Nick Swisher?

[Frayed Knot]

Just a thought but ...

- he's rumored to be available from the ChiSox
- can play either corner OF spot (CF in a pinch) and 1B
- switch-hits (throws L)
- turns 28 in a few weeks
- is signed for the next few years:
2009 = $5.3mil;
2010 = 6.75;
2001 = $9.0;
2012 = $10.25/$1mil buyout


Drawbacks you ask? ... well, he kinda fell off the table last year[/url:1n1r03vz] after a trade from Oakland to Chicago and I have no idea why.
He lost 40 points of BA, 50 of OBA, and 45 of slugging (despite moving to a better hitter's park) off his usual season of 55-60 XBHs and a .260 avg

But he might be the type of guy for a kind of challenge trade where you deal your disappointment for theirs.
- Might Heilman-plus get it done?
- Dare I say Castillo? (the Sox are moving their 2B Alexei Ramirez over to SS )
- or maybe the trade expands from there (Javy Vazquez)



Like I said, just a thought.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

For some reason I think Swisher's got a bit of asshat in him, but he would be intriguing anyway. Didn't the White Sox pay thru the nose to get him? Does that effect what they accept back?

[metirish]

Hilarious updates by Nick on his site.


http://www.nickswisher.net/journal.html


I wouldn't mind him coming over , a bounce back year maybe in 09. Gio Gonzalez was one of the touted players in that trade.

[Frayed Knot]

More goofball than asshat - and reportedly very popular with the other players (for whatever that's worth).

[Vic Sage]

i like Swish.

[metirish]

="Frayed Knot"]More goofball than asshat - and reportedly very popular with the other players (for whatever that's worth).

Definitely a goofball

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

="metirish"] ="Frayed Knot"]More goofball than asshat - and reportedly very popular with the other players (for whatever that's worth). Definitely a goofball

Let's get him.

[willpie]

Yes, please.

[Fman99]

="John Cougar Lunchbucket"] ="metirish"] ="Frayed Knot"]More goofball than asshat - and reportedly very popular with the other players (for whatever that's worth). Definitely a goofball Let's get him.

Hey I was wondering what happened to the stoned kid from "Dazed and Confused."

[Zvon]

The get up and the Camaro in the pic had me leaning....... then the Pink Floyd T-shirt clinched it.

Omar!
Go get Swish!!!!!!

[Benjamin Grimm]

He looks like Johnny Damon with an "Alvarez" wig.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

[Frayed Knot]

I'm not sure if it's a wig in that picture or not - but he did at one point grow his hair for an entire winter and into the next spring before donating it to a cancer-related charity which uses it for wig-making.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Yeah, I remember that, too. Locks of Love[/url:2k8axono]is the charity. I think he had a family member taken by cancer.

[Frayed Knot]

Excerpts from Dave van Dyck - Chicago Tribune:

Could the White Sox trade Javier Vazquez and Nick Swisher, their two biggest disappointments last season? -- according to the rumor mill at baseball's general managers meetings Tuesday, Ken Williams is actively shopping both.

Williams was cryptic when asked about Swisher.
- Does he expect Swisher to come back and perform well? -- "Yes"
- Does he expect Swisher to hit more than .219? -- "Yes."
- Will Swisher play center field? -- "No."
- Then what happens to him? -- "It's a long off-season."
- Has he listened to offers for his veterans? -- "A lot," he replied.


So what could the Sox get in return?

While that is not completely clear, the feeling about Vazquez seems to be someone else's big contract, offsetting his $23 million for two years.
The Mets might offer disappointing second baseman Luis Castillo, who is owed $18 million over three years. The Sox could use a second baseman, with Alexei Ramirez slated for shortstop.

What Swisher would be worth is unknown, but he hit only .133 in his final 27 games and was mostly a failure as a leadoff man. He also is owed $21 million for three years.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Heilman, Castillo and Kunz for Vazquez and Swisher.

cha-ching

[metirish]

="Frayed Knot"]I'm not sure if it's a wig in that picture or not - but he did at one point grow his hair for an entire winter and into the next spring before donating it to a cancer-related charity which uses it for wig-making.

From his website.

As many of you know, I went without a haircut for 10 months to help women during one of the greatest fights of their lives. I participated in the Pantene Beautiful Lengths, non-profit campaign that encourages people to grow, cut and donate their hair to create real-hair wigs for women who've lost their hair due to cancer. To learn about donating healthy hair, visit www.beautifullengths.com

http://www.beautifullengths.com/en_US/index_home.jsp

[Benjamin Grimm]

Long hair is one thing, but... pigtails????

[Frayed Knot]

The pigtails (IIRC) was how they gathered it in order to get a good hunk to chop off. I don't think he ever played that way.

IOW, that picture may be from the day he publicly got it snipped.
Papa Steve did the cutting.

