In a recent update to ESPN.com, citing ‘officials with two clubs,’ Jayson Stark describes the Mets as ‘in trouble,’ with regards to their effort to deal for a starting pitcher.
According to Stark, it is ‘believed’ that the Mets have yet to talk with the A’s or Orioles while in Nashville, adding…
“And there are indications that they aren’t as interested in free agents Livan Hernandez or Carlos Silva as they’ve been portrayed to be, either.”
Earlier today, also at ESPN.com, Amy Nelson wrote that the Orioles and Dodgers ‘may be close on a deal’ that will send LHP Erik Bedard to Los Angeles in exchange for OF Matt Kemp and RHP Jonathan Broxton.
However, Los Angeles beat-reporter Tony Jackson writes to his blog, for the Daily News, “I find that hard to believe, mostly that the Dodgers would part with Broxton at a time when they are about to enter the season with a 38-year-old closer, but I’m running it down anyway.”
Additionally, at his blog for MLB.com, Jim Molony says, “Though the Dodgers are interested in Bedard, it is unlikely they would create holes at two important slots - starting right fielder and setup man - to get him.”
Lastly, during a recent on-air spot for ESPN News, Peter Gammons also mentioned that talks between the Dodgers and O’s regarding Bedard are untrue, which is awkward, because his own colleague is the one who started this.
Gammons also said that the Tigers will be unwilling to trade both Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller in a deal for Bedard.
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“Gammons also said that the Tigers will be unwilling to trade both Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller in a deal for Bedard.”
But they evidently were willing to trade both for Dontrelle and Cabrera together.
Anyway, there is so much dis-information in these Winter Meetings its starting to resemble the NFL Draft.
Maybe its just Omar not trying to sound despirate. I still have faith in Pedro, Maine, Perez, Pelfry and Humber.
Why would have faith in that lineup??? I servely doubt Humber will even been on the openingday roster
I really can’t trust ESPN.
Also, I still find it hard to believe that the Dodgers would create two gaping holes on their team when they have 8 potential starters already.
I’m going to bet they end up with Tejada.
Kudos to Biggiesmalls if he was right.
Seriously, if he hasn’t been talking to either of those two, where has he been all day? Wasn’t there a post earlier about how no one’s been able to find him in the lobby??? He must be talking to someone somewhere! I doubt he’s lounging around listening to some good local Nashville tunes!
The more and more I hear, the more and more I feel that the Mets will finish in 3rd place next year. Omar seems to be asleep at the wheel. I hope he has something up his sleeve, but I am not so sure anymore.
Luckily I wont have to watch the Mets finish 3rd next year since I will be in Iraq.
Why does everyone think that transaction have to be made by December 4 or the whole 2008 season is lost? So let’s assume, as seems likely, that the Mets are out of the running at this point for Bedard, Haren, and Santana. That does not rule out improving the team in other ways, and it does not rule out the possibility of something happening over the winter, or around the July 31 trade deadline.
We’ve gotten so spoiled with the ability to follow the winter meetings minute-by-minute, that we demand mega-deals as much as we demand great performance on the field.
The Mets are not, so far as I can see, demonstrably inferior to anyone in the NL East; they’re just not superior. They’ve got plenty of question marks, but so do the Braves and Phils. The offseason may be disappointing so far in what it has netted the Mets, but does that mean we should concede? If we were in a division with the Red Sox, I could understand, but there are no great teams in our division. I’d rather have us work with what we have than make a panic move.
a voice of reason on metsblog. wow. rare thing these days.
Wow, such a defeatist attitude headed into Iraq. Anyone? Too easy?
Omar’s act is getting very tired in NY.
Juuuu know wah I’m sayin?
Is Omar Minaya alive? Matthew. seriously what can he do? Make a panic move and trade everybody? They dont have the prospects to trade for anyone, and im sure its killing him. But he cant trade Reyes, Wright or Fernando Martinez. The Mets should give their kids a chance this spring. Let Humber pitch, see how he does. I would try to sign Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, Octavio Dotel, Jeremy Affeldt & I would even try to sign Jeff Weaver, at this point sign as many pitchers possible that have decent stuff, you never know, someone might have a decent year.
