The Mets Rumor Mill

[Dalkowski110]

Your daily updates...

The Mets finally put forth a contract to Julio Lugo, who is reportedly strongly considering it. Barry Zito, from all reports, will only be signed if his price is closer to what Boras entered the offseason in mind with. I have a feeling this means it'll be somewhere inbetween what the Mets want and what Zito and Boras want. Brian Bannister is still being dangled as trade bait, although as to what seems to be media speculation (it's gone from a reliever, which I tend to think is Minaya's goal, to Jason Jennings, Javier Vazquez, Freddy Garcia, and all the other recycled starters). Minaya has reportedly made it clear that Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber are going nowhere. And unless Dontrelle Willis is available for cheap, I doubt Milledge is, either. The Mets DO seem to be looking at Rodrigo Lopez, a Baltimore starter who Rick Peterson believes he can fix pretty quickly, as a straight-up trade for Brian Bannister.

[Dalkowski110]

Your daily updates...

The Mets finally put forth a contract to Julio Lugo, who is reportedly strongly considering it. Barry Zito, from all reports, will only be signed if his price is closer to what Boras entered the offseason in mind with. I have a feeling this means it'll be somewhere inbetween what the Mets want and what Zito and Boras want. Brian Bannister is still being dangled as trade bait, although as to what seems to be media speculation (it's gone from a reliever, which I tend to think is Minaya's goal, to Jason Jennings, Javier Vazquez, Freddy Garcia, and all the other recycled starters). Minaya has reportedly made it clear that Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber are going nowhere. And unless Dontrelle Willis is available for cheap, I doubt Milledge is, either. The Mets DO seem to be looking at Rodrigo Lopez, a Baltimore starter who Rick Peterson believes he can fix pretty quickly, as a straight-up trade for Brian Bannister.

EDIT...okay, if you'll notice, this is also the first post on this thread. Is something wrong here?

[Dalkowski110]

Your daily updates...

The Mets finally put forth a contract to Julio Lugo, who is reportedly strongly considering it. Barry Zito, from all reports, will only be signed if his price is closer to what Boras entered the offseason in mind with. I have a feeling this means it'll be somewhere inbetween what the Mets want and what Zito and Boras want. Brian Bannister is still being dangled as trade bait, although as to what seems to be media speculation (it's gone from a reliever, which I tend to think is Minaya's goal, to Jason Jennings, Javier Vazquez, Freddy Garcia, and all the other recycled starters). Minaya has reportedly made it clear that Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber are going nowhere. And unless Dontrelle Willis is available for cheap, I doubt Milledge is, either. The Mets DO seem to be looking at Rodrigo Lopez, a Baltimore starter who Rick Peterson believes he can fix pretty quickly, as a straight-up trade for Brian Bannister.

EDIT: Okay, now this post is also the first and second posts on this thread. Is...something up with vBulletin?

[Dalkowski110]

Okay, so the "who stays / who goes?" thread just degenerated into an argument over who should stay and who should go. Not who would stay and who would go. But I hope to make this thread different...no arguing about players without the backup of stats and/or scouting reports. No "player A is awful" without any supporting stats, unless it was one of the few times it was painfully obvious that they WERE awful (i.e. Trachsel). You can also challenge/argue the validity of trade and free agent rumors.

See Last Page For Rumors and Rumor Status.

[Jose Reyes]

I think Zito is more likely to sign a gigantic contract like 6 years $90+ million. Not necessarily with the Mets, though.

[Dalkowski110]

Agreed. The speculation about Zito's contract (3-year or 4-year, 15 mil per year) could be tossed out the window due to Scott Boras representing him. That is one of the reasons cited in the numerous sources I've looked at that the Mets simply figure Matsuzaka is a far better investment for the money, if you're going to pony up that much cash. Some food for thought on Ted Lilly and Mark Mulder...

Mulder and Lilly often clashed with Rick Peterson when they pitched for the A's, but Mulder seems to be a lot more willing to apologize, especially if he's willing to play for peanuts. Lilly continued making negative statements about Peterson even after he'd left Oakland. If I had to speculate, this seriously hurts Lilly's chances of getting signed, but helps Mulder's chances.

Food for thought on Matsuzaka...

A lot of the "Mariners have second dibs" guys claim he would refuse to play for any team except the Yankees (first choice) or Mariners. This is patently ridiculous, especially since Matsuzaka himself has stated that this isn't true, and whoever wins negotiating rights would get a contract. Considering the "Mets have second dibs" guys who are betting on the Yankees to get him but put Seattle third after the Mets seem to be more realistic and come from more reliable sources, I would give the Mets second place in the Matsuzaka race right now. That said, if the Mets are saving money that would have been spent on Zito for Matsuzaka, I give them a serious chance of getting Matsuzaka.

[Jose Reyes]

I think Mulder is a better option than Lilly. Mulder had an injury plagued season and did not pitch well but he is a good pitcher and it might not cost too much to get him. Lilly is volatile and could hurt team chemistry(remember when he got in a fist fight with his manager in Toronto?) and he isn't even that good.

[Dalkowski110]

Agreed. The whole "Mets are gonna get Ted Lilly" thing is overhyped. Just because the Mets looked at the guy does not mean they're going to sign him. Also, if Mulder signs (which he probably will, according to what I've seen) we'd be spending less than a million over two seasons for him. Ted Lilly wants significantly more. Due to Mulder seeming like an easier player to work with, a better bargain, and less injury-prone (despite what happened last year, check out Lilly's career stats), I have a feeling it's a situation where "if Mark Mulder isn't going to sign with us, we'll make a half-hearted run at Ted Lilly." The reuniting with Peterson and him being humbled with St. Louis will probably help his pitching. Besides, even if he pitches like Victor Zambrano, the Mets figure the following...
A) We're not spending much money on him anyway and...
B) We're not giving up anyone should he do horribly.

[Mr. Met]

Just for a little clarity here. Can someone run down the contract status on the guys who pitched for the Mets this past year?

[moebarguy]

The Mets need to sign 4-5 free agents:
2B: Julio Lugo (some more speed at the top of the lineup)
RF: Jose Guillen (need a righty bat in the lineup)
SP: Jason Schmidt (need some sort of anchor)
SP: Randy Wolf (or give Oliver Perez a chance)
UT: Tony Graffanino (need a good overall UT)

Players to avoid
Barry Zito: The guy is overrated and will make a TON of money
Daisuke Matsuzaka: He is an unknown in the MLB and will also command a TON of money
Mark Mulder: bum
Ted Lilly: wants to stay on the West Coast
Jeff Suppan: high WHIP, got very lucky against us in the playoffs
Paul Wilson: what's the point?
Alfonso Soriano: Don't get me wrong, he's great, but we need to spend our big bucks on starting pitching, not another big bat
Moises Alou: Not good anymore, we might as well re-sign Floyd if we're considering going down the old OFer road

Players to re-sign
Tom Glavine: He'll be our #2 or #3
Orlando Hernandez: He'll be our #3 or #4
Darren Oliver: was very good for us as the long man
Guillermo Mota: I'm not crazy about him, but he did well enough for us during the regular season to earn a contract
Chad Bradford: got out of a lot of jams for us
Jose Valentin: maybe, but just as a backup

Players not re-signed
Cliff Floyd: too injury-prone, aging, and it's Lastings' turn
Steve Trachsel: I despise this man...

Players to trade for
Dontrelle Willis: I'm not willing to trade Lastings Milledge, Mike Pelfrey, Aaron Heilman, and another prospect for him. I am however willing to trade Pelfrey, Bannister, and another prospect for him (maybe like Michel Abreu) for him.

Player to trade
Shawn Green: did solid hitting-wise in the playoffs for us, but the guy has no power, is slow as heck in the field, and is at best a .275 hitter at this point....pretty worthless

[Jose Reyes]

Why not Soriano? He would be PERFECT for that right-handed power-hitting corner outfielder in the middle of the lienup.

Also Lugo would probably bat 7th or 8th so he wouldn't help the speed at the TOP of the lineup. I agree that he would be a good pickup though.

I see that you don't like any of the free agent pitchers on the market. They may not be Johan Santanas but they are the best available and we need to get someone even if we have to overpay. Dontrelle may not be available and our young guys like Pelfrey and Humber may not be ready so what's our rotation gonna look like? You also didn't list Jason Schmidt's name anywhere. What do you think about him, should we sign him? I think he may be just as good as Zito, maybe even better. And he won't cost as much either, but he's older and has had some injuries in the last few years.

[moebarguy]

(1) Stick Soriano in any lineup, and he instantly makes it better. But, he will make a ton of money -- that same money that we NEED to spend on pitching.

(2) Lugo would be a waste in the 7th or 8th spot. He has the ability to get on base and steal one too. It would be quite a double-threat with Reyes and Lugo at the top of the lineup. Lo Duca isn't a prime #2 hitter since he doesn't walk much nor does he hit for power. He would be a much better 7th or 8th hitter...

(3) Why should we overpay when we don't have to? Signing Jason Schmidt to a 2 or 3 year deal for $10 mil per is better than signing Zito to a 6 year deal for $16 mil per.

(4) Dontrelle might not be available, but you never know with the Marlins.

(5) I do mention Jason Schmidt, he is among the 4 or 5 FA's I said we should sign.

[freshprince85]

...no arguing, just straight dope...

remember?
;)

[Dalkowski110]

Yeah, please, if you're going to argue or make suggestions, go over to the other thread. This is not for your personal opinions, unless it's for or against the validity of rumors. If you have any rumors to add, by all means do. As for Jason Schmidt, he has said he'd sign with Seattle or San Diego, but no team other than a West Coast one.

"Dontrelle might not be available, but you never know with the Marlins."

Okay, that's okay to put here. By debating a rumor, you're not saying what the Mets should or shouldn't do, but will or won't do. You do have a point regarding the "you never know" factor with Florida, and if just Fredi Gonzalez had said "We're keeping Dontrelle," I would put some weight into this rumor. But since it's the manager, general manager, AND owner (they also stated Adrian Gonzalez would be staying) who have stated as such, I just don't see it.

"Ted Lilly: wants to stay on the West Coast"

Unlike Jason Schmidt (ironically), Lilly has waffled on this one repeatedly. He's also said he'd play for a contender, but due to his horrible relationship with Rick Peterson, I can't see him being signed.

"UT: Tony Graffanino (need a good overall UT)"

Actually, while there's no evidence supporting it, there's no evidence against it, either. The only team that's come up regarding Graffanino is his old team, the Atlanta Braves. However, free agent subs don't get much publicity (if any), and he would free up Anderson Hernandez (who the Mets could deal to a hitting-rich ballclub in need of fielding). I'll add that one to the "plausible" list.

I can't find anything on the status of Jose Guillen. Literally. No rumors, no nothing. In connection not just with the Mets, but with ANY team. He would be a more logical choice for the Mets than Moises Alou, though.

Add these to the "Highly Plausible" section, btw...
-Aaron Heilman being offered as trade-bait to somebody (The Mets' logic behind this one is that they can market him as either a starter or a closer. They don't want to use him as a setup man because of a returning Duaner Sanchez, and until I've heard of any verifiable rumors about Billy Wagner, which I haven't, he's not going to be our closer.).
-Bradford and Mota will be resigned. Bradford's contract will be multi-year.
-Paul Wilson would be pitching with New Orleans most of the season with a late callup as part of the bullpen. He'd appear in a handful of games, be happy, and retire.
-Unless Shawn Green is sent to the Angels, Dodgers, or Padres for frontline pitching talent as part of a big package deal, he's staying.
-Oliver Perez is going to get a shot at the rotation. Okay, admittedly not a trade rumor, but it sure affects how the Mets might be signing guys this off-season. So far, this is the most likely rotation according to what I've read...

Ace: Tom Glavine
Number 2: Unknown
Number 3: El Duque
Number 4: John Maine
Number 5: Oliver Perez

Your unknown number two starter could also be your ace. Because Atlanta's literal best offer was 10 million to Glavine, I don't see him signing with them like so many have predicted.

[freshprince85]

what i´ve heared, the mets are looking für a right handed slugger.
the two guys who are availible are soriano and lee.
lee would make more sence, because he would play in lf. on 2nd, the mets can call up hernandez.
if they would sign soriano, he´ll play 2nd. that means, that lf is open.
so i say, the mets will try to sign lee, and if they don´´t get him, they´ll go for soriano.

[Dalkowski110]

The thing about Lee is that there are three teams I can list right off the bat (no pun intended) that are making serious bids for him...the Rangers, the White Sox, and the Brewers. He's also never been mentioned in connection to the Mets. Regarding Soriano, he has been mentioned in connection with the Mets, even if the sources are conflicting. The truly weird thing about Soriano is that you have multiple sources within the ballclub saying the Mets won't go for him and multiple sources within the ballclub saying that they will. It could be decided by what their pitching staff is, since one rumor I do put full faith in is that Minaya will attempt to address the Mets' pitching problems before anything else, save for resigning existing free agents. With regards to him playing second, never underestimate Minaya's powers of persuasion, especially regarding Latin ballplayers. He could probably get Soriano to become a corner outfielder, if needed. However, with Green staying put at least for the moment and the Mets' desire to start Endy Chavez and possibly Lastings Milledge in LF, he seems a more viable option to play second.

[freshprince85]

Regarding Soriano, he has been mentioned in connection with the Mets, even if the sources are conflicting. The truly weird thing about Soriano is that you have multiple sources within the ballclub saying the Mets won't go for him and multiple sources within the ballclub saying that they will. It could be decided by what their pitching staff is, since one rumor I do put full faith in is that Minaya will attempt to address the Mets' pitching problems before anything else, save for resigning existing free agents.

yeah this one is :crazy
but i think that your opinion is good, because we need pitching, not hitting :clapping

[elpedro]

yeah this one is :crazy
but i think that your opinion is good, because we need pitching, not hitting :clapping
I agree that we need pictching...but why did we lost to the cads? WE need soriano!! :atthepc

[moebarguy]

Yeah, please, if you're going to argue or make suggestions, go over to the other thread. This is not for your personal opinions, unless it's for or against the validity of rumors. If you have any rumors to add, by all means do. As for Jason Schmidt, he has said he'd sign with Seattle or San Diego, but no team other than a West Coast one.

"Dontrelle might not be available, but you never know with the Marlins."

Okay, that's okay to put here. By debating a rumor, you're not saying what the Mets should or shouldn't do, but will or won't do. You do have a point regarding the "you never know" factor with Florida, and if just Fredi Gonzalez had said "We're keeping Dontrelle," I would put some weight into this rumor. But since it's the manager, general manager, AND owner (they also stated Adrian Gonzalez would be staying) who have stated as such, I just don't see it.

"Ted Lilly: wants to stay on the West Coast"

Unlike Jason Schmidt (ironically), Lilly has waffled on this one repeatedly. He's also said he'd play for a contender, but due to his horrible relationship with Rick Peterson, I can't see him being signed.

"UT: Tony Graffanino (need a good overall UT)"

Actually, while there's no evidence supporting it, there's no evidence against it, either. The only team that's come up regarding Graffanino is his old team, the Atlanta Braves. However, free agent subs don't get much publicity (if any), and he would free up Anderson Hernandez (who the Mets could deal to a hitting-rich ballclub in need of fielding). I'll add that one to the "plausible" list.

I can't find anything on the status of Jose Guillen. Literally. No rumors, no nothing. In connection not just with the Mets, but with ANY team. He would be a more logical choice for the Mets than Moises Alou, though.

Add these to the "Highly Plausible" section, btw...
-Aaron Heilman being offered as trade-bait to somebody (The Mets' logic behind this one is that they can market him as either a starter or a closer. They don't want to use him as a setup man because of a returning Duaner Sanchez, and until I've heard of any verifiable rumors about Billy Wagner, which I haven't, he's not going to be our closer.).
-Unless Shawn Green is sent to the Angels, Dodgers, or Padres for frontline pitching talent as part of a big package deal, he's staying.

Your unknown number two starter could also be your ace. Because Atlanta's literal best offer was 10 million to Glavine, I don't see him signing with them like so many have predicted.

(1) Fair enough, although I did read in the times that Minaya was interested in Schmidt.

(2) If a team says that they're keeping a player, that just means he'll be harder to get. Who thought that a young team would trade away Josh Beckett, but they did -- and they got a lot for him. It will be the same thing with Dontrelle, that's why there are so many conflicting rumors.

(3) I heard Lillly wants to either sign with the Giants or the A's. Since the A's don't spend money, I'm assuming the Giants will get him -- that's why I said West Coast.

(4) Well, I was just assuming that the Mets were not going to re-sign Woodward, and maybe not Valentin, so another UT guy on the market is Graffanino.

(5) There aren't any rumors of the Mets signing Jose Guillen. But a couple of years ago there was. And we could use a righty OFer bat. He'll come much cheaper than Carlos Lee or Alfonso Soriano too, so we can use that saved money to spend on starting pitching.

(6) I can understand why the Mets see that Aaron Heilman has trade value as either a starter or a reliever, but unless we get someone like Dontrelle back (like Heilman and Pelfrey), why not just keep him and start him?

(7) I'm not sure if Shawn Green has been rumored in any trades, nor would he get us much in return, but if we were to package him with Pelfrey, Bannister, and Abreu (or another prospect), maybe we could land Dontrelle.

(8) The Braves already offered Glavine $10 mil?

[moebarguy]

Few industry people expect Jason Schmidt to wind up with the Mets, because the righthander, who turns 34 in January, lives in Washington State and is said to enjoy the West Coast. Yesterday, however, one of Schmidt's agents said the Mets -- and any other East Coast team -- shouldn't count themselves out. -- Newsday

Playing for the Mets appeals to Adam Kennedy. Another second base option could be Rich Aurilia.
-- New York Post

[Dalkowski110]

IMO, Kennedy is a far more convincing option than Aurilia. You'd pay less for him, for one, and you'd get better defense for another. From the same Post article, the Yankees have now entered the race for Jeff Suppan and are favored to get Daisuke Matsuzaka. No mention is made of Zito either way.

"(2) If a team says that they're keeping a player, that just means he'll be harder to get. Who thought that a young team would trade away Josh Beckett, but they did -- and they got a lot for him. It will be the same thing with Dontrelle, that's why there are so many conflicting rumors."

The difference with Beckett and D-Train is that nobody went out of their way to say that Beckett was staying.

"(3) I heard Lillly wants to either sign with the Giants or the A's. Since the A's don't spend money, I'm assuming the Giants will get him -- that's why I said West Coast."

Demoted to "Implausible"

"(5) There aren't any rumors of the Mets signing Jose Guillen. But a couple of years ago there was."

Was Minaya the Mets' GM when these rumors were going around?

"(6) I can understand why the Mets see that Aaron Heilman has trade value as either a starter or a reliever, but unless we get someone like Dontrelle back (like Heilman and Pelfrey), why not just keep him and start him?"

I've no idea what the Mets have against starting Heilman, but it just doesn't look like he'll be a starter from what I've read. Randolph has even gone so far as to say he's leery of using Heilman for multiple innings.

"(7) I'm not sure if Shawn Green has been rumored in any trades, nor would he get us much in return, but if we were to package him with Pelfrey, Bannister, and Abreu (or another prospect), maybe we could land Dontrelle."

Green's contract specifies that cannot be sent to a a non-West Coast team without his consent (in other words, he can be traded to either LA team, San Diego, San Francisco, and maybe Seattle). I think they added this to Green's contract when they picked him up.

"(8) The Braves already offered Glavine $10 mil?"

Yep. Check out mlbtraderumors.com.

Add to the "Highly Plausible" list...
-Adam Kennedy

Add to the "Plausible" list...
-Jason Schmidt
-Jeff Suppan (Demoted...the Yankees' interest in him and willingness to overspend may net him a job there.)

Added to "Implausible" list (yay, new category!)
-Ted Lilly

And final a note on Julio Lugo...

Like I said, Minaya is a stickler. He wants clean ballplayers as well as well as talented ones. Lugo's assaulting his wife two or three years ago does not bode well for him.

[moebarguy]

I thought that Lugo was acquited of those charges...

[Dalkowski110]

He was, but the prevailing mentality in baseball these days would be "guilty until proven innocent." Regardless, I think he still is a viable option (certainly moreso than Rich Aurilia).

