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Matthew Cerrone

Starting Pitcher: Braves are All Over Lowe
By Matthew Cerrone - Jan 10, 2009 6:52 pm

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com believes the Mets are now pessimistic about their chances of signing Derek Lowe.

Rosenthal says, ‘the Braves are ‘all over Lowe,’ according to a source.

However, he adds, “The Braves are reluctant to offer Lowe a guaranteed fourth year, but one possibility for them is to make a three-year proposal in the range of $40 million to $42 million with a club or vesting option.”

…in other words, now Scott Boras has cover to return to Omar Minaya and say, ‘If you want Lowe, pony up $15 million per season, and four guaranteed years,’ which, so far, the Mets have quietly been saying is not an option…i guess now we’ll see

Earlier today, the Braves signed Japanese RHP Kenshin Kawakami to a three-year deal, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

459 Responses to “Starting Pitcher: Braves are All Over Lowe”

  1. Airfeet says:

    FIRE OMAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • The_Fonz says:

      MORON! You should be banned from typing on this site

    • dieselpi says:

      why fire him? do you think that if the mets initial offer was higher boras wouldnt have baited another team into bidding?

      • Airfeet says:

        If we arent gonna get any new players after 2 straight collapses, we might as well get rid of personell…something SOMEBODY

        • The_Fonz says:

          Oh, I’m sorry, i forgot Krod and Putz were on the mets in 07 and 08.

          • dave27 says:

            On this site, unless the Mets acquire an all-star every 15 days, the morons will revolt.

            It’s Derek Lowe people. Let him go to Atlanta and polish his 2004 ring between starts, because he’ll never see another one.

        • dieselpi says:

          yea man fire him when the guy just took the biggest problem the team had last year and made it a strenght

          good logic

          • Airfeet says:

            I was joking…clearly…just to get arise out of people like you…get over it i wasnt serious

  2. youthmovement says:

    I said I was worried about the Braves over a week ago. It’s just like them to lay low in the weeds, and then pounce before anybody can figure out what they are doing.

  3. Jkon617 says:

    The Mets should stop waiting for players to come to them because they are going to lose out on Lowe. And we want Lowe rather than Perez for this reason:

    When Perez was in New York for 2 1/2 seasons he was no where near our number 2 starter. Lowe is a clear number 2 starter while Perez is 3-4.

    The Mets have spent very little this offseason, K-Rod and the addition of Putz (which by the way really ticks me off when critics put the Mets and Yankees in the same breath of free agent spending). We have the salary room to do it.

    Sign Lowe and be done with it!

    • keep it posi says:

      Lowe isn’t a definite #2 starter. He had one good year then 3 mediocre ones in a row. Ollie has more potential and is a lefty.

      You don’t get that the Mets cannot just sign Lowe and be done with it. Boras is his agent. Boras waits until the last second shopping around for the best offer. The only way to get him right away is to overpay. That is not the way to go.

      • Jkon617 says:

        You are right that Boras is his agent. But you want to sign Nady and that is not possible. Ollie has had 2 1/2 years to prove himself and I haven’t seen anything that points to him being a 1-2 kind of guy. I am not saying I don’t want Ollie, I just think that Lowe is a much better option.

        Lowe may have had mediocre years but he’s fairly consistent giving you a lot of innings. When it comes to the two, Lowe is better despite the age. Our starting rotation is not that old anyways. Everyone (except Tim Redding who is 31, is under the age of 30)

  4. keep it posi says:

    I am not worried. I never like Lowe. He is average and aging. I would take Ollie over him any day. Lets sign Ollie, move Murphy to second, then sign Nady.

  5. youthmovement says:

    We’d have to trade for Nady, and I don’t think the Yankees are going to be too helpful to that cause.

  6. IWantManny/Krod4Christmas says:

    dont do it. sign perez and manny

  7. mistermet says:

    cheap b*stards, I’m tired of it. I hope Perez goes to Philly and Manny goes to the NYY, so that the Mets have egg on their face. I’d like to try to see them spin that one

    Sell the team

    • Tidewater says:

      I know how you feel, but would Mr. Met really say these things? Man, it’s like somebody saying there’s no Santa Claus.

    • nydre78 says:

      cheap b*stards, I’m tired of it. I hope Perez goes to Philly and Manny goes to the NYY, so that the Mets have egg on their face. I’d like to try to see them spin that one

      Sell the team

      Have fun cheering in the Bronx. Because a real Mets fan would never wish that on his team.

  8. tullydew says:

    If the Mets lose Lowe over a couple of millions, Omar should be fired

  9. mistermet says:

    no, the owners should be fired

  10. Sylar says:

    Omar, you better not lose out on Lowe…

  11. tullydew says:

    Im so sick of the Mets acting like KC or Pittsburgh.
    This is NY the biggest market in the US.
    Spend some money, stop being so CHEAP!!

  12. youthmovement says:

    Well, if you read Rosenthal’s article, it says Mets officials are pessimistic they won’t sign him. Just because they won’t be able to get him for 3 years $36 million? It’s been said all along 3 years $42 million would probably do it. If that’s what the Braves do, add $1 million to $43 million. What’s the problem?

    • Tidewater says:

      That’s what I think is kind of weird. Everyone suspected that after 3/36 we’d go to 3/42 + option, but if the Braves do that first the Mets would have to beat that, and I’m not sure I see them doing it.

  13. keep it posi says:

    Lowe is not the answer. He is a fading star who had one good year with Boston. Perez has so much more potential. Haven’t we learned getting old pitchers like Pedro and Glavine doesn’t work out?

    • Sylar says:

      Oh shove it, you and many others have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.

      Lowe’s been incredibly solid for the last four years, and what are we letting him go for??? A neurotic walk machine who has shown absolutely no indication that he’ll ever become the ace he’s supposedly destined to become…

      • keep it posi says:

        Have you seen Lowe’s stats for the last 4 years? He is overvalued from his one good year in Boston. Not to mention he is old.

  14. tullydew says:

    The Wilpons should sell this team.

    We need a Owner that will actually want to win at no cost.

    Tell Fred to stop shopping at Walmart for players and hit Bloomingdales once in awhile

    • Xavier22 says:

      The Wilpons already want to win at no cost. I believe you are looking for owners who will win at any cost.

      Hasn’t watching the Yankees for the past 8 seasons taught you that throwing money at ballplayers doesn’t necessary guarantee a WS win. Phillies ownership is way more frugal than the Wilpons and they seem to have been successful recently.

      Spending money like a drunken Steinbrenner is not the answer.

      • nydre78 says:

        It amazes me the number of people that have yet to realize and understand that concept.

        $$$ does not equal success or guarantee anything.

      • Jkon617 says:

        Absolutely agreed.

        But we have to develop talent and give them an opportunity. We can’t expect talent to be a superstar their first opportunity. There is a growth phase and an adjustment to the Major League level. One of my biggest criticisms of the Mets is that they don’t allow talent to develop.

        The past 2 years Omar, Willie and Jerry have turned to old veterans rather than sticking with rookies.

        They have never trusted rookies to even give them an opportunity. Yes Murphy and Evans showed stuff but they need to give key roles when they open up. I said from August that Kunz should have been the closer, if he failed then you look at alternatives.

        If you have looked to the teams that have been successful the past 6 years, rookies have played a HUGE role in their success:

        2008:
        Phillies – Victorino
        Rays – Longoria, Sonastine, Price
        2007:
        Red Sox – Ellisbury, Lester, Pedroia, Dice-K
        Rockies – Holiday, Atkins, Hawpe
        2006:
        Cardinals – Wainright
        Tigers – Verlander, Zumaya
        2005:
        White Sox – Jenks
        Astros – Taveras, Lane
        2004:
        Red Sox – Youkilis
        Cardinals – Taguchi
        2003:
        Marlins – Cabrera, Willis, Beckett, Burnett
        Yankees: Contreras (and a lucky Aaron Boone)
        2002:
        Angels – K-Rod
        Giants – Torrealba, Zerbe

        The Mets understand that they need young talent but they do not give them opportunities

        Stop signing older run down players like the Limas. I’d rather lose and develop talent than lose with a has been costing us the games

  15. youthmovement says:

    Conspiracy theory: Mets were trying to lowball all of the pitchers so they had something in reserve for Manny….Nahhhh, that makes way too much sense!

  16. caffmeister says:

    These Wilpons are pathetic, new stadium, with a big corporate logo splashed on it. Pedro coming off the books and they are to cheap to pony up 3 more mill for Lowe never mind the fact that they should have signed Manny two months ago. We need to get mark Cuban in here.

  17. IWantManny/Krod4Christmas says:

    if the mets dont get ollie and lowe, i know this is old but what are the chances they sign manny just to not stay put??

  18. 55dodger says:

    Forget Lowe. Perez is the best choice anyway. As our staff is currently constituted, we are already better than anyone in the division but Philly. What we need is a difference maker against them. Philly is a left handed dominate line up (Utley, Howard, Ibanez. Therefore, Perez makes a lot more sense than Lowe.

  19. Airfeet says:

    If we cant sign anyone why cant we swing a deal. Might as well trade Beltran and rebuild than go into the season with the same team as last year that couldnt make the playoffs

    • youthmovement says:

      Beltran has a no trade clause.

    • keep it posi says:

      That is a dense idea. The last thing we need to do is get rid of one of our outfielders. Without Beltran we have no outfield offensive production, not to mention we lose a stellar glove in center.

  20. mistermet says:

    ALready better than anyone in the division? As currently constructed, this is a 3rd or 4th place team. I wanted to move on from Perez- get some new blood in here after 3 straight collapses. Same reason I wanted to change LF, 2B, 1B, C, and maybe even RF. But they want status quo. 3rd place.

    • Airfeet says:

      very good point. Bringing in new blood is just as important as the stats. Signing Lowe instead of Ollie is that much more important based on not having the same team as last season.

  21. tullydew says:

    Fred must go!!

  22. IWantManny/Krod4Christmas says:

    sign perez and manny!!!!!! then people will not be saying this a 3rd or 4th place team

  23. Airfeet says:

    Anyone named “Ollie” shouldnt be resigned…the guy is a complete head case. remember that game against the giants when he walked like 15 guys and gave up 8 ER in like 2 IP

  24. mdfalcha says:

    Trade for Peavy.

    • krod9 says:

      Oh my god, you’re joking. The Padres are almost definitely not moving him now because of the new ownership, and if he goes ANYWHERE, it’s the Cubs. Let’s talk realistic options, ok?

    • mdfalcha says:

      Halladay? They need to look at who can be had via trade.

      • krod9 says:

        Understandable. But I can’t think of anyone we could trade for Peavy that would be realistic.

  25. metsfan575715 says:

    Either one is not a two i think they are both 3’s so to me it really doesn’t matter as long as we get one of them. Because I think Pelfrey is our #2 with lowe or ollie

  26. youthmovement says:

    Lowe said early in the off season that money was more important than years. If the bid is 3 yrs $42M with a 4th year vesting option with a $3 million buyout, why not just go three years $45 million, period. It’s the same thing except Lowe gets an extra million per year.

  27. Airfeet says:

    Looks like we are gonna have Tim Redding as our #4 and Nelson Figeroua as our #5. Luis castillo as our starting 2bman, Tatis as our starting LF, Schneider as our starting catcher, and Delgado as our starting 1bman. I just wish we kept Heilman and Shoenwies around…..

