smg58

="DocTee":2eejdf5c]The need for a bat was/is obvoius and should have been priority number one. The difference between, say, Dunn and Murphy/Tatis is far greater, I think, than that between Putz and, say, Brandon Lyon.[/quote:2eejdf5c] According to the Fielding Bible, Church's defense in RF was superior, Murphy's glove in left was above average (and far better than most people realize), and Dunn's glove was well below average no matter where he was put. I'm not sure Dunn would give the Mets anything with the bat that he wouldn't take away with the glove, especially in a more spacious park. The same applies to Abreu, and would have applied to Burrell, Ibanez, or Jermaine Dye. The one noteworthy free agent with a better than average glove for left field is Ty Wigginton. The Mets could use another righthanded bat, and Wigginton had the fifth highest OPS among all regulars against lefthanded pitching last year. He could platoon in left, or start there if he outperforms Murphy, without forcing a guy who hit .312 with an .876 OPS for us to the bench or AAA whether he's hitting well or not. He'd allow Tatis to spell Church or Delgado against some lefties, and otherwise solidify a bench that's presently very short on pop and righthanded balance. And he'd cover the Mets at a variety of positions in case of injury or somebody becoming ineffective. There's your bargain. Plus, I would argue that the difference between Orlando Hudson and Luis Castillo is greater than the difference between even Manny and Murphy/Tatis. Partly because of defense, but mainly because Murphy really isn't that bad and Castillo really is that bad. A Boy Named Seo Jan 28 2009 10:55 AM ="smg58":fkqnfrbx]="DocTee":fkqnfrbx]The need for a bat was/is obvoius and should have been priority number one. The difference between, say, Dunn and Murphy/Tatis is far greater, I think, than that between Putz and, say, Brandon Lyon.[/quote:fkqnfrbx] According to the Fielding Bible, Church's defense in RF was superior, Murphy's glove in left was above average (and far better than most people realize), and Dunn's glove was well below average no matter where he was put. I'm not sure Dunn would give the Mets anything with the bat that he wouldn't take away with the glove, especially in a more spacious park. The same applies to Abreu, and would have applied to Burrell, Ibanez, or Jermaine Dye. [/quote:fkqnfrbx] Really? That's a lot of giving away Dunn would have to do. Looking beyond '09, he really is a pretty good fit. He could play 1 year in LF and slide over to first next year and the Mets could get a better gloving, less strike outing, more right handy guy for '10 in LF. Especially if he could be had for Pat Burrell money or close to it. He just turned 29 fer cryin' out loud. metirish Jan 28 2009 10:58 AM Dunn would need to drop a whole lot of balls to take away from what he would give you on offense , I would take him over Abreu. metsguyinmichigan Jan 28 2009 11:02 AM Abreu is slower than a slug going uphill. Plus, he's got Yankee taint. Dunn, meanwhile, is not the best fielder, but he'd be playing next to a Gold Glover with a lot of range. If Citi is a hitter's park as they suspect, he'd set the team home run record. And he could spell Delgado at first. And Delgado isn't exactly Mex around the bag, either -- though not as bad as people say. I'd take a one-year pact with him in a heartbeat. Frayed Knot Jan 28 2009 11:08 AM Various articles today (Olney & Wash Post) say that both Abreu & Dunn may be willing (read: have no choice) to take one-year deals. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 28 2009 11:09 AM I think Dunn is a longer shot than Sheets, Manny and any of the other names talked about. He's just, the complete opposite of an Omar guy. Benjamin Grimm Jan 28 2009 11:10 AM Hudson's the position player I'd most like to see them get. Add Hudson and Sheets and I'll be ready to get 2009 underway. batmagadanleadoff Jan 28 2009 11:13 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":q4dmjolh]I think Dunn is a longer shot than Sheets, Manny and any of the other names talked about. He's just, the complete opposite of an Omar guy.[/quote:q4dmjolh] I agree with you. But is it good or bad to be an "Omar guy"? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 28 2009 11:15 AM Well, I'd hold out more hope for Orlando Hudson, f'rinstance. Ashie62 Jan 28 2009 11:20 AM Well..K Rod & Putz are in the house. I just hope Krod's arm is OK Omar seems to be happy with the OF. I would like to see a power hitting LF but Manny, Dunn, Abreu. Not gonna happen.. attgig Jan 28 2009 12:10 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 28 2009 12:21 PM yeah, I don't understand how he likes the OF that much. they're saying Dunn for 1 year at 5 mil. How is that not a steal? I was never a huge fan of Dunn cuz of his SO rate, but 1 year 5 mil for 40hr, 100+rbi, >350obp... heck, sign him for 3 years for 15 mil at that price Omar, for some reason, loves church, and has this idea that after signing a bench full of guys at 2 mil per season, one of them will pan out in LF. I don't get it. Edgy DC Jan 28 2009 12:21 PM I'm guessing Opposite of an Omar Guy = not particlurly athletic for a professional athlete; limited number of skills but impressive showing in the skills he has; sabermetrically appealing; American-born whitey; no history of employment at Omar's previous stops in Montreal or Texas, or his first tenure with the Mets; a satisfyingly known quantity, rather than droolingly full of not-yet-realized potential; has a galootey-nickname like "Big Donkey" instead of something exotic and xexy like "El Matador." Nymr83 Jan 28 2009 01:19 PM ]Omar, for some reason, loves church his solid production might have something to do with it. I'm all in favor of Dunn, he'd be replacing the left field platoon, not church. Edgy DC Jan 28 2009 01:24 PM I thought it was the music, meaningful sermons, and the sense of belonging. attgig Jan 28 2009 01:28 PM ="Nymr83"]]Omar, for some reason, loves church his solid production might have something to do with it. I'm all in favor of Dunn, he'd be replacing the left field platoon, not church. decent BA/OBP, OPS ~ 800, ~15 hrs a year for a corner outfielder? that's solid production? his best year was 07, after which Omar bought him high, and while he was on track to be a good fill-in in RF this past year before he got hurt, by no means was he a starting RF'er in a championship caliber club. Edgy DC Jan 28 2009 01:48 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 28 2009 01:48 PM Sheesh, before getting hurt, he was .316 / .385 / .469 // .855 in April and .299 / .364 / .612 // .976 in May. Can't ask for much more from a guy. Benjamin Grimm Jan 28 2009 01:48 PM Well, he was very solid before his concussion. Whether he would have sustained it over a full season remains to be seen. And so does whether or not he'll ever be healthy again. Church is certainly a question mark. He could be really good in 2009, or he could be really mediocre. If it's the latter, the rest of the lineup probably isn't deep enough to cover for him. Nymr83 Jan 28 2009 02:19 PM ]decent BA/OBP, OPS ~ 800, ~15 hrs a year for a corner outfielder? that's solid production? Career OPS+ 111. Yes that is in fact solid production. ]his best year was 07, after which Omar bought him high 07 was the first time he got to play every day, but his 05 and 06 stats supported 07 as not being a any kind of fluke. ]and while he was on track to be a good fill-in in RF this past year before he got hurt, by no means was he a starting RF'er in a championship caliber club Ryan Church (29) has a career 111 OPS+ and his in his prime, thus you can expect around that number out of him. the last 10 champions and their "championship caliber RFer" (with age and OPS+ for the year they won) 2008 PHI (Werth 29 121) 2007 BOS (Drew 31 105) 2006 STL (Encarnacion 30 93) 2005 CHW (Dye 31 118) 2004 BOS (Kapler 28 77) 2003 FLA (Encarnacion 27 97) 2002 ANH (Salmon 33 133) 2001 ARZ (Sanders 33 117) 2000 NYY (O'Neil 37 92) 1999 NYY (O'Neil 36 97) conclusion: a concussion-free Ryan Church is as good or better than "championship caliber" rightfielders. Ashie62 Jan 28 2009 02:44 PM conclusion: a concussion-free Ryan Church is as good or better than "championship caliber" rightfielders. You have to be kidding..Church concussion or not has not come remotely closed to any of the referenced numbers You say a concussion free Church IS as good or better...That can't be backed up now. He MAY be as good or better. Personally I doubt. but even just staying healthy is probably good enough. Yeah Adam Dunn strikes out too much, plays bad D..however.he is a legitimate power threat, comes cheap, and allows Murphy to season up at OF & 2B. We still have no real read on what Church can do. I have been impressed so far but you can't bank on it... smg58 Jan 28 2009 05:18 PM My one real concern about Church is his ability to hit lefthanders. Right now the team has nobody to spell either him or Delgado against a lefty, and if Tatis is starting the only righty on the bench will be the backup catcher. (I suppose Nick Evans has a chance of beating out all the lefty outfielders Minaya has brought in, but I'd much rather see him get full-time AB's at first base in AAA than warm the bench for the Mets.) I would consider another righthanded bat to be an imperative. Otherwise, like nymr says an OPS+ between 110 and 120 for Church would be perfectly consistent with his numbers for the Nats and his pre-concussion numbers with us last year. That, combined with ++ defense, would make him an asset. I realize the concussion still makes him a question mark, but given the much higher probability of inadequacy we currently have at second base, I'd direct my resources there. MFS62 Jan 28 2009 05:53 PM ="Edgy DC":22p77pkg] has a galootey-nickname like "Big Donkey" instead of something exotic and sexy like "El Matador."[/quote:22p77pkg] (I corrected "xexy" for ya'.) IIRC the first Met to be nicknamed "Big donkey" was Frank Thomas. LAter Nymr83 Jan 28 2009 06:09 PM ]You have to be kidding..Church concussion or not has not come remotely closed to any of the referenced numbers you've proven that you can't read and compare simple 2 and 3 digit numbers. i'm done with you. Edgy DC Jan 28 2009 06:27 PM Must be baseball argot for "big slow slugger." Tom Seaver welcomes Donn Clendenon to the Mets. TS: Donn, guess who the first guy I struck out in the big leagues was? DC: Who? TS: You, you big donkey! DC: Well, you didn't get a virgin. A lot of guys have gotten me. I've gotten a lot of guys also. MFS62 Jan 28 2009 06:50 PM LOL! Guess it must be. And, I can just hear Donn saying that. Later Edgy DC Jan 29 2009 06:58 AM Donn, though, was fast as the wind as a young player. He still ran pretty fast for a thumper by the time he reached the Mets. Frayed Knot Jan 29 2009 07:38 AM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jan 29 2009 08:19 AM WARP Speed Captain! Just for kicks; the 'WARP' projections (Wins above Replacement Player) from BP for 2009 FA LFers: Manny = 4.3 Dunn = 3.8 Abreu = 3.2 And, yes, WARP does take defense into account as well as hitting. IOW, Manny's projected 2009 season (using BP's system) would add approx 4-1/2 wins to your team over and above what using a "replacement" player (a readily available waiver pick-up) would bring. Dunn would add about half a win less, Abreu another half-win less. They mention that Manny WARP projection is only [u:11e8s8cy]a bit more than half[/u:11e8s8cy] what he provided in 2008 (7.8) but the system takes into account that he's probably unlikely to repeat his stunning 2nd-half rampage and even more unlikely to avoid turning 37. Frayed Knot Jan 29 2009 07:38 AM ="Edgy DC":3z4h1v4l]Donn, though, was fast as the wind as a young player. He still ran pretty fast for a thumper by the time he reached the Mets.[/quote:3z4h1v4l] So you're saying that you'd rather have Donn than Dunn? Edgy DC Jan 29 2009 07:56 AM Hard to vote against Donn, dead though he is, at the present time. Vic Sage Jan 29 2009 01:30 PM smg58: ]According to the Fielding Bible, Church's defense in RF was superior, Murphy's glove in left was above average (and far better than most people realize), and Dunn's glove was well below average no matter where he was put. I'm not sure Dunn would give the Mets anything with the bat that he wouldn't take away with the glove, especially in a more spacious park. The same applies to Abreu, and would have applied to Burrell, Ibanez, or Jermaine Dye. This kind of horsehockey makes my shorts steam. you're worried about corner of defense, when you've got a guy who averages 40hr/100+rbi/100+BB /year? Get Ollie & Dunn and be done! Nymr83 Jan 31 2009 11:56 PM come on Omar, slip it under the radar on superbowl sunday... Adam Dunn is a NYM. SteveJRogers Feb 01 2009 06:43 AM ="Nymr83":16qb9hum]come on Omar, slip it under the radar on superbowl sunday... Adam Dunn is a NYM.[/quote:16qb9hum] That will piss off the "We Want Manny" fanboys! Then again, they'll probably want Omar to act like the Yankees and say "Hey, why not get both!" Nymr83 Feb 01 2009 09:59 PM I'd rather have Dunn than Ramirez given their respective ages and attitudes. Dunn also has the added ability to play 1B, meaning that at the end of next season we can look to replace Delgado OR shift Dunn to 1B and find an outfielder. If we sign Manny we are locked in to replacing Delgado with a firstbaseman, and options are good to have. I admit that Ramirez's stats are more impressive and wouldn't fault anyone for preffering him. Number 6 Feb 01 2009 10:32 PM The biggest issue regarding Dunn would be the risk in a long-term deal (he's got a healthy dose of the dreaded "old-person skills"). None of the models available like his chances for maintaining his skill-set over the length of a 4-year contract. If he's available for 1 on the cheap though, somebody is getting a bargain. To me, this still all goes back to Perez. It seems like the Mets are not going to shoot their payroll far beyond $135 million, and if that's the case I'd much rather see them pick up Dunn and a pitcher, preferably Sheets on an incentive-laden "prove-it" contract, for a price possibly a few million more than what they'd pay for Perez. They'd do that without the risk inherent in doling out longer-term deals. If Sheets has a dynamite year - which he is clearly capable of provided he pitches - and meets his incentives, then you're quite possibly getting a positive return on investment anyway. I like Church a lot, but you just can't count on him to stay on the field. Right now, left field is stitched together with wishes and dreams. It's nice that we have 3 huge producers and 1 with potential, but that might not mean much if our offense is significantly below league-average in the other 4 lineup slots. Nymr83 Feb 02 2009 12:21 AM ="Number 6":2lro33xa]The biggest issue regarding Dunn would be the risk in a long-term deal (he's got a healthy dose of the dreaded "old-person skills"). None of the models available like his chances for maintaining his skill-set over the length of a 4-year contract. If he's available for 1 on the cheap though, somebody is getting a bargain. To me, this still all goes back to Perez. It seems like the Mets are not going to shoot their payroll far beyond $135 million, and if that's the case I'd much rather see them pick up Dunn and a pitcher, preferably Sheets on an incentive-laden "prove-it" contract, for a price possibly a few million more than what they'd pay for Perez. They'd do that without the risk inherent in doling out longer-term deals. If Sheets has a dynamite year - which he is clearly capable of provided he pitches - and meets his incentives, then you're quite possibly getting a positive return on investment anyway. I like Church a lot, but you just can't count on him to stay on the field. Right now, left field is stitched together with wishes and dreams. It's nice that we have 3 huge producers and 1 with potential, but that might not mean much if our offense is significantly below league-average in the other 4 lineup slots.