Omar Minaya and Company arrived at the Bellagio around 5 pm yesterday.
However, they quickly rushed off to meet Francisco Rodriguez and his agent, Paul Kinzer, for dinner at ‘a nearby steakhouse,’ writes David Lennon on his blog for Newsday.
…oooh, i hope it was Mon ami Gabi, which is in Paris, and home of the best Filet Mignon, with merlot butter and red wine reduction, that i’ve eaten…in fact, any one in Vegas looking for a nice dinner, i highly recommend it…it’s good stuff…
Minaya returned to the hotel around midnight, where he only said, ‘No deal yet. We’re working on it,” while giving a coy smile.
…as i wrote last night, from what i can gather, the goal is to sign K-Rod quickly…this is why Jeff Wilpon is in town…he typically gets involved during the final stages of a negotiation, from what i am told…
In the Daily News, Adam Rubin quotes Minaya as saying, “I expect to leave with players… I think there’s a chance we can hopefully get something done here.”
Meanwhile, in a report for Newsday, in which he details Minaya’s first day at the Meetings, David Lennon writes:
“When he was asked point-blank if he will leave Vegas with any new players, Minaya quickly replied, ‘Yeah,’ then tried to disguise that enthusiasm. ‘I think there’s a chance that hopefully we can get something done here,’ he said, ‘but I also feel that you just can’t force it.’
“The last time he uttered those words at this event, the Mets completed the trade for Santana six weeks later. It looks as if they don’t plan to wait that long this time.”
…from what i can gather, according to own eyes and ears, the Mets intend to offer a three-year deal, which could contain a fourth-year option, all worth roughly $12 million per season…this sounds fair and wise…anything more would be foolish, but anything less would allow other teams to get in the bidding…
{ 51 comments }
I get it. Omar and Co. will spend the whole session stalking k Rod, who will paly hard to get to drive up the price.
Sometime thursday, he will finally sign for a bit more than omar hoped, but less than what he originally wanted.
the mets then realize that most every other player that would have helped rebuild the weak parts of the team got snapped up by other teams, so he will wildly overpay for Garland and Hudson and call it an off season.
Got it.
man, I really hoped (still do!) that they had a real vision this year to build a sustained winner. Youth, etc. Of course Tex was a key piece of that.
If it turns out to be hudson as the big addition, then I guess my hope was in vain.
just get it done 3 yrs 45 mil and 4th yr option with a 4.5 mil buyout making the deal worth a guaranteed 49.5 mil everyones happy
Nay! Bring back the old fomat.
nay unless you can make there a way to reply to other ppls comments again
What is this? Bring back the old format
Nay. I liked the old format better, even if you did have to do some scrolling to follow specific conversations.
Bring back LoDuca and the old format lol …. you cant even respond to peoples comments?
well, as of december 11th we will have a new closer.. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ!!!!!! Write thst down!!
I’m a fan of the Hoffman street scenario myself. You sign Hoffman for 1 year with an option, and then trade for Street.
Hoffman closes the first year and then moves to setup. Kind of like when the Mets had Franco and Benitez… only better.
Didn’t you guys read what Matt wrote? The new format is temporary for this week only, to facilitate higher traffic levels.
I don’t like this format.
3 years at 36 millions with a 4th year “team option” then we move on to the bigger fish.. #25…
:I’m a fan of the Hoffman street scenario myself. You sign Hoffman for 1 year with an option, and then trade for Street.
Hoffman closes the first year and then moves to setup. Kind of like when the Mets had Franco and Benitez… only better.
ARE YOU INSANE!!!!!!
haha hoffman is awful he can be our 7th inning guy for 5 mil for 1 yr if he wants
12 mil per year isnt going to do it when the Angels are in the same ball park
hope it gets done today though i doubt it
k-rod is not signing at 3-36. 3-42 seems more likely
12 mil per year isnt going to do it when the Angels are in the same ball park
They were in the same ballpark….they are not in the game anymore
I dont think it will go til Thursday, depending on what kinda steak they got KROD, i think hopefully by tonight we will have a closer. HOPEFULLY!!
LOL, i don’t know what u mean?? lol
lets hope the gib fish get nailed at this meeting. Krod and Street. Then go home regroup and determine what starter is needed or attainable and what bat can be salvaged to make the team stronger
3-36, 3-42. At this point, is 2 milion a year gonna make that much difference to the team?
If it is, just figure out where else you cut corners.
I would just prefer to get the closer deal done so Omar and Co. can concentrate on the important changes and improvements that they should be worried about.
There are plenty of closers floating around. And heck, i would still rather they went with a “new” closer and put the money elsewhere. And if not, 2 years at less money for Wood, and stock up on strong arms closers in waiting to cover the middle and set up innings.
No matter who they sign, the next closer (say, if K Rod goes down at some point) has to come from inside the team.
i just read this:
The Mets have Jon Garland on the radar.
The Mets’ asking price for Aaron Heilman was too high.
how on earth are the mets asking for this guy? let alone other teams (rockies) are viewing him?? other than him being cheap i don’t think the mets are in any condition to be asking anything for this guy after the atrotious season he had!! and garland???? are you kidding me?? get ben sheets!! all it will cost is maybe 3 more millions!!
please no multi-year deals for mediocre pitchers like Garland. if Sheets or Lowe cannot be had only give out 1 year deals to a guy like Penny
Interesting nugget from Joel Sherman of the NY Post…
“The only reason we expect Francisco Rodriguez to blow out is because we think he will,” an AL executive said. “I bet on [K-Rod breaking down] every year and he hasn’t. [Brian] Fuentes has had his injuries and Kerry Wood has a laundry list. The truth is that – so far – Rodriguez has been pretty durable.”
