Update, 12:13 pm:
In a post to his blog for Newsday, David Lennon writes, “The Mets have contacted Gary Sheffield directly to gauge his interest in coming to New York and a person familiar with the situation said today that he could sign with a club as soon as tonight.”
…from what i can gather, there is some buzz going on suggesting the Mets could do a pre-game press conference, fron Citi Field, before batting practice, which was originally scheduled to be just Omar Minaya… but, that is all predicated on them actually reaching a deal… otherwise, it will revert to a minaya solo address…
Lennon further speculates on how a potential signing of Sheffield will impact the current, projected 25–man roster.
Meanwhile, Andrew Marchand, on his blog for 1050 ESPN Radio, says, “The Mets are trying to figure where they could find at-bats if they pursued Sheffield.”
…read marchand’s post, it sounds like he is skeptical that a deal will ever be worked out, mostly due to the player and the history…
Update, 10:37 am:
Jon Heyman of SI.com believes the Mets are showing ‘real interest in Sheffield,’ saying the team sent two scouts to watch him throw in Tampa.
Sheffield prefers to play for the Mets over the Phillies and Reds due to ‘playing time concerns,’ according to Heyman, who spoke with the player’s agent.
“The Mets told him, ‘You deliver, and you’ll play,’” writes Heyman, citing a person close to Sheffield.
Original Post, by Mike Nichols, 9:01 am:
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports, the Mets have had ‘some in-depth discussions’ on the possibility of signing free-agent OF Gary Sheffield.
Sherman believes Sheffield is on the team’s radar, but lists the Phillies and Reds as possible suitors.
Sheffield, who was recently released by the Tigers, batted .225 with 19 HR and 57 RBI in 114 games last season.
…it’s good the Mets are discussing options to improve the ball club, they should be, but sheffield should not be one of them…
…the thing is, sheffield might be a nice right-handed option off the bench, but i highly doubt he would conform to such a role…and, after a spring in which Jerry Manuel preached team first, sheffield might undermine that philosophy…
NO WAY…The guy is a cancer. He will not sit quietly as a right handed bat off the bench. He will be a huge distraction. SAY NO TO SHEFFIELD.
uh o………
NO!!! We do not need this cancer on the team, maybe if this was 5 years ago it would be a good idea. However our out field is crowded already and Shef is only gunna care about that 1 home run
"sheffield might undermine that philosphy…"
small correction – philosophy
my apologies for being "that" guy haha
There's always "that" guy!
It's not still April Fools, is it?
Figures, my old username was already taken on IntenseDebate.. Bleh.
Dear God please no.
i actually want him to go to cincy. i dont want him on our team cause i believe he is TOXIC but i dread him having a bounce back year with the phillies lol. go to cincy or do baseball a favor and RETIRE already.
also, i would take a look at cattalano wily mo pena. cattalano gives you a solid lefty bat and can play all over the field…could serve as a better form of chris woodward. and wily is still young and has a lot of pop. maybe this will be the wake up call he needs to finally get his potential going
You mean he is a "toxic ass"?
hey, check it out. you don't have to sub "$"s when saying "asssume." amazing.
Don't worry guys, 0% chance that Sheffield signs with the Mets. That's a Prismo guarantee!
Thanks Prismo! I feel relieved!
NO SHEFFIELD!!
Are you kidding who out there has a better off the bench? hitter? besides the yanks? I mean i would ofcourse rather a Joe Mauer or JOsh Hamilton but hey when is that ever going to be done?
Oh no…starting to feel a little queasy about this guarantee. :/
Cancer this cancer that. The guy will play 80 games and hit. When we are 3 games ahead of the phillies in august we will forget him being a cancer. And if he does hit why is he going to be a bench player? I think team chemistry is overated. Jerry has dealt with big egos before let him do it again.
And if we're three games out because he's not a team player? And if he does "hit" .225 like he did last year?
I understand the temptation, and the desire to keep him away from the Phillies, but I don't think Sheffield is a good option for the Mets.
I'd rather the Phils pick him up and have him contribute to ruining any chemistry they have.
Oh brother, no matter how dumb an idea is thrown out there, there will always be someone steps up to support it.
I don't reject Sheff because he's a "cancer," although it's certainly a consideration. I reject him because he SUCKS — he's washed up, finished, done, stickaforkinhim, and he's going to expect to play full time, which is not happening on this team.
And because he's a cancer.
We already have one cancer…. he might be a clutch cancer, I'd take that.
Come on Alex/Dwright, you might not be liked that much but I would not call you a cancer.
Kim…This guy is done, but he doesnt know it yet. He will make a lot of noise about playing time and end up hitting .225…Not a good fit.
The guy is low risk. I think mlbtr says he is willing to play for league min. Whats the big problem? If he is awful in his first month then we cut him. If hes good maybe hes worth 1-2 wins.
btw matt like the new format
Why Sheffield.????
like the new layout and comments
agreed, though it is annoying how it jumps all the way down to the bottom when you click "comments," and you have to scroll up to read them. Or at least it does that to me.
Shef would be fine. He is 40 years old and will except a platoon or bench roll. The guys wants to win. I mean he could very well be that right handed bat we have been eyeing. He is still a feared hitter and can be a game changer. We all know that he can do so with one swing of the bat. There will be no egos. He has been here before. Bring Shef to Citi.
Agreed 100% Krumbled.
Just say NO to Sheffield.
Youth and health. That is the new Met mantra.
I hope.
I have no confidence in the Mets making smart decisions so until another team snags this guy I am very nervous.
If they wanted to upgrade the offense they should have done it with manny. no to shef.
Hey, has anyone heard back about the free tix for Mon's game yet? I sent my e-mail in about 5 min after the story was posted……
Nope, I haven't heard anything yet!
Has anyone heard anything yet?
