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Last Friday, I talked by phone for roughly 15 minutes with Mets GM Omar Minaya, using a variety of questions submitted to me for him by readers of MetsBlog.com.
I will post the audio and transcript of the interview on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, during which we talk about whether he would give another four-year deal to Luis Castillo, if he had to do it again; his plans for the bullpen; and how to be a win-now team in a weak free-agent market; among other things.
In the meantime, here is a quick excerpt…
Matthew Cerrone, from MetsBlog.com:
“Fans were very excited about Daniel Murphy…I am sure you guys are probably excited as well…
“Ed from Melville, NY, asked, “How do you envision Murphy in the line up? What position do you see him playing? And how excited are you about this guy?”
Minaya, on Murphy, speaking to MetsBlog.com:
“Well, first of all, we are very excited. We rarely see a young player having that kind of plate discipline…
“I am comfortable that he is going to play the outfield if we need him to play the outfield. We are also comfortable that he would be able to play first base – if someday Carlos Delgado is not with us. So we’re excited about him, and we envision him that way…
“He is going to play second base in the Fall League, but that was something that was decided a while back before he actually came to the Major Leagues.”
Last week on MetsBlog, I wrote, “I sense the organization sees 
Murphy more as a potential solution at first base, not at second base, despite his time in the AFL.”
I’m glad to hear ‘first base,’ straight from Minaya’s mouth, because it puts Carlos Delgado’s future in play, as well as potential solutions for left-field.
The question is, though, if Delgado stays, and a left-fielder is acquired, what happens to Murphy.
That said, it’s always good to have options.
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delgado at first
murphy at second
manny in left
done go get PITCHING!!! BULLPEN!!!
if murph is playing the entire winter at second then they obvioulsy want him there at some point
Delgado at first
Hudson at second
Murphy/Byrnes in LF
done go get BULLPEN!!! Pitching!
I like yours better. Although I’d take Manny.
*If we didn’t get O-Dog that is.
no manny. he is a GREAT player no question but his attitude is just the opposite of what we need plus hes very old and those last 2 years of the likely 4 year deal he wants will be rough.
Delgado at 1st, Murphy at 2nd, Pat Burrell in LF…
might as well just root for the phils in the playoffs.
Are people NOT reading these posts?
Daniel Murphy is NOT A SECOND-BASEMAN. He’s too large, with big feet and claws for hands.
He’s 6′2″ 210 lbs and bound to get BIGGER.
Get over it. 1B.
Not to belabor the point, but Utley’s 6′1″ 205…..not much of a difference size-wise…
Claws for hands is another matter…
Utley is close to 30 years old. His frame is fairly settled.
Murphy is 23. He’s bound to gain 20-30 lbs by the time he’s Utley’s age. Chase’s frame is lean. Look at Murphy’s legs. They’re like tree trunks. That’s how you decipher someone’s physique. Young players develop their upper body later in their careers (strength & development).
So yeah. It’s different.
BURREL?????????? ARE U SERIOUS????? U DONT WANT MANNY BUT U WANT BURRELL????
Once again, Byrnes is terrible.
It’s questionable whether Murphy’s bat will play left field.
We already have an overpaid, overrated, declining, and injury-prone 2nd-baseman whose defense is trending downward. Pas$ on Hudson.
I say that if Murphy can’t play 2nd, he perhaps another prospect should be traded for a good, young 2nd baseman and a good reliever.
As yet, I’m unsure who that other prospect might be. We have 3 rather hot middle infield prospects coming down the pipe in Veloz, Flores, and Tejada. We might trade Murphy and one of them (whose name is not Flores) for a cost-controlled All-Star caliber 2nd base prospect and a serviceable reliever or a relief ace type guy and a solid young 2nd baseman.
The point is that our payroll is overinflated as it is, and we can’t keep paying money and losing draft picks for free agents. We desperately need players the organization controls, because not counting the Bullpen, we only have four: Murphy, Church, Maine, and Pelfrey.
I am not opposed to Murphy playing 1B per se, but at this point, I don’t see him giving as much offensive production as a mediocre Delgado. Even in his slump year of 2007, Delgado was good for 24 HRs and 87 RBIs. Can we realistically expect to see that kind of production from Murphy?
I think we will see, and more importantly, expect Murphy to be a line drive/gap hitter. I see him as a guy with some good power but with very good ability to put the ball in play.
Id say maybe 20ish homers, but something like 45 2B’s and maybe 9 3b’s. Obviously its all just speculation, but thats what we should expect from him.
Don’t you think 9 3B’s might be a little much? ;)
Nah. That guy is a triples machine.
lol with the way he runs probably….
yeah i agree. I kinda see him as a poor man’s Olerud, minus the outstanding glove. Even though 1b is traditionally a power position, if we’re stacked elsewhere in the lineup, we can afford a disciplined, gap hitter that is consistent at first in Murphy. I just hope the kid gets some regular at bats one way or the other in the bigs in 09
45 doubles?
You dont think so? Church hit 42 in ‘07, I believe Wright hit somewhere around 40ish this year. I’m not saying he is going to hit 45 of them in ‘09, im just saying when he matures you will probably see that.
You see 20 HRs? He hit 2 in 131 ABs. Is he gonna bat 1300 times next year?
Yes, his rate is likely to improve a little bit. But, Mets fans will hate Murphy by mid-May if we don’t start setting some more realistic expectations.