[moebarguy]

Ok, well, he's from Brooklyn and he's hispanic...there's no doubt in my mind he'll be our starting 2B

[Dalkowski110]

He'll have to compete with Adam Kennedy, but I would rank him immediately after Kennedy. A viable pitching option could be Wilfredo Ledezma, who is being shopped by the Tigers. Ledezma came into his own last year after overcoming problems with his mechanics and altering his pitch repertoire. He's only going to be 26 this year and wants to start, but with a probable Tigers rotation consisting of Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, and either Mike Maroth or Zach Miner, there's not much room for him. The Tigers would want anything but pitching for Ledezma, possibly including infield prospects.

[NYMets523]

(1) Stick Soriano in any lineup, and he instantly makes it better. But, he will make a ton of money -- that same money that we NEED to spend on pitching.

We need a righty batter and Soriano can give us that. We need power because all we have is Delgado and Beltran. Wright's power disappeared after the all-star game. And what was it that didn't come through for us in Game 7? It wasn't the pitching.

I'm not saying get Soriano but we can definitely use some solid hitting.

[moebarguy]

He'll have to compete with Adam Kennedy, but I would rank him immediately after Kennedy. A viable pitching option could be Wilfredo Ledezma, who is being shopped by the Tigers. Ledezma came into his own last year after overcoming problems with his mechanics and altering his pitch repertoire. He's only going to be 26 this year and wants to start, but with a probable Tigers rotation consisting of Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, and either Mike Maroth or Zach Miner, there's not much room for him. The Tigers would want anything but pitching for Ledezma, possibly including infield prospects.

Do you seriously think that Kennedy is a better player than Lugo? Kennedy has the leg up on defense, but Lugo is a much better hitter.

We already have potential 4 or 5 starters in Oliver Perez and John Maine -- why would we want another question mark in the mix? Also, we already have a guy on our team that's a reliever that wants to be (and should be) a starter.

[Dalkowski110]

"We need a righty batter and Soriano can give us that."

Indeed he can, but from the reports I'm reading, if we get high-dollar pitching, we aren't getting Soriano. If we get low-dollar pitching, we may very well wind up with Soriano.

"Do you seriously think that Kennedy is a better player than Lugo? Kennedy has the leg up on defense, but Lugo is a much better hitter."

Moe, for the second time, this thread is not for comparing or evaluating the skill level of individual players, it is simply to discuss the validity of free agent and trade rumors.

You also misinterpreted me...Kennedy gets the leg up because I think Minaya is looking for the better fielder. I would sign Lugo, but I'm not Minaya.

"Also, we already have a guy on our team that's a reliever that wants to be (and should be) a starter."

It doesn't matter, because he's not going to be one. I can see the Mets trading for a guy like Ledezma because he's not going to cost any pitching prospects and is inexpensive (also, remember that Pedro is out until the All Star Break, and we're going to need someone to plug the hole until he returns).

[moebarguy]

I'm assuming we're re-signing Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez. Let's also say that we sign Jason Schmidt...our rotation would look like this:
Jason Schmidt
Tom Glavine
Orlando Hernandez
John Maine
Oliver Perez

We would also have Mike Pelfrey, Phil Humber, and Brian Bannister if need be. I just don't see where a guy like Wil Ledezma fits in...that's all

[Dalkowski110]

Re: El Duque...he wants to sign with the Mets and be a starter. I think that should give Darren Oliver the job of long man for the '07 season (also, Oliver hasn't filed for free agency yet) and quash the notions he would sign elsewhere. As for Schmidt, I looked him up. It seems there's almost as much of a following for this guy as there is for Daisuke Matsuzaka. Schmidt doesn't seem willing to go to the AL unless it's a west coast team, and isn't big on leaving the west coast, period, unless it's for a competitive team. From what I've been able to gather, the list of teams possibly following Schmidt look like this...

NL (aside from us):
-San Francisco
-San Diego
-Los Angeles
-St. Louis
-Houston

AL:
-Seattle
-New York (Though there's extreme doubt he'll sign with the Yankees)

That's seven other teams making a serious run at Schmidt. I can't put him down as a lock or "Highly Plausible" for that reason. He remains in the "Plausible" category, though, and I do believe we have a MUCH better shot than some of those teams.

Oh, and Roberto Hernandez may retire if a team doesn't sign him. It won't be the Mets, either way.

[Dalkowski110]

Update on Tom Glavine...

He's now off the "Highly Plausible" list and on the "Staying" list due to the fact that he's nearing a two-year, 25 million dollar deal with the Mets.

Update on Daisuke Matsuzaka...

The period for submitting bids began today. You'll know in 39 days who has him.

Update on Darren Oliver...

He has filed for free agency, but most sources expect him to resign.

[freshprince85]

Update on Tom Glavine...

He's now off the "Highly Plausible" list and on the "Staying" list due to the fact that he's nearing a two-year, 25 million dollar deal with the Mets.


don´t like it!
25 million are toooo much for him!


Update on Daisuke Matsuzaka...

The period for submitting bids began today. You'll know in 39 days who has him.

Update on Darren Oliver...

He has filed for free agency, but most sources expect him to resign.

last one is nice, and for the japanese guy i hope that we get him. zito stinks!

[Dalkowski110]

freshprince...no opinions on players, please.

Update on Guillermo Mota...there is no way I can see this guy coming back with a 50-game suspension for violating the drug policy. You only get suspended that way for taking steroids, and Minaya dumped Kaz Matsui and Victor Diaz because of steroid rumors (and also didn't let Yusaku Iriki pitch with the Mets after testing positive...he basically froze him at Norfolk). Mota is toast.

Update on Alfonso Soriano...It now seems a lot more likely that the Mets are going to make a play for him. According to several sources, the Mets are locked in a bidding war with the Phillies for Soriano. No word as to who Soriano is leaning toward, but he would more likely play in the outfield with Philadelphia and more likely be a second baseman with the Mets.

Update on Young Pitching...One of the reasons Willie Randolph wanted Glavine resigned so badly was to have him mentor Humber, Pelfrey, Perez, and Maine. This would seem to indicate the Mets don't have plans to get rid of their young arms.

[milladrive]

Dalkowski, I am thoroughly perplexed by the "rules" of this thread. It's quite easy to find rumor-mill sites on propsective MLB deals. What's the point of having one here in a thread if anyone who gives their thoughts gets chastised?

Let's face it, when I read of rumors of possible deals, I have opinions. Most of us do. But if I can't voice those opinions in what is designed as an open forum, why would I even have a desire to visit that thread? So I can bite my tongue?

I mean, c'mon, even you've been giving your opinions in responses. Why not just allow other people to say what they wish, so long as they remain on-topic?

I feel better now. I just lost 10 pounds off my chest. :atthepc

[Dalkowski110]

The whole point is to try and consolidate it so you don't have to go to those bunch of rumor mill sites, and register with a bunch of newspapers, and whatnot. Basically, this is to discuss the validity or lack thereof of free agent or trade rumors. You can offer insights on a player within reason...for example, saying "Well, player x stands a far better shot at getting signed than player y because Minaya likes such and such and player x has a lot more of that than player y." It's not what you think should happen (which, as was proved by the other thread, degenerated into a back-and-forth argument), it's what you think will happen without being biased toward or against an individual player. I would find the following just fine...

"Because of Barry Zito's control problems and apparent decline, I don't think the Mets would go after him, at least not for what he's asking. Even with Rick Peterson, I just think the asking price is something Minaya would balk at."

I would not be impressed with the following...

"Barry Zito is overhyped and sucks. The Mets shouldn't sign him."

[Dalkowski110]

Rumors as of 11/1/06

Highly Plausible
-Mark Mulder signed to 2-year contract for less than 1 million dollars (I know, I know, but the guy said he'd be willing to take a *huge* salary cut in order to play with the Mets).
-Paul Wilson signed to Minor League contract, amount unknown.
-Tom Glavine will be resigned to a 2-year, 25 million dollar contract
-Orlando Hernandez will be resigned to a 1-year or 2-year contract, amount unknown.
-Jose Valentin will be resigned for an unknown period of time for less than he made this year, but that's all I seem to have figured out.
-Chad Bradford will be resigned to a multi-year deal, amount unknown.
-Roberto Hernandez will not resign.
-Cliff Floyd will not resign
-Steve Trachsel will not resign and may retire
-Victor Zambrano will not resign or be signed to a Minor League contract
-Manny Acta will be hired to manage a Major League team.

Plausible
-Barry Zito will be signed to a 2-year or 3-year contract for 13-15 million per year ("We don't need Zito" could be a smokescreen).
-Daisuke Matsuzaka will be signed to a 4-year contract for 18-20 million per year (Note that the Mets are considered third to the Yankees and Mariners by some analysts, but second to the Yankees by others. However, consider that they're all of a sudden not going after Zito the second this guy demands to be posted. Recently, there has been some speculation about the Mariners looking elswhere for pitching.)
-Jason Schmidt will be signed to a multi-year contract, amount unknown (He would command a lot of money, but the Mets are interested in him. Schmidt would also have practically all the west coast teams after him, save maybe the Angels.)
-Julio Lugo will be signed to a 3-year contract, amount unknown ("playing [for the Mets] for me would be a dream come true.").
-Adam Kennedy will be signed to a 2-year contract, amount unknown.
-Alfonso Soriano will be signed to a 5-year or 6-year contract, amount unknown but huge (Funny thing about Soriano is that sources within the Mets are conflicting literally every day about him...one source says they'll get him, another says they won't. The other serious bidder is the Phillies.).
-Darren Oliver will not be resigned and go to a team which will pay him more.
-Jeff Suppan signed to 1-year or 2-year contract, amount unknown (However, the Yankees are willing to throw a ton of money at this guy. To which Minaya would probably say, let 'em.)

Unlikely/Implausible
-Ted Lilly will be signed to a low-dollar, multi-year deal.
-Rich Aurilia will be signed to a multi-year contract, amount unknown (Aurilia is exactly the over-the-hill, not very good fielder that Minaya isn't looking for).
-Moises Alou will be signed to a 1-year deal, amount unknown (Considering his past behavioral/anti-social problems and Minaya being a stickler, I doubt he'd be signed. Another thing to factor in is that Minaya does NOT want a poor fielder, which Alou is, and wants a platoon of Milledge and Chavez.).
-Randy Wolf will be signed to a low-dollar, multi-year deal (With a returning Glavine, tons of young talent, and Oliver Perez possibly figuring himself out, it looks pretty unlikely as of now.)

Completely Implausible
-Aaron Heilman and Lastings Milledge will be traded to the Boston Red Sox for Manny Ramirez (recycled rumor from last year).
-Aaron Heilman will be dealt to the Yankees for Gary Sheffield (The particular source of this rumor is not only pretty unreliable, but also it doesn't fit in with Minaya's style at all.).
-Aaron Heilman will be dealt to the Cubs for a blue chip prospect (This one is both recycled AND stems from speculation by a newspaper with no sources in the Mets front office.).
-Aaron Heilman, Lastings Milledge, Brian Bannister, and Mike Pelfrey will be traded to the Florida Marlins for Dontrelle Willis (Not only is this a tad recycled, but the manager, gm, and owner of the Marlins have all stated that Willis is staying put at least until his contract runs out.)
-Guillermo Mota will be resigned to a 2-year contract, amount unknown(Minaya's stickler attitude just killed this guy's chances of being resigned...not exactly bad, since you'd be starting the season with 24 guys on your team, basically, plus I think he throws a shineball.).

[freshprince85]

freshprince...no opinions on players, please.


sorry ...
but this is :grouchy :crazy


Dalkowski, I am thoroughly perplexed by the "rules" of this thread. It's quite easy to find rumor-mill sites on propsective MLB deals. What's the point of having one here in a thread if anyone who gives their thoughts gets chastised?

Let's face it, when I read of rumors of possible deals, I have opinions. Most of us do. But if I can't voice those opinions in what is designed as an open forum, why would I even have a desire to visit that thread? So I can bite my tongue?

I mean, c'mon, even you've been giving your opinions in responses. Why not just allow other people to say what they wish, so long as they remain on-topic?

I feel better now. I just lost 10 pounds off my chest.

it´s nice to have a thread like this.
our opinions can be post in the offseason thread.
but if everyone post his opinion here, we´ve at least two sites of opinions until the next rumor is posted (for example: A:"Zito stinks", B: "We need pitching", C: "But he´s overhyped and overpayed" ...)

[Dalkowski110]

As I mentioned, if you can present an argument like this...

"Because of Barry Zito's control problems and apparent decline, I don't think the Mets would go after him, at least not for what he's asking. Even with Rick Peterson, I just think the asking price is something Minaya would balk at."

I would be fine. But since you produced one more akin to this...

"Barry Zito is overhyped and sucks. The Mets shouldn't sign him."

...I'm not impressed. I'll change it a little. Give me reasons. Statistics. Why should tangible A get the nod over tangible B? "Tangible B's walk totals were too high." Great! Fine! "Tangible C will get the nod over tangible D because, like Minaya, he's a Latino who grew up in New York and a better hitter." That would also be fine! "He sucks" doesn't produce much intelligent discussion, if any. And remember, these are not things that you would do if you were Minaya, but things that you think Minaya will do. I changed the first post to reflect this.

[Dalkowski110]

Update on Tom Glavine's contract situation...

It doesn't seem he can decide on a 1-year deal or a 2-year deal. However, he is staying with the Mets.

Update on Alfonso Soriano...

With the Phillies involved as the second highest bidder, they're going to make a run for Soriano, and he would command big bucks. Alou seems a lot less likely. This could mean that the Mets will only sign one free agent pitcher (not counting resignings) for the offseason, and it likely wouldn't be a Jeff Suppan-type pitcher. Zito would also not be signed unless Daisuke Matsuzaka (the one big bucks pitcher the Mets ARE eagerly pursuing) is unavilable, and even then, they may not go for Zito. Jason Schmidt is always an option, and probably cheaper than Zito. Due to Soriano and the Yankees' willingness to throw every dollar they have at Matsuzaka, Schmidt may have a terrific chance of playing at Shea in '07.

[freshprince85]

add another name to the "plausible"-list: Mike Mussina

METS EYE MOOSE (http://www.nypost.com/seven/11032006/sports/mets/mets_eye_moose_mets_george_king_________and_mark_h ale.htm)

[Joe Dodger]

Rumors as of 11/1/06

Highly Plausible
-Mark Mulder signed to 2-year contract for less than 1 million dollars (I know, I know, but the guy said he'd be willing to take a *huge* salary cut in order to play with the Mets).
-Paul Wilson signed to Minor League contract, amount unknown.
-Tom Glavine will be resigned to a 2-year, 25 million dollar contract
-Orlando Hernandez will be resigned to a 1-year or 2-year contract, amount unknown.
-Jose Valentin will be resigned for an unknown period of time for less than he made this year, but that's all I seem to have figured out.
-Chad Bradford will be resigned to a multi-year deal, amount unknown.
-Roberto Hernandez will not resign.
-Cliff Floyd will not resign
-Steve Trachsel will not resign and may retire
-Victor Zambrano will not resign or be signed to a Minor League contract
-Manny Acta will be hired to manage a Major League team.

Plausible
-Barry Zito will be signed to a 2-year or 3-year contract for 13-15 million per year ("We don't need Zito" could be a smokescreen).
-Daisuke Matsuzaka will be signed to a 4-year contract for 18-20 million per year (Note that the Mets are considered third to the Yankees and Mariners by some analysts, but second to the Yankees by others. However, consider that they're all of a sudden not going after Zito the second this guy demands to be posted. Recently, there has been some speculation about the Mariners looking elswhere for pitching.)
-Jason Schmidt will be signed to a multi-year contract, amount unknown (He would command a lot of money, but the Mets are interested in him. Schmidt would also have practically all the west coast teams after him, save maybe the Angels.)
-Julio Lugo will be signed to a 3-year contract, amount unknown ("playing [for the Mets] for me would be a dream come true.").
-Adam Kennedy will be signed to a 2-year contract, amount unknown.
-Alfonso Soriano will be signed to a 5-year or 6-year contract, amount unknown but huge (Funny thing about Soriano is that sources within the Mets are conflicting literally every day about him...one source says they'll get him, another says they won't. The other serious bidder is the Phillies.).
-Darren Oliver will not be resigned and go to a team which will pay him more.
-Jeff Suppan signed to 1-year or 2-year contract, amount unknown (However, the Yankees are willing to throw a ton of money at this guy. To which Minaya would probably say, let 'em.)

Unlikely/Implausible
-Ted Lilly will be signed to a low-dollar, multi-year deal.
-Rich Aurilia will be signed to a multi-year contract, amount unknown (Aurilia is exactly the over-the-hill, not very good fielder that Minaya isn't looking for).
-Moises Alou will be signed to a 1-year deal, amount unknown (Considering his past behavioral/anti-social problems and Minaya being a stickler, I doubt he'd be signed. Another thing to factor in is that Minaya does NOT want a poor fielder, which Alou is, and wants a platoon of Milledge and Chavez.).
-Randy Wolf will be signed to a low-dollar, multi-year deal (With a returning Glavine, tons of young talent, and Oliver Perez possibly figuring himself out, it looks pretty unlikely as of now.)

Completely Implausible
-Aaron Heilman and Lastings Milledge will be traded to the Boston Red Sox for Manny Ramirez (recycled rumor from last year).
-Aaron Heilman will be dealt to the Yankees for Gary Sheffield (The particular source of this rumor is not only pretty unreliable, but also it doesn't fit in with Minaya's style at all.).
-Aaron Heilman will be dealt to the Cubs for a blue chip prospect (This one is both recycled AND stems from speculation by a newspaper with no sources in the Mets front office.).
-Aaron Heilman, Lastings Milledge, Brian Bannister, and Mike Pelfrey will be traded to the Florida Marlins for Dontrelle Willis (Not only is this a tad recycled, but the manager, gm, and owner of the Marlins have all stated that Willis is staying put at least until his contract runs out.)
-Guillermo Mota will be resigned to a 2-year contract, amount unknown(Minaya's stickler attitude just killed this guy's chances of being resigned...not exactly bad, since you'd be starting the season with 24 guys on your team, basically, plus I think he throws a shineball.).
Why don't they just sign every freaking playeer in the league? Once again, the Mets appear to be trying to buy the pennant. NL Yankees.

[Mr. Met]

These are just hypotheticals. There's a fair chance that the Mets will end up with none of the big names out there.

[Dalkowski110]

Agreed...I'm just trying to point out the players the Mets have their eyes on. Will the Mets end up with ALL of these guys? No!!! However, those in the "plausible" category (add Mussina to Unlikely/Implausible...it'd be like signing Jeff Suppan, and the Yankees realize they can't afford to let go of a single starting pitcher.) are all being eyeballed by the Mets. Honestly, save for resignings, I'd be surprised if they signed FOUR of the guys in both the "Highly Plausible" and "Plausible" lists. If you'll notice, for the highly plausible list, I have precisely TWO guys not on the team last year...Mark Mulder and Paul Wilson. Those guys do not an "NL Yankees" make. With the rumors circulating even more widely for Soriano, I'm tempted to add him to the "Highly Plausible" list, but haven't.

[moebarguy]

Why don't they just sign every freaking playeer in the league? Once again, the Mets appear to be trying to buy the pennant. NL Yankees.

Yah, and the Dodgers really have a lot of homegrown talent :rolleyes:

[Jose Reyes]

Update on Alfonso Soriano... he would more likely play in the outfield with Philadelphia and more likely be a second baseman with the Mets.


I think that he would lean towards the Mets in this case. Remember in spring training at the beginning of the season he refused to leave the dugout and go into left field because he wanted to play 2nd? I know that he eventually got used to the OF but I would think he'd still want to try and find a team where he can go back to his old position.

[moebarguy]

I think that he would lean towards the Mets in this case. Remember in spring training at the beginning of the season he refused to leave the dugout and go into left field because he wanted to play 2nd? I know that he eventually got used to the OF but I would think he'd still want to try and find a team where he can go back to his old position.