Thanks for that great drafting and foresight, Omar. What a clown.
Sometimes you have the cards and sometimes you don’t. We still led the division for most of the year and lost an innings eater, that’s it, in Glavine. If we have to set our sights lower, without emptying our farm system, maybe that’s what has to be. Maybe this spurs the Wilpons to stockpile picks and develop these guys on the farm so that we have chips.
if omar really feels that his job is on the line, he will make a redic trade. might not be what we like, but if he signs the japanees player i am rooting for a new team. the fans loved milledge and he gets 2 guys above the age of 30.
who thinks we should have went after a-rod now!
bc IF we were to make it to the World Series, there is no way we win it all going up against the likes of yanks, sox, detroit, and angeles.
THE ONLY THAT CAME OUT OF THE WILPONS MOUTH IS HOW UPSET THEY WERE ON HOW THE SEASON ENDEDD AND IT WAS NOT FAIR TO THE FANS…so i ask the mets orginization this, do you think mets fans will buy into this crap, that we are a bettter ball club?
ahhhhh im jumping all over, bc im actually questioning my loyalty!!
Honestly, I can’t even take part in these discussions anymore.
Nothing has happened and we’re all ready to hang Omar in effigy.
And you know what? Even if he does nothing, judgment will have to be reserved until after the ‘08 season. What if Omar is right and Pelfrey/Humber/Mulvey become our version of Hughes/Chamberlain/Kennedy?
And don’t tell me it’s a pipe dream or unlikely… I know it’s not something to be expected. BUT Joba and Kennedy kind of came out of nowhere last season, Joba especially. He wasn’t on anyone’s radar.
The O’s and A’s have about 10 teams each interested, and we know we don’t have the top chips. I wouldn’t be surprised if he in fact has been busy all day talking to clubs about ‘outside the box’ moves — an AJ Burnett, or eating some contracts to get someone else not expected to be available. The same people who swore by Omar for turning Kris Benson into El Duque and Maine are killing him now. Just wait until the end of the week and then decide.
Born2run01 and squad I couldn’t agree with you more. You don’t necessarily have to deal prospects to make trades and if Omar is not everywhere at the hotel that sounds like to me that he is holed up working on a multi-team trade. Pelfrey Humber and Mulvey are young and throw hard and that is what we need to have on the team. The core of this team is young and while you would like to win with Pedro’s window closing, what are you going to do. Keep stockpiling arms and we will find our ace, because that’s the way it’s done these days. Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it , (see Zambrano for Kazmir).
If we deal Martinez than we’d certainly make a compelling offer.
You have to consider how interested teams are.
Pelfrey, Martinez and Heilman already beats any Mariners offer, and our position on Bedard may rely on how much the Dodgers want the guy.
Exactly. Delgado, Alou, Wagner, and Pedro are not the core of this team.
It sucks that we may not win a Series with them, but if it’s not in the card then it’s not in the cards. Don’t rape and pillage the farm system just to win in ‘08.
Instead, let’s see what our young kids can do. If they show us something, then we’ll be in a good position to contend in ‘09 when we move into a new park. Plus, the FA crop next offseason is more attractive.
if we have a good year, look to add at the deadline. If not, look to sell and retool for ‘09. We’re starting to sound more and more like Yankee fans as each day passes.
omar minaya should kill himself now b4 the winter meetings end
So some reports have Omar in the O’s hotel suite today and others have Omar not yet even talking to the O’s?????.
Sounds like too many reporters with too much time on their hands and too many blogs making up too many things.
Why should he waste his time if preliminary discussions showed that the Orioles were uninterested in prospects? What’s more they had ZERO chance at Cabrera. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Don’t worry about that one.
Haren? Beane is not interested. If anything Omar should be exploring heretofore undisclosed avenues to tinker with the lineup.