[/quote:2lro33xa] "3 huge producers" is a bit optimistic as well. heres what i would consider a reasonable range of OPS+ numbers from our projected lineup, though of course you're free to disagree: SS Reyes (100-120) RF Church (100-135) 3B Wright (130-155) CF Beltran (120-140) 1B Delgado (100-140) LF Tatis/Murphy (90-120 from the LF spot combined) 2B Castillo (75-95) C Schneider/Castro (75-95 from the spot) obviously thats alot of range, but i think only 2 guys (Wright, Beltran) are capable of having a truly huge year, while 3 more (Delgado, Reyes, Church) are at least likely to be a positive force in the lineup. But you've got LF which is really a wild guess at this point, and C and 2B where you can pretty much expect a drag on the lineup. I realize that C is pretty much unaddressable at this point (look whose out there), but LF could be very easily addressed with players who would hit in the top 5 of any lineup (Ramirez, Dunn, Abreu) and 2B could at least be made into a great defensive strength with better offensive production than Castillo (Hudson) Number 6 Feb 02 2009 01:09 AM Yeah, the word "huge" was a bad choice, for several reasons. My fear is that we get significantly less from RF when we're playing back-ups due to injury, and I think we can reasonably expect less than the range you project for LF. Personally, I'd be surprised if the OPS+ we get from our LF platoon, as currently cast, approaches 100. Combine that with 2 other slots which I think you have pretty accurately down as offensive black holes, and it could get ugly. Yeah, it's a bad-case scenario, but I'd argue it's at least as likely as other probable outcomes. Even if we assume that Delgado, Wright, Reyes and Beltran are nearer to the upper bound of your ranges, can we expect that production to carry what could be some pretty hideous drag? Meanwhile, Dunn has averaged an OPS+ of 133 for the past 5 seasons. If it winds up being true that his price could come down to 1 year and $7 million or so, that's value, and it keeps us from needing to bank on the improbable. batmagadanleadoff Feb 02 2009 01:57 AM It would be nice to acquire Manny's next two seasons without having to pay for the two after that. But Manny and Dunn want long term deals. And if the price for either of those two drops low enough, then the Mets advantage in being one of baseball's wealthiest teams might be squandered, because at some point, even the Royals will put in a bid. Nymr83 Feb 02 2009 02:47 AM Whatever the economic situation, the Mets can outbid the Royals (or any other hypothetic bidder.) If the Mets are truly at a point where they can't offer 2 years 20 million (assuming they wanted to) then the Royals sure can't offer 2 years and 20 million either. Right now the Mets have an advantage because there are at least 3 reasonable hitting alternatives out there (Ramirez, Dunn, and Abreu) and it is very unlikely that all 3 of those players find a 3rd year somewhere, the Mets should be able to get one of them, even if its not their first choice, for 2 years. Theres also the pitchers that are still out there... Perez and Sheets are getting nothing right now from what i can tell of the rumor mill, its time the Mets made a "who can jump first" offer to the both of them. It really looks like the bargains are there to be had and now is the time to lock them in for a smart GM. A few teams will be patting themselves on the back next offseason when prices are higher and they've got these guys at cheaper rates for another year. Frayed Knot Feb 02 2009 07:09 AM And if all else fails ... Get Wiggy With It!!! batmagadanleadoff Feb 02 2009 09:32 AM ="Nymr83":2s7x82mb]Whatever the economic situation, the Mets can outbid the Royals (or any other hypothetic bidder.) If the Mets are truly at a point where they can't offer 2 years 20 million...[/quote:2s7x82mb] This'll probably fall into that vast category of things I believe are true but can't prove, but if Manny can't get more than a two year $20M deal, I'd be very suspicious of a lot of other things besides the economy. And if a team's offering Manny $10M a year, then it can hardly be said that his price has dropped to $7M. metirish Feb 02 2009 09:37 AM Hasn't Manny already turned down more than that from the Dodgers way back in FA , 2 years and $45 million IIRC. batmagadanleadoff Feb 02 2009 10:15 AM ="metirish":e0gp3ri2]Hasn't Manny already turned down more than that from the Dodgers way back in FA , 2 years and $45 million IIRC.[/quote:e0gp3ri2] Probably. We were only "what iffing" on Manny's price. Frayed Knot Feb 02 2009 10:21 AM ="metirish":3ko8tdnw]Hasn't Manny already turned down more than that from the Dodgers way back in FA , 2 years and $45 million IIRC.[/quote:3ko8tdnw] Yes, LA put that deal out there early on and is waiting for a counter-offer from Boras but hasn't heard anything. And word leaked out the other day that Manny supposedly let it slip via his buddy A. Pujols that he hasn't received an offer other than that one. The Giants showed some brief interest and continue to stick their nose in every once in a while but that now seems to be more in making sure the Dodgers don't get him cheaply than it is in snagging him for themselves. Presumably that same Dodger offer is still on the table although they might just reduce it themselves. Meanwhile Boras is still talking about wanting 4 years. Frayed Knot Feb 02 2009 08:35 PM From Jayson Stark - espn.com: A two-year, $45 million offer three months ago didn't get it done. So on Monday, the Los Angeles Dodgers made a new offer to Manny Ramirez -- for one year and $25 million, according to a major league source. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti confirmed to ESPN.com that he met with Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, on Monday and presented the new offer in person. Colletti declined to confirm any details of the offer. But the offer was confirmed by another source with knowledge of the discussions. It's believed that Ramirez and Boras were given a 48-hour deadline to accept the offer. John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 02 2009 09:00 PM They stole my idea! metsguyinmichigan Feb 02 2009 09:35 PM That's more than the entire Marlins payroll. Number 6 Feb 02 2009 11:31 PM Of course, he could be referring to talks that happened a while ago, were not substantial, or are dead due to the Perez signing and/or Castillo, but Hudson is still name-dropping the Mets. http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200902023793126 Frayed Knot Feb 03 2009 06:46 AM Manny/Boras turn down the Dodger proposal ... and the beat goes on. Benjamin Grimm Feb 03 2009 07:34 AM Report this morning that the White Sox have offered Abreu one year, $8 million. John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 03 2009 07:45 AM Take it, Bobby.

