The Mets are contemplating adding a fifth year to the original four-year, $65 million offer. They may also sign him for four years but more money.
I’d much rather see the Mets dip into the pocket and get Bay to sign for more money and a shorter contract. I think the Mets have the money to spend and would rather see the Mets on the hook for the 31-year-old Bay for a shorter amount of time.
According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Mets have tweaked the offer to Jason Bay.
“Minaya is thought to have offered a five-year deal (at slightly lower dollars per year than the original four-year offer for close to $65 million), but with Bay still believed to be seeking a six-year deal from them,” Heyman writes.
The deal for Bay might have to be worth $75 million over five years.
With Bay now looking like less of a bargain, the Mets might rethink getting in on the Matt Holliday discussion, according to Heyman.
(It should be noted, as it is very much so on Twitter, that Heyman and Holliday’s agent, Mr. Scott Boras, are quite close. This could be an inside job to create a bigger market for Holliday. No one else is reporting that the Mets are in talks with Boras for Holliday.)
Buster Olney of ESPN writes that the Mets are “monitoring the Matt Holliday negotiations, but are not actively involved.”
Update – 9:26 p.m.: A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press the Mets and Igarashi are closing in on a two-year deal.
My head is spinning. Seriously, does anyone have a read on this?
Update – 9:00 p.m.: Head over to Fonzie Forever for a translation of the Japanese report that has the Red Sox in the lead for Igarashi.
Update – 6:40 p.m.:Adam Rubin talked to Igarashi’s agent, who said they “are in serious discussions” with the Mets.
Update – 6:33 p.m.: According to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker, a Japanese report has the Red Sox in the lead for Igarashi, as they are willing to offer a deal worth $2-3 million in total.
Original Post: According to David Waldstein in the New York Times, the Mets are close to signing a two-year deal with Japanese relief pitcher Ryoto Igarashi.
Igarashi, 30, has pitched in the Japanese Central League since 1999. He holds the joint record for fastest pitch in the JCL at 98.75, which he threw in 2004.
He has gone under the knife for Tommy John surgery, missing all of 2007, according to NPB Tracker.
“Most of those scouts projected him as an effective late-inning reliever at the major league level,” Waldstein writes.
Last season, with the Yakult Swallows, Igarashi was 3-2 with and 3.19 ERA in 56 games. Over 53 2-3 innings, Igarashi struck out 44.
According to NPB Tracker, control has been an issue for Igarashi. In 517 1-3 innings in the JCL, he’s tossed 42 wild pitches and issued 221 walks. He has struck out 586 in his career.
If signed, he could be a possible set-up man for Francisco Rodriguez.
Jeff Francoeur played Santa and Jon Niese (feeling much better), Jose Reyes (also feeling much better), Bobby Parnell and Angel Pagan played the elves.
I guess Reyes missed the striped shirt memo.
Francoeur is front a center. The Mets really like this guy, don’t they?
-According to Buster Olney, via MLBTR, free agent Joel Pineiro is likely seeking a four-year deal. Pineiro is looking at Randy Wolf’s deal from the Brewers and believe he is worth more than that.
He probably is, but how much will he suffer when he’s not under the watchful eye of Dave Duncan in St. Louis? Teams should be wary, though I like him over Jason Marquis.
-Aroldis Chapman threw a side session for teams today, but the Mets were not in attendance.
-Jon Morosi tweeted that the Mets are showing “some interest in hard-throwing reliever Ryota Igarashi.”
“I’m sure they’ll put a good team on the field for us. There’s two months to go. I’m not panicked about that.”