Mets have only offered him a two-year deal worth $9 million.
Last week, the News reported that Torrealba had turned down a two-year, $7 million offer from the Rockies.
Today, Ringolsby writes that the Rockies and Marlins have made similar, but less lucrative offers than the Mets, adding…
“The interested teams are all pressuring for a decision on their offers by the end of the week.”
…at this point, i think the tea leaves are pretty easy to read…he can essentially take $1 million or so more per year to play in the biggest city in the world, with a successful team, but split time with Ramon Castro…or, he can take a bit less money, and either play for the last-place Marlins, or remain in Colorado, and be the every-day catcher…or, if the Mets really want him that badly, they can tack on the rumored and desired third year, which i really hope they do not do…
…the question now is, does yorvit really want to play in new york city, or is he, like so many others, just using the Mets to try and pry an extra year or a few more dollars from the Rockies…if this ends up being the case, and torrealba signs elsewhere, where does that leave the Mets…hopefully, it will mean back with Paul Lo Duca, assuming he is still available…
…Update…11:25 pm…
…by the way, i have read all sorts of numbers reported regarding this rumored negotiation, from the three-year, $15 million that i and others mentioned this morning, to two-years, $9 million, to two-years, $10 million…if it is three years guaranteed, i hope he would have signed it, no matter who offered it…therefore, to me, this all suggests that, since he is still unsigned, maybe, the Mets are offering him two years with an option, as incentive, which is just thinking-cap speculation on my part, by the way…
Tagged Yorvit Torrealba |
In an article for the New York Times, Ben Shpigel writes that Omar Minaya is willing to trade away some of the organization’s young talent if he could acquire a potential ace in return.
Minaya as quoted by Shpigel:
“There’s no doubt that our premium prospects are very well-liked…We could be players in some of the trades this winter. The way that pitching is in this market, you’re going to have to part with some premium guys.”
…improving the pitching staff has to be omar’s primary focus this offseason, and he will likely have to trade away the likes of Lastings Milledge, Mike Pelfrey and/or Carlos Gomez to do so…however, i hope that omar will not make a trade just to make a trade - and so i don’t see him dealing any of the above names unless it is part of a package deal and for a bona fide ace, which there are few of on the market…
Tagged Omar Minaya, Regis Courtemanche, Yorvit Torrealba |At SI.com, Jon Heyman writes that the Yankees and Alex Rodriguez are discussing a 10-year, $280 million contract, adding, “There is a great deal of optimism that a deal can be struck within days.”
…i can’t believe the number of hours we were all forced to spend during the last two weeks, thinking about rodriguez, listening to ridiculous questions about David Wright moving positions, speculating on contracts and destinations, only to see a-rod end up right where he started, just two weeks later…unreal…
…nevertheless, the thing i can’t help but wonder is, what other team, who he clearly had no interest in playing for, was at least willing to give him a sizeable and competitive offer, because the Yankees are not just giving him this deal to be nice…i mean, it’s far from a low-ball offer…sure, $280 million is not the initially rumored-about $350 million, but it’s not seven-years, $200 million either, which they easily could have offered had no other suitors been available…so, logic suggests that at least one other team is willing to pay pretty big bucks in order to escalate the Yankees offer to where it is right now…
…i’m trying to not think of Paul Lo Duca, who i enjoy cheering for…that being said, i’m growing more and more comfortable with the idea of Yorvit Torrealba potentially splitting time with Ramon Castro, who has also yet to officially re-sign…
…i like that omar is thinking outside of the box, when it comes to a position that is so scarce…from what i can gather, Ramon Hernandez, Gerald Laird and Kelly Shoppach, and even Ronny Paulino, will cost the Mets at least one quality prospect, if not more…whereas torrealba will cost paper…and, frankly, given the talent that could be required in a trade - talent, by the way, that will then be unavailable in a potential deal for a pitcher down the road - is torrealba ultimately that much worse than the alternatives listed above…i no longer think he is…and coupled with castro, the two could conceivably give far better production than lo doca, especially since they will each get ample rest between starts…
…frankly, i prefer lo duca, and i am still holding out hope that he returns, though i do not expect that he will…however, i am starting to understand and buy in to the logic in retaining every possible in-house prospect, and just spending money on torrealba, who, according to my discussion with Troy E. Renck from the Denver Post, sounds to be a hard-working, passionate, win-at-all-costs type of guy…
Tagged Paul Lo Duca, Ramon Castro, Yorvit Torrealba |In a report for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Joe Strauss writes that the Cardinals have expressed interest in free-agent RHP Carlos Silva and RHP Kyle Lohse.
…the buzz around baseball continues to suggest that pitchers like silva and lohse are seeking similar deals to what Ted Lilly and Gil Meche got last season, such as four years and $40 million…
…from what i recall, the D’Backs, Braves, Cubs, Mets and Phillies all expressed interest in silva during last year’s trade deadline…this off-season, silva has been linked in rumors to the Angels, Mets, Phillies, Cardinals and Tigers, among others…
In 259 career appearances, spanning six seasons, including 125 starts, the 28–year-old Silva is 55–46 with a 4.31 ERA, during which he has struck out two batters for every one he walked, while opponents are hitting .300 against him.