It was an april fool's joke. No, but really it was probably a big scheme to see how many people read the blog. i wonder how many replies Matt got…
btw "edit" feature ROCKS!!!
like it
too little
too late
Phrases I Hate " He's a cancer in the clubhouse" or "He threw him under the bus"
Enough with these dumb sayings. Anyway..Yes I do think Sheff is a bad idea for METS.
He might behave himself as a bench player for a month. then he will start to bitch about it.
Eventually he will go nuts and probably try to call Manuel a racist.
He's just not that good anymore/done juicing.
bingo. i'd rather take barry bonds.
Hopefully comments post in Firefox…. here we go!
I wan't no part of Shef. He's a solid player, but he's 100% limited to a DH role at this point in his career. Plus he's injury prone and most likely won't accept a bench role. Also the Mets have 2 outfielders on the team already, this would all but eliminate the defensive replacement in Reed. The only way I would be on board is if it mean Marlon Anderson is gone. But if he was going to be I'd much rather Evans or Kielty be the player brought back
You start with "he's a solid player" and then lead with reasons why he isn't. To put it frankly, he just doesn't have the ability to drag that wabbling bat through the strikezone fast enough. And he wants to start. No, thanks.
test
I'm so excited! (I'm jus testing b/c I keep getting an error message when I try to login…though, apparently, I'm logged in)
Can we do something to thwart the SI curse!?!??
Yeah I don't really see any reason to bring in Sheffield.
oh come on, right hand power hitter off the bench? why not
i think a lot of people here just reiterate whatever it is matt cerrone says to try and sound smart
Does that mean you want Sheff?
Yes Power hitter. But you don't think he will be a problem in the locker room. Like he was with the Yankees when they limited him to a DH only role. Or like he was with Detroit when he was limited to a DH only role. This is a guy who wants to play every day. He also wants to play the field.
Sorry I'd rather give younger players a shot to show what they have then bring in more and more aging veterans. If you want Sheff, then you can't throw stones when the mets sign other aging Vets and call Omar a moron for signing Aging Vets, because WHY NOT?
but will he be fine with being just that power bat off the bench
also, how did you ever lose to the 1-2-3 kid back in the 90s?
/throws toothpick at you
Sorry…I can't see what he'll bring to the team. If we're going to take a chance on another bat, he'd be one of my last choices…..
Uh, no.
When I heard this on Boomer & Carton this morning, I immediately thought that this was a strategic ploy to get the Phillies to move on him. I don't think he will ever be a Met, although stranger things have happened (particular if there are injuries, although I think Nick Evans deserves a shot if this is the case, no?)
If we have Marlon batting .225, and Sheffield batting .225, I guess I'd rather have Sheffield's power.
But, when you talk about intangibles, I think Marlon's a better team guy, and that's more important for this club.
True, one cancer in the clubhouse is enough.
I was having the same problem. Had to play with it a little.
After you select your picture, make sure 'Use Uploaded Picture' is checked. Then come all the way down to the bottom and on the right and click 'Save Settings'.
I had to sign out and back in then for that to show after I finally got it updated.
I hope Sherman is wrong. Sheffield is DONE. He's disruptive in the clubhouse. The Mets seem to have a nice mix of veterans and youth right now as is. They don't need to skew it over to the AARP side. If they need extra bench help, they can call up Evans or Kielty during the season.
completely off topic, but has anyone read the article in the new sports illustrated called 'baseball's next top models'? it's a really cool look at some of the relatively newer defensive statistics that teams are using. i am really interested to check out some of these stats like uzr but i can't seem to find them anywhere. does anyone know where on the internet these kind of stats may be available? i am not interested in subscribing to a website though
UZR is a variation of zone rating. The only websites I know of which have UZR type stats are espn.com, thehardballtimes.com, and fangraphs.com. But be aware that fangraphs does their UZR stats much differently from other sites as they incorporate things like errors into their numbers.
Wow, this one should really test the new comment section.
I uploaded an avatar. Does anyone know why it won't show?
Not sure, but before commenting did you log into "intense debate" or whatever it's called?
We don't need a steroid problem on the team once again. Stay away from Shef.
Let me see if I understand the rules right. There will be no need for Shef to seek the most money as he won't get any of that anyway. Any money we pay would go back to the Tigers, correct? Thus, he gets to pick the place that he feels is the best fit for him. I don't see that being here. He would get little to no playing time. At this point in his career is he any better than Tatis? So besides PH AB's what is he going to get?
Anyone catch Fernando Tatis playing Second Base in yesterday's game? Look at the Texas Rangers moving Michael Young over to Third Base with their reasoning of just trying to get the best 9 guys out on the field at one time. Fernando Tatis is better than Luis Castillo at this point in their respective careers. Tatis at Second would make the line-up tight with the lone blemish then only being that LEECH Brian Schneider…yeah, I know Schneider is batting around .320 this Spring, but, please…don't be stupid and mention that vapid stat…
1)SS – Jose Reyes
2)LF – Daniel Murphy
3)3B – David Wright
4)1B – Carlos Delgado
5)CF – Carlos Beltran
6)RF – Ryan Church
7)2B – Fernando Tatis
8)C – JARED SALTALAMACCIA OR TAYLOR TEAGARDEN!!!!
One would assume that Tatis is pretty bad there. I think it's Castillo's position for now and if he struggles then there will be plenty of options including Tatis. 2B is not a position that you learn in a couple of games though. The last thing we want is for him to get Reyes killed.
Why would you ASSUME that Tatis is not only bad there, but "pretty bad" there? That's just a retarded thing to say. He's a versatile player who I don't think Manuel would risk injury or embarrassment by playing there yesterday…..
Look at the bottom of the line-up with Tatis vs Castillo….if Castillo isn't going to bat lead off, which I feel is the smartest place to bat him, then….he can't compete with what Tatis would mean to the line-up day in and day out.
