A few sources are citing an article in El Caribe quoting Rafael Furcal, who says he has an offer from the Mets. He's currently leaning toward a deal with the A's, but just the fact that the Mets made an offer is fairly telling.
And this is only days after Omar Minaya said he's ready to go into 2009 with Luis Castillo as his second baseman.
Furcal has a four-year, $48 million contract offer from the A's. The LA Times writes "Furcal said he has also received a substantial offer from the New York Mets, who want him as a second baseman."
That would free up the Mets to package Aaron Heilman and Luis Castillo to Kansas City for Jose Guillen or David DeJesus. Works for me!
I still think Castillo should start packing his stuff. I don't think he'll make it to spring training with this team. I'd like Furcal, who has also had his fair share of injuries. I hope Minaya doesn't sign an older, injury prone second baseman to another long-term contract.
11/24/08
11/23/08
Mets might miss out on free agent market -- move on to trading
It seems the Mets might have to raise their bids for some of their free agent pitching targets -- namely Derek Lowe -- or will have to turn to trades to fill their needs.
John Harper has a column in today's Daily News highlighting the Mets mistaken gauging of the free agent market. With the Yankees and Red Sox both bidding for Lowe, who wants five-years, $15 million per, and the Mets don't see themselves outbidding.
Whew. Five years for a 35-year-old is silly. He's good, but not that good. But again, this is a Scott Boras client, so the demands will be high but will eventually come down.
Harper also notes the possibility of a trade with the Rays. They're looking to move Edwin Jackson, and sort of fancy Aaron Heilman. Still, that wouldn't be enough to get the trade done, and Ryan Church might have to get involved. Which would mean the Mets would likely sign Raul Ibanez.
I don't like the sound of this. I really think Church could be a main-stay in right field for a while for the Mets, as long as he doesn't run into anyone else. I'd love to ship Heilman elsewhere, especially for a starting pitcher, a young one at that.
I doubt the Mets make a big splash this off-season. I'd rather see them build with great situational and under the radar type players. Build from the ground up.
John Harper has a column in today's Daily News highlighting the Mets mistaken gauging of the free agent market. With the Yankees and Red Sox both bidding for Lowe, who wants five-years, $15 million per, and the Mets don't see themselves outbidding.
Whew. Five years for a 35-year-old is silly. He's good, but not that good. But again, this is a Scott Boras client, so the demands will be high but will eventually come down.
Harper also notes the possibility of a trade with the Rays. They're looking to move Edwin Jackson, and sort of fancy Aaron Heilman. Still, that wouldn't be enough to get the trade done, and Ryan Church might have to get involved. Which would mean the Mets would likely sign Raul Ibanez.
I don't like the sound of this. I really think Church could be a main-stay in right field for a while for the Mets, as long as he doesn't run into anyone else. I'd love to ship Heilman elsewhere, especially for a starting pitcher, a young one at that.
I doubt the Mets make a big splash this off-season. I'd rather see them build with great situational and under the radar type players. Build from the ground up.
11/22/08
Playing for Peanuts [ep. #2]
I'll be out most of the day, so please enjoy the second episode of "Playing for Peanuts." To order a DVD of the entire series, please check out the link below.
VIEW MORE EPISODES
VISIT PLAYING FOR PEANUTS - WEBSITE and BLOG
VIEW MORE EPISODES
VISIT PLAYING FOR PEANUTS - WEBSITE and BLOG
11/21/08
Castillo begged to stay with Mets
$18 million over the next three years. Luis Castillo. Second base. New York Mets.
While I don't like that sound of that, it seems us Mets fans better all get used to it.
According to Joel Sherman in an "exclusive" article, Castillo "requested an offseason meeting in which he implored Mets officials not to trade him and also pledged to re-dedicate himself to offseason training to assure he is in top condition next season."
That's all well and good, but he can train all off-season and he'll still be a slap hitter. He'll still run like someone just bashed his legs with a baseball bat, Tonya Harding / Nancy Kerrigan style. He'll still get hurt after making a routine play. He'll still need to miss a start because of his injuries at least once a week.
Castillo is the albatross of Omar Minaya's tenure. He was the face of fans anger and distrust of the team.
But, after this meeting, the Mets seem pleased with Castillo's fight and willingness to make amends. Sherman notes that Rey Ramirez, the Mets trainer, has been overseeing Castillo's workouts. Castillo will also play winter ball.
