|
“Even though he is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility, there’s already talk that Scott Kazmir’s days as a Ray are numbered,” writes the St. Petersburg Times.
According to the report, the Rays approached Kazmir about a long-term extension last year, ‘but nothing developed.’
In early November, in the New York Post, citing ‘an executive familiar with the team’s thinking,’ Joel Sherman wrote that the Rays may entertain offers for Kazmir, depending on how the market develops for Johan Santana.
…first off, i vowed to stop taking the bait on rays rumors years ago, after they sat on Aubrey Huff and Danys Baez…that being said, good god…could you imagine if the Mets ever re-acquired kazmir and he got hurt, or stumbled or fell apart…it’s not a reason to deny a trade, but it’s certainly a reason to hesitate…i mean, they’re finally at a point in which we never mention his name, and then bam, here we go again…
Kazmir is eligible for arbitration this off season, for the first time in his career, and is eligible to be a free agent after 2010.
In three seasons with the last-place Rays, Kazmir is 33–26 with a 3.53 ERA while striking out 576 hitters through 537 innings.
…by the way, how badly do you think the Yankees would love to sign this guy when he becomes a free agent in a few years…not only would they get an outstanding, young, left-handed pitcher, but it would make me and every other Mets fan sick…
They need pitching, who cares about the guy’s history with the team or what would happen if he got hurt.
If you can get Kazmir, go out and get him. Case closed.
If the Mets get a chance to undo what is arguably one of the worst trades ever perpetrated by a Mets GM, then you have to get seriously involved in negotiations.
Of course we all know how slick the Rays would be and try to acquire the same quality of players that Santana would bring back.
Frank Burns Eats Worms
He hasnt won 3 CY awards, but he is better than haren and blanton…
get er done!
Scott Who?
We get Kazmir for Deolis Guerra.
Kazmir blows his shoulder.
Guerra becomes the new Kazmir.
Thanks Cerrone, you mapped out everything that can go horribly wrong with any possible Kazmir moves. Happy new year!!
I’ve always been skeptical of Kazmir. He had to be “rested” at the end of 05 and 06 without hitting 200 innings. 2006 he hit over 200 innings but I still did not feel his performance in September was something that could be projected and a future “ACE” like Santana. I think he is a good 3 or 4 pitcher that has to be kept on a very close pitch count and no more than 6 innings. At least that has been how the Rays have handled him. He would be a bad trade for a team who would want him for September and October and 7 innings each outing in the future. As far as the trade for Zambrano that was bad no doubt, but Kazmir is not an “ACE” either in my opinion. For that reason I would love to see the Yanks get him, pay big and have a Pavano debacle again.
On what team in the history of baseball would Scott Kazmir only be the #4 pitcher? And his September performance was not “feel good”?
Avg. 6+ innings per start, 45 Ks in 31 innings, 5:1 K/BB, 2.03 ERA. That is “happy days” right there for a team.
He does have issues with efficiency, but the guy is still 23 and has been handled delicately since entering the Rays organization.
The scariest part of Kazmir’s whole season is wondering what his stats would have been like had he not been asked to pitch from the 3B side of the rubber for over 2 months.
I’d love Kazmir back, but I can’t see what sense it would make for Tampa to trade him now if he’s not eligible for free agency until 2010.
I’m pretty sure when I’m on my deathbed (hopefully) many years from now thinking about how few championships my favorite sports teams won during my lifetime I’ll be saying to myself “if only the Mets hadn’t traded away Kazmir, the guy who broke Nolan Ryan’s strikeout record” (okay maybe I’m stretching it a bit).
Too many championships just turns you into a spoiled crybaby. Just look at Yankee fans. Let’s just get a WS in 2008 and I’ll be happy.
Go Buckeyes!!!!
well i have none in my lifetime for any of my teams (not counting 86, i was 1). so ill be happy with any number thats higher than 0 when im on my deathbed.
What are you, a Met, Jet, Knick, Islander fan?
BOOOOOOO
Mets
Giants
Knicks
Rangers
“Too many championships just turns you into a spoiled crybaby. ”
Dumb comment of the year. Got in just in the nick of time to be eligible for 2007.
Yeah,..”too many championships” will spoil us.
Then spoil away.
actually, all it took to spoil us was one NL East runaway season..
Wouldn’t worry about injury.
I’d look in to that.
23 year old strikeout leader, catch him if you can.
Gomez, Heilman, Guerra, Mulvey & Humber for either Kazmir or Santana.
Take it or leave it, Twins, it would be the best offer you’d get.
“Gomez, Heilman, Guerra, Mulvey & Humber for either Kazmir or Santana.”
Huh ??!!…….should we “throw in” Wright, Reyes and Martinez (Pedro AND Fernando !!)while we’re at it ????
What is wrong with you people ???? THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF OVERREACTION THAT IS GOING TO DOOM THIS FRANCHISE FOR THE NEXT DECADE !!!!
When are we going to stop looking to give away every prospect we have for someone else’s established players ??
I understand that you need to give value to get value, but we need to start promoting our own guys and developing the system (see the Braves for the last 15 or so years !) and supplement with the occasional trade of FA pickup. Otherwise we are going to keep repeating the same mistakes that have haunted us in the past few years (see Alomar, Vaughn, etc).
He’s obviously worth kicking the tires for. As is Cain or Lincecum.
But reality is why would any cash strapped organization trade a cheap young pitcher? Even the Marlins kept Dontrelle until he became an expensive pitcher with a few poor seasons behind him.
These guys do not get traded when they start having success. THey only get traded as prospects when the cloud of uncertaintly remains over them
To suggest the Mets should hesitate because it’d be a disaster if he got hurt is nothing short of stupid. Why shouldn’t that apply with the same force to Santana?
