Daily Archives: December 11, 2009
The Mets signed 39–year-old RHP Elmer Dessens to a minor-league contract, according to the Associated Press.
Dessens will earn $700,000 if added to the 40–man roster.
He had a 3.31 ERA in just 28 relief appearances for the Mets last season, during which left-handed batters hit .193 against him. He struck out 14 batters and walked 10, while allowing five home runs.
The Mariners and Orioles are interested in signing free-agent RHP Jason Marquis, according to FoxSports.com.
Earlier this week, John Morosi of FoxSports.com said the Mets and Nationals have been pursuing Marquis as well.
…in the last week or so, i have had several people, who live on Staten Island who claim to know marquis, tell me he wants to pitch for the Mets, but would be willing to sign with the Yankees as well, if it meant being able to return to New York, from where he was born and raised… i usually wouldn’t post these sort of tips, but, because it is seems incredibly obvious, why not…
Marquis was 15–13 with a 4.04 ERA in 216 innings pitched for the Rockies last season, during which he struck out 115 batters, walked 80, and got twice as many ground balls as fly balls.
The White Sox and free-agent reliever J.J. Putz have agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract, according to Noah Coslov from MLB.com.
Putz pitched just 29 innings last season for the Mets, who acquired him from the Mariners winter with reliever Sean Green in a three-team trade with Indians for Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez and Jason Vargas, as well as prospects Mike Carp, Maikel Cleto and Ezequiel Carrera.
…the plan, from what i understand, last winter, was to trade for putz, pick up his option, then, at minimum, look to trade him to a team in need of a closer this off season… however, he came to the team with elbow issues, which he ultimately needed season-ending surgery to repair… and so, to pick up his $9 million option, when he hadn’t thrown a pitch since summer, would have been foolish, especially since it would have been impossible to trade him as well…
…here is a little back and forth from my e-mail:
Richard G: Matt, do you really believe the Mets reported offer to free-agent OF Jason Bay is aggressive? $5 million more than the Boston’s opening offer? I mean, he played with the Sox… teams generally throw a low-ish opening bid hoping the guy liked playing there. He had great success there, they have a DH, and they are in the hunt every year. How is topping them by $1 million and change a year aggressive?
Matthew Cerrone: Does it matter? The question should be: is it aggressive enough? I mean, all that matters is what their final bid is, not their first, right? I have to think, the Sox will counter, Bay’s people will come back to the Mets, and then they’ll be in position to counter that, and so on. In either case, whomever bids most last, in the end, will probably get him. So, why is it important to people how it happened? What should matter is if it happens… assuming you want Bay.
Patrick: Can anyone say, ‘Adrian Gonzalez?’
Matthew Cerrone: Yes, the Padres, who LOVE him, who can afford to pay him, and who need him to sell tickets for Opening Day. But, I bet he’s a HUGE topic around next summer’s Trade Deadline.
Nick A: I haven’t seen any word on Bay’s or Bengie Molina‘s response to the Mets offers from yesterday… what’s taking so long?
Matthew Cerrone: I suspect Bay and his agent and his family are weighing their options, and will soon reach out the Red Sox, and other interested teams, while looking at schools, housing, and deciding if they want to spend the next four or five years living around New York. He’ll need more than just 12 hours to do this, I’d think.
Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes the Mets offer to free-agent C Bengie Molina has a ‘vesting option.’
…buster doesn’t specify, but, dear lord, please, if it has to be, please let it be for a second year… and not a third… i can handle that…
As noted yesterday, Mets catchers hit .252 with 13 home runs and 86 RBI last year, while Molina hit .265 with 20 HR and 80 RBI.
Ken Davidoff, in a report for Newsday, says the offers made to both Jason Bay and Bengie Molina are mistakes in that they are responses to fans seeking moves this offseason.
