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Free-agent LHP Brian Fuentes is scheduled to meet the Mets, according to the player’s agent, reports Troy E. Renck in today’s Denver Post.
Last week, in the Daily News, Adam Rubin wrote Fuentes is seeking a three-year deal worth around $33 million, which the Mets feel is too expensive, ‘but they are still interested.’
Meanwhile, over the weekend, Francisco Rodriguez’s agent told 
the Associated Press that he will meet the Mets during next week’s Winter Meetings.
According to the report, the agent said, “I don’t have anything else planned.”
…i love this guy’s honesty…
…as i said before, i still believe it will cost three-years, plus an option, at close to $15 million per season, to sign rodriguez…and so, i’m not sure i’d prefer fuentes at a slight discount…
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1) The Closer market favors the Mets tremendously. Who besides the Mets will pay 15 million a year for 3(+) years of Krod? Thus, he won’t get that much. 3/40 with large option and buyout.
2) You have to ask yourself is Krod 4 million better than Fuentes as suming the same amount of years. If you can’t answer that question you are insane.
Seriously name 1 team besides the Mets that will go that high? The Brewers? Let them. That’s about it.
Yes he is. Why?
1. He’s 6 years *younger* than Fuentes. Do we need another Wagner fiasco?
2. He’s been one of the most consistent top-flight closers the last 3 years. Fuentes has lost his job and been demoted to the Minors in that same time span.
3. K-Rod has flourished in baseball’s 2nd biggest sports market (Los Angeles) while Fuentes has folded to pressure in…wait for it…Colorado, between the safe confines of the Rockie Mountains.
I don’t think K-Rod will cost $15M considering the dearth of suitors he and his agent are now dealing with. Thus, the decision is made clearer: K-Rod > Fuentes.
Exactly.
aint my money. Yeah, I know there is a budget, and if you spend too much in one area you may get shrotchanged elsewhere. But between these too, the annual salary is close enough that they should go for the one that they feel will do a better job (as-suming they are really going to pick one of the 2).
I’m more interested now to see what Omar does with the SP and middle relief actually. Probably more important overall, and it seems like a foregone conclusion that he signs one of the FAs.
And since I am spending the Mets money, get Teix too. Man, that would make the team way better. Much more balanced offense, better D, and 1B is locked down for many years. Then trade delgado and eventually some of the 25 1Bs in the monors for parts needed to fill other holes (2B, C, P).
I wish we could convince Omar what a smart move signing Tex and trading Delgado would be. It would only add about 8 million to this year’s payroll.
Exactly – it ain’t our money. There’s more penny pinching talk on this sight than in Fred’s office.
Frankly I could care less how much they spend – I want to see a winner on the field – period. The talk about spending and budgeting and such from the fan base has absolutely no basis in reality or facts. We have no idea what the books look like and how they handle their money. Nor should we. Do you really believe that spending less on payroll is going to result in lowers costs for us?
All we know is that we’ve haven’t won a championship in over 20 years and in many of those years we’ve watched a terrible baseball team.
I say sign K rod and Fuentes. Sign Manny and whoever else. I don’t give a rat’s booty what the cost is. Let’s get a great team on the field and stop fooling around. This is New York for cryin out loud. Get it done!
I mean yeah, look at the Yankee’s. They are a picture of sucess since they started this strategy.
A hell of a lot more success than we’ve had I’m sorry to say.
What have they won since starting to baloon their payroll up to what you are suggesting?
I don’t want to be the Yankee’s. I want the Mets to easy with their money but still spend wisely. I want to see youth and experience. Not a bunch of overpriced guys who only care about stats and their next contract. The Mets have a good core for years to come, get the supporting cast. That being said, I want to bring in Tex. That is money well spent on this year and the future. Manny, Lowe, not so much.
Spend wisely?? Where?? Sorry Omar, you don’t spend wisely, you just spend less than Cashman.
There’s nothing I want more this year than for the Mets to sign Teixeira (I even learned how to spell his name correctly). Like thereal said, it’s only $8M more than Delgado. With Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Tex you can fill the rest of the lineup with young and inexpensive guys like Church (and Juan Rivera).
Join the cause @ tex4mets.wordpress.com
Ok met fans how does this sound. You trade delgado, 2 million dollars and a prospect to Tampa for sonnanstine. Then you go out sign Tex for 8 years at 20 a year on average. You see if can back load the contract a little so you have a little more money for some other guys. Let’s say he gets 17 the first year and then it goes up from there. You turn around and use that 3 million on a guy like juan Rivera. All of a sudden the mets aren’t so lefty heavy and have a little more balance in the lineup. Then you trade hielman, show, and a little cash for street. That would leave you with around 20 million to spend on a closer and another starter. Let’s say penny and krod. That would give you 5 solid starters(santana,Pelf,Maine,sonnanstine,and penny), 3 new arms in the pen ( krod,street, and whoever replaces show),one of the best first basemen in baseball and Rivera to either strengthen the bench or platoon with church if he struggles with lefties. Best of all you get to keep all your prospects for the future or you’ll have guys to trade if we need something at the trade deadline.
