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In a post to his blog for SI.com, Jon Heyman says there are ‘indications,’ based on conversations with other team 
executives, that ‘the Mets appear open to trading either Ramon Castro or Brian Schneider.’
According to Heyman, “Should the Mets find a deal for their catchers, longtime Red Sox C Jason Varitek, a free agent, could be a possibility for them. Mets GM Omar Minaya has always liked Ivan Rodriguez, but it isn’t known whether they’d consider I-Rod, as well.”
In late October, Heyman reported that the Mets had discussed trading for Giants C Bengie Molina.
The Boston Globe has written that 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.
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I prefer Schneider be shown the door.
Actually, as between Schneider and Castillo, I would prefer Schneider to go.
I think I would prefer both Cancel and Castro over Schneider.
Cancel? Why?
I just have a strong dislike for Schneider, so I am biased in that regard. The comments I make about him are sometimes for my own amusement.
I just saw him in a commercial for Toyota of Manhattan. More reason to hate him. The Big 3 are panhandling on Capitol Hill, and he is doing commercials for Japanese auto makers? He needs a nice bucket of tar and bag of feathers. :-)
Off with his head!
haha…glad you knew i was kidding about the big 3 and being sympathetic for him. my question is, did they eat NY Deli or shop rite brand chips?
You know, Mike Piazza has a Honda dealership in PA…
schneider stinks.
Yeah, because the CATCHER was the problem.
I-Rod and Varitek will add more problems than they’ll solve, because they’ll both want (and would get from the Mets) more money than they’re worth.
Varitek is beyond done. He’s overdone.
The how come people keep wanting to trade Castillo?
Is this a serious comment.
He stinks. He can’t run anymore. His defense was terrible last season. He no longer has range. He can’t hit for any power, and he barely can get a hit out of the infield. He had 11 extra base hits in 300 AB’s. translated to a full season that’s 22. That’s pathetic. He makes 5 million a year, is signed for 3 years, is lousy in the clubhouse. The team was better with him in AAA.
As well as he just said in a statement and i quote “I will re-dedicate myself to be in top physical shape when entering spring training”
We don’t need that attitude on this team. Re-Dedicate. Please you should be dedicated to making yourself better every year. Give me 5 million a year and i’ll run through a wall for it every day. You won’t have to worry about me “Re-dedicating” myself for anything.
Schneider stinks too. If we can’t trade Schneider because ccatcher wasn’t the problem then we can’t trade Castillo.
I’m for trading Schneider. The difference is he didn’t kill them defensively. And he isn’t signed to an awful deal for 3 more seasons. Schneider other then being hurt, did exactly what he did his whole career. Handle the pitching staff effectively and play solid defense. And after this season is a free agent.
Castillo was lazy, hurt, unproductive, a liability in the field, sulked in the dugout. Refused to take a back seat when asked to by the manager and said I was signed to Start and i want to Start.
The team played miles better when he sat in the farm system in the DL.
But that’s just one fans opinion on a guy when they announced they re-signed him said ok if they say to a 1 year deal it’s not that bad, but when he heard the contract almost drove off the road in shock.
In that 8-7 game against the Phillies he killed us defensively. We would have tied the division and WC had he handled the ball.
What are you talking about? I didn’t even MENTION Castillo. What is wrong with you?
I was saying that because the catcher wasn’t the problem we can’t trade him but it’s OK to trade Castillo. F@ggot.
BTW… Schneider and Castro are no great shakes, but with any of the guys that are mentioned here… where’s the upgrade? There isn’t any. Why bother? The Mets have bigger fish to fry than overpaying another old, mediocre, “offensive” catcher.
how come we don’t hear minaya say: “the sgining of castillo was horrible and i’m sorry” schneider was bad, true, but the catcher position was not the problem, how many times must we say it: “BULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
why must we only concentrate on one thing…Minaya has said OVER and OVER and OVER again that pitching is his priority…People with larger brain power than you can multitask you know…
On another point…Miguel Montero might be a good signing…he is available.
He is available, but he’s still currently under D’Backs control. Still, the D’Backs are one of the teams that supposedly still likes Heilman as a starter, and Montero is out of options and they don’t really have a roster spot for him. A straight swap could make sense for both teams, but only the Mets can move Schneider.
Omar has said that the Castillo signing was a mistake.
Benjie Molina would be an upgrade.
no he wouldnt
You really think Benjie Molina isn’t a better player than Brian Schneider?
Not a significant upgrade, not at all.
Makes no sense at all. I thought old, overpriced players was a thing of the past.
were
I’d be willing to trade Schneids and then sign I-Rod. Then if the Mets signed K-Rod, there’d be 3 Rod’s in NY! Hyuh, hyuh, hyuh…
They’ll probably sign Rich Rod instead.
Varitek is looking for around 4 years and $40M. He won’t get it, but if he “settles” on a reasonable contract for a shorter time, it will be in Boston.