He has three years left on the contract, but I doubt he starts, or even plays all of them with the Mets. His knees are rebelling against him, and it's only a matter of time before the pain and recovery time are too much to handle. He's only 33, but injuries do that to a player. He's no longer the player he once was, even from the first day he came to the Mets.
I think the Mets will suffer through one more year of him, see how he does, and try to ship him elsewhere at the end of next season. Minaya will rue the day he signed him to the ridiculous contract unless some sort of miracle happens. I don't expect the fan distaste to dry up, even with a hot start to '09.
Good luck, Castillo. I hope you prove me wrong and become an integral part to this team over the next few years. But I doubt it.
While I don't like that sound of that, it seems us Mets fans better all get used to it.
According to Joel Sherman in an "exclusive" article, Castillo "requested an offseason meeting in which he implored Mets officials not to trade him and also pledged to re-dedicate himself to offseason training to assure he is in top condition next season."
That's all well and good, but he can train all off-season and he'll still be a slap hitter. He'll still run like someone just bashed his legs with a baseball bat, Tonya Harding / Nancy Kerrigan style. He'll still get hurt after making a routine play. He'll still need to miss a start because of his injuries at least once a week.
Castillo is the albatross of Omar Minaya's tenure. He was the face of fans anger and distrust of the team.
But, after this meeting, the Mets seem pleased with Castillo's fight and willingness to make amends. Sherman notes that Rey Ramirez, the Mets trainer, has been overseeing Castillo's workouts. Castillo will also play winter ball.
He has three years left on the contract, but I doubt he starts, or even plays all of them with the Mets. His knees are rebelling against him, and it's only a matter of time before the pain and recovery time are too much to handle. He's only 33, but injuries do that to a player. He's no longer the player he once was, even from the first day he came to the Mets.
I think the Mets will suffer through one more year of him, see how he does, and try to ship him elsewhere at the end of next season. Minaya will rue the day he signed him to the ridiculous contract unless some sort of miracle happens. I don't expect the fan distaste to dry up, even with a hot start to '09.
Good luck, Castillo. I hope you prove me wrong and become an integral part to this team over the next few years. But I doubt it.
11/20/08
Minor Update: Carp added to 40-man, Murphy has strained hammy
A few Mets minor league updates.
Mike Carp has been added to the Mets 40-man roster. It currently stands at 34 players, which it of note because today is the final day players can be added before the Rule V draft.
I think we finally might see Carp make it to the big leagues next season. It will be Carlos Delgado's final year with the Mets, so they might want to see what they're looking at with their best first baseman prospect. Carp was much more highly regarded a few years ago, but has had two down years.
Should be interesting if he can actually hit at the major league level.
On an injury note, Daniel Murphy has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which will keep him out of winter ball.
Murphy will skip winter ball to train for spring training. Murphy knows he has a great shot at making the club from Day 1, so he knows where to focus and work. He's definitely already a fan favorite. Hopefully he can put up similar numbers.
Mike Carp has been added to the Mets 40-man roster. It currently stands at 34 players, which it of note because today is the final day players can be added before the Rule V draft.
I think we finally might see Carp make it to the big leagues next season. It will be Carlos Delgado's final year with the Mets, so they might want to see what they're looking at with their best first baseman prospect. Carp was much more highly regarded a few years ago, but has had two down years.
Should be interesting if he can actually hit at the major league level.
On an injury note, Daniel Murphy has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which will keep him out of winter ball.
Murphy will skip winter ball to train for spring training. Murphy knows he has a great shot at making the club from Day 1, so he knows where to focus and work. He's definitely already a fan favorite. Hopefully he can put up similar numbers.
Heilman wants to start -- or get traded
Here we go again.
Aaron Heilman wants out of the Mets bullpen at all costs. According to his agent, Mark Rodgers, he wants to start or he wants out of New York.
I've harped on this in the past, but that was mostly in the middle of the season, when transitioning a pitcher used to relief work into a starter would take up lots of valuable time. According to Adam Rubin, there is a split in the organization about what to do about Heilman. Some would give him the chance to start, others want him in the bullpen.
Obviously, he's not working too well in the bullpen. He had a great 2006 season (until that fateful home run) and has gone downhill since. He shows flashes of greatness, but also long stretches of awfulness.