Murphy also hit 13 HR in 357 AB in AA this past year, he’s got some pop. I think as he matures into his physical prime that he’ll hit about 20 Home Runs a year. Granted, we probably won’t see that player in 2009 though.
Exactly. Im not saying he will hit 20hrs in ‘09, but i said 20ish, so 18-22 homers a year. you dont think thats feasible? reyes hit 16 this year i think, so 18 is a feasible number
He’s going to be 24 next season, so he’s not as young as some think.
His optimal value is at third base and that his offense will be Ryan Zimmerman like with more on-base ability. His defense will be a liability, but he’ll work on it. Wright developed as a defender over the course of his MLB career as well.
It would be nice to have Murphy to back up Wright at 3rd base should Wright get hurt, but we have Bowman for that, so it’s unessential. (Of course, Bowman himself is a significant injury risk.)
i think that requiring your first baseman to be a low average, pull hitting, HR or nothing guy, is the silliest thing in the world. i think that the Mets realize this. I think Keith Hernandez and John Olerud were better than any other 1B we ever had.
I guess murphy will learn 1b on the job lol.
Thought about that too. He has only played about 4 games there.
I could imagine Delgado being traded for Ryan, signing Manny and Evans and Murphy spliting 1B.
yea i mean like we have all been saying..omar is going to listen to EVERYTHING…Delgado increased his value with the 2nd half he had for us. We just have to make sure that if delgado is moved we have the offense to replace him and i dont think murph/evans will cut it. Now i hope the events with manny and philly will deter him from potentially signing with them(yes its a long shot but its a possibility) but thats all i got to say. I have not heard any reports that delgado is a bad leader or a clubhouse cancer in fact all i have heard is the opposite. I understand the notion to trade delgado as he is the only “trading chip” of value(castillo/heilman/show/feliciano) but like i said his offense contribution cannot be overlooked and must be replaced…only person that comes to mind is manny and im sorry laying all our eggs in one basket can be the makings of another castillo deal imo.
you are never going to replace his type of production. but you are substituting it with a different type of team, the wins in different ways.
well you can replace his production and his name is manny. How exactly are we going to be a different team that wins in different ways if we unload delgado and according to you there is no replacement. We have already seen beltran as our “big bat” in the 4hole. No way to know if chuch is going to start off like he started off this year. Murph while impressive i worry that he will tire(as some rookies do) during the 2nd half. Bottom line i dont see this as a different team that wins different way if they unload delgado and dont find a replacement other than a team that lacks power. We have already seen manuels adeptness to playing small ball and stealing or lack there of.
BJ Ryan?
yeah the thing is omar is very good at double-talk and he certainly wouldnt want to devalue Castillo in a trade by making it sound like hes giving Castillo’s spot to Murphy. I do believe that the decision to play Murphy at 2nd in the fall league was made back when they moved him to 2nd in Binghamton. And I do believe that maybe they have some idea of him playing first in a couple of years and that there might be so many 1B in the fall league team that theres no room to have him learn the position there. But i find it unlikely they would leave him at 2b in that league just because that was planned before he came to the majors, unless they had some notion of him playing 2B for the Mets.
Agreed, I still believe when it’s all said and done, Murphy will be our 2B last year. Omar just doesn’t want to make it seem like we’re committing to him there because he still has the unenviable task of dumping Castillo first.
next year, not last year…
Ok..here it is…
sign manny and lowe
trade castillo for byrnes
trade church, hielman, parnell, fmart, niese….whoever for putz
sign some FA relievers
put murphy at 2nd
reyes
beltran
manny
delgado
wright
murphy
byrnes
schnieder/castro
(order can be switched around)
johan
pelf
lowe
maine
niese or another FA or by trade
Putz
smith
parnell
biemel
affeldt
stokes
whoever
-only signing two type a Free agents in manny and lowe
-a very effective closer
-solid bullpen
-extremely solid lineup with manny and byrnes
Castillo for Byrnes huh?
I don’t believe there is a Force Trade option in the real world
the trade makes sense for both teams but i still stand by my opinion that str8 up its a bit one sided(in our direction)
there was a thing a couple of weeks ago that said that they would both do that trade straight up….the mets might have to pay for most of castillos contract but it would be straight up….so no there is no force trade on……it was a couple of weeks ago when i read it
I’d be more than happy if that trade went through, unfortunately Castillo has zero trade value (imo), and doesn’t deserve to be in anyone’s starting lineup
He has trade value when they’re main concern is dumping a terrible contract for a mediocre one.
My question would be is the money we’d have to take on, including paying for most of Castillo’s contract, worth Byrnes. Clearly our most realistic use for him would be in a platoon/ right hander off the bench. Is that worth the total cost?
I think the point of the Brynes deal would be that they took all of Castillo’s salary for us taking all of his salary. They would still be making a profit based on the 20 million owed Brynes.
yep….
byrns is making 11 mil this season and next
castillo is due 6 mil every season thru 2011.
So it’s 22 million to 18 right? If we throw in a guy it would probably work.
right. I would think another guy..eat most of castillos contract…Like we have been saying it makes sense for both teams but gina does have a point but i would think with the price we are paying..hes going to be our everyday OF.
Why would we eat ANY contract? That’s the point. They want rid of Byrnes 22 million. We want rid of Castillo’s 18. Thus we add 4 million in contracts and they lose 4 million. Throw in a player to make it more worth while for them and you are done.
they already got eckstien real….and i doubt drew is going to move to 2b. As far as LF they can switch conor with dunn and they are set. They also go augie and burke for depth at 2b…why do they need to add castillo to the mix…if we unload castillo on them they are going to want him dirt cheap im afraid
take it back eckstien is a FA this year according to mlb trade rumors. David was signed at 4.5 mil. Getting castillo would be a 2 mil hike but then again we take 11 mill off the table for them. Thats how i would pitch it if i was omar. Your right real it might be possible w/o having to eat any contract.
