Daily Archives: December 15, 2008
Free-agent LHP Andy Pettitte has a three-
year, $36 million offer from an ‘unnamed team,’ reports Jon Heyman at SI.com.
The Yankees have been waiting for Pettitte to accept a one-year, $10–million offer, Heyman says.
…umm, crazy thought…but, is there any chance that the Mets are the ‘unnamed team,’ since they are supposedly seeking a front-end, left-handed starting pitcher…
According to Heyman, “If Pettitte doesn’t ever take the Yankees’ longstanding offer, the Yankees will consider either making an offer to Ben Sheets or resuming discussions with Derek Lowe to round out their revamped rotation.”
Speaking of starting pitchers…
The Phillies have re-signed LHP Jamie Moyer to a two-year deal, according to a team press release.
Also, the Phillies signed Chan-Ho Park to a one-year, $2.5 million deal, reports the Philadelphia Daily News.
The three-year, $30 million contract signed by Raul Ibanez and the Phillies, should put a ceiling on contracts for Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, Milton Bradley and Pat Burrell, among other outfielders, explains Mark Topkin in the St. Petersburg Times.
Speaking of right-handed hitting corner outfielder, 
the Royals may have to trade OF Jose Guillen, if they end up signing free-agent SS Rafael Furcal, reports the Kansas City Star.
In an October report for the New York Post, Joel Sherman wrote that the Mets will probably have to ‘take on another headache,’ if they want to trade Luis Castillo to another team.
According to Sherman, citing an executive familiar with the talks, “the Mets and Royals had discussions in July about swapping Guillen for Castillo.”
Guillen will earn $24 million for the next two seasons, while Castillo is due to make $18 million during the next three.
Lastly, George King of the New York Post believes that, if the Yankees do not sign 
Mark Teixeira, they will go after free-agent outfielder Manny Ramirez, “and to clear some money, they might entertain offers for outfielder Xavier Nady.”
…if you recall, rumor had it that the Mets were trying to re-acquire Xavier Nady from the Pirates last summer, but the asking price was too much…it seems like every year for the rest of my life i will be writing about the possible return of nady to queens…i see no reason why this off-season should be any different…other than it’s the Yankees who have him, and the Mets and Yankees rarely ever hook up in trade…that said, you know, he is the right-handed Ryan Church, etc., etc…
Speaking of outfielders, and the Yankees…
The Yankees and Brewers continue to discuss Mike Cameron, with the deal hinging upon Kei Igawa, explains Jon Heyman at SI.com.
Tagged Xavier Nady |The following is a video mailbag, during which I explain why I am not worried about Francisco Rodriguez’s arm, and why I like the deal to bring on J.J. Putz:
This morning, I realized I goofed and forgot to run the Fan Confidence Rating last Friday – as I normall do.
So, to vote in this week’s Fan Confidence Rating, click here.
Tagged Poll |Friday night, the Mets traded Scott Schoeneweis to the D’Backs for RHP Conor Robertson.
This means, Pedro Feliciano is the only left-handed relief pitcher on the team’s 40–man roster.
LHP Joe Beimel is reportedly seeking a two– or three-year deal, worth 
roughly $4 million per season, and, from what I can gather, the Mets are not interested – nor should they be at that prince. I mean, he’s good, but he’s not that good.
Also available on the free-agent market is Brian Shouse, Dennys Reyes, Will Ohman and Eddie Guardado, among others.
The 30–year-old Shouse held left-handed hitters to a .180 batting average last season, with a 28–to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Reyes, 31, is the ultimate left-handed specialist, since it is literally all he is good for – lefties hit .202 against him last season, and are batting .237 during his 535–game career. The same can actually be said for Guardado, who will soon be 39 years old.
Ohman will likely require a long-term deal, and has drawn interested form the Cardinals and Braves, who have reportedly made him an offer.
On Saturday, NPB Tracker said Mets are the front-runners to sign Japanese free-agent LHP Ken Takahashi, who was 8-5 with a 3.50 ERA in 21 games last season for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
According to the report, Takahashi hopes to sign with a new team by the end of the year.
