Buzz: Mets are Buyers, but in Wait-and-See Mode
The July 31 Trade Deadline is this Saturday at 4 pm ET.
Omar Minaya still considers himself a buyer, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse, who says, “Minaya’s thought process, one team official said, is not to panic, because the last time the Mets panicked, they traded Scott Kazmir.”
Sure… but, there is a big difference between not panicking, and not acting at all.
“The Mets are in a wait-and-see mode at this point,” Buster Olney of ESPN.com said on Twitter. “They are reluctant to trade prospects at a time when they are not really in it, but not really out of it either.”
Andy Martino of the Daily News believes the Mets are still working to acquire a pitcher, though, ‘There is some disagreement among Mets decision makers about the need to add a starter.’
According to Martino, Cubs LHP Ted Lilly will cost a ‘high-end prospect,’ plus the new team will need to pay all of the roughly $6 million remaining on Lilly’s contract this season.
Martino also says the Mets do not expect RHP Brett Myers to be traded by the Astros, who are also still seeking two top prospects for Roy Oswalt.
In addition, as I said yesterday, I have heard the Astros continue to also seek a major-league ready arm, like a Jon Niese or JA Happ.
In the last few days, there have been more and more reports indicating that Oswalt will only waive his no-trade clause if the new team picks up his $16 million option for 2012 – meaning, not only will your team need to part with prospects and a young pitcher, but they will be paying $40 million to Oswalt through 2012.
In other words, “Minaya is not going to do anything big,” one source told Price.
