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In today’s Newsday, Ken Davidoff reports the Mets contacted the Rangers earlier in the off season about C Gerald Laird.
“There hasn’t been much discussion there lately,” writes Davidoff, noting, instead, how the Mets have prioritized ‘the renovation of their pitching staff.’
In early November, at SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote:
“Some Mets people are concerned about their catching. But some in their hierarchy don’t like that the best free-agent options… Pudge Rodriguez and Bengie Molina don’t exactly make them younger.”
The Dallas Morning News has written the Rangers will listen to offers for all of their catchers, including Max Ramirez, Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
However, in all cases, the Rangers will want a top-flight, proven, under-contract, young pitcher in return, such as Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz, according to the Boston Globe.
For what it’s worth, according to Ken Davidoff in a previous report for Newsday, the Rangers have shown interest in RHP Aaron Heilman, who will turn 30 later this month, and who is not eligible for free agency until after 2010.
The 29–year-old Laird hit .276 in 95 games for Texas, while hitting six HR and 41 RBI with a .329 OBP.
In 2008, he threw out 28 percent of runners who tried to steal against him, compared to a 39–percent success rate in 2007 and a 45–percent success rate in 2006.
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“The 29–year-old Laird hit .276 in 95 games for Texas, while hitting six HR and 41 RBI with a .329 OBP.”
and all this while playing in a hitter’s park.. great..
took the words right out of my mouth
altho i see that he actually hit 258 at home and 299 on the road with similar power/rbi totals
Similar power numbers… if you can call it power.
exactly…ho hum. Omar needs to focus his time and energy on what the team really needs….2 additions to the pen, at least one very good starter and possible a RH bat for Leftfield spot with pop.
You are correct!
forget about laird, salty, and max ramirez…who they REALLY should be trying to go after is taylor teagarden. he’s the best catcher they have
He’s worth it just for his name alone.
Which is why he’s not on the trading block. And if he was we wouldn’t have a shot in hell anyway.
they’re big on max ramirez not so much on teagarden so we’d have a shot. he’s a fantastic defender and can hit
Not true. Teagerdan has been deemed untouchable. The Rangers fans I know say teams could trade for him but they’d have to give up so much it wouldn’t make sense for any team to do it.
i am amazed at how texas is asking for a guy like clay bucholz for a guy who didn’t even hit!!.. and his defense suffered the past 2 seasons for whatever reason.. no.. stay away..
That is why I don’t mind at all having Schneider play against the righties and Castro (if he can stay healthy) play against the lefties. People talk like the Giants will trade Molina for nothing, but just like Texas the Giants want top prospects for Molina. Price way to high a move like this.
I don’t think the Molina situation is the same. He is a FA after this season. He should not cost as much.
I agree with the need to get another catcher. But, it should be a young guy with upside potential (aka a catcher of the future). Not a guy that is basically going to give you about what Schneider does, especially if you have to trade some good prospects for him. Why bother?
find some 24 YO guy blocked in AAA on a team with a good catcher.
Hello Jose Morales of the Twins. They most likely could use an Evans just fine.
I agree. Go ahead and do it!
Then if the Angels get Tex we should try to trade for Kendry Morales.
can someone explaing to me why on heaven’s earth are we looking at catcher and 2nd basemen when we haven’t even made an upgrade in what betrayed us the most for the past 2 years which is the freaking BULLPEN???!!!!!
Alex, you are on the spot. baby!
That being said; consistency at the C position is an important ingredient of good pitchin’.
Ao Mr. Omar; let’s get this party started!
Omar’s meeting with K-Rod’s agent this week. Should he be just waiting for that meeting and not doing anything else? I’d hope they can do more than one thing at once.
Although I agree, ease up a bit…read this sentence from the blog post…
““There hasn’t been much discussion there lately,” writes Davidoff, noting, instead, how the Mets have prioritized ‘the renovation of their pitching staff.’”
In other words, we might be interested in Laird, but there’s not the same kind of interest as rebuilding the back end of the rotation and the bullpen.
Hello youth movement! Not sure Laird is the right guy (and he’s not exactly a young guy).
Stickguy you are 100% spot on.
My thoughts are unload Schnieder and Castro and trade for Molina. Then spend the next year looking for a replacement. I would much rather have Molina Cancel than Schnieder/Castro/Cancel/Whoever as Schnieder and Castro will never stay healthy.
Schnieder, Castro and Molina are all FA after this season. Which one is most likely to be a type A? Molina. Go get him and dump the other guys for relief pitchers or 2B prospects.
Is Pudge a type A or B FA?
If he does not cost a pick and would take an incentive based contract that would allow us to trade one of our guys I don’t see a problem with it. As long as we did not have to pay anymore upfront than what the guy we traded makes.
