Daily Archives: December 6, 2007
At his blog for Newsday, media-watchdog Neil Best lists Andy Freed, the voice of the Devil Rays, as the leading candidate to replace Tom McCarthy as play-by-play broadcaster for Mets games on WFAN next season.
Also, Best writes that SNY will likely show road games in HD format next season.
Tagged SNY |During his appearance on WFAN today, SI.com’s Jon Heyman said the Mets do seem confident in their efforts to trade for Twins LHP Johan Santana, though Heyman has no idea why, adding…
“Every thing I had heard in the proceeding weeks was that the Twins are not that enamored with the Mets prospect…I think it’s gonna be tough sleiding for them, but they’re confident. If you ask them if you ask them if they have a shot, they say they have a shot, or at least a decent shot. So, maybe they know something we don’t know.”
To listen to Heyman’s entire interview, during which he adds inisght in to more or less every rumor from the last few days, go to WFAN.com.
This morning in the Bergen Record, citing ‘one person familiar with the team’s financial picture,’ Bob Klapisch wrote that there is ‘no way’ the Mets will ever agree to pay $25 million per year to Santana.
“Not even the Red Sox seem eager to go that high,” writes Klapisch.
…i believe this is true…however, from what i can gather, and as Omar Minaya has alluded to on record in the past, most teams, including his Mets, are not as concerned about the money as they are about the super long-term contract, be it for santana or any other pitcher…if for no other reason than because it will cost a lot to insure that sort of contract for a pitcher, assuming it can get insured at all…
…nevertheless, as i understand it, tdespite what others have written, the Twins like Carlos Gomez and Kevin Mulvey a lot, as well as Mike Pelfrey, more so than any other team it seems…also, the Twins realize that they are not going to get the type of zero-to-three, major-league ready talent, from any team, that they initially hoped to acquire, which is why Jose Reyes is no longer being mentioned…plus, the Twins have no interest in paying reyes, despite his affordable contract….
…i keep getting the sense that if the Dodgers offer up OF Matt Kemp and RHP Chad Billingley or RHP Clayton Kershaw, along with another piece or two, the Twins would accept it…however, it is widely believed that santana wants to be in new york or boston, and so i can understand why some of these other teams, like the Dodgers, Mariners and Reds, who may have substantial talent to trade, are hesitant to acquire a guy who they will never re-sign…this is why the Dodgers appear to be more interested in Erik Bedard, as are other teams…
…in short, the way i see it, the Mets can acquire santana if a) the Twins committ to trading him, b) the Mets come to grips with offering a six– or seven-year deal, and c) they offer the Twins a package such as Carlos Gomez, Kevin Mulvey or Fernando Martinez, Mike Pelfrey and Aaron Heilman, who can be their next closer if Joe Nathan gets traded…
In the New York Post, Joel Sherman writes that Cubs Manager Lou Pinella is thankful to be in the National League, because ‘the American League has become a beast.’
…i guess…i suppose it depends on how you define better…i 
mean, yes, the American League has the four best teams in the game…no doubt…but, in my opinion, the National League isn’t weak, it’s more balanced…
Last season, four teams from the American League won 90 games, while only two did so in the National League.
At the same time, while only three teams in the American League won between 80 and 90 games, seven teams did so in the National League.
…so, to me, the National League is stronger overall, i.e., thick in the middle, while the American League is simply top-heavy…in other words, while the Yankees, Tigers, Red Sox, Indians and Angels are beating up on the other nine teams, the entire National League will equally be beating up on one another…
…plus, we all know, real baseball players hit…they don’t send up their friends to bat for them…silly, designated hitter…
Yesterday, WFAN’s Sweeny Murti broke down a rumor that suggested the Mets could acquire LHP Dontrelle Willis from the Tigers, as well as C Ivan Rodriguez.
However, while multiple reports suggest that this trade had been briefly discussed, it has since been dismissed by Jon Heyman in SI.com, Detroit’s Booth Newspapers, the Bergen Record, and Sweeny Murti from WFAN, who is the same reporter who first mentioned the deal yesterday afternoon.
…in case you missed it from yesterday…
According to a team spokesperson, Mets RHP John Maine has been in Virginia ‘since the end of last season,’ meaning this silly report from the Daily News is totally false.
…Mets GM Omar Minaya and his staff are getting ready to leave the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville…
…as such, the Winter Meetings are officially over…
…during the three and a half days worth of rumor and innuendo, MetsBlog.com logged over 750,000 hits, featured 140 posts, 
including over 20,000 words, while roughly 6,500 comments were posted from readers…
…keep in mind, simply because a trade was not made during the last few days, it does not mean a transaction will not get done in the future…for the most part, these meetings are for a) signing free agents, and b) creating dialogue with other teams, so a potential trade can be made in the weeks to come…
The Mets offered RHP Aaron Heilman to the Rockies on Wednesday in exchange for LHP Brian Fuentes, reports Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com.
However, the Rockies also asked for RHP Scott Schoeneweis, explains Rosenthal, at which point ‘talks 
disintegrated.’
In 208 relief appearances for the Rockies during the last three seasons, the 32–year-old Fuentes has a 3.68 ERA including 81 saves while averaging over one strike out per inning.
Interestingly, Fuentes had a 4.50 ERA while pitching away from Coors Field last year, yet a 1.72 ERA while in Coors Field.
Fuentes is eligible for arbitration this off-season, and can be a free agent after next year.
Meanwhile, Heilman will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, and can be a free agent after 2010.
During today’s Rule V Draft, the Mets selected RHP Steve Register, who was born in Rockland County, NY.
At his blog for ESPN.com, Keith Law, who has been surprisingly 
high on all of the Mets prospects, had the following to say about Register…
“Register was a top closer at Auburn before he was drafted in 2004, but the Rockies tried to make him a starter and it didn’t work. As a reliever, he has good control and a 91-93 mph fastball with some sink (although it hasn’t produced a good groundball rate), and a tight slider that should be an average pitch in time. I could see him making the Mets’ club in spring training, and if it saves them from going after the next Guillermo Mota, so much the better.”
…the Mets are using the phrase, ‘he’s a good command guy,’ while discussing register…
Meanwhile, Baseball America had the following to say about him, in their prospect blog…
“He threw 91-93 mph while at Auburn and even led the nation in saves in 2003, the same summer he teamed with Huston Street on Team USA. The Rockies took him in the third round of the 2004 draft, but he has failed to replicate that success as a pro, posting a 4.64 ERA in four seasons. The Rockies had tried him as a starter earlier in his career, but he returned to the bullpen at Double-A Tulsa this season and had 37 saves, which led the minors.”
By the way, according to the draft’s rules, the Mets must keep Register on their major league roster for the entire season or he must be sent back to the Rockies.
Earlier today, at FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal suggested that a big trade was in the works that involved the Astros.
Meanwhile, KBME in Houston is reporting that the Astros are close to acquiring SS Miguel Tejada from the Orioles for SS Adam Everett, 2B Chris Burke and a pitcher.
…hat tip to Rotoworld and MLB Trade Rumors for the link…
The Mets have signed RHP Nate Field to a minor-league deal, according to the New York Post.
In 89 major-league appearances, spanning three sporadic seasons, the 32–year-old Field is 4–5 with a 5.13 ERA having struck out 72 batters through 87 innings pitched.
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