Daily Archives: January 19, 2010
Tomorrow afternoon, I am scheduled to interview Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden, together, at the same time.
It’s weird, because, I worshiped these guys when I was a kid, then they totally let me down, in terms of their off-field issues and the general direction of their careers. Later, as I got older, I realized one had nothing to do with the other.
I mean, I was just one fan, who had homework and Little League practice; and they were just strangers, young men doing a cool job and trying to grow up on a big stage.
Nevertheless, their on-field performances and the magic they delivered in the early-to-mid 80s made me smile; and, whether they like it or not, they taught me odd lessons about arrogance, success, focus and hustle, and, as it pertains to October 1986, determination.
So, getting to meet these two guys in person, after so many years away from the organization, to be able to sit and talk, just the three of us, and ask them questions, is pretty exciting.
Frankly, I’m afraid I may pull a Chris Farley… wish me luck.
Jon Heyman of SI.com said on the MLB Network that he talked to a couple of scouts who were very impressed today with free-agent RHP Ben Sheets.
The scouts both told Heyman they feel they were watching ‘the old Ben Sheets.’
Heyman says to keep an eye on the Cubs and Rangers, as well as the Mets, who might now want to do something ‘positive,’ in response to seeing Bengie Molina sign with the Giants.
Verducci feels the Mariners and Cardinals are a likely destination.
Heyman, as well as his colleague, Tom Verducci, believe teams will offer Sheets a deal similar to what Brad Penny agreed to with the Cardinals, i.e., one year, roughly $8 million, plus incentives.
Updated at 7:35 pm:
…i believe we are about to hear a ton of rumors linking the Mets to sheets, Joel Pineiro and John Smoltz over the next week or so… i was told today that the Mets would like to sign smoltz and one of the other two, which would suggest they see smoltz as a bullpen arm… there are several other teams with interest in all of these guys, so who knows how it all turns out… but, from what i can gather, all three have legit interest in pitching for the Mets on short-term deals, and i have to think that is a credit to Citi Field and being in the National League… i mean, where better to throw one year in hopes of re-entering the free-agent market next off season… but, of course, money talks…
The Mets and relief pitcher Sean Green avoided salary arbitration before tonight’s deadline, agreeing to a one-year deal.
…from what i can gather, he will not be paid more than $2 million…
…in addition, Angel Pagan and the Mets have yet to reach an agreement, as the two sides are roughly $500,000 a part… i was told the team figures pagan will get roughly $1.5 million in arbitration…
Earlier today, Jeff Francoeur and Pedro Feliciano joined John Maine in avoiding arbitration, also agreeing to one-year deals with the Mets.
In a post to his blog for Newsday, Ken Davidoff says the report linking free-agent 1B Carlos Delgado to the Blue Jays is ‘bogus.’
Instead, Davidoff believes the Mets are the favorites to sign Delgado, “all the more so with Carlos Beltran missing the start of the season.”
To read more from Davidoff, who writes about the Bengie Molina situation, as well as their search for pitching, and today’s Mets Hall of Fame announcement, read him here.
Updated at 5:21 pm:
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is denying that his team signed Delgado, according to 590 AM.
Delgado’s agent is denying the report as well, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
Original Post at 4:42 pm:
According to Noah Coslov from MLB.com, the Blue Jays have signed Delgado.
Chris Carlin on SNY’s Loud Mouths said the Mets refused to guarantee a second year on his deal, since he is 35 years old, and so Molina chose to sign with the Giants.
…well, good for Omar Minaya, or Jeff Wilpon, or Wayne Krivsy, or whomever is handling contract negotiations for the Mets these days… seriously, great job, whomever it is… i know omar has a reputation for overpaying when he wants some one, so i’m glad to see the team was only willing to go so far for molina…
…of course, this will not stop the New York Post, and other newspapers, from framing this is ‘Mets LOSE OUT on Molina,’ despite CHOOSING not to go overboard for him… but, that’s fine… so long as molina isn’t killing rallies in Citi Field, i’m happy…
Updated at 5:37 pm:
Andrew Marchand from 1050 ESPN Radio, in a post to Twitter, says he talked to free-agent C Yorvit Torrealba’s agent, who said, “I’m waiting to hear from Omar and see where we go from here.”
Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Mets may ‘stand pat at catcher,’ as they are unenthused by Torrelaba and free-agent C Rod Barajas.
Heyman says the Mets offered Molina $5 million, plus incentives, which, according to Heyman means, ‘He must not have liked mets very much.’
Updated at 5:27 pm:
According to Ken Davidoff of Newsday, in a post to Twitter, the Mets last offer to free-agent C Bengie Molina was a ‘take-it-or-leave-it.’
…it’s interesting to me, in that i was under the impression the Mets offered molina a two-year deal, guaranteed, at around $5 million per season… yet he leaves, and returns to San Francisco…
Earlier today, CBS in San Francisco said Molina signed a one-year, $4.5 million with the Giants.
…from what i can gather, molina really wanted to return to the Giants… but, they had been quite distant all off season… and so, i wonder if a) the second year from the Mets wasn’t guaranteed, and b) maybe the Giants decided against keeping Buster Posey in the big leagues, and so they re-approached molina, and essentially matched the one-year money from the Mets… and so he took it… bizarre… it’s never a dull, is it…
Updated at 5:02 pm:
This morning, Buster Olney of ESPN.com said Molina turned down the Mets most recent offer.
Olney now says on Twitter that the Mets top catching target is now Torrealba.
In early December, ESPN.com said the Rockies and Torrealba were getting close to agreeing on a two-year contract; but talks were put on hold, as the two sides disagreed over the value of the deal.
…from what i can gather, torrealba had been seeking a two-year, $6 million deal, while the Rockies were offering around $2.5 million per season…
The 31–year-old Torrealba hit .291 with a .351 OBP with two HR in 64 games for the Rockies last year, while splitting time with C Chris Iannetta.
Original Post at 4:54 pm:
The Giants signed Molina to a one-year, $4.5 million contract, according to a CBS San Francisco.
…hat tip to MLB Trade Rumors for the information…
According to Tom Verducci’s research, in this report for SI.com, the Mets were the least efficient team in baseball during the last decade.
…i dig the fancy math, tom, but a quick look at my blood pressure results would have told you the exact same thing…
In the report, Verducci asks:
“How badly run are the Mets? Think about this: the Mets played in a World Series and still were the least efficient team in baseball. They spent $737.5 million more than Florida and won four more games than the Marlins.”
…i mean, what else is there to say, other than i hope things get better… i mean, no team in the National League won more games during 2006 to 2008, yet it feels like 2006 is a 100 years ago…
For comparative purposes, Verducci says the Phillies were the sixth-most efficient team over the last 10 years, in terms of getting the ‘biggest bang for their buck,’ while the Yankees, who spent $1.6 billion on payroll, and won two rings, checked in just six spots better that the Mets.
The Marlins were the most efficient team in baseball, according to Verducci’s research.
To see the rest of the list, check out Verducci’s report, here.
Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says Mets physical rehabilitation specialist Chris Correnti was on hand to watch free-agent RHP Ben Sheets pitch today.
According to Price, one scout guessed the Mets, Cubs and Rangers would be the leaders to sign Sheets, followed by the A’s and others.
The scout told Prince Sheets threw ‘very well,’ and, ‘He threw easy.’
Original Post at 2:27 pm:
Sheets pitched in front of roughly 20 scouts earlier today in Louisiana.
…the Mets have a representative in attendance, from what i’ve been told…
According to Trenni Kusnierek, from the MLB Network, Sheets topped out at 91 mph, which, as one scout told her, ‘is good for him,’ saying he ‘looked good,’ he had ‘good mechanics,’ and he’s way ahead, in terms of velocity, compared to where he’d be at the start of Spring Training.
