Buzz: on Nick Johnson, John Lackey & Jorge Cantu
Jayson Stark of ESPN.com speculates that the Mets must be among six teams who have expressed interest in free-agent 1B Nick Johnson.
…yes, johnson is a fantastic defensive first baseman and he’s one of the most patient, professional hitters i’ve ever seen… the problem is, i rarely ever see him… he’s been on the DL five times since 2005… and it’s a shame… because, he’s like John Olerud: The Next Generation… plus, he usually hits left-handed pitching very well… but, i have to think he’ll first look for a starting job, before signing on to platoon for the Mets… and, for the Mets, i’d be reluctant to give him the starting job, considering how injury-prone he is…
Speaking of first base, Tim Brown of Yahoo! made a simple post to Twitter that read, “The Mets have called on Russell Branyan.”
In other Hot Stove news…
In a post to his blog for 1050 ESPN Radio, Andrew Marchand says he talked to an MLB executive who feels free-agent RHP John Lackey will be lucky to get a five-year, $85 million deal, similar to what A.J. Burnett signed last winter.
According to Marchand, “Lackey could end up in a New York-New York bidding war between the Yankees and Mets.”
Lastly, the Marlins aren’t likely to trade 1B Jorge Cantu, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, who believes they have talked to teams about 2B Dan Uggla.
