Daily Archives: January 13, 2009
Brad Bortone of Bugs & Cranks responds to reader comments about Derek Lowe signing with the Braves.
Ted Berg of SNY.tv did a Q&A with Will Sommer of Mets Fans Forever.
Andrew Beaton at Hot Foot introduces the Buffalo Bisons, the Mets new Triple-A affiliate.
Lastly, Joe McDonald has re-designed NY Sports Day, using this popular template from Word Press – nice work.
The following is a digital video tour of Citi Field, as seen through MLB:09 The Show from PlayStation 3 and MTV:
Yesterday, Peter Abraham of the Journal News and Uni Watch’s Paul Lukas of ESPN.com wrote about the Citi Field 2009 Inaugural Season Patch from the Mets and MLB.
My thoughts from last week can be found here.
Today, the Sports Hernia gets in on the action, 
providing a series of humorous alternatives, including the one featured in this post.
Similarly, ‘Duk from Big League Stew, whose post is also featured on the main news page Yahoo.com, also has a few choice words, complete with the headline, “Mets’ pizza patch the laughingstock of baseball uniform world.”
…i have been sent lots of e-mail from people essentially saying, ‘The Mets didn’t use the name Citi Field on their patch, because Citigroup may be broken up, making the name irrelevant.’…
…the thing is, as ‘Duke points out, MLB does not allow commercial names or logos on uniforms, so, regardless of Citigroup’s future, it doesn’t really matter…
According to Big league Stew, “More likely, it’s a case of the Mets being as dull and uninspiring as their ’08 bullpen. They could’ve held a coloring contest among preschoolers and still ended up with a better design than the one above.”
…i said this on the day the Patch was released…i think it would have been awesome to team up with the Mets, and let us, the fans, submit user-generated designs, with some one from the team picking a winner…this would have been a great way to include the fans in the opening of the new building…
The Braves have been in touch with the Yankees about OF Xavier Nady and 1B-OF Nick Swisher, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.
Speaking of outfielders…
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com believes that Adam Dunn is still looking for a four-year, $56 million deal.
Tagged Xavier Nady |Last week on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove Report, Kevin Burkhardt talked with Daniel Murphy about his 2008 season with the Mets, his home town, and his thoughts on next season.
During the interview, Murphy relays the following story, while taking batting practice:
“When I came (to Jacksonville University), as a freshman, and we were introducing ourselves, and they ask, ‘What’s your name, what position do you play,’ and, of course, being the 18–year-old idiot I was, I told them, ‘My name is Daniel Murphy, and I bat third.’ I was just kind of half joking, and serious at the same time.”
…i love it, man…that’s great…this kid is going to be my favorite player on the team, i can tell already…
To watch all of Murphy’s hitting session, during which he discusses his approach to hitting, click play below:
Also on Mets Hot Stove, Burkhardt talked by phone with Johan Santana, which you can watch by clicking here.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Derek Lowe has agreed to a four-year, $60 million with the Braves.
…well at least we now have an answer…i would think that if the Mets don’t pick up Ben Sheets or Oliver Perez, the front office can consider it a tremendous failure…this deal is a little more generous than i would have been willing to go, but hopefully they have some kind of contingency plan in place…
In a poll to MetsBlog.com earlier this morning, 51 percent of people who voted said, if the Mets had to give out a four-year deal, the four-year deal should go to Oliver Perez, while 49 percent said the deal should go to Lowe.
Update, 11:11 am:
…added to by Matthew Cerrone…
…this is a shame…it’s a shame in that lowe is a better fit for the Mets than Oliver Perez, i think…however, lowe at four years and $15 million per season is quite excessive…and, i’m not sure he’s totally worth it…
…the worst part is that, i got the sense the Mets were pretty confident in their position with lowe, following the team’s meeting with Scott Boras last week at Citi Field…
…the key here is the four guaranteed years, because, i just don’t see how the Mets get around giving four years to Oliver Perez…
…i mean, i’m sure they would love to sign perez to only a three-year deal, but i see no way Scott Boras allows that to happen – especially knowing the Mets position for a front-end starting pitcher…
…frankly, i’m starting to think the Mets may be better off signing both Randy Wolf and Ben Sheets or Jon Garland, than overpaying for perez…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |Yesterday, during a conference call, when asked specifically about Rangers SS Michael Young, who requested a trade and will play second base for the right team, Omar Minaya said:
“I can’t comment on a player on another team. Right now, we’re not in the position player market – we’re in the pitcher market.”
Speaking of position players…
Reds GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com that he doubts Adam Dunn will be re-signing in with Cincinnati, “Especially at the price he’s looking for.”
The Angels have interest in White Sox OF Jermaine Dye, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Yesterday, during a conference call with reporters, Omar Minaya suggested the Mets will only look to sign free-agent Pedro Martinez if he is unable to acquire free-agent RHP Derek Lowe or Oliver Perez, adding:
“Pedro’s one of the guys that is still under consideration – but right now, the way it is, we’re dealing with some other guys… Is he an option? He’s in the pool - but that’s where he falls right now. We’re in a position that, with the guys that are out there, the guys we are looking at, if we add one of those guys on the list, we feel real good going into the year.”
…i believe pedro can find more than a minor-league 
contract…and so, if the Mets end up with either Derek Lowe, Randy Wolf or Oliver Perez, i just don’t see how pedro fits in…i know omar has a great respect, appreciation and loyalty to pedro, but with Tim Redding and Jon Niese in the mix, there is no reason to sign pedro to a guaranteed deal…
…here’s the thing, if the Mets lose out on lowe and perez, they HAVE TO consider Ben Sheets…they have to…i know he has a history of injury, and there are league-wide concerns about his shoulder and elbow, but, if he’s looking at a one– or two-year deal, he has GOT TO BE an option…the guy can be an ace when healthy…
In 31 starts for the Brewers last season, Sheets was 13–9 with a 3.09 ERA in 198 innings pitched, during which opponents hit .241 and struck out 158 times.
…the buzz in baseball continues to link sheets and the Rangers, and maybe the Brewers, though no offers are on the table…
Tagged Pedro Martinez |
Jon Heyman of SI.com believes the Braves offered Derek Lowe a four-year contract, worth close to $60 million.
According to Heyman, “Lowe is in serious discussions with the Braves.”
Last night on the MLB Network’s Hot Stove show, Heyman said the Mets are discouraged by negotiations with Lowe, who is also being pursued by the Braves, ‘any maybe the Phillies, and maybe the Brewers.’
Heyman also reports, “The Mets are proposing a three-year deal for close to $30 million for Perez, although, a four-year deal for Lowe, may convince them they need to give him another year.”
…this is what i have been saying for a few days now, in that, if the Mets lose lowe to the Braves, knowing the market at that point, it would not surprise me if the Mets end up having to give perez a four-year deal as well…
…i believe, if the Mets need to dish out a four-year deal, the four-year deal should go to lowe, because, while he’s older, he’s also significantly more consistent, and that is what should be most important to the Mets right now – not youth and left-handedness…but, i have a feeling i may be alone in this view…
Heyman believes Omar Minaya would rather sign Perez, while the Mets front office prefers Lowe.
“We do have offers out there,” Minaya told reporters in a conference call. “You never know. You’re negotiating. As far as something happening soon, I don’t know that… I’m not going to tell you I’m too confident. I would say that’s it’s 50-50, and we’ll see what happens.”
[poll id="206"]
Tagged Oliver Perez |
