Tag Archives: Paul Lo Duca

Nationals C Paul Lo Duca recently talked to New York’s WFAN, and said…

• He feels he was not treated with respect by the Mets during this off-season, and that he is disappointed that not one single coach or front-office guy called him in the off-season.
• He does not feel he was ever their top choice, even when they traded for him, adding that he believes he just sort of ‘fell in to their laps.’
• Omar Minaya did call to say he was still interested, but it was after the team had signed Yorvit Torrealba, which never made sense to him.
• He never asked for a three- or four-year deal.
• He does not feel like he was ‘stabbed in the back’ by any ‘locker-room guys.’  He got along with Jose Reyes, he’s good friends with Carlos Delgado, he’s great friends with David Wright.  However, some people did have issues with him, and, ‘You don’t have to be a dummy to know who.’
• Nevertheless, he has no grudge against the team, and he is excited to play them next season.
• He believes Brian Schneider will go a good job for the Mets, ‘and I’m not just saying that, I really believe it.’
• He has no regrets about how he played and what he did during his time in New York.  He’s going to miss most of the guys in the Mets clubhouse.
• The fans in New York are ‘awesome.’
• He feels the Mets will be fine next season.  Delgado, who struggled with his post-surgical hand and elbow last season, will have a big year next season. 
• Lastly, Billy Wagner should replace him as WFAN’s weekly interview, because he’ll certainly speak his mind.

Tagged Paul Lo Duca |

Yesterday, Nationals OF Lastings Milledge and C Paul Lo Duca addressed the local media.

Lo Duca, on why he chose the Nationals, as quoted by George King of the New York Post:

‘A big part with me was staying in the National League, being familiar, knowing the National League East and getting to play the Mets 18 times.’

At MLB.com, Bill Ladson quotes Milledge, regarding his personality:

‘I love the game. I play the game with passion. Nobody can take that away from me. People can think what they want to think on how I play the game. The most important part is I play to win.’

The Free Lance-Star has a picture of the two new Nats.

…i wish them both the best, just not when they play the Mets…sounds like lo duca will certainly be playing with a chip on his shoulder, and rightfully so…

Lo Duca will be a guest with WFAN’s Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno at noon.

Tagged Paul Lo Duca, Regis Courtemanche |

At Metsradamus, John posts a photo of next year’s newest political team from DC, who, along with Manny Acta, will unite to cause problems for the Mets.

…first off, i’m glad for milledge, as a person, because i think DC and the nationals, with acta, will be a good spot for him to develop…on the other hand, Jim Bowden is his GM, who has some weird addiction to piling up outfielders, who get angry at him because that can’t get enough playing time…i mean, he did it with the Reds, when he formed a logjam with Austin Kearns, Wily Mo Pena, Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr, and refused to trade one of them for pitching, despite having endless opportunities, year after year, to do so…now in DC he has milledge, Elijah Dukes and, again, kearns and pena…

…as for lo duca, i can’t lie, i am a fan and so i am disappointed he ended up in the NL East again…i wish him luck, just not on days he is playing against the Mets…

…for what it’s worth, having talked with a few people who mingled in Nashville, as well as people connected to the team, i believe lo duca’s exit and destination panned out as follows: the Mets were a bit disappointed in him, ranging from how he communicated to the team about his health to his diminishing defensive skills to his public comments about Willie Randolph; at the same time, his agent explained that he was looking for a three- or four-year deal, while the Mets only had mild interest in bringing him back on a one-year deal; so, instead, they took time to look around the market place for a better defensive, younger, short-term catcher; the Mets eventually pursued Yorvit Torrealba, than acquired Brian Schneider; and without the Mets in the market, lo duca’s options dried up, to the extent that he had to weigh one-year deals from the Blue Jays and Nationals, neither of which offered a full-time starting job; and so he latched on in DC, where he’ll get the bulk of playing time alongside Jesus Flores…

Tagged Paul Lo Duca |

According to the Washington Post, free-agent C Paul Lo Duca and the Nationals have agreed to a one-year deal.

…well, as i am sure you know by now, i don’t like this…i prefer lo duca be on the Mets, though i understand why the team disagrees - and apparently a lot of other teams, as well…

…that being said, damn, it figures he would end up on a team in the NL East, so he can now stick it to the Mets 19 times per season, alonside former-Mets C Jesus Flores, who should never had ended up in DC to begin with…

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According to Joel Sherman in a report for the New York Post, the Blue Jays were very close to signing a one-year contract with Paul Lo Duca to be the backup catcher to Gregg Zaun.

The Nationals are also looking at Lo Duca to serve as a back-up, reports Jerry Crasnick in an update for ESPN.com.

…yikes…sorry, paulie…for what it’s worth, from what i can gather out of lo duca’s situation with the Mets, the team’s lack of interest may actually have had less to do with his off-field identity, and mostly everything to do with a) his initial contract demands, b) the Mets urgency to fill the position, and c) the team wanting to find the best possible defensive catcher it could get…and so lo duca was dismissed…

Tagged Paul Lo Duca |

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Nationals are interested in free-agent C Paul Lo Duca.

Yesterday, in Newsday, David Lennon reported that the Nationals are intrigued by Mets C Johnny Estrada, who is left without a position due to last week’s acquisition of Brian Schnieder from Washington.

