Buzz: Trading John Maine and Fernando Martinez
In a mailbag Q&A for MLB.com, Mets reporter Marty Noble believes the Mets would need to trade players like John Maine and Fernando Martinez, ‘in a deal to get a No. 2 pitcher or a power hitter.’
Maine was 2–2 with a 4.12 ERA in his final four starts after returning from the disabled list in 2009.
…there has been a lot of online talk about whether the Mets will tender maine a contract next season… i believe he’ll be back… and i hope he is… i don’t know how the contract will shake out, but, from what i can gather, the Mets have no interest in cutting him loose – and they have every intention of keeping him around through at least spring training… they still love his arm, and talk about his effortless delivery… if he can adjust his workouts and stay healthy, they still think he can be a major factor in the rotation… as do i… he’s eligible for arbitration, and will likely get around $2.5 million… he is not able to be a free agent until after the 2011 season… and so, he does make for an interesting trade candidate, so long as it means upgrading the rotation… the thing is, are those four starts in 2009 enough to entice another team…
In a separate response, Noble says, “The Mets have identified their primary need as power and run production, followed by starting pitching and a catcher.”
To read Noble’s take on Dan Warthen, Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez, as well as the future of Josh Thole, silly trade requests and the vital need for better grammar in Internet mailbags, click here.
