Adam Rubin of the Daily News believes the Mets are among the teams interested in trading for A’s OF Jack Cust.
In his three years with the A’s, he averaged roughly 460 at bats per season, with a .241 average, around 25 home runs, 15 or so doubles, and a .375 OBP, while batting slightly better against right-handed pitching.
Cust, who was born and raised in Flemington, NJ, is eligible for arbitration each of the next two seasons, after which he can become a free agent.
…the word in Oakland is that if he is not traded, he will be non tendered, because he’s likely due around $4 million in arbitration… so, i have to think Billy Beane will first look to at least get something in return, since cust could certainly be a starting outfielder for some team in the major leagues… for the Mets, i don’t see him starting, mostly because he is terrible on defense… but, he’d be an outstanding bat for the bench… he’s one of those odd cases, like Jason Giambi, in that he has a great eye, in terms of taking pitches and working a count, but he doesn’t make a ton of contact when he swings…
To read more from Rubin, including updates on Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider, and whether the Mets will be playing the Marlins in Puerto Rico next season, read his report, here.
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$4M for a bench player? No thanks.
yeah, too much money. But this is the kind of player that’d probably be a good fit for the bench, and what the Mets need. A power threat that can pinch hit and worry pitchers, particularly relievers. Sorta the Matt Stairs type (well, stairs sucked last year, but that kinda player..)
We already had that with Tatis and he could actually play defense! If this is the kind of options the Mets are looking at for the bench they might as well re-sign Tatis (a move I would hate, but if it’s him or Cust then clearly you might as well re-sign him)
Rather Nick Evans than Tatis.
Tatis didn’t play defense, he was mostly adequate at best. I wish he’d had 25 home runs or a .375 OBP..
shirley, you jest
Agees Catch says:
November 23, 2009 at 12:22 pm
shirley, you jest
We jest, and don’t call me Shirey.
Since the Mets only have about $30M to spend this offseason, I don’t think that they should be wasting it on one-dimensional players like Jack Cust. $4M for a bench player?! I don’t think so.
The reality is that the Mets will not land two top-tier free agents because they simply cannot fit them within their $145M budget. Given their available offseason budget (roughly $30M), the Mets could sign: (i) 1 top-tier free agent; (ii) 1 middle-tier free agent; and (iii) 1-2 lower-tier free agents.
For instance, for $30M the Mets could sign: (i) John Lackey; (ii) Mike Cameron to play LF; (iii) Ivan Rodriguez to split time at C with Omir Santos until Josh Thole is ready to replace one of them; (iv) sign a Ron Mahay-type of reliever; and (iv) have enough payroll flexibility to make a run at trading for Adrian Gonzalez, who will be making less than $5M in 2010.
What are you a writer? You don’t have any more clue as to what the Mets can and will spend then the writers do!
I am basing my assesment on the what the Mets are publicly stating. Jeff Wilpon has stated that the payroll for 2010 will remain the same as in 2009, which was $145M.
The Mets have $39.35M coming off of the books after this past season, but have contractually obligated increases for four of their core players (Johan Santana (+$1M), David Wright (+$2.5M), Jose Reyes (+$3.25M) and Francisco Rodriguez (+$3.0M)) totaling $9.75M. This means that the real amount available for the Mets to spend this offseason is $29.75M. So unless the Mets increase their payroll in 2010, they only have about $30M to spend this offseason.
You can see a further breakdown at New York Born, New York Bred. http://bit.ly/6KBGvi
I haven’t heard, seen , or read anything that came out of Jeff Wilpons mouth that said anything about the payroll being the same in 2010 as it was for 2009! What he did say is ” The Mets will continue to have one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball.” That in itself says nothing about the payroll being the same! You could well be right to assume that it will be the same, but it could also be less, as well as more than the payroll in 09. My point is that there are way too many people writers bloggers, posters what have you all claiming to know what the Mets will spend on the 2010 team. The funny thing is that this elusive payroll number that everyone claims to know seems to change by the day depending on who you ask. In the end nobody knows what the Mets have in mind for a payroll figure except the Wilpons and Omar himself.
…why would have even the slightest interest in an OF who cannot play defense……and its not like his batting is that great either…
1B option?
We have 3 of those already, why add another? Especially since he’s not exactly tearing the cover off the ball!
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