Kazmir is a young stud pitcher; fits the formula of what we need.
i think we gotta forget kazmir & look to the fucture maybe well make a run for a wild card or nl east championship but thats our pitching tp thin & i think ryan church is not the answer alou dl prone & to old we need to rebuild a bit i say lets see what we got as in terms of the youngsters & see from there if we get johan great if not theres always nextime
we will never get kazmir we had our chance forget about it hes gone when he is a free agent the wilpons wont spend the money hes gone case closed
I would only make the trade if we can rape the Rays back. Don’t just ask for Kazmir. They need bigger teams to help relieve salary. Take a high paid player off of their hands with Kazmir for a couple of players. If they don’t like the offer, walk away. The Red Sox took Lowell from Florida just to get Beckett. How did that work out?
How about sending the same package that we would have sent to the Twins to the Rays for BOTH: Kazmir and Carl Crawford?????
Gomez, Church, Heilman, Mulvey for Crawford and Kazmir.
Are you paying attention? The only reason they’d trade him is because he’s arbitration eligible. So why would they take arbitration cases back? Tampa Bay will settle for nothing less than our 4 best prospects that have little to no service time. That means Martinez, Guerra, Mulvey, and Gomez.
For Kazmir and Crawfrord, Omar would do that deal in a second. Or less. And thank the heavens for it.
Basically trading 2 for 1 on SP and OF propects for established guys that will help today. SOunds like good odds for a rich team and one that pinches pennies!
Likely that neither Guerra or Mulvey will outdo Kazmir (at least not soon with Guerra), and F Mart might end up better than Crowford, or maybe not (Gomez almost certainly not)
This would set the Mets up tremendously in 2008+.
Also no chance of happening, but heck, Omar can at least ask!
This is ridiculous. There is NO way he gets traded to the Mets, certainly not now. First off, he is 3 full seasons away from free agency. He is 23. Why on Earth would the Devil (thats right I said it) Rays trade him? If they did it would be the worst thing for baseball. Its bad enough that small market teams have to develop their own minor leaguers, hope they are good, and then get a few years out of them and have to let them go when they are free agents (a la Santana). Is it really getting to the point now where teams can only have their good young players for 1,2, or maximum 3 years before they have to trade or lose them? Kazmir is 23! Who would they be trading him for? 23 year old who are still in the minors? What is the point of baseball for these teams? They are LITERALLY acting as minor league systems for big market teams. Its a joke. Many of us (myself included) complain that the Mets dont spend enough, 3.8 million fans, NYC, SNY, CITIfield, etc, but can you imagine being a Tampa fan, or KC fan, Oakland fan? Its a joke.
Anyway, now that I am done with that tangent on just how much the CBA did NOT help baseball, the idea that the Mets will obtain Kazmir is a joke. Putting aside all the things I just mentioned about why it would be absurd for the DRays to trade him at all, how would he get traded to the Mets. If the Mets could get him, they could get Santana. The Met prospects didnt suddenly get better. Also, do you remember that the Mets have the same pitching coach who wanted nothing to do with this “little lefty” who will surely breakdown, not enough minor league innings, blah, blah, blah? Yes thats right, the Scientific Jacket is still here and we all know he is not going anywhere. To sum up, Kazmir is not getting traded (at least not in this offseason), and if he was (which would be ridiculous) the last team that would acquire him would be the Mets.
and a happy new year to you Mr. Donny Downer
+100000000000
Wow wow wow, getting a great young pitcher who the Mets threw away for nothing when their need is a great young pitcher? That would make WAY too much sense. Isn’t their some nice Dominican retread who they can sign to a minor league contract instead? How about a utility infielder?
“by the way, how badly do you think the Yankees would love to sign this guy when he becomes a free agent in a few years…not only would they get an outstanding, young, left-handed pitcher, but it would make me and every other Mets fan sick…”
then mets should not try to get him back, huh? loser mentality!
Why the Rays may be shopping Kazmir:
Crappy bullpen
Need young rightfielder
have Shields, Price, Garza, and other young starting talent.
Probable price for the Mets, considering Haren deal:
1 top of the line young outfielder (Fernando Martinez)
2 young, talented relievers (Aaron Heilman & Smith/Kunz)
3 of the Mets top young starters (Kevin Mulvey, Deolis Guerra & Niese/Pelfrey)
Fernando Martinez, Aaron Heilman, Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey, Eddie Kunz and Mike Pelfrey for Scott Kazmir.
Is it worth it?
Well, we’d still have a solid bullpen, with young potential members like Sanchez, Smith and Register.
Niese isn’t bad, he could be in the majors in 2009, behind Kazmir, Perez & Maine, which isn’t bad.
We’d still have Carlos Gomez, who has had success at age 20 & 21 in AA & AAA, which is impressive.
Should we re-sign Maine & Perez, we’d have Reyes, Wright, Church, Schneider, Castillo, Beltran, Maine, Kazmir & Perez for the next 4 years. Not bad at all.
We have 3 first round draft picks to replenish the farm system, as well as our up-and-coming international and our VERY young hopefuls like Francisco Pena, Marinus Vernooij as well as others to help us out.
LUCAS DUDA!
That’s a nice fantasy, but the Rays have enough pitching in their system (Niemann, Price, Davis, Mcgee, Mason at AA or AAA plus Hammel, Howell, Sonnanstine, Jackson in the majors) now not to have to trade for it, and several decent OF prospects (Ruggiano, Perez, Jennings) that they don’t need that either.
sounds like they dont need anything then.