The simple truth is that he will either be overpaid by someone or he will remain in Boston.
move on from Varitek.
as for Molina, it depends on what it costs in a trade. if Omar can improve here, go ahead but don’t waste too much money or trade prospects.
Check out Varitek’s stats. After 2005 season, his performance dropped all around the board. He has past his prime and will only be signed by the BoSox at very cheap price.
no, if we keeping castillo, delgado, are thinking about pedro and wanna sign lowe for 4 years is not a thing of the past.. is a trend..
I have read many posts on Metsblog from fans thinking we can trade for Molina and give up hardly nothing to get him because they think the Giants want to dump salary.
But the Giants are not looking to dump salary as there are reports of some big name free agents that they are looking to add.
Also it was reported about a month ago that Molina would cost the Mets high level prospects to get bring him to queens.
So Molina not a bad idea but not if the Giants want top level prospects for him.
Agreed, I don’t see the Mets and Giants matching up. I find it much more likely and lucrative that the Mets target someone like Miguel Montero, who has a bat but no roster space, and is controlled by an organization that still likes Aaron Heilman.
Why would we make a trade so that we could turn around and overpay for at best the same production from an older player?
Yes Gina, why trade away our catcher so we can sign a FA catcher who is comparable to our current catcher, if not worse.
Why trade a right fielder and cut a catcher to get a catcher who we’re now looking to trade and a right fielder.
Ouch.
I wonder when the Milledge trade supporters will finally realize what an awful trade that was.
I think that the point of this suggestion is not to “upgrade” from Schneider to Veritek or I-Rod (which, I agree isn’t actually an upgrade), but that if another team was interested in Schneider (and despite what gets said about him, he’s an average offensive and plus defensive catcher making just under 5 mil with only a year left on his contract), Omar would be willing to let him go for an otherwise useful piece and bring in a stopgap solution to fill the void. If we could get something useful for Schneider+ and replace him with someone who would provide similar production, I wouldn’t object to that…
fair enough, i dont see many useful pieces in a trade for Schneider…certainly not a piece that fans would be happy about….but maybe a relief pitcher
True, but it doesn’t have to involve Schneider alone. This is all hypothetical, of course, but, for instance, Seattle has some big questions at catcher with the way that they’ve soured on Johjima and Clement’s injury and trouble at the position. What if Schneider was the last piece in a Putz trade? I think the point here is that if he stays, that’s fine, but if he becomes a useful bargaining chip at some point in future negotiations, the fact that he can be reasonably replaced by someone in the FA market makes that an option the team is open to.
gina,
what u mean? i didn’t understand that last post?
Basically, why would you trade one of your catchers, then sign an older catcher for more money who probably won’t produce much more (if at all) than the catcher you traded away?
Personally, while I think it is the least of their worries, I wouldn’t mind the Mets trying to strike a deal with Texas for Saltalmaccia and send him to AAA to get ready for the annual Castro injury. He could also get ready to take over 1b if his catching skills don’t improve.
Gettng any of the texas catchers is a pipe dream. The asking price is to high. Supposedly the Red Sox offered have offered Michael Bowden or Justin Masterson for Salty, just for an example. And the Reds, supposedly, offered Homer Bailey for Laird.
My want list for the Mets: #1 K Rod(26 years old), #2 Ben Sheets(reward out weighs the risk) #3 A deal for an 8th inning guy who can fill in the 9th if need be, #4 Gerald Laird to be the everyday catcher. #5 a deal for Jermaine Dye
Realistically, your post makes by far the most sense. You get your closer (one of the best in baseball), and a Houston Street type that can close in case of injury. That pushes everyone else down to less important roles.
You get another ace that slots in at #2 for the Mets, allowing Pelfrey and Maine to move to #3a and #3b. The only thing would be to see how many years Sheets wants.
You also upgrade your offense with Laird and Dye, while not downgrading defense, and the bench improves greatly with Tatis being an everyday pinch hitter instead of a platoon player. Murphy could be on the bench too but see a lot of playing time. (since Castillo will probably start at least early on).
how are you going to get Laird or Dye WITHOUT Murphy?….realistically both of your posts are pipe dreams
And what happens when (not if) Sheets gets hurt again?
see with Castillo any of the available 2B’s on the market are an upgrade….in fact the only 2B not an upgrade is Argenis Reyes
With the Schneid/Castro combo, how many catchers/catching tandems in baseball are even better? a handful? and how many are available? none? thought so.
Benji is an older version of Castro…and slower
Pudge is proof that steroids had an effect on baseball players
I’ll take Schneiders Defense (2nd best catcher in all of baseball at throwing runners out) over any of the offensive upgrades. And once again, look at the #’s….Pelfrey was awful, awful for over 1.5 years and then BOOM, Schneider comes off the DL and Pelfrey has been stellar ever since….coincidence…i think no…and if you think it is…then clearly Warthen had nothing to do with Ollie figuring it out halfway through the year either….
