Daily Archives: December 16, 2008
According to USA Today, last week, the Mets non-tendered infielder Argenis Reyes and RHP Ambiorix Burgos, which means they are now free agents.
Reyes hit just .218 with a .259 OBP in 49 games for the Mets last season.
Also, because I know you’re wondering, Brian Bannister is 21–25 with a 4.87 ERA since being traded from the Mets to the Royals in exchange for Burgos.
ESPN News continues to report that free-agent 1B Mark Teixeira is close to making a decision on where to sign his next contract.
According to multiple reports, the Red Sox, Angels, Nationals and Orioles have all made offers to Teixeira.
Jon Heyman of SI.com believes that if the Yankees are unable to sign Teixeira, ‘they seem ready to pounce for Manny Ramirez.’
…from what i can gather, the Angels will first push for manny if they lose teixeira…if, however, manny signs 
with the Yankees, the Angels could come knocking on Omar Minaya’s door about 1B Carlos Delgado, who would be a one-year fix at first base, while also playing filling in at DH in the American League…
Delgado will earn $12 million in 2009, after which he’ll be a free agent.
…i always got the sense delgado would be here come opening day, so long as a better option did not come in to view…i believe the team sees Daniel Murphy as their first baseman of the future, but not Opening Day 2009…so, even if the Angels have interest, at this point, with Raul Ibanez, Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeria off the board, i am not sure the Mets would be inclined to trade him…
For what it’s worth, Delgado will be the best free-agent first baseman on the market following the 2009 season.
The following, from Baseball Prospctus, is Kevin Goldstein’s list of the Top 11 Mets Prospects:
Four-Star Prospects: 1. OF Fernando 
Martinez, 2. SS Wilmer Flores, and 3. 3B Jefry Marte
Three-Star Prospects: 4. RHP Brad Holt, 5. LHP Jon Niese, 6. SS Reese Havens, and 7. RHP Jenrry Mejia
Two-Star Prospects: 8. 1B Ike Davis, 9. RHP Bobby Parnell, 10. RHP Eddie Kunz, and 11. RHP Scott Moviel
…to me, what’s most noteworthy here, is not who is ranked where and why, but, instead, goldstein did not list a single Mets prospect as being worthy of his five-star status…
Tagged Reese Havens, Robert Parnell, Wilmer Flores |
SNY will air the Francisco Rodriguez press conference live at 10:45 am on Wednesday, December 17.
Chris Cotter will host the coverage from the network’s studio, and Kevin Burkhardt will be on-site for a one-on-one interview with K-Rod immediately following the press conference.
Tagged SNY |Last Friday, it was reported that Fred Wilpon’s 
Sterling Equities lost roughly $300 million to Bernard L. Madoff’s investment firm, as did a variety of charities, Steven Speilberg, Mort Zuckerman, New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg, and others, in what federal authorities are describing as a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.
Meanwhile, in Newsday, Ken Davidoff says Mets GM Omar Minaya was recently told by Wilpon to keep ‘working on the team’s offseason renovation,’ despite the news.
“The Mets are completely self-sufficient, and we have confidence that none of the other investments will affect the team,” said Bob DuPuy, the president and chief operating officer of MLB, as quoted by Michael S. Schmidt in the New York Times.
“They have been one of our most successful franchises on and off the field, and they are going into a magnificent ballpark next spring, and we expect it to be business as usual.”
That said, Schmidt said people with knowledge of Wilpon’s business dealings are concerned that he and the team could encounter significant problems because of the reported fraud.
Schmidt concludes by writing, “Perhaps most troubling is the possibility that losses… may cause Wilpon to sell valuable assets, including a portion of his ownership in the Mets.”
As such, Martin Silver, a long-time Mets fan and owner of Star Industries, told the Daily News he’s putting together a team of partners to make Wilpon a $600 million to $700 million offer to buy the Mets.
ESPN News is reporting that free-agent 
1B Mark Teixeira is close to making a decision on where to sign his next contract.
The Red Sox recently made an eight-year offer, reports Michael Silverman in the Boston Herald.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times believes the Angels offered $160 million to Teixeira, which is for eight years, the team’s GM told MLB.com.