Now Pudge for multiple years and 10 million a year? LOL no way.
he is shot though.
I agree, that is why no multiple years. We are not going to get any offense from Schnieder and Ican’tplaybacktobackgames Castro either.
what the heck. Heres the grand plan (may take a hit on type A FAs, but if done right, it fills all the holes for the next few years).
sign cruz and Teix.
Sign Wolf and Sheets.
trade heilmann + prospect (not a top guy) for Street.
trade feliciano or Schoe for something (prospect?)
Trade Delgado for a AAA C + something
trade Castro for prospect or something
Sign 2 lower tier BP guys (lyon, Guardado, etc.)
Get Cordero as a rehab project.
Let’s see, that is 4 main FAs, and maybe a couple 2nd tier (also can be filled through the trades).
Trading Delgado, a LOOGY (don’t ned 2!) and Castro help replenish the farm, and need to bring in a catcher of the future and ideally a 2B to groom. Also can add some BP arms and/or bench/utility strength.
Only Teix is really goinna be expensive, or long term.
For the SP, you can also save money by going with Vargas or Neise 9whoever looks readiest in ST).
mix/match pen from the new guys and holdovers like Parnell, sanchez.
No, you don’t get a “sexy” big name closer. Just a bunch of new live/strong arms for the pen. At a much lower cost.
santana, maine, pelf, sheets, wolf. Vargas and Neise in reserve at AAA.
Cruz, sheets, guardado, lyon, parnell, smith, loogy. (ayala, sanchez, stokes also possible).
Schnieder/new C, Teix, Castillo (for now) Reyes, wright, Murphy, beltran, church.
bench will be C not platooning, tatis or murphy (whoever isn’t starting), and some combo of new guys (need a MI to spell Castillo) or holdovers like evans, endy, etc.
Hey, I like it, and the money is balanced out nicely.
As long as the trades bring back a catcher that can hopefully start in 2010 FT, and maybe a 2B for when Castillo goes down, that is a strong team in 2009 and primed to be even better beyond that.
And probably not any more expensive than last years roster.
Not bad. I still think trading for Vasquez and signing Krod are the best things but not bad for out of the box.
Here’s a name for your MI to spell Castillo, FELIPE LOPEZ. Versatile and coming off a strong 2nd half last year.
I was thinking Grudzy or Hairston JR. If Lopez is cheap it’s not a bad option.
So if Heilman doesn’t get traded for Street, he could be traded for a Texas Catcher. That’ll mean that Delgado would then be the next choice for a SU guy. I thought I read a Delgado for Putz rumor but now can’t find it.
Or Delgado could go for a Rays pitcher.
Never was a Delgado for Putz rumor. It would make no sense for the M’s who are wanting to get rid of money and know they won’t compete next year.
Delgado and 4 million to the Rays for Sonnanstine makes a lot of sense for both teams. Gets us a young cheap #5 starter gets them a power DH bat to replace Floyd for the same money they paid Floyd. Then we go after Tex.
In fact if we could get Putz for prospects and lessen the prospect load by taking Washburn that would be just fine for me. Washburn would not be a bad option at #5.
Yeah, I think I might have read an article that suggested trading for Putz and getting rid of Delgado. In my fantasy GM mind I made a trade. Oops! Oh well!
Guys, why not trade Schnieder and Castro for prospects and go with Molina and Cancel? Are they that much worse? It’s an 8 hitter. Trading those 2 free’s up almost 8 million. Hmmm, the same difference in between Delgado and Tex’s contracts. Hmmm…….
I like the idea of getting Molina, but do the Mets have what it takes to get him? As you have said, catcher will most likely be number 8 hitter and I doubt that the Mets will give up much for Molina.
I was refering to the bad Molina that played for us last year. However, as for the good Molina? We obviously have enough to get him and he would not be our #8 hitter.
Reyes, Murphy, Wright, Delgado, Beltran, Church, Molina, Castillo. With Schnieder, Castillo might even need to bat ahead of him.
so…. going 2-9 with a 6+ era after throwing one no hitter makes you top flight and proven? Interesting
no it makes you a top flight prospect, the no hitter shows the upside but hes obviously not there yet.
I think clubs don’t look at the record more than the stuff a young pitcher has.
Example Pelfrey’s first year.
However, in all cases, the Rangers will want a top-flight, proven, under-contract, young pitcher in return, such as Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz, according to the Boston Globe.
I would say that statement is fine except for saying PROVEN…
he is not proven yet….i’m just pointing out how dumb that sounds…
agreed/
They probably mean proven as in ML ready. He’s proven himself in the minors while they were are pitchers with high upside who are still working out things like mechanics and command who are further away and less projectable.