Daily Archives: November 17, 2008
Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols won the NL MVP Award: Fine.
The Astros will trade Carlos Lee and Jose Valverde: Hmm.
Jeremy Affeldt signed a two-year deal with the Giants: Go.
The Mets want ‘strikeout pitchers’ in the bullpen: Good.
The grass is down in Citi Field: Wow.
Francisco Rodriguez said he had a physical, his agent said he didn’t: Ugh, Ugh, and Ugh.
The Mets will make an offer to Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes, and a starting pitcher, this week: Ding.
Lastly, the Braves have moved on from trying to trade for Padres RHP Jake Peavy: Oh Well.
According to the New York Post, Albert Pujols beat out Ryan Howard to win the National League MVP Award.
David Wright and Carlos Delgado finished seventh and ninth respectively in the voting.
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |Toby Hyde of Mets Minor League Blog pleads his case for signing Kerry Wood, writing; “Wood throws more strikes and struck out more hitters [than K-Rod]. He’ll be cheaper. K-Rod is no longer the pitcher he once was. His strikeout rate dropped in 2008, while his walk rates have trended gently upward.”
At Southern Mets, Drew thinks Carlos Delgado gets no respect, and should have received more consideration for the MVP Award.
Gotham City Insider comically bids farewell to “The Iron Triangle”
Anthony DeRosa at Hot Foot discusses the fine cuisine options Mets fans will be able to choose from at Citi Field which include Shake Shack and Blue Smoke.
…my buddy eric will be glad to hear about blue smoke…as for the shack, i just hope the line isn’t as long as it is in madison square park, i’ve lost days of my life there…
Sadly, Fire Joe Morgan is no more.
Metsblog reader Matthew C. asks if this book by Keith Hernandez is legit.
…as much as i love keith, based on the title, i hope not…
Lastly, check out the interview that Seven Train to Shea did with SNY’s Ted Berg regarding the Hot Stove. Ted also wrote an article recently at SNY about next year’s outfield situation.
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |
According to Nick Cafardo in the Boston Globe, the Astros want to ‘dump money,’ and are willing to trade SS Miguel Tejada, RHP Jose Valverde and OF Carlos Lee, assuming he will waive his no-trade clause.
Lee, 32, who will earn $74 million through 2012, hit .314 last season, with 28 HR, 100 RBI and a .368 OBP.
He has hit at least .300 each of the last three seasons, while playing for the Astros and Rangers.
…as a right-handed bat, with power, lee would great batting behind David Wright and Carlos Beltran, but he’s very 
expensive, and four years is a long time, not too mention the talent that may be needed to get him…but, he is intriguing…
Meanwhile, in his last 139 appearances, spanning two full seasons, the 29–year-old Valverde has 91 saves in 105 opportunities with a 3.04 ERA.
In Sunday’s New York Post, Joel Sherman wrote, “Valverde could be had, but he will be entering his walk year, and Mets officials say they will not give up a significant package for a player who can be a free agent in 12 months.”
The Giants have signed free-agent LHP Jeremy Affeldt to a two-year deal, reports the San Jose Mercury News.
…interesting, in that i expected him to land a similar three-year deal to what Damaso Marte got from the Yankees…this is good news…
The Cardinals, Indians, Rockies and Mariners had all been linked to Affeldt during the last week.
During the last two seasons, spanning 149 appearances and 78 innings, the the 29–year-old Affeldt was 5–4 with a 3.44 ERA pitching in relief for the Rockies and Reds.
In a report for the Star-Ledger, Dan Graziano says a) the Mets 
will sign one of the big three free-agent closers, and b) they will focus on ‘strikeouts,’ when rebuilding their bullpen for 2009, according to ‘a person familiar with the team’s off-season plans.’
This is why, as Graziano explains, “the Mets are telling teams they’re not shopping Eddie Kunz and Robert Parnell, who should get a shot at the big-league pen in 2009 if they aren’t dealt.”
Speaking of relief pitchers, and potential set-up men, the Giants are the most recent team to express interest in free-agent LHP Joe Beimel, reports MLB.com.
…seeing as Damaso Marte just got a three-year deal, and considering the value of set-up men from the last off-season, i see no way beimel agrees to anything less than three years, and, i’m guessing, $15 million or so…
…so, my hunch, albeit an informed one, but a hunch nevertheless, is that the Mets 
will sign a closer, sign a set-up man, and maybe even trade for an additional reliever, while hanging on to Joe Smith, Pedro Feliciano and Brian Stokes, and auditioning parnell, kunz, and other youngsters in spring training…
So far this off-season, Beimel has been linked in rumor to the Mets, Cardinals, Giants and Rockies, among others.
In 71 relief appearances for the Dodgers in 2008, the 31–year-old Beimel was 5–1 with a 2.02 ERA in 49 innings pitched, during which he struck out 32 batters and walked 21.
