America, I Decline to Salute You! Mets Pursue Delgado

[Guest Rotblatt]

The South Florida Sun Sentinel says that we're "racheting up" our pursuit of Delgado, speculating that we could send Nady along with Petit to the Fish for Delgado.

It also says that the Marlins are in seriously bad financial straights, so Nady & Petit sounds like a little too much, if you ask me.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-submarl18nov18,0,6304197.story?coll=sfla-sports-headlines

[duan]

If we're prepared to take him off their hands and pay the salary I think there's a strong argument for not giving up much. Delgado's deal was such that LAST YEAR was a complete bargain @ $4 million and from then on it's pretty heinous.

They've already got value out of the deal (a seriously top player at a seriously cheap price) so to be getting prospects out of it as well seems pretty excessive.

I wouldn't cry if we gave up a Diaz/Nady (not that I don't think they're decent players) but if we start giving up ML Starter (which both of them probably are) and very good prospect (like Petit) then we might be giving up too much.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I'd prefer Nady and Petit for Delgado over Milledge plus whoever for Manny.

[Guest sharpie]

I'd go for Nady/Petit for Delgado in a heartbeat. Then get Mike Jacobs to dust off his catchers mitt.

[MFS62]

The title to the thread is misleading.
First of all, Delgado is American, he is from Puerto Rico.
He is not anti-American. He has since explained that he refused to stand for a song (which is not our National Anthem, by the way) because he did not feel the US should have invaded Iraq. And, as an American, it was his right to feel that way. According to recent polls, over 50% of Americans now feel that way,too.

We now return this thread back to baseball -
The most misunderstood opinions I've seen on other boards since he signed with the Fish was that he "dissed" New York. I am of the opinion that it was the other way around. If Omar had approached him right after he signed Pedro, and before he went after Beltran and with the same fervor, Delgado would have signed with the Mets. But it appeared that Delgado was an after-thought, and that's why the negotiations ran into trouble. From what have I heard from my friends in Toronto, Delgado is a very proud man, and being an afterthought hurt his pride.

Later

[metirish]

Well I don't think the title of the thread is anything more than Rotblatt having a bit of fun,as for who dissed who I don't know, Delgado felt that Omar was using his spanish heritage to curry favour with him...it was all rather stupid and Delgado went to Florida because he thought they were the best team...

[Elster88]

sharpie wrote: I'd go for Nady/Petit for Delgado in a heartbeat.

So effectively we're trading Cameron and Petit for Delgado. I like.

[Elster88]

Dammit I hate it when I think this way but:

Reyes, SS
Beltran, CF
Wright, 3B
Manny, LF
Delgado, 1B
Jacobs, C
Diaz, RF
Matsui, 2B
Martinez, P

or

Reyes, SS
Beltran, CF
Wright, 3B
Delgado, 1B
Floyd, LF
Jacobs, C
Diaz, RF
Matsui, 2B
Martinez, P

looks tasty.

[metirish]

Sure does look tasty, you have Floyd going to Boston for Manny in the first team?

[Guest Edgy DC]

This is kind of a misplaced rant.

]First of all, Delgado is American, he is from Puerto Rico.

The title didn't say he wasn't.

]He is not anti-American.

Maybe he's not, but plenty of Puerto Ricans are anti-American. Plenty of mainlanders are also.

]He has since explained that he refused to stand for a song (which is not our National Anthem, by the way) because he did not feel the US should have invaded Iraq.

It was initially a protest over US munitions testing in Puerto Rico. I think we all know which song is our National Anthem.

]And, as an American, it was his right to feel that way.

Nobody said he didn't. Why does that alway come up?

]According to recent polls, over 50% of Americans now feel that way,too.

What do you mean "too"? Delgado, as you point out, is an American himself.

[Elster88]

]Sure does look tasty, you have Floyd going to Boston for Manny in the first team?

Just random guesswork. I hate posting imaginary lineups because the offseason never plays out exactly the way you hope. I may as well just stick Pujols and Tejada in there if I'm going to dream.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

This looks tasty:

[Elster88]

The food or the person holding it?