Right now, I'd have him conditioning to get a chance to start in spring training. The Mets only have three definite starters coming in for '09, how much can it hurt to give him a few reps at starting, evaluate what you have, and see if he can help. If not, a spring training trade is not out of the question, or he can begrudgingly go back to the Mets bullpen.
Jerry Manuel even mentioned he might use Heilman as a started at the end of July. This could have been a ploy to try and increase his trade value during the season, but Manuel did say Heilman could start.
Now that it's the off-season, and there is time to work on pitches and conditioning, why not give Heilman a start or two. He's under your control, could only help if he prospers, and if not, you at least show other teams that he's versatile.
Aaron Heilman wants out of the Mets bullpen at all costs. According to his agent, Mark Rodgers, he wants to start or he wants out of New York.
I've harped on this in the past, but that was mostly in the middle of the season, when transitioning a pitcher used to relief work into a starter would take up lots of valuable time. According to Adam Rubin, there is a split in the organization about what to do about Heilman. Some would give him the chance to start, others want him in the bullpen.
Obviously, he's not working too well in the bullpen. He had a great 2006 season (until that fateful home run) and has gone downhill since. He shows flashes of greatness, but also long stretches of awfulness.
Right now, I'd have him conditioning to get a chance to start in spring training. The Mets only have three definite starters coming in for '09, how much can it hurt to give him a few reps at starting, evaluate what you have, and see if he can help. If not, a spring training trade is not out of the question, or he can begrudgingly go back to the Mets bullpen.
Jerry Manuel even mentioned he might use Heilman as a started at the end of July. This could have been a ploy to try and increase his trade value during the season, but Manuel did say Heilman could start.
Now that it's the off-season, and there is time to work on pitches and conditioning, why not give Heilman a start or two. He's under your control, could only help if he prospers, and if not, you at least show other teams that he's versatile.
11/19/08
KC Royals have a lot of outfielders
The Kansas City Royals traded for Coco Crisp from the Boston Red Sox. Another man in the Royals outfield? It was crowded before, but now someone will almost have to be traded.
The Royals have seven outfielders on their active roster now. Shane Costa, David DeJesus, Joey Gathright, Jose Guillen, Mitch Maier, Mark Teahen and now Crisp.
Before the trade deadline, Guillen was rumored to want out of KC, and the Mets showed interest. He's a bit of a hot head, but he would have helped, and still could. Guillen hit .264, hit 20 home runs and drove in 97 runs in 153 games in 2008 with the Royals. A career .273 hitter with a .323 OBP. He's a natural left fielder and shouldn't cost too much in terms of a trade.
The player that would be the best fit, I feel, is DeJesus. He's the best player on their team, in my opinion, so he's going to cost a bundle if he's even available. He's a Jersey boy who moved to Brooklyn and attended Rutgers, so he has roots in the area. A career .287/.360/.422 hitter, who can play anywhere in the outfield. He's 28, and had four seasons of MLB under his belt.
I would absolutely love to see DeJesus on this team. It may not be their top priority, but I'm worried Fernando Tatis won't put together anywhere near what he did last year and Daniel Murphy might still need some seasoning, or will be the starting second baseman if I had my wish. Pitching is the issue now, though, so I don't expect any position player talk to come up any time soon.
The Royals have seven outfielders on their active roster now. Shane Costa, David DeJesus, Joey Gathright, Jose Guillen, Mitch Maier, Mark Teahen and now Crisp.
Before the trade deadline, Guillen was rumored to want out of KC, and the Mets showed interest. He's a bit of a hot head, but he would have helped, and still could. Guillen hit .264, hit 20 home runs and drove in 97 runs in 153 games in 2008 with the Royals. A career .273 hitter with a .323 OBP. He's a natural left fielder and shouldn't cost too much in terms of a trade.
The player that would be the best fit, I feel, is DeJesus. He's the best player on their team, in my opinion, so he's going to cost a bundle if he's even available. He's a Jersey boy who moved to Brooklyn and attended Rutgers, so he has roots in the area. A career .287/.360/.422 hitter, who can play anywhere in the outfield. He's 28, and had four seasons of MLB under his belt.
I would absolutely love to see DeJesus on this team. It may not be their top priority, but I'm worried Fernando Tatis won't put together anywhere near what he did last year and Daniel Murphy might still need some seasoning, or will be the starting second baseman if I had my wish. Pitching is the issue now, though, so I don't expect any position player talk to come up any time soon.
