Buzz: Mets offer to Molina, & Why He’s in SF
In talking with a few people around baseball, it sounds to me like Bengie Molina always wanted to return to the Giants, or are at least he wanted play with a team on the West Coast. Also, as the off season moved on, Molina became more and more skeptical of playing in New York.
I had some people suggest he might have become leery of fan and media criticism, while another person speculated he was scared off by how Carlos Beltran’s surgery was communicated in the press, saying, “Players talk.”
What’s more, from what I can gather, the Mets offered at least $1 million more than the Giants, and also offered a player-controlled option for 2011.
Frankly, in talking to people connected to the Mets, though they are slightly disappointed, they were never going to increase their initial offer to Molina, feeling it was not worth guaranteeing that type of money and time to a 35–year-old catcher.
In moving forward, I would not be surprised to see Henry Blanco get the bulk of playing time next season, with Omir Santos, Josh Thole and Chris Coste acting as his back-up. The team believes Blanco is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, as do others, and he too has a strong reputation for working well with a pitching staff.
So, good for the Mets for holding their ground; and, good for us, Mets fans, the majority of which did not seem to want Molina in the first place.
Original Post at 6:45 am:
According to multiple reports, the Mets first made an offer to Molina in mid-December.
Yesterday, four weeks later, Molina re-signed with the Giants for one year and $4.5 million.
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