Daily Archives: January 9, 2009
Ken Davidoff of Newsday believes the Yankees prefer to trade OF Xavier Nady, instead of 1B-OF Nick Swisher.
According to Davidoff, “The Mets enjoyed having Nady on their club… and they inquired about him last July… For now, however, the Mets are focused on their starting rotation and are not looking to acquire a bat either through free agency or through a trade.”
Honestly, each day this past week, people connected to the team have been telling me not to expect any significant upgrade to the team’s offense. Unfortunately, I’m starting to believe them.
I sense two reasons for this: 1) the budget, which is not set in stone, but only flexible for the absolute right scenario, and 2) the team genuinely 
believes the offense is fine as is – especially when it is far easier to get a bat at the trade deadline than a quality pitcher.
I believe their thinking is: Ryan Church will be better than last year, because he’ll play a full season; Brian Schneider and Luis Castillo have no place to go but up; Carlos Delgado will give a full season of what he produced in the second half of last year; and Daniel Murphy will be all they hope he can be. The thing is, none of these scenarios are a given – in fact, it’s pretty easy to argue why they will not happen, as it is to argue why they will.
I agree with trying to build the most stable, well-rounded pitching staff possible, which the Mets are on route to doing. And I understand that last season, technically, it can be argued that the offense was more than fine, but that the bullpen continually ruined their efforts. However, counting on a rookie and a past-his-prime second baseman, and hoping Church stays healthy and Delgado improves at age 37, is risky – and so having at least one, new, reliable bat would he helpful.
Tagged Xavier Nady |Update, 8:01 pm:
Dan Graziano, the NY Baseball Hack, believes the Braves are considering a deal worth $14 million per season, according to people familiar with the team’s thinking.
According to Graziano, “The Mets will probably be willing to go as high as $42 million for three years and may be willing to talk about a fourth-year vesting option. They believe the Braves want Lowe, but they don’t think Atlanta will actually outbid them.”
Original Post:
According to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves meeting with Derek Lowe lasted five hours yesterday, complete with a video presentation and a recorded message from country music artist Alan Jackson.
O’Brien believes the Braves will make an offer today.
In the end, O’Brien writes, “It’s almost certainly going to take a four-year deal, perhaps with a vesting fifth-year option, for the Braves to get the 35-year-old Lowe, who is also being pursued by the Mets and Phillies, with at least a couple of other teams expected to make bids.”
To see a set of amazing and depressing photographs of the current state of Shea Stadium, click here.
In a post to his blog for the Daily News, Adam Rubin relays some statistical information from a reader that suggests Brian Schneider was responsible for the bullpen’s struggles last season, not the actual bullpen.
In a post to Mets Minor League Blog, Toby Hyde averages out the three major Top 10 Prospects reports, to create one ultimate list, which, naturally, is topped by Fernando Martinez.
Andrew Beaton of Hot Foot explains why the Mets should be looking to sign Oliver Perez instead of Derek Lowe.
The Daily News details the adventures of Jackie, a dog who snuck in to Citi Field this week.
The Mets Police argue that the Mets are a big-market team, who act like a small-market team.
Lastly, to see a punk band cover Meet the Mets, click here.
J.J. Putz will pitch for Team USA in this year’s World Baseball Classic, according to a ‘potential’ roster released Friday, reports MLB.com.
David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Pedro Feliciano, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez will also play in the WBC, according to previous reports.
…from what i can gather, players will leave camp for the WBC around March 1, meaning they will play in at least one or two spring training games before returning later in the month…
Update, 6:19 pm:
Andrew Marchand of ESPN 1050 Radio reports the deal is done.
Update, 3:47 pm:
According to the Denver Post, Redding and the Mets have agreed in principle to a one-year, $2.2 million deal.
Update, 2:05 pm:
According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Mets are on the verge of signing free-agent RHP Tim Redding to a one-year, $2.25 million contract with incentives.
Ken Davidoff of Newsday believes the deal could be worth around $2.5 million, which is closer to what I wrote earlier this afternoon.
In 33 starts, Redding was 10-11 with a 4.95 ERA through 182 innings for the Nationals last season.
He underwent surgery on his left foot in November, but, reportedly, will be 100 percent by spring training.
Update, 12:20 pm:
From what I can gather, the Mets offered Redding a one-year deal, worth less than $4 million per season – and he’s open to accepting it.
…i have a feeling, based on conversations with people connected to the team, that he is minaya’s mark for the fifth-starter spot, and a deal may soon be worked out…
Update, 12:46 pm:
In a report for 1050 ESPN Radio, Andrew Marchand says the Mets are the clear front-runners to sign Redding, adding, “While nothing is official yet, a deal could be finalized as soon as today.”
