Hot Stove League

[Farmer Ted]

Let the dealings begin.

Five players filed for free agency Saturday from the New York Mets: outfielders Cliff Floyd and Ricky Ledee, pitchers Orlando Hernandez and Steve Trachsel and shortstop Chris Woodward.

[metirish]

I really could not care if none came back...I like Cliff but he seems finished,El Duque might be worth another look....

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Of those, Hernandez is the one I'd most like to see come back. Of course, that depends on what other pitchers the Mets might add.

[smg58]

El Duque could keep a rotation spot warm for Pedro. Otherwise, he'd either be brought back instead of signing somebody younger and better, or he'd blocking Maine or Perez. I'd keep him in mind, but I'm not sure I'd call him a priority.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I always liked Cliff and will hate to see him go, but I think his best days are behind him now. He's just too fragile to count on him as an everyday player.

Orlando Hernandez is worth retaining if the price is reasonable.

Trachsel, Ledee, and Woodward...goodbye and good riddance.

[Elster88]

smg58 wrote: El Duque could keep a rotation spot warm for Pedro. Otherwise, he'd either be brought back instead of signing somebody younger and better, or he'd blocking Maine or Perez. I'd keep him in mind, but I'm not sure I'd call him a priority.

You can never have too much pitching. People have accidents.

[Guest Edgy DC]

A huge part of our success this year was living by that mantra.

[nymr83]

thats true, but you have to differentiate between guys who are nice to have around incase of said accident and guys whose very presense getsw them a rotation spot whether they deserve it or not... i'm wary of el duque because he could have a 5 ERA and not get benched, any of these other guys (maine, perez, bannister, pelfrey, humber, etc) would find hteir way to AAA if they pitched poorly enough.

[Farmer Ted]

Jose Valentin and Michael Tucker filed for free agency yesterday. I don't see Jose waiting around for the Mets to offer. He's going to take his 2006 season and parlay it into one more 2-year deal. I hoped for more from Tucker. I thought he could be this year's Timo. That turned out to be Endy.

[HahnSolo]

I can see Jose not waiting out the Mets, but I don't believe that he's going to have a lot of suitors offering 2-year deals.

[Vic Sage]

he doesn't need A LOT of suitors offering 2-year deals... he just needs one.

[Farmer Ted]

Julio Franco got a two-year deal.

[Frayed Knot]

Franco, btw, is on the trip as a coach for this upcoming US/Japan series.
I don't think it's inconceivable that he finishes (or maybe even begins) next season as one depending on how he looks as 2007 moves along.

[MFS62]

All they have to do is pass him through waivers once. If he makes it, they could put him on the bench and activate him if needed in a hurry.
It sure makes him more readily available than a player they'd have to recall from a city in which New Orleans would be playing.

Later

[metirish]

Good point FK, Omar said as much when he signed Julio that he wanted him as a coach when he finished playing,course franco says he wants to play past 50 so it might be a few years.

[Vic Sage]

why couldn't he be a player/coach?

Its been done before, and i can't think of anybody better to do it now. He still has a few pinch-hits left in him, but its kind of a shame to take up a roster spot for that limited purpose. But, since he's kind of a de facto coach of sorts anyway, why not make it official?

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I wonder, is there a limit to how many coaches there can be at a given time? In other words, is there anything preventing teams from loading up on coaches like the Yankees have on broadcasters?

[Frayed Knot]

Yes, there is a limit on coaches; or, more accurately, on the number of uniformed coaches who can be in the dugout during game time.

[Guest Edgy DC]

But a player-coach would presumably not count against that limit, as he is already welcome there as a member of the roster.

[Frayed Knot]

That '# of coaches rule' is part of what set Keith off upon seeing that female trainer in the SD dugout.
Because it was one of their 'Camoflauge Uni Nights' the trainers were also dressed in very similar camo, making the chick look like she was uniformed personnel or, to Keith's eyes, like some sort of mascot/groupie who didn't belong.


Don Zimmer is also now an "extra" coach these days. He's there instructing and whatnot before the game but is out of uniform and the dugout at game time.

[metirish]

] ST. LOUIS -- Dominican veteran Julio Franco will be among the major leaguers traveling to Japan next week, but not as a player. "Julio is going to Japan as a consultant and ambassador and may cooperate as hitting coach but, technically, he will not be part of the coaching team," players union chief operating officer Gene Orza told ESPNdeportes.com on Thursday.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy DC wrote: But a player-coach would presumably not count against that limit, as he is already welcome there as a member of the roster.

Well yeah, if Franco fills a player/coach role and the limits are '25 + 5' (I think it's either 5 or 6) it's not like he'd be counted twice.
I was being general in response to Yancy's "unlimited?" question.

[Farmer Ted]

The White Sox on Monday exercised the 2007 club options on the contracts of Buehrle, Dye and Iguchi.

[metirish]

Mota and R Hernandez filed today.

[TransMonk]

Padres pick up option for Cameron, decline option on Piazza.

[metirish]

Mike, the American League is calling you...Angels?

[Valadius]

Bradford filed today too.

[nymr83]

lets lock Bradford and Mota back up before they see the market, the bullpen is going to be key again next year on a staff unlikely to take many games deep.

[Farmer Ted]

From Phil Rogers, ESPN.com...

Prediction: Seattle strikes again to sign Matsuzaka, a move that will convince Suzuki not to go looking for greener pastures when his deal expires after next season. The Mets outbid the Dodgers for Zito and Schmidt winds up with the Cubs. At least two other Japanese starters accompany Matsuzaka to the United States, including Hiroki Kuroda, an unrestricted free agent.

[Zvon]

Nymr83 wrote: lets lock Bradford and Mota back up before they see the market, the bullpen is going to be key again next year on a staff unlikely to take many games deep.

Esp Bradford.
No matter what the shape of the rotation we could use that freakin double play machine.