Kusnierek says Sheets threw all fastballs in his first round, during which he looked a bit ‘erratic,’ then, after a ‘quick break,’ he returned to pitching, mixing in curve balls, which, according to Kusnierek, ‘looked pretty good.’
His curve ball was in the mid-60 mph range, according to Kusnierek.
John Morosi of FoxSports.com says free-agent OF Jim Edmonds is trying to ‘make a comeback.’
The 39–year-old Edmonds last played in the big leagues during 2008, when he hit just .229 with 20 HR, 55 RBI in 111 games.
He is a career .252 hitter against left-handed pitching, spanning 1,700 at bats.
According to his agent, “Edmonds would consider playing any outfield position or first base.”
Edmonds has played 29 games at first base during his 16–year career.
…pass… please… for starters, he hits most of his home runs to dead center, so, good luck with that in Citi Field… second, he strikes out way too much for a guy who is 40 years old, and essentially a shell of the player he once was… also, he’s 39… 39 years old… he missed more than 100 games his last three seasons with all sorts of injuries, ranging from a pulled hamstring to issues with his calf to a foot injury to problems with his knees…
…nevertheless, i am sure his agent has reached out to the Mets…
The Mets will hold a conference call with Strawberry, Gooden, Johnson and Cashen for reporters today at 2 pm.
The Mets said in the conference call that they will honor all four men during a celebration at Citi Field on Sunday, August 1.
Strawberry said, when he looks back on his career, the best days of his career were when he was wearing No. 18 and playing for the Mets.
Gooden said he is ‘overwhelmed,’ and ‘blown away,’ to be added to the team’s Hall of Fame, alongside Strawberry, Johnson and Cashen.
…any time i hear cashen’s voice, i think of him talking about how he assembled the team’s roster in the 1986 Mets: A Year to Remember video… i love that video…
…this is not a very informative call, but, it’s super entertaining, as it is essentially like listening to a bunch of old timers reminiscing about the good old days of winning baseball…
Gooden referred to himself as ‘a Met at heart,’ despite his success with the Yankees. He says he was ‘heartbroken,’ through much of the 90s, not because he felt ‘betrayed’ by the Mets, but because he felt he ‘let the team down.’
Strawberry says he still regrets leaving the Mets, calling it, ‘The biggest mistake I ever made.’
Jeff Wilpon called each man last week to tell them the news.
Cashen said, ‘You couldn’t go in with a better group of people,’ then Strawberry, Johnson and Gooden, and he’s so happy Wilpon put the Hall of Fame back together.
According to Johnson, the Mets did not sign any free agents during his time as manager, prior to winning the World Series, which he feels is a testament to their minor-league system.
Johnson said Gooden had amazing command, even when he was 17 years old.
Gooden said he feels like things have come ‘full circle’ for him, with today’s announcement, and he again described himself as being ‘overwhelmed.’
Strawberry said Johnson told the team on the first day of Spring Training that they were going to dominate the league in 1986.
Cashen said, ‘I was very fortunate to be offered Keith Herandez in a trade,’ and after acquiring Gary Carter he knew it was only a matter of time before they won a World Series.
In addition, Cashen said, ‘You don’t teach ballplayers to win in the major leagues,’ instead he feels a player learns how to win when in the minor leagues.
Updated at 11:35 am:
In the official press release from the team, it reads, “The plaques of all the inductees will be one of the main attractions at the new Mets Hall of Fame and Museum which will open this season.”
Original Post at 10:50 am:
The Mets will announce today that Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Davey Johnson and Frank Cashen will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame, according to the Daily News.
According to Ken Davidoff of Newsday, the Mets and LHP Pedro Feliciano also avoided arbitration and agreed on a one-year, $2.9 million deal.
Original Post at 10:31 am:
The Mets and OF Jeff Francoeur avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $5 million contract, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com.
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