Kherub—Tatis has played 2 innings at 2B in his MLB career…your idea is completely ridiculous buddy….and that is being kind about it. The game is more than offense, and even so, Castillo may very well be better offensively than Tatis anyway……
As a side bar….if Tatis can play Second…I say snag Sheffield….or Wily Mo Pena….and let Marlon walk….
if we bring sheffield in hes going to critizize guys like murphy and church so i say not, how about geoff jenkins?
Really don't see a need for that one.
no need for another lefty on the bench
yea is it gravatar?
Hey, yours is working now. I feel so left out!
I got mine because I use WordPress, but I think it's just "gravatar.com" if you want to set one up separate of any other blog. It ties in with your e-mail address, so you should be able to use it anywhere it's implemented.
Thanks!
I gotta say no. As much as I wanna say yes, I gotta say no. if he was humble enough to take a minor league deal until a roster spot opened, then I would say yes. If we have an injury, then I would grab him if he was still available
Really not the type of guy we want in our clubhouse. His bat is on the decline, so let him go to some team like Kansas City, San Diego, or Oakland to hit his 500th HR and fade into the sunset
This new comment format sucks
I don't know as an oldie on here, so far I like it. Although some of my post disappear for a few minutes and come back.
no thanks, avoid him
Wow talk about a change in format.
Ah, it's just like Wayne Hagin. Hated him at first, but then he grew on me enough to become tolerable.
I Dont know, its gonna take a while for me to get used to, its too complicated lol
not a fan either. and these two side bars on the right side of the screen are driving me nuts.
My hope is that it will better allow us to continue replying to each other if necessary, and also that after 200 comments or so it won't just start posting them in random places. If those things happen I'll be pleased with it.
LOL…
ok here is the trick. Once you upload your picture, you gotta log out and log back in and you should be good to go.
Guys, if you read this site all winter, every availabe FA was on the Mets radar. This is much to do about nothing.
We need Sheffield on this team like we need hemmorhoids on a hot summer day.
lol
Does that mean you wouldn't mind Sheffield or hemorhoids in April or October?
I am really hoping Sheffield goes to the Phillies. They are looking for another OF bat after cutting Jenkins, and Sheffield would be a nice little splinter in their clubhouse that can hopefully bring them some bad mojo
By that thinking. Play Murphy at 2nd and Tatis in LF. No different.
But Tatis would be a tremendous Liability at 2nd. As would Murphy. Would their offensive production outweigh their defensive woes. Your stuck with Castillo at least this year as the 2nd baseman. he looked healthier in the spring and gave some hope.
What are you dealing to get Salty or Teagarden. I for one don't think the Mets can make that trade. They asked Boston For Clay Bunholtz straight up. Would you trade Pelfrey for one of them? Cause that's what it would take. Or Maybe Brad Holt. Or John Neise. I don't want to part with them. there are only a half dozen offensive catchers in baseball. Teams win without a Hitting Catcher all the time. You don't need 8 300 hitters with power to win. Pitching and defense win.
Niese wouldn't get it done. He's no where near in the Clay Bucholz class of prospects and might not even fall within the top 8 of Texas' pitching prospects. But if the Mets were confident that Teagarden could outhit Schneider (and I am not certain that is even the case) they'd have to trade Neise for him if they could.
I think if you click on Sort by: Last Activity you can see the latest comments..
Yes, I might consider Sheffield in October. And no to the hemmorhoids. They're just plain bad all year long or so I've heard.
You beat me to it.
And I'd also love to know what it is that Willy Mo Pena would bring to the team.
come on already should say wanny2. i was curious to see what happens when you have to type in your name. why login and then type in the name?
i think you need to sign up for intense debate thing. that'll make that put in your name thing go away
Sniff sniff, you called me retarded. Anyway, did you happen to watch any games that Gotay played there? How many times he nearly got Reyes killed with terrible throws to 2B.
It's showing now. I logged out and closed Firefox, then opened it up, and now it's showing. That must be the key.
But, apparently you can post without logging in and then the avatar doesn't show up … but it you log in it will. Weird that Matt would allow people to post comments without any log in.
yeah it'll allow some joe nobody to post without registering… it might make this site a lot more crazy than it is now..
Evan Roberts just said that the Mets sent 2 scouts to watch Sheffield yesterday, and according to one reporter Sheff prefers the Mets over the Phils due to playing time concerns.
LOL, does he think he will get more here? Where? How would he be better offensively or defensively than Tatis who is already the OF RH backup.
please stop with Gary Sheffield already- Give Ryan Church a chance to rock this season- concussion free! This talk is making me feel icky…stop stop stop METS…you're ruining my opening WEEKEND FEVER! argh
I don't think Sheff signs with Mets or the Phils. He is a selfish guy and probably wants to start. He'll sign with Pirates or something
This is only a test……
wow….it went from minaya laughin at the possibility of signing sheffield, to us being the front runners??? this is crazy..i dont know how i feel abou this
I guess my banishment has ended with this new commenting section, huh. Sweet.
If it's Chef from Southpark, yes. Ohhh, they mean Sheff. Noooooooo.
21 years in the bigs now without his "vitamins",yikes no.
Really don't like the idea of having Sheffield. Where the hell is he going to play?
This team needs an intense a-hole.
Sounds like he is drumming up his own interest. Who on the mets would say he would play? over wonderboy murphy or church?
Lol, yeah…I've been saying play Murphy at Second since last year….that would have been resplendent. You don't know that Tatis would be a "tremendous (defensive) liability" at Second Base first of all, and secondly….I live with it homey….as The Emperor once said – "POWER……UNLIMITED…..POWER!!!" It would have been smarter to play Murphy at Second all Winter and Spring though because Tatis is a better Outfielder, and I think Murphy would have worked tirelessly at improving his D at Second. Defense is worth only half as much as offense according to a recently released study from where I forget where, but sounds about right….even at Second base….