True, but he turned out to be a solid OFer...He might want to return to NY and a winning environment

[Dalkowski110]

I tend to agree. With Chase Utley filling up the second base hole for, well, a good while into the future, the Phils would make Sori play in the outfield. We, on the other hand, would bring Sori back to second base. He'd also have a Dominican double-play partner in Jose Reyes, not to mention a Dominican general manager in Omar Minaya. He could play in the outfield if needed, but with Green unfortunately going nowhere for the meantime and a probable platoon of Endy Chavez and Lastings Milledge in left, I don't think the need for corner outfielders is AS great as many make it out to be.

[freshprince85]

Yah, and the Dodgers really have a lot of homegrown talent :rolleyes:

:D:D:D
for sure they have :D

[Dalkowski110]

Update on Pedro Martinez...

He's strongly considering retiring.

Update on Daisuke Matsuzaka...

Apparently, Steinbrenner decided to slash Brian Cashman's budget with regards to this guy at the last second because he doesn't like Japanese pitchers. That puts the Mets as number 1 in the running for Matsuzaka. They've also distanced themselves from Barry Zito, to the point where I don't think he'll be signed.

Update on Mark Mulder...

With Pedro's talking retirement, the Mets are now actively pursuing Mulder as a backup option to the probable Glavine/Mr. X/Hernandez/Maine/Perez rotation. Seeing as Tampa Bay and Arizona are the only other two teams interested in Mulder, I think, like it or not, we'll wind up with him.

Update on Jason Schmidt...

The Mariners seem really gung ho about pursuing this guy. With the probable arrival of a high dollar free agent like Alfonso Soriano (and possibly Daisuke Matsuzaka), the Mets might not want to become involved in a bidding war with Seattle.

[NYMets523]

Pedro said he would consider retiring IF his shoulder does not heal well enough. He won't be announcing retirement in the next few weeks.

[Dalkowski110]

Never said he would retire in the next few weeks. However, I honestly don't expect him to make much of a return, if any. They bumped his return date back to August, for one, and it seemingly appears more serious than previously thought (it was thought he'd be ready by the All Star Break...now they're saying late August).

[NYMets523]

But if he returns and can pitch much better than the year before, he's not going to retire. He's not strongly considering retiring at this point.

[MSUlaxer27]

Why don't they just sign every freaking playeer in the league? Once again, the Mets appear to be trying to buy the pennant. NL Yankees.

Stupid comment.

If the team has the money to sign a free agent that is better than anyone in their system, why wouldn't they? The Mets haven't traded any of their big name prospects (Milledge, Humber, A Hernandez or Pelfry) but they do need some holes filled until these guys are ready for the majors. How do you suggest they accomplish this? I know I would much rather watch a team of free agents be competitive than watch "our guys" from the farm struggle if they put into the majors before they are ready.

Finally, if the small market clubs would use their revenue sharing payments on salary rather than to line their own pockets, free agency would be more equitable.

I know it's off topic, just felt the comment should be addressed.

[Dalkowski110]

NYMets, I beg to differ. He said he'd retire if the surgery "doesn't live up to his expectations" and was rather pessimistic throughout the entire press conference. When you have someone saying that your surgery is going "better than expected," but your return date is bumped from early July all the way back to late August, just reading between the lines makes Pedro's future look unfortunately pretty bleak. Look, I really want the guy to come back. But I just doubt he'll do so.

MSUlaxer27, one word...

AMEN!

[Mr. Met]

My guess is that Pedro is not going to 'retire' with all the money out on the table. He'd more likely do a 'Bagwell' over the next 2 years.

[Dalkowski110]

Or pull a "Mo Vaughn" (though admittedly, comparing Pedro to The Blob is rather insulting, sorry Pedro). My personal feeling is that he'll retire to the DL. If he doesn't, he'll appear in less than 10 games over the course of his career, strike out at least two more batters to get 3,000, and that'll be the last of him.

[NYMets523]

NYMets, I beg to differ. He said he'd retire if the surgery "doesn't live up to his expectations" and was rather pessimistic throughout the entire press conference. When you have someone saying that your surgery is going "better than expected," but your return date is bumped from early July all the way back to late August, just reading between the lines makes Pedro's future look unfortunately pretty bleak. Look, I really want the guy to come back. But I just doubt he'll do so.

Still at this point to say he is strongly considering retirement is incorrect. His pessimism could be from not being able to help the Mets in the playoffs, them losing, and having to consider retirement even though he is still a few years away from really having to. The Mets pushing his return back could also be because they don't want to take any chance and give him enough time to heal. Yes, it does not look great for him, but you know the Mets' motto...

[Dalkowski110]

See my post above. For him to actually feel strong enough to even hold a press conference is extremely telling.

Update on Mark Mulder...

The three favored teams are the Cards, Arizona and Mets, but Mulder wants a change of atmosphere and to play with a competitor. This leaves the Mets. Also, Arizona and Tampa Bay are the only other two teams to put in calls to Mulder's agent aside from us. Again, like him or hate him, we do stand the best shot at getting him.

Another update on D-Mat...

The Yankees' lower-than-expected bid on Daisuke Matsuzaka would in theory make us the favorite (followed by Boston and Texas). It would also negate signing Zito (something the Mets don't want to do, apparently), and the more I'm reading, the more it looks like Jason Schmidt wants to play with the Mariners (his family's in Seattle). I guess that would make him the only real ace left in the Free Agent pool and thus, by default, the Mets would go after him the hardest. We'll know on November 14 who has negotiating rights (and, by extension, almost certainly him).

Update on Pedro...

His agent is backpedaling like crazy on the comments he made. The Mets were also quoted as having no idea he would make such a statement.

[LostMet]

I think a healthy Mulder, pitching in "pitcher friendly" Shea would be a good pickup. If they got Matsuzaka and Mulder, the starting pitching would be pretty set. Glavine, D-Mat, Mulder, Maine, and one of Perez/Pelfrey/Zambrano/Humber is a good way to start the year. When Pedro comes back the rotation will be very solid.

Assuming we re-sign our key FA's and then get Loretta for 2b and make a trade for Carl Crawford or Baldelli for left and were set for 2007.

[moebarguy]

Mulder is going to be out till June I believe, so he wouldn't be able to help us for most of the year.

[AutographCollector]

Glavine, D-Mat, Mulder, Maine, and one of Perez/Pelfrey/Zambrano/Humber is a good way to start the year.

Hold on here... Zambrano? As in Victor? He still is with them? Ditch that bozo!

[LostMet]

Hold on here... Zambrano? As in Victor? He still is with them? Ditch that bozo!

I think they still have his rights. He is rehabbing from his elbow injury an supposedly doing well. They will probably see what he has got and how he pitches when pain free. I just threw him in there because he earned a spot in the rotation last year over guys like Heilman.

Besides they are still looking to justify Kazmir eventhough they say they are not. Look at the press this summer saying how the Mets wouldn't have gotten where they are without the Kazmir trade. They are right but that isn't the point, the fact is they were still justifying the trade. So, I bet he will be lurking around again this spring. If he does well maybe they can move him as aprt of a deal for for someone.

Back to Mulder... I didn't realize he was going to miss the whole spring. In that case maybe they try to get D-Mat and re-sign El Duque to hold the fort or focus a lot of energy on a trade for Peavey or Garcia.

[Dalkowski110]

Zambrano will not be resigned unless it is to a Minor League contract. Period. If anything, it would be because he's missed almost two entire years on the DL, and probably a second motive would be publicity.

"Assuming we re-sign our key FA's and then get Loretta for 2b and make a trade for Carl Crawford or Baldelli for left and were set for 2007."

Loretta is another Adam Kennedy. Put him on the "Plausible" list, but nothing further. His *agent* told the New York Post that the Mets had shown the most interest. If the other teams wishing to sign him are not competitive, of course his agent is going to say this. With sources STILL saying the Mets are going after both Alfonso Soriano and Julio Lugo, I find it extremely doubtful he'll be signed. Also, forget Crawford and Baldelli. If you read the thread rules (please tell me you did), you'd say what you'd think Omar Minaya would do, not what you'd do. We've shown no interest whatsoever in Baldelli and no insterest whatsoever in Crawford.

Forget trades for Jake Peavy or Freddy Garcia. We tried the latter, and the White Sox were talking nonsense. The former would probably be FAR too costly.


Moe...I thought it was May that Mulder was out until? I could be wrong, though.

[LostMet]

Sorry, I meant I thought Omar would go for a Crawford for left field. About 4 weeks ago, Tampa indicated they might move him for young pitching. Humber's name was included. I figure Omar may go for this type deal depnding of course on a lot of other actions happening first, since it fits the "athletic player" and "core" type he often talks about.

On MLB.Com under the News (Mulder) section it says the Rays have interst in Heilman.

[Dalkowski110]

Doubtful...he doesn't want to give up his young pitching base of Perez/Pelfrey/Humber/Niese. Many teams have expressed interest in Heilman, including the D-Rays, Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, Diamondbacks and others. I think we should test the market before (or even if) we trade the guy, and that's what Omar always does, versus to jumping to an immediate conclusion. The D-Rays are a crafty bunch, and they'd ask for more than just Heilman for Carl Crawford. They'd ask for Phil Humber and Mike Pelfrey, too. Humber, at this point, is our most promising pitcher. It'd be another Scott Kazmir deal.

[Dalkowski110]

Another thing to remember about Mark Loretta...

His agent has gotten three phone calls about Loretta. I'd think Scott Boras would have somewhere around seven or eight, maybe more, regarding Alfonso Soriano. Julio Lugo's agent would probably have around four or five, too. The fact that Loretta's agent says the Mets gave him the most phone calls is probably a tad misleading in this regard.

[LostMet]

I agree that the D-Rayes are a crafty bunch and they already expressed interest in Humber a while ago. Since the fall out from Kazmir, Omar will be careful and not do a crazy deal, maybe Humber or Heilman and prospects for Crawford but I disagree that a deal for Crawford is "Kazmir like."

He is a 25 year old, athletic, All-Star, .300 hitting, 50-60 base staeling guy who would be murder at the top of the lineup with Reyes. I agree that Omar will shop for the best deal and he should, but Crawford would fit nicely into long term plans. It will depend on what gets donefirst with starting pitching.

[Dalkowski110]

True, but we don't need hitting as much as is emphasized by the media. We need pitching, pitching, and more pitching. And Omar realizes this. The only two pitchers I see him trading right now are Aaron Heilman (because he just can't seem to accept being a relief pitcher) and Brian Bannister. Humber is not going anywhere. Just because the Devil Rays want him doesn't mean he's going anywhere. Further, Crawford would probably wear out his welcome after a year with not only Milledge, but Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez coming up. The current plan of platooning Milledge and Chavez until one of them has an offensive breakout and then using that guy seems to make a lot of sense, and more so than acquiring a guy for a good reliever and your two most highly touted pitching prospects. I can also find absolutely no indication that the Mets actually want Crawford, either. Also, if the D-Rays said they wanted Humber previously and Omar said "no," it's likely staying "no." We already traded one of our top pitching prospects to get a star (Yusmeiro Petit left in the trade for Delgado...and Minaya initially balked at giving up Petit), but unlike first base, left field is not a total and complete gaping hole that needs to be traded for, especially with pitching.

[moebarguy]

Tom Glavine and the Mets should hammer out a one-year deal for about $12 million by Friday. The Mets will also consider free agents Jeff Suppan and Randy Wolf; lefthander Barry Zito appears a less likely option at this point.
-- Newsday

[skeletor]

NYMets, I beg to differ. He said he'd retire if the surgery "doesn't live up to his expectations" and was rather pessimistic throughout the entire press conference. When you have someone saying that your surgery is going "better than expected," but your return date is bumped from early July all the way back to late August, just reading between the lines makes Pedro's future look unfortunately pretty bleak. Look, I really want the guy to come back. But I just doubt he'll do so.

MSUlaxer27, one word...

AMEN!

well money left on the contract table, really does some strange things to many injured players..especially with greedy agents..I hope he comes back, and near top form..Pedro was a joy to watch during his tenure in Boston..and
I would hope, he'll come back..really to finish up on top...if not, then
he had a great run..right ?good luck
:rolleyes:

[Dalkowski110]

I'm not saying I don't want Pedro back. Far from it...I'd love to see Pedro pitch more, and IMO, he's one of a handful of current pitchers who would have had some success in the late 1960's-early 1970's. Especially because no matter what anyone says, he's better than Mark Mulder. Wolf could command fewer teams (although more money) than Mulder, and wouldn't start out the season injured, either. He would make a better gap-filler than Brian Bannister, too. I tend to think the Yankees will pursue Suppan, and how about this one, which I got from an independent source, but sounds very likely...

The "second base race" is supposedly down to Soriano, Lugo, and Mark Loretta. Julio Lugo and Mark Loretta are the backup options in case the bidding war on Soriano (he's asking 100 million over 7 years, but might be willing to shave a year off his contract) falls through. The Red Sox have also shown big interest on Julio Lugo, and are the Mets' main competitors. Mark Loretta would come the cheapest, but is also the least favored of the three by Minaya.

Like I said, I can't vouch for its authenticity, but it does make a lot of sense.

Some more interesting stuff...
-The Mets are pondering inviting Octavio Dotel as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. Remember when he fanned Sammy Sosa three times when Sosa was 'roiding? Would at least bring back some memories. So far, this would seem to make sense, as Paul Wilson seems more keen on retiring and will probably be changing his mind. Dotel might make the bullpen when rosters expanded, if he even sticks.
-The Mets are taking serious looks at Jeremy Bonderman. The Tigers want, at the very least, Jesus Flores and "some other prospects" (although this would not likely include starting pitching...although Milledge has already been ruled out, oddly) for him. Believe me when I say Bondo is a good, solid starter. I'm also a Tigers fan and this guy is really a clutch pitcher. He can go eight innings if needed, and is certainly not lacking in the endurance department. That said, the Mets would be competiting with the Texas Rangers, who *might* offer Mark Teixeira for him.
-Heilman may not be traded. He probably won't start, but he may not be traded, either.

[moebarguy]

I'm not saying I don't want Pedro back. Far from it...I'd love to see Pedro pitch more, and IMO, he's one of a handful of current pitchers who would have had some success in the late 1960's-early 1970's. Especially because no matter what anyone says, he's better than Mark Mulder. Wolf could command fewer teams (although more money) than Mulder, and wouldn't start out the season injured, either. He would make a better gap-filler than Brian Bannister, too. I tend to think the Yankees will pursue Suppan, and how about this one, which I got from an independent source, but sounds very likely...

The "second base race" is supposedly down to Soriano, Lugo, and Mark Loretta. Julio Lugo and Mark Loretta are the backup options in case the bidding war on Soriano (he's asking 100 million over 7 years, but might be willing to shave a year off his contract) falls through. The Red Sox have also shown big interest on Julio Lugo, and are the Mets' main competitors. Mark Loretta would come the cheapest, but is also the least favored of the three by Minaya.

Like I said, I can't vouch for its authenticity, but it does make a lot of sense.

I also read somewhere that the Mets are looking at Ronnie Belliard...(I certainly hope not)

[Dalkowski110]

According to the source I talked to, Belliard and Minaya don't even like each other. That aside, and leaving my source out of it, the only buzz about Ronnie Belliard has come from independent sources...in other words, NOT the Mets. Sources from within the Mets organization are cited for both Soriano and Lugo, as well as Adam Kennedy (who I refuse to rule out, although I think Mark Loretta is a more realistic choice). Until I get an insider source saying that Gene Simmons Belliard is an option, I'm putting him in the "Unlikely" category. Also regarding the Bonderman rumor, the thing I find most interesting is that while the Tigers have played around with the names of Corey Coles and Carlos Gomez, Milledge was taken off the list by Minaya. This should give you a bit of an indicator that Milledge is here to stay and left field will indeed be a Milledge/Chavez platoon.

[Mr. Met]

Perhaps I missed this but why are the Tigers seemingly so intent on moving Bonderman?

[Dalkowski110]

Because they have around nine starting pitchers for next year. If I were them, I'd keep Bonderman, but I'm not Dave Dombrowski, and he obviously realizes Detroit's needs more than I do.

[skeletor]

Because they have around nine starting pitchers for next year. If I were them, I'd keep Bonderman, but I'm not Dave Dombrowski, and he obviously realizes Detroit's needs more than I do.

Yeah, Detroit has a pretty good bumper crop of young studs, along
with est.vets coming into ST..maybe up to 11 or 12 possible starters
to choose from...sorta nice having a log jam like that...I think Rogers
will be done by the end of 07..but then agAin, you can nEver have
too much pitching..especially good....I think Bondy's the logical
canidate to shop, as he'll draw the most interest...as the Tigers
do need to fill some gaps..as for hitters...and a catcher to eventually
replace Pudge...add to the mix, Bondy's coming up for FA status soon,
and will probably command a king's ransom...and there's a feeling that
Bondy has been in and out of Leyland's doghouse...

I don't expect Dombrowski to give him away...so it might be exciting to see
what the market will bring..as well to listening to offers for maroth and
robertson...Could be a great trading season..in the weeks ahead..

[Zarking Frood]

t certainly seems that the Mets #1 priority is getting a top shelf starter, and I think they view the best candidate as Matsuzaka. The front office has been incredibely stoic about this topic. If they were just throwing in a courtesy bid, I would expect a more relaxed attitude, maybe even some talk like there was with the Yankees that they wouldn't be bidding that much to see if they can drive the price down a little. Aside from possibly the Rangers, the Mets seem to be the least talkative known contender for the Japanese star. They seem like they don't want ANYTHING leaking, leading me to believe this is one area they are very focused on right now. However, Glavine is still probably priority #1.

I think if Matsuzaka doesn't wind up a Met, which is obviously a distinct possibility, I'd say there'll be a 50/50 shot on whether the Mets go after Zito or Soriano for LF. They're both viewed as wanting more than their worth, but both would solve one of the Mets offseason problems in a big way. The big factor in determining who they go after is the potential alternatives to a rotation without Zito, Schmidt (who doesn't appear likely from most reports I've read), or Matsuzaka. They'll likely mull over whether they can put together any kind of offer for Bonderman, who seems to be on the Tigers chopping block (doesn't seem like the Mets have what the Tigers are looking for), and if they can resign Bradford and find another reliever they're comfortable with, a deal for Peavy involving Heilman might be an option they'll explore as well. The Tigers are intent on trading Bonderman because of their excess starting pitching and because they have an aging veteran catcher, got no production out of first base most of the year, and are dangerously low on offense for a division as competetive as the AL Central. The Mets do have a young man named Jesus Flores in their system that could be a budding star as a Catcher, but their best offer from 1B is Michael Abreu and no one seems too crazy about him. They would probably have to give up Flores, Milledge, and a pitching prospect/Heilman, and even then I'm sure the Tigers could find an offer that suits their needs better. I suggest a Heilman Package for Peavy because the Pads seem to be one of the teams that might consider Heilman a starter with 15-win potential, and Peavy had a down year.

I think the Mets see Heilman as a marketable player, but they also feel he is very valuable to the team and will need a replacement who they feel has the capability to fill that mid-late inning role alongside Sanchez. A player like Heilman has unique value; he's young, he's got some experience, and he can be seen as a starter, setup man, or closer. Not many other relievers in the NL are viewed this way, but enough produce at Heilman's level in the kind of role he serves on the Mets, that he may be viewed as replacable and of higher value in a trade than in the 7th inning. Either way, the Mets certainly seem to feel he would have more value in being traded for a starter than he would if he were used as a starter.


As for second base, defense seems to be the primary concern. They'll want the extra big bat to come from the outfield if necessary. I think Loretta is probably the first choice right now for Minaya and Co. He can serve a similar role as Paul LoDuca can to a lineup if need be (not strike out, put the ball in play, get on base), and he is one of the better defensive candidates. Kenndy would be an alternative to Loretta. No matter what, Willie wants a second baseman he can mold in his own image, or at least someone who has the same type of value he had: scrappy, hustling, and unselfish. Despite the name popping up over and over, I don't think Lugo is considered a top possibility, as these qualities do not describe him very accurately. The Red Sox seem to put more value on Lugo than the Mets do overall, I'm betting he'll wind up in Boston. If the Mets do get Soriano though (it'll be for the outfield if they do, for the same reason they won't get Lugo at second), or a really big righty bat, they'll have more reason to take another long look at Anderson Hernandez. Hernandez would be a cheaper alternative, and though he would be a sacrafice with the bat, his defense rivals anyone currently in the league.


