Hot Stove League

[MFS62]

Elster88 wrote: Thank you. But how 'bout the usage? Fix my sentence.

Definitiojns 3 and 4 seem to fit the bill. No need to fix your thread.


Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I think your usage was just a little off. I don't think the suggestion is anathema, but perhaps Soriano himself is.

[Guest Rotblatt]

To the meat of Elster's argument, I'm starting to come around.

Soriano's overrated, terrible defensively at 2B, and is coming off of a career year, meaning that his price will be sky high . . . Plus, he's got atrocious plate discipline.

But unlike last year, bringing him aboard would only cost us money, which we've got in droves, and he does have an appealing blend of speed and power.

I'd prefer to spend our money elsewhere, but I don't think it would be stupid for us to sign Soriano. We could also sign a 2B scrub from the list Vic posted, and if the scrub works out, we leave Soriano in left. If not, we hand Soriano the 2B job and hope his offense makes up for his defense. Which it probably will.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I'd be okay with Soriano, too.

[Vic Sage]

glad to see some of youse coming around.

[metirish]

Twenty four homers at RFK Stadium this season,hell yeah I would be happy to have him.

[Centerfield]

Sign Soriano to play second base. Re-sign Glavine and Floyd. Sign either Schmidt/Zito/Matsuzaka or trade Heilman-Milledge for a front of the rotation guy.

[nymr83]

i wouldnt re-sign Floyd, he's got an awful lot of injury issues.
while i really don't like Soriano i'd sign him IF it didnt interfere with signing a top starter. he's so much better than the other crap out there that it could be the best move even if he gets way overpaid and isn't a good defender. that said, i'd hope the Mets sign him with the understanding that he will play where we tell him to play (meaning LF if we decide we have a better option at 2B.) its bad enough out of a pre-FA guy trying to cash in on being a secondbaseman, but with a 6 year deal in your pocket and 80 million dollars you really need to be more of a team player

[Guest patona314]

Nymr83 wrote: i wouldnt re-sign Floyd, he's got an awful lot of injury issues. while i really don't like Soriano i'd sign him IF it didnt interfere with signing a top starter. he's so much better than the other crap out there that it could be the best move even if he gets way overpaid and isn't a good defender. that said, i'd hope the Mets sign him with the understanding that he will play where we tell him to play (meaning LF if we decide we have a better option at 2B.) its bad enough out of a pre-FA guy trying to cash in on being a secondbaseman, but with a 6 year deal in your pocket and 80 million dollars you really need to be more of a team player

I wouldn't sign him. He would probably bat in the 6 hole behind Wright. There would be too many strike outs between the two of them

[metirish]

What about Bonds got LF....he'd look damn good in that lineup....

[Guest patona314]

metirish wrote: What about Bonds got LF....he'd look damn good in that lineup....

f bonds. i'm still pissed off at him when he was a pirate. there is a guy out there called LEE if you all remember.

all said and done though. sign floyd to a 1 year contract w/a 1 year option and give milledge a chance.

milledge ain't no alex escobar.

[MFS62]

Neither Bonds nor Floyd is going to remind us of Cal Ripken Jr. when it comes to staying in the lineup.
No to Bonds, thanks.
And no to Cliff.
Lee would look very nice out there.

314, betcha' I didn't like Bonds before you (didn't).
I've posted a story about a scouting report on him when he still was in College.

Later

[metirish]

] By MARK HALE November 6, 2006 -- Mark Loretta may be one of the Mets' top choices to play second base. They have shown more interest in him than any other club so far, Loretta's agent told The Post last night. Bob Garber, Loretta's agent, said "there's been about three phone calls" so far from the Mets. Garber said there is "mutual interest, I would say, for sure." According to Garber, playing for a contender is Loretta's top priority. The 35-year-old Loretta hit .285 with five homers, 59 RBIs and a .345 on-base percentage this past season with the Red Sox. He is a career .299 hitter, with his best year coming in 2004 with the Padres when he hit .335 with 16 homers. Defensively, Loretta only committed four errors this past year, tying for second-best among AL second basemen. Meanwhile, Jose Valentin's agent, Dave Elston, said yesterday that he spoke to Mets special assistant Tony Bernazard on Friday and that the parties would speak further. Elston said he was "cautiously optimistic" about Valentin re-signing with the Mets. He admitted, though, that "half a dozen teams" have inquired about the free agent second baseman.

There's that "playing for a contender" again.

[DocTee]

Bay Area rumors have Pat Burrell (an area native) replacing Bonds in SF and Soriano replacing Pat the Bat in Philly.

[metirish]

I read where the Giants would likely have Burrell tryout at first base.