    • mdfalcha says:

      I really hope they realize that they haven’t done enough to change the face of this team to get over the last two years. They need to get rid of most of the guys you just mentioned.

    • keep it posi says:

      You are a straight up dunce. Redding is gonna be #5 and Murphy is our starting LFer. You are trying to exaggerate things to look worse then they actually are.

  28. CitizenSnips says:

    The people with no patience yelling at Omar and the Wilpons are amusing to watch. They take every bit of news (which if I recall correctly thrives on “shocking” change of events) at face value and panic. Don’t cry foul unless Lowe really does sign somewhere else, but then again I guess it’s easy to b.itch about “only an extra million a year” when it isn’t your money.

    • mdfalcha says:

      Get off your high horse. Who are you, Wilpon? What these people are saying is realistic.

      • CitizenSnips says:

        No, I like it up here.

        • mdfalcha says:

          I guess this is the only place you can vent your overwhelming frustration with your lack of success in life. I can’t really think of any other reason why you would come into a baseball blog and talk down to people. Good luck finding a job, your personality needs it.

          • CitizenSnips says:

            Nice, I like the irony. How long has that one been in your back pocket?

          • mdfalcha says:

            Irony? Because I put you in your place. Yeah, call it irony if you wish. I’m not the one who will cry myself to sleep tonight.

          • CitizenSnips says:

            Well frankly I’m not the one resorting to personal attacks to stroke my ego.

          • mdfalcha says:

            I’m gonna go stroke my bank account for a few minutes. Good luck with the whole job thing.

        • tullydew says:

          So I gather you are totally happy w/ the Wilpons and how they run this franchise?

          • CitizenSnips says:

            Totally? No but I try not to get disappointed until there has actually been a missed opportunity.

    • krod9 says:

      Yep, you’re right. People need to calm…down. When will people realize that spending money for the sake of spending money isn’t the right way to build a team?

      • mdfalcha says:

        The problem is, the market is down…but fans realize that the Mets aren’t down. They have a lucrative tv network, a new stadium, and have the potential to raise payroll this year if they want to. I’m not saying to go “Yankee” on the market. I’m saying that Lowe is a bargain , even at $15 mil a year compared to last year’s market. The Mets are in sound financial position to spend 14-15 a year on Lowe and I wouldn’t consider that “overpaying”. It’s all relative. The only excuse I can accept is that the Wilpon’s lost a lot more in the scandal than they have let onto.

  29. keep it posi says:

    Santana L
    Pelf R
    Ollie L
    Maine R
    Redding R/Niese L

  30. Tidewater says:

    Rosenthal is saying Sox signed Saito. I’d like to have given him a look too. Looks like they got him cheap!

  31. MikePiazzaIsGod says:

    If the Mets let the Braves get Lowe, I will have no faith in the ownership ever again. They have enough money to get Lowe, Perez, Manny, and Husdon (release Castillo). But are too cheap to pay anyone anything.

  32. MikePiazzaIsGod says:

    Hudson*

  33. Airfeet says:

    btw the fact that we didnt give Saito a look doesnt many any sense, hes way better than Sanchez or anyone else in our pen other than putz and krod

  34. agita says:

    this could turn out to be a complete disaster for the mets. we are seriously looking at the prospect of being a 4th place team.
    the team as its currently composed, makes me long for the days of coleman, bonilla, saberhagen, and company.
    this off-season is turning into an unmitigated debacle.

    • tullydew says:

      I disagree…more like 3rd place. I think we should have a better team then the Marlins

    • keep it posi says:

      Are you kidding??? The question is whether we are 1st or 2nd. The Braves are terrible with or without Lowe and the Marlins aren’t the same caliber as the Mets either.

      • agita says:

        atlanta hit 4 points higher than us last year and only scored 45 runs less. their downfall was pitching….if they do get lowe, in addition to the japanese kid they just signed, they’ll be much more formidable then they were in 08.

  35. MetsFan4Decades says:

    Giving Lowe a guaranteed 4th year is just ludicrous at his age. I say let him go to Atlanta then.

  36. keep it posi says:

    For me to be completely satisfied the Mets need to sign Ollie, move Murphy to 2nd, get a outfielder such as Nady, and get one more LHRP.

  37. Slim says:

    I say we take a page out of Boston’s book. Take a flyer on somebody like Mulder. Incentive laden contract and just stockpile arms like that. They don’t work? We already have somebody else waiting in the wings…

    • agita says:

      the method of throwing a bunch of s**t against the wall and seeing what sticks isnt one i consider to be a good way of building a winning club. mulder is shot to he11…..no way. if we were going to go the retread route we should have signed penny.

      • Slim says:

        You’re right Negative Nancy. The power of pessimism will surely drive this team to the top. I know I want to pay Lowe Santana-esque $$$ because he is a sure thing at 36 for the next four years.

  38. casey s. says:

    Okay, well move on to Ollie and be done with it.

  39. metterman says:

    I’m shocked at this, i mean if Atlanta offers 42 and the mets are willing to match and put together a nice 4th year incentive option who’s to say he wouldn’t take it? Did he like Atlanta that much better? First this is all speculation heyman thinks the mets are pessimistic second this could be a boras move, where lowe would rather be in new york but he tells the mets he likes atlanta better to get more money. All i know is that Boras wouldn’t take an offer from the braves without giving the mets a chance to counter.

  40. youthmovement says:

    The worst part of this is if Omar overplayed his hand and indeed Lowe goes to Atlanta, it’s in our division. Boras couldn’t send him to Seattle or anything.

    I think Boras purposefully went to Atlanta because Omar loves to take players from within the division so he makes the divisional opponents weaker at the same time we are adding. I really can’t see Omar letting the opposite happen.

  41. metterman says:

    i know lowe is getting old, but he’s not a power pitcher, his era has been about 3.6 over the last 4 years, ollie hasn’t come close to that since his one great year when he was with the pirates. age is relative. I think the mets know this. I’m confident that the mets will get lowe, IMO the only way he’s not a met is if he doesn’t want to be.

  42. NYCESQ says:

    The NEW YORK Mets are on the verge of being outbid by the ATLANTA Braves.

    Wonderful.

  43. mistermet says:

    I want to start a blog for the non-apologists and fore people who aren’t members of the Wilpon family.

    • metterman says:

      I want to start a blog, that isn’t filled with negative downer’s who always think the sky is falling. We’ll see who’s is more popular.

      • tullydew says:

        It fell 2 years in a row!!!

        • metterman says:

          Again, I wasn’t talking to you.

        • Airfeet says:

          the worst thing you could ever imagine happened 2 years in a row in september…the BREWERS??? i mean the BREWERS??? i dont think we are in a position to cut the team any slack? simply not adding talent to our team right now is a SIN

          • metterman says:

            look, when spring training starts if our team looks like it does today, then i’ll be right beside you moaning and complaining, but the offseason is half over. look at your calender, there are still 100 FA left, nothing has happened yet. I just want to know what all you haters are gonna do when they get lowe? are you coming back from the ledge?

  44. Fiya Minaya says:

    Great to see our semi-illiterate GM making headway with helping other NL East teams again…

    • agita says:

      if omar wouldve offered lowe 3 for 14 while the braves were worried about burnett, this probably wouldnt be happening right now. lowe would be a met, the braves would be scratching their a**, and mets fans would be resting easier.

      • Fiya Minaya says:

        Right, the Braves probably figured they’d get the hometown discount with Smoltz saving face with their fans. When Smoltz signed with the Sox, they had to scramble and get in the Lowe sweepstakes. Meanwhile, the Mets will predictably be bidding against themselves for bullpen-killer and headcase Ollie Perez.

  45. swoboda-bing says:

    Forget Lowe and Ollie. Roll the dice with Sheets, bring back Pedro in an incentives-laden deal, and sign his buddy Manny.

  46. youthmovement says:

    Let’s hope he didn’t get insulted by the original offer and told Boras to find anything better on the East Coast.

  47. Philnym31 says:

    I know many people like Lowe, as do I, but this could be a blessing in disguise.

  48. DDoubleU says:

    Boras is forcing the Mets hand here. Now they have to counter with an offer in the neighborhood of 3y/$45m with a 4th year vesting option.

    Boras is about the money and players-if they are worth anything- besides wanting the money — want to win. If Atlanta were to sign Lowe he would be the lone bright spot in a rotation that is just abysmally bad. If he comes here he knows he has a chance to win.

    Lowe and Boras know they can get the money from the mets that they want by entertaining the Braves offer.

    Omar will get it done. and let’s be honest…

    who cares how much money the mets spend on him? as long as they solidify the rotation.

    • agita says:

      ever hear of jair jurrjens and javier vazquez? along with lowe and the japanese guy they got today, thats not a bad top 4 at all. and thats not even counting if hudson were to come back.

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      It’s not the money I have a problem with, it’s the years. Guaranteed 4th year? No way. Very heavy incentive 4th year, maybe. We’re talking about a 36 year old pitcher. We couldn’t get 4 years out of Pedro and Wagner and they weren’t 36 at the start of their contract. Glavin wasn’t exactly a roaring success either….

  49. coachdoc2002 says:

    I would rather sign Randy Wolf anyway. He is younger, a lefty, will be cheaper, more strike outs and good against Philly. Then maybe we can get Manny!!!!!!!

  50. NYCESQ says:

    I think people are penciling in Ollie a bit too quickly. We definitely will not be the only team in on him. He will come a bit cheaper than Lowe.

    I am trying to remain confident, but their lack of acknowledgment towards the offense is very disheartening. By having pitchers with higher ERAs, we must increase the amount of runs we score. If we do not sign Lowe, then we HAVE to sign Manny (or an offensive equivalent).

  51. J0eSmiTh says:

    im sorry, but omar really screwed the pooch here.

    Omar could have had Lowe for 3 yr 42m before XMas, and now he’ll have to offer 4 guaranteed years.

    blah

    • BatteriesForRocker says:

      Sign Ben Sheets!

    • lcs487 says:

      Wow, I didn’t know you were in on the negotiations!

      • mrose says:

        yea man, who knew that we had a NY Mets negotiator not named Omar or Jeff here on Metsblog!
        If someone really thinks Omar would have gotten an offer accepted without looking to other teams if it wasn’t the 5 year offer he originally wanted, they don’t pay attention to Scott Boras

    • dieselpi says:

      do you really think that if the mets made that offer boras would have let his client sign the first deal offered to him? be realistic.

      • deelee says:

        dieselpi,

        You got it right. Omar made the correct initial move. Let’s just hope he continues to make the correct moves regarding Lowe.

        I’m not going to cry over Lowe. He’s terribly overrated in a poor pitcher’s market. Bring on Ollie and Redding.

    • Mister-y-Met says:

      Why don’t we go for John Garland, he’s really a decent pitcher who I think can really add value and be had on the cheap.

      He’s a lifetime 4.47 ERA and doesn’t walk people. Not a bad American League ERA considering he played for the W-Sox against Cleveland and Minnesota (TOUGH TEAMS).

      I think he’s the Sleeper in this market, especially for a National League Team.

      For all the money in Lowe you could get Wolf & Garland Lefty & a Righty) and move Redding to long relief. I’d say that’s a couple of innings eaters and insures us from wearing the B-Pen down again if 1 or 2 starters get injured (as is usually the case).