As far as Castillo is concerned….I really liked what I saw from him, but if he doesn't bat lead off his value will not only be compromised, but I'm sorry to say I think he'll eventually be prone to a repeat of last year….in spite of his physical shape. I believe he can be an asset leading off, but any where else in the line-up he becomes the lesser option.
RANGERS GET – Jon Niese, Eddie Kunz, Ike Davis
METS GET – Taylor Teagarden
other possible trade chips as either, or's include Jefry Marte, Jenrry Mejia, Nick Evans, Dillon Gee, Shawn Bowman, Brant Rustich, Jon Holdzkom, Francisco Pena, Josh Thole, ect….everyone but F-Mart, Holt, and Flores basically I'd make available, and try to hide away Havens….
Teagarden or Saltamaccia…..
Do Not Want. Let him go ruin the Phillies
Love the avatar!
Why oh why? No Sheffield please.
test
Why are people so opposed to Sheffield? He is a risk free option. If it turns out he is done or just aint worth the trouble, you just cut him. He's worth the flyer.
It just depends on who it is at the cost of and his attitude. IF the Mets would cut Anderson and use Sheff only as an occasional start mostly PH then I see no problem in it. However, if it becomes a starter or even platoon right away then I can't stand it.
It's cause he's not worth the trouble. It's added attention to a team that has plenty of it already.
Plus, his stats blow the past couple years. We don't need another aging veteran who'll mouth off at the first sign of being "mistreated"
its the attitude mostly. Plus he cant really defend and his bat speed is down. He is what people call a "cancer". Manny/Alex has that label too but at least he will hit you 35HRS in the meantime…With manny is if he wants to that is.
Because he's done. He won't add anything to the club in terms of offense or leadership or intangibles. He could be a distraction or malcontent as he's been in other places, and he'll take up a precious roster spot that could be used to develop a youngster such as Evans.
Do you realize the farm system that they currently have? Kunz has no trade value right now and neither does Davis. In fact the Rangers have no need for Davis even if he DID have value.
We are not a match unless you include something like Niese and Parnell at even that's a stretch.
Besides, I really want to see that study. I can't see it at all. Defense has MUCH more value than you give it credit for. Tatis as a sub at 2B for a couple of games, good idea. Murphy or Tatis at this point taking over 2B and making Castillo a useless 6 million dollar backup, nope.
The defense being worth half the offense is not insignificant.
Let's see Murphy creates 10 runs in a given time span offensively. That means his defense is worth 5 runs. If he is a lousy defender, then he may not be able to achieve those 5 runs defensively. Is it worth it having a guy at 2B who costs them a run or 2 for every one he produces?
Love your picture.
thanks!
I don't believe in that chemistry garbage. If Sheffield hits like a HoF–which I doubt he can do anymore–his attitude problem will not be a problem. So even though he may be washed up, there is little risk (minimum salary) to find out for sure. He could have something left, you never know. And we definitely don't want the Phils reaping the benefits.
I think it's because many, me included, think of Sheffield like we think of cancer. Sometimes it's benign, sometimes it's malignant. I would rather just avoid cancer altogether instead of hoping it's benign.
please god don't sign this cancer…Sheff is a bum
I think there's more risks than rewards obviously. It won't help with having Sheffield breathing down Church's and Murphy's back for playing time. I trust our outfield the way it is. If he doesn't mind being a bench player, then fine. But that's highly unlikely.
the way i see it, if hes willing to play for league minimum or close to it, theres no reason not to give him a shot. wait it out, see how serious the offers from reds and phillies are, if they dont offer him playing time hes humbled (at least enough to throw out the "cancer" nametag) and he will except a position as a role player. i think even with his age hes still got more skills than marlon anderson or bobby keilty
2 things: 1) Sheffield's a professional hitter. He'd be fine off the bench. The org doesn't like strong personalities, they prob won't take him. They will kick the tires because that's what good GMs do…..
2) I can't believe no one has heard anything about the tickets for Monday. You mean to tell me 100 people sent in their e-mail @ 9 AM in less than 6 minutes and not one of those people are reading the blog right now? I find that hard to believe.
P.S.: I read the site every morning on the bus and every night on the way home on my Blackberry – the new look is very, very nice…..
Mets should sign him. Low risk High return move. He's not the Sheffield of old but this team still lacks power from the right side of the plate.
The Mets' slugging percentage was higher from the right side of the plate than the left last year.
Understood. Thanks for the info. I guess I am also concerned about our power off the bench and thinking Tatis won't have the yr he had last yr.
I simply don't see him playing Marlon Anderson role. He will bitch and moan about not getting enough playing time…
One would assume. How nice is it to be able to say assume?
lol tell me about it. No more havign to re-read posts…and i cant get enough of this edit feature..any way lolll
@ kistics
He is already b****in about playing time and nobody has signed him yet.
LOL.. yes.. I just think it'll be a bad signing…
Would he be more effective than Anderson/Evans combo? I just don't see it. I could be wrong…
Say no to Sheffield.
The only move I would want Omar to make is to bring in Catalanotto and waive Anderson.
That would be a better option.
The Mets told him, ‘You deliver, and you’ll play,’” writes Heyman, citing a person close to Sheffield.
This comment scares me if it is true. Does that mean he will get starts over someone? How does he deliever if he is not getting starts?
And something else to think about, this is not Sheffield druming up interest as he can't make any more than what he is making now right? I was under the impression that the Tigers are paying his salary and any money we give him goes back to them?
we dont need sheff, tatis is better than him now and he plays hard unlike sheff.