Sherman adds, ” Is there a better barometer of handling a heavy workload than handling a heavy workload? He has appeared in 403 games over the past six seasons, which is the 13th-most in the majors, and tied with Mariano Rivera.”
please no multi-year deals for mediocre pitchers like Garland. if Sheets or Lowe cannot be had only give out 1 year deals to a guy like Penny
The problem is the Mets can’t afford to rely on injury prone pitchers like Sheets and Penny and Lowe is going to cost way too much in terms of $$ and years….Garland is not as talented as the others but he will provide the much needed innings pitched as well as post season experience
Not liking the signs here.
Looks like spending all the time, focus and $$ on K Rod, and then botom feeding to add crap to the team to fill in the rest of the holes.
Why spend 8 figures/year or stiffs like Garland and Hudson (as reported?) and get locked into mediocrity for 3+ years?
If they can’t find viable (like young) LT solutions, go ST or cheap to tide things over.
2B you can patch, or ride Castillo with a back up plan like Grudzy for 1 year. SP, I would rather see Marquis or Heilmann cheap for 1 year than get stuck with Garland (aka the next Silva).
I still insist Tex would be perfect to set up the team, and will bet some team signs him for way less than what is commonly speculated.
And for SP, take a run at Sheets. At least he has the potential to be very good for the Mets. Garland has the potential to pitch 200 mediocre innings.
I may need to take a break from hot stove news for a while. It is giving me a migraine already!
GET IT DONE OMAR!!!
WE NEED HIM TO GET K-ROD THEN TRADE HEILMAN FOR STREET AND WE WILL BE FINE!
WORLD SERIES HERE WE COME
i hope you’re not sleeping in this morning, omar. you know what i’m saying?
sounds promising. i have no doubt omar can bring in the big fish again (k-rod) and perhaps another.
i am a little concerned whether or not he can get the right supporting cast in the rest of the bullpen and an additional spark or gritty player.
Agreed, zen.
Unbeknownst to many, it’s the supporting cast (bullpen, bench) that has let us down rather than the core (offense, SP).
Omar needs to be deliberate rather than flashy…
I hope they took him to Prime at Bellagio….awesome steak house, and you can have drinks overlooking the Lake at Bellagio…..that could be the difference as to whether we sign him….
i really hope we somehow land tex. i don’t see how we can’t afford him.
i am shocked that after seen how this bullpen have falter the last 2 years we tell colorado no thank you, keep street who’s young and good becoz we won’t give you 2 of our most garbatrous bullpen guys, we like to keep giving them the ball in a tight game so we lose by 4..
i agree, how we would not accept heilman and feliciano for street is beyond me.
said it before, since october began i said, get rid of delgado, castillo, pedro, el duque, heilman & co… start afresh.. get young and street and k-rod are perfect for each other in the bullpen.. get #25 to be good for years, if we miss out on him get #24 for no more than 3 and i as-sure you that would gives us credibility from the get go… get ben sheets or sign ollie perez and a #5 starter.. please omar minaya, after the mets (stupidly ) gave you 4 more years try to do a good job or it will be your last..
Maybe Omar has something else on the table for Heilman? Cause im sure he wont just say no.
pelf, I believe Omar wants to use feliciano and heilman as seperate trade pieces. I’m sure if this wasn’t the plan than Street would be wearing Mets orange and blue already
Alex you’d be a terrible poker player. Sure we could’ve jumped the gun and did Heilman/Feliciano for Street but I’m pretty sure Omar’s using that trade option right now to bargain down the price of Krod. You’re probably going to see him move on that if/when we sign Krod and the price might not be as steep. Omar ain’t gonna push all in right away. Look at Santana last year.
Teixiera is not coming to the Mets so you might as well get that thought out of your head.
big risk stalling on heilmann/feliciano (using Street as a bargaining chip).
If a better offer comes in, the rockies can ship him elsewhere. And if they snag the loogy they are looking for, they no longer need Feliciano.
This time of year is largely a big game of chicken. Problem is, sometimes the cars colllide!
feliciano is a significant piece. a good lefty reliever who makes $1m a year and is 32 years old is impossible to find on the market. he’s also 3 years from free agency.
i don’t view him as a throw him into a package player. heilman + a lesser prospect is enough for street. street hasn’t been that much better than him except last year + heilman makes a couple of million a year less than street which helps the rockies
Sounds like the woman that is waiting for the guy to pop the question at a fancy restaurant.
why are stories appearing and disappearing on the front page
zen, I think we can agree to disagree about how good Feliciano is! IMO, he is not that good, and had a lousy year last year (and not very good in 2007).
I hope he does have as much trade value as you think, as long as Omar taps into it.
But heilmann and a lower prospect (with Pedro F going in a seperate deal) would be fine with me too.
i understand that feliciano is cheap and all that but his run in ny has come to an end.. as much as i hate to say this we have to keep schoenweis due to money, nobody will take his salary of 3+ millions, get street now while we have the opportunity, then we get k-rod and our 8th inning and 9th inning problems are solve then we can move on to other thing (like rest of bullpen, starting pitchign and a plan of how to get #25)
sign K-Rod immediately and get to work on the rest of the bullpen OMAR
oh and make schowenweiss sell popcorn in the nose bleeds if he stays around
stickguy, there are very few decent lefty relievers.
you’re right feliciano isn’t great, but compared to his lefty peers he’s pretty good.
i’m fine with trading him in a separate deal, but that leaves only no-show in the bullpen from the left
12 mil a year seems a bit lowball… I’d offer slightly more.
50th Comment!
Manu Ginobili is the best restaurant on the strip. I think I had the same thing too when I went…the filet mignon.
Oh wait…I meant Mon Ami Gabi.
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