I think it is a coincidence. I think Pelfrey gained confidence and just stopped worrying about locating pitches and just threw gas for strikes and let his natural talent work. If Schneider was so good and made pitchers better, how come he couldn’t stop the bullpen from looking like the worst in the history of baseball?
there is no truth to pelfrey pitching better with schneider. it didn’t even happen like chan ho parking lot said where it coincided with schneider getting healthy. he’s remembering last season incorrectly.
Also there was a change in pitching coaches. From Rick “Pot Smoking” Peterson to the other dude who’s name i won’t try to spell.
I also give more credit to Warthen. I also think that we were sold a bill of goods for Schneider which was all wrong – they said – what he lacks in offense he makes for in defense. Well, varitek IS a good defensive catcher. I’d rather have someone who mashes but I don’t think Varitek is as bad others suggest. He certainly does save more runs
Pelfrey was great for a month and a half before the coaching change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can you say it was him???!?!?!?!?! Warthen helped Ollie, Schneider helped Pelfrey….and pitcher on the staff said that they loves pitching to Schneider.
lol, if Rick were here back in 2002, I could totally see him in that car with Tony Tarasco and Mark Corey.
You can’t spell Warthen?
Personally I don’t see a problem with having Schneider play against righties and Castro (if he can stay healthy) plays against lefties. We have much bigger holes to fill besides catcher. Don’t want to waste prospects or cash for an old aged catcher (Jason Varitex, I-Rod)
Typical Mets.
While the Red Sox are looking to get younger at catcher. The Mets are trying to get older. Go Figure
not only that, picking up whatever garbage they let go is even worst.. we get to go after the guys they don’t want.. Pedro, lowe, varitek, manny.. altough manny is a differnce maker..
varitek is done. se hace el varitek. varitekは行われる。
omar. you know what i’m saying?
zen,
lol, pretty good, but you say:
“VARITEK NO SIRVE YA”
but pretty good… lol..
guys please read…this post DID NOT state that Minaya wanted Varitek…Heyman listed it as a possibility…..i.e. the Mets will not be signing him……
Yes, you’re right. People don’t always absorb everything when some anguish arises. I don’t blame them to get a little tense about the idea of signing a .220 hitting 37 year old turning catcher who wants a 4 year/52 million deal. If you want to pay for the price of leadership and actually acquire legit mediocrity, just deal Castillo for Rowand…
The Mets shouldn’t sign Varitek. He has to be about as insane as Derek Lowe (a 35 year old who thinks he’ll get a ”Zito type deal”) if he thinks Posada’s tell has set a benchmark for him. Boston’s smart… They’re not going to over pay for a player just because he’s there ”captain.” Varitek is type A. We’re about to lose enough in anticipation of signing K-Rod and possibly Hudson or Ibanez. I love the idea of Varitek’s leadership. But I don’t love the idea of his .220 BA. We don’t need him. Pudge would take a type B. He’s be an improvement over who the Mets got now, but it’s not by enough to say it was a big impact on our line up. If the Mets are going to look at the catcher’s market, go via trade… Bengie Molina or Ramon Hernandez would be a good place to start.
what is this 2006 again? same catchers that got 3 year deals then that Omar PAS-SED on because he got a better one in LoDuca…and Schneider is way way way better than LoDuca….for starters…he can play catcher.
I have no problems with Brian Schneider really. We knew what we were getting and for stretches he was actually decent offensively. He went through that streak when he was hurting that it seemed like he had no clue at all what he was doing, but he was decent behind the plate for most of the year. I understand he struggled blocking balls at times and wasnt great throwing runnners out, but what alternative is?
Castro on the other hand is a guy that should be a heck of alot better than he is, but he isnt because he simply doesnt care enough. He is perfectly content being a backup who plays a couple times a week. The reports of him showing up late and not knowing what times games are that hes starting are unacceptable. IMO, if anyone needs to go, let it be him and sign a Michael Barrett type to replace him as a RH platoon partner for Schneider.
Castro definitely is way too content. It’s like he anticipates his own injuries blockading him from being able to take over the starting role. The Mets didn’t really re-sign him to be anything more than a platoon catcher at most though…
Schneider’s a decent defensive catcher. Maybe a little overrated. But he’s able to throw at runners and blocks the plate the right way. There are improvements that can be made there. If the Reds or some team were willing to take Schneider’s 5 million off the Mets hands and it didn’t cost much more to sign Pudge, it might be worth it… But it’s not something worth stressing over. This can’t be regarded as a priority compared to the mess of Luis Castillo and the bullpen.
I completely agree, it shouldnt be a priority.
If they are going to do anything at catcher though, I would either trade for Molina after everything is done this offseason or trade castro and sign Michael Barrett to platoon with Scheider, also after all other holes are filled.