BTW I love the new layout and comment section.
i have not researched this but dont beltran and reyes hit better from the right side…and we always have dwright. I am just curious who's spot he will take up if they sign him. Obviously evans crazy spring was not enough to convince the mets to drop anderson…but sheff who had a bad spring and has had several injuries may be enough…who knows.
You could be right about Reyes and Beltran. I am not 100% sure either. I do however feel that this line-up needs more power and we have enough lefties (Delgado, Church and Schneider as is). I don't think Sheff should start, I think he should come off the bench. Now will he be happy with that, who knows.
Regarding Evans, he had a good spring but if he's not going to play everyday with the big team doesn't it make sense for him to go down to the minors so he can play instead of sitting on the bench?
Well thats the thing, He will ride the bench but will get time to play against ML pitching because of hes versatility. He can sub for delgado and play in the OF if theres a Lefty on the mound and that frees up tatis to spot someone in the infield for rest. I think also that evans can/will be more productive than marlon givent he opportunity. Whats the point in having marlon if he is not going to contribute…at all. I understand his role but i just think evans gives us a better ab. I agree about everday hitting in the minors but ive come around to having him see more ML pitching as he will be a big part of the mets for a few years to come.
So I assume that when Livan Hernandez is added to the roster you'd prefer Marlon Anderson go as oppose to Evans..I can live with that. It will be interesting to see how the Mets handle it.
i would LOVE if they would do that…but i doubt they would.
My thoughts exactly. I concur.
This is unreal, I was just starting to feel good about this team and now this… If the Mets were so interested in another outfield bat, why didn't they just sign Abreu? This is a bad guy and the last thing this team needs is a bad apple in the clubhouse.
Worst idea ever. There's no room for him and he's not going to accept a part-time roll for the entire season. I also want Murphy playing full-time until he proves otherwise and if you platoon Sheff with Church, your outfield defense is going to be shot against lefty starters.
I hope this is a late April Fool's joke! I dunno how to deal with a malcontent on this team. Do you guys think his presence will disrupt the team chemistry?
lol you and me both ego. I do think in a way he will disrupt the team chemistry. Manuel has been preaching a team first mantra for this whole spring traning. As someone pointed out earlier, shef might undermine that point. I love pedro but pedro was constant media attention and willie was too bland for this team. It seems manuel is the type of guy they respond too and i think they have the right chemistry on there now and a group of guys with the same mindset. Shef i do not believe fits in with that mindset.
Scary times! I dunno. I think he's fixated with his 500th HR instead of winning. Plus, which outfielder loses a job? This blows. I would prefer Manny and the Manny-acs (LOL) playing at Citi Field instead of Sheffield. If a manager such as Leyland couldn't tolerate his poor play, what makes him think Manuel can? I guess we will have to wait and see Dirty.
according to the latest post…not too much longer….
if he turns out to be a cancer, couldn't the mets just release him? the heyman article says they would only owe him the $400k of the $14 mil thetigers would be paying. i think there is some up side here
Sheffield would be a good fit as Jay Cutler's replacement in Denver.
OMAR!! Dont do it!! You made a commitment to youth..dont renig. Besides we have tatis on the bench for the right side.
Today's post are brought to you by the numbers 6 and 39.
6 for the number of games Sheff played on defense last year. 39 for the ammount of games he has played OF the last 3 years combined.
Well that sums it up perfectly.
Dirty, I think it's time to upgrade your name! How's Frankie Figgs?
We can also say.. David Wright and Unclutch at the same time…
Don't Sign him!!!!!!!!!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
This has to be a late april fools day joke.
Well at least you fixed the problem with those 2 columns. LOL.
Absolutely agree! I've been loving the youth movement. No more old guys that are mostly done.
To be honest, I feel like Sheffield's attitude is the type of attitude that Manuel likes. Sheff is very blunt. He is not a pri-madonna either. Manuel doesn't like pri-madonnas.
He does not have to be a starter on this team. I am sure that he understands that with any team he goes to that he won't be one. But if he can hit, he provides strong protection behind beltran and Delgado when lefties pitch.
Read Torre's/Verducci's book and look at the part where Sheffield thinks Torre never wanted him on the team and tell me that this guy isn't a prima donna.
And I don't get why people on this site think he's going to just willingly take a bench role. According to Heyman, he's being told "if you produce, you'll play." So if the guy isn't starting in the OF from day 1, he'll complain that he's not getting a chance to succeed and he's accomplished more than the other corner OFers on this team.
I say take him. you ever think why Sheffield is a cancer. It's cause he's always had some old white guy barking orders at him like a slave driver. Maybe Jerry can get through his thick headed skull. Jerry might be Shef first black manager
What is this nonesense? slave driver? give me a break. He's the batter version of Pedro, that's why it's a no!
rico…. ur post is by far one of the most idiotic i've ever read… and it bleeds ignorance!! please refrain the urge to post such nonsense.
What an ignorant post. He supposedly loves (or loved) playing for Leyland … and if Sheffield is so racist that he will only listen to someone of the same race, do you really want someone like that on the team?
Bottom line is that he can't hit anymore.
I don't know what to think about this. Yes he's a power right handed bat but I doubt he would conform to becoming a bench player. He doesn't have the reputation of a "team player" either. I would say no. let him go to the Phillies and destroy their locker room.
If he is willing to be the 4th OF and a RH bat off the bench this is a no brainer.
I don't buy the club house cancer talk, all of his ex-teammates have nothing but great things to say about him. He might speak his mind to the media on occasion, but that's something I respect. Surely beats the canned PR answers most guys give.
He's a professional and a proven winner. If he's willing to be that right handed bat we need off the bench in return for the chance to win another championship I think it's a win win. Plus it will light a little more fire under Murph (if that's even possible) to keep the LF job his.
Tatis, Pagan, Reed, Evans… How many backup OF's do you need? Sheffield and his attitude belong in the same place as Billy Wagner: home.