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Tagged Poll |…i just hung up the phone with Troy E. Renck, who does an amazing job covering baseball and the Rockies for the Denver Post…i reached out to him in an effort to learn a bit more about free-agent C Yorvit Torrealba, who, according to Newsday, is close to agreeing on a deal with the Mets…
Renck, on Torrealba’s overall game…
“He had an opportunity to be the opening-day catcher in 2006, but he struggled. He got in to a problem where he lifted too much in Venezuela in the off-season and he regretted it. In the process, he lost his arm slot, and had arm problems during his first year with the Rockies, which was disappointing, but he did reveal that he’s a clutch hitter and pitchers like the way he received and called the game…During the season it became obvious that the pitching staff had an unbelievable comfort level with him…
“Torrealba’s main value is that he has passion, he has leadership qualities and he worked wonders with their pitchers. He knew when to give them a pat on the back or a kick in the butt…
“There were some whispers that the Rockies were not totally happy with his play-calling in 2006, but not only was that not a concern in 2007, but it was considered his strength. The team’s manager, Clint Hurdle, went out of his way on repeated occasions to talk about how he thought what a terrific job Torrealba was doing calling games.”
Renck, on Torrealba’s ability to deal with media, since, in New York, the catcher is often asked to address reporters regarding that day’s starting pitcher…
“He was very accessible to me, I had a great relationship with him and I found him to be very open, very candid and very insightful. He didn’t try to butter everything up. When a guy pitched poorly he explained to me why he pitched poorly without ripping him. If he felt like he called the wrong pitches he took credit for that…
“In the playoffs he loved the attention, he gravitated towards the spotlight. He held court at his locker at several times…Now, how he’ll deal with 10 or 15 reporters, during like what the Mets went through last year, that I don’t know. I mean, he can be a little moody, but, to me, it’s a by-product of his passion…
“He cares deeply about winning. So, sometimes when he gets upset, it’s not to be a jerk, it’s because he is genuinely upset and he doesn’t want to say the wrong thing, because he cares so much about winning – and I think that’s what his teammates respond so much to.”
…thanks, troy…i will post the complete audio from this discussion, along with a second chat with a Rockies blogger, tomorrow on The MetsBlog Podcast…
By the way, Renck and other writers from the Denver Post will soon release A Magical Season, a book about the 2007 Rockies, who put together one of the most amazing hot streaks in baseball history to reach their first World Series ever.
Tagged Yorvit Torrealba |
In a recent column for FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal 
writes that the Mets are looking at a Ramon Castro-Yorvit Torrealba tandem, with Castro getting the majority of the starts.
As Rosenthal points out, Castro has never started more than 57 games in a season.
Additionally, Castro has been on the disabled list in each of his three seasons with the Mets.
…this proposed arrangement is in line with cerrone’s thinking from a post earlier today…it’s funny, down the stretch of the season, i heard an outcry from fans demanding more playing time for castro…sure, it was partially due to lo duca’s health, but it was also due to castro’s offensive production…
…now that it looks like castro might be the guy, i hear fans clamoring for lo duca again…what can you say…maybe i’m in the minority in this case, but i’m happy to see this team looking at a player who is under 30 years old…that said, who will fill lo duca’s shoes with the media, i have no idea…
Tagged Ramon Castro, Yorvit Torrealba |During an appearance on WFAN, Daily News reporter Mark Feinsand said he believes free-agent 3B Alex Rodriguez will be back with the Yankees within the next four or five days.
Earlier today, Feinsand and Bill Madden of the Daily News, citing ‘a source with knowledge of the situation,’ wrote that the Yankees have re-opened negotiations with Rodriguez, adding that the team does not want his agent, Scott Boras, involved.
…Update…4:00 pm…
According to the Associated Press, the Yankees and Rodriguez met in New York today, and Boras was not involved.
…Update…4:02 pm…
At his website, ARod.com, Rodriguez writes…
“After spending time with Cynthia and my family over these last few weeks, it became clear to me that I needed to make an attempt to engage the Yankees regarding my future with the organization…As a result, I reached out to the Yankees through mutual friends and conveyed that message. I also understand that I had to respond to certain Yankees concerns, and I was receptive and understanding of that situation.
Cynthia and I have since spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family. During these healthy discussions, both sides were able to share honest feelings and hopes with one another, and we expect to continue this dialogue with the Yankees over the next few days.”
…by the way, David Wright sent in the following comment, via the team’s media department, about the white, tight, knit-cap he was sporting indoors and on-air last night during SNY’s Mets Hot Stove Report…
“I had the hat with me in my pocket and put it on at the hospital when I saw the kids with theirs on.”
…and so, he left it on when he got to SNY, which is very cool…
Earlier in the day, Wright spent time visiting with cancer patients at NYU Medical Center.
…and with that, i’m leaving this topic alone, because, frankly, i’m shocked at, and sort of embarassed about, how many people wanted to know about this…so, there you go, now, back to the Hot Stove…
By the way, The David Wright Foundation will be holding their third-annual Do the Right Thing Gala in New York City at the Hard Rock, tomorrow night, Thursday, November 15.
To learn more about the Gala, click here.
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