I think that if Delgado stays, and they acquire another LF’er, I think Murph will be in the super utility role for a season, much like Kevin Youkilis was early in his career. When Delgado is gone, then Murph will slide into first. However, I think this makes getting a guy like Manny even more important, becuase the team would need a big bopper who can produce runs like Delgado has, in ‘10 and beyond.
Of course Murphy could be an option at first for 2010 if Delgado stays but we also have the 18th overall pick of 2008 draft in Ike Davis who is a first baseman/outfielder. It is said that he can develop into a big power guy with the ability to hit 30 homers a year. He struggled in Brooklyn but that is part of the development. If he will have a good in the Minors in 2009 he also could be an option at 1B.
Murphy never looked comfortable on the outfield, 1st or 2nd seems to be the way to go.
On a side note, why isn’t Evans in the Fall League? He wasn’t sparkling like Murphy during his ML stint, but he has some potentials.
really like murphy and think he’s the type of guy this team needs. that being said he doesn’t have a strong defenisive position and delmon young is on the block.
murphy + feliciano for young?
I didn’t read that whole post about the Beltran “rumor” but I just want to say that Russo spun one of the biggest pieces of BS ever.
First off, of course Omar “accepts inquiries” on all players, lol. Any GM at any time can and does inquire about any player they want. It doesn’t mean a thing.
Second, to think that Omar has to consult with scouts and people from other organizations in order to determine how to fix the team is ludicrous. If this were true, he should be fired immediately.
Third, Russo made up the moronic Yankee/Mets trade. It’s pure fantasy baseball here. The Mets and Yankees simply don’t make deals with each other unless it’s to dump salary, bad contracts, or problem players. Is this guy a Yankee fan?
This is what I hate about the hot stove season — A total piece of fiction being spun into a wild internet rumor that fans hang on to and repeat on places like sports radio and in multiple threads here on Metsblog. This Russo guy is irresponsible and he probably knew what he was doing when he carelessly spun a bit of innocent info he had to fit what seems like an agenda.
Beltran isn’t going anywhere.
Here are moves I want Minaya to make:
>Sign Lowe, Garland, Hudson, K-Rod, Beimel, and Affeldt
>Get rid of Ollie and any other given(like Pedro and Co.)
>Get rid of Heilman, Sanchez, and Schoenweis any way possible(preferably by trade)
>Have a Murphy/Evans platoon in left, Murphy playing 80% of the time
>Re-Sign Tatis and maybe Easley
I think I’m missing some things, but w/e. Here is my bullpen:
K-Rod
Beimel
Affeldt
Feliciano
Smith
Stokes
Someone else who is slipping from my mind at the moment
Then we have last year’s lineup with the exception of Hudson at second.
Ayala/Parnell
parnell
its totally unrealistic to see the mets getting garland, lowe, hudson, and k-rod. you do know there are other teams in the majors that will be looking to sign these players. expect the mets to get 2 out of the 5 you listed
I don’t see Murphy playing 2B either. As for LF, I wouldn’t mind a platoon of Murphy and Evans out there. Whether or not Murphy looked comfortable out there is not relevant at this point. He’s played such a short time in LF that you wouldn’t expect him to look at ease.
Bottom line is both Evans and Murphy played a very respectable and acceptable LF (as evidenced by ZR). They will probably get better on defense with more playing time.
I see Murphy like a Youkilis type player (minus the glove, that is). Scrappy…does what you need him to do, and never gives ABs away.
I mean, if he even comes close to Youk’s production, we would be thrilled, I’m sure……but thats just who I see when I look at Murphy
Don’t sign Manny.He will not make it through a 4 year deal and he is way to expensive.We need some young fresh faces. Besides it’s going to be unaffordable to go to Citi field with this current team.
do we really not want to be able to go to games.
Manny will be Ok for awhile then pull some BS and disrupt the team.It’s given
Daniel Murphy should be on first base and have him hit against lefties to get him shape to play everyday.
Delgado is not going to give us another year like this past one.
OH yeah Omar can sell you a plate of crap and have you asking for seconds-he’s pretty slick
manny gets teams to the world series….if he came to the mets and casued some problems but still got the team to the world series, then i would take him in a second..
I agree 100%, with your name AND with your thoughts on Manny.
thanks
can we get a poll on whether or not the mets should get manny??
I say signing EITHER Manny or CC wins us the WS.
A 1-2 punch of Johan and CC eats tons of innings, instantly improving the bullpen, not to mention they very possibly win 40 between them.
Signing Manny instantly takes the pressure off everyone else, as he becomes the offense’s focal point. Anyone see Manny last night leading the charge on the field during the bench-clearing thing? EXACTLY the type of fire we need (in addition to his incredible offense.) 3 years, 20/mil per, and a 4th year option?
not to mention the media focal point
Yes! Wright and Reyes, not to mention the youngsters, would all be able to relax on the field as Manny would be “the man” expected to drive in the big runs, and they would all have the pressure off of them in the clubhouse with Manny there–his production, his history, and his presence would all make the media sheep flock to him.
The incident where he supposedly pushed the traveling secretary is really bad if it happened, but let’s remember that pretty much every word that the Boston media said about Pedro turned out to be dramatically exaggerated, if not completely untrue.
