With the Mets acquisition of Gary Matthews Jr., likely to challenge Angel Pagan for the starting job in centerfield as Carlos Beltran rehabs, I’m wondering who will get the nod come Opening Day.
This is not who you hope will start, but rather who will be the starter.
Update – 12:20 p.m.: Heyman confirms Stokes to LA for Matthews Jr. Angels will pay all but $2 million that is owed to him over the next two years.
Money saved from Molina will pay for Matthews, not that it makes it OK.
$1 million a year for Matthews is something I can live with.
Update – 11:57 a.m.: Jon Morosi tweets that it is, in fact, Brian Stokes heading to LA for GMJ.
Update – 11:56 a.m.: In discussing GMJ’s salary next season, Crasnick writes “It's believed the Angels will pay most of the two years and $23 million remaining on Matthews' contract with the Angels.”
Update – 11:34 a.m.: Crasnick tweets that he was told a “low salaried pitcher” is heading to LA. MLBTR suggested Brian Stokes, as the Angels had interest in him earlier, but that was just a guess.
Original post: According to Jon Heyman, the Mets are set to acquire Gary Matthews Jr. the Los Angeles Angels.
Heyman notes that Luis Castillo is not involved in the deal.
The Angels are going to pick up a “whole bunch” of Matthews contract, according to Jerry Crasnick.
No matter how much money they’re picking up, this looks like a bad deal for the Mets from the start.,
People are simply piling on this GMJ to the Mets trade. Here are my four favorite tweets this morning.
OGTedBerg: Just watch the Mets try to start Gary Matthews Jr. over Pagan next year. Just watch that. That's so going to happen.
mattcasey9: Anytime you can get a guy whose last 3 years of OPS are .742, .675, .697, and UZRs of -12.3, -9.3, -14.5 ... you HAVE to make that deal
MetsMerized: Gary Matthews Jr. misjudges flyballs, is terrible on basepaths, and dont run out grounders. Should fit right in.
dances_w_vowels: Gary Matthews, Omar? Really? Subtraction by addition, I think.
You can’t make this stuff up. Well, they just did.
Earlier today I re-tweeted a tweet from the Buffalo Bisons that mentioned a “big” announcement coming tomorrow at their Hot Stove Luncheon.
I really have no idea what qualifies as “big” news for the Bisons, but The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington has a guess.
Click here to find out what Harrington thinks might be coming tomorrow.
I guess that’d be a cool thing.
With the starting pitchers flying off the shelves, the Mets are now left with a few injury-prone players and some that just aren’t very good.
I asked my Twitter followers which starter they would like to see on the Mets come 2010. Here are some responses…
dtmfr: Ben Sheets, because he's got the highest reward (provided he stays healthy)
TheRealHoov: Jon Garland....he may not be glossy, but he's consistent and an innings eater
thesolomind: Wang
NYSportzNut: Sheets hands down - only starter available that has the upside to make the Mets a playoff contender.
Do you agree with these selections? Who would you sign if you were GM?
According to Ken Davidoff and Jon Heyman, the Los Angeles Angels have signed Joel Pineiro.
Heyman says the deal is worth two years and $16 million.
Now that he is off the table, where do the Mets turn? Ben Sheets has to be at the top of their wish list now.
This was left as a comment on NJ.com. I thought it was too good to pass up.
New York (AP) - The New York Mets will construct a full service hospital at Citi Field to treat injured players. The facility will include an operating room, full-body MRI and 6 bed convalescent center.
The facility will be named Hopsital For Special Surgery Annex at Citi Field, and is expected to be completed in time for the start of the regular season opener in April.
The announcement was made at a joint news conference with Mets general manager Omar Minaya, and Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of the Hospital for Special Surgery.
The Annex, as the medical facility will be known, is intended to reduce Mets medical costs and improve medical care for the often-injured Mets players.
"Having a hospital right at the ball park, we feel very comfortable now to go after even more injury-prone players," said Mets general manager Omar Minaya, "Carlos Delgado is at the top of our list."
"We actually approached the Mets with this suggestion," said Dr. Shapiro "because with so many Met players already injured, and with more expected during the 2010 season without a doubt, it just made sense to do this."
"Just the savings in ambulance fare into Manhatten alone makes it worth it," chimed in Minaya.
"And we can keep the players at the ball park 24/7 which virtually eliminates them going for second and third opinions," added Shapiro.
In order to maximize return on investment, the Annex will be open to fans in need of medical treatment for sports injuries, as space permits.
"It will be like fantasy camp, where fans can have the same operations as the players, by the same doctors," said Minaya. "Season ticket holders will get first crack."
"For example, you can have the Santana Shoulder Surgery, or the Reyes Hamstring Ligament Reattachment, or whatever you want."
"Anything that can extract more money out our fan base is a good thing," quipped team owner Fred Wilpon to reporters.
Carlos Beltran was reached by phone in Denver, where he is recuperating from knee surgery performed by his personal physician Dr. Richard Steadman.
Beltran was asked whether he planned to be a patient at The Annex.
"No way," replied the Mets star center fielder. "I'd rather be traded to Pittsburgh."
Well done, sec309. Well done, indeed.
Wright cruised through the first three rounds over Jeremy Reed, Jeff Francoeur and Carlos Beltran. Wright beat last year’s winner, Johan Santana, for the title as this year’s MotY.
Congratulations to Wright on being named the 2009 Met of the Year.
And thanks to everyone who voted this year. Hopefully next year we won’t be voting after such a miserable season.
Here are the latest results from USA Today’s “Worst GM in Baseball” voting…
As you can see, Omar Minaya leads by a wide, wide margin.
Do you agree or disagree?
(H/T My father)
Bengie Molina has re-signed, for less then the Mets offered, with the San Francisco Giants.
Molina signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Giants. The Mets had offered $5 million plus, according to Jon Heyman.
Whew.
***
Also, Pedro Feliciano ($2.9 million) and Sean Green ($975,000) have agreed to one-year deals with the Mets, avoiding arbitration.
Angel Pagan is the only Met without a contract. And he now holds all the cards.
