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Carlos Delgado has a $12 million option in his contract for 2009, or the team can buy him out for $4 million making him a free agent.
The Mets have until five days after the World Series to make an official decision on Delgado’s future.
Delgado explained that he does not have an option on his contact, adding, ‘They have the option, and they have to make the decision whether to bring me back or not.’
Delgado, on his future, while speaking to reporters yesterday from Shea Stadium:
“I don’t know (if I’ll be back), I don’t know, I’ll guess we’ll find out whenever they make the decision…I’d like to be back. I like this group of guys. I think we have a great team, so we’ll see what happens…At this stage of my career, you don’t want to be bouncing around any more than you have to, but the decision is in their hand. I had a good time here, it’s been a great experience and I’m looking forward to coming back if that’s the case…I want to come back, I feel like we have some unfinished business.”
Look, I understand the argument in favor of bringing Delgado back, especially since, technically, he will only cost the Mets an additional $8 million in salary, half of which – I think – can be deferred to future payrolls.
However, as I wrote yesterday, my gut is telling me the Mets need to change the dynamic of this team.
They need to shift from a team led by older, aging veterans, like Delgado, Pedro Martinez and Moises Alou, who are supported by players trying to find their way, like David Wright, Jose Reyes and Mike Pelfrey, and, instead, they must rebuild as team that is led by Wright, Reyes and Johan Santana, and supported by experienced, gritty role players, like Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter were in the mid-80s.
Also, let’s not lose perspective here. At the end of the day, he is still a soon-to-be 37–year-old, limited-range first baseman, who may or may not need hip surgery one day, who hit .204 in April, .258 in May, .229 in June and .248 in August.
This is not to downgrade his stellar September, which was impressive, but, there is a reason so many of us wanted him cut in May, including the team he works for, and we should not lose sight of that simply because he hit incredibly well during six of the season’s 24 weeks.
Like I said, I can probably be convinced he should stay, and I may even come around to that position when I look a bit more closely at the free-agent and trade market. However, since we are not building a fantasy team, for now, my hunch is that, despite his stellar July and September, next year’s team – as a whole – may be better with out him.
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Pick up the option, he will be energized with the new park and playing for 1 last pay day. Tex will cost too much and the other options aren’t better.
as I wrote months ago, pick up the option… Who else are you going to get for $8 mil that produced his numbers this year… Plus if you do decide to go after Texieria, then you can always flip Delgado after he’s signed… More likely, why not go after Burrelll or Dunn, play them in LF for a year and then play them at first in 2010 and beyond…
How about resign Delgado and package him with Heilman and Evans for Rowand from the Giants…play him in LF which would give us a stellar defensive outfield and a gritty player in the mold we’ve been speaking of. It would free the Giants from his huge contract, give then more offensive punch with Delgado…thoughts?
that’s giving up a lot of talent for a 3rd-4th OF’r. Yes he had one great year in Phillie, but he is not worth Delgado’s guaranteed 25-90; Nick’s potential and Aaron’s return to a productive reliever.
You have to respect the huge comeback this year, especially after the horrible start. The most important issue is long term team success. I doubt we can expect similar production from CD beyond next year. His value is likely at its peak right now. If we can move him to the AL where the DH option exists, CD may have even more value than in the NL where he is a poor fielding 1b. Detroit supposedly wanted to move Miguel Cabrera ealier this year. I would package CD, the teenage Moises, & Scott maybe even Luis with cash if necessary. If not Detroit, maybe to Toronto or Boston / LAA for prospects. In the event we do get just prospects, sign an offensive LF (Manny or Ibanez) to offset CD’s departure.
Hernandez and Carter were effective in 86, but they faded very quickly. I’d rather not get their likes on the team if it means trading youth.
But if Neil Allen, Herm, Hubie, and Floyd can bring in similar players. You gotta do it.
well…if they gave us a W.S…i’d be cool with it.
a lot depends on what the alternatives are. Nick Evans and Mike Carp? No thanks.
I think the option of keeping him and trying to get Tex could be the best move. If we get him, we can deal Delgado. If we don’t get him, Delgado is our 8 million dollar insurance policy.
I agree — this was not an option in the vote so I did not vote this time. I want to keep him, but then trade him.