That’s the single best rationale I’ve heard for bringing in Manny. If that’s the reasoning, I’d buy that for a nickel and I’d be on board with bringing him in. If it took the pressure off Wright and Reyes and loosened them up, that plus his production would be worth it.
Thanks–this is what I am thinking, exactly. Just as Keith did for the young guys in 1983 and onwards.
Just like Keith, Manny has baggage to be sure, but also is a great clutch hitter as Keith was, and has an incredible history of being on winning teams.
Considering contracts, I would rather have CC for 5 years than to have Manny for 5 years.
I have no problem with that. I just think, the more I consider it, that one of those two guys is THE missing piece we need.
I think we have to be careful anointing any one THE missing link. That was what was said about Johan. Fact is we still have a few holes and all need to be solved. You can’t JUST get Manny or JUST get CC and say done. We have to get more consistant play from LF, 2B, #5 starter, and entire bullpen.
Well, of course I agree that we need to fill several holes….I just think that Manny instantly makes the entire lineup better, while CC instantly makes the bullpen better, and turns Big Pelf from your #2 into your #3, Maine from your #3 into your #4 etc….
Clearly we need a LF, several bullpen arms, and maybe a 2B if Murphy doesn’t look good enough now and in the spring.
I just think that the whole Hudson idea is absolutely ridiculous when really looking at his age, career #s and injuries, and if we get one of these two big guys, we can fill the other holes with creative trades and signing lesser-name free agents. Hopefully.
well both those guys will be expensive.
if omar can nail manny to 3 years guarenteed with 2 incentive driven options…would that lean in the direction of manny as sp really wasnt the big issue. We can expect johan to do this thing as well as an improved pelfry. Maine is a ? mark but supposidly is 100% after the surgery. Niese is a wildcard as he did not fair well against better teams but did fine against less offensive teams(i like the future of niese but right now he needs to be more polished). Well real you already know my feelings about CC. I just think we should stick to the plan of resigning oliver if we can as it wont count against us with type A FA. If you dont want to do that i guess let him go for the picks and sign lowe and garland type. Make some trades and sign some bp arms over the offseason…move delgado if possible for a good closer and sign manny to replace production. Of course this is all contigent on murphys performance in the AFL.
I don’t think it really matters about the type A stuff. We are not going to sign more than 2 big money guys no matter what.
To say SP was not an issue is kind of misleading. It was not an issue but very well could be next year. You are as$uming that Pelfrey stays the new Pelfrey, Maine recovers and gets better, Niese is ready….
No mattter what I want no part of 5 inning Ollie.
lol i guess matt does not want me responding to you today real lol as ANOTHER one of my posts got gobbled up.
-I didnt say sp was not a issue i said it was not a big issue in regards to what killed us last year
-I believe pelfry will stay the course under dan warthen
-Niese is not ready and im basing this on his performance against the cubs/bewers(i will cut him some slack against the brews as it was his first start)
-CC i think is an injury waiting to happen but if omar goes to him i think you have no choice but to put niese as your #5 for $$ reasons
-I think omar should go for 2 guys to plug up 2 holes and while they may not be CC caliber…they will give you results and they will go deep..you know what you will get with a lowe or garland and yes while we do know what to expect with CC(as far as performance..if he stays healthy) we have no idea what to expect from niese.
-jon niese only lasted 3innings in his games vs the cubs and mil. he gave up 6er and 5er respectfully. I know you cant stand 5inning ollie but id take that over 3 inning niese. We arent going to play the braves all year. Look i like the kid i think he has a big future but he needs to work on some other weapons and be a little more fine before i would give him a starting job.
I agree, but you have much more room to expirement with the #5 spot when you have both CC and Johan. Again, Omar has a tough decision. I can see all of these sides.
manny led the charge bec the fight involved him. he saw himself as the focal and knew cameras would be taping the game. lets say meyers throws behind ethier – manny isnt going crazy like he did last night. it was more of a selfish outburst then one driven by sportsmanship
My friend, this is very silly…he knew cameras would be taping the game? Cameras tape EVERY game, not just this one.
And how exactly do you know that Manny wouldn’t have done the same thing if Ethier had been thrown at?
and its not necessaraly bad to have a guy like that on this team
Thank you again. The 1986 team had four major fights, and while I generally abhor violence in real life, major league baseball isn’t real life, and baseball fights rarely cause injury and can pull teams together, as they surely did in 1986.
I was lucky enough to be at the game where George Foster hit a grand slam off of Tom Niedenfuer and then Knight got hit by the next pitch and ran out and attacked. It sure made for a memorable game to attend.
they tape every game?!?! what?!?! since when!?!?!?!?! give me a break – manny wanted to be seen. manny is playing for a contract. and when espn, and mlb.com, and all of the newspaper have manny on the cover for being in the middle of the fight it gets people thinking that all of a sudden hes a team player. why? because manny wants to sign a big contract in a few months. thats why.
dont get me wrong – hes amazing and he’d definitly help the mets win games. BUT in the long run, having manny would take this team down the wrong route.
reyes is having trouble with his ego as it is. having manny will only be a cancer.
Well, you made the comment about the game being “taped” as if this was Manny’s only chance to be seen on TV.
And as for the “cancer” thing, have you looked at Manny’s career? Was he a cancer in Cleveland? In Boston? He has been in the postseason 10 of the last 14 years, and was a huge part of the very best teams that the Indians and the Red Sox have fielded in the last 50 years.
