Welcome Gary Matthews, Jr.

[bmfc1]

Tweets say that the Mets have acquired Gary Matthews, Jr.

# SI_JonHeyman
#angels will pay a lot of $ on matthews' contract, says AL source. beltran expected back in late april, but #mets concerned 2 minutes ago from web

# Jon Heyman SI_JonHeyman

#mets are acquiring gary matthews jr. from angels, according to an AL source. story will be up soon on si.com. 4 minutes ago from web

Edited January 22, 2010 by Guest

[metirish]

The Mets have a deal to acquire Gary Matthews Jr. from the Los Angeles Angels according to an American League source. Matthews has two years at $10 million a year remaining on his contract and the Angels will be paying the vast portion of that money. The Mets are concerned about Carlos Beltran, their star centerfielder who underwent knee surgery last week and is expected to miss the first three weeks of the season. Matthews batted .250 in a part-time role for the Angels in 2009. He has spent 11 seasons in the majors with six teams, including a two-game cameo with the Mets back in 200

Heyman

[bmfc1]

I should have said "re-acquired":

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/M/Gary-Matthews.shtml

[seawolf17]

Thankfully, they only gave up Niese, Tejada, Fartinez, and two draft picks for him.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Can't see why I'd want that dude out there instead of Pagan.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

So much for the "No Stupid Moves" theme of the offseason.

Ah.... who'd we give up?

[bmfc1]

If you're interested, I found a thread on an Angels message board:

http://www.angelswin.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=32641&posts=6&start=1

Heyman says that he hears that Castillo is not part of the deal. The Angels are paying most of his big contract (I think he said 20 of 23 million).

Edited January 22, 2010 by Guest

[metirish]

Check out tense2 profile pic.....BOING


Angels fans are happy of course

[Guest Edgy DC]

Thankfully, they only gave up Niese, Tejada, Fartinez, and two draft picks for him.[/quote:2w9x1wij]
For a microsecond. Had me for a microsecond.

[Centerfield]

Matthews batted .250 in a part-time role for the Angels in 2009. He has spent 11 seasons in the majors with six teams, including a two-game cameo with the Mets back in 200

Heyman

[metirish]

So much for the "No Stupid Moves" theme of the offseason.

Ah.... who'd we give up?

[Guest Edgy DC]

WFAN: How can the Angels GM unload their garbage without taking back ours?

Yeah, we should've made them take Francesa.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Plot ought to thicken here.

[seawolf17]

Now I'm seeing tweets that say the Reds are involved. Matthews to them for a pitcher, perhaps?

[metirish]

Now I'm seeing tweets that say the Reds are involved. Matthews to them for a pitcher, perhaps?[/quote:2spq2j1o]


Now your talking....or tweeting

Wayne Krivsky must be all over this shit.....Volquez please....thanks

Edited January 22, 2010 by Guest

[Guest Edgy DC]

Thinking of Gary Matthews as a replacement for Carlos Beltran as our dynamic multi-talented centerfielder, that's painful.

Thinking of Gary Matthews as a replacment for Gary Sheffield, as our washed up over-priced fourth or fifth outfielder, paid by another team and named Gary, that's not as painful.

[bmfc1]

WFAN: How can the Angels GM unload their garbage without taking back ours?

Yeah, we should've made them take Francesa.

[Centerfield]

I know right? Dude's raking today.

[smg58]

Well the Mets do need somebody else in addition to Pagan who can play center, and if we're paying him $3M over two years and giving up nothing, it's not that big a deal. There's no reason why he should play over Pagan, and hopefully Manuel realizes that, but the depth won't hurt.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Heyman is hinting that this guy might be headed to Anaheim for Matthews:

[Centerfield]

Really? I would have an issue with that. Stokes has been pretty useful, and has the stuff to be even better.

I would hope the Mets gave up less than that.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Doesn't have much of a role, though, and has been redundant with Figueroa.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'd also prefer that it wasn't Stokes. It's starting to sound like the Angels are getting a minor leaguer. Heyman had reported that the Angels were interested in Stokes, but that doesn't mean they're getting him.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, I'd prefer it was a package of expired first-aid supplies, but I imagine the Halos won't get somebody completely useless if they're paying most of the freight on Sarge Jr.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Stokes is the kinda pitcher you move for a reserve outfielder.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Tommie Agee is Mathews, Jr.'s sixth best all-time comp according to Baseball Reference's similarity scores. We're probably getting this Agee, though:

[Ceetar]

Eh. I'm indifferent. I doubt he wins a job over Pagan.

He has more power than Jeremy Reed, and he had a good 2006, which means Manuel will trust him first in every power situation that the Pitcher, Pagan, or Castillo get up in after the 6th inning.

[Guest attgig]

can he still play cf well? his defensive abilities were much exaggerated as I remember. how long before Jerry uses him at First like he did with reed?

[Frayed Knot]

Keith was big-time friends with Gary Sr. ... not that that has anything to do with anything.

For (virtually) free, I don't have any problem with this.
I had already heard rumors of rumors about Castillo for Mathews which, predictably, some Met fans thought sounded delightful but would have, in fact, been idiotic to the Nth degree.

[smg58]

Stokes is the kinda pitcher you move for a reserve outfielder.[/quote:dn8orlcz]

I'd wait to see the price of some of the remaining free agents (like Randy Winn, for example) before giving up somebody I might miss. Stokes was generally effective at getting righties out, and certainly had his moments for us. Matthews has had some very good seasons, but he was sub-replacement the last two years.