Daily Archives: January 31, 2009
Update, 3:10 pm:
Like I said below, close to 200 die-hard Mets fans went to Shea Stadium today to say one final goodbye.
For pictures, click here and here.
Also, hat tip to Chris and the guys from Baseball Fever for getting the ball rolling on this event, which you can read more about at Newsday and New York Times.
Original Post 12:52 pm:
In a post to his blog for the Hartford Examiner, Andrew Mees pens a letter to Shea Stadium, where he concludes by writing:
Tagged Shea Stadium |Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes the 
Giants are the only other team, besides the Dodgers, talking with Manny Ramirez.
However, according to Olney, “Executives with other teams do not believe the Giants are serious players,” adding, “They think San Francisco’s real intent is to keep the Dodgers honest, to force them to give Ramirez at least a two-year deal.”
Olney, who feels the Dodgers may be the only team in baseball right now who has $20 million to spend on a hitter, quotes a high-ranking team official as saying, “Who the hell has $20 million to $25 million available this time of year?”
Olney adds, “Some rival executives believe that the Dodgers could offer a two-year, $30 million deal to Ramirez and still have the highest bid on the table.”
Speaking of outfielders…
In a recent report for FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal said the Twins are looking to trade 23-year-old OF Delmon Young, though he does not say for whom or what Minnesota would want in return.
In 344 career games, during his young three-year career, Young is hitting .292 with a .326 OBP, 26 HR and 26 stolen bases.
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com believes the Mariners are looking to cut payroll now, and may need to consider trading RHP Jarrod Washburn, 3B Adrian Beltre or Miguel Batista to do so.
The 34–year-old, left-handed Washburn was 5–14 with a 4.69 ERA in 153 innings for the M’s last season, during which opponents struck out just 87 times and hit .287 against him.
Washburn, who has a no-trade clause, will earn $10.3 million this season, after which he will be a free agent.
He has not had a winning record since 2004, and has not finished a season with an ERA under 4.30 since 2005.
…man, i didn’t realize how much washnburn has been struggling in seattle… i wonder if a switch to the National League would help him… if anything, he could provide leverage for a team negotiating with Randy Wolf, or Oliver Perez… however, to do so, the M’s would need to eat close to half that balance, to bring him down to around $5 million per season, and i’m not, at that point, why a team would trade a prospect to get him, when they could just sign wolf… though, he’s an interesting option…
Batista will earn $9 million in 2009, after which he is a free agent.
During the last three season, he has made 26 relief appearances and 85 starts, while going 31–33 with a 4.85 ERA, during which right-handed batters hit .266 against him, while lefties hit .305.
According Joe DeMayo of NY Baseball Digest, “If 
the Mets do not have Oliver Perez either locked up, or having made huge strides in negotiations by the end of this coming weekend, they are likely to move on to other options,” according to a league source with knowledge of the team’s plans.
…early last week i mentioned there had been a bit of buzz suggesting the Mets had given perez a weekend deadline… i was skeptical of this, because it’s not typically Omar Minaya’s style… either way, i am sure the Mets want an answer soon, because this is getting a little ridiculous now…
DeMayo believes the Mets prefer Randy Wolf to Ben Sheets, “by a small margin,” because of concerns about his medical records.
…for what it’s worth, the buzz from baseball suggests sheets will not get a two-year offer from any team, for exactly the reason demayo suggests, because of concerns about sheets back and elbow as much as his shoulder – and the fact that he pitched so many innings last season may actually be hurting his case…
The source tells DeMayo a deal with Perez will get done, because, “The Mets love Perez, and Perez loves the Mets. I doubt he would be happy anywhere else.”
DeMayo also provides information on whether the Mets will pursue another bat and a relief pitcher.
Speaking of pitchers…
Pedro Martinez told the Associated Press that he has received various formal offers from a number of clubs.
The Tigers could end up trading one of Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Armando Galarraga, Edwin Jackson, Nate Robertson, Dontrelle Willis, Zach Miner during the season, according to the Detroit News.
Tagged Oliver Perez, Randy Wolf |