Garland and the D-Backs appear to have agreed on a one-year deal with an option.

Barring an injury -- and Pettitte is probably the least likely of the Yankees starters to get hurt -- he gets more money this way.

He has some value if last year was an aberration. He's otherwise a better hitter than Reed, Sullivan, or Anderson. But a righthanded hitter would be nice too.

There are a number of available starters who can give you at least a league average ERA, several of whom have the upside to do significantly better. Randy Wolf is not one of them. I see no point in pursuing a demonstrably inferior pitcher just because he's a lefty.

A career in politics beckons for Wright once his playing days are done...

="Frayed Knot"]As long as Freddie is in addition to a more top-line starter like Ollie or Sheets rather than instead of I have no problem with it. Agreed. Garcia could be very good IF his arm has recovered.

He always rubbed me wrong, but he was one of the best hitters ever at the position he played.

You learn something every day. That's still likely to be two better picks than the one they'd lose if they sign Sheets instead.

Unless there is a trade in the works, I just don't get it. Our bench as it stood was too lefthanded, and too light-hitting. Sullivan is a light-hitting lefthanded reserve outfielder, so he adds to the problem rather than offsets it. Even Pagan hits significantly better from the left side, and he has more going for him than Reed or Sullivan. And we still don't have a righthanded batter who can spell Church or Delgado against some lefties. To me, that's a big problem.

="Frayed Knot":upi1nci7]* Any other team signing him would mean being awarded a supplemental pick plus that team's 2nd rounder[/quote:upi1nci7] Why? Centerfield Jan 20 2009 12:17 PM First 15 picks are protected. smg58 Jan 20 2009 01:21 PM You learn something every day. That's still likely to be two better picks than the one they'd lose if they sign Sheets instead. Frayed Knot Jan 21 2009 07:00 AM ="Centerfield":1qchhe2v]First 15 picks are protected.[/quote:1qchhe2v] Plus there's the Yanqui pick which has already been given away (they've ceded their first 3 actually) just like the Philly & Angel picks have. Only difference there is that I'm sure Ollie doesn't rank ahead of Teixeira & Sabathia. There are also, in addition to Sheets & Perez, 5 other Type-A FAs still on the market who could eat up 1st round picks if/when signed: Juan Cruz, Orlando Hudson, Jason Varitek, Orlando Cabrera, Manny Ramirez

On one hand, Santana had to be used the way he was in order for the Mets to contend. The state of the Mets' bullpen didn't allow for an alternative. On the other hand, the fact that he needed surgery immediately after the season suggests that Santana was indeed used to his limit. And with five or six expensive years still to come, I'd prefer to avoid flirting with that limit on a regular basis.

Fossum was the centerpiece of the Schilling deal for Arizona. I bet the Red Sox are still laughing over how that one turned out. At this point, Fossum is a lottery ticket and not much else. While I suppose it's possible that he'll remember what it was that made him such a valued prospect, I'm betting that he spends the whole season in Buffalo.

I felt bad seeing him play for the Ducks last year. I'm not sure he'd be any more of an adventure defensively at second than the guy we currently have there. If his back is OK, he's worth a minor league deal and a shot to be the 25th man.

Neither have I. I agree with Matthews' assessment of Ollie, though. I'd be interested in Pettitte for at most half of what Matthews is suggesting. He's capable of bouncing back, but last season just wasn't that good. Still, at this point I'd be looking for the right bargain at starting pitcher, and instead focus on getting Castillo out of town and Orlando Hudson in.

No, we needed a reserve infielder who won't kill us at short if Reyes needs a day or two off, and Cora was the best remaining available player who fit that description.

At this point, I think the available player who would improve our team the most is Orlando Hudson. I would focus on bringing him in, and wait for the right bargain on the starting pitching front.

Underwhelming choice, especially since we could have gotten Hairston for the same amount of money. Our bench is once again overstocked with lefthanded hitters (Reed, Anderson, Cora) who can't really hit. That being said, his glove alone makes him an upgrade over Easley, and probably even Castillo as well. Not that I want Cora starting at second.

I think it's worth pointing out that Sheets threw 198 IP last year while Perez threw 194. Plus, signing Perez would keep us from getting back our first round pick in addition to another sandwich pick.

="smg58":3cvsi3pd]A month or so ago I thought Derek Lowe would present the best value of the free agent pitchers. But I hear more rumors about teams being interested in him than in anybody else. I no longer think he'll come that cheap. He's more consistent and durable than any other pitcher on the market besides CC, but at his age I wouldn't want to be the team that offers him a fourth year at $15M+ per.[/quote:3cvsi3pd] I said that on Nov. 5, and I'm sticking to it. A Boy Named Seo Jan 13 2009 11:13 AM Good job, Mets. I don't doubt Lowe woulda been fine this year, maybe better than Ollie, and maybe good next year, too. But they weren't gonna go four expensive years on a 36-year old guy period, and they stuck to that. MFS62 Jan 13 2009 11:42 AM From age 37-40, Curt Schilling went sometning like 51-24, with ERA+ from 80 (one year) to 150 (best during that span). Not saying Lowe can come close to that, but it can happen. Of course there are probably many examples of rapid declines, too. But Lowe reminds me of Schilling - a bulldog. I wanted him on the Mets. Later Frayed Knot Jan 13 2009 01:21 PM ="batmagadanleadoff":r9o9y1ku]I'll say this for Heyman in fairness -- like him or not (and I'm not sure where I stand) last season, he was by far, the most accurate reporter at predicting future Mets moves ... especially during the will-they-fire-Willie and when-will-they-fire-Willie phase of the 2008 season.[/quote:r9o9y1ku] Heyman has long been a first-rate baseball reporter as far as digging out the facts and getting them right more often than not and often getting them first. And he didn't always get the credit for his scoops due to the tendency of the national press to cite the big-city dailies while overlooking Heyman's suburban-based Newsday. It may have been those frequent slights that prompted him to leave the newspaper biz for the brighter lights of SI, WFAN, SNY, and now MLBTV. Heyman's columnist persona while he was still at Newsday tended to irk a few around here from time to time but that was usually separate from his regular reporter chores. Nymr83 Jan 13 2009 01:30 PM too much and too long for Lowe, i'm glad it wasn't us.