      Think of it, Lowe gets hurt, you’re screwed. But 2 for the price of one? If one gets hurt or under-performs, the other should be decent. And although I admit these guys aren’t world beaters they are quality veterans (Not the Top of the scrap heap)

      You don’t need World beaters (i.e see Phillies, one world beater ,Hamels and 4 decent pitchers, Moyer, Blanton, etc….)

      Bottom line, this deal doesn’t hurt and makes you DEEEEEP in Pitching. Remember when you pitch on a team with an offense, it’s likely they’ll pitch better as once they get a decent lead they can coast through innings rather then feel like every pitch is their last (Playing for a crappy team)

      Any thoughts or comments on this strategy?

  52. Gland says:

    lets just see how this plays out. at one point atlanta was the front runner for burnett and teixiera was going to boston. you never know on these things

    • youthmovement says:

      Exactly. Earlier in the off season, the Mets thought Lowe was going to be up there like Burnett and out of their range. Just because K-Rod fell to them at a bargain rate, the term “pessimistic” could just mean that theywerethisclose to having it happen again. Now they have to pay him a little more than they thought they were going to get away with.

  53. reyomcd1031 says:

    Howdy everyone! Long time reader, one time writer, occasional commenter.

    Watching the back and forth this offseason of “will we/won’t we/why can’t we” sign this particular player, I thought I would go along with the crowd and post my particular desires for how I would like the remaining days until pitchers and catchers report to go. Feel free to let me know what you think.

    First, the rotation. I’ve seen a lot of arguments for/against Lowe and Perez, as well as Ben Sheets. I have to say in terms of the caliber of player vs. investment vs. return, the SAFE route is to try to sign Lowe. Yes, for any 3-4 deal he’ll be approaching 40, but many pitchers in this day and age are much better conditioned. Also, he spent a lot of time in Boston as a reliever, and his “total innings” are closer to 29 year old Jon Garland than John Smoltz. The likelyhood of Lowe breaking down due to just his age is extremely…low. He has NL experience, pitched over 200 innings the last 4 years, and would be the best route to go to having a very solid rotation. I don’t see anything wrong with giving the guy 3/45 with an easy vesting option and a 4 mil buyout, making the total deal 4/64, or 3/49. I seriously doubt Atlanta would come close to that. I just feel that Ollie isn’t going to turn the corner, and will just be an OK #3 who sometimes pitches like a #1 or a #5. My original first choice would be Sheets. That guy has some serious talent, but it has to say something when guys like Brad Penny and John Smoltz are already signed, but no one is showing serious interest in Sheets. He must have some major injury concerns.

    The Offense: This is an area I am more concerned with. I have a hard time believing Delgado will repeat his performance from last year, and that Church will be able to come close to his pre-concussion numbers. Not to mention counting on Tatis/Murphy to platoon in LF, which weakens our bench. Here is my ideal way of signing these issues.

    1. Trade Delgado to the Angels to replenish the farm system somewhat, and to use at the deadline if necessary.
    2. See if AZ will do a Eric Byrnes for Castillo/prospects
    3. Sign Adam Dunn
    4. Sign Alex Cora, Rich Aurilia, and Craig Counsell
    5. Sign a lefty reliever if possible, like a Biemel or Reyes.

    So here is my perfect 25 man roster come Spring Training.

    Lineup:

    Reyes
    Byrnes
    Beltran
    Wright
    Dunn
    Church
    Murphy
    Schnieder

    Bench: Castro, Cora, Counsell, Aurilia, Reed, Tatis

    Pitching Staff:
    Santana, Lowe, Pelfrey, Maine, Redding
    Green, Feliciano, Stokes, Reyes, Putz, K-Rod

    The final spots can be filled internally.

    I think this pares payroll a tad with the loss of Delgado/Castillo, does not sacrifice much power with Dunn, and ups our OF defense. You can also play Dunn in LF and Aurilia/Castro against LH starters and not lose the power bat. Plus, you can go after Holliday at the deadline/offseason and put Murphy at 1B. Lots of possibilities.

    I’d love Manny, but I just don’t see it happening. If he could be had for one year and not impact our pursuit of a starter, then I am all for it.
    Thoughts?

    • met-lover says:

      You are HIGH!

    • reillys5 says:

      so u want to sign ANOTHER lefty bat in dunn, sacrifice our defense for a guy who cant hit in the clutch, and at the same time put murphy in a spot he has never even played, let alone start, a major league game in. all while trading our top power bat for prospects (how good can the prospects be if delgados contract is up this season) then to top it off (not mentioning rich aurilla is a terrible player) you want to bat dunn church murphy and scheider back to back to back to back?!are you serious? all leftys!!!

    • mayonegg says:

      wooooooooooooooooooooow

    • Wanny Backstra says:

      The problem I have with that roster is that Dunn and Murphy would be the worst right side defensive pairing in baseball — and neither Lowe nor Pelfrey would appreciate it.

      Dunn’s limited career stats at first are well below average. And I have yet to see a report from a scout or from any of the prospect mavens that indicates Murphy can play adequately at 2B.

  54. paulaecinc says:

    i would have to say Lowe is pretty much a Brave. They really went the extra mile with him ( Chipper, County Stars, Bobby Cox)…They spent 5 hours with the guy. Im sorry but Mets were a little lax with this one.

  55. tullydew says:

    Boras doesnt want Lowe to go to the Mets. He wants to make the most money for Lowe and Ollie.
    He knows if he sends Lowe to the Braves or even worse the Phillies at a good price, Ollie wins also b/c the Mets will feel like they HAVE to sign him at any price.
    If Lowe signs w/ the Braves I would bet Ollie will get a larger contract then even Lowe.

    Basic supply/demand

    • mrose says:

      The Mets sign Perez at ANY Price???? What competition do they REALLY have for Perez? The Yankees? I don’t believe that

      • tullydew says:

        If the Mets lose him, who is their # 4 starter???

        • tullydew says:

          Boras will find one team to give him about 44 million for 4 years

          • mrose says:

            i highly doubt that….there has been NO buzz for Perez, hes too inconsistent and the only team spending money this offseason is the Yankees and Mets, and those were on TOP free agents basically…..

        • met-lover says:

          Re-sign Pedro, make Redding 7th inning reliever, Putz 8th, K-Rod closer. We can get Wolf too.

          • met-lover says:

            Also, if we get MANNY, we might be winning the games by 3 or 4 runs going into the 7th.
            Think about it!

    • metterman says:

      BORAS SHMORAS. Who signs the contract Derek Lowe or Scott Boras? I can see that conversation now “Hey derek will you please go to atlanta, so i can make more money for ollie perez?’” “Sure scott, sounds great.”

  56. youthmovement says:

    I think the Angels would be the hardest one to deal with, and the whole thing starts with that.

  57. Fiya Minaya says:

    If the Braves sign Lowe, the Mets better sign Sheets and forget about the bullpen-killer choker OPez

  58. Starr247 says:

    After reading all these replies from the so-called Met fans on this board, I have to reply.

    GO.
    ALL OF YOU WHINING, SNIVELING, FAIR-WEATHER FANS.
    LEAVE US TRUE METS FANS IN PEACE.

    I have been a Mets fans since I was 5 years old and they had the magical season that was their first championship season in 1969. I lived and died with them through the years, but never once have I abandoned them. Through the horrible ownership that was M. Donald Grant through the magnificent mid-80s to the Steve Phillips quagmires to their resurgence now under the Wilpons and Omar Minaya. In all that time, I have cursed some of the moves, begged for the breaks that seem to always roll toward our opposition and cried at our near misses the past two seasons.

    Yes, Omar has made mistakes as the GM, but do you honestly think that we would have a team that is always around first place and the playoffs for the past 3 years if he were not the GM? If (God forbid) Phillips were still the GM? Face the fact: we have a good team, not a perfect team. Nobody has that (though the Yankees would like you to believe they do). I would not trade the current team for any other in either league. PERIOD.

    As for Lowe, he’s 36. Haven’t we had enough of the aging stars? Alou. LoDuca. El Duque. Enough is enough. These casual Met fans seem to forget that in 2007, Ollie won 15 games and is now of the age that many pitchers start to come into their own. Sign him and our pitching staff will be fine. If you want another bat, signing Dunn might be a good option. Won’t cost us a draft pick and would bolster our offense a tad in case Delgado regresses. Plus he can take over 1B next year.

    Finally, let me, as a lifelong Mets fan, say this:

    YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!
    LET’S GO METS!!!!!

    • lcs487 says:

      THANK YOU!!!! I’m so glad to see that there are more than five reasonable people posting on this site.

      • calzone45 says:

        Let the Braves sign ole man Lowe and bring back Ollie. Maybe Dunn…everything will be OK….

    • Cactus says:

      Sorry, but Steve Phillips brought in Reyes and Wright. Those guys, along with the weak competition in the national league, is why the Mets have been competitive each year.

      I absolutely think with a different GM the Mets could have done better than 1 playoff appearance in the last 4 years, and given more than “meaningful games in September” in more than one.

      What exactly has Minaya done? Lucked out with Beltran and Santana because the Yankees declined at the last minute on both of them?

    • m29w_12789 says:

      I also have rooted for the Mets along time . Sometimes you need to bring a veteran in for a young staff. Did we have Don Cardwell in 1969?

    • Airfeet says:

      boo hoo hoo

  59. Darth Manuel says:

    This Derek Lowe situation is going to come back to bite Omar. Lowe is going to directly influence the NL east for a couple of years. I hope for his sake he blows out his arm, cause this could be a disaster.

  60. Joe D says:

    J0eSmiTh,

    Why blame Omar??

    If you’ve kept up with everything that’s been going on, we’d have Lowe and Manny signed already.

    He can only do so much with the budget he’s been given by Wilpon.

  61. The Slider says:

    … if the prospect of Derrick Lowe signing with the Braves is not depressing enough, MLB TV is replaying Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS against the Cards.

    Then again, Willie-haters here would probably enjoy watching this game.

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      And I’m only watching as far as ‘The Catch’. I cannot take watching Heilman give up that bomb and Beltran striking out a second time…

  62. the_other_matt says:

    you have to think Omar used Lowe to get Ollie–which I think is smart. Lowe is a good short term solution, but I dont think in 2 years we’ll be happy with his performance. I think Ollie is going to do real well this year and for the coming years. He’s young and lefty…and the best option out there. I just want this to end already.

  63. TilMetsDoUsPart says:

    Braves and Mets are going to offer the same contract, and guess who’s going to win? DAAAA METS. Lowe hates the idea of going to ATL. Plus, they have a full rotation already with Hudson, Kawakami, Jurrjens, Vasquez and Campillo, not to mention Tommy Hanson, one of the best prospects in the game coming up.

  64. Joe D says:

    Everyone knows Omar wanted Lowe, Perez and Manny. Wilpon is thumbs down on Manny and he will only let Omar sign Lowe or Perez, but not both.

  65. The Slider says:

    Jay Penny signs with Boston with a one year contract worth $5 million. Why couldn’t we do that?

  66. Philnym31 says:

    I know Lowe is a nice pitcher, the fact of the matter is this a man who will be turning 36 years old next year. If Atlanta is serious about adding a fourth year, then good riddance. The Braves are crossing the line on this one. I wanted Lowe, but I have no regrets with Omar, he has played out the Lowe sweepstakes the right way. We should turn our dollars elsewhere and begin the discussion between Ollie and Sheets. If we are able to come away with one of them for less, then it would allow us to move forward with: either signing Manny, or signing a better 5th starter to go along with Ollie/Sheets, and moving Redding into long relief.