I might even go for Randy Johnson for one year because it’ll leave room for Niese in 2010. Johnson will be good for 30 games, an ERA below 4, and WHIP below 1.25.
I wouldn’t mind Johnson. I’m not sure of his interest in returning to NYC or his asking price but he still has a little something left in the tank. He’d really liven up the clubhouse. LOL.
Why do you think it will only cost 3 years + an option to get KRod? You keep saying it like it’s based upon some fact but you never give any backing for this belief. You never thought Zito would get 6 years, he got 7. Pitchers get what they want, you seem to think he’ll take less. I doubt it.
I am as suming you are asking Matt this. However, either way refer to my 2nd post. Who is going to give him more? The only way is something like 4/48 and that’s not any better for him than 3/45.
I just don’t see any team offering him 3 years and expecting to get him. I could see 4/52 and a vesting 5th year… 3 years and an option is something that he won’t seriously consider.
Again, what team is going to put up the cash and years? Besides the Mets and Brewers?
he will if that is the high offer. What is he going to do instead, retire? Play in Japan?
That being said if he is crasy enough to do a 4/52 then why not. I just can’t see why he would rather have that then 3/45 with an option year with a large buyout.
First off – why do you think the Brewers have money? Why does anyone think the Brewers have money? They have a couple of suddenly arbitration eligible players and they have holeS in their rotation (Gallardo then… Manny Parra? Really?). I don’t see them going after KRod and I don’t see KRod going from LA to… Milwaukee.
So then, you’re basically agreeing with what thereal said in the first place … which is … no other team will offer K-Rod that much.
Zito got those years and cash because he was basically the only SP on the market. And the Giants needed a big offer for him to choose a loser over the Mets.
I don’t know why the Mets think of K-Rod as an old, aging scrub pitcher. I’m worried that some people will be content with Fuentes just because he’d cost les-s than K-Rod. Does everyone seriously want the Mets to pay Fuentes more when we know he’s much more older and already got sent down to the minors in Colorado?
If everyone is so concerned over K-Rod, surround him with another relief pitcher with closer experience. Get the Houston Street trade worked out and get another arm that would be capable of handling the 8th and 9th innings.
i still think some unknown team will try to swoop in to up the price but whatever…if the money is comparable then it’s gotta be k-rod over fuentes…fuentes is good but has been too inconsistent…i mean he wasn’t even the closer at the start of ‘07
Actually lost his closer role 2 times in 3 years. This guy is a setup man that will get closer money. The only difference in this guy and Juan Cruz is that Cruz is younger, will cost less money and unfortunately for him has no closer experience.
That’s why I preached (not that anyone listens to me!) to follow the ‘creative” path of finding the next hot closer and annointing him (and saving 10 million/year in the process!), instead of overpaying for a big name, just becasue he has closer experience.
I would rather have Cruz closing and Teix vs. Fuentes closing and Delgado for the same $$/year.
Exactly. If the Mets can’t get Krod for a decent price then go cheap. Get Street and Cruz let them compete for closer, sign Brandon Lyon and Guardado. That’s not a lot of money added.
6 for Cruz, 5 for Street, 4 for Lyon and 2 for Guardado.
Cruz
Street
Lyon
Guardado
Smith
Stokes
Show/Feliciano.
You just rebuilt your entire pen for 17 million.
Just… wow. Street isn’t a FA and you don’t live in reality.
i think they should sign cruz either way…the guy was filthy last year and is a good fall back option…the way i see it is if your losing picks you might as well lose them all the same year
iamatwork……his proposal is extremely doable. Street is definitely being shopped and will more than likely be traded before the season starts. The METS are one of the teams likely lined up to talk trade. Those are the rumors….
As to the rest of the guys…we can sign Guardado..not a type A or B, and we can sign Cruz or Lyon.
You may not like the guys and may not believe the prices but as to the possibilities of these transactions actually happening….it is certainly possible.
I prefer one bonafide closer and one make good buy this offseason. something like Sign Krod and trade for street. But his path is likely cheaper and provides some depth that my plan would not
The plan fits with my philosophy too.
And for everyone that harped onhow the Phils had the lock down BP last year the Mets lacked, this is pretty muchhow thiers was built. A “fallen” former closer they traded for, a couple of FA middle guys, and some cast offs/scrubs they got cheap.
At least stuff should start happening soon (trades/FAs) since today is the deadline for offering arbitration, and the winter meetings start next Monday.
I expect that once the first domino falls, you won’t be able to keep up with the action.