My question is, Is he any better than Tatis as a 4th OF RH bat? If so then fine, if not then who plays?
Matty,
Off topic…but I can finally view the page on my blackberry. I no longer have to scroll through the side panel. Woo-hoo! Thanks Mattie!
They really signed him?????
or is someone lieing to me?
I have not seen anything saying we signed him yet.
google his name and go to wikepedia
i know its wikepedia but they said a press conference is set at 3pm today
Can't I make a change to Wikepedia?
I did find this and hope it clears up any confusion. Whoever signs him will ONLY pay league minimum. He can't hold out for more money unless he really likes the Tigers, LOL.
If a player is not traded, and clears waivers, he may be released from the team. The player is then a free agent and may sign with any team, including the team that just released him. The team that releases him is responsible for the salary the player is owed, less what he is paid by the team that signs him. In practice, that amount is usually a pro-rated portion of the Major League minimum salary
I am actually on the fence about this. He is low risk high reward sort. I know he is a big personality that we don't need but also he can fill a role that we needed this off season at a low price. I would hate to see him take play time away from Murphy, but a 4 man OF could work nice and free up tatis to hit off the bench where we really need him. Pop from the right hand side could be a real tool to use. It would be nice to always have Tatis+ 1 of murph, Shef or church always on the bench in the late innings.
Still this is Gary Shefield and he does seem well past hims prime.
I like the idea…..I know everyone hates Shef…..but bottom line who would you want up with the game on the line Marlon Anderson (who i like) or Sheffield and if you say Anderson you're lying to yourself
Who exactly would he replace or is there possibly a trade brewing? If he comes in at the league minumum thats well under Marlons salary. Do the Mets cut Marlon and eat that contract for Shef. Im hoping he's not replacing Tatis. No way, Tatis and Shef can both ride the bench. Very peculiar.
Could they trade Church for a SP? Don't see it but….
yagga
Yea i got the same thing staci and ultimatly had to adjust my name..its weird i know.
anyway to answer your question to thwart the SI curse i will borrow a line from one of my fav movies
"I guess we are just going to have to win the whole f'ing thing"
Valid points. I'm thinking he would replace Marlon Anderson. Be the first pinch hitter off the bench hitting primarily for the pitcher. He has also had some infield experience in his day, he could certainly fill in at 1st or even 3rd.
Bench – Sheff, Castro, Tatis, Cora, Reed
But even then as a guy with little PH experience would he be a better option than Tatis as the RH PH?
My response to this is…why not? Sure, he could be a trouble maker, but then you just cut him loose. We have the backup.
By the way, who's the smart Wikipedia editor?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Sheffield#New_Y...
ooooo i like. Maybe ill make that my alter-ego and join the core lol j/k alex if you read this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Sheffield
for the love of God.. NOOOOO!!!!!
I think that it's already off of there.
I say take a chance. Everyone wanted a new corner outfielder this offseason and now you can have a veteran power hitter who can kick some serious a**. Who wouldnt mind sheffield in jimmy rollins face. There is no financial risk and we still have 4 other outfielders that can fill his role if he needs to be cut. Gotta do it. Gotta Beleive
probably a loser made this up, but wikipedia says that gary sherifield is going to the mets. There'll anounce this at 3 pm at citi field. Its probably bull.
Ok, so who would you cut or trade for him totake that place?
I don't see why we can only have one RH PH.
RH – Castro, Sheff, Tatis
LH – Cora, Reed
We already have plenty of lefties in the lineup, I don't see why having another RH bat on the bench is a bad thing. Also don't see why its him or Tatis. Should be him or Marlon. And that's an easy choice for me. Plus he'd be cheaper!
Well he would not be cheaper because you still have to pay Marlon. I agree Marlon is useless. My point is that Tatis is possibily a better player than Sheff. How do you think it will go if Sheff is reduced to the Julio Franco role. 10 starts and an occasional PH. Think 100 AB's will keep Sheff happy?
It is and any loser can go and change the page.
maybe this will mean more Doc visits if they are actually signing him…
Funny how I can go from being so excited to start the year to so nervous over possibly signing a guy like Shef! Noooooooooooo!!!!!
if they did sign him, i don't think this devastating chemistry related impact will occur…
he will be a bench player and I think manuel's laid back ways might be a great fit for him.
Its not as if we are signing him to start at 1b…he will be a righty bat off the pine and emergency OF if needed (at least in my opinion)
unfortunatly there is only one guy the mets can afford to cut and that is marlon anderson. for some reason he was given a 2 year contract after 2007 making a whopping 2.2 million over that span making it unlikely that they release him at all. with that being said it is unlikely the mets will get sheff but can anyone name a guy on the mets bench who is a power threat…i certainly cant. some argue they would rather have evans, etc. but these guys are young and the mets have options to keep them in the minors. at the very least, lets get him to keep him away from the phillies.
Power threat would def. be Tatis. You think otherwise?
Homina, homina…Sheff of the future???
the more i think about it, the more i don't care having sheff on this team. if he doesnt fit, they can drop him. its not like its going to cost them castillo money.
Completely agree. To many people are on this cancer nonsense. This team didn't have a cancer the last two years and what happened? Sad part is this is one of the few blogs where Mets fans are so concerned about a players personality.
We can say all we want about sheffield as a person but it would be nice to have some power coming off the bench.
You dont think Tatis provides that power?
HOWS CHUCRH GONNA FEEL ABOUT THIS ?
completely agree
Tatis does have the power, without the headaches! As does Nick Evans
I firmly believe the Mets does not need his personality and ego on and off the field. ugh!
Mets Close To Signing Gary Sheffield
By Tim Dierkes [April 3 at 11:23am CST]
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets are close to signing Gary Sheffield. The Mets plan to give him significant playing time.