…i wonder if they had spoken about this before friday’s deal went down…

Elsewhere on the catcher market, the Orioles continue to say they’ll move Ramon Hernandez, writes Rosenthal, and could be interested in Michael Barrett, a Type-A free agent.

Rosenthal also reports that the Dodgers, having missed out on 3B Miguel Cabrera, have turned their focus to the Cardinals 3B Scott Rolen.

Having been heavily linked with Rolen earlier this week, the Brewers have pulled back their interest, reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

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During tonight’s Knicks game on MSG, Al Trautwig talked with Paul Lo Duca, who had the following to say about…

…whether he is mystified with the direction the team has gone now…

“Well, I don’t know if I’m mystified, I’m disappointed, I wanted to come back & end my career here & it’s not gonna happen that way and it’s disappointing for me I’m gonna miss a lot of the guys in the clubhouse and I’m gonna miss the fans, the fans were great to me.”

…whether the Mets expressed any interest in re-signing, and, if not, was there any bad blood between him and the oragniation…

“You know, I don’t know, I’m obviously a very outspoken person, with a little fire, maybe I rub some people the wrong way.  I just tell people the way it is and, you know, Al, I really don’t know.

“I have no hard feelings and I hope they do well.  I have a lot of friends over there.  But, when I come back to Shea, I’m coming for them, that’s the way you have to look at it.”

…thanks to Peter Wade, MetsBlog’s eyes and ears, for the info…

Tagged Paul Lo Duca |

The Mets declined to offer salary arbitration to Paul Lo Duca, Shawn Green, Mike DiFelice, Aaron Sele, Jeff Conine, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Jose Valentin.

…i know there are going to be fans who are disappointed in the decision to not offer arbitration to lo duca, because it means they will not get a compensatory draft pick when he signs with a new team…however, at the rate he is going, odds are good he will not land a long-term deal anyways, and so maybe there is concern he could accept, forcing himself back on the Mets…i can’t imagine he would ever do that, but, the bottom line is, there is now no room for him on this roster…

…also, from what i understand, the decision to part ways with lo duca may have had less to do with all the off-field issues, and more to do with a) his age, b) his initial contract demands, c) his health, and, d) the team’s desire to bring on the best possible defensive catcher they could find, which lo duca is not…

…nevertheless, this signals the official end of lo duca’s time with the Mets, and i wish him well…

Tagged Paul Lo Duca, Shawn Green |

Willie Randolph, speaking at the Bowery Mission in Manhattan yesterday, when asked about Paul Lo Duca, as quoted by the New York Post, said:

“I’m only the manager, not and the general manager and this is a group decision, but Paulie could play for me any day.”

According to Ken Davidoff in Newsday, Lo Duca is seeking at least a three-year deal, worth an annual salary larger than the $6 million he earned last season.

During a conference call with reporters last night, Mets GM Omar Minaya said he recently left a message for Lo Duca’s agent, but had not heard back from him.

…as i understand this, in the days after the season ended, lo duca told the Mets of his contract demands; the Mets were turned off, or not very interested; and so they never responded with a counter offer, which signaled to lo duca that his days in new york are over, especially when it was believed that Yorvit Torrealba would be replacing him…however, the torrealba deal fell through, and since, the Mets and lo duca’s agent have swapped messages, but no substantiative talks have been had…

…my hunch is that the Mets will consider bringing back lo duca, but only if it’s for a short-term deal…the question then is, is that acceptable to lo duca, who clearly wants more security…frankly, i understand both sides, especially since lo duca could possibly sign in colorado, be on a successful, young team, be closer to his family, and pad his stats in Coors Field…at the same time, he loved the Mets and being in new york…

Tagged Paul Lo Duca |

On Saturday, Newsday was first to report that talks between the Mets and free-agent C Yorvit Torrealba ‘collapsed,’ concluding, ‘the talks are dead and Torrealba is not coming to the Mets.’

Today in Newsday, Ken Davidoff writes that the Mets are ‘not currently considering’ a return of free-agent C Paul Lo Duca.

…as i have written before, it’s clear that O’s C Ramon Hernandez is omar’s top choice, but, as has been reported, the asking-price for hernandez is going to be much higher than it should be…the same can be said for Rangers C Gerald Laird, another ideal fit, who the Mets have reportedly inquired about, as well…also, there is new buzz from miami that suggests Marlins C Miguel Olivo could soon be pitched to the Mets, as well…

Though he hit just .237 last season, Olivo hit 16 home runs each of the last two seasons, during which he also struck out 223 times.

…you know the story, though: the Mets prefer to sign a catcher, so to keep all of their prospects to package the best bunch for a starting pitcher…

Free-agent C Michael Barrett is a Type-A free agent, meaning he will likely cost the Mets a compensatory draft pick.

In 344 at-bats for the Cubs and Padres last season, the 31-year-old Barrett hit .244, drove in 30 runs, got in to a nationally-televised fist fight in a dugout with his teammate, Carlos Zambrano, and was then traded to San Diego.

Lastly, in 137 games between Oakland and Chicago, free-agent C Jason Kendall, 33, hit just .242 with three HR and 20 doubles.

…kendall and barrett should not be an option…nor should olivo, since he could soon be non-tendered…if omar’s sense is that he’ll need every bullet to trade for a pitcher, then laird and hernandez should not be options either…meaning, as so many of us have been saying for the last week, lo duca is the best choice…

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