Daily Archives: January 1, 2010
Update, 2:41 pm:
According to Jorge Arangure of ESPN, the Blue Jays held a private workout for Chapman yesterday morning in Florida, and then met with his agents.
Arangure suggests the fact his agents are in Florida that Chapman might be close to a deal with one of his suitors.
Original Post, 1:49 pm:
Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles says Free Agent LHP Aroldis Chapman is drawing interest from the Los Angeles Angels, and they could have the edge in the sweepstakes.
According to Saxon, Chapman has become friends with Angels first baseman and Cuban Defector Kendry Morales, who supposedly convinced Chapman to switch player agents from Edwin Mejia to the Hendricks Brothers.
Angels scouting director Eddie Bane told Saxon:
“Selfishly, we’re a nice fit. It’s hard to come over here, and Kendry gives him some idea of the pitfalls of the adjustment…It’s a fit, but who knows? It depends on the price.”
…i think for any team, a guy like Chapman is very intriguing because he is a young, hard throwing lefty, and a team like the Mets should have interest in him as a long term solution…he is risky because there isn’t a lot that is known about this kid, but with whatever team he signs with, i forsee him starting in the minors until he learns to control all of his pitches, but his scouting report is a lot like Scott Kazmir when the Mets first drafted him….
In December, both the Red Sox and Marlins offered Chapman a contract, but he turned down a $15.5 million offer from Boston.
For the latest on Chapman, check out ESPN here.
Shannon from the Mets Police thinks it would be cool if the NHL held the Winter Classic at Citi Field.
…if i recall, i think there was some talk of the game being held at the Old Yankee Stadium last winter, but i guess that got shot down…although i’m not much of a hockey fan, i’d like to see more big events, like the winter classic, played in flushing as well…i think it would brand the ballpark as a great national venue, much like Shea Stadium and Giants Stadium had been in the past…
Meanwhile, Mike from New York Baseball Digest gives us his Mets All Decade Team.
Ed from Mets Fever warns about Buyer Beware with Erik Bedard.
Finally, Matt, in a post to his new blog called Caught Lookin’, sums up some buzz from around the Majors.
Yesterday, MLB Network anchor Sean Casey was a guest of Kim Jones and Ed Coleman on WFAN.
To listen to the entire interview, click here.
When Casey was asked how Jason Bay, who was his teammate in Pittsburgh and Boston, would be in left field at Citi Field, Casey said:
“awesome sign…if you’re going to give somebody $66 million you want a guy you know is going to show up everyday and is going to be accountable for what he does, he’s going to work hard, he’s going to play hard every night – Jason Bay fits that bill…I just feel like the Mets need somebody who’s going to go out there and be a leader on the field…”
When asked if Bay is streaky, Casey said:
“Yeah he’s a streaky guy sometimes, but like most power hitters are, I think the big thing about Jason Bay, what you’ve got to realize is that he’s going to drive in big runs, he’s going to drive in a lot of runs, but he’s going to have some times during the season where he strikes out a lot…but if you follow anyone through a six month season, they’ll go through their spurts too…I don’t worry about that because you can give up…a couple of weeks where you’re cold and you’re striking out a little bit for winning a bunch of games with some big home runs.”
When asked about his defensive skills, compared to a big outfield in PNC Park to a smaller one at Fenway Park and now what he will bring to Citi Field, Casey said:
“You watch this guy over 162 games, and you appreciate Jason Bay. He runs pretty well…you guys will see that when he comes to play…and he plays a good left field…is he a burner? Is he going to get everything? No, but he plays a solid left field, so when I hear people say ‘he is below average defensively’, I totally disagree…Ive seen it first hand – he can play left field and he is going to make some nice plays, and when you throw him out there, you’re not getting hurt with by him being out there.”
…to be honest, what he brings defensively is the least of my concerns in this deal…he is a major league outfielder who has commanded close to $70 million guaranteed over the next four years…with that comes the expectation that he can play his position to the point where he is not a defensive liability, and to this point, i have not heard anything about his lack of ability to play the game defensively…
When asked whether or not Bay wanted to be a Met, Casey said:
“I think Jason Bay wants to be a Met…the bottom line is he’s talked to his wife, he’s talked to his agent, he’s talked to his family – if he didn’t want to be somewhere, he wouldn’t be somewhere, knowing him…he’s excited to go to New York, obviously he played in Boston so I don’t think the media will be that big of a deal for his personality, but he wants to be a Met and he wouldn’t have signed in New York if he didn’t want to be a Met – there’s no doubt about that…”
…like we have been saying for a long while now, this deal came down to dollars and the length of the contract, and in the end, Bay could not get a better deal elsewhere…he said at the end of the Division Series that while he loved Boston, he was going to seek the best possible deal, and he stayed true to his word…
When asked if he buys the fact Bay’s swing was better suited for Citi Field, Casey said:
“I buy it…Jason Bay’s power is left center, left field and he is a pull power hitter and you saw what Citi Field did for David Wright last year…David’s more of a right center, has an inside out swing where he juices balls to right, and in Shea they were home runs – now in Citi Field they’re doubles and triples and it almost kind of changed the way he goes about his approach, but Jason Bay’s a pull hitter, he’s a pull power hitter, and don’t forget, he played in PNC Park for six years where it’s 410 to left center and that’s not an easy park for right handers to hit but he was still driving in 100 and hitting 30 home runs…it doesn’t matter where plays, he’s going to hit it out.”