…i don’t really understand why this has become the ultimate ‘catch 22′ for the Mets…the team shows no action for two months and they are ridiculed, and then, they finally make an offer for two of the top free agents, and they are ridiculed…as Matt said earlier, we are two months into the off-season with eight weeks before the start of Spring Training…there is plenty of time and the Mets have made the most aggressive offer to date, at the right time, for one of the best talents available on the free agent market…i fail to understand how that is simply a reaction to impatient fans…
In addition, Davidoff suggests the Mets are making a mistake in evaluating Bay’s ability by exceeding the Red Sox four year, $60 million offer, as he says:
“…the Red Sox have proven pretty good at knowing how to value their own players, and their four-year, $60-million offer seems pretty fair….to exceed that? When Bay will have to patrol Citi Field’s spacious leftfield? Eh.”
…i don’t think the Mets offer blows Boston’s offer out of the water as it only marginally exceeds it, and i think it is on par as well as fair, and i think it speaks to the Mets evaluation of Bay’s talent…i think while its aggressive, they are only exceeding the offer from Boston, right now anyway, to get themselves into the bidding and establish serious interest…
Davidoff suggests the Mets wait out Matt Holliday and John Lackey, as he believes their current asking prices will come down.
…i don’t necessarily disagree with this, as i prefer the Mets focus on pitching…that said, they also must address their offense and if they feel they have a legitimate shot at Bay now, i can’t argue with the strategy of making this offer and trying to secure his services now so they can then focus on other needs…
For more on this, check out Davidoff’s post here.
Here is video from SNY’s Mets Hot Stove featuring Chris Carlin’s interview with Mets GM Omar Minaya, just before he left Indianapolis and the Winter Meetings yesterday:
Last week, Dan Twohig of Mets Police sent a letter to Fred Wilpon with complaints about Citi Field and the team, while saying, because of them, he will not be renewing his ticket plan.
Towhig later received a call from Craig Marino, the Mets VP of Guest Experiences, who addressed each and every issue, which Twohig summarizes in his post, here.
…good job by dan, and Shannon Shark, who does a fantastic job holding all people in New York sports accountable fo rthe actions, not just the Mets…
…admittedly, i have not spent much time worrying about ticket prices and aesthetic issues with the ballpark… i have never owned a ticket package… i also see tickets as a supply and demand issue, and, i know for fact, that the team is not happy with the 
price of their tickets, but, for reasons i am trying to better understand, they have no choice due to Revenue Sharing… but, regardless, if people continue to complain of the price, yet they keep selling tickets, who am i to say what the team should charge… if they’re too high, they’ll know it…
…as for the aesthetics of Citi Field, i have made my subtle suggestions… but, again, i feel much of the anger and frustration is coming from back-to-back collapses, a terrible 2009, and a general, larger disappointment in the team… as i have said, i suspect most fans would paint the building beige and eliminate all history if it meant winning a few world series and being considered a dominant franchise, as opposed to having a Mets-ified building and no pennants… in other words, i feel most of these issues will work themselves out, in the market place… this is why i am far more focused on the product i’ll be watching, not what i’ll be paying to see it, or where i’ll be seeing it… but, that’s just me… thankfully, people like dan, shannon and MetsGrrl are pressing this issue from the other side…
Again, to read Twohig’s discussion with Marino, from the Mets, go here.
By the way, to watch video of SNY’s with Omar Minaya yesterday, click here.
Update, 10:35 am:
Buster Olney of ESPN says the Blue Jays asking price from the Phillies is about the same as it was this past July, which includes J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek and Dominic Brown.
…if that”s the case, i really wonder if the Phillies would be willing to pull the trigger on this deal, considering they balked at this demand from the Blue Jays this past summer…
In addition, Olney says in order for the Yankees to acquire Halladay, they must structure a deal around either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes.
Original Post, 9:04 am:
Tom Verducci of SI.com says the Phillies are emerging as the favorite to acquire Roy Halladay.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says talks between the Giants and Marlins regarding 2B Dan Uggla are “warmer”, and while there is no agreement on names, the dialogue is continuing between the two clubs.
Last month, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post said chances were 50-50 Uggla could be traded during the Winter Meetings.
Uggla is eligible for arbitration this off season, during which he is likely to earn close to $8 million; he is also arbitration eligible in 2011; after which he can become a free agent, but it is possible he could be non-tendered by the Marlins as well.
Uggla, who will be 30 on Opening Day, hit just .243 but hit 31 home runs and 90 RBI with 150 strikeouts in 2009.
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