Mets Cut Ties With Piazza

[Valadius]

DALLAS (AP) -- Mike Piazza's days with the New York Mets are over.

The Mets declined Wednesday to offer salary arbitration to their longtime catcher, cutting ties with one of the best hitters in franchise history. The move was no surprise, and now the 12-time All-Star is likely to join an American League team that can use him as a designated hitter.

The Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays are among the clubs that could be interested.

"One of the greatest offensive forces that the Mets have ever had," general manager Omar Minaya said at baseball's winter meetings. "He's just been a special player that will probably go down in history as, without a doubt, one of the greatest hitting catchers in baseball."

New York refused to offer arbitration to any of its former players who became free agents, including former closer Braden Looper.

The team has offered a contract to 41-year-old reliever Roberto Hernandez and was waiting to hear back from his agents. But if Hernandez and the Mets didn't agree to a deal by the midnight EST deadline Wednesday, he also will not return.

Players who became free agents and weren't offered arbitration cannot re-sign with their former clubs until May 1. Those offered arbitration have until Dec. 19 to accept and can re-sign through Jan. 8.

With the 37-year-old Piazza slowed by injuries the past three years, his production at the plate has declined dramatically. Plus, he has long had trouble throwing.

He became a free agent after last season, when he hit .251 with 19 homers and 62 RBIs in 113 games. It was his lowest batting average since he hit .232 in 69 at-bats with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992, his first season in the big leagues.

Piazza was acquired in a trade with Florida in May 1998, eight days after he was shipped from the Dodgers to the Marlins in a blockbuster deal that also included Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson and Todd Zeile.

Piazza led the Mets to the 2000 World Series, which they lost to the crosstown rival Yankees, and became the career home run leader for catchers.

"Mike Piazza's been a great player, a great teammate, a great citizen," Minaya said. "At the time when we got him, I was an assistant general manager. I've been very fortunate to watch Mike Piazza, and we're going to miss Mike Piazza being a New York Met."

The Mets have been one of the busiest teams in baseball this offseason, adding first baseman Carlos Delgado, All-Star closer Billy Wagner, catcher Paul Lo Duca and utilityman Xavier Nady.

Looper spent two seasons as the Mets' closer, going 4-7 with a 3.94 ERA and 28 saves in 36 chances this year.

Hernandez did a nice job as a setup man last season, when he was 8-6 with a 2.58 ERA and four saves in 67 games.

[Frayed Knot]

Piazza certainly isn't a surprise.
For the team it doesn't work because it locks them into at least a $10mil deal for next year (no more than 20% cut). For Piazza it would make him a 3rd catcher/PH (even if a rich one) when he probably feels he can get a 2-yr deal somewhere else and play at least semi-regularly.

I was thinking they might offer to Looper, but again, maybe they're afraid he might accept.
Not sure what the thinking is on Roberto.




Elsewhere in the meantime;

- Houston is cutting ties w/Asshead. He won't be offered arb so those 2 parties can't talk until May 1. Now it's possible that Rajah - who claims he's still debating whether he even wants to play - could join the team a month into next season to avoid wearing down like he seemed to this past September, but Houston might not have enough money for him then.

- And the Yanx are facing a midnight deadline with Bernie Williams. He's also gone unless offered arb by the team which, like Piazza, would lock them into having an expensive bench player.

[Guest cooby]

Sad news.

But this I like

New York refused to offer arbitration to any of its former players who became free agents, including former closer Braden Looper

[Valadius]

You know what this also means?

No more Cairo!!!

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Is Mientkiewicz on that list of players to whom the Mets declined to offer arbitration? Or is his status different?

Does anybody even remember Doug Mientkiewicz? The only offseason interest I've heard about regarding him is that the Red Sox want to sue him.

[Elster88]

That name does not ring a bell.

[MFS62]

I wonder what Sal's thinking right about now.

Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

That they should have cut ties with Piazza four years ago.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I like the way this is phrased. Like Wilpon ripped his shirt and spit at Piazza's feet.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I found this on NorthJersey.com. The main body of the article mentioned Piazza, Looper, and Hernandez.

]METS BRIEFS: The additional Mets players who were not offered arbitration were Miguel Cairo, Mike DeFelice, Danny Graves, Felix Heredia, Doug Mientkiewicz, Jose Offerman, Shingo Takatsu and Gerald Williams.

[Centerfield]

I hat baseball.

[Guest KC]

I really thought they could have brought him back for another year or two
with a diminished role. I was quietly hoping so.

He was easily one of the best damn predominantly heterosexual Mets ever.

[Guest jerseyshore]

KC wrote: I really thought they could have brought him back for another year or two with a diminished role. I was quietly hoping so. He was easily one of the best damn predominantly heterosexual Mets ever.

He's a bigger queen than Wes Westrum

[Guest Edgy DC]

That one is scooting by me.

[Guest jerseyshore]

Edgy DC wrote: That one is scooting by me.

on one of these MET forums Wes Westrum was once described, jokingly, as a big queen. For some reason the concept of WW as a "queen" has always made me laugh.

[Guest KC]

>>>He's a bigger queen than Wes Westrum<<<

Joisey comes out from under the boardwalk.

(Bush won, btw)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Wes Regina

[Zvon]

yep,..the chapter on Piazza is officially over.
I will miss him,...he did us good.

Like you KC, I was quietly hoping for him to hang around and PH and catch everyonce in awhile.
It would be unfair tho, I suppose, if an AL team is willing to use him for DH.

Bye Mike, thanks for the MetMemories.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Best of luck to Piazza. I wish him well in the twilight of his career. Thanks for the memories. He represented the Mets organization with class.

[Guest 86-Dreamer]

http://www.warhols.com/tomlseaver.jpg

ALL HAIL THE SACRED TOM SEAVER POST!!

I cant think of a better way to use my Seaver post than to say:

All Hail Mike Piazza! Thank you for so many great memories, none better than your HR on 9/21/01. Good luck in the AL.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Hail!

[Elster88]

HAIL

[Guest GYC]

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Excellent hail

[Guest OlerudOwned]

[Guest sayvanderlay]

http://www.charlenelockwood.com/Images/debutpost.jpgAs much as I like the guy, things should be kept in perspective - he had four superb seasons '99 through '02. Four, just four.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, my first response is "Welcome aboard." Thanks for joining the discussion.

My second is, "Well, that's four more than Paul Lo Duca has had --- no disrespect, Paul --- and four more than Lo Duca is likely to have.

And, to niggle, those are four he's had with the Mets. Not that it's that pertinent, but, in total, he had about ten superb seasons.

[metirish]

Four seasons in which he helped put the team back on track, while we shouldn't overstate what he did for the team we certainly shouldn't understate it either.

There were many nights when Piazza carried those teams with his offence, seven year deals rarely are great for all the years but I bet Wilpon would say he was worth every penny.

[Guest sayvanderlay]

Part of what made Piazza larger than life (in a sense) was that he is also a man of character. That helped him carry himself as much as his #'s.

Seriously, (and maybe this is obvious), if he was a schmuck, no one would miss him.

[Guest Edgy DC]

You're not making a case against his retention.

Yup, I'll miss his bat and him to boot.