Daily Archives: November 6, 2008
…as i have been writing, the early buzz in baseball seems to be that free-agent RHP Francisco Rodriguez will likely seek a five-year deal worth around $15 million per season…
Nevertheless, last week, in a report for Newsday, Ken Davidoff wrote, “The Mets have convinced themselves that Rodriguez just isn’t worth the money.”
However, at his blog for 1050 ESPN Radio, Andrew Marchand reports that the Mets met with Rodriguez’s agent for 45 minutes yesterday, adding, “The Mets are not interested in offering K-Rod a five-year, $75 million contract, but this may not be a deal breaker because (the agent) says K-Rod will be flexible.”
…hmmm, sounds like some one does not want the Mets to be disinterested, either because he wants to be in Citi Field, or it’s bad for demand…
Earlier today, according to the Rocky Mountain News, free-agent LHP Brian Fuentes put a four-year, $44 million proposal on the table to the Mets.
…as i said, from what i can gather, the Mets, Indians, Cardinals, Brewers, Rangers, Rockies, Tigers and Angels are all looking for a closer…however, only the Mets, Rangers, Tigers and Angels have been linked to rodriguez in rumor…which means, being a team from New York City, most likely with the most money, the Mets may be wise to let fuentes and k-rod come to them, while poking around the trade market, and maybe spooking them in to dropping their price…
In a post to his amazing Hot Stove blog for SI.com, Jon Heyman reports that the Mets have been gauging interest in RHP Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis and 2B Luis Castillo.
According to Heyman, “In preparation to 
trade Castillo, all Mets executives familiarized themselves with the list of bad contracts on other teams. Needless to say, it is long.”
If the Mets are able to trade Castillo, Heyman writes, they would like to pursue free-agent 2B Orlando Hudson,’ who is seeking a five-year, $50 million deal.
For a list of ‘bad contracts,’ check out this post from the Boston Globe, where Nick Cafardo broke down each team’s bad contract, while asking, “I never really understood why there aren’t more “swap meet” type deals in baseball. As in, ‘You take what I can’t use and I’ll take what you can’t use.’”
Castillo is due $18 million over the next three seasons.
So, if you have time to kill, go to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, do a little work, and see if you can find a similar contract to Castillo’s, on a team that needs a second baseman, from the list of Cafardo’s players, and find a match for the Mets.
Tagged Orlando Hudson |
Charles Bagli at the New York Times pens an important article on the ever-increasing costs to the public and New York City, as Citi Field and Yankee Stadium 2.0 are built, 
writing:
“The city is also spending about $35 million for roadwork and sewer connections for the stadium and $30 million more on design and planning, items that were not mentioned when the project was announced in 2005.”
Over at Ya Gotta Believe, Eddie D’Anna argues against signing Raul Ibanez, saying, “I know Ibanez hit .305 vs. lefties last season, but this is no slam dunk. His average against them over the last three seasons is .269, and was as low as .243 in 2006.”
For you Jets fans, the Optimistic Mets Fan relays a photo of what Shea looked like on football game days.
Lastly, Willie Randolph and Bobby Valentine may be in the mix for the Mariners managerial job, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Newsday.
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |“The agents for free-agent LHP Brian 
Fuentes reportedly put a four-year, $44 million proposal on the table to the Mets,” reports Tracy Ringolsby in the Rocky Mountain News.
According to Ringoslby, the Cardinals and Indians have interest in Fuentes, but only in a one– or two-year deal.
…from what i can gather, in addition to the Mets, Indians and Cardinals, the Brewers, Rangers, Rockies, Tigers and Angels are also looking for a closer…
Today, at SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote the Mets are not willing to give Francisco Rodriguez a five-year deal, and while they are interested in Fuentes, they will first look to the trade market for a closer, such as M’s RHP J.J. Putz and A’s RHP Huston Street.
…the buzz in baseball suggests the Indians and A’s will hook up on street, assuming Billy Beane actually goes through with moving him…street plus beane equals a lot of young talent coming back to Oakland, and the Mets do not seem to be a good fit…
…so, the sense i get is that the Mets will wait, bet that no team will offer k-rod a five-year deal, at least in the next month or so, know fuentes will not sign until k-rod does, and instead push for putz, who is the more realistic trade acquisition…
…from what i can gather, the Mariners like what the Mets will likely offer, and putz is intrigued by pitching in New York…
However, according to a recent report in Newsday by Ken Davidoff, the Mariners are not likely to trade him.
