Daily Archives: November 25, 2008
On Nov. 18, I wrote, “From what I can 
gather, the Mets are likely to make a trade for a relief pitcher, who has experience as a closer,” in addition to signing either Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes or Kerry Wood.”
In the post, I later suggested the Mets could be working to acquire Huston Street, in a deal involving Aaron Heilman.
Today, on his blog for the New York Post, Joel Sherman reports the Mets made such an offer in the days after Street was acquired by the Rockies, who then asked for Pedro Feliciano in addition to Heilman, which the Mets ultimately turned down.
…from what i can gather, having talked with people connected to the team, yes, the Mets and Rockies have been talking about a street-for-heilman deal, but i sense the Mets would prefer to trade a mid-level prospect with heilman…i have never heard feliciano’s name mentioned…or, at least to the extent that he will be included in any potential deal…nevertheless, the two sides continue to work on finding a solution…
In the report, Sherman writes, “The more I talk to Met officials the more I sense they want to use Street as the eighth-inning guy and still obtain a closer such as Brian Fuentes or Francisco Rodriguez. The Mets recognize they do not just have a ninth-inning problem, but that their whole late-inning contingent was troublesome.”
…this is why i wrote two weeks ago that they are working to acquire a set-up man with experience as a closer, because i sense they do not want to trust the closer position to just one person, for fear of what happened to them last season…and this is wise…
Tagged Pedro Feliciano |The White Sox are asking teams for a young starting pitcher, plus additional players, in a deal for OF Jermaine Dye, reports Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com.
According to Rosenthal, “The Mets, Rays and 
Phillies are among the teams balking at such a price.”
Dye can block trades to six clubs, most of which are in the northeast, says Rosenthal.
…from what i recall, dye was willing to approve a deal to the Red Sox once before, so i would not take this to mean he’s anti-northeast, so much as he wants a say regarding where he ends up playing…
“On Tuesday, Nov. 11, several White Sox officials watched Bobby Parnell and Eddie Kunz pitch in the Arizona Fall League,’ wrote Mark Gonzales in the Chicago Tribune.
According to Gonzales, citing two NL scouts, the Sox were scouting players for deals that include Dye.
Speaking of the White Sox, “The Mets aren’t enamored with Javier Vazquez,” explains Rosenthal.
In a report from early November in the Chicago Tribune, Dave van Dyck wrote, ‘The Mets had interest in Vazquez,’ according to a well-placed source at the GM meetings.
Lastly, “The Braves, Dodgers and Mets are believed to be among teams that have inquired about Rangers starting pitchers Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla,” reported Jon Heyman at SI.com over the weekend.
However, according to Rosenthal, “The Mets and Braves are not currently interested in either pitcher.”
Rosenthal also reports on whether the Rockies will trade Huston Street; Atlanta’s quest for a starting pitcher, like A.J. Burnett; whether the Dodgers should sign Trevor Hoffman; and the logjam of corner-infielders in Boston.
Long Island Business News recently caught up with Darryl Strawberry at a local charity event.
When asked if he is spending a lot of time with charities, Strawberry said:
“Yes. This is a very important one, but we’re also donating to organizations that focus on kids with cancer. And my foundation, the Darryl Strawberry Foundation, is also focused on autism awareness.”
To learn more about the Darryl Strawberry Foundation, click here.
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |
Last week, Newsday reported the Mets had received medical information for Francisco Rodriguez, while citing Omar Minaya.
The same day, the player’s agent told the Daily News the same information.
However, this morning, five days later, the New York Post writes, “Contrary to a published report, the Mets didn’t receive the medical breakdown on Rodriguez until yesterday,” while also citing the player’s agent.
…wait, what…so, the agent is refuting himself, and the team’s GM…exactly how does that work…does he need a mirror for that trick…or, just a two-line phone…so bizarre…
Yesterday morning, WEEI Radio in Boston wrote the Red Sox offered a one-year contract to Jason Varitek, which Varitek’s agent denied later in the day, per the Boston Globe.
…are you sensing a trend…anyone, anyone…
Last week, Hal Steinbrenner told the Associated Press that the team’s six-year offer to CC Sabathia ‘is not going to be around forever,’ which resulted in a headline that read, ‘Sabathia Has Deadline to Accept Yankees Offer.’
However, yesterday, at SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote, “The Yankees have not yet set a deadline for Sabathia, and according to someone familiar with their thinking, they have no intention to pull the offer anytime soon.”
At the same time, ESPN reported yesterday that the Nationals were working on a multi-year deal for Odalis Perez, which the player’s agent later denied to MLB.com, saying, the team has simply expressed interest, ‘We talked and that’s where it is.’
Also, in the Star-Ledger, Dan Graziano recently wrote, “If the Blue Jays explore trading Roy Halladay (as some continue to insist they will), the Dodgers are believed to be his most likely destination.”
However, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi later told Ken Davidoff in Newsday, “That hasn’t even crossed our mind.”
Similarly, “The Rockies have spoken to Will Ohman‘s agent,” wrote the Rocky Mountain News on Sunday.
However, Ohman’s agent told the Denver Post yesterday that the Rockies have never called him.
Lastly, over the weekend, Rafael Furcal told El Caribe that the A’s and Mets each offered him a contract.
However, later in the day, his agent told Yahoo! Sports the report was ‘bogus.’
…this last one is my favorite, since it’s the actual freaking player who started the story…not some anonymous source, but the actual player…yet, it’s false…unreal…
…my sense is people are rushing to get information up on their websites, and so they are being a bit sloppy, not very thurough and are unknowingly misinterpreting statements…
…because, they can’t all be correct…inherently, one of the two reports in each scenario has to be wrong, or at least not totally accurate…so, what is the average fan to think…
Last week, in Newsday, David Lennon reported the Mets had received the medical information for Francisco Rodriguez.
However, today, in the New York Post, Bart Hubbuch writes, “Contrary to a published report, the Mets didn’t receive the medical breakdown on Rodriguez until yesterday afternoon and are just now poring over it.
In the Daily News, Adam Rubin quotes Minaya as saying, while things have been slow, the Hot Stove will pick up shortly.
…as i said last night, it’s starting to feel like the Not Stove Season, not the Hot Stove Season…
Minaya said the team has yet to make any official offers to free agent players, ‘though conversations with agents may get more substantive later this week.’
In a report for ESPN.com, Jason Grey takes a look back at the final week of the Arizona Fall League, recapping performances by a MLB prospects.
According to Grey, “Daniel Murphy looked like he could handle second base well enough, given his offensive ability. Whether that’s enough for the Mets remains to be seen. He has limitations, but he didn’t embarrass himself.”
Meanwhile, on the season’s final day, Eddie Kunz blew a save by giving up a pinch-hit 
grand slam to the Phillies OF Jeremy Slayden in the eighth inning.
Regarding Kunz, Grey writes:
“Comparing Kunz’s delivery to the one he displayed last season in the AFL, it appears the team has adjusted him to stand taller in his delivery, presumably to help his command, handle lefties better or both. However, it hasn’t been working well here. The raw stuff is still there, including the heavy sink on his ball, but he needs to improve his command to stick in the big leagues.”
In 10 appearances this fall, Kunz is 2–2 with a 10.93 ERA in 14 innings pitched, during which he has walked 10 batters.
