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The Mets recently contacted the Pirates about OF Xavier Nady, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, ‘but there is no indication anything substantive is afoot or even likely.’
According to the report, citing a ‘team source,’ the Pirates would likely seek pitching prospects in any deal for Nady.
…as i have said before, nady would require a pitcher like Phil Humber, who the Mets no longer have…you know, a guy not as far along as Mike Pelfrey, but better than Jon Niese or Eddie Kunz…so, as much as i would love to see nady back on the Mets, i just don’t see how it happens…
…if the Mets are going to make a trade, as noted last week, it’ll likely be 
towards the end of March, using an extra arm from the bullpen, and for a guy better than Angel Pagan, who is not going to get in the way of Moises Alou…which is why i just feel like pagan may be this team’s opening day left fielder, or Endy Chavez, as we all wait for alou’s return…
In fact, last week in the Daily News, Adam Rubin wrote that the Mets have been shopping Jorge Sosa and Scott Schoeneweis, who will not be happy if he’s traded, according to Jeremy Cothran in the Star-Ledger.
Speaking of Pagan, during yesterday’s game, he ran hard on what should have been a bloop single turning it in to a double.
Randolph, on Pagan, after yesterday’s game…
“That’s why I love this kid. He hustles. He plays hard. He’s one of the better athletes on the team. We can all learn from that…Hey, that’s how you make the ball club. Little things like that, I notice, they jump out at me every time…batting average isn’t going to make this team. It’s those kind of plays that are going to make this club for guys like him.”
For more on Pagan, who has hit .255 in 318 at-bats over the last two years, check out Petter Botte’s report for the Daily News.
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I think these are really good points. I met Pagan in Binghamton in ‘04 and he looked impressive on the field and he was very humble (as you should be in the minors). He plays hard and I think that can help the team.
The Nady issue is a big one because the Mets have to look for options past this season for first base and the outfield. If they could possibly pull off a deal for someone like Nady it will definitely help the future of this team, especially considering their payroll.
Will Carroll had an interesting note in his team health report for the Mets. He hinted that Rocco Baldelli should perhaps be a target for them. I know he doesn’t solve the 1B problem, but the context was the way in which the Mets training staff helped Jose Reyes get his legs right. He actually really likes the Mets training staff, but he says its a double edged sword, since the team was constructed with some extra health risk knowing how good the training staff is. Baldelli would fit in really well if Ray Ramirez could get his legs right. Good speed and some pop, and the Mets could afford to nurse him in slowly even if he’s healthy, meaning it won’t be a huge problem if Alou’s around. Then, ideally, he’d take over full time in 2009, and the Mets could focus on 1B and SP next offseason. Plus Baldelli could bounce Ryan Church to left, and give the Mets a formidable defensive outfield. And if he did get his legs back, and Fernando Martinez panned out, the Mets could go ahead and sell high on Baldelli.
nady seems to be gaining folk status beyond what his actual production warrants. Even for the Mets, he had a hot start, but had tailed off quite a bit before he was traded. He did have a pretty nice year for Pitt, but he isn’t going to make anyone forget about Matt Holliday.
Pagan is a fine option. He isn’t too old, and played enough in the majors last year with the Cubbies that he isn’t going to be a wide eyed rookie. Maybe he doesn’t have the overall talent to be a FT starter (or who knows, given the chance, maybe he does!), but for what the Mets need now, he is perfect.
They need someone to hold down LF for 4-6 weeks (sharing time with Endy most likely), then ideally stay on the team to fill in for Alou as needed, and maybe spot start for Church.
If Pagan only played 1B too, he would be perfect.
Assuming the projected guys (like Easley and Endy) are healthy though, there is going to be a numbers crunch on the bench.
I agree, it seems like all you need is a few good months to be declared untouchable or like some kind of hall of famer. Nady would be a nice bat to have but he’s not going to be the make or break to the season.
Pagan and Endy will be more than enough, at least for now for the Mets bench. They have Easley and Valentin for 1st. If the Mets got Nady, they’d just be sticking a guy that plays average defense at 1st base that is used to playing the outfield, which they’ll do with everyone else when Delgado is not in the lineup.
i couldn’t agree more about Pagan,
At this point he has been absolutely perfect so far and i feel he has earned the chance to fill in to start the season. if we were to go out and get a guy like Thames, now it’s just another bench player to clog up a spot with a whole bunch of other guys and may block access to a guy like, carp, valentin, or pagan who may be just as viable a bench option. Who knows maybe in 3 weeks a trade like will need to happen but right now I say lets at least play with the cards that we’ve got.
