Trade Deadline Chatter (Met Division)

[Guest Rotblatt]

OlerudOwned wrote: ="Yancy Street Gang"]So why ARE the Twins making this deal? Do they have someone better than Castillo to finish the season at second base for them? They're still in the wild card hunt. On the fringes, perhaps, but too close to give up, I'd think. A prospect named Casilla, whose game is akin to a younger Luis Castillo. Seems natural to move on with the Twins on the very outskirts of the playoff race, Castillo being a FA-to-be, and the claims of Twins fans that he's been doggin' it on the astroturf.

Plus, they're cheap.

[DocTee]

I don't think economics is the driving force here. It's not as if they owed him a bunch of money for next year that the Mets have to eat. If that was the case, they'd have dumped closer Joe Nathan (Stony Brook) rather than Castillo.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Castillo is a good contact hitter and on base percentage guy with a good glove, but I don't think second base was really the Mets greatest need. Gotay and Easley were doing a pretty good job at second base. At least Castillo does not appear to have cost the Mets much in the way of prospects.

[nymr83]

Am I the only one who gets the impression that when Milledge is hitting well the Mets (ok maybe its just the media/fans) act like he is untouchable but when he's in the doghouse those same people (the mets/media/fans) think the Mets can get full value for him?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe. The thing is, we really don't know how touchable or untouchable he is, and we won't know until he either gets touched or fails to get touched.

Right now, my guess is that he's still with the Mets next April. I think he'll be part of the plan for 2008.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I think there's still going to be a deal for a RH-hitting bench guy, and for a Brand Name Reliever. I also am on record as favoring any deal that gives us options at C and 1B next year.

[metirish]

Apparently Dotel is close to going to the Braves,and Bronson Arroyo might be joining him..


The Dotel deal is apparently only pending physicals.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Message to the Mets: knock the Braves out early next year.

If they can stay close by playing four months on the cheap, they're willing take on salary for the last two months.

[Willets Point]

Once the Braves have Dotel, then they just need to get Roger Cedeno, Derek Bell, and Kyle Kessel for their Mets 1999 transaction collection.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: I think there's still going to be a deal for a RH-hitting bench guy, and for a Brand Name Reliever. I also am on record as favoring any deal that gives us options at C and 1B next year.

I think we have two and a half RH-bench guys, Easley, Milledge, and switch-hitting Gotay*, and I don't see how they'd jimmy another one onto the roster.

*-On what I'd assume to be the normal lineup vs. RHP, something like Reyes-Castillo-Beltran-Wright-Delgado-Alou-Green-LoDuca.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I think they'll have to look hard at Easley as long as Anderson/Gotay are around. We unfortunately don't need 4 second basemen.

[Benjamin Grimm]

You mean look hard at Easley as the guy who might be disposable?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Or Gotay. Or Anderson.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

What if you call Easley an outfielder and Anderson a utility man?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Well you could. The problem as I see it is that the Mets are also calling Easley their No. 1 right-handed pinch hitter and Anderson their No. 1 lefthanded PH.

I think they'd like too a RH bat to back up Delgado.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Two lefty-mashing outfielders that are available: Brad Wilkerson (who Healey says the Mets have contacted Texas about) and, according to Jayson Stark, Jonny Gomes.

I would love to have Jonny Gomes, if only because he's Jonny Gomes and that makes him cool.

Also, the whole .295/.401/.547 career line against left-handed pitching is nice.

I wouldn't want either of them, however, because they'd be blocking Milledge. And Milledge has been pretty damn good lately.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I like both those guys!

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I like having Easley as RH bat on the bench that can fill in at 2B, OF, and 1B. Gotay is still young and I would like to see if he can develop into a future starter or 2b or at least serve as a solid utility man and pinch hitter. Anderson is likely only here for the remainder of this year as a bat off the bench and back up outfielder. I have no problem having all three of them around during the final months of the season.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Well, with Milledge now having to man centerfield for a while, I am a lot more open to Gomes or Wilkerson.

[DocTee]

Isn't Wilkerson the new 1B men in Texas now that Teixeira has been dealt?

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Yankees just traded Scott Proctor to LA for Wilson Betemit.

Betemit suffered the indignity of having to sit on the bench with his 10 HRs and .359 OBP while Nomar Garciaparra's OPS+ of 87 and defensive inexperience were showcased at the hot corner.

Yankees trading out of their weakness for a bench player is a little puzzling.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

You know the Yankees got Scott Proctor from the Dodgers initially -- for Robin F. Ventura.

Betemit will the Yankee Pine too, unless they trade Arod back to Texas for Gagne. That would be funny.

[Guest Edgy DC]

A-Rod to first.

[metirish]

Betemit would provide cover at 3rd should Rodriguez leave,I read that in the Snooze.

[Guest Rotblatt]

]Yankees just traded Scott Proctor to LA for Wilson Betemit.

Great trade for the Yankees, IMO. Proctor's been terrible the last two months (undoubtedly in part due to overuse by Torre last season), and Betemit's a pretty darn good hitter who can get by at SS & 2B in addition to 3B.

]Yankees trading out of their weakness for a bench player is a little puzzling.

Makes you think that another deal's on the way, doesn't it?

Regarding Wilkerson, I'd be pretty happy if we landed him. He's been pretty bad the last 2.5 years, but the power is still there (.248 IsoP this season) and he's got a pretty good eye. His BaBIP is crazy low, and has been for two years. Not sure what to make of that . . .

Gomes, obviously, would be awesome, but what would it take to get him? And just how bad is he defensively?

[metirish]

Yankees must be getting Gagne ,no way they go forward as is with Fransworth now that Proctor is gone.

[HahnSolo]

Can Betemit play first base? Cuz otherwise I don't see where he fits.

[metirish]

HahnSolo wrote: Can Betemit play first base? Cuz otherwise I don't see where he fits.

Probably can't play any worse than what has played there this season.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Jayson Stark sez:

]If the Mets don't come away with Gagne, the only remaining bullpen choice on their menu is now Cordero. Teams that have spoken with the Mets say they no longer have interest in Devil Rays closer Al Reyes, and they've gotten nowhere in their talks with the White Sox about Jon Garland. So they've narrowed their focus just to Gagne and Cordero, and weren't optimistic about coming away with Gagne. But Cordero hasn't appeared a whole lot easier to deal for, either. The Nationals have been pushing for Lastings Milledge, and the Mets are now telling clubs Milledge is on a list of six young players they won't change under any circumstances. The others: outfielders Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez, and pitchers Mike Pelfrey, Kevin Mulvey (currently in Double-A) and Deolis Guerra (currently in Class A). So can these two teams structure a deal around a prospect like highly regarded former No. 1 pick Philip Humber? We'll see. With the clock ticking toward the deadline, they were still talking.

[Guest Edgy DC]

They won't change these guys?