Daily Archives: November 5, 2008
According to the Associated Press, Mets OF Carlos Beltran and 3B David Wright have been awarded Gold Gloves in the National League by Rawlings.
The Award is the third overall for Beltran and the second for Wright.
…Update…6:00 pm…
“I take a lot of pride in being a complete player,” Beltran said in a statement from the team. “Even on the days when I don’t get a hit, I feel I can make a difference in the field.”
“Individual awards are nice,” added Wright, “but, for me, my entire focus is on the team and getting back to the playoffs.”
Apparently, Mike Francesa just called 
me out on WFAN for my post this morning, while accusing Ryan Church of essentially being a liar.
He was referring to this post, from this morning, in which I link to Ryan Church’s recent quote to MLB.com, which refuted Francesa’s statement that Church hated New York, and supports Adam Rubin’s report in the Daily News.
…Update…5:18 pm…
According to a transcript, he said of me, “He’s annihilating me about Church,” which is funny.
Annihilate? That’s pretty funny. Click back, you be the judge.
Anyway, he then goes on to say of Church:
“I have no issue with Church. He has denied what I said. I’ll say this, I know the guys who have listened to Church come out and sit on the bench and listen to Church moan and groan about this team and the clubhouse and the music in the clubhouse… OK, he keeps denying it. If he needs me to prove who said it, I will. Because, I don’t care enough about the Mets to make this stuff up about them. Why would I bother? I don’t care, to make this stuff up…
“If I say something its because someone I trust told me something… If he can’t face the music that’s Church’s problem… He’s not telling the truth.”
…Update…5:31 pm…
Lastly, Francesa says, with regards to my linking to a message board report suggesting he may soon be teamed up with Kim Jones, “As far as some guy on a blog telling me about the future of this show, you wanna believe that?? Well, I’ve never heard of or met Matt Cerrone. So, the idea that he knows the future of the show is a little comical.”
I don’t know the future of the show, Mike. I never claimed to. Not that I expect you to know the difference, but I simply linked to a story that claimed to know the future.
The funny thing is, I like Francesa being on the drive-time show on WFAN. He makes for good drama.
My point this morning was that he should be teamed up with a person who is knows the Mets, so to curb the pro-Yankees, anti-Mets talk that dominates his show, which I will defend all day long by the way.
…thank you to Peter Wade for the transcription…
Tagged Ryan Church, WFAN |
According to Nick Cafardo in the Boston Globe, the Mets and White Sox may have interest in acquiring 2B Julio Lugo.
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein recently told reporters is 100 percent recovered from a mid-season quadriceps tear.
Cafardo adds, “The White Sox appear willing to move Vazquez. The Mets and White Sox were huddling yesterday afternoon.”
…as noted this morning, here, the buzz seems to be that the Mets could swap vazquez for Luis Castillo, who, i guess in cafardo’s scenario, could be replaced by lugo, who the Chicago Tribune suggested could be traded for vazquez…
…wait, what…i think i just blacked out…
Lugo will earn $9 million in 2009, $9 million in 2010, with a $9 million vesting option for 2011 based on plate appearances.
If you recall, as evident here, the Mets reportedly expressed serious interest in Lugo during November 2006, before he signed with the Red Sox.
Last week, in a report on SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote that Omar Minaya’s top priority is to upgrade his team’s bullpen, followed by catcher, the rotation and possibly the outfield.
According to Peter Gammons, on ESPN.com, “Some Dodger officials have spread the word that Russell Martin will either be traded or moved to third base.”
However, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti recently told the Los Angeles Times that reports of him looking to trade Martin are ‘untrue.’
Martin, 25, who hit .280 with 13 HR in 2008, .293 in 2007 and .282 in 2006, will be arbitration eligible this off-season.
Speaking of catchers, according to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox would likely have to part with Clay Buchholz or Michael Bowden in a deal for Rangers C Taylor Teagarden or Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
By the way, Gammons adds, “I’ve also heard that the Yankees are making a major push on Martin and Matt Kemp.”
In a recent chat for Baseball America, John Manuel had the following to say 
about Mets RHP Brad Holt:
“My single favorite pick of the draft, I think, is Brad Holt. I’m way intrigued by the reports we’ve got, both from within the Mets and outside, of his improved breaking ball, that he flashes a plus, power breaker. He sounds like he might be Mike Pelfrey with a bit less downhill or sink, a better breaking ball and considerably less hype. I bet he makes their draft.”
