Daily Archives: November 27, 2007
In an interview with MLB.com, Billy Wagner spoke candidly on the state of the Mets and their off-season plans.
Among other things, Wagner discusses how the loss of LHP Tom Glavine and C Paul Lo Duca, combined with the activity of the Braves and Phillies, could make the Mets a third-place team.
Wagner as quoted by Marty Noble…
“We’ve lost 13 games [Glavine's victory total], and now we are going have to give up something to get those games back. I’m afraid we’re just going to create other holes if we give up a [Lastings] Milledge, a [Mike] Pelfrey or a [Aaron] Heilman…Without Aaron, it’d be like another 10 or 12 [games]. It would be a big chance to take. Without Aaron, [the bullpen] don’t even exist. No way you can trade him.”
…valid concerns by wagner, but if the answer isn’t there in free agency, the Mets have to give to get…glavine is harder to replace than a heilman, milledge or pelfrey, which is precisely why the Mets may be willing to part with those guys to find glavine’s replacement…besides, the better the rotation is, the less important the middle relief is…
Wagner, speaking about the bullpen…
“In Willie Randolph’s bullpen, it’s different. He wants guys to be able to go 2.2 innings or one-third of an inning or in between. That’s how he wants it. But guys just want to know, so they can prepare themselves and be comfortable…
“The idea is to get them into situations where they can be successful. I mean, you wouldn’t ask Carlos Delgado to bunt.”
…the article is definitely worth the read, but people will likely make a bigger deal out of this than necessary…it isn’t anything wagner hasn’t said to Mets management before, and i’m sure his comments are no different than the concerns of other players and fans…so, while i’d rather him not call out his manager, i also know wagner just wants to win and he’s never been one to beat around the bush…you know, it’s ‘billy being billy,’ if you will…
Tonight, at 8 pm, Toby Hyde, from the Mets Minor-League Report, will be doing a live chat at The Happy Recap.
To read, chat or submit questions, click here.
Tagged Minors |Mets have released their regular-season schedule for 2008.
The Mets open the 2008 season on the road against 
the Marlins on Tuesday, April 1 at 4:05 p.m.
The final Opening Day ever at Shea Stadium will be Tuesday, April 8, against the Phillies.
The Mets will conclude their 45th regular season at Shea on Sunday, September 28, against Marlins.
The team’s final week of regular season games will all be at Shea.
To check out the complete schedule, go to Mets.com.
The Phillies have announced that Tom McCarthy, who spent the last two 
seasons as a play-by-play announcer for the Mets on WFAN, is ‘returning to his roots’ as a member of the Phillies broadcasting team.
McCarthy was a broadcaster for the Phillies from 2001 through the 2005 season, and also hosted the team’s pre- and post-game shows.
McCarthy, as quoted in a team press release…
“I’m excited to be back in Philadelphia. I enjoyed my two years with WFAN and the Mets. Both are first-class, as are the Phillies. I’m looking forward to returning and can’t wait for spring training to get here.”
…thanks to Eddie Kranepool Society for the tip…
Tagged Phillies |
Over at the Daily News, beat writer Adam Rubin posts an e-mail he received from a source in the Dominican, where GM Omar Minaya has spent the last few days watching winter league ball.
Two notes of interest:
“He was interviewed Sunday and he said that he was watching Carlos Gómez (who is going to get married next Saturday in Santiago, with Moisés Alou his best man and other Mets players at the event).”
…congrats, carlos…looks like you’ve made some quick friends in Queens…whether or not you’ll be spending much time with them next season still remains to be seen…
…on a personal note, carlos and i are the same age, and even the most fleeting thought of marriage scares the bejeezus out of me…
Additionally, Omar said he wasn’t interested in free agent outfielder José Guillén, who played for Seattle last season…well, if Lastings Milledge and/or gomez are traded, there will be a hole to fill in right field… a short term deal with guillen may not be the worst solution…guillen was implicated in purchasing human growth hormone earlier this month, though, so that certainly would cloud any decision…
According to a ESPN.com report, ‘citing rival executives,’ the Cubs are willing to trade RHP Mark Prior if a contract cannot be negotiated.