[metirish]

Donates long locks to women living with cancer


Here we go! Be careful with those scissors Dad.

[Vic Sage]

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1pbw2ewm]Heilman, Castillo and Kunz for Vazquez and Swisher. cha-ching[/quote:1pbw2ewm] i would do that in a heartbeat. I'd even through in Duaner Sanchez. Would they go for it? I don't know.

metirish Nov 06 2008 08:31 AM

If I'm Ken Williams I want Neise along with Heilman, Kunz and Castilo.

Frayed Knot Nov 06 2008 08:32 AM

Such a deal would save the ChiSox (and therfore cost the Mets) approx $20+mil over the next 3 years: $43mil (2 seasons of Vaz, 3 of Swish) minus $18mil (3 seasons of Castillo), + $3 ? (Arb-decided $ for Heilman/Sanchez) + Minimum for Kunz

Edgy DC Nov 06 2008 08:36 AM

I hadn't known the Nick/Steve Swisher connection. Cool. And double-plus cool to see the Swisher Swoosh shot. Shows you the pointlessness of getting exorcised over our GM trying to be as optimistic as possible about Luis Castillo and then read Ken Williams doing the same for Swisher. I guess it's just being professional knowhuImean?

Vic Sage Nov 06 2008 09:24 AM

="Frayed Knot":36438j32]Such a deal would save the ChiSox (and therfore cost the Mets) approx $20+mil over the next 3 years: $43mil (2 seasons of Vaz, 3 of Swish) minus $18mil (3 seasons of Castillo), + $3 ? (Arb-decided $ for Heilman/Sanchez) + Minimum for Kunz[/quote:36438j32] Which may be enough reason for ChiSox to do it, or something similar. As for the Mets, well, filling the holes in LF, 2b and #4 SP is going to cost money. if we get Vazquez, we can fill the 5th slot with rookie Niese. We can fill the 2b slot with cheap option like Murphy (possibly). And we still have enough left over (based on last year's budget) to sign a closer. HahnSolo Nov 06 2008 09:32 AM Can they throw their catcher in, too? Or, I should say, what else would we have to put in the deal to get him? smg58 Nov 06 2008 10:29 AM If we're going to be taking the payroll hit in an exchange of luggage, they should be the ones throwing in cheap players that we might actually want. They're looking to dump these guys for a reason. seawolf17 Nov 06 2008 10:30 AM If the Mets are taking a payroll hit, why are they including two young pitchers? Not Heilman AND Kunz, it's one or the other. Frayed Knot Nov 09 2008 09:31 AM Latest rumors concerning our incoming Prez's favorite team have them making OFer Jermaine Dye available also. I wasn't so sold on this guy earlier in his career. After he took more than a year to come back from that broken leg he suffered during a playoff game against the Yanx I kind of prematurely put him into the older, fragile and on the decline category. But he's put together some nice seasons since (500+ ABs for 5 years running - almost none as DH) including last year's .292/.344/.541 w/41 2Bs & 34 HRs He'd be a different kind of player than Swisher: older (35 in Jan), RH hitter (that's good), more expensive initially ($11.5mil) and less versatile & athletic. But in some ways less of a risk in that he's not coming off a bad year, would only be one year (there's a mutual option for 2010) and maybe less expensive in terms of trade bait. Think of him as a younger, less injury-prone version of Alou. He has at least partial no-trade rights so that may factor into things. Rockin' Doc Nov 09 2008 06:35 PM I would be happy to see Jermaine Dye in LF for the Mets next season. He would be a formidable upgrade over what the team has been able to man most of the past two season and he would help make the Mets less susceptible to lefties. Of course, I don't know what the Mets have to offer for him in trade. I would want to hang on to Murphy in hopes that he could handle second base with Dye in LF. I doubt the Mets could make this happen. Frayed Knot Nov 13 2008 01:51 PM Swisher to the Yanx!!! for minor league pitcher Jeff Marquez (and maybe others) Guess he's depth at 1B, corner OF, or maybe CF -- although they might find it a mistake if they think he's a full-time CF or a bit light-hitting if they think he's a full-time 1B metirish Nov 13 2008 02:10 PM They will still be in for Tex, right? No idea about the minor leaguer but was there any market for Swisher? John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 13 2008 02:18 PM Loks like the MFYs get Swish + 2 minor league pitchers for Marquez and Wilson F. Betemit. smg58 Nov 13 2008 02:22 PM ="metirish":2gfxlrbd]They will still be in for Tex, right? No idea about the minor leaguer but was there any market for Swisher?[/quote:2gfxlrbd] I'd be shocked if the Yanks aren't still in for Tex. I don't know what the market was for Swisher. Hitting .219 can do wonders to a guy's value. I'm guessing the White Sox took the Yankees offer because nobody else would take his full contract without unloading a similarly burdensome contract on them. attgig Nov 13 2008 02:47 PM they just got tex. (if this wasn't an old thread, I would've expected that to be the title of the thread.....) Kanekoa Texeira =) willpie Nov 13 2008 05:29 PM I'm sadder about the MFYs getting Swisher than I would have guessed. He's one of those players I just like, and it sucks to see him chillin' in the Bronx with Nady. seawolf17 Nov 13 2008 07:14 PM ="willpie":2hzzd2w9]I'm sadder about the MFYs getting Swisher than I would have guessed. He's one of those players I just like, and it sucks to see him chillin' in the Bronx with Nady.[/quote:2hzzd2w9] I agree. I had talked myself into really wanting to see him at Shea next year. seawolf17 Nov 13 2008 07:14 PM ="seawolf17":je1fvs4u] ="willpie":je1fvs4u]I'm sadder about the MFYs getting Swisher than I would have guessed. He's one of those players I just like, and it sucks to see him chillin' in the Bronx with Nady.[/quote:je1fvs4u] I agree. I had talked myself into really wanting to see him at Shea next year.[/quote:je1fvs4u] Wait. Shit. It's going to take me some time to get used to that. Edgy DC Nov 13 2008 08:28 PM Just be thanxious the Yanks didn't gobble up Mike Cameron. seawolf17 Nov 13 2008 08:42 PM ="Edgy DC":1xhx7fay]Just be thanxious the Yanks didn't gobble up Mike Cameron.[/quote:1xhx7fay] Why? We have no need for Mike Cameron. We have a need for Nick Swisher. Edgy DC Nov 13 2008 09:18 PM Well, I thought part of your swissue was Yank-related and likeworthy-guy related. If it's only type-of-guy-we-need-related, well, there are others.