    • Gland says:

      Is it just me or does anyone else get the feeling that the mets (omar) just aren’t sold on Lowe? Usually when Omar wants someone he is pretty focused on it until it is done. With this he seems willing to take him at his price, but doesn’t want to go too far on it.

    • agita says:

      omar played this one out like a raging q**er. he low balled the living daylights out of the guy….not only does that tick him off, but it also lets 2nd rate teams like the braves say to themselves, “hey, we can actually get this guy”.
      i guess you think we should offer ollie 3 years at 9 mill per? lol….and like lowe he’ll also wind up signing somewhere else. its one think to be cost conscious, its another to be flat out foolish. everyone knew that 12 mill per year was a joke…..why waste everyone’s time?

  67. Darth Manuel says:

    Has any team raised its payroll from last season?

  68. lil pelf says:

    the wilpons are broke. and that’s not a negative statement, it’s the truth. they aren’t gonna come out and say it will affect things, but it will. don’t be surprised if we back off every free agent signing from here on out.

    • mrose says:

      hi, so how long have you been the Wilpon’s accountant?

      I love when people make these RIDICULOUS statements.

      • lil pelf says:

        ridiculous statement? do you watch the news. 300 million ain’t chump change.

        • tullydew says:

          I read it was about $500 mil

          • mrose says:

            I read 300M and it doesn’t mean they are BROKE,
            Its a terrible situation yes, but they will recover in time…All you are doing is being over dramatic, not realistic

          • tullydew says:

            Realistic?

            They are a NY team that acts like a small market team.

            Their is NO reason why they dont have the highest or second highest payroll in the sport

            They are in the biggest market in the US, w/ a new stadium and SNY

            Why dont they spend money?????????

          • mrose says:

            try looking at facts for a second, they have been in the top payrolls in baseball, just because the Yankees top everyone by a ton (and it hasn’t worked for them), and they play across the river doesn’t mean the Mets should spend like them, once its proven to work, talk to me

          • lil pelf says:

            “they HAVE been in the top payrolls in baseball.” yeah and then they lost 300 million dollars. the current guys are all paid for, let me know when they spend 50 million dollars on a free agent ever again.

          • mrose says:

            keep thinking that, they would have sold the team if that was the case, and if they do sell the team, or they never sign anyone for a salary again, i’ll stand corrected, but trust me, 300M to them, they can deal with

  69. mistermet says:

    then sell the team

  70. christian warrior says:

    So we aren’t addressing our obvious offensive shortcomings so that we can fully focus on our pitching, yet are willing to let the best available SP on the market wander off and sign with one of division rival? Hmm.

    If we don’t sign Lowe, I wonder if Minaya will then be able to convince the Wilpons to allow him to sign a lesser body to fill the rotation spot and go after Manny. I’d rather have Manny and Wolf/Perez/Sheets then Lowe anyway.

    • Cactus says:

      the mets already have murphy at 1b and martinez in lf for 2010. there will be no manny.

      • christian warrior says:

        The reality is that odds are against either of Murphy or Martinez being productive everyday ML players, let alone both.

        Why in God’s name would you want guys who have not shown the ability to play everyday at this level at two key positions when you want to win rather than go with a guy on his way to the HOF whose numbers you could take to the bank?

        Sorry, but Murphy and Martinez are not an acceptable reason for not getting Manny Ramirez when he is so obviously the answer.

  71. mistermet says:

    Good point christian warrior. I think its stupid how they say they are only focused on pitching and are willing to ignore their other glaring needs. That is short sighted. But fact is, by letting Lowe go to ATL, they are contradicting their statement about pitching being important. sell the team now, ill chip in

  72. mistermet says:

    If they just sign Wolf, or even Perez, and call it a day, thereby bringing back the same collapsing team, then there is no way I but a ticket or any merchandise this year. Others please join me. Good paying fans should not stand for this.

    • The_Fonz says:

      PLease don’t buy a ticket, no one wants you there…go follow the yankees like every other front runner fan.

      • christian warrior says:

        Your response is exactly why he posts what he does.

        He’s been making comments like this to get the goat of posters like you literally for years now.

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      Way to support your team, kid.

    • From What I can Gather says:

      DoN’t LeT tHe DoOr HiT yOu On YoUr WaY oUt

    • Fiya Minaya says:

      Unfortunately you’re correct.

    • Gland says:

      No, I will not join you. I’m a fan of the team. I may hope they make certain moves, but I am not going to stop being a fan because they don’t.

    • metterman says:

      So then by your logic if I obama doesn’t adopt the budget plan that you like you’ll become a communist? Move to canada? Stop paying taxes?

    • Wanny Backstra says:

      Did last year’s team have K-Rod and Putz closing down games?

      Doesn’t sound like the same team to me.

  73. The Slider says:

    So, in the end, maybe we just sign Olliie which is maybe how God intended it to be all along.

  74. The Slider says:

    MLB TV my brothers. Cards v. Mets. Game 7. 2006 NLCS. Ollie’s pitching! Chavez’s catch! Floyd’s strikeout! Bel-TRON’S strikeout – looking! It’ all here to watch; again.

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      As I said earlier, I can only watch through ‘The Catch’. Does anyone really want to see Heilman give up that bomb and Beltran striking out again???
      Only so much pain a Met fan can take – lol.

      • The Slider says:

        Misery loves company! My choices tonight are watching Mets/Cards Game 7 or Knicks v. Rockets. Chose your poison.

  75. met-lover says:

    Re-sign Pedro, make Redding 7th inning reliever, Putz for the 8th, K-Rod closer. Getting MANNY we won’t have to worry about so many close games. We will have a team that can actually be leading by 4 or 5 runs come the 7th inning. Think about it!

    • reillys5 says:

      bro do u think that manny is a god? seriously, and im talking to every manny lover out there, do u think he hits a homerun with every swing he takes, that just because we have him we will have a 5 run lead EVERY NIGHT going into the 7th inning, your crazy!

  76. c.1970 says:

    One plus BankRupt Field offers:

    —No bad karma from three straight final-game season-ending losses at Shea.
    —Less drunks and fewer front runners.
    —Realistic Mets fans who don’t think the only way to win a championship is to buy one like the Yankees keep trying to—and fail.
    —People who can afford the tickets have the knowledge that a) a new stadium costs a lot of money; and b) that owners who just lost $500M in a Madoff Ponzi scheme may not have the pocketbook in a crumbling economy to pay free agents like it was 2008.

  77. dave27 says:

    ESPN is reporting Pedro is talking to the Marlins.

    Why is it that no one can leave the Mets without staying in the division?

  78. VCarver says:

    Lowe is overrated. I predict if he pitches at Turner Field this year, his ERA will go up to at least around 3.80-4.00.

    Last season was his lowest ERA in 4 years at pitcher-loving Dodgers stadium and not coincidentally it was his walk year.

    Over the last two years, there has been only one instance of a 36+ year old pitcher who logged over 150 innings with an ERA of less than 3.80. That was Moyer last year. But his ERA the year before was an ugly 5.01.

    Yes, there’s a chance that Lowe can replicate Moyer, but the odds are against him, especially after the first year of his contract.

    I’m hoping the Braves do sign Lowe and overpay him. He will be a nice aging complement to Kawakama who I predict will be more Kei Igawa than Matsuzaka.

    I’ll go with Ollie over Lowe. He’s a better bet despite his Jekyll and Hyde tendencies. He might frustrate the heck out of Mets fans at times, but over the course of the next 3 years I think he’ll be a more productive pitcher as he still has upside.

    Omar, go with Ollie!

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      I think we’re in the minority here, friend. I’ve wanted Ollie over Lowe all along too.

      • dave27 says:

        I am with you…but I will be shocked if Ollie signs long-term if there is no competition – he will accept arbitration and hope for a better walk-year performance, and do this over next year.

        • SantanaClause says:

          its too late for him to accept arbitration. the mets should give him a 2/14mil deal with vesting options for a third and another for a fourth year both based mainly on the ammount of walks he gives up. also he gets 20 mil for each season with <75 walks and if he ever has that happen he gets an 5/100 as an alternative vesting options.

      • VCarver says:

        Yeah, I know we’re in the minority. But that doesn’t mean we’re not right. : )

        Really, I don’t think Ollie is a clear cut choice over Lowe. It’s close. It’s just that I think over the course of the next 3 years, Ollie will be a more productive starter. This season Lowe has a good chance to be better than Ollie … by a little. But after this season, I think it’s just the opposite and Lowe could fall off a cliff.

        I wonder how many of those who want Omar to shower more money on Lowe will call the Wilpons cheap if in 2 years he stinks and the Mets can’t trade him because of his big contract and age.

      • MikePiazzaIsGod says:

        I know Ollie has more talent and is a better player, but the Mets NEED consistency. We didn’t make the playoffs 2 years in a row because of it. Lowe may be a little bit worse, but at least he’s consistent. I’d rather have above-average (Lowe) than great or awful (Perez). If it was up to me, I’d sign both of them, but since we have cheap ownership, Lowe.

  79. dave27 says:

    I love…I mean LOVE all of the “Wilpons are broke” comments on here. It’s like the $130MM in payroll already on the roster are completely forgotten.

    Good lord, there are some painfully ignorant and stupid people on here. If the Wilpons were “broke” you might see a few guys on the block, no? Not a conspiracy to let a mediocre pitcher take a few extra mill to sign with a bad team.

    Maybe you should all be happy the Wimpons are so loaded, they can lose all that money and not suffer. It’s just too bad no one on here seems to understand the difference between operating resources for a company – which is what the Mets are (as opposed to someting in the Wilpons garage), and portfolio wealth, which is what was lost to
    Madoff.

    • tullydew says:

      130 million in payroll isnt that much when they took in 114 million at the gate alone.

      What do you think they will take in this year at the gate w/ higher tix prices

    • lil pelf says:

      they aren’t gonna start selling off players already under contract, they just aren’t going to spend loads on new higher end free agents.

  80. dave27 says:

    By the way, if Smoltz, Penny, Saito, and Baldelli are all healthy by mid-season next year, the Red Sox are simply not going to be stopped.

  81. justbro says:

    I don’t understand one thing. 24 hours ago Ken Rosenthal said the Mets are front runners to sign Lowe. Everyone knew he was meeting with the Braves and they were reluctant to give him a 4th year. Now they are “all over him” and the Mets are pessimistic about signing him. What kind of reporting is this? If the Mets sign him he will refer to yesterdays article. If the Braves sign him he will refer to todays article. What will he say if the Brewers make a play for him? Total nonsense.

    • metterman says:

      agreed, agreed, agreed!! that’s why i think it’s hilarious that everyone comes on here and freaks out.

      • nymgb44 says:

        I’m usually not one to lose my head. I liked the Redding signing. But if the Mets don’t get Derek Lowe, our search for a front-end starting pitcher is a failure. There’s no other way to say it, unless you want to throw some adjectives in front of “failure”.

        • metterman says:

          I also agree with you on this fact, you’re right, if we don’t get lowe, our attempt to improve the starting pitching staff will have failed, but he hasn’t signed yet, there is no failure right now.

