Daily Archives: December 2, 2009
Update, 8:35 pm:
Omar Minaya told Ken Davidoff of Newsday that he personally reached out to Wayne Krivsky, in an effort to get him to return to the Mets.
Original Post:
Earlier this week, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports said the Mets added former Reds GM Wayne Krivsky to their front office staff.
According to Marty Noble of MLB.com, citing a person in the team’s hierarchy, Krivsky has returned to the Mets, where he was an assistant to GM Omar Minaya in 2008.
The team has yet to make a formal announcement, because, from what I can gather, though the two sides have agreed to a deal, it is not yet official… but, it sounds like it will be… eventually. Also, Minaya and Krivsky worked together for many years with the Texas Rangers, spending most of their time in scouting and player development.
Krivsky, 55, was as born in Niagara Falls, NY, and went to Duke University, where he played baseball and graduated with a degree in management science.
According to the Baltimore Sun, last year with the O’s, “Krivsky was instrumental in the December trade that sent C Ramon Hernandez to Cincinnati for utility player Ryan Freel and infield prospects Justin Turner and Brandon Waring.”
In his time with the Orioles, Krivsky also worked directly with agents on negotiating free-agent contracts.
In his time as GM of the Reds, Krivsky encouraged the development of Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto; he signed Adam Dunn to an extension; he traded Wily Mo Pena for Bronson Arroyo; he picked up Josh Hamilton, and then traded him for Edinson Volquez; he traded for Brandon Phillips, and signed him to a long-term deal; but he also hired Dusty Baker; gave terrible contracts to Mike Stanton and Francisco Cordero; and traded Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez for relievers Gary Majewski and Bill Bray.
And so, I have to think, if Minaya is ever fired, Krivsky will be seriously considered for the Mets next General Manager.
From what i can gather, Krivsky supports having a strong minor-league system. In fact, I had one person in baseball tell me he is getting a reputation for being a ‘cleaner,’ in that he is very skilled at assessing a terrible situation and figuring out how best to leverage its assets, build on them, and get a team back on track, while being sure to pounce on available young talent, like he did with Hamilton and Phillips and for the Twins with Johan Santana in the Rule 5 draft. The O’s essentially hired him as a consultant to help get their minor-league system and zero-to-three players in order. The Mets need to do this as well, and so he will be quite busy the next few months.
Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston believes free-agent OF Jason Bay is the prime target 
for the Red Sox, “who feel the market for Matt Holliday may reach a level, in terms of dollars and years, to which the Red Sox do not want to go.”
…i think it’s a credit to the Mets, in that, i have talked to people with and connected to other teams who feel the Mets have no chance to sign holliday, and then there are others who feel he will almost certainly end up in Citi Field, because of other big-market teams pursuing and preferring bay, coupled with Omar Minaya’s strong working relationship with Scott Boras…
…i have no idea what to believe… but, there is a path to bay, like i said earlier today, and it’s going to be all about money and years…
…there are going to be a ton of free-agent signings in the week or so before Christmas, once the non-tendered list hits the open market, and teams have had time to digest what was talked 
about during the Winter Meetings… i anticiapte guys like Randy Wolf, Jason Marquis, John Lackey and maybe bay will sign before the holidays… but, for some reason, i feel holliday may be one of the last people to sign a contract this winter, pushing in to January… and, i feel like the longer it takes, the better off the Mets will be…
Jon Heyman of SI.com believes the Mets, Giants and Royals all have interest in free-agent C Ivan Rodriguez.
The Red Sox, Cardinals and Giants are among teams who have interest in free-agent OF Jermaine Dye, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.
According to ESPN.com, the Dodgers, Padres, A’s, Mariners and Reds are interested in free-agent LHP Noah Lowry, who has not pitched in the big leagues since 2007, when he was 14–8 with a 3.92 ERA.
…he is the definition of a high-risk, high-reward signing… he accused the Giants of misdiagnosing a forearm injury, then he had surgery to remove a rib… and so, basically, he’s had some major medical issues, to say the least… it’s too bad, because, when healthy, he has outstanding control, with a big, looping curve ball and he knows how to command an inning…
The Braves are looking for more help in the bullpen, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and might have interest in free agents Octavio Dotel and Fernando Rodney.
Speaking of which, there is a good chance the Marlins trade two of Renyel Pinto, Matt Lindstrom and Leo Nunez, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times believes the Mariners are among teams who have interest in free-agent 2B Orlando Hudson.
…as you know, the popular buzz in baseball seems to be that the Mets are working to trade Luis Castillo, in hopes of eventually signing hudson… it’s funny, or sad, i guess, in that i was writing the exact same thing, about the same exact same player, one year ago today… amazing… last year, from what i understand, hudson wanted to sign with the Mets or Yankees, and held out hope through much of the off season… but, the Mets could never find a taker for castillo, and the Yankees held on to Robinson Cano, and so orlando signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers… i wonder how long he will wait this time…
Baker also writes of Seattle’s rumored interest in Carlos Delgado, Nick Johnson and Randy Wolf, which you can about read here.
This afternoon, in an interview on WFAN with Mike Francesa, SI.com’s Jon Heyman believes there is no way Roy Halladay begins the season on the Blue Jays.
However, Heyman sees no evidence, so far, that the Mets will try to acquire Halladay or sign free-agent RHP John Lackey.
…if this is the case, the Mets must sign free-agent OF Matt Holliday, who heyman did not say much about…
To listen to Heyman’s entire interview, check WFAN.com.
In addition, neither Heyman nor Francesa believe the Mets will not sign free-agent OF Johnny Damon, who is best suited to re-sign with the Yankees.