The Cubs have until December 12th to tender a 2008 contract to Prior and would prefer to sign him to a one-year deal rather than go to arbitration.
However, Prior, who is expected to pitch in 2008 following shoulder surgery last April, may prefer to sign a long term deal.
He has pitched in just 57 games over the last four seasons.
…stay away…far far away…prior would have to be option ‘z’ on Omar Minaya’s list unless he takes a one-year incentive laden deal…
In the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Charley Walters refers to a potential swap of 
Devils Rays OF Delmon Young for Twins RHP Matt Garza as ‘the trade rumor that won’t die.’
…understand, walters is not saying that this deal is necessarily on the table, just that it is a rumor, and it will not die…nevertheless, it’s long been assumed that garza can be had for an elite outfield-prospect…which leads me to another garza rumor that will not die…
…i get e-mails from time to time, complaining to me that Omar Minaya missed a chance to accept trading Carlos Gomez for garza…i don’t know where this nonsense originated, actually, but, from what i understand, no such deal was ever offered to the Mets, unfortunately…a few weeks ago in an online chat, ESPN.com’s Keith Law responded to a reader who initially asked if the Twins would accept Lastings Milledge for garza…law responded by saying that minnesota prefers gomez, and that if he were minaya he would do that deal, but he never once stated that it was an actual offer - instead, he was just playing mock-general manager, as you and i do from time to time, as well…
…for what it’s worth, i do recall hearing that omar mentioned garza’s name in talks with the Twins last summer, during the Luis Castillo deal, and i believe this is where the common knowledge of minnesota liking gomez stems from…
…and look, fact is, it will take a guy like young, not gomez, to snag garza, who, i assume, the Twins will not trade if they soon part ways with John Santana, as so many expect them to do…
Last night on SNY, Darry Strawberry appeared as a guest on Mets Hot Stove along with Kevin Burkhardt and Ron Darling.
To watch a two-minute recap, click here.
Tagged SNY |In an article for Yahoo! Sports, Jeff Passan calls Theo Epstein the “best GM in baseball” and briefly discusses a potential pursuit of LHP Johan Santana or RHP Dan Haren by the Red Sox.
Passan writes…
“The best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana, is on the trade market, and as Epstein proved when he bartered a deal for Alex Rodriguez in 2003, only to see it shot down because of a money snag, he isn’t averse to risk. So is Dan Haren, the American League All-Star starter this season. And with his cache of young major-league talent and coming minor-leaguers, Epstein has the chips to get either.”
Passan also quotes Epstein as saying…
“There are no untouchables, if there’s an opportunity to get better, we’ll do it. We believe in those guys. Their value to us is legitimate. We’re not eager to get rid of them.”
…no one should be surprised by the red sox being linked to santana. they have the money, the pieces to trade and at the very least they are going to feign interest to drive the price up for the yankees. that being said, i’d be surprised to see santana land in boston for the sole fact that they aren’t as desperate as other teams and thus i don’t see them mortgaging the future and giving up as much as say the mets or yankees, but i’m sure sox fans are drooling over the mere possibility of santana/beckett/dice k/schilling, as well they should be…
The Mets drafted RHP Brant Rustich out of UCLA in the second round of this past June’s amateur draft.
A big, hard throwing reliever, Rustich missed the 2006 NCAA season with a torn ligament in his finger - but, finally fully recovered, he dominated in his pro debut, during which he had a 1.57 ERA over 15 games between short-season Kingsport and Brooklyn. In 23 innings pitched, Rustich struck out 21 while walking just two.
He recently pitched for the Waikiki BeachBoys in Hawaii Winter Baseball.
Jordan Zakarin…
“Reports have you as a hard thrower with a great slider. Could you give us a scouting report on yourself, and what do you feel most comfortable with, and which pitches do you have to work the most on?”
