Daily Archives: November 21, 2007
The Brewers have signed free-agent C Jason Kendall to a one-year contract, with an vesting option for 2009.
…i’d like to take a minute and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving…as i have said so many times before, i am quite thankful that you continue to read MetsBlog.com, and appreciate the hard work we all put in to making this site tick…
…i have been writing MetsBlog.com for just over four years, and it’s been a fun and exciting ride, and i could not have done it without you…and the excitement has only just begun, as you will learn more about next week…
…so, again, thank you, from the bottom of my blue-and-orange heart, and i hope you and your family have a very happy and healthy holiday…
Tagged MetsBlog |According to Mark Feinsand in the Daily News, the Yankees are interested in free-agent RHP Scott Linebrink.
In a recent post to Dugout Central, Mike Pagliarulo advises the Yankees to steer clear of Linebrink, whose stats indicate a ‘structural decline.’
According to Pagliarulo…
“Most likely, someone will pick up Linebrink for three years and $15M. That’s too much for someone who may be in decline.”
Pagliarulo spent just over five years playing third base for the the Yankees, before moving on to the Padres, O’s and Twins, among others. He now runs an independent scouting service, and has created Dugout Central, a blog “where fans and scouts come together to discuss our national pastime.”
If you’re looking for a quick roundup on some of the more prominent rumored activity in the trade and free-agent markets around the league, head over to this article by Jim Moloney at MLB.com.
Among other things, he discusses a potential trade offer from the Angels for Miguel Cabrera, Kerry Wood possibly re-signing with the Cubs despite a lot of interest elsewhere, and the Yankees pursuit of several relief pitchers, including Jeremy Affeldt, Trevor Miller and Francisco Cordero – but points out that Cordero prefers to close and not be a set-up man.
…i’m guessing the mets focus has shifted to starting pitching, but i’m curious as to what will be done about the bullpen (especially if they move Aaron Heilman in a deal for a starter). they’ve had interest in affeldt in the past, Scott Linebrink and wood are both intriguing options, obviously cordero would be worth pursuing if for some reason he can’t find a job as a closer…
The Mets sent several players to the Waikiki BeachBoys of the Hawaii Winter Baseball league, which ended last week, and which was reconstituted as an AFL-like competition for minor leaguers and Japanese players further down the minor-league chain.
For a full statistical rundown, go to MiLB.com.
Here is a wrapup of how some of the Mets players performed.
3B Danny Murphy, 22, followed a solid year in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League with a good performance in Hawaii.
Baseball America recently named Murphy to its HWB top prospect list, while writing:
“While he’s fairly mechanical defensively at third base and has work to do to remain at the position. Murphy can hit. His low-maintenance swing allows him to hit for solid power, with a natural gap-to-gap approach. He’s patient and has shown improvement hanging in against lefthanded pitching as well.”
…scouts have been high on murphy since he hit .400 at Jacksonville State, before being drafted by the Mets last year… though he didn’t make Baseball America’s top ten Mets prospects list, John Manuel, who compiled the list, named him a player to watch…
Lastly, 1B Lucas Duda, drafted out of USC this past June, continued to impress with the bat. He hit .340 with three homers, six doubles and 13 RBI in 53 at bats for the BeachBoys, after hitting. 299 with a .398 OBP, 20 doubles, three triples and four homers for Brooklyn this past summer.
Baseball America named Duda to its top 20 HWB prospects list as well, saying:
“Duda has impressive strength at a listed 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, and is working to trim up his body to play both left field and first base. While his defense and run tool are below-average, he’s shown good plate discipline, power and the arm strength to play the outfield.”
…given his strong showing this season, and his history of playing against excellent competition in the Pac-10, duda could move fast… i’d expect him to open the year in high-a st. lucie… though, Nick Evans and carp are blocking him at the two levels above him at first base, he can also play the outfield, giving him a chance to see a few different levels of play this season…
Tagged Minors |In a recent and lengthy Rumblings & Grumblings column for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark describes the cost for Twins LHP Johan Santana as, “three or four 
big-time young players, at least two of whom the Twins could plug into their big league mix on Opening Day,” plus, Santana is seeking a seven-year contract extension, at $18-20 million a year, on top of the $13.25 million he has coming in 2008.”
“So that’s another $140-160 million that the winner of this sweepstakes would have to fork over,” Stark explains, “plus the best players its system has to offer. Yikes.”
Stark quotes an NL executive as saying…
“Watch out for the Mets, given the pressure on Omar Minaya to win now…Omar seems determined to make a huge splash, and I think that’s the guy they’ve had earmarked all along.”
Stark continues on to detail talks between the Angels, Dodgers, White Sox and Giants and Marlins regarding Miguel Cabrera; as well as the future of Scott Rolen and Dontrelle Willis, who the Marlins will want two young players for, if they trade him at all.
…and thanks to jason b for the link…
At his blog for MSNBC.com, former Mets broadcaster Ted Robinson takes a look at why the deal between the Mets and free-agent C Yorvit Torrelalba collapsed.
Robinson wonders if the upcoming Mitchell Report on steroids played in to the Mets decision, while noting that Torrealba was a teammate of several players who were called before the BALCO grand jury while playing with the Giants.
Robinson also wonders how the Mets will replace Tom Glavine‘s reliability and says the Mets have some ‘work ahead’ to match the reloaded Braves.
…i enjoyed robinson’s broadcasts when he was with the Mets, even though he was a Fran Healy enabler…
…by the way, if you haven’t checked it out lately, msnbc.com did a beautiful job redesigning their site…
Tagged Mike Nichols, Tom Glavine, Yorvit Torrealba |
Last week, citing ‘the word in baseball circles,’the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote that the Twins recently made a five-year, $93 million offer to Johan Santana.
Today, though he doesn’t provide a link, in his blog for ESPN.com, Buster Olney cites a ‘report,’ which states Santana recently rejected the deal.
According to Olney, the Mets, Red Sox and Yankees will aggressively pursue Santana.
Of course, in a recent chat for the Boston Globe, in-the-know Sox columnist Nick Cafardo writes that, while the Sox will have interest in Santana, “It seems to me they won’t give up both Lester and Buchholz and certainly not Ellsbury.”
However, the only relevant, on-record statement from the Yankees has come from their senior vice president, Hank Steinbrenner, who told the New York Times that his team will not trade Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy for a ‘position player,’ which Santana is not.
…if the sox will not include lester or buccholz and ellsbury they are not in the running to trade for santana…which means, and i shudder to say this, but, the Mets top competition to land santana could be the Yankees…
…the buzz around baseball suggests that Japanese free-agent OF Kosuke Fukudome is seeking at least a three-year, $30 million contract to switch from his home country to Major League Baseball…
According to past reports, the Giants, as well as the Padres, Rangers and Cubs, have all shown interest in Fokudome, as have teams in Japan.
Earlier this month, at Dugout Central, Dugout Scout gave a detailed, first-hand scouting report of Fukudome, writing…
“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…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.”
For more on Fukudome, check out his profile page at Armchair GM, complete with a collection of video.
Michael, a reader of MetsBlog, recently took a tour of Citi Field’s contruction site and was able to snap the following photos, from what should essentially be the infield.
To check out the photos, click here.
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