But I can completely live with the way it is now
How many catchers in the last 20 years have actually been average to above average hitters? Not many. Focusing on catcher is a waste of time right now.
BULLPEN
STARTER
SECOND BASE
LEFT FIELD
Let’s focus on the real need areas, please, Omar.
You’re right… The Mets nearly signed Torrealba to a 3 year deal last off-season which would have been a nightmare. Good hitting catchers aren’t easy to come by. The Mets were spoiled with Piazza & Hundley all those years. And even Lo Duca in ‘06. I think Saltalamachia has the potential to be that so he might be worth trading for. But the price tag is too high. The Mets have other concerns. Primarily pitching concerns.
Exactly. If you can have a catcher that hits maybe 275 with 10 homers and plays great defense then your lucky.
Most of the time you get one or the other. You get offense and poor defense or you get defense and poor offense. Typically you don’t get both.
Ramon Hernandez wasn’t mentioned there… It’s rumored that Bengie Molina would cost Parnell or Murphy. That’s not worth it. I’d rather just hold onto Schneider. But Hernandez may not cost as much with the O’s possibly looking to shave some payroll in anticipation of a Texeira or Ramirez pursuit.
I don’t know what it’d take for the Mets to get Hernandez in a trae. The Orioles may be interested in Heilman was a starting pitcher. He was rumored in some deals the Mets talked about for Erik Bedard last off-season.
Trade proposal: Bobby Parnell and Dylan Owen for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Mets get potentially an excellent switch hitting catcher/1B for years to come, Rangers get a very good relief prospect as well as a mid-level starting pitcher prospect.
- I wouldn’t mind seeing the Mets target Montero; he’s relatively young, and had the best OPS of his career last season. He’s still got a bit of upside.
Parnell is only a valued prospect here on Metsblog. The Rangers won’t go for that.
Parnell has some value. Not as much as we’d like, but teams like the White Sox were rumored to be interested in him. Heilman too. Texas is interested in Heilman. If the Mets put together a deal around him, they may be able to get something done there. I hope they save him as a trading chip for Huston Street though. Parnell will be traded down the road because the Mets are going to sign a SP to a multi-year deal and have Niese in the wings…
The Mets view Parnell as a reliever.
The Rangers would lol at that proposal. Salty is worth a lot more than that and Dylan Owen isn’t really a mid-level starting pitcher prospect. More like another meh middle relief prospect. They can get a high quality starter back for Salty.
high quality starting prospect I mean.
I like this proposal as well
It would take a lot more then them,,, have you seen what the Redsox are potentially offering?
they would at least want:
Parnell
Heilman
Kunz
and probally someone else
John Maine and a prospect for Salty?
well, if any of you guys are knicks fans, say goodbye to your promising season, they just traded Jamal Crawford to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Al Harrington.
seems funny doesn’t it?
none of the front offices can get it right here in the big apple huh?
how about football? jets? Keyshawn Johnson with the first pick? another great move.
You’re only looking at one side of the trade… Whoever’s a real Knicks fan knows that the promise of a good season never even existed here… It’s the healing process to getting Isiah’s players out of here. Walsh has a successful track record so I’m willing to give him a chance. In terms of talent, I’m on the same side as you because Jamal was the best shooter the Knicks had (even if he was a chucker). But I’m practical. A seven seed this season? Or wait three extra seasons before the Knicks are legit competitors? Maybe they threw in the towel on this season, maybe they didn’t… I’ll only believe they did in November if Marbury steps on the court.
The Keyshawn trade looked horrible at the time, but I was actually kind of happy they did it in the long run. Didn’t they wind up with Pennington with one of the picks they received? He was alright for a few years… I’ll call that a wash because Keyshawn was a complete headache to just about every team he was with.
who cares about the Knicks?
you should stick to baseball. this was the best day for the knicks in like eight years. when you add in the zbo trade for mobley and tim thomas, the knicks will have ton of cap space available when lebron, wade, and bosh are free agents in 2010. we all said, the only way the knicks ever get better is get under the cap significantly. today, they did that.
as marv would say it: yes!
THEY ARE MAKING SALARY CAP ROOM TO MAKE A RUN AT LEBRON JAMES IN 2010.
WHICH WOULD BE NOTHING SHORT OF SPECTACULAR.
ANYWAY, BACK TO BASEBALL.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO UPGRADE ON C POS. BUT THAT CAN WAIT TILL WE ADDRESS OUR REAL NEEDS.
after the randolph trade i knew that was the reason. when they first traded crawford, i saw no reason.