In a post to his blog for the Mercury News, Giants reporter Andrew Baggerly writes, “Expect the usual round of Benjie Molina trade rumors, but take them with a grain of salt. None of them have had any substance over the past two seasons.”
Last week at SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote that the Mets had discussed trading for Molina.
Adam Dunn is open to playing either first base or outfield, according to the Arizona Republic, and though he’ll sign with any city, he prefers to be in the National League.
Lastly, according to the Boston Herald, free-agent C Jason Varitek is seeking a four-year, $52.4 million deal, like the one given to Jorge Posada by the Yankees last off-season.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers have made an initial offer to 
37–year-old, free-agent OF Manny Ramirez, worth $25 million per season, for either two or three seasons.
Omar Minaya, on Ramirez, as quoted by the Journal News at yesterday’s GM Meetings in California, said:
“He’s an offensive player. He’s been a very good player. But for us, where we are right now, where is it we’re going to invest? Our priority right now is we have to address our pitching. We have to look at that first. (Ramirez) is a free agent but today we have to look at how to improve our starting pitching and our relief pitching.”
…as i said yesterday, now enhanced by the contract offer mentioned above, i believe the Mets will flirt with ramirez, but i just do not see a scenario in which they result to signing him…that money could be spent in so many other ways, filling so many other more pressing holes, i just don’t see it playing out…which may ultimately be a good thing…
[poll id="186"]
According to yesterday’s New York Post, Oliver Perez remains on Omar Minaya’s off-season radar.
Last night, in a post to a blog for the New 
York Times, Michael S. Schmidt provides details from the Book on Oliver Perez, made available to teams by his agent, Scott Boras.
According to Schmidt, the book is divided into eight chapters, such as: ‘Perez Turns Corner in 2006,’ ‘Perez Is One of Baseball’s Top 5 Left-Handed Starting Pitchers,’ ‘Big-Game Ollie,’ ‘Durable Ollie,’ ‘Perez Eats Innings,’ and ‘Dominates on the Biggest Stage.’
…i’m guessing boras skipped the chapters that could have been titled, ‘Ollie Under .500,’ and, ‘Errors and Wild Pitches: When the Wheels Come Off the Wagon.’…
According to a recent report from Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com, “The Mets probably would go to $12 million per season for Perez, but Boras almost certainly will want more for Perez than the Mariners gave right-hander Carlos Silva last offseason,” i.e., a four-year, $48 million contract.
Meanwhile, the Cubs are willing to give free-agent RHP Ryan Dempster a four-year contract, reports Rosenthal.
…in other words, if dempster gets a four-year deal, and silva got a four-year deal last year, the Mets are not bringing back oliver for anything less…in fact, it can be argued he should get more, which is hard to believe…
By the way, speaking of left-handed pitchers, in SI.com, Jon Heyman says the Mets are looking at free-agent LHP Randy Wolf, in addition to Perez and Derek Lowe.
Last week, in a poll on MetsBlog.com, 70 percent of voters said they would sign Perez to a three-year deal.
[poll id="185"]
Tagged Oliver Perez |According to the New York Post and the Daily News, Omar Minaya told reporters yesterday that it is possible he could sign one big-name, free-agent starting pitcher, in addition to acquiring a low-cost, starting pitcher to compete with Jon Niese for the team’s fifth starter.
…i think it’s pretty clear, based on buzz and reports, etc., that Derek Lowe is the mark…after that, names like Javier Vazquez and Edwin Jackson have been floated around as possible trade acquisitions…just for fun, Johan Santana, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey, Derek Lowe and either vazquez or niese would work for me, though it’s far from ideal…
“In an ideal world, you want to bring Niese into camp as a fifth starter,” Minaya explained to reporters, according to the Post, “and if he takes off he’s got the job.”
“If he doesn’t, he goes to Triple-A, and at some point he’s ready to go. That fifth guy, you’re not going to get that guy in December, you’re going to get that guy in January.”
…i guess the idea would be, if niese takes the spot, then the acquired pitcher, i.e., vazquez or jackson, or some one else, will shift to the bullpen to be a long man…