Look, folks. This is a failing of the Mets’ system. We’ve had people telling us for so long that Milledge was one of the top OF prospects in the game, Gomez, etc. that we began to believe it (and don’t quote Keith Law, please.) The truth is, nearly every team has prospects like that, and some have better prospects that are further along. In this climate, those are the chips that are redeemable for starters. If the Mets can begin to churn out their own pitchers, we’ll have something. Until then, let’s be thankful Wright and Reyes somehow fell out of our system, and hope Pelfrey and Humber can develop. If nothing else, there shouldn’t be the high expectations they’ve had to deal with in the past. Humber may actually be a lot better the second year back from TJ.
Omar doesn’t have the horses. It’s pretty cut and dried. Mets fans have overvalued the team’s prospects and refused to understand that other teams can offer better packages.
I am not a huge fan of Omar. I’m split down the middle when it comes to him, but I can not blame him if the Mets do not land a Santana, Bedard, or Haren. What does he have to work? Not a whole heck of a lot unless Mets fans want him to do something stupid and desperate like trading Reyes or Wright to land the coveted ace, stud pitcher.
I know that I do not want to see Wright or Reyes go. I’d like to hang onto Gomez or Martinez. I couldn’t care less about Pelfrey, Humber, Guerra, or Mulvey.
If people look at it objectively, which is nearly impossible, they would see that the Mets “prospects” are not very attractive. If you were a GM, would you be banging down the door for any of those pitchers? Nope. Gomez and Martinez have some talent, but they are so unproven and not even close to being ready.
Pitching is impossible to find, and teams are supposed to empty there farms systems for average guys like Blanton, and you don’t care if the Mets give away there best, most talented pitching prospects for table scraps?
Don’t complain in a couple of years when the rotation is full of Livans and other retreads and geezers just passing through.
Omar is pathetic. He looked like the savior of this team when he got Wagner, Delgado, and Beltran. Now he is one of the worse GMs in baseball. All he did last offseason was get Alou, all he did at the deadline was Castillo, laziness that cost the Mets big time, and now I’m sure he’s proud of himself because he found a suitor for Milledge even though everyone agrees he sold himself short. He needs to fired, without a doubt.
Matt or someone on the metsblog staff..
Where did this perception that the mets must get an ace pitcher come from?
if the team promoted this thought, and then didn’t deliver, then its worrisome that they mis read the market as badly as they did… and deserve some of the anger you see on these posts
The problem is all the fans see is the mets seemingly trying to get one of 3 studs, who were not going too..
We don’t see any alternative smart moves.. we don’t see the pen getting any better.. we dont see the offense getting any better….
I dunno.. yes its Dec. 4th.. but this expectation of an ace pitcher riding a horse to shea is in the minds of every fan, and its really not gonna happen..
The sooner we except that and refocus the better.. I just hope the mets have another plan…
Eeks I mean “accept” that..
In a way I think you’re right — Omar talked a pretty big game as the hot stove season was getting started, about using our chips and getting a big-time starting pitcher, etc. That may have set expectations he couldn’t meet. On the other hand — the way the 2007 season ended, Mets fans — at least the ones on the blogs — were already primed to want to see a big acquisition, even before Omar started talking. I have a feeling that the 2007 ending is going to leave Mets fans pretty hositle until and unless the Mets get to a World Series. Not sure there’s much Omar can do about that, expect make the deals that he thinks actually help us.
… what do you guys think about this.
1. miggy was stolen from the angels – my guess is that they are now going to get into the santana bidding and then over pay (b/c they have the chips)
2. all of the santana suiters will go after bedard and haren. that makes the dodgers, jays, mets, sox, yanks, my guess is that the sox and yanks go after haren (with the socks winning)
3. the sox, yanks and jays are out of the hunt for bedard any way b/c they will not trade him in the AL East.
4. the mets and dodgers are it – and the dodgers will NOT want to trade away their future closer and the only offense they had last year for bedard (esp, b/c their pitching was actually their best asset).