Tagged Pedro Feliciano |In his Sunday Q&A for the New York Post, 
Steve Serby talked with Mets GM Omar Minaya about his week in Las Vegas, at the MLB Winter Meetings, including the series of events, his meetings with agents, players and GMs, and his super-secret, work-location at The Wynn.
…this is a fascinating discussion, and will give you all you need to know about how things go down at these Meetings…
During the discussion, Minaya explained that he had been working on a deal for J.J. Putz since the end of October.
…it’s funny, on November 18, in a post titled Mets Likely to Trade for a Reliever, i was among the first to write:
“From what I can gather, the Mets are likely to make a trade for a relief pitcher, who has experience as a closer, before they move to sign either Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes or Kerry Wood.’… If I had to make an educated guess, I would bet on a deal built around a current pitcher, such as Aaron Heilman, in exchange for a pitcher like Rockies RHP Huston Street.”
…actually, i was near certain it would be street, and i truly believed it would be before signing rodriguez…turns out it was after, and putz instead…
…in the end, while the Mets preferred putz, street would have been less expensive, in the sense it would have cost heilman and either Pedro Feliciano or a prospect, as opposed to swapping seven players for three…however, if the Mets knew they’d be trading Scott Schoeneweis, as they did over the weekend, feliciano had to be retained…otherwise, minaya currently be in need of two situational lefties, whereas now he only needs one…
…so, putz cost more, but, ultimately, it will probably prove to be the better of the two options…
“M’s GM Jack Zduriencik asked me, ‘Can you get me OF Franklyn Gutierrez and Aaron Heilman?,” Minaya explained to Serby. ”I called Indians GM Mark Shapiro and asked, ‘Will you do Gutierrez for Joe Smith,’ cause they like Smith. He said, ‘Let me think about it.’”
Tagged Omar Minaya |The Mets have turned their attention to acquiring a starting pitcher reports Anthony McCarron in the Daily News, who says they are interested in signing Oliver Perez, while free-agent LHP Randy Wolf ‘is another strong possibility.’
…i know the Mets like wolf, a) because he’s left-handed and b) he’s 
had success in the National League East…
The Brewers, Braves, Cardinal and Phillies have been linked in rumor to Wolf.
…personally, wolf does nothing for me…i am always suspect of a pitcher who has been with four teams in three years, all while pitching with a high-4 ERA and missing a whole bunch of games due to injury…i mean, if wolf is signed as a short-term guy to compete with Jon Niese, i’m cool with that…but, if he’s supposed to be the ‘front-end starting pitcher,’ that will be a problem i believe…
Last week in Vegas, Mets GM Omar Minaya told reporters there was a 50–50 chance that he is able to re-sign Perez.
Jon Heyman of SI.com told WFAN last week that Perez and the Mets are still ‘far apart on the dollars,’ since he is seeking a five-year deal worth around $70 million.
According to McCarron, the Mets like Derek Lowe but he’s a less likely alternative because, as Minaya acknowledged last week, his price tag (perhaps as much as $15 million per) is too high.
…well, if lowe’s asking price is too high, how is perez’s not…
That said, over the weekend, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com explained why he believes the Mets are the front-runners to sign Lowe.
…i am not sure they’re the front-runners, but i see a path to him signing for a three-or four-year deal, at around $15 million per season, and, if this is the case, i believe the Mets will be more involved than they may be alluding to…
…and so, while i do not doubt they like perez and wolf, i still believe their preferred plan is to sign lowe and trade for a young, out-of-favor back-end starting pitcher to compete with niese…now, whether that will or can happen is another thing, but i do believe it is the preferred path, as it should be…
By the way, McCarron also reports on whether the Mets will pursue Manny Ramirez and Orlando Hudson.
Speaking of starting pitchers…
In the SD Union-Tribune, Tom Krasovic explains why talks fell apart between the Braves and Padres about Jake Peavy.