Left field seems to be the toughest to call. My money's on Milledge at this point, so long as the Mets find a starter they feel is better suited to their money than Soriano would be. If this is the case, and they do focus on defense at second, their lineup would certainly seem to be diminished from its peak in 2006 at first glance. But, Milledge may be on his way up. The Mets seem to feel he is (he was only 21 this season) and if he can produce somewhere right inbetween the Endy Chavez and Cliff Floyd of 2006, he will probably work out quite nicely. He'll probably hit about as many home runs as Floyd/Chavez combined for in '06, which will help compensate for the loss of Valentin's power, and if he can learn a little patience maybe even more (I'd put the roof around 20 but assume its gonna be more like 10-15). This lineup should wind up about as good as it was towards the end of '06: Very productive but missing Xavier Nady. And who knows, maybe with another Righty in the lineup Shawn Green can actually replace the X-man. The most likely scenario involving Soriano in LF would be if the Mets package Milledge and Heilman together with a prospect or two for a reasonably priced, top tier pitcher like Bonderman or Peavy. However, Milledge and Soriano on the same 40-man roster may also be conceivable. If this happens, Milledge will spend most of the year in AAA and then replace Shawn Green next year, which I honestly don't think would be so awful for him.


More food for thought: We all realize that Pelfery, Humber, Perez, Maine, and Bannister are not going to make up the rotation for opening day '07. These players all still have things to prove to different degrees. But, they might also give the Mets some gambling room. Example: Lets say as a last resort El Duque resigns and the Mets go out and get Mulder. The Rotation would like something like: Glavine, El Duque, Mulder, Maine, Pelfery. But, of course, El Duque or Mulder breaks down midway through the season. Odds are the Mets staff in AAA will have a good look at 3 young, talented, borderline major league ready pitchers, who will serve as insurance for an injury candidate like Mulder. That's what a good farm system does for you. It allows you to avoid debacles like the Mets '06 rotation, and I think its something Omar is willing to count on if need be. If the Mets don't get a frontline starter, expect them to be more willing to gamble than other teams for this reason, especially on someone like Mulder who could turn out to be a real bargain. It might even make them more comfortable in bidding on Matsuzaka, although I don't think its possible to insure $80 million over 4 years.

[Dalkowski110]

The whole thing with Zito has been discussed repeatedly, and the Mets don't appear to want him. The most likely candidate is San Diego as of now, and he'd start behind Jake Peavy. As for the package you suggest...the Padres don't want to trade Peavy. He's simply not available. Bonderman would be the logical choice because he's being shopped. Dombrowski, according to the rumor I read, could care less about Michel Abreu and initially wanted Milledge, but Omar said "no." He did leave Flores along with either Corey Coles or Carlos Gomez, possibly both, on the table. Gomez is a blue chip prospect who is seen by some as even better than Milledge, and Coles is another outfielder who can hit for above average (though not power), and is a slick fielder. The Tigers don't want any pitching, unless it's relief pitching. Throwing in Alay Soler or prospect reliever Mitch Wylie might make sense (although I am speculating).

As for bullpen depth, Royce Ring will be available next year and was certainly better than the "he's on par with Heath Bell" comparisons, as he had a lower ERA, gave up fewer hits per nine innings, and has a better fastball. Chad Bradford will almost certainly return and form the same tag team with Pedro Feliciano as last year. The Mets are nowhere near as keen as trading Heilman as they once were, and have been seemingly backpedalling from that position. That said, he's not gonna start any time soon. However, one player viewed the same way as Heilman is Alay Soler. That would lead me to suspect that Aaron Heilman *might* become expendable if Soler starts performing. Heilman will probably not be a setup man either, especially with a returning Duaner Sanchez. Daisuke Matsuzaka is a very real possibility, I agree with you there.

Anderson Hernandez is such a weak hitter that he will never amount to anything other than a utility player. Soriano may not be picked up as an outfielder, as the sources from WITHIN the Mets actually say he's an option for either second or left field, the former being the more likely. With that said, I'd put Lugo second, especially because of the Mets showing more interest in him than anyone except Soriano. Mark Loretta would come in third, and Adam Kennedy would come in a distant fourth. Milledge and Chavez will almost certainly platoon in left. Whoever starts producing (or slumping) gets benched, and the other guy will get the job. I have almost no doubt the Mets will get Soriano, if anything to prevent the Phillies from getting him.

El Duque will almost certainly resign and be in the rotation. That leaves Mulder. But Mulder won't be ready to pitch until May, possibly June (although I do agree that he's great security, and cheap security, in case Matsuzaka is A) obtained and B) fails...the Mets have also been looking at Randy Wolf as security due to the fact that he'd be ready by the beginning of the season, BTW). He would make an interesting project, but having Humber, Pelfrey, and Bannister all starting out of the number two hole is a somewhat bleak option. Also, Perez is favored over Pelfrey as the number five starter right now. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Pelfrey is not a mature pitcher. And the Mets realize it. I don't even want to see Pelfrey until the rosters expand. Phil Humber is a far greater possibility, especially because he's a calm, cool pitcher on the mound and pitches with intensity. If the Mets are unable to secure D-Mat and Mulder, I honestly think Humber will ultimately get handed the ball over Pelfrey (who will arrive in the rotation when Glavine retires, but that's looking too far ahead).

[AutographCollector]

Listening to XM radio coming home from work tonight and on channel 175 they were talking about how The D- Rays might give us Rocco Baldeli and or Carl Crawford for Cliff Floyd. Anyone else hear this?
P.S.
I'd rather have Crawford. :dance

[freshprince85]

Listening to XM radio coming home from work tonight and on channel 175 they were talking about how The D- Rays might give us Rocco Baldeli and or Carl Crawford for Cliff Floyd. Anyone else hear this?
P.S.
I'd rather have Crawford. :dance

floyd is a fa ...

[SeaverGooden]

It's been said that the Yankees won't go above twenty million for Matsuzaka and that reportedly the Cubs bid was for $21 million. Hopefully the Mets go above and beyond to make sure we get this guy. There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding him but if you've ever seen the guy pitch, he's gotten it done at every level. The only thing that worries me in the least bit has been his high pitch counts and the fact that he apparently threw on a 6 day schedule.

I'm sure it's been mentioned on here but check out the Matsuzaka Watch at www.Matsuzaka.blogspot.com. The blog has a ton of information. The blogs written by the guy Mike Plugh a Yankees fan who has lived in Japan for 3 years.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is my favorite thing i've seen on the Blog

Again, a sexy idea for Matsuzaka supporters, but hardly a meaningful projection to Major League success. I attempt to show how Matsuzaka has dominated Japanese baseball, and how his level of ability in Japan can be examined in the same context as Pedro in the Major Leagues. The K/BB ratio plays a big part in this discussion, and I think even a guarded approach to this information will leave you with an optimistic outlook on Matsuzaka. An updated chart featuring the years each pitcher played from age 22-25 is featured just below. Pedro pitched at this age from 1994-1997 and Matsuzaka from 2003 to the present.

Pitchers G IP H ER HR BB SO ERA WHIP H/9 K/9
Matsuzaka 105 741.1 603 206 46 187 768 2.50 1.07 7.32 9.32
Martinez 117 797.1 621 271 76 248 843 3.06 1.09 7.00 9.52

Taken from Matsuzaka.blogspot.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know those numbers are scewed based upon the competition that Matsuzaka was facing, but still he has faired very well in international competition. I think the most possibly exciting part is that maybe like Martinez we haven't even seen the best of Matsuzaka who is just entering his prime as well. If you remember those years for Pedro they were some of the best baseball has ever seen, and with their numbers so alarmingly close over the 22-25 stretch, the $75 million total could be a bargain considering what a diamond in the rough a team might truly be getting.

I hope the Mets are wise enough to put in the top bid and then lock this guy up. He could be the difference maker.Well I guess we'll find out later today.

[AutographCollector]

floyd is a fa ...
:confused:

[Mr. Met]

The Mets can't trade Floyd because he is a free agent.

[DODGER DEB]

The NY Times has this today regarding any trades, signings, or otherwise, that the METS might be contemplating......

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/sports/baseball/08chass.html?ref=sports

c.

[AutographCollector]

because he is a free agent.
THANK GOD! :waving

[moebarguy]

Listening to XM radio coming home from work tonight and on channel 175 they were talking about how The D- Rays might give us Rocco Baldeli and or Carl Crawford for Cliff Floyd. Anyone else hear this?
P.S.
I'd rather have Crawford. :dance

I heard the D-Rays were also looking to include Kazmir. I think getting two young stud OFers and a young ace pitcher for an aging FA OF is fair ;)

[Dalkowski110]

Brooklyn...the problem with that article is that it's completely unsourced. It's all speculation. It's all "maybe this" and "suppose that." Also, I have read in numerous sources that the Marlins' number one priority is keeping Dontrelle Willis, and that he's completely unavailable. Further, Ronnie Belliard is at the absolute bottom of the list concerning second baseman. That article literally contradicts everything else I've read. However, from within the organization itself comes this interesting tidbit...

They're very close to resigning Chad Bradford. Okay, it was expected, but Chad was a very reliable guy out of the 'pen. From the same newsday article, Adam Kennedy's name was brought up again. They also claim that the Mets will resign Mota, which is ridiculous because of the following citation...
"A person familiar with the Mets' thinking told Newsday yesterday that the club was impressed with the accountability that Mota exhibited for his transgression."

Familiar with the Mets' thinking? Geez...

BTW, they also get the date wrong on whether the Mets know if they got Matsuzaka or not. It's not today, but rather November 14. Not even the Seibu Lions will know until then. There will, of course, be "leaked bidders" and rumors abounding until the 14th, but that's when the bid totals are released to the teams.

However, add this name into the fray...Kei Igawa. He's a Japanese pitcher who is sort of a fallback if Matsuzaka isn't signed. The Yankees, Cubs, and some west coast teams have also been looking at him. He likely doesn't have much leverage, though, after suffering severe control problems against the MLB All-Stars during the NPB-MLB Series. I would think he'd come rather cheap, but still, signing Randy Wolf, Mark Mulder, or somebody like that would be less risky...he doesn't have Matsuzaka's reputation or is considered anywhere near as good. With the Cubs' leaked 21 million dollar offer to Matsuzaka, though, I think Minaya will probably try and top that. If I had to guess, he'd put 24 or 25 million into this guy to insure he'd be getting him.

"The only thing that worries me in the least bit has been his high pitch counts and the fact that he apparently threw on a 6 day schedule."

That is correct. Japanese pitchers work from six-man rotations.

This just in regarding Kei Igawa. Apparently, the Mets' "on-field scout" was not impressed at all with Igawa. He also belted a homerun off him...


"Asked if Igawa's pitches were major-league quality, [David] Wright hedged a bit.

'I just don't know,' Wright said. 'I'd have to see him when he's in midseason form. You send a guy up there after a month layoff and you can't get a handle on a guy. But as far as a lefty goes, he has a sneaky fastball. I thought he threw, for a lefty, an average to above-average fastball, an above-average changeup, and his slider was a little flat. But with a month off, who knows? Could be any number of reasons.'"

[freshprince85]

... They also claim that the Mets will resign Mota, which is ridiculous because of the following citation...
"A person familiar with the Mets' thinking told Newsday yesterday that the club was impressed with the accountability that Mota exhibited for his transgression."

Familiar with the Mets' thinking? Geez...

well, i don´t like players who cheated and don´t admit it. but he does.
and, because of the suspension, he´ll be cheap. and we need to save money for sp´s

[Dalkowski110]

True, but Minaya does NOT like steroiders. The one proven steroider, Yusaku Iriki, was frozen at Norfolk all year despite being probably the team's most mature pitcher. He was passed over for Jeremi Gonzalez, Jose Lima, and Alay Soler even though Iriki was doing far better than all three (although I believe Soler simply wasn't ready). Then there was suspected steroider Kaz Matsui, who was traded for practically nothing to a losing team. Finally, you have Victor Diaz, who was placed on waivers for no apparent reason, though there had been rumors he was roiding. If Omar is THAT strict, no way is Mota coming back. Also, whoever gets him will start out the season with 24 guys on the roster. It'd be like having a guy on the DL for fifty days, but not being able to put him on the DL and bring up a player in his place. Another move that I doubt Omar would make.

[moebarguy]

On the topic of 2B, Josh Barfield was just traded to the Indians for 2 mid-level ML. Last time I checked, the Mets need a good-hitting, good-defensive 2B -- why didn't we throw our hat into the negociations? Just makes you scratch your head...I wonder why Minaya didn't even consider him if he was available

[Mr. Met]

Is he the one that pushed Jesse down the stairs?

[Jose Reyes]

Is he the one that pushed Jesse down the stairs?


I think that was Jeremy, who is actually in the Mets organization...

[moebarguy]

I think that was Jeremy, who is actually in the Mets organization...

Indeed, it was Jeremy.

[Dalkowski110]

Well, the Padres got Kevin Kouzmanoff, a blue chip prospect, in return. About half the Indians fans from what I'm seeing do NOT like this trade. We'd likely have to have given up too much for this guy. Or Omar really IS going to sign Soriano as a second baseman...

[moebarguy]

Well, the Padres got Kevin Kouzmanoff, a blue chip prospect, in return. About half the Indians fans from what I'm seeing do NOT like this trade. We'd likely have to have given up too much for this guy. Or Omar really IS going to sign Soriano as a second baseman...

Is that guy really a "blue chip" prospect?

[Dalkowski110]

He supposedly was. Had a lot of promise. Think of it this way...why would about half the Indians fans be upset at losing him? Also, why would Minaya trade for a second baseman when the following free agents are available...
-Alfonso Soriano
-Julio Lugo
-Mark Loretta
-Adam Kennedy

Better to give up cash than young ballplayers.

[LostMet]

FYI- I was reading several posts back about concerns re Pedro's health. According to the docs who did the surgery, he had a new type of repair done that was not available even 5 years ago. Hge should have better strength and full range of motion (which was not the case with older style procedures). If his rehab has no set backs they expect Pedro to be able to throw harder than he has for the past couple of years. If he gets back healthy and can chuck it at 92-93 in combo with his off speed stuff. He should do just fine.

[Dalkowski110]

That is great news!!! :clapping

One name that came up in connection to the Mets on msn.com was Sammy Sosa. However, this was simply the writer speculating, and he admitted it.

The Mets are talking to Jose Valentin. Tom Glavine is also on the verge of a 1-year, 12 million dollar deal.

The Mark Mulder rumors going around appear to be somewhat substantiated, as the Mets are now talking to Mulder (although that's no surprise, really...Gregg Clifton represents both Mulder and Tom Glavine).

With regards to Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jay Horwitz cited the MLB's veil of silence and refused to say whether or not the Mets even put in a bid for him. My guess is they did, but as you know, there's always one "MLB team official" that says otherwise. According to this "MLB team official," the Mets were still making up their minds. However, this makes absolutely no sense in light of the fact that the deadline was Wednesday for submitting bids. The Mets would likely say they didn't submit a bid, not just play their hand so close that it's completely unreadable.

[moebarguy]

He supposedly was. Had a lot of promise. Think of it this way...why would about half the Indians fans be upset at losing him? Also, why would Minaya trade for a second baseman when the following free agents are available...
-Alfonso Soriano
-Julio Lugo
-Mark Loretta
-Adam Kennedy

Better to give up cash than young ballplayers.

Well, he did that last off-season with Lo Duca

[Dalkowski110]

That's true, but he evidently saw something in Lo Duca that he didn't in Barfield. Lo Duca is a very experienced ballplayer (and I don't mean a Steve Phillips/Jim Duquette type experienced ballplayer). Barfield isn't. Also, what non-vital blue chip second, shortstop, or third base prospect could he have realistically traded to the Padres? Emmanuel Garcia is too young and the Mets aren't willing to give up on him, Corey Ragsdale can't hit well enough, Kevin Rios is pretty iffy, and Tagg Bozied was already cut by San Diego.

[Jose Reyes]

J.D. Drew has opted out of his contract with LA and is now a free agent. I didn't hear anything about the Mets being interested yet but he would be a nice fit in a corner outfield spot if he stays healthy. He's a lefty batter though and the Mets would probably prefer a righty.

[Dalkowski110]

Although the Mets have gone after Scott Boras clients before, it's basically been because whatever they got turned out to be really beneficial to the team. I sincerely doubt they'd go out of their way for a guy like Drew. The only two Scott Boras clients I can see them going after this off-season are Alfonso Soriano and Daisuke Matsuzaka (have gone after?). Including Zito, especially since they've not been communicating with him. And J.D. Drew is nowhere near the impact player Sori or Matsuzaka is.

[AutographCollector]

And J.D. Drew is nowhere near the impact player Sori or Matsuzaka is.
TRUE on certain aspects. But didn't JD bring home over 100 rbi's this year?

[Jose Reyes]

I think JD will cost less than Soriano and he is also probably a much steadier defensive player than him. His offensive production is not as good but he is still a 100+ RBI guy so it's not like he's a bum with the bat. The Mets desperately need a righty power bat in the middle of the lineup though and Drew bats lefty. Drew also has a reputation for always being unhealthy so that is another reason to stay away.

[SeaverGooden]

Rumor Out of Japan is the Texas Rangers have made the highest bid for Matsuzaka.

[Dalkowski110]

Regarding Drew...

The lefty bat and his being injury-prone are two other reasons to stay away from him. Oh, and he's not very good regarding defense in left (he's a natural right fielder who can play some center).

SeaverGooden...

I wouldn't trust those rumors. My money is still on the Yankees getting him. These things come from bottom-feeding Japanese tabloids, who have also made the following untrue statements:
-The Angels won.
-The Cubs won.
-That the Diamondbacks won.
-That WE won.

Frankly, with the recent efforts to pursue Barry Zito, I think that's more of a signal that they lost. Although the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which is a legit US paper, said the Rangers may have gotten him, they have no sources whatsoever save for these tabloids. Although an MLB official did confirm that the Rangers made a large bid, that's all that unnamed baseball official would say. He didn't say whether any other bids were higher or lower, and since a Rangers sportswriter was asking him, well...you see where this is going... Further, the bidding money "amount" has been wildly inconsistent, ranging from 14 million to 30 million.

But there is one tidbit I can find that *might* indicate we lost. Scott Boras contacted the New York Post and said how much Barry Zito would like to play with the Mets. The Mets haven't shown much interest in Zito as of late, and Boras represents both pitchers. I somehow doubt he'd be making that statement if Matsuzaka wound up with the Mets.

[Dalkowski110]

Updates...

-The Mets have been making a hard run at Alfonso Soriano and are in a bidding war with both the Phillies and the Padres. The Phillies, thankfully, may be backing out.
-Danys Baez, who apparently wants to pitch for the Mets because of the presence of his friend, Orlando Hernandez (which would seem to put El Duque returning). Baez would most likely be a relief pitcher that fills Guillermo Mota's spot.
-Tom Glavine has still not made up his mind.
-The Mets have shown mild interest in Mark DeRosa.
-Mark Mulder is still talking to the Mets. And it looks like he finally came crying to Rick Peterson saying he's sorry..."It's not coincidental the success Mark had with Oakland," [Mulder's Agent Gregg] Clifton said. "Rick had a lot to do with that."

[Dalkowski110]

Although he's not very accurate, ESPN's Buster Olney is now saying that the Red Sox got Daisuke Matsuzaka for between 38 million and 45 million. However, those bid figures are so outlandish that I can't bring myself to believe it.

[elpedro]

I think the redsox did bid around 40M to sabotage the bidding....beacuse they can offer him 50M for 10 year and if he doesn't accept that then he has to go back to japan for another year.

[Dalkowski110]

Not with Scott Boras at his agent they can't...

[Dalkowski110]

I'll eat some crow right now because Daisuke Matsuzaka will be pitching in Beantown next year, and it's been confirmed. The price is still unknown...all we know is that the Red Sox have him.

Now, I think I'll update the rumor mill...

Highly Plausible...
-Chad Bradford (Returning)
-Tom Glavine (Returning)
-Darren Oliver (Returning)
-Orlando Hernandez (Returning)
-Mark Mulder (Has the same agent Glavine has, and the Mets are considered the frontrunner for him. That or the Cardinals.)
-Manny Acta will be managing a Major League team (The Nationals and the A's are both interested in him.)