Wow. If thats the case, someone is getting moved. Hope its Marlon.
nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
This guy is not only a cancer, but he's OLD AND FRAGILE…NO OMAR NO
I think the only way Sheff fits at all is if someone currently expected to be on the 25 man roster gets traded, and I have no idea who or for what.
Yeah, this is strange if true…maybe Church goes? But where and for who?
WHY? I just don't see why we need him. Significant playing time? At whose expense?
Metsfan, where did u get your logo next to your name?
This is such a Yankee-type move that it makes me want to puke.
Ugh…great…
Please no!!!!!!!!!!
aw man…this is not good guys…
This has got to be a post April Fools gag.
This blows! I wish it was an April Fool's joke. Isn't he related to Doc?
If they drop Marlon and add Sheff i dont see a problem at all
Right….So we're interested in Sheffield the absolute definition of "Clubhouse Cancer" but didn't pursue Manny? Not to try and start the Manny motion again but I can't see us getting Sheff when we said no to Manny for his impact on the clubhouse.
I really can't see this unless someone is traded. Obviously the roster spot itself is not hard. You cut Marlon. The playing time is a much larger issue. Unless you are trading someone where does he fit? He's not going to be comfortable getting 100AB's and he does not deserve Tatis's AB's. So what does that mean? Tatis, Murphy, Church, Castillo someone has to be traded.
he would be a decent bench player though, only if he agrees
I don't think you can pencil in his number of ABs. If he's hitting better than Tatis he will get more ABs. Depth is a good problem to have.
Injuries happen. Worst case scenario we have a glut of producing OFers and we have trade bait at the deadline. If Sheffield is hitting and we don't have ABs for him you don't think another team out there will want him at the league minimum? There will be takers for sure.
Well, Manny would have cost tens of millions and Shef would cost next to nothing….I am very against even the idea of bringing him in, but it is a totally different situation….and Manny apparently still is in his prome, while Shef isn't…..
But I love Maine!
It would have to be Church….he has the most value of those guys you named (they surely aren't trading Murph) and this would lessen the "too many lefty bats" thing…..
Well IF Church could bring me my Jonathan Sanchez and then Tatis and Sheff compete for RF I would be tempted.
Guys like Church are a dime a dozen. I don't think he'll get you more than a middle reliever
Would this be to get value for Church and replace him with a short term guy so we have an open OF spot for FMart next year (assuming Murph becomes a regular OF)?
But shef cant defend….You would be taking a hit defensivly and depending on how you look at it offensivly too. If shef goes down i guess you can stick tatis in the OF as well as sulivan or that other guy. If shef was not so much of a me me me guy this would be actually interesting now that i think of it. I wonder what church could net us as we have some depth at OF.
Jonathan Sanchez. LOL.
Ok maybe not.
What about one of the extra's that TB has? To me the ONLY thing it would be worth it for would be for a pitcher.
I am surprised teams are not looking over there for more help. They are stacked with pitching prospects. If we grab shef i would assume this frees up tatis to be an infield replacement. Maybe they wont have to shop church afterall
test
you passed ;p
But truly, we should be cutting Marlon, signing Catalanotto and getting ready for opening day WITHOUT Sheffield….
I would like that option. Honestly, though, none of these things going on right now seem make-or-break to me.
He's 41? Am I that old?
Can Danny Murphy play 2B?
Not well.
Good question. Last year, when Matt was playing with a new format that included the avatar, I went out on the Net looking for Met logos to use. I saved this one on my hard drive so just used it with this new format. Sorry….I don't remember what website I got that from. Try searching for 'Met logos'.
I would assume that Reed is odd man out. Beltran better like playing 162 games, because now our bench could be Sheffield, Anderson, Cora, Tatis, and Castro. You gonna slide church to center if you have to give Carlos a day off? Horrible idea if you want to cover all your regulars with guys who can field his position.
You people were screaming SIGN MANNY !!! without considering the "cancer" reprocusions. Why the complaining about Sheffield who is dirt cheap and could be cut at any time. Plus he would be a big right handed pop off the bench.
I rather have Manny then Sheffield
kingman we gotta as another to the list !
SIGN MANNY(c) !!
SIGN DANIEL CABRERA !!
SIGN WILLY MO PENA !!
SIGN PEDRO !!
DONT SIGN SHEFFIELD !!!!!
I said no before, and I still do, but now that it looks like Omar is trying to get this done, it's almost a bit exciting. A right handed bat could definitely help the team, and if he behaved himself, it could be worth the risk. I guess we'll see.
I don't hate the idea………….I think Sheff knows he is at the end of his career. He likes NY and he just needs to play his role and take the AB 's when he can get them
Honestly I was a little worried vs a Good Lefty with Church, Schneider at the bottom of the lineup. This way Sheff can play RF vs some lefties and give Church a rest
Overall he is better than Marlon who is now a gonner for sure
The lineup rules vs Righties and now they have Sheff and Tatis if anyone tries to throw a tough Lefty in their.
Reed can PH and do double switches in LF. If he starts the inning as the PH then Murphys spot in the lineup comes through for example…………….
In closing meh……..worth a shot and I don't think he will be a headcase…….Mets verson of Sean Avery,haha
my biggest concern is that the yankees decided he wasn't worth having on their team anymore. If the yankees don't want a player anymore, clearly he is not worth going after.
I think people forgot how horrible Marlon Anderson was last year. Sheffield batted .225 last year, but he was way more productive than Anderson.
Also Sheffields BABIP was in the .230 range last year, which is absolutely unsustainable. This means he is in for a bounceback in AVG to around the .250-.260 range. Combine his right handedness and a way better OBP and more power compared to anderson, and I think this is a great move in terms of roster-improvement. Sheffield is an obvious upgrade over marlon anderson.
If sheffield will accept a role where he will get about 300 AB's on the season, this should be done.
