Quote: Minaya on Team, Trades, Prospects
During a tour of Citi Field, Mets GM Omar Minaya talked with reporters and had the following to say regarding…
…why these other teams would even consider moving a top, young pitcher, given the state of the free-agent market…
“I was on that other side once, when in Montreal we had Colon – and you try to get the best players. In my case, I had to trade him because of payroll, and so it’s a little different when teams know you have to trade a guy…Now, though, the guys that are being mentioned out there, they don’t have to trade these guys. So, when you don’t have to trade a player, unless you get the deal that you feel is on your side of the ledger, you don’t move the player. From our point of view, it’s not that we have to, I mean, we’d like to, but we don’t have to – we can patch it up by going in to the market place.
So, we’re looking at different avenues, not only trades, but all of us are looking at the free-agent market…
“I find it kind of funny, because I keep hearing about some guys who are on the market, who are pretty good pitchers, that won 13 games, with ERAs in the high threes or fours, and we have two guys who won 15 games who are young with ERAs in the low threes. So, if we were to have our guys on the market, people would be saying, ‘Hey, you’ve got to get these guys.’ So, what I’m trying to say is, I understand that every one is looking for a front-line guy, but I don’t want to under-value two, young starters that won 15 games with ERAs in the threes. Not too many teams have those guys. Now, would I like to have another guy? Of course, I’m always trying to get more pitching.”
…whether he has been in contact with teams; the value of his current stock of players, and is it enough to make a deal…
“Look, all of those guys that are being mentioned, we’re in contact with them on a regular basis – and I think we’ve got a good feel. I can tell you that, we feel, no club has told us ‘Forget it you’re not in it.’ Maybe they have told us, ‘Hey, for you to be in you have to have this player.’ And we say, ‘Thank you very much, but we’re not going to be in with this player’s name in it.
“The goal is, I’m trying to put together a team that can win some place around the 85– to 95–win category, a) you’ve got a competitive team and b) you should be in the playoffs, and it’s about the 162 games. To say one pitcher is gonna win you a championship, I mean, once you get to the playoffs it’s a crapshoot – you just don’t know what’s gonna happen.”
To listen to his entire conversation, go to WFAN.com.