Yeah, that’s a real cancer.
And yes, I do realize that his exit from Boston was pretty harsh, but again, the Boston media has quite the reputation for not exactly being fair to players of color, from Jim Rice to Pedro, and as I have pointed out, pretty much everything the Boston press said about Pedro was untrue. Perhaps there is an element of this with Manny too. Perhaps not.
2 options nobody else has mentioned yet:
The Giants just released a young 2b, Travis Denker. His numbers aren’t off the charts, but he’s young and could get better with time. We could pick him up and then trade Castillo for Byrnes.
The other idea is turning Brandon Duckworth into a reliever. His numbers as a starter aren’t all that great, but maybe he could tear it up as a reliever? He’s got the heat we all crave.
Just 2 ideas that haven’t been thrown out there yet. I’m not dead set on either, just some fresh ones to see if anybody likes them or not.
I think that you’re on the right track. We need relievers who can eat up two-plus innings rather than one-plus hitter. We should be looking for mediocre starters who can make it through a lineup once unscathed, but falter the second time through.
Heres a guy for the pen we should be looking at. Brian Tallet a 6′ 7 LHRP. The Jays will not resign him. Check out his numbers, he can get LH and RH out.
That’s what I’m talking about! Some new blood! Not the same old stuff over and over. I have no idea who Brian Tallet is, but I’ll take a look now.
Here’s another for you then. You have most likely heard of him. Rafel Betancourt. The Indians will be looking to dump him. He is still owed about 4 million. Trade Heilman and Castillo and some cash for Betancourt and another guy like maybe Barfield.
idk about rafel..some of thoes numbers are scary.
heilman vs rafel-with rafael you have a .50 era lower vs Lhp but with heilman you have a .77 era lower vs Rhp. Their ERA are simliar only rafael has a lower era by .20…garbage for slightly less garbage really….idk about him real and hes older….
It’s a change of scenery for both players. Betancourt had very good numbers before this season as did Heilman. Heilman can’t be successful here again.
1000000% agree
If they aren’t resigning him, we should be! 1.31 whip and 2.88 era. They don’t exactly grow on trees and compared to our current bullpen, that’s Cy Young territory.
well he has more balanced numbers than our LH bullpen guys..id give him a long look.
I wanted him at the trade deadline but I think he got injured right before the deadline. Some freak non arm related injury I think.
….not a Free Agent.
Could possibly be had in a trade though.
Will be a FA. It was on the Blue Jays team report that they most likely would not renew him.
I think that with hard work Murphy can be more than adequate at 2b. There have been many players with great bats and sub-par or adequate fielding skills who’ve become very good, if not excellent fielders with practice, practice and more practice. Wade Boggs (3b), Jeff Kent (2b) immediately come to mind. One thing that I think we all can agree on is that DMurph is a hard worker.
What we know of him yes. We really know nothing about him. We don’t know if he can play defense at ANY position and IF he can continue being a productive hitter. It’s not a bad option to carry him as the super utility guy if you find a LF. If you can’t find a trade for Castillo and no one else to play 2B then at least he can fill in there.
We only know that he’s hit at every level and that coaches rave about his work ethic. We have also seen his plate discipline which is terrific. I think that he’s just the kind of tough out that we need in the lineup, especially in the two-hole. Perfect guy to take pitches and allow Reyes to steal 2nd. He also has enough power to double him home from first.
Look I like him and want him to do well. But we need to see more of him before we can say that he will be a consistant everyday MLB player. Sorry to bust a bubble. If I had to GUESS I would say yes because of what you said. But we just don’t know enough to DEPEND on him yet.
If we don’t trade Delcrapo and do trade Castillo for Byrnes, then he might be a supersub for a year. If that’s what it takes, then so be it.
I don’t mind that idea at all. It would be nice to have a quality back up plan. If Delgado fades, Murphy. If Castillo is still terrible and you can’t find a replacement, Murphy. If you resign Tatis then you can have a platoon.. It’s just nice to have depth.
yea i hear ya but i think we can all agree that omar should try to get murphy in the lineup on an every day basis. Are the mets trying to make murphy like a derosa kind of player…maybe
I was thinking Kepp as he has no real position because he can’t field but plays 4-5 games a week.
Kepp played in 120+ games and got 450+ AB’s.
good comparison. I went with derosa as i see murphs offensive numbers in line with him and derosa played most of his year at 2b and RF. In murphys case i think its 2b and LF but again alot depends on his performance in the AFL
I understand Manny is looking for something like 25 mil for 4 years. I’d give Manny the 25 mil, but for 2 years only. And I don’t think he’d take a 2 year deal even if it was for 50 mil.
It’s not the money, it’s the 4 years I think makes it a bad deal.
How about 3 yrs at 25 mil and a 4th as an option, maybe vesting based on AB, or other production numbers, or winning a WS?
I don’t know where you are hearing that. Last report was MUCH lower. I would not pay Manny anything more than 3 years 54 million.
I heard those were the numbers/years he was reportedly asking for on some sports radio station I picked up while driving out of the area. Don’t know what it was but it wasn’t the FAN.
I’m in the camp of no more than 2 years with maybe a third year option. We’ve all seen what can happen with aging power hitters (Alou, Delgado). Two years even is a risk coupled with Manny’s attitude when he decides he’s had enough of playing for a particular team….
Personally, I think that money would be better spent on a couple of decent BP arms, a decent starter and/or maybe a solid LF.
