Daily Archives: November 28, 2007
The Twins have announced the acquisition of Delmon Young, Jason Pridie and Brendan Harris from the Rays in exchange for Matt Garza, Eduardo Morlan and Jason Bartlett.
For more, check out Baseball Digest Daily.
According to the Denver Post, C Yorvit Torrealba will return to Colorado tomorrow to take a physical, in what is most likely the final step towards him re-signing with the Rockies.
In the report, the Post states that Torrealba did not fail his physical with the Mets.
…that’s what i had initially heard, as well…but, i’m starting to get a sense that this may not be entirely accurate…like i said before, either torrealba failed the actual physical, or he never took it because it was assumed he would fail…either way, same result…
…by the way, Paul Lo Duca is still a free agent…i’m just saying…
Tagged Yorvit Torrealba |
Mark Sheldon at MLB.com is reporting that RHP Francisco Cordero has officially signed with the Reds.
Sheldon writes…
“Terms were not revealed, but a baseball source told MLB.com that the deal was worth $46 million in guaranteed money, with a fifth-year option worth an additional $12 million.
In terms of guaranteed money, Cordero’s contract is the largest ever for a reliever and it’s also the largest free agent signing in Reds history.”
…the brewers bullpen suffers yet another blow thanks to a struggling team willing to overpay in order to try and improve. i know some people hoped for the mets to land cordero, but there was never a realistic chance of that happening. cordero wanted to close, and wagner isn’t going anywhere…
The Mets will open their 2008 season against the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium on Monday March 31st, not April 1st as originally scheduled.
At MLB.com, Marty Noble has two articles discussing the Mets well-known plans to try and improve the starting rotation at the upcoming winter meetings.
Noble also added some insight on the value of the Mets primary trading pieces and how they prefer to package them in a deal, saying…
“The Mets are not inclined to include more than two of their six prospects in any one trade. And if they were to include two or three in one package, they would limit themselves in this way: Milledge plus Fernando Martinez or Gomez and neither Pelfrey nor Mulvey. Or Gomez and Pelfrey and Humber. Or Milledge, Mulvey and a lesser prospect.”
…naturally, they are inclined to hang onto as many prospects as they can while searching for the best possible deal, but in the end it’s going to come down to what other offers they’re up against and how badly minaya wants a starter…
At his blog for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, citing ‘several sources,’ La Velle E. Neal III reports that the Twins are close to trading RHP Matt Garza, RHP Juan Rincon and SS Jason Bartlett to the Rays for OF Delmon Young, SS Brendan Harris and OF Jason Pridie.
…i know what other outlets have said, but, honestly, i get no sense that the Mets could ever have traded just Carlos Gomez and Kevin Mulvey to get garza…the way i understand, that’s a garbled rumor, combining parts and peices from a variety of talks over the last few months involving all sorts of players from garza, to Luis Castillo, to Lastings Milledge to Johan Santana, and so on…just talk, though…i don’t think any real deal was ever available, at least to the extent that the Twins were looking for, or got from the Devil Rays…
The Mets have acquired RHP Brian Stokes from the Devil Rays in exchange for cash.
The 28-year-old RHP was 2-7 with a 7.07 ERA in 59 games for Tampa Bay last season, allowing 49 runs and 90 hits in 62 1-3 innings.
…not quite the big splash i was waiting for…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |In an article for FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal writes that the Mets made a strong run at LHP Erik Bedard at the general managers’ meetings, but at the time, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail was not ready to make a move.
The Dodgers have also shown interest in the 28-year old southpaw.
Rosenthal suggests that should the Orioles fail to sign Bedard to an extension, they could be interested in a package around Mets OF Carlos Gomez or Dodgers OF Matt Kemp.
Meanwhile, in an article for the Baltimore Sun, Jeff Zrebiec writes that MacPhail and Bedard’s agent have been having ‘periodic’ conversations about a contract extension.
More in-depth talks about an extension have not been ruled out for next week’s winter meetings.
