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“Pedro Feliciano, Aaron Heilman and Scott Schoeneweis are available for the taking,” writes Ken Davidoff in Newsday.
According to Davidoff, the Mets will 
also ‘investigate’ free-agent set-up men LHP Joe Beimel, RHP Juan Cruz and RHP Chad Cordero.
The Rockies, Cardinals, Cubs and D’Backs have interest in Heilman, wrote Adam Rubin in the Daily News on Tuesday.
Davidoff adds the A’s, Rays and Rangers to the short-list of teams who could be interested in Heilman.
Speaking of a closer, today in the Daily News, Adam Rubin writes, “Brian Fuentes appears the clear-cut target while Francisco Rodriguez’s asking price appears to exceed the sum the Mets would find palatable.”
However, according to Joel Sherman in the New York Post, regarding the closer’s market, “Met officials departed the GM meetings confident that someone they like from the free-agent field will fall to them in this game of big-money musical chairs.”
…sherman makes an important point, in that the Brewers, Cardinals, D’Backs, Rockies, Indians and Tigers, and the Mets, are all in the market for a closer…
…however, most of those teams are unlikely to spend huge money on rodriguez or fuentes or wood, instead, they would prefer a more cost-effective option like trading for Bobby Jenks, Jose Valverde, J.J. Putz, Kevin Gregg or Huston Street…
…meaning, as sherman concludes, the Mets have a pretty clear advantage in the free-agent market…
…at any rate, i think it’s pretty clear Omar Minaya and Company are operating with a laser-like focus on upgrading the bullpen and rotation, while letting the offense sit tight for a while…
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i definitely wouldn’t mind bemial
hey matt omar said in the daily news today he was confident that a major deal would be made at the winter meetings
btw guys ill be in philly today say a few hail marys for me lol
Watch your back buddy!!
Try to enjoy Philly…..
don’t worry that city has already forgotten about their WS title and are concentrated on the iggles beating the Giants on Sunday…
a co worker from philly even confirmed that they stopped celebrating and are back to being a football town
lame
It will be even better now when the Giants beat them soundly.
Agreed. Omar is playing his hand, perfectly. Don’t reveal your cards. Go in for the kill when the time is right.
You are SO right! Just like the Santana deal…..
I do like the way Omar operates in this sense. But I don’t like how he sometimes gets tunnel vision and cant seem to focus on more than 1 thing at a time. and considering the post about matt holliday and the phils Omar better have his head on a swivel bc we cant afford to have philly swoop in and get holliday without putting up a fight.
I would definitely go after Beimel.
I’d say go after Beimel, Cruz, and Cordero.
Why not?
Beimel is the perfect Lefty for the pen, Cruz would be the ideal set-up man, and Cordero maybe could be had on a short-term incentive-laden deal b/c of his injury. Plus, he wont be ready from the start and he has the potential to regain top-form while if he doesn’t, you only signed him to a low-risk deal.
i rather spend 60 mil on KRod than 44 mil on Fuentes.
I hope Omar agrees.
60 mil is alot to tie up, but so is 44 mil….KROD will bring back more millions in revenue however due to merchandise and advertising to make up the difference.
26 years old vs 33 years old….pay the man his money!
would you do fuentes for 3 years at 30 v. Krod at 4 years 50?
id rather go 4 for 50…maybe not 4 for 60, but for 50, yes.
Fuentes has a career 3.40 ERA in the NL while Krod has a career 2.30 ERA in AL…isnt it usually the other way around?
But I’d rather pay the man who is in his prime, has a ring, has a nasty repertoire, versus a guy who has lost the closer role twice in 2008 and didn’t record a save in 10 games in 2007 playoffs.
The point is, when its just a few more mil a year…why settle?
agreed.
Omar should structure KRod so he is lower int he first year to maintain the flexibility under the budget.
say 11, 14, 16, 19 = 4 years 60 Mil.
I think BF has a better career k/b (just eyeballing it)…whatever, I say sign them both.