Young's expensive, and the dropoff in his numbers over the past three years has been precipitous. Even if they took Castillo it would still be a $10M payroll hit, and he's just not that good anymore.

[url:1dwd0gfh]http://www.amazinavenue.com/2009/1/7/711009/citi-field-where-homeruns[/url:1dwd0gfh] Amazingly, it wasn't hard at all to find an article suggesting exactly the opposite of what Heyman says about Citifield.

="Nymr83":3ebubl5n]Redding is a nice guy to have on your AAA club for when you need an injury replacement or in case your #5 starter rookie flames out (Niese) but i wouldn't count on him to pitch the way he did the 2nd half of this past year.[/quote:3ebubl5n] His April and May were good... Maybe he can repeat that, and by then Niese will be ready. Or maybe some better pitchers will get signed for less money by other teams. The best thing I can say for Redding is that he should give the Mets more out of the fifth starter spot than Pedro did last year (or would this year). But that's really saying little. Zvon Jan 10 2009 03:23 PM *****INNINGS Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2009 09:10 AM Edgy DC Jan 13 2009 09:19 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 13 2009 09:38 AM Tim Redding. Wifey: Jamie Kiddies: Shea and Brennan (who knows what genders) Dog: Fascha Hopefully, he'll wear a shirt that says "Fantastic Fascha." seawolf17 Jan 13 2009 09:25 AM I can't wait for Tim Redding Bobblehead Day! It'll look just like me. attgig Jan 13 2009 09:53 AM ="seawolf17":2nxfsu59]I can't wait for Tim Redding Bobblehead Day! It'll look just like me.[/quote:2nxfsu59] don't read the rest of this thread.... Edgy DC Jan 13 2009 09:55 AM ="Marty Noble"]He chose to wear Mets uniform No. 44 because David Cone wore it. He knew that. Yay! Go, Tim Redding! ="Marty Noble"]He would have opted for No. 23, if Brian Schneider didn't have dibs on it, because "Don Mattingly is my favorite player of all time," he said. Boo! Eat shit, Tim Redding! As a a matter of fact, eat Doug Flynn's shit. You're not a Yankee and you're not a hitter. Now shut up and take it like a Met, you cupcake. metirish Jan 13 2009 10:00 AM I predict Redding will do something really fucking dumb while a Met , like beat the crap out of some dick in a bar while boozing downtown. Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2009 10:01 AM For some reason, I read "cupcake" as "cubcake." Edgy DC Jan 13 2009 10:03 AM Lest a day go by without a Mort Walker reference, we have a Boner's Ark invocation.

The additions of Smoltz and Brad Penny probably take the Sox out of the discussions for Derek Lowe. Assuming Baldelli gets something like what Hairston got, I'd be a little annoyed that we didn't give him a look. We do need another righthanded bat.