Some discussion over on the MLBtraderumors board on a Beltran to the Cubs trade. It has no meritt just fan musings. I wonder if there would be something there? Something like
Mike Fontenot, Carlos Mármol, and Lilly?
If they would give us that package I’d do it in a second.
that is a heavily one sided deal.
Duh, ;)
The Lilly part is what throws it over. But who else would it be that could fill spots we need?
lilly is not young though, and not cheap, so it’s not as one sided, if you include a pitcher from our side, such as heilman….i’d also ask for an OF prospect possibly.
dude for the fact you are getting a capable #3 pitcher, Their setup man and an IF guy for A good defensive CF and heilman(garbage) please tell me any reason you think this is not onesided…
Beltran is MUCH more than just a “defensive CF” Dirty. You know his numbers would be even better in Chicago. He would be the fan favorite over there.
i know that beltran is a great CF real but bottom line this trade proposal is rediculous and to think its not onsided is pretty delusional…and that was my point.
Like I said I think Lilly throws it off. Mike Fontenot a guy that fights for playing time with Derosa, Carlos Mármol a setup man. These 2 alone are not enough. Like I said below you start with those 2 for Beltran and build around it. Maybe they send you Marquis and a prospect. Maybe we have to include Evans and Heilman……
I think your overvaluing beltran. CF is not a great need in chicago that they will let go of their young DOMINANT setupman and a good bench player and a starter for beltran and heilman…cmon real heilman was absolutly horrible and is the rotting portion in this deal. Like i said i dont see the cubs need to do this other than to help us out..which i dont see the reason for them doing so. Also note w/o beltran we still do not have someone to take over CF…endys bat would be horrible every day in the lineup and fmart is not ready…
I think you are undervaluing Beltran. We will agree to disagree on this one. A top 3 CF and a piece or two can net a setup man, backup and #5 starter.
In a perfect world yes if there is a need…Chicago does not have a need for CF. Also the second half of that is who plays CF for us real…We now have 2 holes in OF with our options of pagan/endy/fmart(whos not ready)…..
That’s the problem Dirty. I guess you have to look at it a couple of ways.
We need
SP
SP
LF
2B
Closer
Setup
Other Pen
Other Pen
If you did a deal that netted you 2B, Closer, SP then you would have 2 less holes to fill. (And without looking in to an imposible deal even further it would cost less money thus giving you more money to spend)
And Chicago has a great need for CF. Jim Edmonds played a lot of game there. Pie is terrible. They really need a CF.
Real your not giving me answers to the question who takes over CF if beltran is gone….not alot of strong options. So yea we get a GREAT bullpen arm…a bench player and a #5 starter but we lose bigtime on defense up the middle. The cubs however get a great CF. Not to mention who will step up and give beltran type numbers…i dont think murphy would.
trs edmunds is retiring from what i heard .. btw to repeat myself YOU DON’T TRADE MOLEMAN G-D DAMMIT !!!!! I’D RATHER SEE CHURCH GO B4 I SEE CARLOS LEAVE – HE IS A HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL IN C.F AND HE IS A CLUTCH HITTER !!!!
agreed…..how bout beltran and heilman for marmol and lilly?
IF I trade Beltran I want to fill more holes. Maybe 2nd AND Closer with young cheaper guys. The Lilly part was me trying to fill a starter slot. I would even do the above deal with Marquis and an OF prospect.
you are getting crap back in return – just becuase jason hit a grand slam in from t of his native town does’nt mean he will thrive here he is a average pitcher at best
to be honest, I think the Mets need to realize that they can’t afford to wait. and that means trading one of Fmart or Flores.
In ‘05, the Red Sox traded Hanley, Anibel Sanchez, and 2 dudes you’ve never heard of again, for Beckett, Lowell, and Mota.
Did the Red Sox realize that in a few years they’d have to watch some other team get to have one of the best players in the game? Maybe. But do you think they regret the trade? I HIGHLY doubt it.
I would trade Fmart unless I thought he was ready for LF sometime THIS season. You are right (for once ;) ) Beltran is not getting any younger and neither are any of the other guys. Our window that was wide open in 2006 is actually closing a little.
That is why I would consider trading anyone but Wright, Reyes, and Johan.
I’d love to see a FMart, Kunz, Church, and a pitching prospect for David Dejesus and Joakim Soria.
I’d also send Delgado to one of the Rays, Jays, Twins etc for a pitching prospect, a #4/5pitcher, or a live arm for the pen.
I would put murph at 1B, sign Hudson, sign Lowe, retain Ollie. Castillo for Byrnes.
Reyes
Hudson
Wright
Beltran
Dejesus
Murphy
Byrnes
Catcher
Johan, Lowe, Ollie, Pelf, Maine
Soria = closer…..Parnell, live arm from delgado, stokes, smith, darren oliver, feliciano.
What would be the motive for KC?
to help the mets…didnt you know real. Apparently eveyrone want to unload their talent to help us out…either that or omar mastered his jedi ability of persuation
Well with the Cubs idea, the motive is that their fans want a change just like our fans. I would not be surprised to see a big deal by the Cubs with someone.
do you think they would have gotten them if the marlins didnt have that fire sale….they would have had to give up an arm and a leg to get those guys. I understand your point but if we lose fmart it better be for the right deal.
I would think that there are a few teams this year that may have close to a fire sale. Mariners, Padres, Marlins with their arbitration guys, Tigers will dump a lot…..
absolutly and we should look to them for trades…but i think you and i agree that if we unload fmart it better be for a slamming deal.
