All-Purpose Mets-Related Trade Rumors Thread

[Guest Rotblatt]

Let's keep this to rumors by news sources--that includes "news" sources like the Daily News, the Post, etc. I'm having a hard time tracking everything between the various threads. I'll kick it off with this:

]Milwaukee -- J.T. Snow's nine-year run in San Francisco could be over after this season. Heck, it could be over this week. The Mets have been eying Snow as a potential replacement for an underperforming Doug Mientkiewicz.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/07/29/SPGQCDULTI1.DTL

[Guest Rotblatt]

Daily News: Soriano Not Likely

]HOUSTON - Fever-pitched rumors of an imminent Alfonso Soriano trade to the Mets - with Mike Cameron and Lastings Milledge headed to Texas - likely had Mets brass amused. A source said Rangers and Mets officials hadn't even spoken as of yesterday afternoon. Mets officials increasingly believe they'll make no significant change before Sunday's trading deadline. One stat that has given pause to Mets officials is Soriano's .240 average with eight homers and 21 RBI through 196 at-bats away from Arlington this season.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/332592p-284214c.html

[Guest Rotblatt]

Star-Ledger Says Soriano Possible, Huff Not

]Soriano deal still in works for Mets Friday, July 29, 2005 BY DAN GRAZIANO Star-Ledger Staff NEW YORK -- All those questions about whether the Mets would be buyers or sellers at the deadline seem to have been answered now, as they appear determined to land Alfonso Soriano before Sunday's non-waiver trade deadline. Yesterday found the Mets still hard at work on a deal that would bring them the Texas Rangers second baseman. As of last night, the sides were discussing a deal that would send right fielder Mike Cameron, outfield prospect Lastings Milledge and a pitching prospect -- possibly Yusmeiro Petit -- to the Rangers for Soriano and 23-year-old first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Final details had yet to be worked out, and some of the names could change, but the Mets are working to finalizing the deal in some form before Sunday's 4 p.m. deadline. There also was word circulating yesterday that the Mets were one of the teams interested in getting Aubrey Huff from the Devil Rays, but a Mets official said there was no truth to it. The Mets are not out to grab whatever hitter they can get -- they like Soriano and are willing to stand pat on offense if they can't get him.

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/112261276696400.xml&coll=1

[metirish]

Is Snow an improvment over Doug Mink?

AVG
.272

HR
2

RBI
22

OPB
.341

[Guest Rotblatt]

I don't think so. Doesn't make sense to me unless Snow's part of a package and we're moving Dougie somewhere else as part of another package.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Sherman says we're looking at Manny, but we'd have to give up "equal value" which means it's not likely.
http://www.nypost.com/sports/26396.htm

]TRADE ABATE Joel Sherman July 29, 2005 -- Trade Deadline CONFIDENTIAL Omar Minaya has an infatuation with Manny Ramirez's bat, so when the Mets learned the slugger wants out of Boston they called yesterday to inquire about his availability. But just like last offseason when the Mets pursued Ramirez, the chances of making a deal are not strong for three reasons: 1) The Red Sox won a championship last year and are in first place now, and as badly as they might like to dispatch Ramirez's bad contract and attitude, they will not do so if it lessens their repeat chances. 2) Ramirez is owed $57 million over three years after this season. The Red Sox are not looking to salary dump and the Wilpons do not want the Mets to exceed the luxury tax. 3) Ramirez leads the majors with 92 RBIs, and the Red Sox do not see in this poor trade market or in a dismal upcoming free-agent market a chance to replicate that kind of production. Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said on Boston radio station WEEI yesterday that this was the fourth straight year Ramirez has requested a trade, and acknowledged that "because of the size of his contract" that it would be difficult to move the outfielder. For the Red Sox, this is not like last year with Nomar Garciaparra, an injury-plagued, underperforming malcontent. At the time the Red Sox dealt the shortstop, they were still cursed and not in a playoff spot, and Garciaparra was a soon-to-be free agent whom the organization did not think it could sign. Boston management felt it needed a seismic shakeup to a club that was title-less for 86 years. The Mets heard from the Red Sox that Boston wants equal talent and is not simply in salary dump mode. So the Mets can forget about simply swapping Massachusetts native Tom Glavine to wash some payroll. The Mets believe it would be difficult to satisfy the Red Sox's needs without damaging too many other areas on their club even while they addressed their biggest weakness: an RBI bat. With Trot Nixon hurt and Johnny Damon a free agent, Boston could use an outfielder who can play center, and the Red Sox also need both bullpen and rotation help. Still, would Mike Cameron, Kris Benson and Braden Looper be enough? Probably not. And if it were, could the Mets give it up and - even with Ramirez - feel like they had not sprung leaks elsewhere that were irreparable during the season? The Red Sox put Ramirez on waivers after the 2003 season, at which time any team could have had him by just paying his contract. But that was at a time when Boston was imagining adding Alex Rodriguez's contract in his place. Now the Red Sox see no such replacement. So despite mutual annoyance at the moment, the marriage likely will last. The Red Sox are irritated now because in the week in which he asked for a trade, Ramirez disappeared into the Green Monster to relieve himself while a game was in play, jogged to first on a potential double-play ball in a critical moment Tuesday against Tampa and sat out Wednesday though manager Terry Francona appealed to him to play because Trot Nixon had to be put on the DL.