[metirish]

If I'm Ken Williams I want Neise along with Heilman, Kunz and Castilo.

[Frayed Knot]

Such a deal would save the ChiSox (and therfore cost the Mets) approx $20+mil over the next 3 years:
$43mil (2 seasons of Vaz, 3 of Swish) minus $18mil (3 seasons of Castillo), + $3 ? (Arb-decided $ for Heilman/Sanchez) + Minimum for Kunz

[Guest Edgy DC]

I hadn't known the Nick/Steve Swisher connection. Cool. And double-plus cool to see the Swisher Swoosh shot.

Shows you the pointlessness of getting exorcised over our GM trying to be as optimistic as possible about Luis Castillo and then read Ken Williams doing the same for Swisher. I guess it's just being professional knowhuImean?

[Vic Sage]

="Frayed Knot":36438j32]Such a deal would save the ChiSox (and therfore cost the Mets) approx $20+mil over the next 3 years: $43mil (2 seasons of Vaz, 3 of Swish) minus $18mil (3 seasons of Castillo), + $3 ? (Arb-decided $ for Heilman/Sanchez) + Minimum for Kunz[/quote:36438j32] Which may be enough reason for ChiSox to do it, or something similar. As for the Mets, well, filling the holes in LF, 2b and #4 SP is going to cost money. if we get Vazquez, we can fill the 5th slot with rookie Niese. We can fill the 2b slot with cheap option like Murphy (possibly). And we still have enough left over (based on last year's budget) to sign a closer.

HahnSolo Nov 06 2008 09:32 AM

Can they throw their catcher in, too? Or, I should say, what else would we have to put in the deal to get him?

smg58 Nov 06 2008 10:29 AM

If we're going to be taking the payroll hit in an exchange of luggage, they should be the ones throwing in cheap players that we might actually want. They're looking to dump these guys for a reason.

seawolf17 Nov 06 2008 10:30 AM

If the Mets are taking a payroll hit, why are they including two young pitchers? Not Heilman AND Kunz, it's one or the other.

Frayed Knot Nov 09 2008 09:31 AM

Latest rumors concerning our incoming Prez's favorite team have them making OFer Jermaine Dye available also. I wasn't so sold on this guy earlier in his career. After he took more than a year to come back from that broken leg he suffered during a playoff game against the Yanx I kind of prematurely put him into the older, fragile and on the decline category. But he's put together some nice seasons since (500+ ABs for 5 years running - almost none as DH) including last year's .292/.344/.541 w/41 2Bs & 34 HRs He'd be a different kind of player than Swisher: older (35 in Jan), RH hitter (that's good), more expensive initially ($11.5mil) and less versatile & athletic. But in some ways less of a risk in that he's not coming off a bad year, would only be one year (there's a mutual option for 2010) and maybe less expensive in terms of trade bait. Think of him as a younger, less injury-prone version of Alou. He has at least partial no-trade rights so that may factor into things.