I do in some ways. Like the Marlins. Could we get Olson, Willingham and Gregg for a package built around Fmart?
im sure thats a start…again like the last time you proposed this i feel very weird trading one of our highest prospects within the division
We have traded top 10 prospects to them before, not to mention trading Milldege to the Nats.
i would not trade within the league if i could avoid it.
I actually think Fmart has more value in the NL than the AL based on me talking out of my rear and the fact that I just don’t see him being a “power hitting” corner OF.
true but i think its safe to say people think fmart has a higher ceiling than milledge….I dont know i mean the injury thing is a problem but he keeps impressing people in the minors. Omar guards that kid with his life….i know thats not a strong argument due to the milledge situation a few years back. If your confortable then yea you are not going to get a package like that unless it starts with fmart…those 3 would be nice additions tho
guys lets take a step back for a moment and take a deep breath over here .. ok so now do we really want to trade fmart ?? at least lets see what happens in a full year of aa ball and maybe some time with the mother team
If Fmart can help you get Soria and Dejesus, or Matt Holliday, or BJ Upton, or Peavy, then absolutely YES.
metsy i think you are mad – the owner of the royals said he is tired of being non competative so i think he wants to keep a proven commodity like soiria – if we offer up f-mart (who i think is a real deal) to the o’s for that relief pitcher ( bautista?? i don’t remember his name – i might consider it cuz he was lights out last season and i know he wants out of baltimore
I wish we had a different GM
I wish you stayed in Houston. ;)
lolllll
mike scott is that you??!!?? by the way who was the scrub pitcher from the 86 astros that wore the jetsons t shirt under the uni?
Was it Charlie Kerfeld?
He was the chunky guy with the glas*es who made the comment that Mets fans “all have black teeth and their breath stinks of beer—and the men are even worse”….
CHARLIE KERFELD !!! THATS the fat fcuk !!! thanks kingman i like your posts on the kranepool blog or whatever site u write on
Guys I want Pedro to retire, and get hired to recruit latin players to join the Mets organization. He would be brilliant for the job because he has an upbeat personality. He’s also a legend everywhere south of Mexico. In the end that could be our greatest signing this offseason.
im down with that……
and while we are at it..lets have valentin be our hitting coach….
david cone for ball scuffer !!!
Omar’s weakest area is not being able to let a guy go that he traded for prior to that players impending Free Agency. And they all have REALLY hurt us.
May 06: Jorge Julio for El Duque……great move….but then!:
Nov 06: Mets sign him as a free agent! Terrible results.
Aug 06: Traded for Mota…..was great, and on roids….but then!:
Dec 06: Signs Mota as a free agent.
Nov 06: Alou is signed as a free agent. Is hurt, Mets collapse.
Nov 07: Alou is re-signed.
July 07: Traded for Castillo….was ok, but clearly breaking down.
Dec 07: Signed Castillo to a 4 year deal.
None of these guys should have been re-signed. Our farm system gets killllllled b/c we could be replenishing it with Type A and B free agents leaving. Instead, we keep them, they don’t produce or get injured, and we are forced to trade more youth or sign more Type A’s. The red sox sign type A’s, but they get their picks back by letting guys like Nomar, Pedro, Lowe, etc. leave.
metsy i agree with the majority of your post but in regards to alou the man went on a 30 something game hitting streak after he was on the d.l – he was clutch during august and if memory serves me correctly drove in alot of runs in sept also .. it did’t look like alous career was finished by a longshot – omar thought lightening would strike twice but was wrong if your thoery holds true then delgado should look more like carlos gomez this year (hope not!!)
I’m not going to fault him for resigning Alou or El Duque. I will fault him for not having adequate depth at their positions, as they are both notoriously injury prone.
yeah going into the season with no real bench killed us and i still scratch my head at why we did’t keep register – especially when he pitched well enough to make the team
damn its good to get new posts after 48 hours — i was going through withdrawl :P
lol,I thought the website was closing.
geico wouldn’tunderwrite matt anymore thats why we have the pourhouse adds lol
Looks like the Peavy talks are heating up. Do we have anything that could net him.
The only thing I could think about was Fmart, Niese and Church. That’s not enough for them and a lot for us.
I mentioned last week about a 3 way trade with Beltran going to a mystery team and that team sending prospects to the Padres.
Any ideas on that.
This a fun time of year just to play around and pretend to be GM.
maybe heilman and evans?? throw in val pascucci and we have a deal lol
yes we were throwing that around a bit.
I think the third team would be the one to take church. So that maybe the Mets send FMart and Niese to the Padres and Church (and maybe Heilman) to Team X then Team X sends a couple of players to the Padres.
Hmm. Who could Team X be?
Colorado and Oakland have both been linked to Heilman.
why are we still talking about moving the mighty mole??? the guy might be quiet but he leads with his bat and his defense in the o.f
yea lol we got so much time till something actually starts happening that might as well play gm…kill some time
in that case can we sign tom houseman andy has-sler and doug sisk to minor leauge deals? :P on a serious note what about those 3 pitchers the giants released?? 1 guy was better that servicable won’t be expensive and can be a dark horse canidate in the spring?
BELTRAN ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE FOR PRETEND OR OTHERWISE.