I wouldn’t pay 60 for 4 years for any reason to any reliever.
Based on what I’m seeing, this is a matter of another year and 30 millionish. That’s a little more than a few million.
Neither one is worth it. Fuentes is getting old and K-Rod is going to wreck himself with that motion.
Would love Beimal, Cordero and K-Rod…
Am I asking for too much? Seems realistic to me.
Good lefty
Good righty
Great closer
Why not?
This is my favorite part of the Sherman piece: “But Chicago is focusing on starting pitching (Jake Peavy, retaining Ryan Dempster), and to save money could stay in-house with set-up men Carlos Marmol or Jeff Samardzija stepping into the role.”
See, some people thought the Cubs were trading Marmol. This seems to indicate that they want to keep him in house. Hmmm.
Marmol is nasty…I think they view him as a potential closer if Wood walks.
I know. This is a fight that goes back a few weeks when I went off on someone who suggested that the Cubs would consider trading Marmol.
Omar minaya better not sign chad cordero then say: ” K-ROD was too expensive for us so cordero will be our closer”.. i will personaly escort him back to DR….
agreed…I would like Cordero just for his potential to return to form, but i dont want JUST cordero.
As i posited yesterday on another site, Minaya has simply to follow his Johan game-plan and sit tight, and wait for his real target – KROD to fall into his lap. The Mets are in a very strong position. None of the other teams want KROD, none of them, most of them couldn’t afford him.
So, Minaya can do as Cerrone describes and flirt with Fuentes, flirt with a trade, knowing full well no other team is mad for KROD.
If he’s patient, KROF comes here for 4/60, and everyone is happy.
The idea that Fuentes is as good, or cheaper in real terms is a joke. The Mets need a stud not a guy that is 33 and keeps losing his job.
sign K- rod, go and get teixeira, sign beilman,trade delgado for more bullpen help and please GET RID OF CASTILLO!!!!! Done.. there’s your 2009 new york mets with a view for years to come..
Beilman? Did Aaron Heilman have sex with Joe Beimel?
Given Selig’s recent comments warning teams about spending given the economy, I think this is a prudent strategy. With a sold out new stadium in 2009 and likely for at least another year or two, unless the economy completely falls apart, the Mets should be in better financial position than other teams. They should be patient and see where the market comes out.
Reading that post, I just think it has to be that Omar is just using Fuentes. I can’t see him being our top guy.
That quote from Rubin about KROD not being palatable…its all just a ploy to make KROD think we really want Fuentes. I think Omar would be foolish not to want KROD, but he is also wise in that he doesn’t want him for 5 years either. Once That price tag drops, we will swoop in.
“The point is, when its just a few more mil a year…why settle?”
Exactly, it’s jusy being cheap for the sake of it, 4/50? 4/60?
What’s the difference?
I wish I could use that reasoning in my everyday life…”When its just a few more mil a year…” lmao
Why do the Mets have to complicate things? Keep it simple:
1. Sign K-Rod. Don’t go 5 years, but if he lowers his demands to 4 years, then do it. It’s easier than giving up what little major-league ready prospects they may have.
2. Keep Pedro Feliciano. The Mets will need at least two lefties. He makes less than Shoeneweis, and I think has a better chance of rebounding.
3. I like Juan Cruz, but he’s a Type-A free agent and I’m not wasting a draft pick to sign a set-up man. We did that with David Weathers a few years back. Not smart baseball.
4. I’d offer Chad Cordero a minor league deal only.
5. Unless you flip Heilman for one of the Rays young starter like Jackson or to the Ranger in a package for one of their catcher, I say keep Heilman. Relievers are a crap shoot. One year they are good, one year they are bad. I’d like to see if he can bounce back. The stuff is still there.
6. Beimel is a decent option because he’s a Type-B free agent, but I’d be weary to give him a 3 year contract. I mean I don’t like giving middle relievers long-term contracts to begin with.