[metirish]

Yeah I hear you Elster, just so you know Tejada is playing 2nd, Reyes will not be moved again...back to Delgado,I had a good laugh when I read that his contract has a clause that states that if he's traded to NY an extra $1 million kicks in to cover NY State taxes, now this could be standard procedure for a smart agent but after all the talk back and forth when he signed with Florida I thought it was funny.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The larger implied point that Delgado shouldn't be persecuted for his positions is fair enough, but I don't think that's what Rotty was doing.

[MFS62]

Yes, it was misplaced.
And, as you pointed out, poorly written, too.

Later

[Guest Rotblatt]

="MFS62"]The title to the thread is misleading. First of all, Delgado is American, he is from Puerto Rico. He is not anti-American. He has since explained that he refused to stand for a song (which is not our National Anthem, by the way) because he did not feel the US should have invaded Iraq. And, as an American, it was his right to feel that way. According to recent polls, over 50% of Americans now feel that way,too.

Like Irish said, I was just having a bit of fun with the title, MFS62. Didn't mean to offend!

On the surface, I agree that Nady/Petit for Delgado is okay, but I think we could do a lot better. Fish are over a barrell, with several large contracts they're trying to move--Lowell ($18M), LoDuca ($12.5M) & Delgado ($48M), along with arbitration eligible guys like Pierre (~$7M?) & Mota (~$4M?).

Rockies are interested in LoDuca & Mota; maybe we could trade Nady & Zambrano for LoDuca, Mota & Delgado, then flip a partially paid for LoDuca & Mota to the Rockies for Bigbie (young lefty 4th OF), who goes to the Fish.

Mets: Delgado ($48M)
Rockies: LoDuca ($12.5M minus, say, $3.5M from us), Mota
Fish: Nady, Zambrano, Bigbie

Rockies get relief help & a C on the cheap.
Fish save around $65M and fill holes in RF & SP. Cabrera moves to 3B, Willingham steps in as the catcher, Bigbie goes to right & Nady takes 1B.
We get our big bopper.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Personally, I have little concern over whether Delgado sits or stands.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: Personally, I have little concern over whether Delgado sits or stands.

Exactly.
That's the point I was trying to make. It was overblown when it first came up. But it doesn't mean he wouldn't be a much needed asset to the Mets lineup. He could turn the jeers into cheers with one swing of the bat. From that point, all that sit/stand nonsense would be forgotten.

Later

[Centerfield]

Nady and Petit? If that's really what they want I can't ship them out fast enough.

Since Ralph's not here, the TiTTS stand erect and firm behind this deal.

See you X, see you Y...thanks for all the fish.

[Guest sharpie]

Where's Ralph been anyway?

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think Norrin is phasing us out. He's an executive director after all. Goofing off isn't as much fun when you're goofing off on yourself.

And I think I have less use for peeps who allow their jeers to be turned to cheers with one swing of the bat.

Who's really jeering anyhow?

[smg58]

I'd much rather deal Bannister than Petit, and I'd be willing to replace Nady with Diaz and throw in either Trachsel or Zambrano to keep Petit. We have so much freed up money, along with an excess of starting pitching, that we can make beneficial moves without parting with our best prospects. Taking on Delgado at more money per year than we were willing to give him last year, and then throwing in Petit, strikes me as being counterintuitive. If we can't haggle the Marlins down, go elsewhere.

Bigbie might actually be useful to us, if he can play center. We can't continue with Gerald Williams as our #2 CF, can we?

[Centerfield]

Ralph is, like, important now.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: And I think I have less use for peeps who allow their jeers to be turned to cheers with one swing of the bat. Who's really jeering anyhow?

I dunno, I just felt that post needed a cliche.
It was the fans who jeered him after the Iraq invasion because they misunderstood the reason he didn't stand. There were lost of them in New York- jeering each tim ehe came to bat.

How was he received in Washington?

Later

[Guest sharpie]

I was in Italy when the first part of the Ralph news happened. Haven't done enough trolling in the subforums to see the second announcement.

Still no excuse for not showing up here.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I don't think anybody cares. Who really takes attendance on these things?

[nymr83]

Edgy DC wrote: Personally, I have little concern over whether Delgado sits or stands.

as long as he stands at the plate 600 or so times.

[Guest KC]

I think I read in Variety that Ralph has someone post for him these days.

[Guest abogdan]

Why exactly would the Mets want to help their division rivals get rid of a contract they can't afford and that will seriously hinder their ability to improve their roster?