When asked what else he thinks the team needs, Casey noted the Red Sox acquisition of John Lackey and that you “win at the top of your rotation”, and said while the Mets still need help in their starting rotation, the addition of Bay’s bat is “big” but also said:
“…I think they needed another guy in there too that brings a different element. I sometimes watch the Mets and I feel like it’s a bunch of individuals just putting up stats. I’d hate to say that but you watch them sometimes and you’re like ‘man, do these guys really want to win? Or, are they just hoping to put up some numbers and get to free agency again, or something.’ I think Jason Bay brings a presence where hey, he’s been around in Boston, he’s come up with some big hits, he’s been on a winning club, the guy plays everyday hard. I think this sign is more than just a numbers thing, its also a role model for those guys on how to play the game everyday.”
…i think this is perhaps the most glaring need on this club, more than a pitching, offense, or defensive improvement…the Mets have more or less collapsed and crumbled over the past three seasons, and when i look specifically at what happened in 2007 and to a lesser degree in 2008, yes a combination of injuries and poor pitching at the end of both of those seasons contributed to their demise but when a club loses the way they did in those seasons, i believe it’s a character flaw which is the primary factor and frankly, i think Omar Minaya did very little after that to alter the tone and the mood in the clubhouse until now…if Bay is what Casey says he is, he can be a huge all around lift to the organization from an approach and attitude perspective…
Meanwhile, Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan told Mike Puma of the New York Post:
“He’s a lunch-pail guy…He’s going to come in and play every day and play hurt, and he’s going to be an asset to the Mets.”
With regards to his experience with the Red Sox and how he had to fill such huge shoes when Manny Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers in 2008, Magadan said that would only help him with the Mets, saying:
“He came here for Manny and had to deal with being the guy that came here replacing Manny…He came the last two months of 2008 and handled it like a champ. He was very productive for us and a big reason we got as far as we did in the playoffs.”
For more on Bay, check out Casey’s interview here and the New York Post here.
In a Q&A for MLB.com, Marty Noble had the following to say, when asked if the Mets might sign free-agent RHP Ben Sheets:
“No one ever questions Sheets’ upside. But who can overlook his downside. The Mets already have too many potential starters with issues. Sheets would be one more.”
On Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports said Sheets was seeking $12 million in 2010, which you can read about here.
…i for one would like the Mets to take a chance on either Sheets or Erik Bedard, mainly because the available options right now aren’t very appealing…in the end, i don’t think any team will even consider Sheets at $12 million even on an incentive laden deal…i think a base salary between $4 – $7 million is more realistic for him and at that price, the Mets should be interested because if he is healthy, he is as good as anyone in the league…but Noble makes a very good point in that the Mets current starters have a bevy of issues ranging from durability and efficiency all the way to mental problems, and adding another large question mark rather than a solid and reliable arm is a very big risk to take for this club…
In regards to Fernando Martinez, Noble points out that Martinez had fewer at bats in the minor leagues compared to both David Wright and Jose Reyes, adding:
“At the same time, he hardly distinguished himself during his introductory tenure…The concerns with Martinez are his tendency to break down and, to a far lesser degree, a few episodes last summer that put his judgment in question.”
…F-Mart’s brief stint in the big leagues was certainly disappointing, and yes his durability is a big question mark right now, but i remember when Reyes first came up and made his debut in 2003 against the Rangers… he came with all of the hype that F-Mart has garnered and instead of seeing that brilliance we saw someone who was over-matched at times, and dealing with a multitude of leg injuries for the better part of his first two seasons… i’ve been watching martinez either in the minors or during Spring Training for a number of years now, and this kid has a world of talent, and if he can stay healthy i feel he can still be a big part of this organization’s future at some point…
…that said, his stock seems to have fallen in the past year, and i wonder where the organization feels he stands now that they have made a long term commitment to Jason Bay…i suppose he could succeed Jeff Francoeur in right field but again, it’s hard to say where the Mets feel he now fits…this was the guy they wouldn’t trade for Johan Santana, but right now i wouldn’t be surprised, provided the right deal came along, if we see F-Mart get dealt…
According to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, the Chicago Cubs have signed Marlon Byrd to a three year, $15 million contract.
Muskat says Byrd’s contract is backloaded as he will earn $3 million in 2010, $5.5 million in 2011 and $6.5 million in 2012.
…i remember when Byrd came up with the Phillies and he was so highly regarded for them…he just never lived up to the expectations and it wasn’t until last year when he finally produced…his name was floating around as a possible secondary option for the Mets this winter if they were not able to sign either Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, but if Bay doesn’t fit what i feel the Mets should be trying to build their team around ie speed and defense, i don’t see how Byrd does either…
The 32 year old Byrd hit .280 with 20 home runs and 89 RBI for the Rangers in 2009, both of which were career highs.
The Phillies have signed reliever Danys Baez to a two year contract, according to MLB.com.
After missing the entire 2008 season, the 32 year old Baez pitched 71 2/3 innings for the Orioles in 2009, going 4-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 59 games.
…i remember the Mets were supposedly interested in Baez some years ago as a closer when he was with the Devil Rays, but instead they ended up with Braden Looper…
Baez is expected to join Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero as a setup man to Brad Lidge.
