Hot Stove 2009-2010

[smg58]

The first free agent to sign is Andruw Jones, who takes a slight pay cut to sign with the White Sox for half a million.

[smg58]

The Blue Jays sign Alex Gonzalez for a year and $2.75M, and re-sign John McDonald for $1.5M. They're obviously prioritizing defense. Scutaro is presumably heading elsewhere.

[metirish]

Olny is calling Halladay "Santana2) meaning that neither the yankees or Red Sox will be willing to part with the big package of players/prospects and then the big package of money needed to get him.....both will then be happy to see him gone from the AL East....and no I didn't make that up.

[Benjamin Grimm]

More than one pundit has said that it's possible that history will repeat, and "Hallway" will be available to the Mets just like Santana was. (They typically qualify that by emphasizing how unlikely it is.)

I guess I agree that it's possible but unlikely, but so are about a million other things.

[ashie62]

Halladay will go to the highest bidder so you can count the Mets out

[A Boy Named Seo]

I know. The Mets have totally never outbid anyone on some expensive player. Ever. Never.

[metsmarathon]

they also never ever trade for the best pitcher on the market. that like never happens.

[ashie62]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: I know. The Mets have totally never outbid anyone on some expensive player. Ever. Never.

Mets have have already stated their budget..Won't get Halladay with cash, Marquis yes

[ashie62]

metsmarathon wrote: they also never ever trade for the best pitcher on the market. that like never happens.

I forgot ,they spent 138 million on the guy with a bum left elbow and have nothing to show for it

Trade and long term signings for pitchers don't seem to work out

Trading can..Ask the Angels

[nymr83]

I forgot ,they spent 138 million on the guy with a bum left elbow and have nothing to show for it

Halladay will go to the highest bidder so you can count the Mets out

[ashie62]

Are the Mets signing Jason Bateman?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Agreed that long-term signings for pitchers GENERALLY don't work out so well. As for having "nothing to show for" Johan, you're forgetting the memory of his almost-singlehandedly dragging this team within a game of a playoff spot, doing it for the last month on a torn meniscus. You're also forgetting a 3-hit shutout that may just be the biggest "hombre" performance out of a Mets pitcher ever. Unless you're insinuating-- as I think y'are-- that only championship seasons count. In which case... perhaps you'd be more comfortable enjoying one of the Bronx's brighter tourist traps on a more regular basis?

And I believe Namor's tagging your debate style. If we had a referee in here monitoring argument fouls, you'd be the Oakland Raiders.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ashie62 wrote: Mets have have already stated their budget..Won't get Halladay with cash, Marquis yes

What's their budget?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I think I just got a fan-boner.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/11/odds-ends-johnson-.html

[smg58]

I'd ask about Johnson. I'd also ask about Ricky Nolasco -- the price difference might be larger than the difference in future results will be.

[ashie62]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Agreed that long-term signings for pitchers GENERALLY don't work out so well. As for having "nothing to show for" Johan, you're forgetting the memory of his almost-singlehandedly dragging this team within a game of a playoff spot, doing it for the last month on a torn meniscus. You're also forgetting a 3-hit shutout that may just be the biggest "hombre" performance out of a Mets pitcher ever. Unless you're insinuating-- as I think y'are-- that only championship seasons count. In which case... perhaps you'd be more comfortable enjoying one of the Bronx's brighter tourist traps on a more regular basis? And I believe Namor's tagging your debate style. If we had a referee in here monitoring argument fouls, you'd be the Oakland Raiders.

I live to see the Mets make the post season..It appears you are envious of the Yankees..and the Raiders

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ashie62 wrote: I forgot ,they spent 138 million on the guy with a bum left elbow and have nothing to show for it

Other things that don't seem to work if you cherry pick the data enough.

• Amateur draftees.
  
  
  
• Waiver claims.
  
  
  
• Rule five picks.
  
  
  
• Signing international free agents.
  
  
  
• Mexican food.
  
  
  
• Beatles movies.
  
  
  
• Waking up in the morning.

[ashie62]

The Mets overpaid for Santana...I hope he is ready for spring training

I love Beatles movies! all of them!

[Guest Edgy DC]

They offer too little for the guys they don't sign and too much for the guys they do sign. Understood.

[Vic Sage]

was that so hard?

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

The Mets overpaid for Santana

Johan's value, according to fangraphs (in millions of dollars):

2008: 21.4
2009: 12.4
total: 33.8

Johan's salary, according to Cot's (also in millions of dollars):

2008: 18.0
2009: 19.0
total: 37.0

So, yeah. It looks like, so far, with one full season and one injury-shortened one, the Mets overpaid for Santana. By about 3 million dollars, or about how much they overpaid Alex Cora. Or was Ashie62 referring to the talent they gave up in the trade?

[Guest attgig]

So Halladay's making similar demands like Santana did. No Deal on anything after spring training. so, it gives us till early Feb to toss around ideas about Halladay getting traded.

is he worth it for the mets, if it costs the mets 4 top prospects?
contract? is he worth the same contract as Santana? better? worse?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Offer Fernando Martinez, Ruben Tejada, the big 42, and Backpack Girl.

[bmfc1]

Brian Schneider signs with the Phillies. I wonder if he said "in my heart, I'll always be a Met." Schneider is over halfway through the NL East.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He's the Bruce Chen of catchers.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

EXTREMELY USEFUL: MLB Trade Rumors' free agent list, with up-to-date arb-offer information (and Scott Boras clients conveniently bolded for ease-of-fan-hissing).

ON a related note... wasn't the Sox's agreement not to offering arbitration a condition of Wagner okaying last year's trade? Or is my brain going transaction-mushy?

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1215691&srvc=sports&position=3

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

No arb offers to any of the Doyers (including Garland, Hudson and Wolf), MFYs (ThrowsLikeMary, Balky, TentaclePorn, etc.) or Cubs (including Gregg and Harden).

[smg58]

Kelly Shoppach is a Ray, for a PTBNL.

On one hand, he regressed when a starting job was his to lose, and I was leery of giving up something for him and then paying an arbiter's price.

On the other hand, he still had a higher OPS last year than Bengie Molina.

Add Dioner Navarro to, and cross out Shoppach from, the list of likely non-tenders.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

23 FAs offered arbitration as MLBTR denotes here. The Type As who got offers-- i.e. the ones who come with a draft price-- go like so:

Chone Figgins
John Lackey
Jose Valverde
Marco Scutaro
Mike Gonzalez
Rafael Soriano
Matt Holliday
Billy Wagner
Jason Bay
Rafael Betancourt

They've got a week to figure out whether they want to accept.

Seems that Country Time has made his decision already, the NL East slut.

[bmfc1]

Billy Wagner to the Braves. Wagner ties Schneider by playing for 3 out of the 5 NL East teams.