Plausible...
-Barry Zito (With Matsuzaka off the market, they may be forced to look at him.)
-Mark Loretta (Loretta wouldn't fit the mould of player I'd expect Minaya to go after, but I may be missing something.)
-Adam Kennedy (Exactly the scrappy infielder whose spirit the Mets seem to be seeking.)
-Alfonso Soriano (Would truly be an impact player. Also, we would try and prevent the Phillies from getting him. Would either be at second or left field.)
-Julio Lugo (The backup second base idea to Soriano. The Red Sox had high hopes on him, but with an enormous amount of money invested in Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Mets are once again the frontrunner.)
-Octavio Dotel (As a non-roster invitee reliever to Spring Training. He's seemingly taken the place of Paul Wilson in the 'former Met pitcher coming home to New Orleans' thing.)
-Danys Baez (Represented by the same agent El Duque is, and wants to play for the same team El Duque plays for. Baez would in theory take the place of Guillermo Mota.)
-Randy Wolf (Cheaper than Jeff Suppan, and would fill the gap until Mark Mulder is healthy in May. He could also have potential as a filler for Pedro.)
-Jose Valentin (returning...He could be resigned as a reserve player, giving us an excuse to dump Chris Woodward or Anderson Hernandez. However, he may go with a team that would offer him a starting job.)
-Aaron Heilman will be traded before the season starts (Although it doesn't look as likely as it once did.)
-A trade for Jeremy Bonderman or Nate Robertson from the Tigers (Supposedly, Minaya and Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski are actually discussing this. The players likely to be traded would be Jesus Flores, Corey Coles [the two names that Dombrowski brought to the table], and possibly even Carlos Gomez. The reason the Mets might be keen on making this trade is because they don't lose any starting pitching.).

Unlikely
-Jeff Suppan (The Yankees have been really going after this guy. I say let 'em.)
-Ted Lilly (Has already said he'd sign with only either Oakland or San Francisco)
-Rich Aurilia (Although the name has come up, I really, really doubt it.)
-Guillermo Mota (The roids killed his chances.)
-Jason Schmidt (Unfortunately, I think Seattle has him locked up. He lives there, and has stated specifically he wants to pitch there.).
-Ronnie "Gene Simmons" Belliard (Supposedly, and while I'll admit this comes from a source of my own and I can't confirm that source's reliability, Minaya and Belliard don't like each other. No idea why.)

Implausible...
-Moises Alou (Okay, Minaya is NOT going to sign a guy solely as an example to Lastings Milledge who pees on his hands!!!).
-J.D. Drew (The one position he CAN'T play is left field. Guess where we need an outfielder, or so say some? Minaya would also not be big on his being injury-prone, selfish, greedy, and batting left-handed.)
-Vincente Padilla (While championed by one particular blogger, the Mets have shown zero interest, and statistically, rightly so, in this guy.)
-Trading for Dontrelle Willis (The Marlins have stated ad nauseum it won't happen.).
-Trading for Jake Peavy (I can't find a high-ranking source from the Padres saying that he's available, or any source saying the Mets are pursuing him).
-Trading Aaron Heilman straight up to Atlanta for John Smoltz (Among the weirdest I've ever heard. I will literally eat crow if this happens.).
-Trading for Manny Ramirez (recycled and really, really unlikely).
-Trading for Mark Prior (Ain't gonna happen. Last thing we want is an injury waiting to happen.).

[moebarguy]

-A trade for Jeremy Bonderman or Nate Robertson from the Tigers (Supposedly, Minaya and Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski are actually discussing this. The players likely to be traded would be Jesus Flores, Corey Coles [the two names that Dombrowski brought to the table], and possibly even Carlos Gomez. The reason the Mets might be keen on making this trade is because they don't lose any starting pitching.).


Would we be trading those guys for Jeremy Bonderman or Nate Robertson? I'd do it for Bonderman, but def. not for Robertson...

[Dalkowski110]

Supposedly, Gomez would go off the table should Robertson appear. A setup man (Mitch Wylie? Royce Ring?) would probably take his place. Make no mistake...I've been following Robertson. He's a very good pitcher, and a young one at that. Flores, Coles, and Wylie/Ring for him would be an excellent deal.

[Dalkowski110]

VERY interesting regarding ESPN...they took down the Matsuzaka article and replaced it with one discussing J.D. Drew. The man who reported the story was Buster Olney, who is famous/infamous for his inaccuracies. Then I looked at something, dunno if it's a coincidence or not. The range of money offered for D-Mat. "$38 million to $45 million." Did anyone else notice that "38" is Curt Schilling's jersey number and 45 was Pedro's? Further, ESPN issued THIS statement...

"We have thought all along that Tom Hicks would be the wild card in the Daisuke Matsuzaka bidding, and a source tells Jan Hubbard that the Rangers' bid may have been for almost $30 million. One bit of speculation heard yesterday -- and it was nothing more than speculation -- was that maybe Boston had made an enormous bid, in the range of $45 million."

Emphasis is added. Anyone starting to second-guess this?

So we still have a chance at D-Mat, I guess.

[moebarguy]

Supposedly, Gomez would go off the table should Robertson appear. A setup man (Mitch Wylie? Royce Ring?) would probably take his place. Make no mistake...I've been following Robertson. He's a very good pitcher, and a young one at that. Flores, Coles, and Wylie/Ring for him would be an excellent deal.

I would do Flores, Coles and/or Wylie for Robertson. Maybe we could get both...

[Dalkowski110]

Mitch Wylie is an interesting case for those who have not heard of him, btw. He was acuired by the Mets in some trade, can't remember which one off the top of my head (San Francisco?), and has been absolutely lights out as a setup man at Norfolk. He was originally a starter, but struggled. When he went to the pen, his ERA dropped from around 4.50 to 2.96. His strikeout totals also soared. His control improved, too (11 walks in 48.2 innings), and I think he's ready for the Major Leagues. Detroit is in the market for relievers, and Wylie would fit the bill of a reliever without control problems (unlike Jason Grilli or Fernando Rodney). However, he was born in 1977. The Tigers already got rid of Heath Bell, but I wouldn't completely rule him out, either.

[moebarguy]

The thing is, before we trade for Nate Robertson, we should focus on getting a #1 or #2 caliber starter before we trade some prospects for a #4 or #5.

[moebarguy]

I heard that the Braves are dangling Marcus Giles...is there any interest there for the Mets?

[Dalkowski110]

Not sure. The Braves would almost certainly ask for Heilman, as they've expessed interest in him before. If they try and touch any one of our future aces (Pelfrey, Humber, Niese, Devaney), I would say no. Maybe if they accept Brian Bannister. Remember that there are very good options out there without having to surrender anyone. Yet another person with a source in the organization reported that the Mets are very interested in Soriano as a second baseman. And there are still talks for Mulder and Glavine, of course.

[moebarguy]

Not sure. The Braves would almost certainly ask for Heilman, as they've expessed interest in him before. If they try and touch any one of our future aces (Pelfrey, Humber, Niese, Devaney), I would say no. Maybe if they accept Brian Bannister. Remember that there are very good options out there without having to surrender anyone. Yet another person with a source in the organization reported that the Mets are very interested in Soriano as a second baseman. And there are still talks for Mulder and Glavine, of course.

I was thinking either Bannister or Maine for him -- maybe even Anderson Hernandez too.

[SeaverGooden]

I'll eat some crow right now because Daisuke Matsuzaka will be pitching in Beantown next year, and it's been confirmed. The price is still unknown...all we know is that the Red Sox have him.

Now, I think I'll update the rumor mill...

Highly Plausible...
-Chad Bradford (Returning)
-Tom Glavine (Returning)
-Darren Oliver (Returning)
-Orlando Hernandez (Returning)
-Mark Mulder (Has the same agent Glavine has, and the Mets are considered the frontrunner for him. That or the Cardinals.)
-Manny Acta will be managing a Major League team (The Nationals and the A's are both interested in him.)

Plausible...
-Barry Zito (With Matsuzaka off the market, they may be forced to look at him.)
-Mark Loretta (Loretta wouldn't fit the mould of player I'd expect Minaya to go after, but I may be missing something.)
-Adam Kennedy (Exactly the scrappy infielder whose spirit the Mets seem to be seeking.)
-Alfonso Soriano (Would truly be an impact player. Also, we would try and prevent the Phillies from getting him. Would either be at second or left field.)
-Julio Lugo (The backup second base idea to Soriano. The Red Sox had high hopes on him, but with an enormous amount of money invested in Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Mets are once again the frontrunner.)
-Octavio Dotel (As a non-roster invitee reliever to Spring Training. He's seemingly taken the place of Paul Wilson in the 'former Met pitcher coming home to New Orleans' thing.)
-Danys Baez (Represented by the same agent El Duque is, and wants to play for the same team El Duque plays for. Baez would in theory take the place of Guillermo Mota.)
-Randy Wolf (Cheaper than Jeff Suppan, and would fill the gap until Mark Mulder is healthy in May. He could also have potential as a filler for Pedro.)
-Jose Valentin (returning...He could be resigned as a reserve player, giving us an excuse to dump Chris Woodward or Anderson Hernandez. However, he may go with a team that would offer him a starting job.)
-Aaron Heilman will be traded before the season starts (Although it doesn't look as likely as it once did.)
-A trade for Jeremy Bonderman or Nate Robertson from the Tigers (Supposedly, Minaya and Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski are actually discussing this. The players likely to be traded would be Jesus Flores, Corey Coles [the two names that Dombrowski brought to the table], and possibly even Carlos Gomez. The reason the Mets might be keen on making this trade is because they don't lose any starting pitching.).

Unlikely
-Jeff Suppan (The Yankees have been really going after this guy. I say let 'em.)
-Ted Lilly (Has already said he'd sign with only either Oakland or San Francisco)
-Rich Aurilia (Although the name has come up, I really, really doubt it.)
-Guillermo Mota (The roids killed his chances.)
-Jason Schmidt (Unfortunately, I think Seattle has him locked up. He lives there, and has stated specifically he wants to pitch there.).
-Ronnie "Gene Simmons" Belliard (Supposedly, and while I'll admit this comes from a source of my own and I can't confirm that source's reliability, Minaya and Belliard don't like each other. No idea why.)

Implausible...
-Moises Alou (Okay, Minaya is NOT going to sign a guy solely as an example to Lastings Milledge who pees on his hands!!!).
-J.D. Drew (The one position he CAN'T play is left field. Guess where we need an outfielder, or so say some? Minaya would also not be big on his being injury-prone, selfish, greedy, and batting left-handed.)
-Vincente Padilla (While championed by one particular blogger, the Mets have shown zero interest, and statistically, rightly so, in this guy.)
-Trading for Dontrelle Willis (The Marlins have stated ad nauseum it won't happen.).
-Trading for Jake Peavy (I can't find a high-ranking source from the Padres saying that he's available, or any source saying the Mets are pursuing him).
-Trading Aaron Heilman straight up to Atlanta for John Smoltz (Among the weirdest I've ever heard. I will literally eat crow if this happens.).
-Trading for Manny Ramirez (recycled and really, really unlikely).
-Trading for Mark Prior (Ain't gonna happen. Last thing we want is an injury waiting to happen.).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why no Love for Gil Meche? I think this is the kind of free-agent the Mets need to look at. I could see this guy having Chris Carpenter like potential, their careers are very similar up until this point. He throws a very similar arsenal, 92-96 mph 4-seam fastball with little movement, and a nasty 12-6 curve with some bite to it. From what Keith Law from ESPN.com has said he is supposedly a pitching coaches dream. Listens, takes adjustments well and is maybe a minor mechanical flaw or two away from being dominant. I think this guy could be the potential steal of the free-agent class.

[moebarguy]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why no Love for Gil Meche? I think this is the kind of free-agent the Mets need to look at. I could see this guy having Chris Carpenter like potential, their careers are very similar up until this point. He throws a very similar arsenal, 92-96 mph 4-seam fastball with little movement, and a nasty 12-6 curve with some bite to it. From what Keith Law from ESPN.com has said he is supposedly a pitching coaches dream. Listens, takes adjustments well and is maybe a minor mechanical flaw or two away from being dominant. I think this guy could be the potential steal of the free-agent class.

Eh, why waste time on another project when we can get some more def. pitchers.

[Dalkowski110]

Also, the Mets have shown zero interest in Gil Meche. Absolutely no one has connected his name with the Mets. Until then, he's off the list.

Update on Manny Acta...

He won't be managing the A's, but the Nationals are showing great interest in him.

Update on Daisuke Matsuzaka...

I concede defeat. For now, I will assume he will go to the Red Sox. That would indicate one good thing for us, though...Julio Lugo would be available as a backup in case the deal for Soriano falls through. And Lugo, I believe, is the Mets' second choice for second base.

[Dalkowski110]

Manny Acta has supposedly been hired by the Washington Nationals as their manager. Good luck Manny, you were a great third base coach! No word on who replaces him or who gets a new coaching job.

Update on Jose Valentin...

The Mets are trying to get him to stay, and he seems willing enough.

Other updates...

Alfonso Soriano seems to be the name most linked to the Mets right now, and over the past couple days. It's come from numerous sources. It's been as a second baseman, too. Valentin would probably be bench material, meaning that the Milledge/Chavez platoon is pretty much set in place.

Mark Mulder also seems to be a highly probable signing. I guess Rick Peterson's contract includes a clause for obtaining a quota amount of project pitchers. ;)

El Duque wants to return. That's good news. It also means Danys Baez may be pitching at Shea. Chad Bradford will also probably return, despite rumors of the Phillies making a run for him. Also, if I had to guess, Glavine will be returning. Ditto to Darren Oliver, although the Yankees may swoop in at the last moment and try and pay him a ludicrous amount of money.

No news on Zito, although the ESPN story on Matsuzaka and the Red Sox may not be as accurate as once thought.

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

I wonder if the Mets have any interest in Dellucci. IMO he is the best bargain in the entire FA class.

[moebarguy]

I think he's a good player too, but he flat out doesn't hit lefties.

[EvanAparra]

I think he's a good player too, but he flat out doesn't hit lefties.
Hed be a great platoon player a la Trot Nixon.

[Dalkowski110]

No indication from anything I'm hearing that the Mets have an interest in Dellucci. The Mets are also looking for a right-handed bat. Soriano and Lugo are both right-handed hitters, and there's just been no indication that the Milledge/Chavez platoon will be broken up unless something happens to Green (in which case, I do feel it's safe to say Milledge would be shifted to right field, which is his natural position).

[skeletor]

No indication from anything I'm hearing that the Mets have an interest in Dellucci. The Mets are also looking for a right-handed bat. Soriano and Lugo are both right-handed hitters, and there's just been no indication that the Milledge/Chavez platoon will be broken up unless something happens to Green (in which case, I do feel it's safe to say Milledge would be shifted to right field, which is his natural position).

Looks like the Rangers might have the inside track on Zito, due to his relationship with former A's coach Ron Washington..now skipper of the
hapless Rangers..On the flip, Texas is poised to spend a wheelbarrel
full of cash-ola, on getting some help,and taking on both the A's & Angels...

Still hearing a lot of noise outta Detroit, to a potential Detroit-Mets
deal of some sorts..Robertson and-or-Bondy, are the names constantly
in the mix...Detroit is shopping some pretty decent pitching in return
for some hitting help...So stay tuned...a deal with these clubs could help
each very much, and maybe set the stage for a Tigers - Mets world series
in 2007, barring any melt down by either or both clubs...

[Dalkowski110]

Like I've said before, a Tigers/Mets WS would probably be the best WS that could ever happen to me. :)

In other news, Jose Valentin's and Manny Acta's names have been removed from the Rumor Mill. Acta was appointed to a managerial position by the Washington Nationals and Jose Valentin was resigned (my guess is he'll be off the bench, though...it would allow either the release of Chris Woodward or trade of Anderson Hernandez). Definitely keep hearing the buzz about Bondo and Robertson. I'd be surprised if it was a two-fer, especially because of Omar Minaya's hesitance to deal Lastings Milledge. Unless the Tigers actually decide to take Shawn Green, Jose Valentin, and some of our better relief pitching prospects (Mitch Wylie, Royce Ring, probably not Heath Bell)...

Updates...

"The New York Mets, whose lack of depth in the rotation cost them in the playoffs, plan to push for Willis, according to reports, even though the Marlins rejected their interest last summer.

The Mets could offer a package that would include outfielder Lastings Milledge and reliever Aaron Heilman. Or they could dangle pitcher Philip Humber, the third player selected in the 2004 June draft, or Mike Pelfrey, a 6-foot-7 right-hander who was 2-1 last season in four big-league appearances."

That load of horse hockey from The Palm Beach Post. If you have a decent memory, or do a google search, the exact same trade rumor was made both before the '06 season and before the trade deadline. It's just recycled; not gonna happen.

Mark DeRosa's name came up again, as well (so did Rich Aurilia's), but so did Julio Lugo's and Alfonso Soriano's for the millionth time.

And the Tigers may be interested in Cliff Floyd.

Tom Glavine is weighing his options between the Mets, Braves, and is getting unexpected interest from the Yankees and Red Sox. The latter is most interesting...why would the Red Sox, who would have to monetarily beat out both the Yankees and Mets, even show interest in Tom Glavine if they dumped roughly $40 million on Matsuzaka?

[jsmets92]

The Mets need to sign 4-5 free agents:
2B: Julio Lugo (some more speed at the top of the lineup)
RF: Jose Guillen (need a righty bat in the lineup)
SP: Jason Schmidt (need some sort of anchor)
SP: Randy Wolf (or give Oliver Perez a chance)
UT: Tony Graffanino (need a good overall UT)

Players to avoid
Barry Zito: The guy is overrated and will make a TON of money
Daisuke Matsuzaka: He is an unknown in the MLB and will also command a TON of money
Mark Mulder: bum
Ted Lilly: wants to stay on the West Coast
Jeff Suppan: high WHIP, got very lucky against us in the playoffs
Paul Wilson: what's the point?
Alfonso Soriano: Don't get me wrong, he's great, but we need to spend our big bucks on starting pitching, not another big bat
Moises Alou: Not good anymore, we might as well re-sign Floyd if we're considering going down the old OFer road

Players to re-sign
Tom Glavine: He'll be our #2 or #3
Orlando Hernandez: He'll be our #3 or #4
Darren Oliver: was very good for us as the long man
Guillermo Mota: I'm not crazy about him, but he did well enough for us during the regular season to earn a contract
Chad Bradford: got out of a lot of jams for us
Jose Valentin: maybe, but just as a backup

Players not re-signed
Cliff Floyd: too injury-prone, aging, and it's Lastings' turn
Steve Trachsel: I despise this man...

Players to trade for
Dontrelle Willis: I'm not willing to trade Lastings Milledge, Mike Pelfrey, Aaron Heilman, and another prospect for him. I am however willing to trade Pelfrey, Bannister, and another prospect for him (maybe like Michel Abreu) for him.

Player to trade
Shawn Green: did solid hitting-wise in the playoffs for us, but the guy has no power, is slow as heck in the field, and is at best a .275 hitter at this point....pretty worthless

Agree with everything except
I would resign Trachsel-he is a dependable 4 and has been injury free before this year
I would not sign Guillen-he is a cancer in the clubhouse and the Mets just don't need it

[gbdmets]

Mitch Wylie is an interesting case for those who have not heard of him, btw. He was acuired by the Mets in some trade, can't remember which one off the top of my head (San Francisco?), and has been absolutely lights out as a setup man at Norfolk. He was originally a starter, but struggled. When he went to the pen, his ERA dropped from around 4.50 to 2.96. His strikeout totals also soared. His control improved, too (11 walks in 48.2 innings), and I think he's ready for the Major Leagues. Detroit is in the market for relievers, and Wylie would fit the bill of a reliever without control problems (unlike Jason Grilli or Fernando Rodney). However, he was born in 1977. The Tigers already got rid of Heath Bell, but I wouldn't completely rule him out, either.

Mitch Wylie was a Rule 5 pick last year who has cleared waviers numerous times this season. In other words teams didnt want him for nothing. Prob not gonna draw much interest.