“The Yankees have re-entered the Mark Teixeira Sweepstakes,” wrote Jon Heyman yesterday to his blog for SI.com.
Lastly, the O’s final offer to Teixeira was for seven years, and roughly $145 million, according to the Baltimore Sun, while the Washington Post believes the Nationals offered him an eight-year, $160 million contract.
The Mets will 
introduce Francisco Rodriguez during
Jerry Manuel and John Maine will be in attendance, as will Mike Pelfrey, who will play the role of Santa Clause.
Meanwhile, J.J. Putz will be introduced in a press conference in Citi Field on Thursday.
…i will not be going to the holiday party, and am undecided on the putz press conference…if i go, i will be sure to live blog and upload video and photos as quick as i can…
Speaking of Putz, read Anthony McCarron’s report for the Daily News, during which he talks about the pitcher with M’s pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, who says, ‘Putz will handle the attention very well. That’s one of his strong points. He’s probably looking forward to it. If he adjusts well to that setup role, we’re talking about a club that no one will want to face late in the game.”
SS Rafael Furcal has decided to sign with the 
Braves, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.
…well, this now begs the question, a) what happens to current SS Yunel Escobar and 2B Kelly Johnson, and b) will one of them be shopped again for Jake Peavy…
Atlanta’s offer is believed to be for three years with a vesting option for a fourth season, writes Rosenthal.
Tagged Rafael Furcal |In Newsday, Ken Davidoff writes, “The Mets have one more expensive acquisition on their docket. They want to acquire a starting pitcher, either their own free agent, Oliver Perez, or a suitable replacement.”
…as i said yesterday, i still believe the team’s preferred plan is to sign Derek Lowe and either trade for or sign 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…
Instead, Davidoff believes the Mets will likely sign a ‘retread veteran,’ such as a Freddy Garcia or Eric Milton, to replace Pedro Martinez and compete with Jon Niese.
The Mets are wary of Ben Sheets, says Davidoff, adding that Jon Garland and Randy Wolf are not as appealing to Minaya as are Perez and Lowe, ‘because of the drop-off in quality.’
That said, according to the Daily News, ‘The Mets have expressed interest in free-agent RHP Tim Redding.’
In 33 starts, Redding was 10-11 with a 4.95 ERA through 182 innings for the Nationals last season.
As McCarron points out, Redding was 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts against the Phillies last season.
Additionally, according to MLB Trade Rumors, the Mets checked in on Japanese free-agent starting pitcher Kenshin Kawakami during the MLB Winter Meetings Vegas last week.
Of course, Kawakami’s agent met with nearly 15 teams during the Meetings, including the Braves, says Roch Kubatko of MASN.
Lastly, 11 teams have shown interest in free-agent starting pitcher Daniel Cabrera, who has been offered a multi-year deal from at least one team, reports the Baltimore Sun.
Yesterday, on XM Radio’s MLB Home Plate, Cabrera’s agent said the Mets have not talked to him directly.
The Mets could seek to improve their pitching by signing free-agent catcher Jason Varitek,’ explains Ken Rosenthal in a report for FoxSports.com.
According to Rosenthal, ‘Club officials are divided on how strongly to pursue Varitek,’ with some seeing him as ‘a potential difference-maker for their pitching staff,’ while others are ‘alarmed by his .220 batting average last season.’
Rosenthal says, for the Mets to land Varitek, ‘they would need to move catcher Brian Schneider,’ who several teams are interested in.
Last week, the Washington Post said the Mets and Red Sox had discussed a deal that would send C Brian Schneider to Boston.
Later that day, though, in report for the New York Post, Joel Sherman explained, “The Mets talked several weeks ago to the Red Sox about dealing Schneider, and hopefully signing Varitek”
However, when the Red Sox offered arbitration to Varitek, Sherman explained, ‘the Mets turned away from that scenario because they didn’t want to give up both the money necessary to sign Varitek and the first-round draft pick they would have to surrender in compensation.’
Last month, in a post to his blog for SI.com, Jon Heyman said there were ‘indications,’ based on conversations with other team executives, that ‘the Mets appear open to trading either Ramon Castro or Schneider.’
