Matthew Cerrone

List: Next Season’s Free Agent Pitchers
By Matthew Cerrone - Dec 21, 2007 11:19 am

According to MLB Trade Rumors, in addition to Orlando Hernandez, Pedro Martinez and Oliver Perez, the following noteworthy pitchers are currently able to be free agents after next season…

  • Ryan Dempster
  • Jon Garland
  • Randy Johnson
  • Derek Lowe
  • Mike Mussina
  • C.C. Sabathia
  • Johan Santana
  • Ben Sheets
  • Randy Wolf

…frankly, with the way pitchers continue to re-sign with their current team, i expect this list to be quite shorter in a year…however, it does put trading for Johan Santana in to perspective a bit, especially with regards to trading Aaron Heilman and the team’s four best pitching prospects

…thanks to Peter Wade, our resident eyes and ears, for the link

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125 Comments

Comment by calamityfrancis
2007-12-21 11:22:06

Survey says…..Sabathia, Santana and Sheets will never make it to free agency.

Comment by jaxson
2007-12-21 12:27:29

You are right, and this is why we cannot clean out the pitching farm. Lets face it - The Mets must develop young pitchers because the good free agents wont hit the market and for those that do, the contract demands are to high - We cannot have an entire pitching staff of free agent signings - Yikes!

Lock up Maine and Ollie and work like hell to develop what we already have. And draft smart.

 
 
Comment by djbutler
2007-12-21 11:23:22

Omar better lock up Maine and Perez sooner rather than later.

 
Comment by GravediggerHebner
2007-12-21 11:25:07

Only if CitiField became CialisField could Randy Johnson live up to his name here.

Comment by cyclone
2007-12-21 11:30:47

LMAO…

 
Comment by points guy
2007-12-21 11:48:39

+3

 
 
Comment by J.R. Dot
2007-12-21 11:26:06

Shill-rone,

Based on your previous posts, who would you rather see the mets go after,

R. Johnson
M. Mussina
R. Wolf

IN OMAR WE TRUST BABY LOL

Comment by points guy
2007-12-21 11:48:58

Time to get on the Johnson train!

 
Comment by napes22
2007-12-21 12:01:10

I’d rather Omar go after none of those 3. Mussina has obviously lost it. Randy is coming off major back surgery, and Wolf’s WHIP has been very high since coming back frm Tommy John.

Comment by JDuelz (Athens, GA)
2007-12-21 12:27:34

I’m pretty sure he was being sarcastic…

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Comment by points guy
2007-12-21 12:46:31

Was it not obvious?

 
 
 
 
Comment by tfc3rid
2007-12-21 11:26:37

I have a bad feeling Pedro and OP are going to leave after this season…

Comment by J.R. Dot
2007-12-21 11:27:15

True, but we’ll prob offer El Duque a 4-5 year guaranteed deal. He’s a proven vet, you know.

 
Comment by Peter
2007-12-21 11:29:18

OP probably, but I think Pedro will stay.

____, Pedro, Maine, Pelfrey, ____

Fill in those blanks for the ‘09 staff . . .

 
Comment by GravediggerHebner
2007-12-21 11:29:52

Petey could do anything from re-up to retire. OP I believe has Boras as his agent so anything other than declaring FA and testing the open market would be a big surprise.

Comment by BiggieSmalls
2007-12-21 12:26:46

that would be the popular thinking in 2006.. But after the Kenny Rodgers and A Rod disasters Boras is probably looking to reinvent himself to being more client friendly..

Given Omar’s good relationship with Boras i’d bet that Omar signs OP long term (4 years) before his arb hearing and Boras comes out smelling like a rose b/c for once he DIDNT wait til free agency for a client that clearly is most advantaged by staying put..

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Comment by jamie
2007-12-21 12:39:43

Biggie, I hope you’re right too. I’ve been wondering, though, if Ollie’s the kind of guy you want to give money to (not pitching-wise, but people-wise). Will he bust his hump trying to improve, or will he be satisfied, since he was good enough to get the money? I like him well enough, but something just makes me wonder about that with him.

 
Comment by points guy
2007-12-21 12:47:27

Biggie,

long time no post.

Unfortunately, I highly doubt Boras will change his ways.

 
Comment by BiggieSmalls
2007-12-21 12:50:12

well he came up from sunny warm Mexico to play santa’s elf with Maine/

seems like a decent young man who loves what he does.

