Daily Archives: January 4, 2010
According to the Associated Press, “Jason Bay‘s contract with the Mets includes a $17 million option for 2014 with a $3 million buyout”
… last week, here, i wrote that i figured it would be a $14 million option with a $3 million buyout… turns out, according to this report, while it is a $3 million buyout, the full year’s salary will be $17 million, which is pretty serious considering he’ll be 35 years old entering that possible fifth season… but, i like that the Mets can just give him $3 million and move on… and so, to me, i choose to see this as a four-year, $69 million, since that is what is technically guaranteed…
Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes the Cardinals and free-agent OF Matt Holliday are close on a seven-year contract.
Original Post at 12:14 pm:
Jim Bowden says on Twitter that Holliday and the Cardinals are closing in on a $98.5 million.
…if this is the case, it could very easily be for five years, at roughly $19 million per season, since he was pushing for at least $18 million a year, or it could be for six years at roughly $16 million per season… the buzz all along had been that the Cardinals had a total number they were willing to commit, but it would be up to holliday how he wanted to structure the deal… i had been saying, the team who guarantees him six years and gets the deal up over $100 million will sign him… it looks like his contract will end up being pretty close to that mark… frankly, i think he and Jason Bay will end up doing pretty well, considering they had very little leverage… i mean, it was two players and two teams and their only negotiating ploy was time, while the the Cardinals and Mets needed to keep the price from dropping to a point in which other teams would jump in to the bidding…
Mets GM Omar Minaya will be a guest on WFAN tomorrow with Mike Francesa, following the team’s press conference to announce the signing of Jason Bay, who will also be a guest on the show later in the day.
…so that’s it, that’s the big news… ugh… and now, after listening to him for five hours, he’s got me all worried and freaked out about the Jets chances in the post season… thanks…
Updated at 5:30 pm:
…ugh, man, what are you waiting for, mike… actually, in talking with people connected to the team, it doesn’t sound like anything major is pending, other than bay… of course, that doesn’t mean mike isn’t aware of something they’re working on, or getting close to completing… come on, dude, spill it…
Updated at 4:33 pm:
“The Mets will announce Jason Bay tomorrow, there will be more news to come, but we’ll get to that later in the show,” WFAN’s Mike Francesa said, on air, around 4:30 pm.
…i’m thinking he must be waiting until the 5:00 pm hour, since that is the peak audience time for his show…
Original Post at 1:08 pm:
Host Mike Francesa ended his show on WFAN last Tuesday saying he would soon have a ‘Mets update,’ and he later broke news that the Mets and Jason Bay had agreed to a four-year deal.
Today, Francesa is at it again, opening his show by saying, “I think you’ll be getting some more Mets news here later in the week, but we’ll get to that later in the show… Jason Bay press conference is tomorrow, but there’s more to come.”
…i agree… like i said last tuesday, here, “In my conversations with people close to the team, I believe they might be getting close to an acquisition or two, and they are ‘hoping’ to make news at some point soon after the New Year… it seems like something is brewing.”…
SNY will hold an open casting call on Sat., Jan. 9, to find the new host of the network’s Emmy-Award winning children’s show Kids Clubhouse.
The auditions will take place at SNY’s studio on Sixth Avenue and 51st Street, from 9 am to 12 pm, in front of celebrity judges, including SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt and Chris Carlin.
Eligible candidates must be between the ages of 14-18, and be accompanied by an adult.
The new host will be announced at a later date, and become the star of Kids Clubhouse, which features baseball tips and player profiles, as well as fitness and nutritional advice.
For more information on the open casting call, visit SNY.TV.
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com said free-agent RHP Chien-Ming Wang got a positive report from Dr. James Andrews today, as Wang continues to rehab from shoulder surgery.
According to Rosenthal, Wang could throw off a mound during the middle of February.
Last month, Marty Noble of MLB.com said the Mets have interest in Wang, who was non-tendered by the Yankees in early December.
Wang underwent season-ending surgery on his left shoulder in June, and is not expected to be back pitching in the big leagues until May 1.
Wang’s agent, Alan Nero, told ESPN.com last month that, instead of signing a deal now, Wang might wait, complete his rehab, and audition for teams in spring training.
…there are going to be several teams interested in wang… but, like i said a few weeks ago, what the Mets have going for them is location… it would seem to me, offering a comparable deal to what others will give, but being able to let him keep living where he’s living, will be a plus for the Mets… i like wang… he’s very meticulous, and he’s all about commanding the inning, which he does well… last season, though, he was a mess… he was getting on top of his pitches, he had no sink on his fastball, and it threw off his entire game… but, he clearly was not feeling right… he could be a nice find for someone, and there are going to plenty of teams with interest…
…by the way, because people keep asking, if i had to guess, i’d say the news Mike Francesa is readying to break will probably be either a) one or two additional free-agent signings, or b) a trade, maybe sending Luis Castillo some place for a starting pitcher, followed by signing Orlando Hudson… again, this is my educated guess, as i know the team has been working hard on these very goals, but i am not sure how close they are to pulling them off…
Original Post at 2:50 pm:
In a recent report for FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal predicts the Mets will eventually sign free-agent RHP Joel Pineiro, 2B Orlando Hudson and free-agent C Bengie Molina.
