Daily Archives: December 6, 2007
…by the way, now that they have trade Dontrelle Willis and 
Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers, the Marlins are set up to have a player payroll of around $10 million, for every one…
Cabrera and Willis were the remaining two players left from Miami’s 2003 World Championship season.
…and so, here they go again…they built a team from day one, won a ring in 1997, ripped it apart, rebuilt, won another ring in six seasons later, which they have now ripped apart, jut like the first championship team…if their previous pace is any indication, the Marlins should be back in contention at some point during the next two seasons, though i have my doubts this time around…
…several people have e-mailed to say that ESPN Radio in New York has been discussing a potential swap of Blue Jays RHP A.J. Burnett for Mets RHP Aaron Heilman, initially mentioned on-air by ESPN.com’s Buster Olney…
…however, olney just called me to say this is simply his idea, 
speculation, something he believes would make sense for both teams after having evaluated the market for the last few days…
On Tuesday, at ESPN.com, Jayson Stark wrote that the Mets had inquired about Burnett.
However, today at ESPN.com, Stark says the Blue Jays are not going to trade Burnett, ‘for now.’
Nevertheless, according to the New York Post, the Mets are not looking at Burnett anyway.
…actually, from what i can gather, people connected to the Mets were actually telling reporters last night, flat out, that these burnett rumors were all false, including their level of interest…
…so, most of the league’s general managers, including Omar Minaya, are set to leave Nashville within the next few hours…meanwhile, Johan Santana is still on the Twins, Dan Haren is still on the A’s, and Erik Bedard is still on the Orioles…
…the final bit of buzz, which is supported by logic, suggests that the Twins are leaning towards keeping Johan Santana for opening day, since the major-league ready hitter and pitcher they must acquire for him are not being offered…and so, 
because a package like Jon Lester, or Carlos Gomez, or Phil Hughes, will likely be available in July, as well as now, it makes far more sense to get one more round of ticket sales out of santana, while also getting another shot at winning, all while knowing they can easily revisit the same ol’ trade offers in six months…frankly, the same can all be said for bedard and haren…
By the way, according to the Sports Hernia, citing Ken Rosenthal’s 53rd update of the hour and 413 other websites…
“The ‘Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Mariners, Dodgers, Indians, Rockies, Cardinals, Tigers, Giants, Blue Jays, Orioles, Angels, White Sox, Athletics, Cubs, Brewers, Rangers, Phillies, Braves, Astros, Pirates, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Marlins, and Padres are all engaged in the Santana talks and could potentially have the necessary chips to land the left-handed ace.”
…well played, sports hernia…well played, indeed…
…i mean, it actually feels like the Hot Stove took steps backward during these Winter Meetings, instead of steps forward toward completing a deal for these guys…such is the Hot Stove, though, for better or worse…
According to Joe Haggerty of Metro Philadelphia, citing a ‘baseball source,’ the Phillies recently offered RHP Kyle Kendrick, OF Shane Victorino and a pair of ‘unnamed prospects’ to the Orioles for LHP Erik Bedard.
In Newsday, citing ‘one person in the loop,’ Ken Davidoff says that the Orioles are not yet ready to ‘fully discuss’ Erik Bedard, while adding that the A’s may seek John Maine from the Mets, should they decide to trade Dan Haren.
For what it’s worth, a few weeks ago at Gotham Baseball Magazine, while 
citing a ‘West Coast source,’ Mark Healy also mentioned that the A’s would need Maine, Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman, if the Mets had any chance at acquire Haren.
…as i wrote a while back, the buzz from Oakland has long suggested that if the A’s decide to move a pitcher, they will first consider moving haren, but oakland may look to acquire a pitcher more like maine, instead of Mike Pelfrey or heilman, because Billy Beane wants a semi-established, zero-to-three starting pitcher…if they get no movement on haren, oakland may next consider moving Joe Blanton, who is still arbitration eligible, and essentially the type of pitcher they hope to get, not trade away, in a deal for haren……
Additionally, according to Davidoff, the Mets hurt their chance to acquire Haren by trading Milledge, because Beane still likes him.