[Guest Rotblatt]

From Baseball Prospectus:

]Friday, July 29, 1:40 p.m. ET: Friend of BP Bruce Miles has a couple interesting notes in his latest column at the Arlington Daily Herald. He says the Cubs aren't talking with the Angels about Corey Patterson and that the Cubs' interest in the Soriano deal might not be focused on Soriano at all. The Rangers and Mets could get the Cubs involved another way, moving Cliff Floyd to Chicago in return for a couple of their pitching prospects (Sergio Mitre? Todd Wellemeyer?) moving to Texas. My best New York source doesn't like this deal--"It leaves a hole in the outfield for the Mets"--so we'll keep listening.

Hm. So in this deal, we'd give up Floyd & either Cameron, Zambrano or Heilman and get back Soriano--no indication if Gonzalez would be included.

If we're losing both Floyd & Cameron, that seems like an awfully steep price for Soriano, especially since we'd still have an extra SP or two. If we're losing Floyd & Zambrano/Heilman, it wouldn't hurt quite as much . . . . And, of course, we'd keep Milledge & Petit, which would be a Good Thing.

If it's Floyd & Cam, we'd have to put Valent in LF & Diaz in RF, which would be a downgrade both offensively and defensively. Soriano, of course, would give us improved production at 2B but there would probably be some drop-off defensively, even though Cairo/Matsui's been pretty bad.

In other words, this deal at its best wouldn't really help us this year. If we got Gonzalez, we'd be in pretty good shape in 2006, though, and we'd have some real prospects to use to pick up impact players.

Another note from BP:

]Sources tell us that very few players on the Red Sox are untouchable, up to and including Manny Ramirez. About the only flat "no" teams hear are on Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia. . . . As the Soriano Turns: The Rangers have let the Mets know that Adrian Gonzalez is available, meaning that the Mets would possibly have one less need this off-season, allowing them to give up a little bit more. The Mets know they'll have to fill the first base and catcher slots this winter, which was how the Sean Casey talk got started. Gonzalez is stuck behind Mark Teixeira and David Dellucci in Texas. Dellucci is a name several teams, including the Cardinals, would love to add to their roster.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

If we get rid of Floyd, blood will be spilled

[Guest Rotblatt]

This is a little ridiculous. From what I can tell, they cribbed everything from the Post and passed it off as a story. Nonetheless, here she be . . .