He had a 3.88 ERA in 2007, and a 2.96 ERA in 2006.
Tagged Robert Parnell |
The grass has been installed at Citi Field, according to these recent photos at WCBS, taken by Tom Kaminski in Chopper 880.
…that is a weird-looking outfield wall pattern, especially in right-center field, where it actually cuts in and then goes back out…
…someone better get Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church a GPS system, so they do not bang heads…
…thanks to Scott B for the link…
“Francisco Rodriguez and his representatives will come to New 
York early this week to take some physical exams,” according to Mets beat reporter Rich Coutinho, citing ‘sources,’ on his blog for 1050 ESPN Radio’
Coutinho reports the Mets have given Rodriguez a contract offer, ‘with the Mets hoping for a three-year deal and a fourth year club option, while K-Rod would like at least four years of guaranteed money.”
However, last night, according to MLB.com, Rodriguez’s agent, Paul Kinzer, said, while he has been in contact with the Mets and other teams, “no offers had been made by any club.”
Similarly, Andrew Marchand from 1050 ESPN Radio is reporting on air that Rodriguez did not have a physical for the Mets this past weekend, as others reported today as well.
However, Rodriguez told reporters in Venezuela on Sunday that he had been in the United States to get a blood test and take an MRI to verify his health for teams who are interested in signing him, according to Lider en Deportes.
By the way, to listen live for the Marchand Minute on 1050 ESPN Radio from your computer, click here.
…i don’t know, man…something isn’t adding up here…
…i’m not suggesting one person is right, or someone is wrong…but, i think it’s pretty clear there is a bit of scrambling, spin and miscommunication going on here from all sides for a variety of reasons…
…from what i can gather, on my own, from people i trust, the Mets have interest in rodriguez, but things are simply playing out in a standard, slow-and-steady fashion, as they are with other players who the team may have interest in…end of story…the rest of this just reads confusing…and i can understand why reporters, executives, agents, etc., are getting frustrated with these posts…
At any rate, according to Coutinho, the agent for Rodriguez, as well as the agent for Brian Fuentes, have both promised Omar Minaya the opportunity to match or top any offer they deem acceptable from other teams.
In what is a must-read article, at ESPN.com, Keith Law ranks the Top 50 Free Agents for this off-season.
Keep in mind, as Tim Dierkes pointed out at MLB Trade Rumors, Law has proven to be very astute in his predictions, noting in 2006 that Barry Zito should be regarded as only a third starter.
Interestingly, this time around, Law ranks A.J. Burnett ahead of Derek Lowe, who is ranked ahead of Ryan Dempster, who is ranked ahead of Oliver Perez.
In terms of closers, Law’s top free-agent 
closer is Kerry Wood, of whom he writes, “However, for a one-inning, shutdown closer, you’re not going to do much better than Wood if you can stomach the health risk.”
In Law’s opinion, after Wood, Jeremy Affedlt is the next best available closer, who is immediately followed by Francisco Rodriguez, who is ranked ahead of Brian Fuentes.
Law has the following to say about Rodriguez:
“He’s sitting 91-93 mph now with good life, but his once-devastating slider is far less sharp, and he pitches much more off his fastball than he did before… Among players likely to get contracts of four years or longer, K-Rod probably represents the greatest risk of a flameout.”
…i am torn on wood…i like the idea of him, but i totally afraid of his arm, health, etc…i feel it is too much of a risk to have him as your closer, for fear of seeing the Mets end up in essentially the exact same situation they were at the end of 2008…
…the buzz in baseball seems to suggest the Rangers, Mets and Tigers could be among teams who show interest in wood…
However, according to Peter Gammons at ESPN.com, the Rangers would need to trade Hank Blalock to afford Wood.
Braves GM Frank Wren told MLB.com that he is no longer involved in talks with the Padres regarding Jake Peavy.
According to the report, “This might not completely rule out the possibility of Peavy joining the Braves in the future… But it proves after a six-week pursuit of Peavy, the Braves are moving on and putting more of an emphasis elsewhere to satisfy their need for starting pitching.”
This weekend, Padres GM Kevin Towers told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he does not see a potential deal with the Braves or Cubs.
Meanwhile, at FOXSports.com, Ken Rosenthal writes, “The Yankees and Padres discussed Peavy at the GM Meetings earlier this month in Dana Point, Calif.”
According to a major-league source, explains Rosenthal, the two teams already have had ‘numerous discussions.’
…the way i have heard it, peavy has no interest in waiving his no-trade clause to pitch in New York, especially if it means pitching in the American League East…however, i wonder if he would re-consider if the Yankees offer to extend his contract beyond the potential four years and $70 million that is left…
…as a Mets fan, i hope the Yankees get peavy, because the Mets most likely will not…and so, if the Yankees get peavy, and sign CC Sabathia, it will most likely mean they’ll be out of the market for Derek Lowe, A.J. Burnett and others, who the Mets will try to sign as free agents…
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