In eight starts for Single-A Brooklyn this season, the 22–year-old Holt was 5–3 with a 1.87 ERA, while striking out 96 batters in 72 innings, during which opponents hit .171 against him – left-handed batters hit just .115.
If the Angels are unable to re-sign free-agent 1B Mark Teixeira, “they could turn their focus to a trade for Carlos Delgado to help provide some of the offensive punch lost with Teixeira,” reports Joel Sherman in the New York Post.
According to Sherman, “The Yankees are very involved on Teixeira, and, to a much lesser degree, on Manny Ramirez.”
So, if the Yankees sign Teixeira, and the Angels acquire Delgado from the Mets, ‘the Mets would consider pursuing Ramirez,’ explains Sherman.
…i always wonder what other fans around the league think, like the Pirates, the Royals, the A’s, and others, when they read an impossible scenario like the one above…anyhoo…
…from what i can gather, the Mets know, if all else fails, they can wait out ramirez, because he’ll probably milk the market and wait for teams like the Angels and Yankees to get their act together…
…in the end, though, i just have a hard time believing the Mets will blink and go in that direction…it’s a bold, bold move that goes against a lot of what has become the team’s new strategy…that said, the man can hit…he’s entertaining…he brings in fans and ratings and, oh, did i mention he can hit…
During a conference call today with reporters, Mets 1B Carlos Delgado said he will play for Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic, which begins on March 5 of 2009.
As for the Mets, Delgado said the team should build around the core of the team, not break it up, adding, however, that this topic should be directed toward Omar Minaya not him.
He believes that as older players leave the team, it will allow younger players to ‘step up,’ and be more vocal.
He intends to continue doing ‘what he’s been doing,’ lead by example and ‘play the game the way it is supposed to be played.’
Delgado is ‘glad to be coming back.’ He said he did not talk with the Mets at the end of the season about extending his contract beyond 2009.
Delgado is very happy to see Jerry Manuel back as manager, adding, ‘He did a great job and deserves the promotion.’
Earlier this week, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that the White Sox intend to trade RHP Javier Vazquez.
Yesterday, in the Chicago Tribune, Dave van Dyck wrote, ‘The Mets have interest in Vazquez,’ according to a well-placed source at the GM meetings.
Today, van Dyck adds, “The Mets might offer disappointing second baseman Luis Castillo,” while the Red Sox could offer Julio Lugo, since, “The White Sox could use a second baseman, with Alexei Ramirez slated for shortstop.”
Meanwhile, in a post to his blog for the Tribune, Steve Rosenbloom explains that any team willing to take Vazquez has ‘no clue,’ adding, ‘That’s why he might go to the Mets.’
…nice work rosenbloom…way to think it through…jeez…
…actually, i get the sense that vazquez is a back-up plan, as the Mets look to sign a free agent pitcher instead…
…the thing is, whether they need him or not, assuming the deal is available, i would trade vazquez for castillo in a heartbeat, if for no other reason than it cuts their commitment down by a year, and it’s always easier to flip a pitcher mid-season than a broken-down second baseman…
By the way, van Dyck also reports that the Sox are shopping OF-1B Nick Swisher, as they look to upgrade their team speed.
The 27–year-old Swisher, who hit just .219 last season, will earn $21 million over the next three seasons.
The Mets held a conference call with reporters this afternoon to officially announce that they have picked up Carlos Delgado’s option for 2009.
…i will provide notes from the call later in the day, during which delgado talks about building around the team’s core, the post-season, and leadership, among other things…
According to the Daily News, the Rockies, Cardinals, Cubs and D’Backs have interest in Aaron Heilman – as do the Rays, according to Ken Davidoff, in a post to his blog for Newsday.
The Rockies and D’Backs, among other teams, still believe that Heilman can be starting pitcher, wrote Jon Heyman at SI.com yesterday.
In a report today for the New York Post, Joel Sherman agrees that the Rays have interest in Heilman, however, ‘not to the extent it had in the past…thus, the Mets would have to surrender more to complete a deal.’
According to Sherman, while the Rays do not think the Mets have the talent to acquire a player like Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, Jamie Shields or David Price, the two teams have been in talks regarding Andy Sonnanstine and Edwin Jackson.
In 32 starts for the Rays this season, the 25–year-old Jackson was 14–11 with a 4.42 ERA in 183 innings pitched, during which opponents hit .281 while striking out 108 times.
Meanwhile, also in 32 starts, Sonnestan, 25, was 13–9 with a 4.38 ERA, in 193 innings, during which opponents hit .277.
By the way, Sherman also writes about the future of Bobby Valentine, A.J. Burnett, Willie Randolph and others.
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