Daily Archives: November 18, 2007
According to the Associated Press, citing ‘a person familiar with the deal,’ Tom Glavine has signed a one year, $8 million contract with the Atlanta Braves.
Glavine has already taken a physical for the team, according to the report.
…well, it looks like the inevitable has finally happened…good luck tommy, you’re back where you belong…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche, Tom Glavine |
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, citing ‘major-league sources,’ the Mets and 2B Luis Castillo are close to agreeing to a four-year, $25 million contract.
…Update…4:23 am…
The Associated Press is now reporting the two sides have reached a reaching a ‘preliminary agreement.’
…jeez, four years…for those knees…good luck with that…
…again, i’m torn on this…i mean, from what i can gather, it would have taken a player like Aaron Heilman to get Orlando Hudson from the D’Backs, who will be a free agent after next season…David Eckstien also wanted a four-year deal…if the team believes Ruben Gotay cannot handle the job, castillo for four years may have been the best, realistic option, without having to trade a prospect who can help acquire a starting pitcher…
…also, i am not a fan of Tadihito Iguchi, who is a free agent, especially in a three-year deal, as he is seeking…i believe he’s a good player…however, the Mets know what castillo is about, they know he works well with Jose Reyes, they know he can bat second, and do it well, and, most important, they know he can handle new york city…
…but, four years…for those knees…good luck with that…
In a report for FOXSports.com, Ken Rosenthal notes that the Cubs are ‘considering’ free-agent 2B Luis Castillo and Kaz Matsui.
According to a recent report for the Denver Post, citing ‘a source close to the negotiations,’ the Cubs are ‘pressing hard’ to sign Matsui - and could offer him a three-year deal worth rough $15 million.
In an earlier report, Rosenthal wrote that, in addition to the Mets, the Astros, Indians, Padres and Dodgers may also show interest in Castillo.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, at MLB.com, Marty Noble wrote that free agent David Eckstein appears to be the Mets primary target for second base.
…the buzz from new york, of late, has been that both castillo and eckstein are seeking four-year contracts, similar to what was given to Julio Lugo by the Red Sox last off-season…
In the Daily News, Wayne Coffey writes an outstanding, 1,800-word column about Willie Randolph, who he spent a lot of time with to dig deep, and learn about the manager’s mindset following last season’s painful ending.
…this is an absolute must-read…well done, wayne…what’s most intriguing, to me, are all of the things that willie realizes he should have done differently, which coffey perfectly details and discusses with willie, who is uncharacteristically open to the 
topic…additionally, coffey gets quotes from willie’s wife and son, who shed unique insight on how he handled the situation during the season, as well…
Randolph, among many, many other comments, as quoted by Coffey…
“I’ve just been feeling out of it. It seems like I’m always thinking about it…We had so many chances to put teams away and we didn’t do it. It’s fine to be aggressive. That’s what we’re about, but you have to be smart. You have to let the scoreboard dictate how you play…
“I felt all year long we didn’t have that killer instinct consistently that we should’ve had. We had at it times when our backs were against the wall, and we did show some fight, but you have to be careful when you put your back against the wall, because you can’t always get off that wall. In the end, that’s (exactly) what happened…I definitely gave them too much credit. I was looking for them to reveal to me that they were ready to be champions, but they showed me they weren’t ready. It’s a tough thing to look at in retrospect, but that’s the truth…
“I’ve always been into fundamentals, discipline, playing the game right. Sometimes you get back on your heels a little bit with that. That is never going to happen for me again. There’s not going to be anything assumed, or taken for granted. You cannot stop teaching, learning, pushing. You can’t find perfection, but you have to try to be perfect in your work.”
…i tend to forget that willie is still a young manager, in the sense that, while he experienced a lot as a player and coach, he is still learning how to be a major-league manager…i get the feeling that some fans just assume it’s like setting a fantasy lineup through the internet, or as simple as yelling at people in hopes of getting a physical response, but his job is so much more about personal relationships, risk management and spotting trends before they get out of hand, which are all aspects of the game that we, as fans, do not see from our sofas…
…this is not to say i have blind faith in his ability to manage, it’s just that i tend to reserve judgment because i know i am missing a ton of information about his job…a column like this can help shed light on those missing parts…
…nevertheless, i am glad to see willie admit his mistakes, while giving clues that he will learn from it and adjust, which is what will make him a successful manager…sure, he’s worthy of criticism when it comes to a variety of in-game situations, but the above quote is important…like other failed managers, he could easily remain thick-headed and ignore reality, and simply continue to do what he’s doing and most likely lose his team, lose games, and lose his job…instead, he appears ready to learn from his past, for better or worse, and get back to winning…
Tagged Willie Randolph |According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, citing ‘the word in baseball circles,’ the Twins have made a five-year, $93 million offer to LHP Johan Santana.