In the hotstove interview when he was stupidly asked what he would be doing if he wasnt a baseball player he said a baseball teacher.

 
Comment by jamie
2007-12-21 13:10:28

true, true…don’t know why I’m cynical about him.

 
 
 
Comment by toogr82b4got10
2007-12-21 11:38:22

Pedro will head back to Boston because they love him so much… I think Ollie likes it here and likes playing for Willie. Providing he has a similar season to last, I’d bet on him staying.

 
Comment by napes22
2007-12-21 12:01:38

Why would OP leave? He’ll get the money he wants right here.

Comment by BiggieSmalls
2007-12-21 12:19:22

a agree OP likes it here and owes RP a pretty significant favor // if he leaves he probably goes back to not being able to hit the side of a barn

but why would Pedro go back to Boston? i think he feels a strong loyalty to Omar for believing in him and likes what is happening here.. remember he was the first significant FA.. Boston thre him to the scrap heap and we supported him through his shoulder surgery.. Most likely he signs a Schilling type deal with us for 2009.

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Comment by gbaked
2007-12-21 11:40:48

Not to mention that Prior is talking about a 1 year deal so he can prove himself ready. If he does that, he is near the top of that list.

 
Comment by Jay
2007-12-21 11:41:37

Yea I don’t think that list changes my perspective at all in terms of the important of trading for Santana. As has been stated, it’s very unlikely CC or Sheets make it to free agency anyways.

I agree that one of the top priorities for Omar the first half of the season has to be resigning Oliver Perez to a longer term contract.

Considering the current market where he would get a better deal than Meche/Silva but less than Peavy/Zambrano, I can see him signing for 4-5 years at 13-15 million per.

Comment by BiggieSmalls
2007-12-21 12:12:04

easy there.. Dontrelle just signed up for 3/29 .. id like to see OP get in that range.. maybe 4/44

Comment by points guy
2007-12-21 12:48:31

Depending on this year, I’d like to see if we can give OP Willis-type money.

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Comment by BiggieSmalls
2007-12-21 12:54:17

if you are going to give him willis type $$ you have to do it this year to buyout his FA.. waiting til next year means he is a free agent and eligible for market rates.

this was one of Omar’s signature moves. Stealing him from the Pirates.. I think he’ll make every attempt to sign him and say.. we have young signed pitching in the news conference. which will remind everyone that he was a good trade and Omar deserves an extension.

 
Comment by BiggieSmalls
2007-12-21 12:56:12

not that he DOES deserve an extension.. im not endorsing that.

but its in HIS best interests to remind everyone of a successful trade by signing him long term b4 his arb hearing.

 
 
 
 
Comment by tinathemetsgrl
2007-12-21 11:42:43

Yeah, I doubt CC/Sheets will be free agents, but how I would LOVE to get either of those guys on the mets.

 
Comment by firemetmanagement
2007-12-21 11:43:21

Who cares? Freddie Coupons will be looking on the discount rack for the Brian Lawrences and Dave Williams of the world next offseason, just like the past 2 offseasons. I’m not even going to pay attention to free agency anymore because the Mets don’t act like a big market team- two consecutive offseasons of dormancy, apathy, futility, and penny pinching has just been too much for me.

I pray every night that Freddie the Cheap sells the team- and then maybe the new owner will apply common sense and immediately fire incompetent Minaya and Silly Stupid Willie.

This is my Christmas Wish.

Comment by dannyb
2007-12-21 11:50:23

I coulda sworn i heard something. Points guy, you hear anything?

Comment by points guy
2007-12-21 11:58:07

I hear a +2

Are we looking forward to next off season already? Which is it? Some people argue it’s too early, some say this team is fine as is, and now we’re looking to 2009?

bleh I’m in a crabby mood from the last Schneider PR machine post.

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Comment by Joe Bacci
2007-12-21 12:56:16

Yeah i know, I hate it when one of our own gets to interview new Mets personnel and provide us with insightful content…

-36 for being an ingrate.

 
Comment by cyclone
2007-12-21 13:04:00

Maybe he was just looking for some insight….

 
Comment by points guy
2007-12-21 13:07:00

i was referring to the comments section. not the post by cerrone.

 
Comment by dannyb
2007-12-21 13:07:19

Fred Wilpon is cheap because he spends $120MM on a roster.

 
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