5. the mets are the best fit for bedard
6. bedard is either traded to the mets for a pretty huge package (humber, pelfry, gomez, etc etc etc) OR he goes no where
what do you guys think of this?
I think that it’s wishful thinking
I think it’s a pipe dream. The O’s would sooner hold on to Bedard.
What if the Mets offer Martinez, Church, Pelfrey, Heilman and Gotay?
Then the O’s can sign Estrada, or can just include him in the deal.
i agree with everything you said but you never know. the angels might be in the bedard sweepstakes if tejada is included
tex zem 523 those are a lot of dominoes that have to fall
The Tigers pulled off a wild trade. Who knew Dontrelle was that available. they had the bullets for Cabrera but after Renteria wow .. just wow.. .. hey.. do they want Delgado?
Gotta believe the Angels overpay for Santana now that they were in spend mode from Cabrera and saw him fall through
the santana suiters are the Sox and Yanks and Angelos ain’t trading Bedard to the AL East.
Maybe the Yanks and Dbacks get into it for Haren
The Dodgers arent adding pitching.. they’ll go for something reasonablely cheap like tejada.
Mets get aggressive for Bedard and take back some serious contracts to ward off the Dbacks
that’s not so far fetched. if omar pulled a bedard/tejada deal out of nowhere as a contract eater, they’d toil w/ the idea of puttin him at 1st and shippin delgado to detroit. but ultimately they’d probably then ship tejada to the angels for ervin santana.
I hope he’s resigning today at 7:30
For all of those people calling for Omar’s head, who would you propose replace him?
Brian Cashman. Sounds like Hank is doing his job anyway
Man, are you crazy? Are you crazy?
The last thing the Mets need is an incompetent, wimpy, GM whose lips stay puckered and knows how many pimples the Steinbrenners have on their behinds.
Regis Courtemanche
Earth to Omar…are you there Omar? You have a team to try and improve. Juuu know what I’m saying Omar? Stop playing checkers with John Ricco in your hotel suite, and get moving.
i dont mind Omar.. he’s willing to pull the trigger and Freddie Skill Sets trusts him.
Every trade wont be a home run .. some will strike out.. I think he has a handle on talent evaluation (and hires the right people)
and your right.. who would replace him?
Just another offseason… At least I’m glad Omar as of yet hasn’t made any stupid trades with any young talent that we do have… everyone gets worked up for nothing
Amazing that no one seems to realize that Jose wasnt drafted and was actually plucked from the DR, sort of like umm I don’t know our only blue chipper Fernando Martinez. It’s amazing how people love to bash Omar and his “drafting” skills when the only real stud from our system thats on the team now is D-Wright. We much better bennefit from our connections in the Carribean then the college and amature drefts and the only way that changes is with TIME, but instead ppl wanna bash Omar and say “Jooo know what I mean?” Si yo se, que los que le digan eso son bendejos.
Yeah, to bad Omar cant get credit for Reyes or Wright since
he wasnt in charge!–Unbelievable!,All the Omar Kool-Aid
drinkers want to give credit to him for “locating players in
the D.R.” well where are they? don’t tell ME about FMartinez
because unlike almost everyone of you I’ve seen him.
Know hes young BUT he was over-match most of the time
in AA against guys who will be working for a living in a
couple of yrs.We’re talkin’ 2010-best case for this kid to even
make the team. Omars drafts compared to those of about half of MLBsince hes returned speak for themselves!
I saw binghampton over a dozen times this yr./they were bad!
AAA had a team full of has-beens or never weres!
Meatime he just spends and spends on guys who simply
cant be counted on i.e. Duque,Alou,Castillo,Mota,Valentin,
Franco,etc.etc.etc. Hmm,wonder what they have in common??
Amazing how you spent 20 mins preping a post only not
to have it posted ’cause you hammer Omar!
The noise level (from posters) is getting ridiculous. And talk about a sense of entitlement, some are making Yankee fans sound rational.
THe Mets, right now, are a very good team, one of the best in the NL. Sure, they have some holes or flaws, but every team does.