I know it probably wouldn’t go through, but I have a 4 way trade proposal that might actually work for all the teams…
Mets Trade: Castillo + 4 Million from Tigers ; Get: Sheffield
Tigers Trade: Sheffield ; Get: Lugo
Dodgers Trade: A. Jones ; Get Castillo
Red Sox Trade: Lugo ; Get A. Jones + 4 Million from LA
I know Sheffield is seen to be as much a malcontent or over the hill player Castillo is. But it’d be an improvement. Sheffield might do well in a change of scenery. And we all know that’s exactly what Castillo needs. All the teams finances would remain the same. Jones is due 22 million next season. They don’t have Crisp anymore so he’d provide extra insurance to Ellsbury. Plus it’d help keep Manny out of the Yankees, Angels or an AL teams hands. Detroit’s been rumored to be interested in Lugo in a trade with the Red Sox. He’s due 18 million over 2 years.
Sheffield’s a right handed hitting corner OF… One year of Sheffield hitting 20 HR here would be more worth watching than Castillo’s pathetic attempts at slapping the ball. This would allow for the Mets to sign Orlando Hudson. And LF would open up for either Murphy or Martinez next season.
I meant to say Castillo + 4 million to Tigers… Castillo’s due 18 million over the next three seasons where as Sheffield’s due 14 million next season. The move is pretty much made up of over the hill players with mediocre potential at this point… But each guy going in each direction serves a better purpose to the new team.
What I meant to say was that Lugo would go to Tigers and get 18 million over 2 years lol I got them confused because of the dollar amount… LA would send 4MM out to BOS to cover the difference that BOS would be paying extra on Jones over Lugo and that they’d be saving on getting Castillo over Jones… All of Furcal, Garciaparra, Blake and Kent are Free Agents so the Dodgers may find some use out of Castillo. They could move DeWitt over to third.
It took you three posts to make sense of this mess of an idea and I’m still not sure you get it yourself. What possessed you to think anyone else could follow it?
what about a trade for ramon hernandez ,beni molina or salti?, guys who will upgrade the position. varitek,i-rod? they downgrade the position in my opinion.
whats with all the hate on Schneider. He’s our #8 hitter and hes a fine defensive catcher.
Fatstro on the other hand suffers from Mo Vaughn syndrome which in case you didnt know is when a player is too fat and out of shape to stay on the field.
If Fatstro could maybe lose 25 lbs Schneider and Castro could make a very good platoon
IT SEEMS THE FRONT OFFICE IS DISSATISFIED WITH HIS GAME CALLING.
I want them both gone if possible.
I have said on these boards many times. The only holdovers i want are: Beltran, Reyes, Church, Wright, Johan, Pelfrey, Maine. And i liked Tatis re-upping.
Other then that scrap everyone and start again. Schneider, Castro, the rest of the bench(not including the rooks). Scrap the entire Bullpen if possible. If they can’t get rid of everyone,Sanchez coming off his first full year after the 2 injury plagued years and Joe Smith because of his age, but if he can’t get out both L&R then send him to AAA until he can.
right on!
and Reyes can go too
hot dogs don’t win
Reyes is the Best or 2nd best short stop in baseball, a legitimate MVP candidate every season. An Offensive sparkplug. Defensively he wasn’t as stellar last season as he was the past 2.
If you don’t like him celebrating when he does something good then sorry. But David Ortiz, John Papelbon, among many other celebrate with handshakes.
If you don’t like anything like that go watch the Yankee’s, just not when Joba Chamberlain is pitching.
It’s becoming a part of baseball.
I love how Francesa and Yankee fans get on Reyes for celebrating and sparking the other team’s ire. But they turn the cheek and act shocked when someone says the same thinga bout their beloved Joba.
Mr mark, do not tell me who to root for. I am a Mets fan, born and raised, from day one.
If and when the Mets become winners again, I will delight in all the histronics and dancing and doing “the worm” on home plate.
However, I am not impressed by individual stats; I prefer a “team effort”. And I’d prefer fundementals to dance steps. Give me a banner; not dancing with the morons!
thank you and have a nice day!
Hey Mark, Jose Reyes is the 2nd best shortstop in baseball? Have you been partying with Rick Peterson? He isn’t even the 2nd best shortstop in the NL East. Hanley Ramirez and Jimmy Rollins are both superior. He isn’t even the best shortstop in New York. Secondly, Brian Schneider is the least of the Muts problems. He is an average hitting catcher but solid defensively and thats all you need. The Phillies just won the World Series with a catcher who hit only.219. The Muts have no bullpen,a clubhouse cancer at second base,they are in desparate need of another solid starter,in need of 2 solid corner outfielders (Ryan Church is a nice player but no more then a fourth outfielder on a good team) and they have no team chemistry or clubhouse leaders .I agree with Steadyeddie about Reyes’ antics. If he wants to dance then let him go on Dancing with the Stars. He needs to lose the “I” and start spreading the “we” and maybe then the Muts trainers will get a break in September with all the choking going on.
Your an idiot if you want Reyes gone, second best SS in baseball, and he’s probally the funnest guy to watch at the age of 25 ( i think) You people complain this teams does not show life, and you want to take away the only guy who shows emotion?
you sir, are “an idiot” if you keep supporting a team who dances in June and crys in Sept.