  82. nymgb44 says:

    It’s sad to say, but for the first time in his Met career, Omar Minaya completely failed in pursuit of a big guy. The ONLY positive that comes from this is that now we’ll probably end up with a bat with the money we save from not signing Lowe. We can get Ollie at 3/30. That leaves $5 million we saved on not signing Lowe, plus another $5 million to get us back to where we were last year. Dunn/Abreu for 2/20 sounds reasonable to me.

    • RodKanehl says:

      LOWE is NOT a BIG name. This is the joke. You guys write and drool over him like he’ Santana. He’s Lowe, 2 games sover 500 the last 2 years. Not much better than Redding. That’s all he is…..

      • nymgb44 says:

        How can you point to win-loss? Look at his real numbers! The guy is a legit 2, and more importantly, he’s the best available pitcher. Really, the issue here is that we should’ve and would’ve gone after Sabathia had we known that we could solve the closer problem so cheaply. But I digress.

      • tullydew says:

        Their might be better pitchers on the L.I. Ducks better the Redding

      • metterman says:

        so using your logic you must be thrilled we got tim redding, cause last year at the allstar break redding was 7-3 while johan was 8-7. Redding was clearly better. Come on man there is much more to a pitcer than his win loss record

    • Gland says:

      This is not really a done deal. That article by Rosenthal was just some speculation. If anyone hasn’t read it they should, because it did not say that the braves are the “front runners” or anything like that.

  83. nymgb44 says:

    I also can’t see how anyone would want Ollie over Lowe. The latter is a consistent, reliable number 2 starter and has been for quite some time. The former is an extremely bipolar number 4 starter, and has been for quite some time. Don’t point to his age or the fact that he’s left-handed. We all want to win now, right? Neither pitcher is going to get any better, and Lowe is a better pitcher now than Perez. Frankly, if the numbers don’t lie, it’s not even close. I’d rather trade Martinez to the Blue Jays for Doc than sign Perez. Call me crazy. I don’t care. I’m sick of OP going 5.1 and letting up 4 ER against Washington every fifth night.

  84. Sylar says:

    Has hell frozen over or is Arizona actually beating Carolina?

  85. MetsFan4Decades says:

    What a catch. I’m going to miss Endy’s defense out there in the outfield…..

  86. nymgb44 says:

    How come when everyone says “Lowe is not much better than Redding” they never back it up? Can I get an explanation? Is a 3.24 ERA (0.59 in September!) mediocre nowadays? Did I miss something?

    • SantanaClause says:

      1 person said that and i cant speak for everyone else but I definatly feel Lowe is better than redding. I do feel that Perez is intriguing only because of his age and the fact that Warthen really seemed to get through to him. Warthen completely changed his delivery and it seemed to really work wonders. He wasnt perfect but i could see him repeteing his 07 performance next year which is good enough for me.

      • nymgb44 says:

        That 5.79 ERA in September didn’t work wonders…sorry man, you’re a smart guy, but I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about when you say Warthen got through to him.

        • SantanaClause says:

          He and the rest of the team (minus santana and murphy) choked in september but what were is numbers between when warthen took over and august?
          Warthen took over in mid June so from July and august his numbers are an era of 1.38 in july and 3.52 in august for a combined 2.82 era and when you add in september it becomes 3.95 which is still respectable for a number 3 starting pither and he had a combined 103.2 innings pitched in those 3 months

          • SantanaClause says:

            Sorry My math was off

            Warthen Numbers
            July ERA 1.38
            August ERA 3.52
            Jul-Aug ERA 2.53
            Jul-Sept ERA 3.56

            Petersons Numbers
            April ERA 4.03
            May ERA 5.58
            June ERA 5.28
            Apr-Jun ERA 4.98

            Warthen Made a HUGE DIFFERENCE you cant take one month where nothing went right for an entire team and hold it against him. By the way
            Pelfrey’s ERA in september was 4.06
            Pedro’s ERA in september was 7.77 (was 3.83 in august)

  87. metsfan1 says:

    I think Lowe fits into the Mets rotation really well but Perez is a lot younger. He is a lefty which helps vs. the Phills as well. The only concern I have with him is if Citi Field does play like a hitters park, he may be susceptible to HR’s whereas Lowe will keep the ball down.

    I would love to see the Mets get Sheets. A 1 or 2 year deal with a ton of incentives. If he proves to be healthy he will get paid BIG TIME. If not, the Mets aren’t on the hook for 4 or 5 years.

    • nymgb44 says:

      How can you possibly have only one problem with Ollie? Look, I respect your opinion, but he’s not that good of a pitcher. He chokes when it matters most (don’t give me that “big-game” caca; it’s a myth), and he stinks every other start, against Washington, no less. The lefty-righty thing is so over-hyped. I care more about groundball-flyball, especially the 8-10 times a year when we play at CBP.

  88. nymgb44 says:

    By the way, MLB Trade Rumors has Pedro talking to the Marlins.

  89. The Slider says:

    Update: Mets 1 Cards 1. Bottom 7th.

  90. scoopcoopdoop says:

    As several have posted Omar may be luke warm on Lowe and that is why they have not pursued him harder. But others have been interested in Lowe b/c of fear that Citifield will be more have ahitters park and a ground ball P would be better suited to it.

    But if this were the case, I do not understand why no offer has been made to OP/Boras. It would seem that alot of leverage will be lost once Lowe signs somewhere else.

    Needless to say, if Mets try to tell me that Pedro is the number 3 starter with Redding/Niese as #5, I won’t be happy.

    • The Slider says:

      Omar’s probably negotiating with Boras for Perez as a back-up while he’s negotiating for Lowe, if you know what I mean.

  91. fongulalou says:

    Some of you reactionary,no-nothing,johnny-
    come-lately fans really are a laugh riot.

  92. stearnsfan12 says:

    How’s that waiting game working out for you now Omar? I don’t know that I blame him as much as I blame the Wilpons. I am starting to think their inability to spend money wisely or when needed hurts this team.

    The Lowe deal should have been done by now. This was a glaring weakness on this team and you don’t fool around with glaring weaknesses. Now, a division rival may get stronger as we are weaker. Thats a big no no in my book. I just can’t take another year of Ollie………..

    • fongulalou says:

      Seems the “waiting game” is working out
      just fine so far. As of 10:30pm 01/10/09,
      Lowe,Ollie,Manny&Abreu all still available.
      AND we haven’t (yet) been invovled in any
      real bidding wars.What’s the problem with
      some of you people?

      • tullydew says:

        Met fans have been playing the “waiting game” since 1986

        Wow its been 22 years!!

        I need a drink

        • Clem Kadiddlehopper says:

          22 years compared to the age of the universe is indeed an insignificant amount of time. This proves that Mets fans are spoiled. :)

    • Alban says:

      Seems to me that Omar is giving Lowe the Zito treatment, as opposed to the Beltran/Martinez/Wagner/KRod treatment.

      Lowe is good, but he isn’t “that” good. Whatever that means. Omar isn’t willing to commit the money. I think we can probably trust him enough on this.

      With that said, I do prefer a groundball pitcher (Lowe) to a flyball pitcher (Ollie), regardless of what Citifield turns out to be. I’ve heard now that it could be the place where HRs go to die. But I’ve also heard DWright, Murphy and Evans were knocking balls out of the stadium left and right. Groundball pitchers just seem safer to me.

      • Gland says:

        “Seems to me that Omar is giving Lowe the Zito treatment, as opposed to the Beltran/Martinez/Wagner/KRod treatment.”

        Yes! I was trying to say exactly the same thing. It’s like you can tell when Omar really wants a free agent or only wants them at a certain price.

  93. IWantManny/Krod4Christmas says:

    pedro in talks with the marlins?

    odds if he signs, he kills the mets?

  94. jaydh says:

    If no Lowe, I would like to see us get Ollie and Pedro(cheap incentive layden deal) back. Keep Niese in AAA and let Pedro compete with Redding for the 5spot. Whichever loses out becomes longman, Redman has experience in the pen and Pedro has said he would pitch out of the pen for us. I really think Pedro will be much better than last season. This would also allow Niese to be trade bait if both Redding and Pedro remain healthy and effective.

  95. Scoot64 says:

    If Atlanta signs Lowe, should Ben Sheets be the Mets new priority. Sheets is the best pitcher out there including Lowe, especially if he is can stay healthy. Would the Mets go for Sheets and would Sheets want to be a Met?

  96. FlightFromHouston says:

    The Braves can have him. Keeping Perez is the better move. Lowe sukt against the Phillies in the ALCS

  97. tullydew says:

    ESPN said Nomar could sign w/ Phillies as a Bench player

  98. BBFAN says:

    Sign Sheets and Pedro to incentive laden deals, go with a six man rotation (keep Santana on 5 day) get Dunn to play left move him to first next year

    • SantanaClause says:

      that is a thought but they wont do it. it would be interesting though.

      • BBFAN says:

        Not a true six man just the extra day for the injury prone, would also be less taxing on the pen, they might actually be able to go 7 every once in awhile

  99. IWantManny/Krod4Christmas says:

    sign perez/sheets

  100. uppertank says:

    SAMO…

  101. col5 says:

    I think if we do not get Lowe we need to seriously consider upgrading this offense. I hope Omar gets in the game here. At least Phillies not gonna get him. Ring the bell cheaters!

  102. IWantManny/Krod4Christmas says:

    if no lowe.. Manny anyone? with the following

    Johan
    Sheets
    Pelfrey
    Maine
    Redding/Neise

    • Willie Randolph says:

      So Manny will be our #2 starter ?

      Please , we need a pitcher RIGHT NOW, not a batter !

      • biomarco5 says:

        I think sheets maybe worth the gamble. its basically like a Mets version of signing john smoltz.

        The offense does have to many question marks to be confident, and even though they scored similar runs to the phillies last yeat, i think many of them came in bunches. hell we scored like 5 runs against the marlins in the final 3 games, offense needs something

        • metskid96 says:

          the mets are acting like a minor spending team. we need to win Lowe and if we dont sheets. we cant get Perez because he gives way to many walks.
          my opinion would be to get sheets. He is probably better than lowe.

          maybe punto for outfield, but not manny

      • Iwant2wintheEast says:

        Sure we do need a PITCHER. We also need a LF, a 2B, a catcher, I don’t care how good of a bounce back year Delgado had, by mid season were going to need a first baseman. You can’t count on the health of Ryan Church either. The Mets have too many holes to fill.

    • kbh218 says:

      Shouldn’t that read Sheets/Niese? Sheets will be injured for half the season.

  103. enut says:

    i dont have that much of a problem losing out on Lowe for a couple reasons, especially if he get in a bidding war and make the braves pay too much over 4 years.
    1. Ollie is 7 years younger and has much more upside, and has also dominated in big games (see vs. braves, phillies, yankees).. think Burnett, high ERA but nasty stuff and ability to dominate.
    2. Ollie has no other suitors or even anyone interested so we can get him for cheap and still look for upgrades,
    3. You really have to be careful about aging pitchers.
    4. Lowe does not turn ATL into a threat.
    5. I despise Boras and refuse to give into his demands and games, he is a virus and deserves to be shot.

    • IWantManny/Krod4Christmas says:

      i think we just need to raise the offer just a little more, but def not outbid the braves for 15 mil or more. i would rather save that money and get a manny/perez or manny/sheets combo

    • chasmets says:

      Way to go omar…..We need to get this pitcher so we should stop acting like its nothing especially since hes going to a divisional opponent!!!!