After all, who would have thought we would get anything out of him in 2009 other than a negative $4mil to get him out of here — that he exploded in the second half did us no good in 2008, so let’s make it pay off for us in 2009 by getting equal value back for him in a live young arm, and then sign Tex.
Here’s a question: When do we have to decide on the option? Either way, it may not be the best move, as we would have to sell low on Delgado if we have to get Tex first. And the price on Tex goes up if we trade Delgado first.
If we have time to pursue Tex before deciding on the option, we can pull that off.
we have to decide five days after the end of the world series.
What the team really needs is a new powerful right handed hitting leftfielder and an entire new bullpen plus at least one starting pitcher like a Burnett or Garland type.
Resigning Delgado is no brainer. Expect him to be a 25hr 90rbi guy for $12M. Reasonable numbers
Also expect him to be the #6 hitter
In a perfect world for me…..
The Mets move Murphy to 2b and find a taker for Castillo
The Mets keep Delgado at 1b, Reyes at SS and Wright at 3b with Beltran in CF
The Mets move Church and a few pieces to Colorado (possibly Heilman and Fmart in that deal) for Holliday and one of their better 2 way relievers.
Then we have a hole in RF but we have the following guys everyday
Reyes
Murphy
Beltran
Holiday
Wright
Delgado
???? Right Field
Schneider
Pitcher
We must get a little less lefthanded and Church plus more for Holiday is my answer there.
Good post Omar. You ignored the bullpen.
the POLL question is should he return in 2009?
exercise the option and trade him is a NO
re-read the poll question
Given the other holes they need to fill, I’d just as soon they pick up the option on Delgado. They should however find a Shawn Green/Xavier Nady type of OFer who can also place 1B so they can rest Delgado once in awhile.
Bullpen bullpen bullpen
He’s called Nick Evans
Why is everyone so enamored by Nick Evans? Yes, he hit lefties well but at the end of the day he hit .257/.303/.404
Nick Evans needs at least a few months in AAA before being considered an option. He performed well under the circumstances but he needs some more seasoning before being MLB ready on a long-term basis.
i agree, the are other holes that are of much more concern for the mets. keep him and focus on hudson, holiday, and bullpen help
Matt there’s something not quite clear about your reasoning. The Mets need to get rid of “older, aging veterans” and replace them with “experienced, gritty role players”? It seems like the difference between these categories is just in the eye of the beholder. At this stage in his career I don’t how Delgado doesn’t fit into the latter.
You are right, he is a clubhouse veteran, except he is the leader of a team that hadl three season-ending upsets at Shea. Only one was a collapse but three straight years of needing to win your final game and coming up short is crazy. The Twins won Sunday, the Brewers won, the White Sox won Sunday AND Monday. Five games all won by the team who needed it on the last day and we lose two straight, and a third in Game 7 the year before.
Delgado, like Lo Duca before him, has to go, despite his solid year.
If the Mets want to make a change, a real change, signing Delgado makes no sense. He is the easiest guy not to bring back since he is not under contract. If the Mets have learned anything over the years depending on aging Vets is not a good business model. Time to get young and stay young, these will be the types of teams that win in baseball. The steroid era is over, 35 is now ancient.
If they can also manage to get rid of Castillo, fix the bullpen, resign Ollie, let Pedro walk, go after another starter we will be on the right track - but who am i kidding - wishful thinking.
This will be Omar’s most challenging offseason. He really has run out of wiggle room and sooner or later the fingers will be pointing at him. A 2009 failure proably means his job.
I would let OP and Pedro both walk
I would put more stock in getting Garland at a price less than OP (with more consistent and reliable results including more innings) and Pedro appears to me to be close to being done. Resignig Pedro would be a mistake of epic proportions even if it is a 1 or 2 year deal. HAve to move toward pitchers that can really help this squad
The article I read in the post hoping to convince the METS to snare CC….the big fish, made some sense.
If the METS had CC, Santana, Pelfrey and Maine, they could afford to go with Niese in the rotation finding his way and still survive. The problem is we really do not know what Maine will be. A bonespur and surgery in the offseason seems like a major deal to me and could affect next year for Maine
I think we’re overvaluing the “gritty role” player type. After each at-bat on Sunday, y