Update, 12:50 pm:
If agreed to, the deal is likely to be for just one-year, and roughly $2.5 million, according to people connected to the player.
Tagged Randy Wolf, Tim Redding |Last night, I took part in a one-hour, live chat with The Happy Recap, a lively Mets message-board community.
To read a full transcript of the chat, which included 
questions on Manny Ramirez, Luis Castillo, Derek Lowe, Citi Field, and lots of other topics, click here.
Note: the questions to me are in blue, and my answers are in orange.
The following is a quick sample from the chat, including a two questions that I often get e-mailed to me here at MetsBlog:
THR: Do You Think the Mets will make a play for Nady?
Cerrone: Ahh, the inevitable Nady-wing of the Rumor Mill – how I’ve missed you. He and the Mets have been connected ever since they traded him to the Pirates. Minaya has always liked him. I would not be surprised to hear he is checking in on him, but I’m always doubtful when it comes to potential hook-ups between the Mets and Yankees because they just never seem to happen.
THR: What are your favorite Mets blogs?
Cerrone: I enjoy Hot Foot, Amazin Avenue, Joe Janish, Brooklyn Met Fan, Shea Fever, Metsmerized, Mets Police, and probably a bunch I am not thinking of right now.
By the way, to watch my latest MetsBlog Mailbag for SNY, during which I talk about Andy Pettitte and Orlando Hudson, click play:
I have not done a Confidence Rating since I took off for the Holidays, so here it is – three weeks later…
As always, please answer the following question, while considering the team’s ownership, current management, talent, minor-league system, new stadium, etc.:
[poll id="204"]
On Wednesday, Scott Boras talked with the Mets about RHP Derek Lowe, LHP Oliver Perez and infielder Alex Cora.
Yesterday, Boras and Lowe met with Braves GM Frank Wren, Bobby Cox and other team officials in Atlanta, as was first reported by the Boston Globe – on the same day, John Smoltz signed with the Red Sox.
John Harper in the Daily News explains, “The Braves previously had no 
intention of bidding more than the Mets offer of three years, $36 million, but they believe public pressure over the Smoltz departure could force their hand,” according to team insiders.
However, last night, on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove Report, FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal said he still believes the Mets are the front-runners to sign Lowe, despite the pitcher’s meeting with the Braves, adding:
“From what I understand, the Braves are not interested in going beyond the three-year, $36 million offer from the Mets… I still don’t see the Braves going where Scott Boras will want them to go.”
The Braves made an offer, though the amount is unknown, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who says the Mets actually never made an official offer, according to Boras.
Meanwhile, Harper adds, “Mets people have said privately they are prepared to add more dollars to their offer… but they have been firm in saying they won’t go beyond three years in length.”
In an online report from Rosenthal for FoxSports.com, he notes that, like the Mets, the Braves are unwilling to guarantee Lowe a four-year deal.
On Wednesday, I wrote:
“The Mets may eventually need to grant a fourth-year option, and may need to pay more per season than they initially offered, but not $15 million – and the Mets are open to this.”
…still, i believe the Mets can get this done by goosing up the annual salary, while providing a fourth-year option…it just seems like that is where this is going, whether it comes from the Mets or the Braves… i mean, you can only fight boras so much, it seems…
Rosenthal believes the Phillies, Angels and Brewers are not interested in Lowe – and, despite a report from the New York Post, the Washington Post reports the Nationals are not purusing Lowe as well.
Something else to consider…
In a report for Yahoo! Sports, Tim Brown says the Braves continue 
to pursue Japanese starting pitcher Kenshin Kawakami, who there were aggressively pursuing before Smoltz signed with Boston.
According to Brown, “Outbid by the Yankees for A.J. Burnett and, somehow, by the Red Sox for the iconic Smoltz (and the Dodgers for Rafael Furcal), the Braves conceivably could sign Lowe and Kawakami, leaving the Mets to sort through the likes of Tim Redding, Randy Wolf, Perez, Jon Garland and Pedro Martinez.”
In an exclusive interview with the New York Post, Pedro Martinez said he’s open to pitching for any team, ‘but the Mets are far and away his first choice.’
According to Ken Davidoff in Newsday, signing Martinez to a low base salary with incentives is still an option.
“I went over to the Mets with something in mind, to win a World Series in the National League, and I haven’t achieved that,” Martinez tells the Post.
Martinez also talks to the Post about 2008, set backs, and Derek Lowe, who he played with in Boston.
Yesterday, the New York Post said Omar Minaya is expected to speak with Martinez’s agent next week.
Tagged Pedro Martinez |