Similarly, both Francesa and Heyman believe the Mets will move quick to sign free-agent C Benjie Molina.
Lastly, like Francesa and others, Heyman said he was surprised to see the Mets give $2 million to Alex Cora, noting, “Jerry Manuel and Cora could switch positions and you would never know the difference.”
Again, to listen to Heyman’s entire interview, check WFAN.com.
Update, 3:13 pm:
…initially, i had in this post heyman saying what molina is likely to earn on the open market… but, i need to go back and re-listen to it, and the interview has yet to be posted on WFAN…
Alex Nelson of Amazin Avenue takes a look at former Mets 3B Robin Ventura, who will be on the ballot for the Hall of Fame this year, to see how he stacks up against other Hall of Fame third baseman.
… i never get involved in Hall of Fame 
talk, because the whole thing no longer makes sense to me… i don’t understand how so many people can be Hall of Famers… to me, the Hall of Fame should have been for the true, great players; not really good players… and that is no longer the case…
…i wish it was less about stats, and litmus tests, and who has 500 home runs instead of 499, and more about fear and dominance… in other words, if you were a guy people truly feared to face for a long period of time, and you were a guy who disrupted the game and changed how the opposition played, then you should probably be in, or at least you should be in the discussion… so, from my generation, i’m thinking Rickey Henderson, Barry Bonds, Mariano Rivera, Greg Maddux, Albert Pujols, etc., guys who changed the game, for better or worse…
The Blue Jays have mild interest in Pirates C Ryan Doumit, 
according to John Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com, who also believes the D-Backs are not likely to trade 1B-OF Conor Jackson, who many once considered a non-tender candidate.
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com believes the Phillies, Astros and Pirates all have shown interest in free-agent reliever J.J. Putz.
The Phillies also are interested in free-agent RHP John Smoltz, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.
…smoltz and Pedro Martinez should just make a killing doing The Roger Clemens, i.e., sit out, rest, sign in June, make 12 starts, and pitch half a season for a contending team… this seems like a great way to make a living, if you ask me…
“I hear that a trade of Rays OF Pat Burrell for Cubs OF Milton Bradley is still a strong possibility,” says Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
…hmm, i wonder if there could be a match here, sending bradley to the Rays, Luis Castillo to the Cubs, and, ugh, burrell to the Mets…
Lastly, according to the Boston Herald, the Red Sox have interest in free-agent SS Bobby Crosby, as well as free-agent infielder Mark DeRosa.
…from what i can gather, very few teams view derosa as a middle infielder, with even third base starting to become a stretch…
According to Ken Belson of the New York Times, while the Yankees store on 42nd Street was packed with people on Black Friday, the Mets Clubhouse shop, located two blocks over, was quiet.
Belson said, as of noon that day, the Mets 
store had yet to sell one of their new, 60s-inspired, pinstripe, cream-color home jerseys.
…fortunately, this lack of merchandise sales hurts the entire league, in that jerseys, hats, etc., all go to revenue sharing, not just the one team… and so, every team splits these sales up evenly… that said, it should send a psychological message to the team, in terms of demand for their product…
SNY’s Ted Berg, of Ted Quarters, is worried such as lack of excitement, and potential for weak ad sales, could spark the team to ‘make a splash for the sake of making a splash.’
“I’m not saying that fans should buy more jerseys to keep Omar Minaya from doing something silly, nor am I saying one day’s worth of bad merchandise sales will affect the Mets’ offseason outlook,” Berg explains. “But the team competes for advertising dollars in the market with the reigning world champions, and that creates a lot of pressure to grab headlines and fan attention this offseason.”
To read more on why jerseys don’t sell, check out Howard Megdal for SNY.TV.
The Rays now have two catchers, in Kelly Shoppach and Dioner Navarro, both of whom are 25 years old, both will likely earn roughly $3 million next season,
… also, the Rays offered salary arbitration to free-agent C Gregg Zaun, but the buzz in tampa suggests he agreed to not accept it, as he is more likely to sign with the Giants or Mariners…
In regards to Shoppach and Navarro, Rays reporter Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburgh Times says:
“The Rays could keep both to compete for or share the job… or, they could essentially play them off each other, negotiate with both, see which one they can strike a better deal with then trade or cut loose the other.”
Similarly, in post to his blog for Newsday, Ken Davidoff writes:
“The Rays will likely work the next 11 days to find a new home for one of the pair… If I were the Mets, I’d strongly consider both, given the low cost in money and trade chips; the Rays likely won’t be looking for much, since the alternative is non-tendering one of the two and getting nothing in return.”
…i agree with davidoff, in that i would rather have shoppach or navarro, plus Henry Blanco, Omir Santos and Josh Thole, than Bengie Molina, especially if molina is going to cost $6 million and have the potential to be in Queens again for 2011…
…by the way, i am starting to think davidoff would make a good GM… he has ideas, and i like the way he views the game…
According to David Golebiewski of Fan Graphs, though Navarro may have been a bit unlucky at the plate last season, he is relatively slow on the bases for a catcher, he pops the ball up a lot, and is plate discipline has been getting worse and worse.
“A number of clubs have shown interest in Mets OF Angel Pagan,” according to John Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com.
In November, Adam Rubin of the Daily News said the Royals are impressed with Pagan, and would be willing to send money and OF Jose Guillen to the Mets to get him.
However, though Morosi believes the Royals like Pagan, he adds, “the Mets don’t have interest in Guillen.”
Pagan will be eligible for salary arbitration each of the next three seasons, after which he can become a free agent. He was drafted by the Mets in 1999.
Pagan hit .303 in 152 at bats last season when leading off the inning, while batting .321 with runners in scoring position.
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