Rockin' Doc Nov 09 2008 06:35 PM

I would be happy to see Jermaine Dye in LF for the Mets next season. He would be a formidable upgrade over what the team has been able to man most of the past two season and he would help make the Mets less susceptible to lefties. Of course, I don't know what the Mets have to offer for him in trade. I would want to hang on to Murphy in hopes that he could handle second base with Dye in LF. I doubt the Mets could make this happen.

Frayed Knot Nov 13 2008 01:51 PM

Swisher to the Yanx!!! for minor league pitcher Jeff Marquez (and maybe others) Guess he's depth at 1B, corner OF, or maybe CF -- although they might find it a mistake if they think he's a full-time CF or a bit light-hitting if they think he's a full-time 1B

metirish Nov 13 2008 02:10 PM

They will still be in for Tex, right? No idea about the minor leaguer but was there any market for Swisher?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 13 2008 02:18 PM

Loks like the MFYs get Swish + 2 minor league pitchers for Marquez and Wilson F. Betemit.

smg58 Nov 13 2008 02:22 PM

="metirish":2gfxlrbd]They will still be in for Tex, right? No idea about the minor leaguer but was there any market for Swisher?[/quote:2gfxlrbd] I'd be shocked if the Yanks aren't still in for Tex. I don't know what the market was for Swisher. Hitting .219 can do wonders to a guy's value. I'm guessing the White Sox took the Yankees offer because nobody else would take his full contract without unloading a similarly burdensome contract on them. attgig Nov 13 2008 02:47 PM they just got tex. (if this wasn't an old thread, I would've expected that to be the title of the thread.....) Kanekoa Texeira =) willpie Nov 13 2008 05:29 PM I'm sadder about the MFYs getting Swisher than I would have guessed. He's one of those players I just like, and it sucks to see him chillin' in the Bronx with Nady. seawolf17 Nov 13 2008 07:14 PM ="willpie":2hzzd2w9]I'm sadder about the MFYs getting Swisher than I would have guessed. He's one of those players I just like, and it sucks to see him chillin' in the Bronx with Nady.[/quote:2hzzd2w9] I agree. I had talked myself into really wanting to see him at Shea next year. seawolf17 Nov 13 2008 07:14 PM ="seawolf17":je1fvs4u] ="willpie":je1fvs4u]I'm sadder about the MFYs getting Swisher than I would have guessed. He's one of those players I just like, and it sucks to see him chillin' in the Bronx with Nady.[/quote:je1fvs4u] I agree. I had talked myself into really wanting to see him at Shea next year.[/quote:je1fvs4u] Wait. Shit. It's going to take me some time to get used to that. Edgy DC Nov 13 2008 08:28 PM Just be thanxious the Yanks didn't gobble up Mike Cameron. seawolf17 Nov 13 2008 08:42 PM ="Edgy DC":1xhx7fay]Just be thanxious the Yanks didn't gobble up Mike Cameron.[/quote:1xhx7fay] Why? We have no need for Mike Cameron. We have a need for Nick Swisher. Edgy DC Nov 13 2008 09:18 PM Well, I thought part of your swissue was Yank-related and likeworthy-guy related. If it's only type-of-guy-we-need-related, well, there are others.

[HahnSolo]

Can they throw their catcher in, too?

Or, I should say, what else would we have to put in the deal to get him?

[smg58]

If we're going to be taking the payroll hit in an exchange of luggage, they should be the ones throwing in cheap players that we might actually want. They're looking to dump these guys for a reason.

[seawolf17]

If the Mets are taking a payroll hit, why are they including two young pitchers? Not Heilman AND Kunz, it's one or the other.

[Frayed Knot]

Latest rumors concerning our incoming Prez's favorite team have them making OFer Jermaine Dye available also.

I wasn't so sold on this guy earlier in his career. After he took more than a year to come back from that broken leg he suffered during a playoff game against the Yanx I kind of prematurely put him into the older, fragile and on the decline category. But he's put together some nice seasons since (500+ ABs for 5 years running - almost none as DH) including last year's .292/.344/.541 w/41 2Bs & 34 HRs

He'd be a different kind of player than Swisher: older (35 in Jan), RH hitter (that's good), more expensive initially ($11.5mil) and less versatile & athletic. But in some ways less of a risk in that he's not coming off a bad year, would only be one year (there's a mutual option for 2010) and maybe less expensive in terms of trade bait.
Think of him as a younger, less injury-prone version of Alou.
He has at least partial no-trade rights so that may factor into things.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I would be happy to see Jermaine Dye in LF for the Mets next season. He would be a formidable upgrade over what the team has been able to man most of the past two season and he would help make the Mets less susceptible to lefties. Of course, I don't know what the Mets have to offer for him in trade. I would want to hang on to Murphy in hopes that he could handle second base with Dye in LF.

I doubt the Mets could make this happen.