7. I’d try to resign Luis Ayala. He had good moments, and I think if shifted back to a middle relief role he’d be effective. He was getting the movement back on his pitches after being traded to the Mets.
8. Let Bobby Parnell and Eddie Kunz battle it out for one of the spots.
9. Sign El Duque and have him audition for the closer job – JUST KIDDING. Wanted to see if you were paying attention. :)
Yea..the typeA typeB stuff plays a big factor.
I forget about about that stuff.
So basically your saying sign Krod, and maybe Beimel or Cordero (which he wont sign for a minor league deal).
I think we need more than just this, which is the same bp except for Krod. We need I good setup man, we lost more games in the 7th and 8th as we did in the 9th
Here’s the thing -
1. You can’t really predict how good a middle reliever is. They are middle relievers for a reason. They aren’t good enough to start or close. That’s not where you should be spending free agent dollaars on.
2. Closer are more predictable, so spend your money on K-Rod.
3. You figure Joe Smith and K-Rod would then be your sure things.
4. Then you maybe keep Feliciano, who could be effective again, espcially if not the main set-up guy. This is were you could you a guy like Beimel.
5. Other than that any smart baseball person will tell you th at spending free agent dollars and year on middle relief is poor use of resources.
I would create the middle relief corp through trades and keep those reliever you think could bounce back in 2009.
Im not saying sign a whole new bp, but just krod and a lefty specialist is probably not going to get it done. I am fine with stokes and ayala pulling the 7th and keeping feliciano. I am one of the crazy people that think heilman is going to bounce back next year, with or without us. Im just saying Krod and a solid 8th inning guy. I would give Cordero a two year deal or everyday
eddie, Than sign Garland and trade for Vasquez.
Pitching solved.
Why give Cordero a 2 year deal? Unless it’s for very little money, that’s not a good investment. He’s coming off labrum surgery and pitchers never really regain velocity from that surgery and it wasn’t like Cordero had a lot to spare anyway.
I would just:
1. Sign K-Rod.
2. Resign Luis Ayala to be the 7th inning guy.
3. Keep Feliciano.
4. Keep Joe Smith.
5. I would then trade for a set-up man.
6. I would sign a 5th start type to battle it out with Jon Niese. If he loses, then he can be the long man.
7. Then I would trade Show.
8. Then I would let Heilman, Parnell, Duaner and Kunz battle it out for the final spot.
If you would trade for a setup guy I am fine with that then. I do know if neise doesnt take the 5th spot outright there is no way he stays as a long man. Just send him back to AAA and let him get some more starts in. I’m sure he will be up later in the season, due to injures or ineffectiveness.
“Reading that post, I just think it has to be that Omar is just using Fuentes. I can’t see him being our top guy.
That quote from Rubin about KROD not being palatable…its all just a ploy to make KROD think we really want Fuentes. I think Omar would be foolish not to want KROD, but he is also wise in that he doesn’t want him for 5 years either. Once That price tag drops, we will swoop in2″
That’s all it is, the Mets position is very strong here. every other team would be more than happy to leave KROD alone and do something cheaper. If the market was bare, and there were very few trade options, the story might be different.
If your Minaya and you can’t smell out the situation herre then, i don’t know what to say…
He just has to sit and wath other teams get a closer sorted then get KROD round the table when it’s the clear the Mets are the only serious player. He can also use Fuentes as you say….”Hey look come down to 4/60, or we’ll got with Fuentes”
There’s no compeption for KROD.
guys, plain and simple, K-ROD better be a new york met entering 2009… that’s it!!!!!
Or we got someone through a trade…I might be cool with that too.
I would be pleased with Putz, depending on what we have to give up.
Somehow I don’t think adding K-rod, and Joe Beilmel are going to solve our bullpen roles. Especially since Beilmel seems to be worse than the two lefty specialists we have already. His ERA is very deceiving his peripherals were terrible last year. 1.32 WHIP and a .278 BAA against lefties and a 1.56 WHIP and a .263 BAA against righties.