      Also this does not mean we automatically get Oliver back either we can just as easily lose his as well…..This is what happens when you think there is no other competition out there…

    • metsfanrobert says:

      great points on pro ollie enut. Also if we could get ollie cheaper than lowe we may be able to squeeze sheets into the budget so now redding will be a fall back option instead of our no. 5 starter.

  104. enut says:

    besides we could use the lefty over the righty

  105. stickguy says:

    Fine. You want Lowe, just go 3/42, vesting option for year 4, and make it final offer. If the Braves want to top it, let him go.

    For the offense, they should look at Gabe Kapler as a RH OF bat. Has some pop, and can play any OF position. n Even has 2 career games at 1B!

    Slightly redundant to Tatis, but gives them more flexibility, and strenthens the bench. Basically, a veteran version of Evans.

    Kapler even had a decent OBP last year, and 8 HRs in ~220 abs.

    Although maybe no room on the bench with Tatis in the fold…unless reed doesn’t make the cut.

  106. tonty11223 says:

    Hey Tim Reddings stats against other aces.

    APR 02
    @PHI 1 0 0.00 1 1 0 0 0 0 7.0 1 0 0 0 3 2 93-54 9-10
    Cole Hammels
    APR 23
    NYM 0 1 3.67 1 1 0 0 0 0 5.0 4 3 3 0 3 3 97-54 10-2
    Johan Santana
    MAY 09
    FLA 0 1 3.83 1 1 0 0 0 0 5.1 4 6 5 0 4 3 103-61 9-4
    Rick Nolasco
    MAY 19
    PHI 1 0 3.16 1 1 0 0 0 0 6.1 7 0 0 0 2 2 93-55 11-6
    Bret Myers
    JUN 10
    @PIT 0 0 4.29 1 1 0 0 0 0 6.0 8 4 4 2 1 3 96-59 9-5
    Paul Maholm
    JUN 20
    TEX 0 0 4.12 1 1 0 0 0 0 6.0 5 3 3 0 2 5 103-63 3-9
    Kevin Milwood
    JUN 25
    LAA 0 0 4.05 1 1 0 0 0 0 6.0 7 2 2 0 1 2 84-54 7-8
    Ervin Santana
    JUL 11
    HOU 1 0 3.85 1 1 0 0 0 0 6.0 7 0 0 0 0 6 114-70 6-6
    Roy Oswalt *left after one inning
    JUL 18
    @ATL 0 1 4.17 1 1 0 0 0 0 4.0 6 6 6 0 3 3 87-54 3-6
    Tim Hudson
    JUL 24
    @SF 0 1 3.98 1 1 1 0 0 0 8.0 7 1 1 0 0 5 97-66 12-6
    Matt Cain
    AUG 04
    @COL 1 0 4.44 1 1 0 0 0 0 5.0 6 4 4 0 3 6 112-65 4-5
    Aaron Cook
    AUG 09
    @MIL 0 1 4.61 1 1 0 0 0 0 5.0 7 5 5 3 5 3 105-57 3-8
    Ben Sheets
    SEP 13
    @FLA 0 1 4.54 1 1 0 0 0 0 6.0 5 4 4 2 3 5 100-65 5-8
    Josh Johnson
    SEP 18
    NYM 0 1 4.67 1 1 0 0 0 0 3.0 7 5 4 1 1 2 62-40 4-2
    Johan Santana
    SEP 24
    FLA 0 1 4.95 1 1 0 0 0 0 2.2 7 7 7 1 2 4 64-40 3-0
    Josh Johnson

    (W – L) 4 – 8 INN.P. 81.1 ERA 5.31 K 54 BB 33 HR 9 H 88 GS 15

    You decide if its a good signing!

    P.S. – I don’t get y people love Lowe, he isn’t that good and definitely isnt as good as Pedro at the time we got him for 13 million per yr., ESPECIALLY IN A RECESSION. Losing Lowe to Braves is not the Worst in the world. If he goes to Atl for around wut mets offered ollie has got to be for cheaper. THANKU BRAVES

  107. mistermet says:

    Of course Lowe makes ATL a threat- they already got Vazquez and Kamikama. Mets will finish 3rd as currently constructed.

  108. mistermet says:

    Why do people say the Mets and NYY are the only teams spending money? Last I checked, the count was 430 million (Yankee spending) to 36 million (Mets spending). A bunch of other teams have spent more than 36 million. Please get off this idea.

  109. mdfalcha says:

    BOS has signed Saito. I wonder if the Mets had any interest in signing him to get another veteran reliever in the mix? He could have been just as good an option as Putz (if healthy – he has been as good as anyone in baseball the past 3 years).

    Also, FLA is in talks with Pedro. I really think the Mets should sign him. Anyone else agree?

    • Buckners Error says:

      No.

    • metterman says:

      i agree, having too many starters is not a bad thing, I think he’s gonna bounce back and since we’re penciling him as an option at 5 and not our number 2 i think it makes sense. My fear is that with 3 guys coming off surgery (johan, maine, and redding) someone won’t be ready and then we’re back to our same old who’s gonna be the next guy. well having 7 starting pitchers is not abad thing. we can find something to do with them.

    • bobblehead says:

      mlbtr.com

      “Pedro Not A Fit For Marlins”
      By Ben Nicholson-Smith [January 11 at 11:21am CST]

      Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald shoots down the rumor that Pedro Martinez is a possible fit for the Marlins. Spencer heard from multiple sources that “nothing is afoot on that front.” The Marlins either have a lack of interest or a lack of money.

      Spencer did hear that Pedro’s interested in playing for the Marlins. One source even said they were his “first choice.” However, no discussions have taken place between the Marlins and Martinez recently and none are planned.

  110. tonty11223 says:

    i agree, he still has some in the tank and would be sharper after having to adjust to 1full yr off surgery

  111. Chris Alvino says:

    If Lowe signs with the Braves, then it would behoove Omar to not sit around and play Boras’ game anymore. Go get Sheets and leave Perez and his agent out to dry. Boras will draw out the Perez process to the end of January, and Omar still has holes to fill.

    • Darth Manuel says:

      While Omar is in talks with Boras about Perez, Sheets will end up signing 2 for 25 with the Marlins. Then Omar gets blindsided by the Angels for Perez’s services. Garland ends up with the Brewers and we end up with Wolf. And everyone will be well,,,shucks,,
      As long as we get Manny then everything is fine.. And Manny will end up back in LA for 3 for 70. Then we will sign Alex Cora..

      the end

      Way too keep the dream alive Omar.. We would of been better off saving our money on Krod! and just traded for Putz. Could of kept Neise in the rotation and moved Murphy to second and let FMart get some experience. Youth movement would of been acceptable. But your setting us up for more September heartache.

      • kbh218 says:

        I don’t want Manny at this point. Whoever signs him is going to get disgruntled cry baby Manny who thinks he is underpaid. He is not going to get anywhere near the contract he expected from anyone. I would be content with trading for Nady or Swisher if the Yanks are willing to sell cheap since they have so many OFs. Tatis/Murphy doesn’t do it for me. I think the Mets got lucky with their production last year and there will be a drop off this year. Oh well…dare to dream.

      • metterman says:

        so we get lowe and manny and we’re world series contending, without them we should just rebuild? with the 3rd highest payroll in baseball?

      • We Were Throwbacks says:

        Darth, go root for another team. You’re either taking the whole experience of being a fan a little too personally, or you’re just a very, very fragile person who is easily shook. Either way, go root for the Phillies. They just won the WS and seem like a nice an easy transition team for you to “root” for.

  112. twofours44 says:

    Its not the end of the world if we lose out on lowe. odds are that boras has nowhere else to go for ollie. what type of contract could we get ollie for after lowe signs? 4 /44? that would be a great signing in my eyes. or if boras finds a random other team to bid ollie up we could still get sheets. (and dunn)

    lowe makes the braves better but he does not make them better than us. our lineup is better and our rotation is about the same and our bullpen is better

  113. methead says:

    This whole Lowe thing is crazy. We make it seem as if he is Santana. The man is a nice #3 starter, good #2 starter on his best day. If we end up with Ollie or sheets we may actually be better off.

    One big reason reason I really want Lowe is because he is been on championship teams and could bring some leaderhip to this team.

    This isnt like losingout on Sabathia, santana or even burnett, We will be jsut fine either way.

  114. MetLifer says:

    I say.. Match the Braves offer for Lowe and tell Boras to take it or leave it. We don’t have to beat the contract by a million per.. or to guarantee a fourth year! The Mets are in a better position to win a pennant and get Lowe another ring. The Braves are in rebuilding mode. Call Boras’ bluff!

    If we fail to sign Lowe.. Then sign Sheets and Pedro to an incentive laden contracts. We’ll have Redding and Niese to fall back on if they get injured. No way should we sign Ollie! It would cost us 2 draft picks!

    • dieselpi says:

      how exactly would it cost two picks to sign perez?

      • just-mlb says:

        If someone else signs Ollie, we would get their draft pick, so it wont cost us 2, it would “cost” us 1..

        i honestly think we should resign Ollie…he is just as much of a big game pitcher as Derek Lowe is..the only thing is that Lowe is more consistent during the regular season…and with Warthen as pitching coach, everyone noticed how much Ollie improved as a pitcher.

  115. brye65 says:

    Mets have still too many questions. Redding was a good signing not a great one but good #5 starter or long man in pen and spot starter.

    Mets need to sign Lowe!

    Outfield is a joke! The only everyday player you got is Beltran!

    Tatis & Murphy 2 bench players that have difficulty with defense playing lf with a new dimension outfield in a new park.

    Ryan Church has been plagued with injuries going back to the Nationals. Church’s head might never be the same again after his last 2 concussions. End of the 2008 season. Church could not see to hit. Not saying a repeat but a huge question.

    Damon Easley was a big part of filling in and keeping this club in contention even at his age. Now gone from the bench.

    We basically are counting on our bench to piece it together.

    Omar needs to trade for an everyday outfielder or sign Manny. They need a RH hitter on the corner weather it is RF or LF

    Needs to sign Lowe. If you can sign Lowe & Ollie. Trade Niese, Kunz, Evans maybe Murphy for an impact player though Manny is your sure thing to the playoffs & WS.

    Everyone and thier grandma says get Manny!

    Take note Freddie Coupon! The world wants Manny as a Met. The petitions are out. Your only going to hurt your wallet more by not signing him!

    • nostradamus says:

      this current offense will be worse than last year. older delgado and tatis. schneider stinks…so does older slappy.wright will slimp and church is dizzy. lefty dunn wouldnt help anything. MANNY IS THE ANSWER!

  116. ProudMetFan says:

    Ugh I honestly think I might puke my blue and orange internal organs. I have done it the past two years, and its not any fun.

    Seriously though if we sign one more solid pitcher and an offensive OFer, i think I will be fine. For that matter, I dont really even care if its an OFer, just a nice offensive bat that gets it done.

  117. Metfreak says:

    Us fans has to over pay for drinks and food when ever we go to a game maybe its time for the Mets to over pay for once

    • ProudMetFan says:

      I think I agree.

    • nostradamus says:

      that’s right. give us manny and let’s go to the promised land!

    • ProudMetFan says:

      Well really though the Madoff scandal did affect the Mets whether you like it or not. If they had that extra, I think it was 300 million, I do believe they would be spending it somehow. The best way to spend it would have been to get some really good pitchers/hitters. But the bottom line is they dont have it.