…well, that’s essentially the same deal that Carlos Zambrano agreed to with the Cubs…it’s also the same $18 million per year that was accepted by Barry Zito…the question is, does he want more than five years, does he think he can get more per year on the open market, and does he just flat-out want out of Minnesota…
A major-league assistant GM, on Santana and the Twins, as quoted by the Pioneer Press in Minnesota…
“I think they are trying to re-sign him now. I think they’re going to give that a certain amount of time, and not a long time…if they don’t get it done, then they’re going to move him during the winter meetings.”
…for the Mets to have a chance at trading for santana, they have to hope that other teams, with more talent to trade, panic in fear of giving a great package only to watch santana leave on the open market after next season…what’s more, the Dodgers, who have a ton of talent, seem to be seeking a bat, not a pitcher; the Angels, despite talking a big game, never pull the trigger on a big trade, plus they also need a bat; and the Yankees seem to have zero interest in trading Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain…so, if that group is not serious, who besides the Mets is left that will overpay in talent, knowing they are totally capable of re-signing santana to the type of long-term deal he is seeking…
Last night, Newsday was first to report that talks between the Mets and free-agent C Yorvit Torrealba ‘collapsed,’ concluding, ‘the talks are dead and Torrealba is not coming to the Mets.’
Shortly after, the Mets announced that a deal was not reached with Torrealba, and that there are no current negotiations with him or his agent.
…there is no definitive buzz on why this all took place…again, as i said last night, i do not sense he failed a physical, though that doesn’t mean the team didn’t get cold feet due to his history of shoulder problems…also, several readers have e-mailed me speculating whether he could soon be accused of having used steroids, which, again, is total speculation…the team is being very quiet about the whole situation, giving a lot of no comments and short, cryptic responses to questions on the subject…so, who knows…
…personally, i’m not too concerned with the why…i’m far more concerned with what’s next…
…it’s clear that O’s C Ramon Hernandez is omar’s top choice, but, knowing that, and knowing the situation with Paul Lo Duca, and now this situation with torrealba, the asking-price for hernandez is going to be much higher than it should be, i would think…last week, word from baltimore had been that hernandez will cost a high-end prospect…
…the same can be said, i would think, for Rangers C Gerald Laird, another ideal fit, who the Mets have reportedly inquired about, as well…also, there is new buzz from miami that Marlins C Miguel Olivo could soon be pitched to the Mets, as well…
…you know the story, though: the Mets prefer to sign a catcher, so to keep all of their prospects to package the best bunch for a starting pitcher…
By the way, free-agent C Michael Barrett is a Type-A free agent, meaning he will likely cost the Mets a compensatory draft pick. In 344 at-bats for the Cubs and Padres last season, the 31-year-old Barrett hit .244, drove in 30 runs, got in to a nationally-televised fist fight in a dugout with his teammate, Carlos Zambrano, and was then traded to San Diego.
Lastly, in 137 games between Oakland and Chicago, free-agent C Jason Kendall, 33, hit just .242 with three HR and 20 doubles.
…omar likes to work quick, so he can dedicate himself to the big tasks, like acquiring an ace…yet, as of now, he still is without a full-time starting catcher and a second baseman, and the winter meetings are roughly two weeks away…kendall and barrett should not be an option…nor should olivo, frankly…if his initial sense is that he’ll need every bullet to trade for a pitcher, than laird and hernandez should not be options either…meaning, as so many of us have been saying for the last week, lo duca is the best choice…
Tagged Paul Lo Duca, Ramon Hernandez, Yorvit Torrealba |According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, citing the player’s 
agent, Tom Glavine could finalize a one-year, $8 million contract with the Braves as early as today.
…i once went out with a girl, who, after we broke up, went back to her ex-boyfriend, with whom she had dated for five years or so before i met her…while together, we had a fun, but awkward relationship, and it never really felt right…this triangle with the Mets, Braves and glavine feels like the same thing…i mean, i’m happy for glavine, as a person, but, now i can’t help but feel like he never really wanted to be in new york…
Tagged Tom Glavine |
In a recent report for ESPN.com, Keith Law breaks down 10 players, out of favor or out of room with their organizations, who are possible trade candidates at a reasonable price.
One of the 10 players listed that now could become of interest to the Mets is Rangers C Gerald Laird.
Law sees him as a player out of room in Texas, who is an outstanding throwing catcher with a good swing and average raw power.
In 120 games last season, the 29-year-old Laird hit .224 with nine HR and 47 RBI, while throwing out 39% of base stealers.
…at this point, what other choices do the Mets have at catcher…following the Yorvit Torrealba debacle, Omar Minaya may only be left with entering the trade market for a catcher…if omar does enter the market, i wouldn’t mind going after a guy like laird who is a better defensive catcher than yorvit and has a higher ceiling at the plate…
Tagged Yorvit Torrealba |
