Daily Archives: December 18, 2009
Plain and simple…
From what I have been told, the Mets did not hear from Jason Bay today.
Yesterday, the Mets announced the signing of Japanese relief pitcher Ryota Igarashi to a two-year contract.
In October, on ESPN.com, Keith Law ranked Igarashi as the fourth-best free-agent relief pitcher this off season, and said:
“Igarashi is a slightly wild power reliever who missed all of 2007 and part of 2008 due to Tommy John surgery, but has fully recovered and handled a regular workload in 2009. He has a very quick arm and has been clocked at 98 mph, although he’ll probably pitch at 93-96 in a one-inning role in the U.S. His best off-speed pitch is a mid- to upper-80s splitter with good bottom, and he can throw the pitch for strikes instead of waiting for hitters to chase it in the dirt. He has some deception in his delivery, and he’s almost a “drop-and-drift” guy without great forward momentum towards the plate.”
The 30–year-old Igarashi was 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA in 56 games with the Yakult Swallows last year.
Buster Olney of ESPN said on air this morning that the Mets could end up signing free-agent OF Jason Bay within the next 48 hours.
…hat tip to Matt Pignataro of Seven Train to Shea for the info…
Updated at 11:24 am:
Andrew Marchand of 1050 ESPN Radio quotes an MLB executive who thinks the Mets should tell free-agent OF Jason Bay, “If there is a better offer, take it.”
The executive tells Marchand the Mets are stupid if they fall for a mystery team.
To read more from Marchand, check out his blog for 1050 ESPN Radio, here.
Original Post at 6:56 am:
The Cubs and Mariners have agreed to trade Milton Bradley and Carlos Silva, according to SI.com.
…the news here for Mets fans is, the Mariners are now most certainly out of the running for free-agent OF Jason Bay, even though, from what i can tell, there is interest was overstated in reports anyway… but, in either case, this more or less ends that speculation…
Paul Sullivan of Chicago Tribune says the Cubs will get $9 million from the Mariners, to pay for Silva, in the deal for Bradley; though Jon Heyman of SI.com believes it is $6 million over two years.
Updated at 12:49 pm:
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times believes the Cubs will soon announce they have traded OF Milton Bradley to the Mariners for RHP Carlos Silva.
Silva signed a four-year, $48 million contract with the Mariners after 2007, then went 4–15 with a 6.46 ERA in 28 starts during his first season with Seattle.
Former GM Jim Bowden said on Twitter that the Mets will eventually sign free-agent OF Jason Bay to a five-year deal, and they will sign free-agent C Bengie Molina to a two-year deal.
Bowden also says, ‘despite denials,’ the Yankees are in on free-agent OF Matt Holliday.
According to Peter Gammons, the Red Sox offered a four-year, $60 million deal to Bay, and a five-year, $82 million deal, before turning to John Lackey.
In a post to Amazin Avenue, Howard Megdal tries to deduce who Bay’s mystery team might be.
…in all seriousness, it is probably the Orioles or Giants, if one exists at all… i see a lot of people mocking the idea of a mystery team… but, remember, the mystery team signed Barry Zito, and it signed Mark Teixeira… so, it’s not a total myth… in reality, it’s probably a team doing a very, very good job of keeping its business out of the news…
Jon Heyman of SI.com believes the Dodgers have interest in free-agent 2B Rafael Belliard and Felipe Lopez, now that they have freed up money by trading OF Juan Pierre to the White Sox.
…the thing is, the Dodgers just signed Jamey Carroll, and so, between him and Blake DeWitt, i have to think they’re all set at second… man, i’m glad i’m not a free-agent second baseman… there is nearly zero suitors for guys like Orlando Hudson, belliard and lopez, who, by the way, might be the best bargain of the bunch…
…it’s got to be killing the Mets, who could probably pick up hudson on a one-year deal, if they could only find a way to trade castillo…
Earlier this month, Johan Santana traveled to his hometown in Venezuela, where he visited with his parents, and handed out Christmas presents to local children.
SNY’s Kirk Giminez traveled with Santana to Tovar, the video of which was shown last night on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove, during which the children presented Santana with a special banner thanking him for all he has done to help better their community.
“To see those little kids all together, when they presented that banner, and to see those small hands, it was amazing and it means the world to me,” Santana told Gimeniz with tears in his eyes. “To see that they really care, and they appreciate everything we do, it’s priceless.”
To see video of Santana talking to Jimenez about growing up in Venezuela; his first memories of playing baseball, when he originally threw the ball right-handed; the importance of keeping the game a game; and how most scouts only came to his area looking for soccer players; go here.
This is video from SNY’s Mets Hot Stove, featuring an interview with Johan Santana in Venezuela.
Jon Heyman of SI.com says, though the team will continue to scout Carlos Delgado in Puerto Rico, free-agent Mark DeRosa could be an option for the Mets at first base.
Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes the Yankees will next pursue Mark DeRosa, who, according to the Post-Dispatch, will not wait forever to be offered a contract from the Cardinals.
The 33–year-old DeRosa had surgery in late October to repair a torn tendon sheath on his left wrist. He hit .250 with 23 HR, 23 doubles and 78 RBI in 139 games for the Indians and the Cardinals.
Olney said yesterday that DeRosa is seeking a three-year, $18 million deal.
… the Mets, Cardinals, Giants, Yankees, Red Sox and Twins have all been linked to derosa this off season… the Yankees will most certainly start him in left field… he’d be a starting player on the Giants, and i suppose he could start at third for the Twins… on the Mets, he’d most likely either be a back-up plan to losing out on Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, and a right-handed hitting first baseman to either start or split time with Daniel Murphy… the point is, he has options, and so he very well might get that three-year deal he is seeking…
Brian from Fonzi Forever points out that Reds RHP Aaron Harang, statistically, is not much different than John Lackey, who just signed a five-year, $87 million deal with the Red Sox.
Yesterday, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times said the Reds asked the Dodgers for one or two players from their major-league roster in return for Harang.
…there HAS TO BE a match between the Reds and Mets… i guess it depends on Cincinnati’s goals, of course… but, the Mets are looking to acquire a second-tier pitcher; a set-up man; and they’d like to switch out Luis Castillo for a second baseman with better range… it just so happens four of the Reds richest contracts are harang, RHP Bronson Arroyo, reliever Francisco Cordero and 2B Brandon Phillips… the buzz during the GM Meetings in November had been that the Reds would look to trade a big contract or two, for less expensive major-league players, who can help now, in an effort to cut payroll…
Yesterday, Mark Healey of Baseball Digest said sources told him the Mets and Reds have been in talks regarding Arroyo, “and possibly two other players.”
…by the way, arroyo, phillips and cordero will earn around $30 million next season… arroyo can be cut loose for 2011; but phillips and cordero will still be under contract, earning a combined $23 million, after which they can both be bought out and sent to free agency…
…yes, it would be crazy creative, border-line stupid, yet potentially brilliant, if a team could send, say, Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez, who will cost $18 million each of the next two seasons, to the Reds for arroyo, phillips and cordero, saving the Reds $12 million this season, and $5 million next season, while replacing them with legitimate major-league talent… yes, this is far-fetched, and total mock-GM’ing, and i can’t recall the last time i saw a deal like that happen, but, the point is, the Mets and Reds fit one another’s needs, in some way, shape or form, and i would hope they discuss a way to help eachother out, because it looks like they can…
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