As for schoey being upset about possibly having to leave the mets….I say boo who. give me a break, earn your contract and then I’ll feel sorry for you.
Alou, Delgado, El Duque and signing Martinez to a smaller contract will help the payroll. They’ll go get someone next season but right now, what we fans should be focusing on is this season. Nady would be nice to have but the Pirates are not going to give Nady up for nothing as much as we’d like to believe.
I don’t think the Mets need Nady if they can get back at least half of their team which is happening. It’s so strangely ironic how the two New York teams almost have similar problems at 1st base now. Delgado and Giambi are on the decline, they can’t seem to stay healthy, they have hefty contracts and will be up at the end of the season. If Tex hits the open market, it’s going to be a mad dash for him and Boras will be smiling.
I agree we should focus on this season, but you don’t want to be short sighted on the large issues that are glaring this team in the face for next season.
We are losing two big bats (when healthy of course) in:
LF
1B – can we afford the bidding war for Tex (assuming he doesnt resign with ATL)?
We also will have 4 question marks in the rotation for next year as well:
Pedro? – As long as he pitches well, i feel he will be resigned.
Duque – longevity issues abound and will ultimately be gone
Pelfrey? – Can he step up and take Duque’s spot next year, or even this year?
Ollie? – I like him a lot, and hope he has another good year and will resign with the mets. BUT who knows what Scott “Destroy the integrity of the Game” Boras is feeding him
There will potentially be a better crop of FA pitchers next year, but thats all up in the air.
All said, I am still extremely excited for this year to start, but do have those concerns in the back of my baseball mind.
My thoughts on Tex is that he is traded to his future team at the deadline. The Braves likely do not spend the money to lock him up and they trade him to restock their farm. In the process…he goes to a team, that likely will not relent until a deal is made with him long term. I do not know the teams in the AL particularly that need a 1n with pop to complete the team but I can see him returning to the AL at the break and eventually doing a deal…either before he becomes free or just after with that same team. Kind of like we did with Benson when he came and then was free but resigned anyway.
I can’t see them trading tex at the deadline if they’re still competitive in the division. And they really don’t have too much payroll next year, either, so I can see them at least trying to keep tex.
Well if Boras isnt going to let Ollie sign so he hits free agency, I dont see him letting Tex sign early either. Especially since he knows both New York teams will be in the hunt for him. He’s got to be expecting a huge payday for Tex.
Don’t do anything rash. Nady, IMO, is no long term answer. If the Mets feel there’s a glut in the bullpen and risk losing a near-term contributor to the waiver wire, sure, deal one for an outfield patch. But, I have only mild uncomfort with platooning the two corner outfield positions with Chavez-Pagan and Church-Easley until Alou returns.
On the Show commentary, I happen to agree with him. Historically he’s been a lefty killer and a versatile pitcher. To made a snap judgment on one season isn’t the approach a tactful baseball executive makes, it’s the one an overly emotion driven fanbase tends to prematurely seek. Like I said, if it’s a critical mass issue and teams are valuing Scott at true market , then sure, pull the trigger. Otherwise, you might as well roll the dice and allow him the opportunity to regain his form to help the ballclub through production or desirable trade chip.
Schoeneweis has a career 5.01 ERA. Last year, his ERA was a 5.03. Maybe his “off year” wasn’t as far off as we all think.
Nice one Koo. I may be in the minority, but I like Schoeneweis. I think he will very good this year, along with Feliciano from the left. I think they can afford to trade Sosa because the Mets have plenty of righty power options (Register comes to mind).
If the Mets decide to not find a replacement for Delgado this year then the Mets might turn into the Yankees, payroll wise, if they go after and get Texiera.
He is a Lefty specialist. In that role…his era would be tiny and his BAA even lower. But righties hit his stuff really well and hence his overall poor numbers. Used properly and his value to us or the market would be much higher. Used as he was last year….I can see him failing again to be more than a 6th inning and 7th inning stop gap
Another good point. I completely agree.
yes, it really depends on willie figuring out that he’s a lefty-only guy.
The real problem with “Show” is his contract. Its a roster clogger. I’d rather be more flexible with those last couple spots than have a veteran, decidedly mediocre arm in there. I agree with Omar that trying to move him is a good idea, even if its only clearing a spot for another lefty specalist like Ricardo Rincon, and even if you have to eat his contract, at least then you can afford to mix and match as the season goes along if Rincon gets hurt .
Come on, it’s not like his “off year” kept us out of the playoffs last year… oh wait, nevermind.
Agreed on all points. I think it might be a mistake to trade Sosa right now, as well, because we don’t have anyone else to fill the long-man spot-start role that Darren Olliver filled so well in 06 but Sele bungled last year. Show is good against lefties and deserves a shot to return to form.