[Guest patona314]

I don't think anyone in MLB wants the headache that Bonds brings with him. If the Giants don't sign him, there's a good chance no one will. He could be done.

[metirish]

I think some teams like like the extra bums in the seats Bonds would bring.

[Vic Sage]

metirish wrote: ] By MARK HALE November 6, 2006 -- Mark Loretta may be one of the Mets' top choices to play second base. They have shown more interest in him than any other club so far, Loretta's agent told The Post last night.

plans to fill hole at 2b:

Plan A: Soriano
Plan B: Garciaparra
Plan C: the cheapest available option from amongst: Valentin, Durham, or Loretta (and sign Aurilia as UT/backup)
Plan D: the cheapest available option from amongst: Aurilia, Kennedy, DeRosa, Lugo, Belliard, T.Walker
Plan E: Anderson Hernandez? Uh oh.

[Guest patona314]

Vic Sage wrote: ="metirish"] ] By MARK HALE November 6, 2006 -- Mark Loretta may be one of the Mets' top choices to play second base. They have shown more interest in him than any other club so far, Loretta's agent told The Post last night. plans to fill hole at 2b: Plan A: Soriano Plan B: Garciaparra Plan C: the cheapest available option from amongst: Valentin, Durham, or Loretta (and sign Aurilia as UT/backup) Plan D: the cheapest available option from amongst: Aurilia, Kennedy, DeRosa, Lugo, Belliard, T.Walker Plan E: Anderson Hernandez? Uh oh.

i actually like plan E. this kid can play D and the way things are going for MLB pitching in general. defense is the way to go to improve pitching. we'll have plenty of boppers when evrything is said and done.

[metirish]

Yeah but at the least you would want Hernandez to hit a bit,like .240 even.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Time may prove me wrong, but the way I see it, Anderson Hernandez = Rey Ordonez.

Been there, done that.

Pass.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, apart from one or two highlight reel catches and a late-season homer, he's neither fielded nor hit up to Ordoñez's standards.

Nor is he being paid like Rey, so the comparison is only so useful.

I think he'll go as far as his performance justifies. He'll have to play his way back onto the roster and play his way back into the lineup. He won't be handed anything again. There's no reason to think he's necessarily ahead of Ruben Gotay right now.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Let's all right now disabuse ourselves of the notion that we can afford a 2nd baseman (or any position) who cannot hit. That doesn't mean AHernandez is out, just that he has to hit to be in.

[nymr83]

I would have to put Lugo in the same group of options with Durham, Valentin, and Loretta, and not with the likes of Belliard and Walker

[Guest KC]

Warms my ostrich neck to see that a thread or two can bring up Rey still.

Wonder what the hell he's up to. Weird life story, weird career, boom boom.

[MFS62]

For all of us who have been holding our breath:

]Carlos Delgado-1B- Mets Nov. 6 - 6:53 pm et Mets GM Omar Minaya said Carlos Delgado and his agent, David Sloane, have informed the club that the first baseman does not plan to exercise his right to demand a trade this offseason. "Carlos has notified us that he is very happy to be here," Minaya said. "He enjoys being with the New York Mets and enjoys being in the city. He enjoys everything about this organization." It was obvious Delgado wasn't interested in leaving, but it looked like he might use the possibility as leverage to get his 2009 option picked up. Minaya said that the idea was briefly discussed. "I'm hopeful that at some point in time, we will exercise that option," Minaya said. "Right now, we feel it's not the right time, but I'm hoping he plays and we're able to exercise that option the year we go into the new stadium." Source: Mets.mlb.com

His leaving didn't seem likely, but it was possible.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sage's Plan C Group:
Player / Age / Career OPS+
Durham / 35 / 106
Loretta / 35 / 101
Valentin / 37 / 96

Sage's Plan D Group:
Player / Age / Career OPS+
Aurilia / 35 / 104
Kennedy / 31 / 92
DeRosa / 32 / 90
Lugo / 31 / 92

I can see bumping Aurilia up and/or dropping Valentin down, but I see no reason to recommend a Lugo upgrade.

[metirish]

What happened to Aurilia the last few seasons,he was brilliant in SF and then seemed to fall of the face of the earth...

[Valadius]

He went to Cincy, got injured and overtaken by Felipe Lopez in '05.

[smg58]

He was actually very good this past year, especially against lefties (1.086 OPS, .867 over last three years). He was way over his head in 01 and bad in 04, but otherwise he's been fairly consistent.

Beyond Soriano, I just don't see anybody worth committing mutliple years to. I wonder if a Valentin/Aurillia platoon would be cost-effective.