Lastly, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com cites a ‘National League executive’ as saying, “All the Orioles are available.”
…for anyone listening to WFAN’s Mike and the Mad Dog program right now, please remember that OF Carlos Beltran has a full no-trade clause…beltran wouldn’t sign without one, and it was something 
the Astros could not guarantee him…and with that, the talk about trading Beltran to the Twins, which is absolute insanity, can come to an end…
…added to by Matthew Cerrone…
…plus, if the Twins could not afford to give Torii Hunter a five-year, $80 million contract, how are they going to suddenly afford beltran, who has $74 million due to him over four years…and while the Mets have money, i’m not sure they are rich enough to pay beltran’s way, plus pay santana…
…speaking of Mike and the Maddog’s tired rhetoric, this idea that the Mets must part with Jose Reyes to get santana, as if that is Omar Minaya’s only chance to get the Twins on the phone, just makes no sense, either…again, it’s not about who can pay more than the Mets, it’s about who is willing to pay more than the Mets in talent, and then pay santana a six-year, $150 million deal on top of that…as i have said before, sure, i’m certain the Twins would prefer to accept Felix Pie from the Cubs, or Joba Chamberlain from the Yankees, or Carlos Quentin from the D’Backs, or several other players who are certainly more attractive than the Mets can offer, but if the Cubs and Yankees are unwilling to trade those guys, or the D’Backs can’t afford santana’s contract, then who cares if their players are viewed as more valuable to a few talk show hosts…it doesn’t matter what talk radio thinks…it only matters what the Twins think…
According to Andrew Marchand, from ESPN Radio, citing a ‘major league executive with knowledge of the Twins trade talks,’ a) Omar Minaya has had talks with Twins, and b) the Mets should not be counted out of the Johan Santana Sweepstakes, since ‘the Mets may have more of a willingness to include more top prospects, which could entice the Twins.’
The Mets are also ‘investigating’ A’s RHP Dan Haren and RHP Joe Blanton and the Marlins LHP Dontrelle Willis, says Marchand.
By the way, during a recent appearance on ESPN Radio yesterday, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney said that the Red Sox and Yankees seem to be ‘leaning towards the idea’ that it makes ‘no sense’ for them to trade, say, Phil Hughes or Clay Buchholz, in exchange for Twins LHP Johan Santana, who will require ‘at least six years and $150 million’ on his next contract, which will also cost roughly $3 million per season to insure.
As such, Olney says that his guess is that Santana will not be traded, since it may end up making more sense for the Twins to start opening day with him, and not risk making a poor trade that will haunt the organization forever.
Meanwhile, in today’s New York Post, George King and Joel Sherman write that it will cost far more than the just Hughes and Cabrera, to land Santana.
Additionally, according to King and Sherman, citing all sorts of sources, teams like the Dodgers, Angels, Mariners and Cubs, all of whom hold top center-field prospects, could be players for Santana, as well.
…again, and i will keep repeating this until a deal is made, but, it’s not about who has more to trade, it’s about who is willing to trade it, and then be forced to give six years and $150 million the following day…so, yes, i understand that the M’s have Adam Jones, and that the Cubs have Felix Pie, but will they pay and then pay again…
During his weekly appearance on WFAN, SI.com’s Jon Heyman said the Twins have no interest in Yankees 2B Robinson Cano of RHP Chien-Ming Wang, because they do not even want to pay that type of salary.
…if this is the case, i have to assume the same idea applies to Jose Reyes, and the like…
Lastly, in a recent interview with Hot Foot, Twins fan and blog super-star Aaron Gleeman said, if he ran the Twins, he would ask the Mets for two of Lastings Milledge, Fernando Martinez and Carlos Gomez, and then try to get one of Mike Pelfrey, Phil Humber or Kevin Mulvey, since the Twins ‘should be targeting impact bats.’
For more, check out the following clip of Peter Gammons during his recent appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter, in which he says he will never count out Omar Minaya and the Wilpons.
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