WHEN ARE YOU “MET FANS”GOING TO REALIZE THAT CARLOS BELTRAN IS THE FREAKIN MAN, HE IS THE BEST ALL AROUND CENTER FIELDER IN BASEBALL !!!!
guys is claudio vargas still mets property??he could be the new darren oliver
A reasonable offseason gameplan:
Let Ollie and Pedro walk. Offer a package of F. Martinez, Niese, and some low prospect for Peavy. I know this means losing top prospects, but Peavy is young (27). A 1-4 rotation of Santana, Peavy, Maine, Pelfrey. Make Heilman the 5th starter. Sign Fuentes and Cruz. Give Parnell or Kunz a chance. Resign Ayala This alone would drastically change the makeup of the Pen.
Something along the lines of:
9th. Fuentes
8th Cruz/ Ayala
7th Ayala/ Stokes
6th Stokes/Parnell/Kunz
rhb specialist: Joe Smith
lhb specialist: Scho and feliciano
Eat Castillo’s contract and trade him for anything. Sign O- Dawg
didn’t peavy have either shoulder or back problems??? plus i feel trading fmart is too risky and im sorry i don’t wan’t luis “dont call me benny” ayala anywhere near this team – there is a reason he had a era of over 5 in washington where it is a pitchers park
Yes, Peavy had an elbow strain back in June, but had a strong and healthy second half. Ayala was decent for the mets. He deserves to be brought back, not as a closer but a 7th or 6th inning type of guy.
i say use claudio vargas for spot starter/ mopup/ 6th, 7th inning specialist
fuentes, cruz, and o-dog are type A’s……nice try though.
i would offer fuentes a 3 year 30 mil contract – but i don’t see him as a lockdown closer
I prefer holliday over peavy, and he will be cheaper..
domi when you starting the program in buffalo??
next march
wish u luck
hey matt i think its time to give many of my fellow met bretheren their daily dose of adavan !!! they are haveing dellusions that trading beltran would help the team
we don’t have a prayer for peavy……we need to create more balance on this team. that means not spending money and prospects all in one area.
i’d rather trade less and get dejesus and soria, than trade more and not fix our out of balance team.
metsy i wrote this to u further up in the thread
the owner of the royals said he is tired of being non competative so i think he wants to keep a proven commodity like soiria – if we offer up f-mart (who i think is a real deal) to the o’s for that relief pitcher ( bautista?? i don’t remember his name – i might consider it cuz he was lights out last season and i know he wants out of baltimore
george sherrill? he is horrid…..and if the royals want to be competitive, they need to spend some more money. look if they don’t wanna trade soria, more power to them, if im a KC fan i’d not want to trade him. but if he and dejesus could be had for our best prospect, our gold glove right fielder with power and can hit for average, a 1st round draft pick pitcher, and perhaps more prospects and cash, i think KC would consider it.
either way, i want to see Dejesus in LF next year. The guy is from Brooklyn, was originally selected by the Mets, is a .300 hitter, just entering his prime, and is SUPER clutch.
not sherrill – he’s a spanish dude miguel bautista or some thing like that
danny cabrera!!!
btw guys just want to get your opinions – do you think with the economic downturn that we are experienceing that the owners will not shell out obscene contracts for the likes of k-rod c.c etc???
For everyone who seems to think the Mets should easily be able to trade for Soria from KC.
He signed a contract extension 5/17/08 and is under team control through 2014. His contract is very reasonable.
09:$1M, 10:$3M, 11:$4M, 12:$6M club option, 13:$8M club option, 14:$8.75M club option ($0.75M buyout for each option)
KC has no reason to trade him for a few years.
agreed
I wonder if they could pry Matt Capps away from Pittsburgh.
i think the pirates want to keep him
D-Rex is tearing it up today. 3-3 with a double and an RBI.
who is D-Rex?
Murphy’s non-Danny Boy nickname. It’s in beta stage I guess so I dunno if it’ll stick.
i’d call him murph and the magic tones
Manny is the guy to go with. There are no other real free agents that make an impact and you cant trade for any. This team is lacking a real bat in the middle of the order (unless Church had stayed healthy and hit 30 hrs). They need to sign him.
Screw the “antics” and “attitude”. He is a winner and clutch. We make that trade this past august, we are in the playoffs, possibly the world series.
Yes bullpen is a must but that does NOT stop you from getting this guy. Of course, if you dont mind not making the playoffs this year and waiting 1 more, then dont sign him.
actually it does. b/c you need a closer, setup man, a 2B, and two starting pitchers. and you only have two type A’s you can pick up. Our offense was the 2nd best in the NL last year. They were not clutch, but they still scored a ton. Manny is a luxury that should come LAST.
and the middle of this order put up 124 RBI, 115 RBI, and 112 RBI. The middle of the lineup bat is actually the LAST thing this team needs.
BTW, I’m going to make a gra$sroots movement to lobby Johan for Cy Young.
Johan is the leader in ERA and Innings Pitched.
He is 2nd in K’s.
3rd in complete games.
6th in WHIP.
His biggest competition trails him in EVERY CATEGORY except K’s, in which Johan is the #2. Johan did this in the better division, in the pressure city, during a playoff race, while not losing a single game since the all star break.
Sorry but Lincecum is not even CLOSE.
Sounds like he’s going to trade CD.
Instead of just throwing heilman away for nothing i’d like to see the mets give him a chance to take the 5th spot in the rotation during the spring…if he fails then throw him away for nothing…i still think the best FA signing to make is K-Rod…K-Rod will virtually be a lock to close everything and solve the mets main issue…nobody better reply with a Fuentes-K-Rod comparison because they are not close to the same player…Fuentes is old and on the decline…just like another left handed closer we signed…in my opinion