And not being able to deal for one of the few big name pitchers supposedly on the market is not the end of the world. They still have 3 all-star position players on the field, and very good talent to go with it.’
Omar will likely do something to shore up the pen. Maybe some of those high draft picks used on college closers will start to pay off? In any case, there is a large assortment of arms to pick from, and pens often shake themselves out in ST.
The Milledge deal on the surface seems odd, but there has to be behind the scenes stuff involved. Still, they aren’t going tobe any worse, and possibly better, next year with the new guys.
So that leaves SP. Oh no, they have none! No Ace!
Well, by default, Pedro is still the ace on the staff. He at least covers the emotional aspect, and pitched like one in September.
Maine and Perez are both young guys, that have been a touch erratic, but have a ton of talent. THey are also reaching the prime age/service point where pitchers tend to have their best years. Just like Bedard pretty much just did, and Ian Snell is likely to.
Pedro (assuming he is healthy, as shown in Septermber), Maine and Perez are probably as good as any other top 3 in the NL, and if there are teams better, it isn’t too many or by too much.
so that leaves the 4/5 holes. El Duque is not what he used to be, but in short doses, he can still be very effective. 1/2 a year maybe? Pelfrey started showing what made him a 1st round pick toward the end of the year.
So that 5 is not a train wreck in any sense. Sure, it would be wonderful to get another solid to stud SP to give Pelfrey time to develop more, or cover for Duque.
If it isn’t Bedard, Haren or Santana, so be it. Omar will find someone once the hysteria dies down. Let those 3 find new homes 1st.
You also do have to have a farm system with some ML ready (or close to) guys. I want the Mets to contend every year, but if they fall short in any one year (including 2008), well so be it. As long as the core is there to keep making runs.
THat, to me, is better than the idea of trading everything for one guy hoping to make a run. Of course, md year when there is an injury and no way to replace the guy, the same posters will be ragging on Omar for not having AAA guys ready to step in!
Maybe Omar isn’t the best GM in the world, or maybe he is. Only time will tell.
Also, you have to eventually work a rookie into the rotation, and take a few lumps if need be. Even the Yankees and Red sox have done this!
Oh, I see that got posted.
Oh, and while the Mets haven’t made any big moves, hardly any other teams have either.
Sorry the Mets don’t have the treasure trove of coveted prospects that the Tigers, Angels, D Back, SOx and Dodgers seem to, but neither do the other 25 teams! You work with what you got.
Most teams make minor moves to address weaknesses where they can, and make do with players fromt he system to plug holes. LIke the ROckies, and it worked out OK for them.
Stark has something against the Mets. Most of his comments about the team are negative for some reason.
That guy needs to lighten up!
Well the reason they probably dont have the prospects is because the Mets havent been a last place team for a while, so they have been drafting in the later rounds, and therefore the talent hasnt been to great. But give Omar a chance, he has the hookups in the Domenican Republic, its gonna take time but he will make it happen.
Costanza >>>> Kramer
we need to update our projections for this Tiger piece.
This ain’t the NBA — I wouldn’t blame draft position. The fact is, a system is very hard to build because you need a solid organization top to bottom — scouts to find the talent, instructors to bring the talent along, trainers to spot mechanical issues and monitor physical development, and competent executive control making decisions on how quickly or slowly to bring players along. Omar has only been here for a few years. It’s troubling that the system isn’t that deep for position players, but there is supposedly some pitching depth — good prospects in the low minors — and that’s a good sign. We have to hope that Mets’ player development can help them along.
just because Omar isnt holding hourly press conferences like Haggling Hank doesnt mean hes asleep at the switch..
His minions are working the lobby and bringing the goods up to the suite..hes got a phone up there im sure.. just because team omar isnt leaking every convo to Gammons doesnt mean he’s asleep at tthe switch.
get over it.. hes holding a Presser at 7:30 to say nothing.. like he should.
Jayson Stark is almost as credible as you are.
I think you’re gay.
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