="Frayed Knot":2gsb44fr]- Pavano to Cleveland for a year at a low base with lotsa IP incentives - Cubs deal Jason Marquis (de Sade) to Colorado for LH reliever Luis Vizcaino[/quote:2gsb44fr] I'll laugh if Pavano gives the Indians 27 starts (i.e., more starts than he gave the MFY's in four years). The Marquis deal appears to leave Jorge de la Rosa out of the rotation in Colorado. I'd see what the asking price for him is; he finished very strongly last year, and he's at least as good as Tim Redding. Edgy DC Jan 07 2009 11:01 AM ="Centerfield":biqnwx39]Len was American.[/quote:biqnwx39] As I said. Frayed Knot Jan 07 2009 12:00 PM From the; 'How the (somewhat) mighty have fallen' department: 2B Marcus Giles signs a minor league deal with Philly MFS62 Jan 07 2009 12:14 PM ="Frayed Knot":3hnipcdi]From the; 'How the (somewhat) mighty have fallen' department: 2B Marcus Giles signs a minor league deal with Philly[/quote:3hnipcdi] Pure insurance with Utley out for the early part of the year due to surgery. Later metirish Jan 07 2009 08:04 PM From MetsBlog Mike Fitzpatrick of the Associated Press believes the Mets have made an offer to free-agent RHP Tim Redding, who was 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts against the Phillies last season Edgy DC Jan 07 2009 08:56 PM I'll give Redding this: with one inning and six runs, he may be the worst performing Yankee ever. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 07 2009 09:06 PM Bocco Radelli to the Sed Rox. Rockin' Doc Jan 07 2009 10:03 PM If Rocco Baldelli can be reasonably healthy, he could be a great pick up for the Red Sox. I hope he is healthy and has a great season for the Sox. Frayed Knot Jan 08 2009 07:39 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3gx2svou]Bocco Radelli to the Sed Rox.[/quote:3gx2svou] And quite possibly Smoltz too! Not official yet but several outlets are reporting it's 'bout a done deal. I guess they're promising him a starting job - don't think he would have jumped otherwise. Other reports have Trevor Hoffman going to the Brews ... although this is only one day after others had him headed to the Dodgers. Benjamin Grimm Jan 08 2009 07:46 AM Sort of a homecoming for Smoltz. Didn't he start his career with the Braves when they were still playing in Boston? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 08 2009 07:50 AM No, the Tigers. Anywhoo, oughta soitenly remove Boston from the list of potential Lowe suitors (and cause me some concern too: Why don't any of Lowe's former employers want him back?) smg58 Jan 08 2009 07:50 AM The additions of Smoltz and Brad Penny probably take the Sox out of the discussions for Derek Lowe. Assuming Baldelli gets something like what Hairston got, I'd be a little annoyed that we didn't give him a look. We do need another righthanded bat. Frayed Knot Jan 08 2009 07:57 AM Yeah, I was half-hoping for Baldelli too. He's not a great player and has played fewer games in the last two seasons than Alou had in the two before we got him. But if this problem of his has finally been diagnosed correctly he could be a useful guy to have around. But Omar seems to be on this 'one problem at a time' schedule where nothing can even be talked about until the starter question is answered. metirish Jan 08 2009 08:01 AM Did bucket mis-read Ben's post? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 08 2009 08:02 AM Yes. Yes I did. Frayed Knot Jan 08 2009 08:14 AM I almost did too because I sometimes confuse the Smoltz trade with the Bagwell one from Boston. The Smoltz from Detroit for Denny Alexander trade happened around the same era as Bagwell for Larry Anderson. Both were done for pennant push help and in each case the minor leaguers were home-town guys (Smoltz is from Mich, Bags from Conn) who turned into HoF possibilities. Edgy DC Jan 08 2009 08:17 AM Doyle Alexander. Now Denny McLain or somebody is getting into the conflation. metirish Jan 08 2009 10:25 AM Looking at a potential nightmare with outfield defense the MFY's are apparently looking to trade Swisher and Nady. Yankees fielding offers for Nady, Swisher Posted by: Jon Heyman The Yankees are fielding trade offers for corner outfielders Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher. There's been some speculation they might consider trading Hideki Matsui, too, but he has a full no-trade clause and is coming off knee surgery, so there's really no way to trade him. A logjam at the corners was created when the Yankees surprised a lot of folks and signed Mark Teixeira to an eight-year, $180 million contract. Swisher previously had been penciled in as the Yankees' first baseman but now becomes part of a crowded mix of accomplished corner outfielders. Swisher is a versatile player and can play some center field, as well. Some National League teams may be interested. However, Nady's trade value is higher after a better offensive season, so he may be just as likely to be dealt. Nady, acquired by the Yankees in a midseason trade with the Pirates, combined to hit .305 with 25 home runs and 97 RBIs for the year, while Swisher finished at .219 with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs for the White Sox before being dealt to the Yankees after the season Vic Sage Jan 08 2009 02:09 PM i'd sure take Nady back, to split time with Church, Murphy and Delgado. But no way the Yanx trade him cross town. Edgy DC Jan 08 2009 02:30 PM You leave Tatis out of that mix. Nady gives you what Tatis gives you, only more and probably better and definitely younger. Tatis' only advantage is playing third. I'd love a Nady around because I think the best way to get something like last year's productivity out of Tatis is to make him earn every at-bat. Benjamin Grimm Jan 08 2009 02:43 PM Maybe Murphy will do that, but I'm not counting on it. Edgy DC Jan 08 2009 02:46 PM What's going down, and I think a lot of us feel it, is that a lot of things went kind of right in Omar's offense that could have easily gone wronger, and he's kind of seeming to kind of be counting on a lot of those same thingies to go right again. Fans be pessemistic creatures, of course. Vic Sage Jan 08 2009 03:21 PM Last year, i think we got about as much as we can reasonably expect this year from 1b, ss, 3b and CF. We got nothing from 2b and C, and RF was a mixed bag. But Murphy/Tatis in LF certainly outperformed all expectations and i do not believe for a minute we'll get similar production from that combo again this year. So, we either upgrade at 2b, c, and/or Rf to compensate, or replace the LF combo before it blows up in our faces. Or we go into the season with 1/2 the lineup very well likely to suck, to one degree or another, even as Omar whistles past the graveyard. attgig Jan 08 2009 03:29 PM ="Vic Sage":37m9y64n]Last year, i think we got about as much as we can reasonably expect this year from 1b, ss, 3b and CF. We got nothing from 2b and C, and RF was a mixed bag. But Murphy/Tatis in LF certainly outperformed all expectations and i do not believe for a minute we'll get similar production from that combo again this year. So, we either upgrade at 2b, c, and/or Rf to compensate, or replace the LF combo before it blows up in our faces. Or we go into the season with 1/2 the lineup very well likely to suck, to one degree or another, even as Omar whistles past the graveyard.[/quote:37m9y64n] and you have a wild card at 1b, so it's not even half a lineup. nobody has faith in schnied to produce offensively, and while castro COULD provide some pop, he just gets hurt too often (he must be the worst backup catcher in the league). 