Are the Mets going to bring back the same rotation? Or close to it?
We already know 3/5 of the rotation is coming back. Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine will be leading the rotation. Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez are free agents, and there is a possibility one or both will come back in 2009.
Is this really the right play for the Mets?
The starting pitching was good last year. Santana had a Cy Young-caliber season, Pelfrey had a breakout season, finally pitching like we all knew he could and Maine was good, but lost most of his season to his shoulder injury.
Should the Mets forget about Perez and Pedro and look elsewhere? I'd like to see Derek Lowe on the Mets. He's not the youngest guy, but he knows how to play baseball and is a fighter (something this team needs). I'd LOVE to see A.J. Burnett or CC Sabathia, but I can't see that happening.
The Mets need to look to back-end starters, ones who know they're not the ace of the staff and don't wish to be paid like one. Jon Garland is another name I'd like to see the Mets sniff around a bit more.
I hope the Mets shy away from making this team look like last years and shift to a new, different approach with a handful of new players.
Is this really the right play for the Mets?
The starting pitching was good last year. Santana had a Cy Young-caliber season, Pelfrey had a breakout season, finally pitching like we all knew he could and Maine was good, but lost most of his season to his shoulder injury.
Should the Mets forget about Perez and Pedro and look elsewhere? I'd like to see Derek Lowe on the Mets. He's not the youngest guy, but he knows how to play baseball and is a fighter (something this team needs). I'd LOVE to see A.J. Burnett or CC Sabathia, but I can't see that happening.
The Mets need to look to back-end starters, ones who know they're not the ace of the staff and don't wish to be paid like one. Jon Garland is another name I'd like to see the Mets sniff around a bit more.
I hope the Mets shy away from making this team look like last years and shift to a new, different approach with a handful of new players.
MetsLounge.com is back
After a few months offline, MetsLounge.com is back.
Mets Lounge, if you are unfamiliar, is a forum all about the New York Mets and baseball. Right now, there are three main contributors. We post a lot, so adding some more people would make it a lot more interesting.
So head over to MetsLounge.com to check it out, and hopefully you sign up and contribute to the conversation.
Mets Lounge, if you are unfamiliar, is a forum all about the New York Mets and baseball. Right now, there are three main contributors. We post a lot, so adding some more people would make it a lot more interesting.
So head over to MetsLounge.com to check it out, and hopefully you sign up and contribute to the conversation.
11/18/08
Poll: Be wary of Oliver Perez
The results are in!
In my latest poll, I asked if you think the Mets should sign Oliver Perez. Here are the results...
Yes, but be careful -- 56%
No, too inconsistent -- 28%
Yes, pay him what he wants -- 8%
No, too expen$ive -- 7%
I voted "Yes, but be careful." He's a Scott Boras client, a lefty and fairly young with a proven MLB record. All of that means he's going to demand the big bucks. He is pretty inconsistent, and it's been maddening over the last few years to watch a guy with such talent struggle against teams like the Washington Nationals.
I'd like to see him back. I love the hop-skip over the first base line, along with his pitching prowess. I think he started to blossom under Dan Warthen, which was something I did not expect.
If the Mets could lock him up for four years, I'd be happy to see that. They need to fill two holes in their rotation, and plugging it with a talented lefty can't hurt.
Next poll: K-Rod, Fuentes, Jenks, Wood or Other??
In my latest poll, I asked if you think the Mets should sign Oliver Perez. Here are the results...
Yes, but be careful -- 56%
No, too inconsistent -- 28%
Yes, pay him what he wants -- 8%
No, too expen$ive -- 7%
I voted "Yes, but be careful." He's a Scott Boras client, a lefty and fairly young with a proven MLB record. All of that means he's going to demand the big bucks. He is pretty inconsistent, and it's been maddening over the last few years to watch a guy with such talent struggle against teams like the Washington Nationals.
I'd like to see him back. I love the hop-skip over the first base line, along with his pitching prowess. I think he started to blossom under Dan Warthen, which was something I did not expect.
If the Mets could lock him up for four years, I'd be happy to see that. They need to fill two holes in their rotation, and plugging it with a talented lefty can't hurt.
Next poll: K-Rod, Fuentes, Jenks, Wood or Other??
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