      Nostradamus- Dude, please, I like ManRam too, but lay off just for a minute.

  118. Pedro says:

    How long do comments await moderation?

  119. oleosmirf says:

    im still 90% sure Lowe will wind up with the Mets but in the event the Mets dont sign Lowe or Sheets and have to settle for less then upgrading the offense is a must whether its the obvious choice or complimentary guys like Nady or Wigginton…

    • bobblehead says:

      Wiggington is not an option. He was peaved with the Wright taking over 3rd base and I cannot see him ever coming back to the Mets.

      • bobblehead says:

        Not that they were ever even comparable. Wright was the clear choice. But I always loved Wiggy and his scrappy, all-out style of play. He would be a great fit back with the Mets, I just think he is more interested in starting rather than being a utility infielder/outfield platoon guy, especially on the Mets.

  120. Pedro says:

    The major problem with losing out on Lowe is that we then have to put all our eggs in the Olly Perez basket. Even though he supposedly has not been a hot topic lately, once Boras takes care of Lowe, Perez’s name will be flown all around the league.
    At that point, everyone, especially Boras, will be well aware that the Mets are in dire need of a starter. And if something crazy happens (ie: Pettitte does NOT sign with the Yanks and leaves them with a questionable 5th spot in rotation) ….the Mets become engaged in a bidding war for Oliver Perez!

  121. BxMetsdude says:

    Manny anyone??

  122. phukthephills says:

    mlbtr.com……

    Newsday’s Ken Davidoff writes that “the Mets remain confident that they’ll eventually land one of their top two choices” for their rotation: Derek Lowe or Oliver Perez.

    The Brewers aren’t interested in Lowe and Davidoff heard from one Phillies official who doesn’t expect him to sign with Philadelphia. The Braves remain a legitimate suitor for Lowe, but if he signs with Atlanta, the Mets could simply bring back Perez. After all, as Davidoff says, “if there’s any competition for Perez, it’s in hiding.”

    • bobblehead says:

      I find it very difficult to believe that there are no suitors for Ollie Perez. If nobody wants him, do you really think the Yankees won’t step in and try to entice him just to stick it to the Mets. Boras WILL find a way to get Ollie’s value up. To think otherwise is not thinking at all.

      • metterman says:

        I believe it that there are no suitors for ollie. who wnats to work with the snake boras, to sign a guy who is yet to really prove anything other then a lot of inconsistency. I don’t mind ollie, he is what he is, i don’t expect to him to get much better than he has been the past two years. each start he could be tom seaver, or he could be anthony young. But in this economy with this market, i don’t think team s are interested in paying a guy like that 50-60 mil.

        • bobblehead says:

          I agree with you completely. The thing is, Ollie is a durable pitcher and a lefty. The alternative to him would be Wolf. Would you rather have Ollie, a durable pitcher, or Wolf, 4 teams in five years and a constant injury risk? I think that is your option if Lowe goes to ATL. Based on that choice I would go with Ollie. If Ollie goes elsewhere, I think the Mets should really take a chance on Sheets over Wolf. Both are injury risks, but Sheets is an Ace injury risk. Thoughts?

          • oleosmirf says:

            Sheets is the best pitcher available…

          • metterman says:

            and i agree with you, if we don’t get lowe than ollie should be our guy and i would take a flyer on sheets over wolf. Wolf does nothing for me. If we get sheets then i say we need pedro as wel to add depth for adding the injury risk.

  123. TugTheMan says:

    According to Boston Globe: Ben Sheets is becoming a bargain, so the Braves or Rangers could jump in and sign him affordably.

    And why aren’t we hearing about the Mets’ interest in Sheets??? I would have taken a gamble on Sheets over Redding, even though I like redding as #5 but rather have Sheets.

  124. 2009_believe says:

    Is there anybody out there with something positive to say, it seems like everytime i read this comments, its people crying about how losing out on lowe takes the mets out of the running, i mean come on people, its not the end of the world let’s not freak out, nobody knows whats going to happen

  125. Metfreak says:

    Go BigBlue today

  126. Darth Manuel says:

    We are starting to hear rumblings about the Braves picking up the pace and trying to immediately contend again. Chipper Jones met with the GM last week after Smotz signed with Boston. Since that meeting they signed the Japanese pitcher, are about to sign Lowe, and are looking at pursuing
    Adam Dunn. I don’t think it will stop there. The Braves will be for real in 09.

    So what are we going to do to counter this? Something must be done. Realistically what do we really need to win the east and contend for a WS title.

    IMO

    We have to sign either Perez or Sheets. Then we need an offensive bat to make up for the 3 giant holes in the offense. That way, we can allow Murphy to work his butt off in triple A, getting ready to fill in for Castillo when his knees fall off in June.

  127. Darth Manuel says:

    or what about this nugget..

    Why can we kill two birds with one stone. Why can’t Hudson play LF for a while. We all know Luis Castillo is going to break down again. That way Murph can go to triple A and work on his skills at first base and OF.

    Just a thought.

  128. MikePiazzaIsGod says:

    I don’t see why people are scared of Sheets. He had an All-Star year last year. Why are people so scared of him getting injured? He hasn’t gotten injured since the end of the ‘07 season. If you really care that much about his injuries, then just give him an incentive-based contract. Also, don’t the Mets have a history giving bad contracts to injury-prone players?
    *cough* Castillo, Alou *cough*

    • metterman says:

      Sheets has been hurt everyone of the last 4 years. hasn’t made it through a full season since 2004. Last year he got hurt at the end of the year (couldn’t make it out of the 3rd in either of his last two starts) and didn’t pitch in the playoffs, which was a huge reason why they lost to the phils.

  129. Kalihan42 says:

    There are a couple of options here. Boras is using the braves to create a bidding war and the mets didn’t flinch….or the Braves really want Lowe bad.

    Either way, this might be a blessing if he goes elsewhere. Perez is a young left hander and there seems to be no competition for him. We might have to guarantee 4 with an option for 5 to get him but I think we know what to expect with him and there seems to be little risk of injury. It might be better to have the young lefty to take on the Phillies next year. Lefty pitchers tend to mature slower than righties in the game (See Al Leiter) and we might see Perez have his best career years in the next couple so it might be worth locking him up now.

    I DO think we need to let go of our pipe dreams of Manny comming to the team. It simply is not happening. We just plain are not the Yankees.

  130. SantanaClause says:

    I am normally not one of these people but Bonds is probably the BIGGEST cheats in the game. he broke the HR record with steroids. I would actually walk out on the team and root for the Yankees while Bonds was a Met just because of my principles about steroid use. Let the “not real Mets fan” responses commence.

  131. FelixMillan says:

    I’m perfectly content to let Omar doing his behind the scenes negotiations. If the Braves end of needing to overpay, so be it. Derek Lowe won’t be taking them to the promised land. And Lowe would be a fool not to go with the team that has the best chance of winning. This is not a signing (or lack thereof) that I’ll lose any sleep over. There are other options.

    FM

  132. Peter says:

    How about Sheets and Garcia?

    This covers you with a mid-season replacement in case Sheets get’s injured.

    Santana
    Sheets
    Pelfrey
    Maine
    Redding
    Garcia
    Niese

  133. Austin6650 says:

    I wrote an email to the Mets, who reads these emails is anyones guess, but I’m annoyed because I think the Mets think I will always be a loyal “customer”. I will NEVER root for another team, but if they think I’ll spend my money on Mets gear or baseball games regardless of their moves or lack thereof to make this team competative, they are sorely mistaken. If they don’t get Lowe, they darn well better do something to improve the offense. Manny and/or Hudson. But I won’t be spending my money on this team as currently constructed.

  134. atrain311 says:

    It was a good ride, G-men. Damn you, Philly…again.

  135. Burn_Philly_Down says:

    I hate the city of Philadelphia

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      Crap. I don’t follow football at all. Being female, baseball and the Mets are my obsession. However, I absolutely wanted the Giants to destroy the Eagles. God forbid they go all the way. We’ll have to put up with those Philly fans all through the summer.

      Sigh….

      • ProudMetFan says:

        While my other comment is awaiting moderation, let me say it nicer.

        They will go to Super Bowl but will lose to Steelers :)

        Eat that, phila.

    • Metfreak says:

      I can’t stand anything Philly I am a huge Met and Giant fan I would of rather the Giants losing to anybody else but a team from Philly

      • ProudMetFan says:

        My thoughts and feelings exactly.

      • reillys5 says:

        me too man, mets and giants – rare breed ..the best part of being at the game today was seeing this eagles fan get JACKED UP near the end of the 4th quarter

  136. stone says:

    So giants are done, jets are done….only 1 month and 2 days ’till pitchers and catchers!

  137. i guess if we don’t get lowe having ollie back isn’t as bad as having ian snell as our #4 lol

  138. Darth Manuel says:

    ***2009 Mets financial situation***

    salary subtractions

    Alou 7,500,000

    Pedro 12,000,000

    Heilman 1,200,000

    endy 1,800,000

    perez 6,500,000

    show 3,500,000

    delgado 4,000,000 = 39,500,000

    Salary Additions

    krod 12,000,000

    reyes 2,000,000

    wright 2,500,000

    putz 5,000,000

    green 450,000

    reed 400,000 = 22,500,000

    We currently have a 2009 payroll of 121,000,000

    ***Correct any mistakes underneath, Copy and Paste****

    • therealsince86 says:

      According to MLBcontracts our opening day payroll in 2008 was $137,793,376.

      And Krod makes 8.5 million this season, not 12.

      We are also paying Show 1.6 million.

      • therealsince86 says:

        Also, Reyes’s is 1.75 and Castro gets a .65 raise as well. Johan 1 million. Redding 2.25.

        • therealsince86 says:

          And Tatis got 1.25 more.
          And many more that will get raises in arbitration.

        • Darth Manuel says:

          TRS do you know what the correct number is? How much our current 2009 salary is?

          • metterman says:

            the five arbitration guys with there 08 salalires are maine-.045, church-2 mil, sanchez-.085 mil, feliciano-1.025 mil, reed???. Judging by this I’m guessing maine will get some deal around the 2-3 mil range, church around the 3-4 range sanchez maybe 1 and feliciano and 1.5, reed i got no clue. that looks to be about 4-5 mil more in arbitration

    • Darth Manuel says:

      Lets pretend baseball has frozen all teams payrolls. Teams are not allowed to exceed 2008 numbers..

      So this gives us 17 million dollars to play with. Put together a package of FA that cannot exceed 17 mil

      • therealsince86 says:

        But If I were playing your game of 17 million

        10 million for Sheets
        3 million for Pedro
        4 million for Wiggy.

        • Darth Manuel says:

          Thats good,, I love the Wiggy idea,, Not sure about Pedro though. Who else can we get for that number?

          • Darth Manuel says:

            The only problem is the Health situation with both Pedro and Sheets.. I think we should only take a chance on one of them

          • metterman says:

            i actually like this as well considering the money limit, take out wiggy through in eckstein.

    • VCarver says:

      darth, there is no savings with delgado. He cost the Mets 12 million last year and that’s how much he will cost them this year.

  139. btw guys today is one of the few good days in mets history
    New York Mets signed free agent Carlos Beltran of the Houston Astros on January 11, 2005.