2b, nobody has faith in castillo, except he's saying all the right things. and Church... will his head be screwed on straight? it'll be an interesting few more weeks before spring training. Benjamin Grimm Jan 08 2009 03:35 PM I agree with Vic, including about left field, but I'd be okay with giving Murphy/Tatis a chance to shine again. But in doing that, you have to protect yourself by beefing up some of the other positions. And as yet, the Mets haven't done anything towards that end. Edgy DC Jan 08 2009 07:12 PM Ramon Castro, not the worst backup catcher in the league. DocTee Jan 09 2009 09:42 AM John Smoltz, Red Sock. metirish Jan 09 2009 12:35 PM Swisher the Yanks' preferred candidate over Nady BY KEN DAVIDOFF | ken.davidoff@newsday.com January 9, 2009 In their current roster logjam, the Yankees would strongly prefer to trade Xavier Nady and retain Nick Swisher, a person familiar with the club's thinking said yesterday. General manager Brian Cashman has received more requests for Swisher than for Nady. With spring training more than a month away and the season opener just about three months away, however, there is no imperative to execute a quick trade. The Mets enjoyed having Nady on their club for the first four months of the 2006 season, and they inquired about him last July, when the Yankees wound up getting him from Pittsburgh. For now, however, the Mets are focused on their starting rotation and are not looking to acquire a bat either through free agency or through a trade. Frayed Knot Jan 09 2009 01:54 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 09 2009 02:02 PM Swisher switch-hits, and is better and more versatile defensively. He's also signed for the next few years which could be either good or bad depending on whether he regains his hitting from last season's off year. Nady is more likely to hit better (though walk less) and would only be for one year at a price to be determined by arbitration then would be a FA after that. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2009 01:59 PM If we weren't already loaded with lefthanded hitting outfielders, I'd take Godzilla as a LH bench masher in the Franco/Staub mold. Frayed Knot Jan 09 2009 02:04 PM As long as the Cranks would pay 90% of the freight and expect nothing back in return, sure. (OK, maybe 70% with a throw-in going the other way would do) Ashie62 Jan 09 2009 05:10 PM I feel safe to say Tatis has had his middle aged career year..I wouldn't put too high a ceiling there. Daniel Murphy needs more seasoning and I still advocate a year at AAA to learn 2B Mr. Nady..wasn't he a Met who know has Yankee cooties? metirish Jan 11 2009 03:46 PM Source: Martinez talking to Marlins By Enrique Rojas ESPNdeportes.com SANTO DOMINGO, Domican Republic -- Pedro Martinez and the Florida Marlins are believed to be in the beginning stages of negotiating a contract and could meet next week, a source told ESPNdeportes.com Saturday night. The Marlins have spoken with Martinez's agent. Martinez, 37, has won three Cy Young awards and has a career record of 214-99, with a 2.91 ERA and 3,117 strikeouts in 17 seasons with Los Angeles, Montreal, Boston and the New York Mets. Martinez struggled last season to a 5-6 record with a 5.61 ERA with the Mets, after battling injuries and dealing with the death of his father. In his first year with the Mets, Martinez won 15 games and struck out 208 batters in 217 innings. But he has been 17-15 in the last three seasons. Martinez owns a house in Miami. Fman99 Jan 11 2009 07:52 PM ="metirish"]Source: Martinez talking to Marlins By Enrique Rojas ESPNdeportes.com SANTO DOMINGO, Domican Republic -- Pedro Martinez and the Florida Marlins are believed to be in the beginning stages of negotiating a contract and could meet next week, a source told ESPNdeportes.com Saturday night. The Marlins have spoken with Martinez's agent. Martinez, 37, has won three Cy Young awards and has a career record of 214-99, with a 2.91 ERA and 3,117 strikeouts in 17 seasons with Los Angeles, Montreal, Boston and the New York Mets. Martinez struggled last season to a 5-6 record with a 5.61 ERA with the Mets, after battling injuries and dealing with the death of his father. In his first year with the Mets, Martinez won 15 games and struck out 208 batters in 217 innings. But he has been 17-15 in the last three seasons. Martinez owns a house in Miami. Pedro really looked spent in 2008, after having a respectable September prior. I don't think he has much in the tank and I would not miss all the drama. Rockin' Doc Jan 11 2009 09:29 PM Marlins not interested in signing Pedro By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com MIAMI -- Don't look for Pedro Martinez to wind up with the Marlins. A day after a report stated the Marlins were in the mix for the 37-year-old right-hander, a league source confirmed to MLB.com on Sunday that Florida has zero interest. Reports in the Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post and SunSentinel also ruled out the possibility of Martinez joining the club. On Saturday night, a report on ESPNdeportes.com stated the Marlins had discussions with agent Fernando Cuza regarding Martinez. The report added Florida may have begun preliminary contract talks, and that the two sides were expected to continue talking this week. As of late Sunday afternoon, the Marlins were not considered a possible fit. Martinez has a home in Miami, and he has expressed privately a desire to pitch for the Marlins. On Monday, Cuza is expected to have discussions with the Mets about a possible return to New York. The right-hander also is expected to test the free-agent market. Hampered by injuries last year, Martinez was 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA in 20 starts. He threw 109 innings. Working with minimal financial resources, the Marlins are looking for affordable free agents. The team did explore adding veteran Carl Pavano, who signed with the Indians. The Marlins are prepared to head into Spring Training with a rotation that includes Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, Andrew Miller and Anibal Sanchez. Nolasco, eliglbe for arbitration, still has not signed. Florida continues to explore depth at catcher. The team is looking for low-priced options there. A free agent that could be a fit is Ivan Rodriguez, but only if his price tag continues to drop this month. Frayed Knot Jan 12 2009 07:01 AM IOW, the earlier story was an agent plant. Edgy DC Jan 12 2009 08:20 AM Yeah, use the threat of the Daddy Warbucks Marlins to trigger a false bidding war. That's the ticket. Rockin' Doc Jan 12 2009 11:09 AM I think that Pedro had far more interest in the Marlins than they had in him. I believe that Pedro is desperate to play another season, but I don't think teams throughout the league are very interested in signing him. Pedro was once a dominant, HOF caliber pitcher, but he seems to be the one person that doesn't see how far removed from his former greatness he now is. metirish Jan 12 2009 11:17 AM If Pedro Martinez retired tomorrow he would surely be in the HOF at first ballot , wouldn't he? Rockin' Doc Jan 12 2009 11:21 AM I was not inferring that Pedro Martinez was not worthy of enshrinement in Coopperstown. He has had a tremendous career and was arguably one of the top 2 or 3 pitchers in MLB for several seasons. I would vote for him (if I had a vote) when his name comes up on the HOF ballot. I was simply stating that he is not nearly the dominant pitcher he once was. Edgy DC Jan 12 2009 11:22 AM I think he's pretty aware of what happened last year. If he didn't still believe he could turn it around, he wouldn't be the great pitcher he is. What's more, I believe he could turn it around. In his prime, he had an unprecedented four killer pitches, so it's not like he was fastball-reliant. It's a matter of finding what he can do with what's left of his fastball and using it to complement the rest of his arsenal. That's a far ways from saying he will return to a productive level, but I'm certain he can. Glavine continued to pitch effectively with a powder puff fastball and a change. While his control was still very good, Pedro's has always been even better. And if I'm the Mets, I'm willing to spend some change to find out. Giving him Redding's money with an automatically vesting bonus year of $9 million if he gets 180 innings? Yeah, go for it. I'm certain he can do as well as Redding in 2009, and a damn fine bet to do better. The only thing Redding has over him is a better doctor's report. metirish Jan 12 2009 05:05 PM Michael Young wants out of Texas , can play 2nd base. I should add that Heyman just said on the Hot stove that he has %62 million left on his big contract. smg58 Jan 12 2009 05:22 PM Young's expensive, and the dropoff in his numbers over the past three years has been precipitous. Even if they took Castillo it would still be a $10M payroll hit, and he's just not that good anymore. Frayed Knot Jan 15 2009 01:14 PM Dodgers reportedly to release Andruw before today is out Benjamin Grimm Jan 15 2009 01:52 PM Wow. He's horrendously overpaid, but they're going to have to eat that contract anyway. Is there no hope of him having a bounceback year? Someone will be able to pick him up for minimum wage, and they may get a hell of a bargain at the Dodgers expense. metirish Jan 15 2009 01:56 PM Jones was on MLB Network the other night talking about how he would love to go back to the Braves. Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 02:01 PM No doubt. metsmarathon Jan 15 2009 02:28 PM i'd give andruw a shot, for minimum wage... Frayed Knot Jan 15 2009 05:45 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":2v9kwf3v]Wow. He's horrendously overpaid, but they're going to have to eat that contract anyway. Is there no hope of him having a bounceback year?[/quote:2v9kwf3v] I guess not enough of a chance in their minds to make carrying him all year worth it. They restructured his deal last week with a release in mind so I assume they're going to do similar thing to what we did with Bonilla (only on a much bigger scale): pay out the remainder over a long period to avoid getting hit with it all at once. Benjamin Grimm Jan 23 2009 08:34 AM The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting today that the Phillies are aggressively trying to sign Moises Alou. metirish Jan 23 2009 08:36 AM Would Alou be a starter there or would he be in a limited role , who's in the outfield there along with Ibanez?...Dobbs?....Victorino? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 23 2009 08:37 AM Watch him hit .500 and stay healthy all year. Bastard. Frayed Knot Jan 23 2009 08:44 AM He wouldn't start there - but he'd be a potentially good RH bat off the bench for a predominately lefty hitting squad. Benjamin Grimm Jan 23 2009 08:51 AM The three options (Perez, Wolf, and Sheets) may be soon reduced to two: ="MLB.com":2t16pb69]The deep freeze that's been the Major League free-agent market this winter has shown indications a thaw is coming -- at least for starting pitchers. On the heels of the Mets reaching an apparent agreement on a Minor League deal with right-hander Freddy Garcia, it looks like the Dodgers have taken the inside track in the competition for lefty starter Randy Wolf's services. According to sources for FoxSports.com, Wolf could most likely be signed to a one or two-year deal. Wolf previously pitched for Los Angeles in 2007 and was 12-12 with a 4.30 ERA in a combined 33 starts last season for the Padres and Astros. FoxSports.com said Wolf would get less than the three-year, $28 million offer the pitcher turned down from Houston earlier this winter. [/quote:2t16pb69] metsguyinmichigan Jan 23 2009 08:57 AM Supposedly, Sheets is meeting with the Rangers. metirish Jan 23 2009 08:58 AM Wolf turned down an offer for that much? , and I was thinking he could be had for a song on a one year deal. sharpie Jan 23 2009 08:58 AM Fine. I actually saw Wolf pitch twice last year, at the only game I attended at MFY Stadium and at the game I attended at Petco. Both time he got shellacked. smg58 Jan 23 2009 09:34 AM There are a number of available starters who can give you at least a league average ERA, several of whom have the upside to do significantly better. Randy Wolf is not one of them. I see no point in pursuing a demonstrably inferior pitcher just because he's a lefty. Edgy DC Jan 23 2009 09:59 AM I don't think anybody but Wally Matthews is arguing that his leftiness is important, and Wally is only throwing that pitch to drum up "Mets Gotta Steal Pettitte" angles. Who do you have your eye on? metirish Jan 23 2009 08:11 PM Just turned over to MLB Network after watching "What Not To Wear" and heard Tom Verducci say that Perez is moving closer to signing with the Mets. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 23 2009 08:59 PM Here's the source: Jon "Boras Boy" Heyman ]Mets extend offer to Perez, their top target The Mets have placed an offer on the table for free-agent lefthander Oliver Perez, SI.com has learned, and are hopeful to have an answer in coming days regarding their prime pitching target. The Mets are believed to have improved their original thought, which was for about $30 million over three years. But it isn't certain what their latest offer is. Perez remains the Mets' top choice for the final spot in their rotation, though the team has remained in contact with three other free-agent pitchers -- Randy Wolf, Jon Garland and Ben Sheets. They know they'd have competition for Wolf (Dodgers), Garland (Diamondbacks) and Sheets (Rangers, possibly Yankees) but aren't sure what other teams are competing for Perez. The Mets had been hopeful to land free agent Derek Lowe earlier but were surprised when the rival Braves outbid them by $24 million, landing Lowe with a $60-million, four-year contract. Perez, 27, is eight years younger than Lowe, though not quite as consistent. Mets GM Omar Minaya would love to import Perez, so the Mets are not likely to take one of the other pitchers unless he feels his chances for Perez are gone. Nymr83 Jan 24 2009 12:14 PM I hope "the mystery team" comes and raises perez's price too high so we can sign Sheets. Then Boras and Perez can admit there was no mystery team and we get both at a reduced rate! MFS62 Jan 24 2009 01:21 PM If money is the issue, I'd like to see the Mets sign Sheets and with any Ollie Perez money left over, go out and sign Odalis Perez. His ERA was only .10 worse than Ollie's last year, is still only 32 years old, and probably be signed for far less money than any of the other names that have been in the press lately. Later MFS62 Jan 24 2009 01:21 PM Oops. Dupe Sorry Later seawolf17 Jan 30 2009 01:00 PM Varitek back to Boston for one year, $5 million. Frayed Knot Jan 30 2009 02:36 PM Varitek's (read: Boras's) threat to sit out the season and/or retire didn't get the Sox to budge I see. Tek is one of several who turned down arbitration offers this winter only to wind up not only with a much smaller deal than arb would have snagged him but didn't get the multi-year deal either. Now it's hope you play well and the economy improves when you can do the same dance next year. Ashie62 Feb 02 2009 03:56 PM Anyone for Varitek via trade and a pay raise? Fman99 Feb 02 2009 07:27 PM ="Ashie62":2t5ssjz6]Anyone for Varitek via trade and a pay raise?[/quote:2t5ssjz6] .220 metirish Feb 02 2009 07:43 PM Is that his weight or his average? , sucks either way though. metirish Feb 04 2009 11:35 AM ]Left-hander Chase Wright was traded by the New York Yankees to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday for outfielder-catcher Eric Fryer. metirish Feb 07 2009 02:23 PM Andruw Jones turns down non-roster spring training invite from the MFY's. Rockin' Doc Feb 07 2009 05:10 PM metirish - "Andruw Jones turns down non-roster spring training invite from the MFY's." Good to see that Jones has his pride. Better to go unsigned than sell one's soul by possibly donning a Yankee uniform. I suddenly have a new sense of respect for Jones. MFS62 Feb 08 2009 07:35 AM ="Rockin' Doc":2e2xwbch]metirish - "Andruw Jones turns down non-roster spring training invite from the MFY's." Good to see that Jones has his pride. Better to go unsigned than sell one's soul by possibly donning a Yankee uniform. I suddenly have a new sense of respect for Jones.[/quote:2e2xwbch] B'sides, they couldn't have the signing photo op soon anyhow. They'd first have to send out Cecil Fielder's uni to have the seams let out to fit Jones. Later Frayed Knot Feb 08 2009 08:45 PM Andruw to the Rangers - apparently gets a ML deal for low-end money (500K) plus incentives. 15mil to practically minimum wage in one year is tough to do. Fman99 Feb 09 2009 06:44 AM ="Frayed Knot":1zv55w66]Andruw to the Rangers - apparently gets a ML deal for low-end money (500K) plus incentives. 15mil to practically minimum wage in one year is tough to do.[/quote:1zv55w66] Yeah, poor guy. My heart breaks for him. /sarcasm Edgy DC Feb 09 2009 07:07 AM It's not like he doesn't get to keep the 15 miills. Vic Sage Feb 09 2009 09:08 AM yeah, i mean basically he just got a raise! Frayed Knot Feb 09 2009 09:26 AM Sure, it just shows a helluva difference between what someone thought he was worth last year vs what they think he's worth barely a year later. How the mighty (and fat) have fallen.