[gbdmets]

I know Michel Abreu is at AA, but can you really consider him a prospect? I might be wrong but thought he was like 27

[moebarguy]

Agree with everything except
I would resign Trachsel-he is a dependable 4 and has been injury free before this year
I would not sign Guillen-he is a cancer in the clubhouse and the Mets just don't need it

Re-sign Steve Trachsel? Did you watch the guy this year?

[Dalkowski110]

Resign Trachsel? Are you joking? Besides, the Mets have said they wouldn;t do it, unless it was something like a Minor League deal or a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. Also, sorry, but Valentin is not going to be the starting second baseman. If there are still NUMEROUS sources coming from inside the Mets saying they're pursuing at least Lugo and Loretta (Soriano is also being pursued, but he could wind up in the outfield), then why?

[EvanAparra]

Dalkowski, we got some Matsuzaka news for you.

[Dalkowski110]

Already feasting upon crow...

However, I still predict that Olney is horribly wrong on the count of the BoSox signing and then trading D-Mat.

[EvanAparra]

Already feasting upon crow...

However, I still predict that Olney is horribly wrong on the count of the BoSox signing and then trading D-Mat.

Most likely he is wrong there.

[Dalkowski110]

Add this wonder from Buster Olney, Mr. "Mets Get Zito in exchange for Aaron Heilman, Lastings Milledge, and/or Mike Pelfrey for the last four years running"...file it under "implausible"...

-The Mets trade Mike Pelfrey and Aaron Heilman to the Red Sox for Daisuke Matsuzaka. Is that guy completely out of his mind?

[NYMets523]

Looks like Valentin is getting a $3-$4M 1-year deal from us.

http://www.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061113&content_id=1414678&oid=36018&vkey=9

[Dalkowski110]

Original report was over $4 million. Interesting. At least we have him back...he is a good guy to have in the dugout and even if he doesn't start, he'd be a terrific sub.

[moebarguy]

Original report was over $4 million. Interesting. At least we have him back...he is a good guy to have in the dugout and even if he doesn't start, he'd be a terrific sub.

I would have much rather signed Tony Graffanino -- and for a fraction of the cost. Graff at least has a track record of being a good bench player, whereas Valentin had a surprisingly good season after he had been a bum for 4 straight seasons.

[gbdmets]

With Valentin back at 4 mil the persuit of Lugo is officailly dead

[Dalkowski110]

It's actually 3 mil...and btw, there's still no indication of him starting. I agree we overpaid for a backup player...but he ain't gonna start, or will at least be platooned. And nobody has declared the pursuit of Lugo dead except you. No reports from the offices, no breaking news, no insiders, no nothing. Until then, I wouldn't hold my breath.

[gbdmets]

We have this Valentin thing goin in 2 threads so ill reply in this one for last time and continue in the Valentin thread...but 3 mil for 2B pretty declares Lugo dead

[Dalkowski110]

Already done...responded in another thread, gave examples. Although it looks less likely with regards to Lugo, I still think we'll go after both Soriano and starting pitching.

[NYMets523]

SNY has a new show, Mets Hot Stove Reports where they will be discussing trades and signings in the offseason. Tonight's first episode was mostly about the discussion of Citi Field. They talked about free agents mostly. Next week Omar Minaya will be on so it's possible he will drop a few hints as to who he is looking at.

One of the things they discussed was Julio Lugo. Lugo wants to come here and they said it's possible he'll take a "home discount" and sign for cheaper than what he could with another team.

[Dalkowski110]

I figured as much. The main competition would be the Red Sox, but now that they just bid on Daisuke Matsuzaka and won, I don't think they can afford to throw scads of money at Lugo as was speculated.

[moebarguy]

Nov 14 - Dave Roberts' agent, John Boggs, said that the Mets and 12 other clubs have expressed interest in the left fielder, The New York Post reports. The 34-year-old hit .293 with two homers and 44 RBI for the Padres this past season.

Nov 14 - The Marlins aren't expected to dangle Dontrelle Willis as trade bait just yet, the Palm Beach Post reports. Despite speculation that the left-hander could be moved, a National League general manager said that the Fish are telling teams that Willis is not available. Before Florida parts with Willis, the club will try to move pitchers such as Sergio Mitre, Jason Vargas or Yusmeiro Petit. "Obviously, [there are] not a lot of pieces at the major-league level that we would be willing to part with, but we have some nice inventory in our system," GM Larry Beinfest told the newspaper. "If it's the right guy and the [trade] is equitable or we think it's going to be, I don't think we'll hesitate, but we're not looking to trade our pitching."

Nov 14 - The Mets have spoken with agent Scott Boras about Oakland left-hander Barry Zito, Newsday reports. Zito, 28, is likely to land the biggest contract of any free-agent pitcher this offseason. Zito holds special appeal to the Mets because the team's pitching coach, Rick Peterson, first worked with Zito when the southpaw was 18. Then Peterson served as Zito's pitching coach with the A's from 2000 through 2003.

[moebarguy]

While I like Dave Roberts, I'm not really sure where he fits in. We have Endy Chavez as our 4th OFer/platoon with Lastings.

The Willis rumor to the Mets is still iffy, but what surprised me was seeing the Marlins interest in trading Petit!

Zito...blah

[Dalkowski110]

Yeah...that's odd. I say pick him up cheap for Brian Bannister.

Updates...

Tom Glavine, supposedly, is going to return. And Mark Mulder may be right on his heels.

The Mets are still looking at Soriano and Lugo (Check out Newsday and The Newark Star-Ledger. I'm still saying Valentin is gonna be a sub, and this backs it up.). Only one Philadephia paper says the Mets aren't going after Soriano.

The deal reported in The Chicago Tribune about Pelfrey, Humber, and Milledge for Freddy Garcia or Javier Vazquez is not only recycled, but unrealistic.

Okay, many of you may not like this (heck, I don't), but the Mets are seriously going after Barry Zito.

Vincente Padilla's name came up precisely once, but it isn't sourced.

I also kinda doubt Dave Roberts...especially because he's a lefty bat.

[NYMets523]

Not sure if this was posted:

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=MLB&id=2951&line=196571&spln=1

Agent Scott Boras told the New York Post that Barry Zito is considering all his options and is looking seriously at the Mets.
"Barry is open to all venues," Boras said. "This is a baseball decision, not a geographical decision." Still, it's often been rumored that Zito wants to either remain on the West Coast or pitch in New York. The Dodgers, Angels, Padres and Rangers are some of the teams that figure to target him. Nov. 10 - 11:15 am

Also this was from yesterday

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11142006/sports/mets/mets_target_zito__near_duque_deal_mets_mark_hale_i n_new_york_and_joel_sherman_in_naples__fla_.htm

November 14, 2006 -- Following the aggressive nature of their GM, Omar Minaya, the Mets yesterday actively moved on their key issue - the rotation - by all but completing a deal to retain Orlando Hernandez while beginning to make inroads in the pursuit of Barry Zito and Vicente Padilla.

Hernandez is close to inking a two-year deal worth about $6 million. The Mets know Zito and Padilla will cost considerably more, but are trying to determine how much. The Mets are exploring other pitchers now that they believe they have lost out on Daisuke Matsuzaka after bidding a significant amount, probably more than $30 million, to try and gain the negotiating rights for their top rotation target.

Zito now potentially moves to the head of their agenda. The Mets do not think Zito is a better pitcher than Roy Oswalt. But they recognize that, as a free agent, Zito will receive at least what Oswalt did - five years at $73 million.

If the requests stay in that range, the Mets plan on being players because they like that the lefty is durable, should get a benefit if he switches to the NL and should gain an edge if he is reunited with pitching coach Rick Peterson.

The Mets, though, recognize that Zito's agent, Scott Boras, will shoot for six or seven years and probably has to prioritize finishing Matsuzaka's contract with Boston first.

Since the Mets do not plan on spending that much on Zito and are not inclined to wait until possibly January for the patient Boras, they also are inquiring on Padilla.

Agent Paul Kinzer said yesterday the Mets have shown interest in the pitcher. Interestingly, the Mets also talked last night with Fern Cuza about Padilla because there is some discrepancy about who represents the player.

In addition, Cuza tried to persuade the Mets to bid on Alfonso Soriano, but at this point, they are not showing much interest.

Padilla, 29, went 15-10 with a 4.50 ERA for the Rangers.

The Mets also have shown interest in righty Miguel Batista. They also want to keep Tom Glavine.

[Dalkowski110]

Again with the sources from inside the Mets organization saying Soriano will be gone after and other insider sources saying he won't be pursued, simultaneously. Honestly, you really got me there as to what's up with that. Vincente Padilla has made "inroads" with upwards of ten teams, so I wouldn;t exactly call the guy all that likely. If deals for Glavine, Mulder, AND Vazquez all fall through, that's the only way I can see them making a serious play for Padilla. Although they've been backpedalling on Zito (which would indicate a trade), they still might sign him if the other GM insists that Lastings Milledge be traded (and he won't.).

[Dalkowski110]

Cliff Floyd will probably not return to the Mets. At this point, it seems that the offer they made him was more of a symbolic gesture by the previous team to make it look like they were actually considering the guy (which has become commonplace nowadays).

[Dalkowski110]

From Omar Minaya himself. He wants an ace pitcher, name and team unknown, and is willing to give up two outfield prospects (but not Milledge), a relief pitcher (my guess is Heilman), and possibly a prospect pitcher.

This would probably put Aaron Heilman's days in a Mets uniform at an end. They also might try and throw Shawn Green in just as a throw-in with the offer to eat his salary. If Green goes in this deal, that would probably negate one of the two prospect outfielders. You have to wonder though, who the prospect outfielder is, if not Lastings Milledge. Carlos Gomez? Corey Coles? Ambiorix Concepcion? My bets would be on Humber or Bannister as a "prospect pitcher." I can't see Minaya giving up Mike Pelfrey at this point. Believe it or not, some teams have expressed interest in Bannister. The big question, though, is who the "ace" we'd be getting is. The Mets are too big on Oliver Perez to give him up at this point. That might count out Jake Peavy. But I thought the wording of this trade was particularly interesting...a possible starting pitching prospect, but a definite reliever and two definite outfield prospects. I wonder if this means Jeremy Bonderman, since the Tigers are not at all big on starters.

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

MIL might be looking to non-tender Mench. He could be a good platoon guy in LF. He is very streaky however. But who knows, he might suddenly flip the on switch and smack 30 homers one year. Not sure how much $ he'd command.

I don't have much faith in Chavez.

[Dalkowski110]

Regarding Kevin Mench...I haven't seen any source indicating he'd play with the Mets. Currently, the Red Sox are favored to get him. I do have faith in Chavez.

[EvanAparra]

Regarding Kevin Mench...I haven't seen any source indicating he'd play with the Mets. Currently, the Red Sox are favored to get him. I do have faith in Chavez.
Oh no, :ughh :hp

[Dalkowski110]

Relax Evan, Epstein may drop negotiations with him. I don't think the Mets are gonna get him either.

[milladrive]

haahaha, having faith in Chavez all of a sudden sounds like a bad thing.

[Dalkowski110]

It does, although it shouldn't. I wouldn't mind Endy at least platooning in left. Plus, he can hit right-handed pitchers pretty well.

[moebarguy]

Endy Chavez has proved that he is most valuable as a 4th OFer. He is a great defensive replacement, a nice pinch-hit sparkplug, and is also a good guy to have to give a regular a day off, but by no means would he make a good starting player. I think he's proved that throughout his career.

[milladrive]

Endy Chavez has proved that he is most valuable as a 4th OFer. He is a great defensive replacement, a nice pinch-hit sparkplug, and is also a good guy to have to give a regular a day off, but by no means would he make a good starting player. I think he's proved that throughout his career.

No argument there. But then, Kevin Mitchell was a bench player in the 80's. The stronger the roster, the stronger the team.

[moebarguy]

No argument there. But then, Kevin Mitchell was a bench player in the 80's. The stronger the roster, the stronger the team.

That is true. Though Mitchell was capable of being a starter (which he was later for other teams).

I like having Endy on the bench, I'm just saying that people feel that he could start just because of his display as a part-time player last season...

[Dalkowski110]

"I think he's proved that throughout his career."

True, but Randolph adjusted his swing in Spring Training this year. He adopted a completely new batting stance and a completely new swing. A completely new Endy. The one you saw last year is probably more similar to the one you'll see this year than any other year.

[milladrive]

"I think he's proved that throughout his career."

True, but Randolph adjusted his swing in Spring Training this year. He adopted a completely new batting stance and a completely new swing. A completely new Endy. The one you saw last year is probably more similar to the one you'll see this year than any other year.

Hear, hear.

[Dalkowski110]

Daily Updates...

The Mets have now said they are willing to pursue Barry Zito, but only on the condition that he plays five years or fewer with the Mets. Boras wants six years or more. We'll see how that plays out.

Omar Minaya was quoted as saying that Mike Pelfrey will be a serious contender for this year's rotation. This means he's probably not going anywhere. He also said the following, regarding Lastings Milledge...

"Milledge fits in fine."

I read this as the Mets not trading the guy.

Minaya also addressed left field.

"I see a scenario with my roster in left field. We could easily play with a platoon - Chavez and Johnson. Or Milledge if he's ready."

And also this...

"Yesterday, Minaya spoke highly of Milledge, saying the outfielder's status was 'fine. Perfect. He's solid. We could go with him as the every-day guy. If we don't do anything [to get a veteran leftfielder], I think he'll be ready to play.'"

Again, with Milledge's name coming up as a candidate to play left field, versus not coming up at all (which would be indicative of a trade), I don't think he's going anywhere. This would also seem to quash the notion that Floyd will be back, at least as a regular.

Newsday seemingly contradicts everything Minaya is saying, and reports talks of an Aaron Heilman and Lastings Milledge for Vernon Wells deal. However, Minaya himself would seem to refute this. Now that he's stated Milledge and Pelfrey are pretty much not going anywhere, I think we should feel a bit safer.

The Mets have continued to talk to Mark Mulder, and are favored to get him. Tom Glavine also appears to be closer to signing a deal. The Braves will not offer him the money he wants.

Interesting nugget of info on El Duque, btw...

Before he resigned with the Mets, the Indians were negotiating with him to be either a starter or their closer. They also wanted Danys Baez back, but that apparently fell through. Baez wants to play with the Mets, due to El Duque's presence. Thing is, I don't see it happening due to the additions of Standridge and Adkins to the 'pen.

And on some of our relievers, from mlb.com...

"The Mets have had contact with the representatives for reliever Chad Bradford and remain optimistic an agreement will be reached, though the returns of free agents Roberto Hernandez, Guillermo Mota and Darren Oliver -- who teamed to pitch middle and late innings for the Mets in the second half last season -- appear less certain."

I'm glad Chad Bradford's gonna stick around. Never expected Hernandez to stick, and I don't want Mota to stick (nor, I have a feeling, does the organization...), but I was hoping something could be done with regards to Oliver. Oh well. Guess Alay Soler can do a decent job out of the pen (which is where he pitched in Cuba...endurance does not a starting pitcher make).

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

"I think he's proved that throughout his career."

True, but Randolph adjusted his swing in Spring Training this year. He adopted a completely new batting stance and a completely new swing. A completely new Endy. The one you saw last year is probably more similar to the one you'll see this year than any other year.

In a career year, Chavez's OPS was still just 780 or so. For a starting (platoon) leftfielder, that's not something to write home about. Granted, the Mets have excellent offensive players at 3 of the 4 IF positions excluding C, but that is offset by two mediocre-below average players for their positions at LF and RF.

I do hope Milledge will get to start everyday until/if he absolutely stinks it up and isn't trying.

[Dalkowski110]

Joe, OPS is not the be all and end all that so many claim it is. Why does he have a below average OPS? Simple, because of the "S." Chavez does not hit homeruns. He is a slap hitter. A contact hitter! This is like saying Joe Sewell was a terrible hitter because his OPS wasn't that high. Well, he batted .312 over 14 seasons, got 2226 hits, and is in the Hall of Fame. I find MANY flaws with OPS.

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

I know OPS is not a perfect measure of a player's contributions to his team winning, but it is a better indication than batting average.

The point of the game of baseball is to get runs across the plate more times than your opponent. And how do you increase your chances of scoring runs? By having people on base as often as possible and giving the runners the chance to advance as many bases as possible (the easiest way to do which is to hit the ball for extra bases).

Single hitting guys who don't walk don't do much to help. Chavez would be most valuable as a PH, where he can be used in situations where a single CAN be meaningful to the outcome of the game, and his solid defense also would help the team as a defensive replacement.

[Dalkowski110]

Joe, you want me to say it again? Evidently, I have to...

Randolph completely overhauled Chavez's approach to hitting. He doesn't even have the same swing or batting stance. He also takes a far more cautious approach to the plate than he used to. His OPB last year (the true measure of a singles hitter, in the words of Bill James...) was .348. It never even approached that before, and the league average OPB was .336. Ignore his OPS in this case because it is basically a useless statistic as applied to Chavez. Concentrate on his OBP instead. His BB/9 also skyrocketed. Although, if you must know, the new Chavez had an OPS of .779. The league average was .768. He's not even bad on that account.

[NYMets523]

Daily Updates...

The Mets have now said they are willing to pursue Barry Zito, but only on the condition that he plays five years or fewer with the Mets. Boras wants six years or more. We'll see how that plays out.

Considering Boras' good business relationship with Omar and the Mets, they will probably work something out if Zito wants to go to the Mets.

[Dalkowski110]

Possibly, but I'd wait until this weekend (maybe even tomorrow), when the "big trade for a top of the line pitcher" is supposed to happen. If nothing comes out of it, then yes, the Mets may be able to talk Boras down (heck, they probably have a better relationship with him than 3/4ths of the Major League clubs out there...), but if a guy like Jeremy Bonderman comes along, forget it.

[NYMets523]

Possibly, but I'd wait until this weekend (maybe even tomorrow), when the "big trade for a top of the line pitcher" is supposed to happen. If nothing comes out of it, then yes, the Mets may be able to talk Boras down (heck, they probably have a better relationship with him than 3/4ths of the Major League clubs out there...), but if a guy like Jeremy Bonderman comes along, forget it.

I don't know. They would still need a lefty. Right now all we have is Perez. Glavine is still unsure and I don't see Oliver starting again. Now if the trade is for Willis or even Nate Robertson, I can see them putting Zito lower on their must have list.

[Dalkowski110]

"Glavine is still unsure..."

According to virtually every source out there, he'll be returning. BTW, I don't even see Oliver returning again. Rumor has it the Yankees will just throw scads of money at him.

[moebarguy]

"Glavine is still unsure..."

According to virtually every source out there, he'll be returning. BTW, I don't even see Oliver returning again. Rumor has it the Yankees will just throw scads of money at him.

Really? For a long guy...geez

[milladrive]

Rumor has it the Yankees will just throw scads of money at him.

For some reason, I don't like the sound of that. Not the fact that Yankees will go big bucks -- we're all used to that -- but that he may not return.

[Dalkowski110]

This is the Yankees we're talking about. In theory, they don't have a long reliever unless they bring up Phil Hughes and start using him as one (which is probably not the best idea out there), plus he played in New York and in a playoff situation before, so why not? I am kinda upset about the prospects of Darren Oliver not returning myself. Who is going to replace him? Alay Soler? Brian Bannister?

[NYMets523]

"Glavine is still unsure..."

According to virtually every source out there, he'll be returning. BTW, I don't even see Oliver returning again. Rumor has it the Yankees will just throw scads of money at him.
I know, but the longer he waits, the more it seems he is waiting for Atlanta.

[Dalkowski110]

Well, that's basically your opinion. But anyway, some interesting news about Omar Minaya and FA's...

"'What is the definition of wild?' Mets General Manager Omar Minaya said. 'I don’t think there’s enough in the free-agent market to fulfill [our] needs, so the only option is for trades. And I think there’s going to be a lot of activity there.'

But that will not necessarily stop the Mets or the rest of baseball’s big spenders from throwing loads of money at what is viewed as an average free-agent class. Minaya said he had extended contract offers to a few free agents. He declined to specify to whom, though the Mets are seeking another second baseman, like Julio Lugo, and want to upgrade their starting pitching."

Hmm...guess Valentin won't start.