…honestly, what’s the difference, though, unless milledge was going to drive to oakland with maine sitting next to him, which is never going to happen, whether or not beane liked milledge, or doesn’t like milledge, is irrelevant…the thing is, something tells me that if the Mets change their mind, and become willing to trade maine, beane will listen, with or without milledge in the deal…
…at any rate, the buzz from Nashville continues to suggest that beane will simply keep his pitchers…however, if the Angels acquire, say, Johan Santana, or bedard, it would certainly impact his plan for the immediate future…
By the way, in a report for the San Francisco Chronicle, Sussan Slusser writes that the Dodgers have backed off of Blanton, because, according to a ‘source,’ were are as ‘far away as the moon,’ based on the A’s demands.
According to 1Up.com, a popular video game website, Mets SS 
Jose Reyes will be featured on the cover of this year’s MLB 2K8 video game by 2K Sports.
Chris Snyder, Director of Marketing for 2K Sports, regarding their new cover star, as quoted by 1Up…
“Jose is a young, exciting, game-changing player who is on the cusp of super-stardom-much like 2K Sports and Major League Baseball 2K8. That isn’t to say he doesn’t game. Jose almost took down Justin Morneau in our Bigs Home Run Derby last year during All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. We didn’t hold being runner-up against him…we still put him on the cover!”
…thanks to teddy k for the link…
The Mets have selected RHP Steven Register during the Major League Phase of today’s Rule V Draft.
The 24–year-old Register was drafted by the Rockies in 2004.
Last season, in 60 relief appearances for Colorado’s Double-A team, he had a 4.03 ERA while striking out 48 batters in 58 innings.
Having been selected in the Rule V Draft, Register must be kept in the major leagues the entire season or be offered back to the Rockies for a small fee.
The Mets did not make a second selection in the Major League Phase of the Draft.
Following the Mets, the Phillies selected RHP Lincoln Holdzkom, who had been left unprotected by the Red Sox.
…Update…10:40 am…
The Mets took RHP Garry Bakker during the Triple-A Phase.
Baker had been left unprotected by the White Sox.
In 31 appearances in High-A last season, the 24–year-old Bakker had a 3.67 ERA, while striking out 64 batters, but walking 45, through 83 innings.
…most interesting about this guy is that he has an extra R and an extra K in his name…
Last season, despite several rumors linking the Mets to him, LHP Barry Zito eventually signed a seven-year deal with the Giants that will pay him roughly $18 million per season.
In the first of year of the deal, Zito was 11–13 with a 4.53 ERA in 34 starts for the Giants, though he had a 3.31 ERA during his final 13 starts.
[poll=29]
Tagged Poll |On Tuesday, at ESPN.com, Jayson Stark wrote that the Mets had inquired about Blue Jays RHP A.J. Burnett.
However, today at ESPN.com, Stark says the Blue Jays are not going to trade Burnett or Alex Rios, ‘for now.’
Nevertheless, according to the New York Post, the Mets are not looking at Burnett anyway.
…actually, from what i can gather, people connected to the Mets were actually telling reporters last night, flat out, that these burnett rumors were all false, including their level of interest…
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 and his $13 million salary.
However, last night, at his blog for Booth Newspapers, Tigers beat reporter Danny Knobler debunked the idea, writing that the 
Tigers did ‘briefly consider’ such a move, “But it’s barely worth talking about now, because it’s not happening, and the Mets know it.”
According to Adam Rubin, though, in today’s Daily News, citing ‘team sources,’ the Mets believe the Tigers may still look to ‘flip’ Willis, who was recently acquired from the Marlins along with Miguel Cabrera.
“The Mets would be interested in speaking with the Tigers,’ writes Rubin, “but no dialogue is believed to have occurred yet.”
…as i wrote last night, from what i can gather, while the Tigers most certainly would have requested a pretty significant package from the Mets, they’d want RHP Aaron Heilman, as well…
Nevertheless, at his blog for the Bergen Record, Steve Popper writes that while talks about Willis and the Mets may be based on truth, it ‘never came close to actually being true.’
By the way, on his blog for WFAN, Murti writes, “Not a chance this happens. The Mets will have no interest in taking on that much salary and giving Pudge another year.”
…of course, despite their own beat reporter making the above statement on his blog, it has not stopped the radio station’s morning hosts from discussing the deal…
…long live the Hot Stove, i guess…
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