If I want dancin’, I’ll tune in to dancing with the stars; I’d prefer solid, smart baseball.
Hey, I stole 109 bases and we finished 2nd again. Let’s DANCE!
No, I am not a Philly fan, or a Yankee fan…I’m an honest and frustrated Mets fan!
AT THE TENDER AGE OF 25JOSE REYES LED THE LEAGUE IN HITS AND SPORTED
113 RUN’S
37 2B
19 3B
16 HR
68 RBI
56 SB
297 AVG
358 OBP
475 SLG
JOSE REYES ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE HE’S 25 CONSIDERED ALREADY BY MANY AS THE BEST LEAD OFF HITTER IN THE GAME, THOUGH HE MAY LACK CONCENTRATION AT TIMES ON THE FIELD HIS RANGE IS GOLD GLOVE CALIBER, DID I MENTION HE’S THE MOST ELECTRIFYING BASE RUNNER IN THE GAME. MAKE NO MISTAKE IN JUDGEMENT HE IS AN UP AND COMING STUD, HE IS THE REAL DEAL AND HE’LL BE DEFENDING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE INFIELD FOR THE NY MET’S FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
THAT SAID, I DON’T GIVE A FLYING FIG IF HE BREAKS INTO A FREAKING WALTZ IN FRONT OF THE VISITOR’S DUG OUT AFTER A SIGNATURE TRIPLE.
so from the way you sound, your blaming the Mets on Jose Reye’s dancing? or maybe its because
The bullpen is horrible
The rotation was inconsistent
Delgado was horrible first half of the season. and if he could of hit a lick, we probably would not of started the season so poorly?
or maybe its because this team shows no character, did not have a second basemen and relied on old, washed up players?
This teams problem was not Jose Reyes dancing.
Bring back that steriod head LoDuca lol
Schneider will break Piazza’s Mets batting records!
YES AND THE MET’S ARE BRINGING BACK GEORGE THEODORE AND SWITCHING CHURCH TO LF.
The clock is ticking Omar!
Hear those footsteps behind you?
PLEASE don’t tell me it’s early or there is plenty of time!
What there is, is plenty of work to do and plenty of new faces to bring into this organization.
As a lifelong fan; please spend you money more wisely than on this group of underachievers, Mr. W.
We need some CHANGE! Yes we do!
2 old broken down has been farts. Overpaid too. Omar written all over it.
I like the idea of getting a new catcher and ditching one of th eincumbents, but on ly if it is a young guy (for the future) or molina (for the 2009 production).
Pa-ss on the geexzers.
…or you get rid of one of the veteran catcher ans bring up a young guy like thole and let him take a few lumps and start 30 games a year. if anything happens to a starter, thole doesn’ tneed to be bumped up. we can use cancel.
Get Jose Morales here.
How about Miguel Olivo? I would take him on my team in a second. Showed lots of guts (albeit he was an idiot) and character not letting Reyes “show up” his pitcher.
Varitek?
Pudge?
GARBAGE
Both actually worse options than the limp bat we have now.
Varitek would be a gigantic mistake
can we sign krod first please…i dont want to hear about any of this untill there is a solid closer signed first.
how about mike napoli on the angels 273 -20 hrs in a little over 200 at bats?they have jeff mathis and a young catcher named hank conger whos supposedly cant miss.just wonder what they would want for napoli.
its not like hes never caught krod before.
Do you really think the two are related?
very funny.
I think Omar will eventually sign K rod for about 12 per for 3 years with a performance incentive for the 4th. He’ll keep Murphy and tatis in left, obviously murphy will get more playing time because hell hit righties. He sign Juan cruz to a 3 year 15 mil type of deal. Trade Heilman and Nick Evans to the Rays for a Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson. I think he’ll make a play for Lowe, and will get outbid by either the sox or the yankees. (I would probably be happy about this if its a 4 year 65 mil or even 5) Dudes old. I bet he’ll trade castillo for Vasquez. Trade Schneider and some minor prospects for Bengie Molina, or trade schneider for reliever and sign I-Rod. And with the money left over sign Orlando hudson to a 5 year 50million deal.
This isnt exactly what id do personally but it works for many reasons.
1- Murphy plays left for a year(hopefully keeping it warm for F-Mart) then moves to first when Delgado leaves.
2- Vasquez hangs around as the number 5 starter for 1 or 2 years, that way Niese can stay in AAA where he belongs and fill in when ready.
3. Sonnanstine/Jackson are 25 year old pitchers with gigantic upside and who already had pretty good years in the very good AL east. Either will be a #4 starter for many years to come.
4. After getting Cruz and Rodriguez i wouldnt be surprised if the mets picked up a guy like david weathers too.
Lineup
1Reyes
2Hudson
3Wright
4Beltran
5Delgado
6Church
7 Molina/I-Rod
8Murphy. (I personally expect murphy to consistently move up in the lineup.