Brant Rustich…
“I throw a four-seam and two-seam fastball, slider and a changeup. I’ve been fooling around with a curveball a little recently. I’ll leave the velocity and scouting reports for the scouts and fans to worry about. Pitching is about getting hitters out. Granted I’ll ‘grip it and rip it,’ it’s about control and consistency. My best two pitches are my fastball and slider. I try to get ahead of hitters early with my four-seam fastball, and use my two-seam fastball when I’m ahead or in swinging counts. Of course it’s going to change day to day. Not everyday I’m going to be pumping gas when I threw two innings a day earlier. I try to pitch smart and be effective. I’m trying to work on my changeup, and curveball, although I think fastball command is the most important aspect of pitching.”
Jordan Zakarin…
“You dealt with injuries, and had an up and down year at UCLA before being drafted. How tough was it to sit out a year, how does something like a finger injury affect you, and how did you deal with the struggles and successes at UCLA knowing the draft was coming up?”
Brant Rustich…
“Injuries are the toughest thing any athlete has to deal with. It’s far worse than failure. It was very hard on me when I go hurt, cause it was the first time in my life I had to sit out from any sport I’ve played. Not being able to compete was depressing, but it makes you work harder to get back. A finger injury is very significant…every pitch I throw leaves my middle finger. It basically effects everything when it comes to command. Coming back from a finger injury was more difficult than I anticipated. It was tough trying to perform in pain sometimes during my college year. I remember feeling like I let down my teammates when I couldn’t perform like I was capable of.”
Jordan Zakarin…
“What was it like being followed around by scouts every game, knowing each performance was so important?”
Brant Rustich…
“Scouts never bothered me much while I played, but it was a shame that I didn’t get to perform nearly close to what I was capable of during the draft process. Before I hurt my finger, I had walked four hitters in my previous 40 innings pitched between Cape Cod and my junior year. After my injury, I still had the same stuff, I just wasn’t able to locate my pitches because the reconstruction done on my finger would cause swelling and pain when I let go of the ball. It’s very difficult being analyzed when you’re not at 100 percent. I knew it was going to take time, and it would come around, but I’m very thankful the Mets drafted me. I enjoy this organization and its fans.”
Jordan Zakarin…
“You dominated two levels of the minors in your pro debut; what went so right for you? What did the Mets have you work on as you entered the farm system? Specifically, you showed much better command in pro ball this summer than college… how did you make that improvement?”
Brant Rustich…
“At any level it’s simply throwing strikes. For me, its all about getting ahead, throwing two of my first three pitches for strikes, which I learned in college…The Mets haven’t worked on anything mechanically with me. My success had nothing to do with mechanics, or my mental toughness and competitiveness. I was healthy, nothing more.”
Jordan Zakarin…
“What had you been working on in Hawaii?”
Brant Rustich…
“Hawaii is a good place to gain experience against talented players…The most difficult part of Hawaii hasn’t been the opposing hitters, but battling the game-mound and fatigue. My body and arm have been tired, and the transition between the bullpen mound have been difficult for most pitchers here in this league. Especially for a big guy, when you go from a normal mound, to throwing off the game-mound that is a foot higher and has a three-foot drop off, it makes me want to take a shovel with me to the field everyday.”
Jordan Zakarin…
“Is there any better place to play than Hawaii?
Brant Rustich…
“Well, Hawaii is a great location, it’s fun. Although, I’d rather be playing baseball in Brooklyn without hesitation. Throwing in front of huge crowds gets my blood going. The facilities, everything was wonderful in New York. When I left, I missed it immediately . I’ll just have to work hard to play in New York again soon for the big-league team.”
Jordan Zakarin…
“A lot of people see you as a fast mover through the system, what is your take on that, and how are you preparing for a potential Major-League debut sometime next season?”
Brant Rustich…
“I want to get to the big leagues as fast as possible. That’s what I work everyday for. I hope I’m pitching in Shea Stadium next year. Whether it happens or not, that’s what I’m working for and will continue to do. When I was hurt, I felt like I fell behind my competition. It feels nice to be moving in the right direction now.”
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