Report: Mets Sign Graves

[Guest Iubitul]

story

Report: Mets sign reliever Graves

June 7, 2005
CBS SportsLine.com staff and wire reports


The Mets have come to terms with reliever Danny Graves, cast aside by the Cincinnati Reds last week, on a one-year contract and a team option for 2006, Newsday reported Tuesday.

Newsday reports that Graves, 31, will earn the prorated minimum ($300,000) for 2005. The Mets can exercise a $5 million option on him for 2006, or they can buy out the option for $500,000.

Graves is earning $6.25 million from the Reds this season. Before getting released by the Reds, he went 1-1 with 10 saves and a 7.36 ERA.

The right-hander won't report to the Mets for a few days, Newsday reported. When he comes, he will probably start in long relief, but could quickly rise to set-up man and even challenge Braden Looper for closing duties.

[Frayed Knot]

If accurate, those are reasonable enough terms to make this a good signing. Essentially, that's about 700K for the rest of the year because he'd have to pitch almost out of his mind to get that option picked up.
He's worth that risk.

[Piggiestomatoes]

Got to agree. Pro-rated minimum plus a $500k buy-out. Maybe Rick can work with him and help with a little consistency.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Everybody has this except the Mets site. I guess it's a matter of having roster space for Graves before they can make it official.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Mark Hale from the Post said that Graves worked out for Peterson yesterday. Loopy gets a little touchy.

http://www.nypost.com/sports/mets/24856.htm

[Guest abogdan]

He's better than Manny Aybar. But if Graves takes the place of a reliever under 30, I don't like this signing.

[duan]

yeah; who'd do you bump from the 25 man.

I mean part of me would suggest freakin' Ishii and put Heillman back in the rotation

[Guest sharpie]

Dejean. Graves is a similar pitcher but (most of the time) better.

[Guest vtmet]

Mets are still denying that he's a Met...

[smg58]

I would think it would have to be Aybar. We're paying DeJean too much (not my idea!) to demote him. I'll be upset if they demote Heath Bell or Heilman.

[Guest Rotblatt]

I'm guessing it's either DeJean or Aybar, although Ishii's a possibility too.

I'd really like to see us drop DeJean, move Ishii to the pen, and put Heilman in there. The boy's been good and deserves a cookie.

If we send down Bell or Heilman, Willie deserves to be bitch slapped. But I don't think he'll do it.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Before you get your pimp up, it may not be Willie's call.

[Elster88]

That's what I was wondering - who does make those calls?

[soupcan]

Gotta be Minaya's with (hopefully) input from Willie and Peterson.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Good point. I guess Minaya would be able to overrule Willie, especially for peeps without options. But I don't think Minaya is foolish enough to get rid of our 2nd best reliever (Bell) or our 3rd best starter (Heilman)--even though he's not starting right now.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Unless you consider Heilman the second best reliever, which he actually may be at this moment. In any case, Bell and Heilman should stay.

Think they'd be ballsy enough to go with no lefties in the pen?

[duan]

about "no lefties" being ballsy; certainly if you've no effective lefties there's no point in having them at the expense of righties who can do a decent job against left handed batters but I don't think we've given Ring a reasonable whirl yet.

[seawolf17]

John Minko on the FAN just reported that "the Mets say Graves will be at the stadium tonight."

Whatever that's supposed to mean. Maybe he correctly remembered the Turning Point of the Game, and that was his prize.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

duan wrote: about "no lefties" being ballsy; certainly if you've no effective lefties there's no point in having them at the expense of righties who can do a decent job against left handed batters but I don't think we've given Ring a reasonable whirl yet.

Hey the quote thing works.

You betcha. While I agree Ring deserves a real tire-kicking while he's up here, I don't suspect he'll turn out to be a lefty killer, necessarily. Koo to me seems best suited among the availables for a strict LOOGY assignment, which seems like a big waste till you realize he has to get out Abreu and Thome a million times this year. Just a suspicion but Steve Colyer might be better: Better K #'s, more gas than Ring.

Your point to not stock with lefties at the expense of a better righy can't be emphasized emphatically enuf tho.

[Theoldmole]

Maybe it means they're burying the Astros.

[Guest SI Metman]

Graves seen at Shea wearing #32 and throwing a few pitches off the mound.

[Gwreck]

Graves interviewed by Eddie C. on the pre-game show.

Relevant parts:
Says he signed with the Mets b/c they were the only ones interested in him past this year.

Says his poor numbers are due to mechanics problems / not being able to "get in the groove this year"

Says Cameron was one of his top 5 teammates in his career.

[soupcan]

Says Cameron was one of his top 5 teammates in his career

Not the first time we've head that.

Cammy must be an awfully fine fella.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Did he say that Rick could fix his mechanical problems?

[Gwreck]

Said he was looking forward for the chance to work with Peterson but hadn't really had the opportunity to. Seemed to be insinuating that he can't start working a lot with him until they have all the contract stuff done (?).

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Who moved to make room for him?

[Gwreck]

I don't think he's been added to the roster yet. Probably not for another day or two seemed to be the indication.

[Frayed Knot]

Graves made reference to some "legal technicalities" that prevent things from being finalized.
Not sure what that means, except that it means he's signed ... just not yet signed.

[metirish]

Ted on the TV said the hold up was Omar and the player Rep working on the buy-out if Graves is not picked up next year, not a huge problem though...

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Pedro's on board with my plan for the Mets to market Graves like a crazy guy.