Daily Archives: January 15, 2008
During his appearance last night on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove, FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal had the following to say about the Mets interest in free-agent RHP Kyle Lohse…
“I think Lohse is certainly a player they’re interested in, and while he hasn’t done much in his career, the Mets like his stuff, they like his durability, his age and they like the fact that he competed down the stretch for Philadelphia…He, essentially, is this year’s Gil Meche: a guy with a world of ability, who hasn’t put it together yet…My problem with him would be giving him three or four years at big money.”
By the way, SNY’s Mets Hot Stove airs live at 6:30 pm and again at 11 pm every Monday.
Lohse is now willing to accept a three-year deal with a vesting option, as opposed to the four-year deal he had been rumored to be seeking, reported Rosenthal over the weekend at FoxSports.com.
During a recent appearance on XM’s MLB Live, Lohse said that at least three teams are interested in signing him.
In 34 starts for the Reds and Phillies last season, the 29–year-old Lohse was 9–12 with a 4.63 ERA, while striking out 122 batters through 192 innings.
Additionally, Rosenthal had the following to say about the A’s, and whether they’ll trade Joe Blanton…
“I think what they’re waiting for is Santana to get traded or not, Erik Bedard to get traded or not, and then they’ll be sitting with a pitcher that others teams want.”
In a report yesterday for MLB.com, an A’s source said he expected Blanton to be Oakland’s opening day starting pitcher.
Last season for the A’s, Blanton was 14–10 with a 3.95 ERA through 34 starts, during which he allowed an average of just one walk per start.
He made at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons.
He is eligible for salary arbitration this off-season, and the two after that, and is eligible for free agency after 2010.
Tagged SNY |Yesterday, ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand reported that the Yankees had pulled their ‘Phil Hughes-centered 
trade offer’ for Johan Santana, adding that the they will not restart trade talks unless Hank Steinbrenner has another change of heart.
Roughly four hours later, Steinbrenner told the Associated Press that the Yankees are still discussing Santana, adding, “There’s still a little talk back and forth.
…oh…my…god…it’s like the movie Groundhog Day…
Steinbrenner, as quoted by the AP…
“There wasn’t an official offer anyway. You can’t withdraw something that wasn’t there. There was no official offer on the table at this time.”
Additionally, according to Tyler Kepner in the New York Times, the Yankees have not had a formal trade offer since the winter meetings in December.
…well, that at least jives with what i had been writing, which is that the Twins want Phil Hughes, and the Yankees will not part with him…once they say, ‘Hey, here’s Hughes, come and get it,’ the Yankees will vault in to the front-runner’s position in this race, and i believe that is what the Twins are holing out hope for…
…of course, if the Yankees can offer a better package from the Twins point of view, one which keeps hughes in pinstripes, but gives minnesota the impactful, major-league ready pitcher they are seeking, the Yankees current quotes could be true - even though they read like flip-flopping nonsense…
In the New York Post, Mark Hale and Mike Puma quote Yankees GM Brian Cashman as saying he could still make a deal for Santana, “if the Twins lower the asking price.”
According to Puma and Hale, citing ‘another Yankees official,’ the Twins continue to demand Hughes, Melky Cabrera, Ian Kennedy and Jeff Marquez.
For more on the internal arguments within the Yankees, check out Kepner in the New York Times.
At the same time, according to the Pioneer Press, the Red Sox remain ‘keenly interested’ in trading for Santana.
Meanwhile, according to a person familiar with the situation, Puma and Hale write that a) the Mets are unwilling to go give more than a five-year extension to Santana, and b) the Mets are not engaged in heavy discussions with the Twins anyways.
Last night on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove, the Star-Ledger’s Dan Graziano, FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal and former-GM Jim Duquette talked with Kevin Burkhardt about whether the Mets should trade so many prospects for Santana.
To watch a clip of the discussion, click here.
…by the way, am i the only one who winced at the irony of duquette providing insight in to trading young prospects…eek…
For what it’s worth, when asked where he believes Santana will eventually end up, Rosenthal ‘reluctantly’ said ‘the Mets,’ since he no longer believes anything the Yankees say publicly.
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