SP
Santana
Pelfry
Maine
Sonnanstine/Jackson
Vasquez
RP
Closer- K-Rod
SU- Cruz
7th- Weathers/ Sanchez
MRP- Stokes, Parnell
LSp.- Feliciano
Rsp.- Joe Smith
Get rid of Shoenweiss
They won 89 games with a gimp at second, a terrible bullpen, a banged up rotation, and no closer. With these additions I cant see a possible way they win less than 95 games, and they dont even add THAT much salary.
nice bullpen but shaky rotation
Although it doesn’t appear there are many teams out there who’d give K-Rod more than 3 years, it may eventually come down to that. It won’t be Detroit, Cleveland or even St. Louis who’d confident in Chris Perez and other’s. It’ll be Texas. K-Rod’s getting more than 12 million per year. If he signs at three years, he’ll get near 42 million. If he manages to get 4, he’ll probably get about 52 million. They should try to work out some incentive mutual option for a 4th year based on IP’s, saves or All-Star appearances.
We’ve thought Omar would do a lot of things he wouldn’t do. And he’s done a lot of things we wouldn’t do. I really would have loved for him to revamp the bullpen after the collapse. But he chose not to. When he did that prior to the ‘06 season, there was a much higher level of success. I do see some a platoon of Murphy and Tatis. It’s not like the Phillies will have much better things going on with Geoff Jenkins and an OF like Jay Payton. I’d like for them to explore the idea of Manny, Dunn or Ibanez, but I understand it’s unlikely because of their priorities. The White Sox aren’t going to take Castillo for Vazquez unless the Mets eat half of his contract. And honestly, I really wouldn’t have a problem with that. Because if the Mets were to buyout Castillo, they’d only save like 3 million at most. Vazquez is only on 2 years which looks more attractive than the year total Ollie, Garland or Wolf will be seeking. A more likely scenario would be a swap of Schoenweis and Vazquez.
The some other prospects for Molina may be a lot. The Giants have rumored to want Daniel Murphy or Bobby Parnell. Neither one is worth parting with for Molina. Nor Ramon Hernandez from the O’s. Or Olivo from KC. I like both of those players, but neither one is vital. Most teams don’t have good hitting catchers. Schneider and Castro are only signed through one more season. Vazquez has never had less than 11 wins, 32 starts, 198 IP or 150 K’s in the previous nine seasons. Nor higher than a 4.42 ERA in the NL. So the Mets would see him more as a 4 pitcher than a 5. They’d likely have to sign another SP (i.e. Odalis Perez) to a one or two year deal in preparation of Niese. Or they may just turn the role over to Niese. They don’t have the chips they’d be willing to part with to get Jackson or Sonnastine. They could trade Heilman, but it’ll take more. And it’s likely they’ll circle a trade around him for a set up man like Huston Street. It’s probably cost the Mets Ryan Church or Jon Niese. Or at the very least Murphy or Parnell.
One other guy I think the Mets should consider is Kenshin Kawakami and Koji Uehara from Japan… But here’s a mix of what I’d like to see and what I think will happen…
1. SS Reyes
2. 2B Hudson
3. 3B Wright
4. CF Beltran
5. 1B Delgado
6. RF Church
7. LF Murphy/Tatis
8. C Schneider/Castro
1. Santana
2. Pelfrey
3. Maine
4. Vazquez
5. Brad Penny
Brian Stokes or Bobby Parnell – Long Reliever
Duaner Sanchez – Right-handed middle reliever
Pedro Feliciano – Lefty Specialist
Joe Smith – Righty Specialist
Joe Beimel – 7th Inning Set-Up
Huston Street – 8th Inning Set-Up
K-Rod – Closer
Bench: Castro, Easley, Chavez, Pagan & Tatis (or Murphy depending on who you consider starter). The Mets have to cut ties with Marlon Anderson.
1) Send Castillo + 8 million to White Sox for Javier Vazquez.
In the Mets eyes, they were going to gave to pay Castillo out 15 million in a buyout anyway. But it’s like they got to save seven million. So instead of Vazquez deal looking like 2 years/23 million, it really only looks like 2 years/16 million which is a lot better. From the White Sox perspective, they’re saving 13 million. Another team may be willing to take him if the White Sox sent paid for like 4 million, so it’s really like getting Castillo on a 3 year/6 million deal which isn’t that bad.
Than sign Brad Penny to an incentive laden one year deal with a team option for a second. Guarantee him 6 million. He’s been a good pitcher in the past. He wouldn’t be a bad 5 pitcher. If they wanted to go more safe, sign Odalis Perez who will not require losing a pick. He might want more than one year though. Follow up this move by trading a package of Heilman, Evans and possibly another mid-level prospect to the Rockies for Huston Street. Follow up this move by looking for someone to take Schoenweis off our hands for little. If they Mets were able to get Mota’s 3.2 million out of here last season, they can do it again with Schoenweis who’s not coming off the worst year statistically.