There is one free agent, however, who does seem to impress the Mets. Barry Zito. After the GM conference ended, no less than five of eight GM's asked said they thought Zito would end up in a Mets uniform. Minaya remained mum about it, but one Mets official said that unless Boras was willing to take a year off of Zito's contract, he won't end up here.

So who does that leave? The "big-name" starter mentioned in rumors turns out to probably be Jason Jennings of the Rockies (supposedly, they don't need any more pitching, but have shown an interest in Aaron Heilman). Lastings Milledge and Mike Pelfrey have had their names eliminated from the bargaining table.

As for the "Heilman+Milledge to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez" rumor, it should sound familiar. This is because it has been reported for the past three years, without variation, by the same guy: Buster Olney, an ESPN writer. Olney has reported efforts to get Manny Ramirez for at least Aaron Heilman and some other prospect (first it was Jose Reyes, then David Wright, and finally Lastings Milledge) for at least FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS on a two-times-a-year basis (before the season and near the trade deadline) with slight variations as to who would go with Heilman. Same guy, same sourceless speculation, same people involved. This is the kind of rumor I completely discount. One that's so obviously recycled it's painful to listen to.

[Dalkowski110]

From MLB.com...

"Mets GM Omar Minaya kept the dialogue open on a number of fronts, both with other teams and free-agent representatives. Other than the deal with San Diego, Minaya did not pull the trigger on any transactions.

'The meetings have given me a good feel for the needs of the other clubs,' Minaya said. 'Who's out there, who's not, who plays, who's not. There's only so much talent in the market to fulfill the needs.'"

He's playing his hand VERY close. If I had to guess, due to Julio Lugo's recent offer of between 6 and 7 million dollars, he may very well be the second baseman next year. I mean, how do you turn down an offer like that while he's demanding almost three times as much to play with the Blue Jays or Red Sox?

[moebarguy]

I hate Minaya...

(1) How can you trade Aaron Heilman for Jason Jennings?
(2) How can you sign Jose Valentin for $3.8 mil but not Julio Lugo for $6-7 mil?

[NYMets523]

I trust Minaya. He knows what to look for better than any of us. I just hope he goes after some pitching (i.e. Zito).

[EvanAparra]

Got something for you, J.W....

ESPN Online Chat with Buster Olney Reveals He's Illiterate

BRISTOL, CT—During a special ESPN.com "Hot Stove Preview" chat session last Monday, it was revealed that leading baseball analyst Buster Olney is unable to read or write. "Evry teem nedes god pichinq," Olney wrote in response to a question about whether or not he thinks Barry Bonds will resign with the Giants. He added: "RGFlssdas glkfrsfgtyr 578fhs3lka;d." Several ESPN.com contributors, including Jayson Stark and Rob Neyer, came to Olney's defense the following day, saying that they too are illiterate, but believe that skills such as reading or writing are unnecessary in their line of work.

[Dalkowski110]

I can't believe the Onion did something on Olney!! I love it and finally feel vidicated! Moe...Jason Jennings was coming off TJ surgery. Give the guy a chance. Besides, do we even need Aaron Heilman? His starting numbers weren't very good. Just look at Al McBean, Bob Veale, heck Alay Soler to prove that you can be a lights out reliever with a lot of endurance...and completely choke when it comes to starting.

EDIT: Trade talks with the Rockies fell through after they started demanding Mike Pelfrey. There will be no deal. It's dead.

[NYMets523]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11172006/sports/mets/execs__zito_will_end_up_a_met_mets_joel_sherman.ht m

MLB Execs think Zito will be a Met.

[moebarguy]

I trust Minaya. He knows what to look for better than any of us. I just hope he goes after some pitching (i.e. Zito).

I don't trust him at all...he's proven to be poor at evaluating talent (trading away Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips for 2 months of Bartolo Colon)

[moebarguy]

Moe...Jason Jennings was coming off TJ surgery. Give the guy a chance. Besides, do we even need Aaron Heilman? His starting numbers weren't very good. Just look at Al McBean, Bob Veale, heck Alay Soler to prove that you can be a lights out reliever with a lot of endurance...and completely choke when it comes to starting.


He did well as a starter for us too...people tend to forget that:
3-3, 4.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8.4 Dom, 14 BB, and 39 K

Jason Jennings doesn't have good control and Aaron Heilman does.

[Jose Reyes]

Anyone remember the 1-hit shutout Aaron pitched against Florida a year or two ago? That was a pretty decent start. They should at least give him a chance. If for some reason we're unable to resign Glavine or to sign any big free agent pitchers, I'd say he should be our opening day starter!

[moebarguy]

Anyone remember the 1-hit shutout Aaron pitched against Florida a year or two ago? That was a pretty decent start. They should at least give him a chance. If for some reason we're unable to resign Glavine or to sign any big free agent pitchers, I'd say he should be our opening day starter!

Opening day starter? No.
Starter? Yes.

[Dalkowski110]

"I don't trust him at all...he's proven to be poor at evaluating talent (trading away Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips for 2 months of Bartolo Colon)"

In Minaya's defense, that trade was probably forced to have been made. The Expos were such a second-rate team and needed a starting pitcher so badly (with Colon the only option available), that he probably had little choice to pull it off. And how has he been poor at evaluating talent with the Mets? Let's see...he took the team out of the cellar with precisely FIVE homegrown players (Reyes, Wright, Heilman, Feliciano, Anderson Hernandez) on the postseason roster. Yeah, no judge of talent. Quit your rants against Minaya on this thread...move 'em to some place else. Fer cryin' out loud, you sound like that guy who was commenting about the Hindenberg ("Oh this is terrible, this is the worst catastrophe in the world[...]oh the humanity!"). I've been rather lax in enforcing the rules on opinions that cannot be backed up by stats lately, but I'm clamping down now.

As for Heilman, Heilman has also dropped two of his pitches, and is NOT a four-pitch pitcher as is so commonly discussed. He dropped his slider and changeup upon entering the bullpen...he throws a fastball and a curve. For now, he is a two-pitch reliever with some endurance. I honestly have no idea how well he'd pick up the slider and changeup again. He probably could. Could he pitch with the same effectiveness with re-learned pitches? Only time would tell. However, he very obviously couldn't start out the season in the rotation with two pitches. He's not that kind of pitcher.

As for new rumors, the Mets are considering putting up a low bid for Japanese lefthander Kei Igawa. I say a low bid because David Wright, who reportedly talked to Minaya about him, actually faced the guy and commented that he has "a sneaky fastball, a decent changeup, and a flat slider." The lattermost pitch was the one Wright smashed something like 430+ feet.

[moebarguy]

(1) You say he was "probably" forced. You say things so matter of factly. The point is that you and we don't know that's true. It's "probably" like any other one of his moves. He just wanted Bartolo Colon, just like he always targets certain players, and he doesn't really seem to care what he gives up.
(2) How can you give him credit for the development of Jose Reyes, David Wright, and Aaron Heilman? They were here before his time. If he was smart, he would start Heilman, instead of limiting him to the role of a reliever.
(3) For the record, Heilman still throws his change -- not a curve.
(4) The reason why I "rant" about Minaya being terrible is because he is. This is a team that was constructed around talent that he wasn't involved in drafting/signing (Jose Reyes, David Wright, Aaron, Heilman, etc...), but he gets so much credit for signing and trading for big name players. The reality of the matter is if you're a team in NY and you can't attract big names, something is wrong. It doesn't take much to see a guy like Carlos Delgado and say, "hey, he would look good in our lineup," and then trade for him. On a side note, Carlos Delgado did not even want to sign with the Mets -- he felt the Marlins had a better chance of winning. He also claimed that Minaya played the race card too much -- great GM skills, never heard that one before. Also, we gave up a good hitting prospect and our best pitching prospect to get him. Wow, Minaya must be a genius. Then he traded our second best pitching prospect for Paul Lo Duca. Besides the fact that we could have gotten him in the Delgado trade, there were two other good catchers on the FA market. We would not have had to give up our second best pitching prospect to sign someone.
(5) He did a great job "convincing" Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, and Billy Wagner to sign. I guess it was a genius move to give them more years and more money than any other team was offering. Any idiot can sit at a desk, look at the top free agents, and sign them with an endless checkbook. That same idiot can see who is available through trade, and simply send off our top prospects. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the Mets are doing well, but it's not because Minaya has done a great job.
(6) He's doing a terrible job thus far in the off-season. He's already set us back by signing Jose Valentin to be our 2B again. Maybe he can makes things worse by signing Zito to a 6 year, $90 mil contract. Let's watch the guy turn from a guy with #3 starter stuff (who we'd be paying $15 mil per) to a guy with a guy with an ERA hovering 5.00. Let's re-sign Cliff Floyd, or better yet, sign Moises Alou. Or, let's trade for a mid-level starting pitcher like Jason Jennings.
(7) I understand that the market is inflated, but why not go for Julio Lugo before you sign Jose Valentin for $3.8 mil? That only makes Julio Lugo ask for more money. When you make a bad signing, the market goes up.

[DODGER DEB]

Glavine and Zito are on Omar's list. This and more from the NY Daily News today....

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/472582p-397650c.html

c,

[Jose Reyes]

[QUOTE=moebarguy]Opening day starter? No.

So then it's between El Duque and John Maine.

[NYMets523]

[QUOTE=moebarguy]Opening day starter? No.

So then it's between El Duque and John Maine.

I would be as bold to say it is between Zito/Glavine and El Duque.

[moebarguy]

Moises Alou to the Mets?
It's in Spanish, but this article seems to suggest the Mets and Moises Alou are close to deal that includes an $8 million salary for 2007. I can't tell whether it's a one-year deal or it's a multi-year deal that isn't fully reported.

By Jeff Sackmann

Could we make a worse signing than that?

[Dalkowski110]

"On a side note, Carlos Delgado did not even want to sign with the Mets -- he felt the Marlins had a better chance of winning."

On a side note, Jim Duquette was running the Mets when Delgado said so...

You're just sounding silly in this thread. Go somewhere else (as in, start your own thread, it's not like it's difficult...) and start ranting.

From Matthew Cerrone's MetsBlog...

"i’m not going to believe this in full until i see it reported elsewhere…i recall a similar situation like this a few years ago when the ‘friend’ as a source was way off base, and the foreign paper botched the story…"

Yes, the guy who said Alou was close to signing with the Mets is a guy's unnamed friend. Color me unimpressed.

The Mets are also still interested in Julio Lugo (willing to play here for 6 or 7 mil...so much for making Lugo want so much more...) and Mark Loretta.

The Mets are also vigorously pursuing Tom Glavine and Chad Bradford. Another guy they're trying to get, on Rick Peterson's requests mainly, is Barry Zito. Sorry Moe.

No other news.

[moebarguy]

"Delgado nearly joined the Mets last season before signing a $52 million, four-year deal with Florida. But he was disenchanted with the way the Mets recruited him a year ago, saying the team tried to appeal to his Latin heritage too much."--from ESPN, while Minaya was the GM

[Dalkowski110]

There doesn't seem to be much substance to the Alou rumor. The person who reported it cited only a guy a who was SUPPOSEDLY a friend of Alou's. That's not exactly concrete.

[moebarguy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2667558

Seems like it's pretty close to happening...I don't like it

[Dalkowski110]

Strange...the source that broke the story reported a completely different contract...one year only, for 12 million. Another media outlet also had him signed to a one-year contract for 9 million. That, in my mind, cancels out any genuine idea of what the contract would be for, should he sign. Is he close to signing? So far, we have un-cited ESPN (which is accurate if Peter Gammons or Rob Neyer reports it, but, 90% of the time, it might as well be from The National Enquirer if Buster Olney reports it) and "a friend of Alou's." Again, not too terribly convincing. Also, check out ESPN's citation: "Multiple media outlets in New York reported on Saturday that the Mets were close to completing a deal with free agent Moises Alou."

They're citing New York papers for their rumors? I guess they have some kinda rumor quota to fill regarding contending teams...

[NYMets523]

I wish they'd just sign Zito already.

[Dalkowski110]

You might get your wish. The problem in negotiations with Zito is that $cott Bora$ won't take a year off of his contract (6-7 years). The Mets want five years of Barry Zito, and no more. If Bora$ is willing to shave just one year off of Zito's contract, he'll end up in a Mets uniform, and I have no doubts of that. Personally, I can see him being signed by the Mets in late December with Bora$ fighting tooth and nail for that one extra year.

EDIT: Neat...200 posts in this thread now!

[Dalkowski110]

Update on Alou...yet ANOTHER "contract offer" has surfaced, reported by the same Dominican paper that talked to a guy who is supposed to be a friend of Alou's who is the source of the rumor. They decided to put their own contract figure out there: 1 year for 8 million. Somehow, this whole thing is just not that convincing. IMO, it is NOT a done deal. Alou has certain issues (i.e. peeing on his hands) that I can't see Minaya trying to sign for. Like him or hate him, Minaya sings the mantra of team chemistry...and how on earth Moises Alou would contribute AT ALL to that is completely beyond me (unless Felipe Alou somehow becomes the Mets' third base coach, which isn't gonna happen).

EDIT: Good Lord, two more estimates got thrown out there by different sources for money. They seem to be anywhere from 7 million (on the low end) and 12 million (on the high end), and most sources report either a one-year contract with an option or a one-year contract with Alou retiring afterwards to make way for Milledge.

[NYMets523]

I will take the word of a US paper before a Dominican one.

[NYMets523]

You might get your wish. The problem in negotiations with Zito is that $cott Bora$ won't take a year off of his contract (6-7 years). The Mets want five years of Barry Zito, and no more. If Bora$ is willing to shave just one year off of Zito's contract, he'll end up in a Mets uniform, and I have no doubts of that. Personally, I can see him being signed by the Mets in late December with Bora$ fighting tooth and nail for that one extra year.

EDIT: Neat...200 posts in this thread now!

I think they can work it out since Minaya and Bora$$ worked out Beltran's contract.

[Dalkowski110]

"I will take the word of a US paper before a Dominican one."

Ditto, especially because no two papers have the details straight.

They did work out Beltran's contract, but shaving years off of it wasn't what Minaya wanted to do...he just shaved money off of it. On the other hand, I don't think Bora$ has ever been confronted with a scenario saying that the team WILL pay the money, but not give the client the amount of years that Bora$ wants. It's almost always the other way around.

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

I can't believe Omah would be seriously considering signing Alou. If/when healthy, Alou is still an excellent hitter (a better hitter than Duque is a pitcher), but where would that leave Milledge.

I am willing to chalk the report up to Winter Pot Banter. Although, how funny would it be if he did sign? Luckily there isn't a limit on how many players you can DL...

-------

EDIT.

So if Lugo is really only asking for about 7 mil a year, what is Omah waiting for? If he didn't jump the gun and resigned Valentin so early to an unnecessarily big contract (I doubt there was a huge line waiting to snatch Valentin), Lugo might be a Met now.

If they wanna trade Heilman for Jennings, I'd rather just let Heilman start.

[moebarguy]

I can't believe Omah would be seriously considering signing Alou. If/when healthy, Alou is still an excellent hitter (a better hitter than Duque is a pitcher), but where would that leave Milledge.

I am willing to chalk the report up to Winter Pot Banter. Although, how funny would it be if he did sign? Luckily there isn't a limit on how many players you can DL...

-------

EDIT.

So if Lugo is really only asking for about 7 mil a year, what is Omah waiting for? If he didn't jump the gun and resigned Valentin so early to an unnecessarily big contract (I doubt there was a huge line waiting to snatch Valentin), Lugo might be a Met now.

If they wanna trade Heilman for Jennings, I'd rather just let Heilman start.

Took the words right out of my mouth...all of them

[Dalkowski110]

My guess is that Lugo's agent advised him to consider offers from other teams. He still has his heart set on signing with the Mets, but the Red Sox and Blue Jays are also very seriously pursuing him. I have a feeling he'll be our starting second baseman, especially because the Mets have stated that Valentin won't be a starter, nor even a platoon player. And Easley is just a utility guy. If not Lugo, then definitely Loretta. Even though Lugo was acquitted in assaulting his wife, in baseball, you're generally guilty until proven innocent. In Julio Lugo's case, that's EXTREMELY unfortunate.

"I am willing to chalk the report up to Winter Pot Banter."

Same. All of the sources, even a recent AP report that managed to get its math wrong ("Mets, Alou, close to one-year deal with option in 2009"), come off of that Dominican newspaper. Because the contract estimates are so wildly varied, I doubt there has been a contract that's even come close to being finalized. I tend to think this is another resigning of Cliff Floyd-type rumor.

Where would it leave Lastings Milledge IF TRUE? Simple...

There's been rampant speculation that Shawn Green will be platooned with a young, righty bat. Ben Johnson was a utility pickup, and will likely take on the role Milledge did in '06...secondary utility outfielder to Endy Chavez. I trust this rumor because Minaya actually stated that Johnson would take on a backup role (versus a platoon role), and that Milledge would be a "perfect fit" for a corner outfield position. Right now, he's turned down a trade already (Javier Vazquez) because the White Sox asked for Milledge. My guess is he's platooning with Shawn Green. If, by chance, Alou IS signed (which would be to a one-year deal only, then he'd likely retire...not to mention Green's contract expires after the upcoming season), I would expect Milledge to come off of the bench, as well, basically being eased into the New York environment (btw...does the media coverage of Lastings Milledge remind anyone of that of Jose Reyes when he first came up, and was either "faking it," "dogging it," "too injury-prone," "swings too freely," and "doesn't hustle"?).

Or, there's this option...

Milledge stays down with the New Orleans Zephyrs until the roster expands. No longer seeing a need for Ben Johnson, he's traded to some worthless team for a pitching project. When Alou retires in '08, Milledge starts. And when Green's contract expires after '07, Carlos Gomez (who you'll see once the roster expands) starts. Assuming little change, you'd have this lineup...

SS Jose Reyes
Corner OF Carlos Gomez
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
3B David Wright
Corner OF Lastings Milledge
C Paul Lo Duca
2B ???
Pitcher

I'd hate to have to face those guys...

BTW, regarding Heilman, right now he's a three-pitch reliever (sorry, I was wrong, he does throw a change). He has to re-learn his curve, slider, and some of the other fancy stuff he threw. Although, as I'm typing, I'm beginning to wonder if all of those extra pitches were fouling up his performance. It's not like it hasn't happened before to other pitchers. Ya know, as I'm typing, the prospect of having him start (although he MUST relearn his curveball) does seem a good possibility if the Mets can't pick anyone else up. He makes up for the talent that guys like Humber and Pelfrey have with maturity and experience. Definitely better than Brian Bannister, especially with regards to his K/BB ratio.

[Baseball Guru]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-mets-alou&prov=ap&type=lgns

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
November 19, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Mets were close to an agreement Saturday on a one-year contract with Moises Alou, who would replace oft-injured left fielder Cliff Floyd.

The deal, worth about $8 million to $9 million, would contain an option for 2009. Alou would have to pass a physical before the contract is finalized. The negotiations were disclosed by a baseball official who spoke on condition of anonymity because talks were ongoing.

The son of former San Francisco manager Felipe Alou, Moises hit .301 this year with 22 homers and 74 RBIs in 345 at-bats for the Giants. The 40-year-old Alou, a six-time All-Star, also has a .301 career average in 15 major league seasons.

Floyd, hobbled by an Achilles' tendon problem for much of the year, batted .244 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs. Completing a $26 million, four-year contract, Floyd said at the end of the postseason that he didn't think the Mets were likely to re-sign him.

With Alou in left, Carlos Beltran in center and Shawn Green in right, the Mets could move to trade Lastings Milledge, who had a difficult rookie season and appeared to be at odds with some teammates.

The Mets are confident Alou, one of 11 potential free agents on San Francisco's 2006 roster, can stay healthy and provide a big bat in the middle of their lineup. He is a right-handed hitter -- the Mets struggled against left-handed pitchers at times after trading Xavier Nady to Pittsburgh on July 31.

While Alou has dealt with leg injuries that sometimes sidelined him for long stints, he said after this season that he planned to keep playing. He still thinks he can contribute on a full-time basis in the outfield and be the dangerous RBI guy he's been for years.

Alou missed time the past two seasons with a variety of injuries, including a troublesome right calf that he has repeatedly strained and a right hamstring injury. In 2006, Alou was on the disabled list with a lower back strain in late June and also missed time with a right ankle sprain.