But Marlon did not get but 150 plate appearances last year as the primary LH off the bench. How many can Sheff get as a RH PH with Tatis on the team too? Someone has to take a hit in AB's.
anybody is an improvement over marlon….and we have not forgot how bad he was last year lol
I agree, Cat would at least on the surface seem to be a better version of Marlon in the Marlon role.
What an ignorant post. He supposedly loves (or loved) playing for Leyland … and if Sheffield is so racist that he will only listen someone of the same race, do you really want someone like that on the team?
Bottom line is that he can't hit anymore.
Why dont the mets get Geoff Jenkins. Hes a solid right handed batter thats not a headache. I think hell have a better season than Sherifield.
definitely left handed
Well if they do sign him and cut Marlon, it certainly does not preclude an in season move if necessary, because the total cost of Anderson and Sheff's contract would be $1.55 million to the Mets.
Guys–Sheff's LH/RH splits are nothing to write home about…last year he was a shade better against LH pitchers and in 2007 he was WORSE against lefties…please, oh please with the "handedness"!
Just dropping by to test and make sure everything is running well. Please ignore this comment.
Thanks,
Michael
IntenseDebate
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,…i CAN'T MAKE THE E-MAILS STOP!
exactly what I was thinking
I dont understand the significant playing time part, but off the bench , he would be great for as cheap as we sign him for
Daniel Murphy returning to the bench… way to go Omar!
this is a great system you got mike!
Haha reilly, right again buddy!
And Sheffield's LH/RH splits are not even that great…in 2007 he hit BETTER against righty pitchers!
Brock have you signed up for a new account? If not then you will have to keep putting your name into every post. Otherwise, why are your points not showing up?
Thanks TRS…my name isn't showing up when I post…not sure what is going on but thanks for the headsup….
All things being equal, I'd rather take a chance on M. Alou than Sheff…
Yeah, I know he retired.
There is no camparision with Manny and Sheffield, Manny would of made this team a WS lock, Sheffield????? Not much imporvement there.
Sheffield isn't going to be our starter
Geoff Jenkins is a lefty bat. Throws RH but bats LH.
One thing that would be nice if Sheff signs with the Mets is when he hits his 500th homer – Doc Gooden will be there to celebrate at CitiField with him.
Sheffield has goals. The 1 home run is easy, the 385 hits are another. He'll squak if he gets out of the box early but sees limited playing time.
Yeah, but if he's producing offensively how hard will it be to forget the defensive liability? Remember, it's easy to overlook defense when a guy is raking. Look at Dunn, he's lousy in the field but you forget that when he hits 40 bombs and puts up a .360 obp. That said, I agree with you completely about not liking his defense, I just had to play devil's advocate for a minute. :)
Initially, I scream NO WAY when I think of Gary Sheffield on the Mets. Then I think…..he certainly isn't going to start with the Phillies……is he going to start with the Reds? It doesn't seem like there are starter jobs out there for them so he has no choice but to conform and be a role player. When right…..and that should be the debate (I don't think he is)……he is a right handed power threat at the plate, and I would love him coming off the bench as opposed to a Marlon Anderson. If he misbehaves even slightly, you cut him….I believe he will only cost the league minimum anyway.
But….then again, I'm sure there is a reason why he is even available at this point…..And it is a combination of everyones' fears here……nothing left, and bad attitude.
Well…if they do sign shefield…what spot will he take on the bench. If they didnt want to cut marlon for evans who outperformed him in everything this spring and they have not made a move on frank callonato(spl?), i dobut they will "seriously" take a look at shef. They just want to keep the other clubs honest. The mets got rid of many media hoggers and strong personalities…i doubt they will mess that up by bringing in sheff. If the FO didnt want to deal with manny…they sure as hell dont want to deal with sheff imo
What if they are just making it look like they're really interested to drive his price up and price him out of Philly? No matter how bad of a player he's become, the thought of him playing in that bandbox actually scares me…
yea…thats what i mean about keeping the other clubs honest. Drive up their price and handcuff them at the trade deadline.
Found this on Wiki
If a player is not traded, and clears waivers, he may be released from the team. The player is then a free agent and may sign with any team, including the team that just released him. The team that releases him is responsible for the salary the player is owed, less what he is paid by the team that signs him. In practice, that amount is usually a pro-rated portion of the Major League minimum salary
Hey TRS….never signed up for the intensewhatever account…thanks again for the headsup…..
Your all a bunch of idiots..you got that hasbin Glavine Pedro and Vauhn at the end of their careers . and now your worried about Sheffield .. When he was with the skanks he was awesome. of course he is older but if he wants to come over why not? He would be a great bat.. def..
Hey, how'd you get your avatar to work? Myself and another guy added ours to our profiles, but they're still not showing up on Metsblog. Thanks for the help. :)
Edit: Is it that Gravatar thing?
Mine came up automatically with the gravatar.
I saw that gravatar but don't even know what that is – lol. I didn't use that option, in any case, as it appeared to want an email address and I thought you had to previously register.
Apologizing to all in advance if you see some crazy or duplicate posts from me. Trying to figure out how to refresh with the right sort option so I see the latest and don't have to scroll down to add a new comment…..
I can't seem to figure out how to refresh, get the latest comments and not have to scroll down to the bottom to post a new comment…
Anybody no how to turn the stupid e-mail notifications off! I've tried to shut it off on the edit page, but it's not working! I've gotten roughly 100 e-mails in the last half hour! HELP!!!!!!
If you go to your IntenseDebate profile there should be an option to not receive emails. It should be around the lower right corner. I unchecked both and hit update and have not received anything.
Yeah, I had to sign up with a new name because like yours Brock my old one was too long. But I get my cool Hebner hospital H so I'll take that trade.
When I said Castillo would become the "lesser option" I meant at Second Base….