In a report yesterday from the GM Meetings in Chicago, Jon Heyman of SI.com said the Mets are expected to make a play for free-agent LHP Randy Wolf.
According to Heyman, ‘The Mets have interest in a do-over in their decision to go for Oliver Perez over Wolf last winter.’
Wolf has been ranked a Type A free 
agent, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
In a post to his blog for ESPN.com, Buster Olney says of Wolf, ‘Being a Type A free agent could chase away possible suitors.’
The team that signs Wolf will be forced to surrender a first-round draft pick to the Dodgers, assuming he is offered salary arbitration.
The Mets, however, will not need to surrender a first-round pick, in any circumstance, because they finished with one of the worst records in 2009.
…and so, i wonder if this helps the team’s negotiating position, in that they can offer a bit less, knowing other teams might be scared off…
…from what i can gather, wolf will be seeking a three-year deal, similar to what perez signed last season… i am sure he will be offered a handful of one-year deals, but, in the end, i bet he accepts a two-year contract from someone, worth around $8 million per season… and, like i said yesterday, it would not shock me to see it come from the Mets…
To read Olney’s post, in which he looks at how the rankings will impact 10 other free agents, click here.
{ 15 comments }
That would be classic Mets, to overpay for a guy the year after they should have signed him.
Ted Berg has a great post on his site about why giving Wolf a multi-year deal is crazy.
I’ll just add that unless you’re able to get him for one year at very cheap money, Wolf isn’t worth surrendering a second- or third-round pick.
I don’t understand how people can complain about lack of depth in the farm system and then advocate giving up early-round draft picks for the likes of Bengie Molina and Randy Wolf.
Maybe the real question is that even if we had an early round draft pick, we wouldn’t go over slot to get a good guy anyways.
Sadly, this is true.
Doesn’t matter if he was a Type A++, the Mets were so bad last year that they don’t surrender a draft pick at all for signing a type A free agent. That said I agree a 2 year deal is probably too much for Wolf, but I can almost guarantee that after the season he had in ‘09 that he will sign atleast that, hell a desperate team might give him 3 yrs. Not too mention that sadly Randy wolf for 2 years is better than Oliver Perez for 3,……….Oh wait we already screwed that up! lol
The Mets do lose a draft pick for signing a Type A, they just don’t lose their 1st because all top 15 picks are protected.
Hence the best Type A the Mets sign will cost them a 2nd rounder. Then second best will cost them a 3rd rounder. Etc…
There is still a major cost to signing a Type A. The #7 overall pick in the 2nd round is a place where you still have a high probability of finding a star. And if you cared to flex your muscle you could get a top 10 type of player. Though lets no rehash this debate.
Either way can we agree that Wolf isn’t worth that cost?
Its hard to say. If that status depressed his value enough, then those millions saved could be worth the pick.
Again, $8 million per for a good #3 coming off a great season is a good deal, especially in this day and age when guys are getting 3 for $36 or more after a similar season.
It should also be pointed out that Matt’s post on November 5th about the Mets Type A/B free agents was incorrect. Neither Schnieder nor Sheffield are eligible for compensation. Delgado and Tatis(not mentioned last week) are both type B’s.
Gotta figure they’d offer Tatis arbitration. He only made 1.6 last year, worth the risk of gaining a sandwich IMO.
Yea, it’d be worth it for a sandwich pick, problem is Tatis would accept and that is not what the Mets want I would think. They are talking roster shakeup and Tatis has got to top the list of people who need to be gone from this team!
There is a 100% chance that Tatis would accept the arbitration offer if he were to decide to play another season. That unfortunately is NOT worth the risk.
The only way it would happen is if there was a handshake agreement, but dont count on it.
The Mets have been linked to a high number of type As: Holliday, Wolf, Molina, Lackey, etc…
Something interesting crossed my mind in all of this.
If the Mets end up signing 3 or more of these guys, then what would preclude them from going after Billy Wagner. Bear with me for a moment, as I know most of you are thinking “Wagner only wants to close”.
The fact of the matter is he will be a Type A, and he is coming off a major injury. He was not able to showcase very much last offseason. And he is relatively old. I dont see there being a market for him if he is Type A. That being said, I could see a situation that arrises where its getting late in the offseason and he has no takers. The Mets could come in and offer him the setup role plus a chance to close on some nights on a 1 year deal. Really a chance to showcase himself with a promise that if things go well they will trade him at the break.
Conceivably he could cost the Mets like a 4th or 5th round pick (again assuming we sign multiple Type As) and so ultimately we would have acquired Chris Carter and the other kid for a 5th, not to mention the performance and trade return we would get later.
Interesting idea and it could work, but I just don’t see the Mets giving up any draft pics for Wagner unless he signed a rock bottom deal, but given that he’s running out of time to get a ring he just might. how’d he get type A status anyway??? He was out 90% of the ‘09 season! That just doesn’t make sense.
It factors in 08 when you miss a certain amount of 09, I believe. In order to protect you if a star gets hurt in his walk year.
The Type A status of Wolf may be a blessing in disguise. Its been rumored that he wants Oliver Perez’s deal. But if his status lands him for 2 years $16 million, then those savings would lend themselves to other areas where we could make vast improvements.
No, No, No, we need Lackey or Halladay, I don’t expect/want anything less
also, apparently six teams have interest in wagner to close
Comments on this entry are closed.