]Mets could move on Manny FOXSports.com Posted: 1 hour ago The New York Mets have reportedly called the Boston Red Sox about the possibility of the two teams getting together on a trade that would bring slugger Manny Ramirez to the Big Apple, according to a report in The New York Post. Ramirez has informed the Red Sox that he would like to be traded, and Mets' GM Omar Minaya, who fell short in his bid to acquire Ramirez during the off-season, remains keenly interested in adding the New York City native's big right-handed bat to the middle of the lineup. Is there a formal trade offer on the table? No. What's more, The Post story says a blockbuster deal prior to Sunday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver trade deadline is not likely to happen for three key reasons: The Red Sox would effectively kill their chances of a repeat by dealing away the MVP of last season's historic World Series triumph. Ramirez will earn $57 million over the next three seasons � not including this one. The Red Sox are not looking to dump his salary. Likewise, Mets' ownership wants to avoid going over the luxury tax threshold. Ramirez leads the majors with 92 RBIs and his production would be hard to replace either via a trade or through the off-season free-agent market, which is expected to be weak. Red Sox president Larry Lucchino told Boston radio station WEEI that this is the fourth consecutive season Ramirez has requested a trade, and acknowledged that he would be difficult to move "because of the size of his contract." But if the Red Sox were to entertain an offer from New York, would outfielder Mike Cameron, pitcher Kris Benson, and reliever Braden Looper be enough in exchange for Ramirez? The Post says probably not. But the Red Sox need help in the starting rotation and bullpen. Benson and Looper fit that bill. What's more, with Trot Nixon injured and Johnny Damon headed for free agency after this season, the Sox need an outfielder who can play in center. Insert Cameron. But the Red Sox would likely ask, "Who will help compensate for the loss of Ramirez's production at the plate?" Cameron, a career .265 hitter, is not the answer.

I would be livid if we unloaded Benson, Cameron & Looper for Manny & his $64,000,000 contract.

If we really want him, we could get him for peanuts in the offseason when Theo has time to work with his new payroll flexibility. Giving up that much for an albatross of a contract makes no sese whatsoever, even if Manny IS the best right-handed hitter in baseball.

Now, if the Sox are willing to pay a huge chunk of Manny's salary, it might be worth it, even if we would be giving up Benson in the deal, but I really can't see this happening . . .

[MFS62]

We don't have to go that high.
If Boston gets Looper they can return Curt to the rotation. That strengthens them in two spots. If we give them a starter (not Benson) and maybe Jacobs, we should be able to get Schopach (and maybe OBP machine Youkilis) back.

Later

[Guest OlerudOwned]

If we lose Benson to get Manny i'll bust a blood vessel. That would pretty much guarentee a full season of Ishiit. Weird thing is, people on a Red Sox board I was looking at were saying Benson was the weak part of the offer. Go figure

[Guest Spacemans Bong]

OlerudOwned wrote: If we lose Benson to get Manny i'll bust a blood vessel. That would pretty much guarentee a full season of Ishiit. Weird thing is, people on a Red Sox board I was looking at were saying Benson was the weak part of the offer. Go figure

If you haven't noticed, most Red Sox fans are pretty ignorant.

Snow would be a good trade in a limited role. i.e. backup. Still an excellent defender, and can provide some pop off the bench, and on-base skills. Basically what Mientkiewicz should be.. He could be had for a C prospect. If the Mets want depth at 1B, that wouldn't be bad. That being said they should be trying for a legitimate bat at 1B or 2B and some bullpen arms. Acquiring some bench guys isn't bad, but it's icing on the cake.

[Guest SI Metman]

The latest Buster Olney report is a doozy

Mets get: Manny and Baez
Boston gets: Cameron and Huff
Tampa gets: prospects from both, probably guys named Petit and Milledge too.

[Frayed Knot]

Buster Olney on espn is reporting some wacky shit where the Mets would wind up with Manny - plus Baez from the D-Rays - while we'd give up Cameron plus "prospects" (which I believe means every single player from all 7 of our farm teams ... or something like that) which would go both north to Boston and South to Tampa.


Who knows?

[Guest Beenso]

can they please just stay put????



PLEASE!

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

It's crazy! But it's what happens when you're getting Pedro Martinez' best year NOW:

[url]http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/thebuzz/[/url]

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Here's the peice, for posterity's sake.

Someone remind me how this addresses our production deficits at 1B and 2B.

Manny's in the lineup tonite btw.