  140. therealsince86 says:

    No, I guess you could take last years number and then use mlbcontracts.blogspot.com

  141. casey s. says:

    this week omar, this week!

    santana – coming off surgery
    pelf – second big league season
    maine – coming off surgery
    redding – 5th starter
    vacant

    fill the vacant spot with the best pitcher available, please.

  142. ItalianTric126 says:

    Give Lowe his damn money and bring him over here. Then, give Orlando Hudson his money and get him over here. It’s funny how we fans always come up with numbers and years for players when in reality we have no real sense of what is going on with these players. What is gonna happen if we just pay these guys, our ticket prices are going up? Too late. They are already too high so who really cares if they up a little more anymore. Less seats and higher prices. Who cares? We are already paying a lot of money so just give us what we dedicated fans deserve after the failures of the past.

  143. Darth Manuel says:

    Like TRS said

    Sheets
    Pedro
    Wiggy

    There is no doubt Wiggy solves the Lf, 2nd base situation. Great call.

    but if someone held a gun to my head, I would have to go with Perez over Sheets. Just because Perez doesn’t see to get injured. I can deal with his manic control as long as he stays healthy.

    and if you can get Pedro also.. Why not! So for me its

    Perez
    Pedro
    Wiggington

    • metterman says:

      I’m ok with this as well, do you like that more than lowe/cora?

      • Darth Manuel says:

        if we only have 17 million to spend then Lowe would cost too much. Cora doesn’t have enough pop.. But as a bench player that would be fine. There aren’t many Ty wigginton’s around. The guy can play 2nd if necessary and also LF. If Wrights out, he can play third. If Delgado get hurt, he can play first.

        Gotta have Wigginton.. No question about it.

  144. steadyeddie says:

    Derek Lowe is a load….
    go to the Bravos, please!
    ya all carry on like he’s Tom Seaver or somethin’

  145. stickguy says:

    I can see the Mets upping their offer, then the Braves shifting course and snagging Sheets for much less.

    Perfect for them. Great stuff, iwth a high injury risk. They shoul dbe used to that by now.

  146. stickguy says:

    Say the Mets do want Lowe enough to blink and show him the money. Then the Braves snag Sheets.

    Where does Perez end up then?

    I could see him at a discount (3/30, whatever) ending up in the Bronx.

  147. steadyeddie says:

    Derek and the Bravos
    Go, please

  148. steadyeddie says:

    am I banned?

    • Darth Manuel says:

      why cause your post keep going to moderation? if thats the case … try not to use words with A_S_S in them or use underscores or dashes to break them up. Also when you submit posts they seems to go to a random place.. gotta search for them

  149. Darth Manuel says:

    Looks like no MLB team is going to raise its payroll from 2008. I’m sure baseball would frown upon us, if we were the only ones. Some of us, me included need to come to grips with this. We have somewhere between 15 and 20 million left to spend. I hope! I did some numbers but they didn’t include Arbitration and a few other things.

    This means its time to get off the Manny bandwagon, the Lowe bandwagon and start to think economically.. Omar has a tough job ahead of him.

    • Darth Manuel says:

      If this is actually the case.. Then great job getting Redding! As some have pointed out.. Wigginton would be a great pickup. Hope Omar has him on his radar.

  150. SantanaClause says:

    “At this point, ur telling me ud rather have Marlon Anderson as a lefty off the bench then Bonds?”

    I will care! Bonds is a player that should be banned from MLB i will and this is not an empty threat go root for the yankees. and I am not one of those people who say that about everything. It would just go to far against my moral principles to root for someone who ruined one of the most highly regarded records in sports.

    By the way that righty off the bench is (and mark my words) NICK EVANS.

  151. SantanaClause says:

    has anyone else noticed that the comments section isnt working quite right when you go to reply to some one it goes sepperatly to the bottom and other new comments just get placed randommly.

    • Darth Manuel says:

      hope this gets fixed soon. no fun at all

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      I too noticed this. Been happening more lately. It’s fine, it seems, until it gets to a certain number of replies. Then it’s like it loses it’s place. Only way to follow the train is to look at the times…..

  152. garfios says:

    I’ll just sign Sheets and move forward to the next hole in our team, LF/Bench, I had been posting here that Minaya should look into Marti/Gomez, those to players are ML ready on their prime, one is a pitcher and the other one is an outfield with alot of speed, that hit for average (331 in 10 years in Cuba).

  153. garfios says:

    Why my post was placed in the morning? I’m out of here, you can’t follow any post, they fix this thing.

  154. 16dwight16 says:

    It looks like garfios is the only one who has commented on the Cuban players Marti and Gomez. Is there anyone else that is interested in these guys? I’d love to see Omar go after each of them.

  155. casey s. says:

    Harry Carey calling a game between the Cubs and Pirates on MLB Network. Taylor Dayne playing in the background. So funny.

  156. col5 says:

    sign lowe or ollie and pedro and have him compete with redding and niese for five spot and sign o-dog.

  157. garfios says:

    Sosa is a cheater! and I mention that in another post, Marti/Gomez will be good for us plus Sheets of course.

  158. lil pelf says:

    32 days til pitchers and catcher….

  159. lil pelf says:

    32 days til pitchers and catchers….

  160. Omar sign a big bat please

  161. vikdeen says:

    Sign Sheets and Freddy Garcia and move Redding to the pen. If Freddy falters OR someone gets injured, move Redding into the the rotation. If Freddy falters AND someone else gets hurt, move both Redding and Niese into the the rotation.

    Starters:
    Santana
    Sheets
    Maine
    Pelf
    Garcia

    Reserves:
    Redding
    Niese

  162. therealsince86 says:

    Hat tip to the guys who posted about the two Cuban defectives. Both would be a good signing.

    Also, a couple of other players not getting any attention and may take small 1 year deals or even ST deals.

    Pudge– If we could trade Schnieder or Castro and bring in Pudge for a 1-2 million incentive deal I would jump on it. His numbers were not as bad as they looked last year and would be decent in the 7-8 hole.
    Ray Durham, would be a great platoon guy with Castillo. He hits RH very well and Castillo does better against LHP. Would not give the Mets a backup SS, however.

    Paul Byrd and Odalis Perez. Always good to have depth. IF the Mets do not get Pedro, either of these would work in his place.

    Example, sign Lowe, Durham and Odalis,
    That would cost around 18-20.
    Rotation would be
    Johan, Lowe, Pelfrey, Maine, Redding, Perez, Niese, Figgy. That’s pretty good depth

  163. therealsince86 says:

    Come on, can I get a Monday morning present?
    1) A new post
    2) A fixed comment section.

  164. Gland says:

    What’s going on with this site? Inconsistent updates, screwed up comments section, weak analysis (if there is any). I know it’s the “off season”, but if you’re going to run a big time blog, do it right. Notice how there are a lot of references to MLBTR recently? That’s because readers are going there more often now for new information.

  165. twofours44 says:

    Sammy Sosa def did steroids.

  166. just-mlb says:

    By the way, that scenario with Bonds was in the world series in game 7 against the yankees

    let me see one met fan that would be mad at that moment

  167. oleosmirf says:

    i was one of the few fans who would have been open to a Bonds/Alou platoon last season (yes i know they were old and injury prone).

    but Bonds is 45 and has been out of baseball for a year. He can probably still play but its not worth it…

  168. phukthephills says:

    not to mention that bond is one of the biggest a-s-s-h-oles in the world…he would be a bigger distraction than manny

  169. just-mlb says:

    like i said, if the man delivers, NO ONE will care. At this point, he just wants to win a ring. He said he would play for the league minimum and donate his salary to charity last year. He has kept himself in good shape, still works out and takes BP. He is not starter material anymore but At this point, ur telling me ud rather have Marlon Anderson as a lefty off the bench then Bonds?

  170. ProudMetFan says:

    I totally agree. Even if you were to azzume he still had something left in him (which he doesnt) he would be a distraction. Anyone to say they would take Bonds over Manny is kidding themselves.

  171. why are we even wasting our collective breaths on baroid?? are we the same fans that booed mota and loduca giambi and pettite (not to mention bonds) when they were named in the mitchell report?? last thing i am is a hypocrite and i will never want bonds or slammin sammy sosa on this team either – that also goes for pudge

  172. metterman says:

    no i don’t want marlon anderson either…lol

  173. SantanaClause says:

    I will care Bonds is a player that should be banned from MLB i will and this is not an empty threat go root for the yankees. and I am not one of those people who say that about everything. It would just go to far against my moral principles to root for someone who ruined one of the most highly regarded records in sports.

  174. SantanaClause says:

    marlons due for a break out season.

  175. ProudMetFan says:

    Dont worry, his HR belt will be given to someone WAY more deserving than he, A-rod.

  176. ProudMetFan says:

    Only their history is good. I even have had better Philly che-e-se steaks in NY.

  177. 16dwight16 says:

    It looks like garfios is the only one who has commented on the Cuban players Marti and Gomez. Is there anyone else that is interested in these guys? I’d love to see Omar go after each of them.

  178. SadClownGoodMets says:

    Blasphemy. I live in Philly and can’t believe that. Where in NY?

  179. sabermetrician says:

    Why not? I’d like to see Omar go after them. The intrigue alone of adding just one of those guys would be a lot of fun.

  180. letz_go_metz says:

    Marti looks like the real thing. I would love to see the Mets go after one or both. Can’t sign Lowe? How about Marti?

    Gomez looks like a good young player as well.

    Amazing thing is to read how Yankee fans think it’s as good as given that their team will sign these guys if they are any good. Quite a different perspective, don’t get me wrong, we shouldn’t become the _ankees.

    The pitcher looks really talented. I wonder what he’ll fetch as a free agent?

  181. krod9 says:

    I’d take Sosa, I’m not convinced he cheated. If we could sign him to a minor league deal…

  182. oleosmirf says:

    the more minor league deals the better…

  183. SadClownGoodMets says:

    MLBTR said they’re working out in Melville. Why Melville of all places? (I’m not trying to insinuate anything btw)

  184. therealsince86 says:

    HELP

  185. stickguy says:

    Don’t worry. Got your back.

    The SP issues should at least be resolved this week (early I hope). Then they can move on to fixing the mix of position players.

  186. therealsince86 says:

    No new post and a messed up comment section may drive me crazy.
    But anyway.
    I posted earlier, sign Odaliz Perez AND Lowe or Oliver Perez AND Paul Byrd/Pedro/Garcia.
    Then trade Schnieder and bring in Pudge for nothing.
    Sign Ray Durham for backup 2B and IF.

  187. Gland says:

    What’s going on with this site? Inconsistent updates, screwed up comments section, weak analysis (if there is any). I know it’s the “off season”, but if you’re going to run a big time blog, do it right. Notice how there are a lot of references to MLBTR recently? That’s because readers are going there more often now for new information.

  188. therealsince86 says:

    OR, LOL, idea of the day
    Sign Pedro, Odalis Perez and …… Manny
    Johan, Pelfrey, Maine, Redding, Pedro, Odalis, Niese would not be the best rotation by any means but could work if the offense and bp holds.

  189. therealsince86 says:

    Actually agree. Seems as though the site has been droping the ball since the winter meetings.
    Curious, but didn’t Matt get married recently?

  190. Gland says:

    I think he got married a little while back.

    It’s cool if he doesn’t want to work 24-7. But since it’s his blog he should have people on duty. It seems very random.

  191. roman411 says:

    A “I stole Guy Ritchie’s Wife” Rod?

    There’s an upstanding guy?