Wagner Headed Elsewhere?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I thought he had cleared waivers. (I guess I was wrong.)

Sucks if there's only one team that they can trade him to. Doesn't give the Mets much leverage in getting the best possible player in return.

Well, I guess it gives them some. The other team may need Billy Wagner more than the Mets need the prospect. But that other team may not need a reliever but is just trying to keep the competition from getting him.

[Frayed Knot]

I can't see how releasing him is even a choice at this point.
So it's either work out a deal with the mystery team and get a player/prospect in return, let the other team just take him and save the money, or hang onto him and deal with the other set of questions over the winter: pick-up the option, decline and offer arb, decline and don't offer arb

[bmfc1]

With Sheff, the Giants knew that the Mets wouldn't want to keep him for next year. With Wagner, the Mets have some leverage: the Mets can keep him on the roster, offer him arbitration, and when he declines (because he wants to close but won't with the Mets), get the compensatory draft picks when he becomes a FA.

[Gwreck]

Do we know that we will get compensatory draft picks? Type A and Type B rankings are generally based on the statistics (as determined by Elias) for the past two years.

I'm not sure it's a slam dunk that Wagner would be a Type A free agent.

[G-Fafif]

Do we know that we will get compensatory draft picks? Type A and Type B rankings are generally based on the statistics (as determined by Elias) for the past two years.

I'm not sure it's a slam dunk that Wagner would be a Type A free agent.

[nymr83]

How sure are you that Wagner wouldn't accept the Mets' arbitration offer? he might wish he was closing but might also want to take the money and laugh at the Wilpons for offering.

[ashie62]

I'd rather they shipped F Rodriguez at this point. he has certainly, in my eyes, been underwhelming

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

How sure are you that Wagner wouldn't accept the Mets' arbitration offer? he might wish he was closing but might also want to take the money and laugh at the Wilpons for offering.[/quote:w5rqg1z8]

Guy just worked his way back in 11 months-- apparently with stunning success-- from TJ surgery. At age 37. Granted, I don't know him personally and you-- I presume-- don't know him personally. But, given that and knowing what we know about the guy's personality, don't you feel pretty sure that pride wins out over a paltry year of guaranteed money-- almost certain to be less than he's gotten in each of the last 7-8 years-- as his career winds down?

And, holy hell-- if the team has pulled back Sheffield rather than deal him, and deals Wagner for ONE mid-level prospect instead of holding on for a month to collect two first-second round picks? Oy.

[smg58]

Letting Wagner go would free up nearly $3M, if you include the buyout. Don't assume the Wilpons aren't (or shouldn't be, for that matter) considering that aspect of it.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

And dealing Frankie would save several bumloads more.

NO DEAL!

[Guest Edgy DC]

If Wagner accepts arbitration, well, I can think of worse scenarios.

[bmfc1]

lenno212Wagner on possibly being claimed by contender: "Might be the closest I ever get to a World Series." #mets

Billy: we gave you a standing ovation last night... now STFU! You were on the Mets in '06. They got close. Maybe if your back didn't act up so often, you might have gotten to the Series in '07. And maybe if you didn't get hurt last year, you might have gotten to the Series. So please, please, STFU.

[Gwreck]

Let's see, who gave up 3 in the 9th in game 2 of the NLCS? You know, the series which determines what NL team plays in the world series? The series we lost by one game?

Jeez.

[G-Fafif]

Welcome back Billy must go.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I can't believe youse guys don't wanna 86 this hayseed punk pronto.

[Farmer Ted]

Missed Billy last night. What did he hit on the radar gun?

[Gwreck]

94-96

[Guest themetfairy]

I can't believe youse guys don't wanna 86 this hayseed punk pronto.[/quote:tc5rnngp]

It's not like we're not totally desperate for anyone with a pulse or anything....

[bmfc1]

The word from CF is that the Red Sox claimed him. I'm glad it was Boston and not a NL team (especially the Phillies).

[Guest OlerudOwned]

The word from CF is that the Red Sox claimed him. I'm glad it was Boston and not a NL team (especially the Phillies).[/quote:1dop3dax]
I'm surprised he passed through that far. Thought the Cubs would've rolled the dice on him.

[Farmer Ted]

They'll probably offer Dice K in return.

[bmfc1]

Tuesday deadline to work out a deal.

Speculation:

http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=14573

[bmfc1]

I don't have a Baseball Prospectus account but someone at Sons of Sam Horn does and he excerpted a Joe Sheehan column from Saturday:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A bit more than a year removed from his last major league appearance, Billy Wagner took the mound at Citi Field last night in the top of the eighth inning against the Braves. His entrance was greeted with loud cheers, and those cheers grew as he struck out the first man he faced and then completed his one-two-three inning with a second whiff. Wagner left the mound to the better part of a standing ovation, the crowd sounding a bit like it was celebrating the tension of a critical late-season game.

That�s not where the Mets were, though. The team Billy Wagner left last August 2 was two games out of first place in the NL East. The team he returned to is playing out the string in a lost year. The raucous cheers for Wagner, understandable for a good and popular player returning from a serious injury, fell flat to me. It was the absence of Wagner down the stretch in the last two seasons that was the single biggest reason the Mets missed the playoffs in those years, the single biggest reason for the enormous amount of pressure on the 2009 team. Wagner was intermittently available in '07, watching his teammates blow leads in at least one critical game that September and himself losing two, including one to the Phillies in late August. By suffering a season-ending injury in early August last year, Wagner forced the Mets to use lesser relievers at a point in the season where finding substitutes would be difficult. Wagner�s hero�s welcome was dissonant.

[soupcan]

Wagner�s hero�s welcome was dissonant.

Agree 100% with that. Fans are stoopid.

Same thing with the fans that gave Pedro a hero's welcome at today's game. WTF? He was a mediocre pitcher at best for the Mets and they didn't win anything of substance while he was here. Now he's on the Phillies and he gets roundly cheered?

Amazing.

[metirish]

Pedro's Mets career obviously wasn't what it could have been , having said that for me personally he gave me some of the best nights ever as a Mets fan.


I wish him health

Wagner for me was never that likable but I can cheer his comeback if for nothing else then just to see him back so quickly. If he is traded not a tear I will shed.

[smg58]

I'd have simply cheered the fact that one of our high-profile guys on the DL actually returned.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sheesh, so few things to cheer. Heaven forfend Met fans actually behave kindly.

[soupcan]

Its not that they can't or shouldn't cheer, but Wagner? Fine, give him a golf clap for his return from his injury. Pedro? He's pitching for the Phillies for Pete's sake. We are supposed to boo the enemy. He was received like he'd won a World Series MVP and was returning home for the first time. That reception would've been fine in Boston, but not here.

And irish - no offense, and I understand that you haven't been rooting for the Mets for 35+ years, but anything Pedro did while he was here isn't even on my top 25 best Mets memories.

[smg58]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090824&content_id=6589350&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

So the latest skinny is that Wagner wants the Sox to buy him out and not offer arbitration, and the Sox are hedging. He'd evidently take less money to be somebody's closer, but he doesn't want a potential type A label to kill his market value.

But theoretically the Mets could still allow him to be claimed? Do we know if that's true or not? Keep in mind that there are approximately 3.4 million reasons why getting nothing for him wouldn't actually mean getting nothing.

[metirish]

How does Wagner have any leverage here at all? , and what the hell is Papelbon mouting on about?....I saw Wagner respond to him and it didn't sound like they will be BFF if the deal goes through.