Last updated: 7/29
Serious talks: Sox could get Cameron, Huff
The Red Sox Friday afternoon were involved in ''very serious'' negotiations with the New York Mets regarding a trade for outfielder Manny Ramirez, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told the Globe's Gordon Edes. That source said a third team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, was also involved, but as of late this afternoon, no agreement had been finalized on the other players and the money involved. Another industry source with direct knowledge of the negotiations did not confirm the three-way deal, but acknowledged that the Sox have talked to more than one team about Ramirez. Under the principal scenario discussed by the teams -- according to one of the clubs involved in the negotiations -- the Red Sox would receive infielder/outfielder Aubrey Huff from the Devil Rays and outfielder Mike Cameron from the Mets. The Mets would receive Ramirez from the Sox and closer Danys Baez from the Devil Rays. Tampa Bay would receive a number of prospects, possibly from both clubs. If the Sox have to deal a prospect, it could be Double-A pitcher Anibal Sanchez. ''I'm not sure this thing is really going to happen, but it's definitely being discussed,'' the source said. It is unknown whether the Mets would assume the remaining $64 million on Ramirez's contract or whether the Sox would assume some portion of that amount. The trade talks come just two days before Sunday's 4 p.m. trading deadline and in the aftermath of Ramirez's refusal to play in Wednesday's game against Tampa Bay, even though outfielder Trot Nixon had been injured the night before. But one source stressed that the Red Sox have an additional motivation to make this deal: Ramirez, after this season, has the right to veto a trade under baseball's ''10-5'' rule, which applies to players with 10 years experience, five consecutively with the same club.

[nymr83]

]If Boston gets Looper they can return Curt to the rotation.

a starter is more valuable than a closer anyway, if Curt was physically capable of starting right now i'd have to think thats what he'd be doing.

[Guest SI Metman]

="Beenso"]can they please just stay put???? PLEASE!

You have to do the deal if it's Manny and Baez for just Cameron, Petit and Milledge. There's no way in hell you don't do that deal. Anderson Hernandez can play second and the Mets can live with whoever they stick at first base.

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

Buster Olney was just on ESPN, explaing (but not necessarily predicting) this deal:

As I understood it, it was Mets give up Cameron (to Boston) and two prospects (I think he said Milledge and Petit, to TBDR), Boston gives up Manny (to the Mets) and two prospects (to TBDR), and TBDR gives up Huff (to Boston) and Baez (to the Mets).

My question: if we could have gotten Manny for free (on waivers) two years ago, why would be now be giving up three pretty fair properties to get him now? He's just had two seasons where he seems to have earned his salary, as much as that's possible--so now we'd pick up the tail end of that contract and pay through the nose for the privilege?

Also if he's owed some 60 million for the rest of his contract, why couldn't we pay that money elsewhere (Guerrero, Sexton, Delgado, ad nauseum) and had a good team months or years ago? Why is this now such a good deal? Because we've gotten 2/3s through the season and have only five teams to jump over for the wild card?

This makes no sense to me.

[MFS62]

"My question: if we could have gotten Manny for free (on waivers) two years ago, why would be now be giving up three pretty fair properties to get him now? "

Because two years ago, you still had the remaining years on Piazza's contract yet to be paid. That was too much for anyone (maybe including) Boss George to endure.

Now, with Piazza's contract to expire shortly, Manny's payments added to Mike's won't break a multi year bank.
Later

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

That's a lot of words to say "Cheap motherfucking assholes."

[MFS62]

A brief, but accurate, description.

Later

[nymr83]

a less cynical amswer: 2 years ago the Mets were not a contender with or without Ramirez, they certainly weren't last year either. This year the Mets might be in contention and are definetaly in contention for next year.

[Frayed Knot]

Three team Mega-Deal has "hit a roadblock" according to the latest from espn's Jayson Stark

"A source said the Red Sox felt they could not go ahead with trading Ramirez and two prime prospects -- reportedly catcher Kelly Shoppach and right-hander Anibal Sanchez -- if all they were receiving was New York's Cameron and Tampa Bay's Huff. So they went back to the Mets "for more pieces," the source reported. At that point, the Mets "squashed the whole thing" and talks broke off. ... A baseball man with knowledge of the discussions said the Red Sox asked the Mets for a "key player," whom the Mets felt they couldn't trade."