I would love to have Nady back but the price is not worth it, considering how depleted our farm already is.
Pagan for President. I’d start him b4 Endy. His defense is pretty good, not like Endy, but pretty good. His hitting has been great. Who care’s if he’s not a power hitter. He can drive in runs and get on base. To me, he’s the same type of hitter as Alou, except Alou has more power.
Well, he’s been fun to watch this spring and he’s certainly tuned in right now, but saying he’s the same type of hitter as Alou, except with less power, is awfully generous.
There seems to be a big push to bring in another OF (and hopefully 1B). And yes, I was pushing the idea before ST. Problem is, what do you do with them?
If you add someone to the ML roster, what happens in May when Alou comes back? Someone wil lhave to go. If Easley, Anderson, Endy and Castro are locked into the bench, that leaves 1 spot.
Do you really want to have no back up SS or 3B other than Easley (meaning no Gotay)? And Pagan, even if he keeps hitting, will be the odd man out too.
This is only a problem, of course, when Alou and Dlegado are both active. And when they are, they will get the bulk of the PT. So anyone you get (Nady, ??) will spend most of the time on the bench, especially if he isn’t a defensive whiz (for late inning replacements).
You could set up a 4 man rotation for LF/RF/1B, but i don’t see Willie doing that.
But, Pagan I like, and I think they can cycle in replacements for when Alou is out. I am still more concerned about having Delgado be the only legit 1B on the team. better hope he can play pretty much every day. And if he hits the DL, they will have to call up someone to be the everyday guy, IMO.
I can see Valentine being Delgado’s primary backup.
and who does he replace on the bench?
we can just leave him in AAA until the time comes. When the time comes, it will be for a long enough time, and we all know the time *will* come. After that, though, might be a bit different (Dunno if he needs to pass through waivers to drop back down to AAA).
I’m not terribly concerned with the MI spots. We definitely have enough guys that can handle second, and in a short term solution I think Easley at SS would be fine. In the longterm, you might have to call up Anderson Hernandez, but I think they might do that anyway even if Gotay were to be carried.
I posted this in response to another comment. It was a little hint Will Carroll dropped in his team health report. He thinks the Mets would be the perfect fit for Rocco Baldelli. He feels that the Mets training staff might be able to work their magic on his legs (the way they did early on with Reyes) and get him healthy. You probably would to ease him back into things, so there would be no dire need to get him 500 PAs, and then he could fit back into the picture in a larger role in 2009. He would improve the Mets outfield defense further, he’d give you that right handed bat with a bit of pop to slide between Delgado and Church, and he has the kind of speed this team is built around. Then, ideally, once Fernando was ready, you could get some value back on either he or Church on the trade market.
Nady is a nice little player, but I too don’t understand all the hub-bub about him. Surely Pagan will play better defense, and won’t hit much less than Nady. Nady does have a better middle initial though. And was about ye olde Teenage Hitting Machine? Could we see him for a brief cuppa joe?
THM? Hopefully not anytime soon.
But, if he starts in AA and is smoking the ball, and they move him up mid-year to AAA and he holds his own, then I expect you could see him if Alou goes on the DL in August say.
Not a chance he could break camp with the big club (did they already reassign him to the minor league camp?)
Quite possible that, if he stays healthy finally, he could chew up AA this year.
stickguy had it right. Nady has become somewhat mythical in Mets lore, but I seem to remember an enthusiastic but defensively limited rightfielder. He seemed to have either little range, or else an ability to be where the ball wasn’t. I recall him being puzzled by breaking balls quite a bit as well.
I’d be happy if he were magically on the roster, but I don’t think we’ll be able to acquire him.
Nice points by all. As long as Church does not exhibit any lingering effects from his concussion, I agree that Pagan has shown enough to be given the opportunity to secure the majority of at bats until Alou returns. If he hits .250, plays a solid left field and does the little things well, I’ll have no complaints. This team is going to make their mark with pitching, defense and fundamentals, so we might as well get focused on what counts from Day 1.
And Pagan seems like he will help with 2 of thte 3 at least!
Probably a good idea for a s/t fill in to go with a defensive/speed guy (small ball?) instead of a plodding slugger, who might hit a few dingers, but just as likely will do nothing and be a laibility in the field.
It seems to me that given the makeup of this team (one of the best pitching staff the Mets have ever had?), Omar should be looking at the speed, defense and versatility (Pagan is a switch hitter) that he gets from a Pagan/Chavez tandem. Should be enough to overcome and might even make up for the loss of Alou’s bat early in the season.
pagan for hunter