Also looking at Scho and Feliciano’s numbers they were both dominate against lefties, the problem is they both pitched just as many innings to righties, who killed them. I don’t think bringing in another lefty, especially one who is kind of terrible, is going to help anything.
are people forgetting that beimel sliced his pitching hand in half at a nyc bar at 2:30am the morning of the 2006 playoff series opener, then lied about it to his teammates?
also — what about edwin jackson as a closer? he was lights out from the bullpen in the playoffs
as long as we are young and competitive for years to come i’ll be happy.. guys let’s not forget between years 2001-2004 we were the laughing stock of the nl, let’s get some bullpen trade delgado and castillo, get K-ROD & TEX and … LET’S GO METS 2009!!!!
I say try and move Heilman + to the Cardinals for Ryan Ludwick and Brad Thompson. Word out of St. Louis is they need to move an OF (Ludwick, Shumaker, Duncan, Ankiel) to make room for Rasums, and Ludwick had a really nice year last year. And I think Thompson is a young pitcher who can be a really useful bullpen guy if you keep him there. It’s just in St. Louis they kept jerking him from reliever to starter to the minors back to starter.
Not a Bad idea. St. Louis is said to be shopping him and Ankeil. I’d rather get ankeil I think. They had similar numbers last year, and Ankeil is still improving every single year. He’s also a year younger.
But either would fill the LF void with a solid power hitting OFer and ti would also return some BP help. There is a nice fit there.
I also agree with alex… I want Teix.
that’s a valid point about heilmann, but if the mets trade him it will be to an AL club.. ala KAZMIR..
I liked Ludwick last year and I love Ankeil and his story. But guys that swing for the fences everytime up and aren’t proven jsut scare when their price is fairly high after a good year. But then word gets out and pitchers start being more careful and while still swinging for the fences and not ajusting. Well that can be just disasturous. This isnt Adum Dunn guys where he consistantly puts up 40 hr 190 SO a year. They both played well for barely over a season. They’ll come down to earth. I’d staym away at such a high price. But I do love signing big unproven power guys for that potential of like what happened last year.
Not necessarily true. The Mets obviously never saw him as a guy with “Starters” stuff, that’s why he was always in the bullpen. I don’t think they would have any worries trading him to another NL team. Also he’s 29, not 21 like Kazmir was when he was moved, and Heilman is no longer considered anywhere near a “Top prospect”.
The handful of teams still interested him limit the places he can be traded. And St. Louis is one of the teams Interested him still, along with the A’s, Rockies and i can’t remember the others.
I want all three that were mentioned GONE!
The Rays were also mentioned.
Also I don’t understand why anyone would want both Scho and Feliciano gone. When they were used properly they did their roles, and did them very well much better than Beilmel would. The problem is they weren’t being used properly because for some reason we built a bullpen full of nothing but specialists.
Turning the bullpen trash into Ludwick would b a lot to ask for but I like it. Can’t we simply load up on second tier guys (Juan Cruz, Damaso Marte, Cordero, Beimel) instead of big money closers and round things out with Parnell, Smith, Ayala, Stokes?
Loading up on second tier guys has really worked for us so far. If you’re gonna spend money on FA relievers, go big or go home.
for me its simple.. If the Mets sign Fuentes then I expect another big time outfielder coming to the Mets. If the Mets sign Krod then I don’t expect anything. So sign Fuentes all you want as long as Manny or Holiday are in LF next season
Holliday isn’t a free agent. The Mets would have to mortgage several prospects to get him and then risk losing him in a couple years to free agency. Besides, depending on where Murphy plays this year (and I mean what position, not what level), they might need an outfield slot for him. When Fernando Martinez is ready, they’ll need another. So what they’re probably looking for is a placeholder in left, someone who’ll give them a decent year or two for not a whole lot of money.
I’m intrigued by the notion that Schoenweiss and Feliciano pitched well when they were properly used, and that the reason they weren’t is a bullpen full of specialists. Could you say more about that, please, Gina–how would you use them?