And hopefully Omar surprised us all (in a good way) with some out of the box trades or FAs to really remake the team.
I know that they scored a lot of runs last year, but there are still holes (for 2009 and even more so 2010) that it would be nice if he could take care of.
Yes, he has to plug the openings in the rotation and beef up the pen. But next year, 1B and C will be vacant. And 2B? if Luis is back, he will be another year older.
So why not try to either get new starters for this year, or at least an “in waiting” to take over next year (particularly at C)?
That’s the logic of going after someone like Teix. He makes you marginally (or more) better this year, and plugs a gaping hole that will open up next off season.
Just stay young and athletic. No Hudson, no Ibanez for 3 years. And as intriquing as the bat sounds, no Manny.
Agreed.
Sign Tex and trade Delgado for a young 2B, Catcher, or #5 SP.
i am praying we get teixeira, as i said many times before we need to trade delgado and let the young core go from here under david wright’s leadership. also get rid of castillo at any cost. i do not wanna see delgado, castillo, pedro, schoenweis in a met uniform next year.
I favor paying the real money for KRod, whatever it is 4-55M, versus going for Fuentes and the less long deal and more unsure player.
I like “TheReal”s ideas above in getting multiple players in here and doing it with guys that either have been closers before or can be closers.
Cruz, Street and Guardado are good fill pieces. I’d even consider tossing out one of them and replacing with Cordero on a make good deal and Wood for 2-3 yrs at 10 – 11M per.
I do not know if the deal for Street of Heilman and Feliciano is still on the table but I would gladly trade Heilman and Feliciano for Street.
Getting Street is the first domino and will have an effect on the closer prices elsewhere. You think that we can not use the leverage of a 26 yr old former closer coming off a poor year, in negotiations with Krod. If he does not have NY in the market for him or at least it is perceived he does not…the prices for his services will drop.
You can also combine the 2. Execute TRS’ plan, and also throw K Rod in their. Obviously increases the cost, but what the heck, it’s only money!
even without him, between cruz/street/parnell you have some live arms. and guys like lyon/guardado/ayala give depth to the middle innings. Smith and a loogy can fill out their niche roles.
sanchez might come back strong. Who knows. Stokes could be a good long guy. Who knows.
But, adding those new names, subtracitng heilmann and at least one of schoe/fleiciano (if not both) and rolling the rest out to see what sticks can give a more than good enough pen.
Slight discount? Yeah, it’s slight when it’s not your money. Get real, Matt. 4 Mil per season over three seasons (maybe 4) is a sizeable “discount.”
That some on this site even dare to compare thos POS Fuentes with Krod is amusing.
First, Fuentes couldn’t hold the closer job due to stress in Colorado! How do you all think he would handle NY?
Second, in the past 30 years there have been 3, count them, 3 lefty closers who won the World Series for thier team. Hernandez (Detroit), Orosco (mets) and Myers (Cincy), the last with Dibble getting saves in the playoffs and WS.
Fuentes is trash – I live in Colorado and watched him fall apart 2 of the last 3 years. Total loser.
The Mets have the money (don’t let the “Coupons” foll you) and need Krod.
Here are my predictions…wriite them on a rock:
Mets sign Krod
Mets sign Manny
Mets sign Wolf and Garland
Mets trade Heilman for a bag of beans (ok, maybe Street or a catcher as stated in this column).
Resign Ayala.
Hopefully sign the best utility man in baseball, Mark Loretta.
skip manny. add Teix. and replace Garland with sheets. Keep the street for heilmann piece.
other than that, just a couple more BP arms maybe and you are good to go.
Unless you can somehow add a new 2B or C. But, those moves can be done next off season too.
another non-story
The difference with Street is he will still cost quite a bit to get…and it’s completely different then Lidge.
Lidge has had some monumental success in the past regular season and postseason – it’s not like this came out of nowhere.
Street has had some decent years but in 2006 he did blow 11 games, in 2007 was hurt a majority of the season and in 2008 he lost his job. I think he can be successful – as a setup man.
get the closer that would be new to the national league…
What is the Met’s current payroll (approximately)? Take the difference between that number and $162MM (the luxury tax threshold for 2009) and you have the most that the Mets are willing to spend (obviously on a per season basis) for this upcoming year.
Only the Yankees and the Red Sox have entered Luxury Tax territory since the new system was put in place in 2002. The Mets won’t join them.
If that difference is a relatively large number then my post is pretty meaningless…but you can use it to size up a KRod contract and the money that would be left over to spend.
Allowing from some flexibility the Mets had around 42-48 million to spend this offseason. They already spent 12 of it with Delgado. Thus right now they have a budget around 30-36 million with some flexibility. What do I mean by that? If there is a reliever they really want or a SP that they have to go more money on they have a little room to do that without going over the threshold.
get ‘er done
k-rod. 3 years @ $42m