…again, this are educated guesses from rosenthal… he’s not saying the teams and players are close, or that they are or are not in talks… he’s just making predictions…
According to Rosenthal, the Mets, Dodgers, Angels, Brewers, Nationals and Orioles are all able to spend on a free-agent starting pitcher, yet he believes free-agent Cuban LHP Aroldis Chapman is most likely to sign with the Marlins, while free-agent RHP Ben Sheets is most likely to end up the Cubs.
…the Mets can clearly wait out molina… they are the only team looking for a starting catcher, whereas every one seems to be in the market for a mentor-platoon type… and so, i’m sure the Mets made him a minimal offer, then said, ‘when you get another offer for more, show it to us and we’ll see what we can do,’ but in the meantime why should the Mets overpay their hand when they know they are the best fit for bengie…
…of course, i’d prefer to see the Mets give less money and years to free-agent C Rob Barajas than sign molina… actually, i’d have no problem with Henry Blanco and Josh Thole or Omir Santos… i just can’t stomach the idea of signing a 36–year-old catcher to anything more than a one-year deal… if there is an option for a second season, i hope there is also a reasonable buyout…
In a poll from earlier today, 62 percent of more than 4,000 people said they would prefer the Mets sign Sheets to a one-year, $12 million deal, with incentives; while 30 percent preferred Jon Garland on a two-year deal; and only eight percent would rather sign Pineiro to a multi-year deal.
Initially, back in 2003, the idea behind the Fan Confidence Poll was to gauge confidence in a team that was essentially rebuilding, developing a TV network, changing its roster, hiring a new GM and manager, and building a new ballpark, among other things… now, most of those things are in the past or accomplished.
Nevertheless, the team feels like it is heading towards another transition.
In this new version, I am taking a page from politics, and going with a more simple and to the point poll question, which will still gauge a sense of confidence, but will boil down the choices to three options, as opposed to complicating matters with percentages and a 1–10 rating as it had been before.
So, here we go:
[poll id="329"]
According to SNY, Jason Bay passed his physical for the Mets, who will officially announce the signing during a press conference in Citi Field tomorrow at 11 am, which will air live on SNY.
Original Post at 9:19 am:
Yesterday, Jon Heyman of SI.com said Bay will take his physical today for the Mets, with whom he agreed to a four-year, $66 million contract las week.
According to WFAN, if Bay passes his physical, the team will hold a press conference in Citi Field on Tuesday to officially announce the signing.
…as of now, the team will not even acknowledge the signing, nor have they made any sort of announcement, be it about the agreement, the physical or the press conference… according to people close to the team, the Mets are genuinely concerned about bay’s physical… they think he’ll pass, obviously, otherwise they wouldn’t have signed him… but, there are concerns about his knee and shoulder, just as the Red Sox had concerns… and so, the team isn’t going to say jack until everything is buttoned up and official, and rightfully so…
According to the New York Post, though he’s still trying to sign free-agent C Bengie Molina, “Mets GM Omar Minaya has turned attention in recent days to a starting pitching pool that includes free-agents Ben Sheets, Joel Pineiro and Jon Garland.”
…from what i can gather, pineiro expects to sign a deal worth less than John Lackey got from Red Sox, but worth more than Randy Wolf, so, say, three or four years at roughly $13 million per season…
…meanwhile, sheets is said to be seeking at least $10 million in guaranteed money, with around $5 million or so in incentives… and, from what i understand, an easily-attainable, second-year option, which he can decline should he want to re-test the free-agent market one year from now…
…lastly, garland is aiming for something like Jason Marquis got from the Nationals, worth a bit more per season, so, say, a two-year, $16 million contract…
…they are three, very different, paths, and i think this choice will come down to what the Mets are trying to accomplish… if they want a legitimate No. 2, a potential ace, then sheets is their guy… but, he comes with a lot of risk, and that’s a good chunk of money to lock up in a player who could easily end up on the disabled list… that said, if healthy, he can be as good as Johan Santana… pineiro wants the longest contract, in terms of years, and has had really only had one good season, though his game will probably translate quite well in Citi Field… garland is the lesser commitment, and will give only decent results, but he’s probably the best known-quantity of the bunch, in that he will not walk a ton of people, and he’ll probably let up at least two runs every start, if not more, but he is almost certain to make 32, uninterrupted starts…
…what’s more, signing sheets or pineiro will probably limit other acquisitions this off season, while signing garland will allow for more money to make other additions…
[poll id="328"]
Carlos Delgado was 1-for-4 batting cleanup yesterday for Gigantes de Carolina in Puerto Rico’s winter league.
Delgado did not play the field, but instead started as the team’s designated hitter. His single during the game was against Giants pitching prospect Jack Spradlin.
Yesterday was the first he had played in a game since having season-ending hip surgery in May.
The 37–year-old Delgado hit .298 with four HR and 23 RBI in 26 games last season.
…i’m still of the belief that the Mets should move on from delgado, because i think living with Daniel Murphy at first base is worth allowing Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and David Wright the opportunity to become the lead personalities on this team… delgado needs to be a DH… he knows it, every one knows it… the problem is, there are still several other, healthy, DHs on the open market, and so i bet he will be willing to take what he can get… the Mets are still very interested in him, from what i can tell they still like him both personally and professional, but they’re not going to guarantee him a spot on the roster unless they can know definitively if he’s healthy…
…i’d rather let him sign with a team in the American League, and instead see the Mets go for a player like Ryan Garko to platoon with murphy, and fill in as a corner outfielder from time to time…
The O’s have been in contact with Delgado, according to a report last month in the Baltimore Sun.
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