Non-Tender Day

[Edgy MD]

In addition to Pelf and Paulino, I guess Torres has to be offered a contract --- and presumably will.

Adam Rubin notes that a non-tender of Paulino would get the roster down to 40, which I guess they have to get done in the next few days in order to add Rauch and Francisco.

[Edgy MD]

Manny Acosta, also a candy date for a non-tender.

[smg58]

Acosta earned his million or so. There are worse relievers making more money.

The Tigers are dropping Will Rhymes, who's not even arb-eligible. The 2010 version would be an asset at second base.

[Edgy MD]

Minor league deal, maybe.

[Vic Sage]

we should bring him in for our Song Parody contest.

[smg58]

Joe Saunders joins the ranks of the free agents. The Diamondbacks recent acquisition of Trevor Cahill from Oakland made him disposable.

[Edgy MD]

And... Ronny Paulino and Mike Baxter join the ranks of ballplayers looking for work.

Baxter's dad joins Nelson Figueroa's among the ranks of Met fan fathers of ballplayers who come to hate the Mets.

Other namey names wanting work this morning:

IF Jeff Keppinger
C Koyie Hill
RP Hong-Chih Kuo
RP Jose Mijares
SP Micah Owings
SP Jo-Jo Reyes ("Mets Sign Reyes!")
SP Joe Saunders (really?)
1B Luke Scott
RP Andy Sonnanstine
OF Ryan Spilborghs
IF Ryan Theriot
C Eli Whiteside

Tony Gwynn, Jr. and James Loney get contracts from the suddenly cash-flush Dodgers. Gwynn got two years!

[seawolf17]

Saunders didn't exactly light the world on fire last year, but I'd give him a Young-Capuano deal.

[metsmarathon]

owings would be a perfect fit for this team.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ryan Theriot played 91 games at shortstop in 2011 (and 35 at second base.) .271/.321/.342.26 doubles, 1 homer in 442 at bats.

I was thinking that the Mets don't have any big leaguers with shortstop experience other than Tejada. (Or am I overlooking someone?)

Theriot will probably be too expensive to play backup, but I figured I'd point out his name anyway.

[Edgy MD]

seawolf17 wrote: Saunders didn't exactly light the world on fire last year, but I'd give him a Young-Capuano deal.

I think a 3.69 ERA in Arizona over 212 innings is a pretty darn good year.

As he doesn't strike out too many guys, I'm not sure how much of it is illusory, but it's not far off his career performance, and he keeps his walks down. If he'd accept a Young-Capuano deal, I'd be pretty surprised.

Micah Owings? How do you tell a guy to get lost after he went 8-0 for you?

[Frayed Knot]

metsmarathon wrote: owings would be a perfect fit for this team.

IIRC he can hit.

[Edgy MD]

Is it Valadius who digs hitting pitchers?

[Lefty Specialist]

Frayed Knot wrote: metsmarathon wrote: owings would be a perfect fit for this team. IIRC he can hit.

Lifetime .286 BA and .820 OPS. Yes, I'd say he can hit.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Good to see Luke Scott unemployed.

[seawolf17]

Edgy DC wrote: Is it Valadius who digs hitting pitchers?

Valadius fellates Owings every chance he gets. I think his head would explode if the Mets signed him.

[metirish]

seawolf17 wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Is it Valadius who digs hitting pitchers? Valadius fellates Owings every chance he gets. I think his head would explode if the Mets signed him.

He would qualify that with a " four years to late" remark now I think. Owings was the hitter he would deride Minaya for not getting.

[Vic Sage]

Arizona Diamondbacks - Micah Owings (RHP - 29), Joe Saunders (LHP -30) = both are useful starters, but Owings can PH, too.
Baltimore Orioles - Jo-Jo Reyes (LHP, 27), Luke Scott (LH 1b/LF, 33) = nope
Boston Red Sox - Rich Hill (LHP, 31) = perennially injured
Chicago Cubs - Koyie Hill (Sw C, 32) = no bat at all
Colorado Rockies - Cole Garner (Rh Of, 26), Ryan Spilborghs (Rh OF, 32) = Garner is AAAA player, but Spilborghs is useful Rhed OF bat
Detroit Tigers - Will Rhymes (Lh 2B, 29) - useful, can hit a little
Miami Marlins - Clay Hensley (RhRP, 32) - useful bullpen depth
Kansas City Royals - Aaron Laffey (LHP, 27) - wild, still youngish Lefty; lefties can develop late
Los Angeles Dodgers - Hong-Chih Kuo (LhRP, 31) - oft-injured but effective when healthy lefty reliever; can set up
Minnesota Twins - Jose Mijares (LhRP, 27) - LOOGY with weight issues; can be effective
San Diego Padres - Jeremy Hermida (Lh OF, 28) - never quite made it
San Francisco Giants - Jeff Keppinger (Rh 2b/If, 32) - decent BA has made him overrated
Washington Nationals - Doug Slaten (LhRP, 32) - another LOOGY

of this crop, we should keep an eye on
SPers: Saunders, Owings, Laffey
RPers: Hensley, Mijares, Kuo
IFers: Rhymes
OFers: Spilborghs

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

A lot of these guys are being non-tendered with the intent of re-signing them to club-friendly contracts; the scuttlebutt is that both Owings and Saunders are among these. I wouldn't mind either, but

Kuo is nasty when operable-- like, 10-11 K/9 nasty-- and he can start for stretches. I'm down for a hugely performance-loaded signing there.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Baxter not necessarily a goner, as per Rubin.

Sandy Alderson said he hoped to bring back outfielder Mike Baxter on a minor league deal, even though the Queens product was cut loose at Tuesday's non-tender deadline along with Ronny Paulino... "We needed the roster spot," Alderson said about Baxter being dropped from the 40-man roster. "Right now we've still got roster issues... we're pretty tight right now."

[smg58]

Theriot's relatively weak arm plays better at second than short, but he's not awful. I'm sure he wants assurance of a starting job, though.

I'd be interested in Kuo at a lottery ticket price.