Sign Orlando Hudson a 4 year/46 million contract. The market will rise his value. He’ll get more than 10 million per season, but I don’t believe he’ll get 5 years. Not without taking a lower dollar amount at least. Than sign Francisco Rodriguez to a 4 year/52 million contract. They will (and have) started negotiating from a three year deal and are working there way up. Perhaps the Mets will get lucky and no one else will come in. The Mets will eventually have to give in when someone else like Texas splashes in with a 3 year/43 million offer. K-Rod wants to pitch here so if the Mets are willing to work something out than everyone will be happy. After this move, sign Joe Beimel to a 3 year/12 million contract. That seems to be the going rate for a good left-handed reliever. Dennys Reyes is the same age and has been similarly effective over the past three seasons, so his name will be out there too. As will Will Ohman. Less reliable but lesser year options are Rhodes & Shouse. Without Wagner or Schoenweis, the Mets would be down to one left-handed reliever. Feliciano was over worked last season. It’s possible he may be traded. If the Mets don’t acquire Street though, signing Juan Cruz or David Weathers should be considered.
I-Rod? And last year Sammy Sosa. Is there not an aged juicer that Omar doesn’t covet?
Schenider is mediocre as a hitter, lets too many pitches get by, but he has a good throwing arm. If he can meld with the pitching staff in 2009, he’s cool in the 8 hole.
Castro, when healthy, is clutch. A very impressive ratio of RBIs per AB.
Cancel is an able AAA backup if Castro or Schneider hit the DL, and his deceptive speed for a chunky catcher shows me he’s a gamer.
Omar—get a halfway decent closer, an 8th inning set-up man, and a RH’d LF. Then worry about the rest…
interesting post on mlb trade rumors about Heilman. Say thanks to some guy named meddler.
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From what I remember of watching Heilman, the slider’s not a blow away pitch, its really more of an offspeed cutter, but he used it like a slider, down and away on righties. It didn’t have too much tilt, but the little bit it did have moved in the opposite direction of his fastball and changeup, and he was able to throw it for strikes with some regularity.
My theory on Heilman, and the data seems to support this, is that for some reason, he just found that extra velocity and didn’t know what to do with it. Even his changeup was harder averaging 84.3 mph. That’s almost enough differential, but the extra velocity also effected the movement on his pitches, and his command went out the window. When he was at his most effective, he was painting 91-92 mph fastballs that bored in on righties and 79-81 mph changeups that started out the same way and just fell off the table. So he brought back the cutter, and he found it was actually a nice pitch for him….against righties. And what do you know? For the first time in his career he had a big platoon split.
Look at his BABIPs over the last 4 years:
2008 – .323
2007 – .284
2006 – .286
2005 – .290
The consistency is remarkable 2005-2007…and then the spike in 2008. There’s no doubt he got hit hard and had no command in 2008, but even if he got halfway back to his 2005-2007 self, he now has the cutter as a third weapon. His absolute ceiling for performance might be higher now than it was two years ago, especially as an SP, when he WAS a two pitch pitcher. There’s just a whole mess of risk involved.
All of what you mentioned is exactly why his trade value is still pretty high. I really wish the Mets would consider him as an option as a SP if they were not to trade him. I really don’t get why Omar keeps saying for the good of the team he should be in the bullpen. Why? Wouldn’t it be more cost friendly to sign David Weathers or Russ Springer at 3 million a year and move Heilman as your 5 pitcher rather than sign Paul Byrd or Odalis Perez for like 7-8 million a year?
Heilman had a horrible year. I see potential in him. But not as a Met. And if as a Met, not as a member of the bullpen. He’s against being in the bullpen. He’s miserable. He knows he’s being screwed out of money being a reliever. All he’s asking for is an opportunity. The Mets can bring in a set up man of much higher quality if they just explore for the right trade. If Minaya shows initiative, we’ll all be happy. Those are the things that separate average GM’s from good ones. According to the Wilpon’s sometimes though, mediocrity is an adequate consolation.
hey guys just read on mlb trade rumors the dodgers aren’t gonna resign bemial… thoughts?
Catcher is the least of their problem
get a Closer, Set up man, Lefty reliever and OF Righty Bat
I think 2B stays the same but they get a IF backup that can step in if he stinks again or gets hurt………no one is going to take him for 3 yrs but i could be proven wrong
I am fine with Schneider and Castro , they just need to stay healthy and bat 8th
That’s just the thing. Castro can’t stay healthy and Schnieder, who knows. They are both gone after this year, trade them now.
Trade Schnieder AND Castro for prospects and then spin those guys for Molina. Adding his RH bat to the bottom of our order would be a huge impact. The guy had 95 RBI on a terrible team last season. Let him bat 7th here and see what happens.