[metirish]

Newsday has this deal being held up because Omar won't part with Lastings, Gaby Hernandez is in the proposed deal..here read it..

]Manny possibilities BY KEN DAVIDOFF, JON HEYMAN AND DAVID LENNON STAFF WRITERS July 29, 2005, 10:34 PM EDT What had been a dull trade-deadline week took an interesting turn Friday, as the Mets discussed a blockbuster, three-way deal that would land them superstar Manny Ramirez from the Red Sox, as well as Tampa Bay closer Danys Baez. Two high-ranking baseball officials confirmed the negotiations, which centered around the Mets receiving Ramirez and Baez, the Red Sox getting Mets outfielder Mike Cameron and Devil Rays infielder-outfielder Aubrey Huff, and Tampa Bay importing several prospects. One executive involved in the talks estimated that the trade had a "20 percent" chance of happening. The Mets, according to a National League official, were insistent that they wouldn't trade outfield prospect Lastings Milledge, and that could prove to be a significant obstacle heading into Sunday's 4 p.m. non-waivers trading deadline. The Mets didn't want to pay the entire $64 million remaining on Ramirez's contract through 2008. The Devil Rays are notoriously difficult, demanding trading partners. Industry officials questioned whether the Red Sox would be getting enough for Ramirez in this transaction. The discussions had already advanced farther than expected -- and farther than the Alfonso Soriano talks with Texas -- given Ramirez's value to Boston as one of the game's best hitters. The Mets began Friday holding separate conversations with the Red Sox and Devil Rays (who want pitching prospect Yusmeiro Petit for Baez), but those merged into a single negotiation by day's end. Mets minor-league pitcher Gabby Hernandez is included in the bargaining. Ramirez set these discussions in motion by recently asking Boston's front office for a trade. In his fifth season for the Red Sox, the George Washington High School product, 33, is hitting .273 with 28 homers and 92 RBIs, a .368 on-base percentage and .571 slugging percentage. Mets general manager Omar Minaya is a huge fan of Ramirez, and the Mets nearly acquired the slugger last December. Ultimately, the two sides couldn't agree on how Ramirez's money would be split. Baez, 27, is 5-3 with a 3.11 ERA and 20 saves in 27 opportunities. The Mets have been searching for bullpen help. The key decision falls to the Red Sox, who must determine whether to unload their 2004 World Series Most Valuable Player. Ramirez is infamously erratic; on Wednesday, he declined Boston manager Terry Francona's request to play after Trot Nixon went on the disabled list. Ramirez was booed loudly Friday night in his first game at Fenway Park since it was reported he asked the Red Sox to trade him. "We won't trade Manny unless it's a legitimate deal," one Red Sox official said Friday, on the condition of anonymity.

[Guest Rotblatt]

huh. I wonder who the "key player" is. Floyd? Or were they cheeky enough to ask for Wright?

Hopefully that's put the nail in the coffin on this. There's no way we should both send equal value to Manny AND pay his full contract. One or the other, maybe, but not both.

And we don't need Baez, so that part of it is just retarded.

[Frayed Knot]

Latest news (as of midnight Friday) is that the deal is on ice for now and that the teams have given themselves a Noon Saturday deadline to either come to some kind of agreement or abandon it.

Of course it seems to me that the parties making that deadline are the same ones who are in charge of enforcing it so they can always just extend any extension and keep talking until 4PM Sunday if they wanted. I guess they want to give themselves a chance to work on something else if they can't agree in another 12 hours.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

This is gonna be an excruciating weekend.

[Valadius]

I am so sick of hearing about Soriano. I don't want him, the Mets would fall apart if we got him. Shea is a goddamn pitcher's park. Therefore, you need guys that can play DEFENSE. Omar should be unloading Ishii and Graves as his first move, to a pitching-starved team like Cincy, Texas, or Baltimore...

And then it occurs to me...

Brian Roberts.

The O's will want a top-flight starter. Give them Zambrano and another guy or two, and cash. That could actually work...