The Oakland Athletics said Friday that they had been in touch with Alou's representatives recently.

Alou cherished the chance to play for his manager father, Felipe, the past two seasons in San Francisco -- a reunion for the two after Felipe also managed his son in Montreal.

New York also faces a Monday deadline to decide on left-hander Tom Glavine's $14 million option. Glavine is unsure whether he wants to stay with the Mets or return to the Atlanta Braves, his team from 1987-2002.

AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to his report.

[Baseball Guru]

So, anyone else not thrilled by the prospect of signing Alou?

[Mr. Met]

It's not so thrilling on the surface but I'm interested to see what future moves this sets up.

[Jose Reyes]

I can't think of a worse move than signing Alou. He's older and just as injury prone as Cliff, less talented than Cliff, and will cost like ten times as much.

[Dalkowski110]

Umm...anyone else notice something...?

"The New York Mets were close to an agreement Saturday on a one-year contract with Moises Alou, who would replace oft-injured left fielder Cliff Floyd.

The deal, worth about $8 million to $9 million, would contain an option for 2009."

Okay, a one-year contract. That lasts from this off-season (2006) to next off-season (2007). 2009??? So much for accurate reporting...

[Dalkowski110]

Updates...

The usual, Mets are pursuing Zito and Glavine, but here's something new...they're also going *hard* after Alfonso Soriano, according to multiple sources. Apparently, this is why the Alou deal hasn't closed yet. Soriano would most likely play left field. But there's some good news on the pitching front, and by that I mean Pelfrey and Humber are going nowhere...

"The Chicago White Sox want one of the Mets’ premier pitching prospects, Phil Humber or Mike Pelfrey, and the Mets are unwilling to part with them for Javier Vázquez or Freddy García."

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

Omah sure is going the "proven" veterans route. If Alou really becomes a Met, it's not the worst thing in the world. It's just a one year deal, and he can still hit. I thought he was done a few yrs ago, but whatever he's been taking, it's good for him. 3 straight years of over 900 OPS. He's a better hitter than Floyd and he's only about as fragile despite being older. Be happy if he racks up 400 ABs. If/when Alou's on the shelf, Milledge can start everyday, assuming he's still here.

[moebarguy]

I think Alou is still a good hitter, but the fact that he can't stay healthy for an entire year makes me think that paying $8-9 mil for him is a waste of money.

[Dalkowski110]

Well, Soriano was inken by the Cubs. I don't think anyone expected that (my bets were on the Angels!). With him out of the way, Alou seems (unfortunately) very probable. The only upside to signing him seems to be that he'll likely retire this year. That would make me guess the following about Lastings Milledge...
He plays every day with New Orleans until rosters expand. Then, with Alou gone, he starts.

MLB.com reported it was close, but it's been "on the verge of happening" for three days now. Something smells...

[Jose Reyes]

I'd rather just start Milledge from the beginning than sign Alou to an $8 million contract for only 400 ABs if we think he'll get injured that soon.

The Mets have also reportedly lost the bidding war for Soriano so I guess it will definitely be Alou and Milledge in left. I've heard one article say that Alou could be like Frank Thomas from last year so I guess we just have to hope for the best.

[Mr. Met]

Perhaps they still had their line in the Soriano water. If what I'm hearing is true about the Soriano/Cubs deal (8 yrs./$130M+), I see Mets' money being spent much more wisely elsewhere.

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

That is really crazy to sign Soriano to 8 yrs @17 per. Beltran's deal looks like a huge bargain.

It's pretty obvious now that Soriano was probably dogging it in TEX after he got traded. Then when there was money to be had he picked up his game. Now that he's got an 8 year deal in his pocket, is he gonna maintain his motivation?

[Dalkowski110]

Julio Lugo, strangely, has actually stated, seriously and literally, he'd play left field if that's what it took to come to the Mets. My guess is that Lugo will eventually wind up with the Mets, but the question is where...second or left? They have an interest in Mark Loretta, too. But my guess is that Minaya isn't willing to risk putting a guy who has played precisely 10 games there in LF. Although signing Lugo and Loretta would certainly be preferable to Alou and possibly Lugo.

[moebarguy]

How about signing Lugo, then going back in time, and not signing Jose freaking Valentin?

[Dalkowski110]

After walking right into ESPN Insider without having to pay (is their security system down???), I took two very interesting rumors from the blog of Peter Gammons (who is usually pretty reliable)...

-The Mets are favored for Julio Lugo. However, if they're unable to obtain him, Mark Loretta would be the second baseman, possibly platooning with Valentin, although probably not.

-The Mets are not willing to trade Lastings Milledge.

[moebarguy]

With all the surrounding rumors, our lineup looks pretty solid overall:
SS Jose Reyes (S)
2B Julio Lugo (R)
CF Carlos Beltran (S)
1B Carlos Delgado (L)
3B David Wright (R)
LF Moises Alou (R)
RF Shawn Green (L)/Ben Johnson (R)/Endy Chavez (L)/Jose Valentin (S)
C Paul Lo Duca (R)

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

Something about the Lugo situation doesn't add up. Either he is not truthful about willing to play for the Mets for 6 or 7 mil per year or Omah doesn't want him. Otherwise, if he wants to be a Met so badly and if the Mets also want him, why isn't he already a Met and why did Omah rush to sign Valentin to more money than needed? What team rushes to sign a backup to starter money when there's a willing starting player to be had at a discount?

Lugo at least adds the dimension of speed. Loretta is a similar enough hitter to Loduca now that Loretta has reverted back to his normal self (*wink wink*) that I don't really see the upside of adding him.

[Dalkowski110]

Looking at it, it seems the 6-7 mil was a lowballed figure. Lugo wants 30 million over four years from the other teams. My guess is that he wants 16-17 million for the same amount of time with the Mets. BTW, I don't think Loretta was roiding. He's not falling apart and his head isn't the size of a carnival balloon. Lo Duca could've just as easily been corking his bat, btw. I seem to recall he was ejected and then suspended in the Minors for corking not once but twice. Look what that did for Norm Cash's numbers in 1961 (and Amos Otis's numbers throughout his career). I remember there was a lot of speculation from our number that Delgado was 'roiding, which is ridiculous, especially considering that he managed to gain a sum total of 14 pounds over his career since he was drafted in 1992. There were also accusations made by other fans about Beltran when he had this season, and he's only gained around 15 lbs. since 1995 when he was drafted.

BTW, I could at least live with that lineup for a season. I think, depending on our pitching, it could take us to the WS.

[Dalkowski110]

You Daily Updates...

Tom Glavine is no longer a lock. There's extreme doubt he'll excercise his club option for this year, and we may know by tomorrow if he's going to the Braves or staying with the Mets. The downside of Glavine leaving, of course, is putting Lastings Milledge in jeopardy; i.e., he might have to be traded for a starter to fill the rotation. I'd keep Glavine in order to keep Milledge. However, Glavine has no idea if the Braves even want him to pitch for them, and they'd likely low-ball an offer. He may yet return.

The Mark Mulder rumors have been rather silent as of late, but I finally found one. The Mets are expressing interest, but would like to get two other starters (Glavine and Zito) first. They could lose the "race" on the guy, but I see it as having absolutely no impact whatsoever.

The Mets are going harder than ever after Barry Zito. He may not be an ace, but Minaya doesn't want to trade away his young pitching, or put Milledge/Gomez/F-Mart in jeopardy. They're also willing to approach negotiating with Boras in his typical way...either Zito plays no more than five years for the salary he wants, or he takes a cut in what he wants monetarily and stays for the amount of years he wants. Good approach, which is what they should have been doing all along...

More rumors about Julio Lugo. Finally, a contract number! $17 million for three, maybe four years if with the Mets. I was right...somebody deleted $10 mil.

The most fascinating thing is that not a peep has been uttered about Moises Alou. Absolutely nothing. Did it fall through? Or was it overhyped like the supposed Floyd resigning? Who knows? We may find out by the end of the day.

A rumor I would discount is the one offering up Milledge for Javier Vazquez or Freddy Garcia. Minaya actually said he wouldn't trade Milledge for either pitcher, or for Jason Jennings, the other name that's repeatedly come up.

[Dalkowski110]

Hmm...seems we're in the running for Kei Igawa...

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061120&content_id=1743702&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp

Thing is, this is the guy who David Wright, giving him every possible excuse, regardless said had "a sneaky fastball, a changeup, and a flat slider." Also, in a poll that was taken in Japan during the past year, 70% of Japanese fans believed Igawa wasn't a Major League quality pitcher. Bid $3 mil on him if you can't resign Glavine or don't stand a chance at Zito (hey, I know we may not like him, but he's really the only option available, unfortunately, with Jason Schmidt seeming like a lock for the Mariners). Unlike D-Mat, I can see this guy becoming the next Irabu or next Komiyama or next Kashiwada or next Takatsu or whatever.

For better news, I've read that Michel Abreu will probably be on our 40-man roster, maybe even our 25-man roster, for the upcoming season.

[Dalkowski110]

EDIT: With an explanation of why Alou pisses on his hands that doesn't sound psychotic, and with a one-year, 7.5 million dollar deal, plus Milledge having more time to develop in the Minors, I don't think it was a bad signing. Still, rumors of Lugo, Loretta, Zito, and Glavine all abound. It's not over yet...

BTW, add Adam Bostick to our list of "untouchable young pitchers"...the Owens/Lindstrom deal wasn't for Jason Vargas...it was for this guy...

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

You Daily Updates...

Tom Glavine is no longer a lock. There's extreme doubt he'll excercise his club option for this year, and we may know by tomorrow if he's going to the Braves or staying with the Mets. The downside of Glavine leaving, of course, is putting Lastings Milledge in jeopardy; i.e., he might have to be traded for a starter to fill the rotation. I'd keep Glavine in order to keep Milledge. However, Glavine has no idea if the Braves even want him to pitch for them, and they'd likely low-ball an offer. He may yet return.

The Mark Mulder rumors have been rather silent as of late, but I finally found one. The Mets are expressing interest, but would like to get two other starters (Glavine and Zito) first. They could lose the "race" on the guy, but I see it as having absolutely no impact whatsoever.

The Mets are going harder than ever after Barry Zito. He may not be an ace, but Minaya doesn't want to trade away his young pitching, or put Milledge/Gomez/F-Mart in jeopardy. They're also willing to approach negotiating with Boras in his typical way...either Zito plays no more than five years for the salary he wants, or he takes a cut in what he wants monetarily and stays for the amount of years he wants. Good approach, which is what they should have been doing all along...

More rumors about Julio Lugo. Finally, a contract number! $17 million for three, maybe four years if with the Mets. I was right...somebody deleted $10 mil.

The most fascinating thing is that not a peep has been uttered about Moises Alou. Absolutely nothing. Did it fall through? Or was it overhyped like the supposed Floyd resigning? Who knows? We may find out by the end of the day.

A rumor I would discount is the one offering up Milledge for Javier Vazquez or Freddy Garcia. Minaya actually said he wouldn't trade Milledge for either pitcher, or for Jason Jennings, the other name that's repeatedly come up."

If it's really 17 for 3 with Lugo, it's really cheap. He's about as good as Furcal (with less power) and god knows how much Furcal makes. I thought he was wanting 7 mil per with the Mets, if he's wanting less than that. Sign him up.

[Dalkowski110]

Fortunately, I have a feeling Lugo is going to wind up our second baseman next year. I wonder where you put his bat specifically (second? eigth?), especially since signing Moises Alou REALLY reshuffles the order. You could have this...

SS Jose Reyes
C Paul Lo Duca
CF Carlos Beltran
LF Moises Alou
1B Carlos Delgado
3B David Wright
RF Shawn Green
2B Julio Lugo

Okay, okay, I know, I have Delgado batting behind Alou. But look...L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R (considering the switch hitters are all natural lefties). How do you even pitch to that lineup? It would almost completely trump lefty/righty specialist relievers...you'd have to be crazy to warm three guys up at once.

[NYMets523]

Provided they are able to hit, it would be quite a intimidating lineup. We filled the LF spot, now I want to see 2B and #1 get filled (ie Lugo and Zito)

[Dalkowski110]

Daily Updates...

Lastings Milledge is going absolutely nowhere. I think Minaya finally sealed the lid on that with this statement...

"Lastings is as much in our plans for '07, as he is for '08, '09 and beyond," Minaya said. "What this does is allow Lastings to play - whether it's at the major leagues or wherever - but we don't have to go into next year feeling that his right-handed bat needs to be a run-producing bat."

Carlos Gomez has been added to the 40-man roster.

The biggest question mark right now seems to be Tom Glavine. Atlanta seems to be his only realistic choice aside from the Mets, but the thing is, we don't even know if the Braves want him. If he goes, expect Barry Zito to sign for whatever he wants. And Vincente Padilla's name has now come up in case Glavine doesn't come back. Thus, I'm really hoping he comes back. However, there is one advantage on not exercising his club option...if he returns from Atlanta unsuccessful (and I have a feeling he will...the Braves organization seems only concerned with keeping Smoltz and Chipper Jones and dumping the rest of their veteran players), the Mets would be in a position to offer him less money and still sign him.

Chad Bradford has already rejected offers from the Phillies and Yankees and is awaiting an offer from the Baltimore Orioles. If you're waiting for an offer from the Orioles, my guess is that you tested the market, you're waiting for the contract so you can say "no," and then go back to the Mets. That's good news. No idea where Darren Oliver stands, but again, that rumor that the Yankees sign him to be their long guy (they don't have a long guy...) by throwing money at him seems to make sense (unfortunately).

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

Fortunately, I have a feeling Lugo is going to wind up our second baseman next year. I wonder where you put his bat specifically (second? eigth?), especially since signing Moises Alou REALLY reshuffles the order. You could have this...

SS Jose Reyes
C Paul Lo Duca
CF Carlos Beltran
LF Moises Alou
1B Carlos Delgado
3B David Wright
RF Shawn Green
2B Julio Lugo

Okay, okay, I know, I have Delgado batting behind Alou. But look...L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R (considering the switch hitters are all natural lefties). How do you even pitch to that lineup? It would almost completely trump lefty/righty specialist relievers...you'd have to be crazy to warm three guys up at once.

If Lugo signs, I'd put him 2.

Drop Loduca to 6 or 7.

[Dalkowski110]

Problem with that is that Lo Duca's production drops as he drops in the lineup. His best stats come as a number 2 hitter. Lugo doesn't have this problem...no matter where you stick him in the lineup, he produces.

[moebarguy]

Problem with that is that Lo Duca's production drops as he drops in the lineup. His best stats come as a number 2 hitter. Lugo doesn't have this problem...no matter where you stick him in the lineup, he produces.

I guess that depends on what type of production you're looking for. He doesn't hit for power anymore, despite the fact that he saw more strikes last season, so a drop in the order shouldn't hurt his HR total. Also, his 49 RBI last season was his lowest total in his career as a starter, so a move towards the bottom of the order would get him more RBI chances.

The thought behind putting Lugo second in the order is having much more speed at the top. While we all know that Reyes and Beltran can fly around the bases, Lo Duca cannot. Having Reyes, Lugo, and Beltran as our 1-2-3 is pretty devastating for the opposing team -- you really don't want to put any of those guys on base since a single will turn into an extra base. It would also be a waste to have someone with some much speed, like Lugo, at the bottom of the order since he would be hitting behind everyone -- most likely with two outs or guys on.

Since Lo Duca doesn't seem to strike out often, having him at the bottom of the order will make a nice balance to the lineup. He has the potential to start up rallies so Reyes can knock him in.

[Jose Reyes]

No way Alou bats cleanup. I'd bat him behind Green.

Reyes S
Lo Duca R
Beltran S
Delgado L
Wright R
Green L
Alou R
Lugo R

I know you want to go for the L-R-L-R thing but c'mon, batting Alou in the cleanup spot instead of Delgado?? That's getting a little crazy. We don't even know if he can play anymore, so signing him for $8 mil a year was crazy enough.

Anyway what are your expectations for Alou this year? I'm not really sure what to expect but the bare minimum I'm expecting of him is something like .260 avg, 20 homers, 80 rbis. Anything better than that and I will be very happy with him.

[moebarguy]

I'm expecting at least .280 BA, 20+ HR, 80+ RBI...
Reyes
Lugo
Beltran
Delgado
Wright
Alou
Green
Lo Duca

[Dalkowski110]

Alright, alright, forget batting him ahead of Delgado...

BUT BEHIND GREEN? You'd bat a guy who belted 20 homers with a .301 AVG and .884 OPS behind Green's 15 homers, .277 AVG and, .776 OPS? Put him in Floyd's old spot. Moe has a point about Lo Duca, and I'd actually stick him in front of Green (higher AVG, OPS, and OPB...heck, his SLG was actually pretty close to Green's!). Green is REALLY overhyped, and just another lefty bat who can hit decently but can't field.

"at least .280 BA, 20+ HR, 80+ RBI"

Amen. I think he'll probably get that far even with stints on the DL.

[Joltin Joe Giradio]

I would swap green and loduca depending on lefty or righty pitcher.

I think offensively, Lugo is similar to Loduca except Lugo has more speed and he strikes out more. With a power laden middle of the order and a potentially mediocre starting staff, I really don't think Mets should be looking to play small-ball. How much good does a grounder that moves a runner up do if the next guys smack the ball all over the place anyway?

Don't get me wrong, there are situations when you need guys like Loduca, but there's no guarantee that when such situations arise, the key point will be at the 2 spot. Loduca can still be in those situations when he's batting elsewhere. In general, I feel having Loduca further down helps more.

Still, if Loduca is healthy starting the year, I can't see Willie moving him out of the 2 hole. He'll continue to put the ball in play, hit about .280 and many fans will think he's doing a great job.

[Dalkowski110]

"Still, if Loduca is healthy starting the year, I can't see Willie moving him out of the 2 hole. He'll continue to put the ball in play, hit about .280 and many fans will think he's doing a great job."

Actually, Randolph seriously considered switching Lo Duca and Wright during Spring Training of this past season. He may yet change his mind...

I tend to agree about Lo Duca's stats, although I think he may bat about .295 or .300.

[dmbfan]

Did I miss something??? The Mets signed Lugo????

But seriously, not including the potential signing of Lugo, the Mets order should and would look like such:

Reyes
LoDuca
Beltran
Delgado
Wright
Alou
Green
Valentin or whoever plays 2nd
Pitcher

This is the lineup that worked this past season and will work again. Now, if the Mets do indeed sign Lugo, then a lot of scenarios can be played out such as what has already been discussed. Until that time, I believe that Randolph will stick with what works. The whole purpose of signing Alou was to slot him into Floyd's spot in the field and the batting order so that Milledge can get some more time without the pressure of having to step right in and produce.

Let's not forget that it is only Thanksgiving time and Minaya will probably make more moves that will make all of this a mute point anyway.

[moebarguy]

No, Lugo has not been signed...but rumors have led us to think that he wants to be a Met

[Dalkowski110]

Not to mention his rather straight-forward statement made earlier this offseason...

"I want to play with the New York Mets."

[moebarguy]

Not to mention his rather straight-forward statement made earlier this offseason...

"I want to play with the New York Mets."

So...I used to tell people that, but no one took me seriously :D

[Jose Reyes]

Anyone think Anderson Hernandez can still start? He has had offensive success in the minors so we know he can hit although his major league hitting hasn't been great so far. But if you remember he was really smacking the ball for the last 2 weeks of the season. He is also a gold glove caliber defender at 2nd base and has 40+ steal speed. I haven't given up on him quite yet. If we don't sign Lugo do you think that Anderson can take the starting job if he has a good spring training?

[Dalkowski110]

"Anyone think Anderson Hernandez can still start?"

He'd have to hit like Ty Cobb in Spring Training if he did...he makes Rey Ordonez look like a big bat, at this point...even if he was hitting the last two weeks of the season, he still managed .048 below the Mendoza Line...

[Dalkowski110]

Daily Updates...

The Braves are offering Glavine not as much as the Mets, supposedly, and Jeff Wilpon is fairly confident he'll return. That said, John Schuerholz is a pretty good GM. Who knows? Anyway, this was the only rumor I could find...hot stove isn't too hot right now.

EDIT:

Well, okay, after some digging, we're pursuing Zito and Lugo, too, it seems. Not much new AT ALL.