11/11/09

Minors Stuff + Hot Stove Update




Hot Stove Target – Update:



OF Matt Holliday: - Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that the Giants believe Matt Holliday's defense regressed a shocking amount last year. –


Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Mets will meet with Scott Boras tonight to at least get an idea of what it will take to sign Matt Holliday.


http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Free-agent outfielder Matt Holliday would like to wind up with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but with agent Scott Boras having said he expects a Mark Teixeira-type contract for Holliday, the Mets seem the most likely. - http://cardinalsbestnews.blogspot.com/2009/11/mets-may-have-interest-in-joel-pineiro.html

SP Roy Halladay: - People around baseball figure that Halladay is more likely than Gonzalez to be traded this winter. But a rival GM wouldn't be surprised to see both players get traded, since "sometimes new GMs like to put their stamp on a team."


If the Boston Red Sox are in the Halladay hunt again, don't expect them to give up as much as they would have this summer. One executive believes they offered too much




OF Jason Bay: - Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that Jason Bay seems like a better fit for the Giants. - http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/



SP John Lackey - The New York Mets are a little wary of Lackey's "alleged arm issues" but could be interested in second-tier free agent starters like Joel Pineiro and Randy Wolf –
Should the New York Yankees offer John Lackey a deal similar to the one they gave A.J. Burnett last winter, a competing GM thinks it would be enough to land Lackey, given teams' increasing reluctance to hand out long-term contracts.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/



C - Bengie Molina: - Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests, as Adam Rubin did earlier today, that the New York Mets may not be able to sign Matt Holliday or Jason Bay because of payroll restrictions. A Mets official tells Sherman that, if that is the case, the team's Plan B involves trying to "sprinkle power at a variety of positions" rather than adding one elite hitter. One scenario Sherman outlines for the Mets is adding a catcher like Bengie Molina, an outfielder such as Jermaine Dye or Mark DeRosa, and then moving Luis Castillo to clear second base for someone with more power - http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that the Giants are open to bringing Bengie Molina back, but prepared in case the catcher signs elsewhere. The Giants won't likely offer Molina much more than the $6MM he made this year. Molina wants a two-year deal, so Baggarly says the 35-year-old is unlikely to re-sign with the Giants. The Mets could have interest, and Baggarly says an unnamed AL team expects to get involved, too. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

The Mets won't pursue Jason Varitek if he turns down his player option and becomes a free agent, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Two Mets officials tell Sherman that the club wants a catcher who can catch more than 100 games. They had interest in the veteran catcher last offseason, but now the Mets covet more durable catchers - Bengie Molina may be a consideration. Molina has caught more games than Varitek over the course of the last three seasons, but Varitek hasn't caught fewer than 100 games since 2001, so it's surprising to see a club question his durability. – http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/



New York Mets


Gary Sheffield filed for free agency Monday.

According to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News, a team source wouldn't rule out Carlos Delgado returning to the Mets next season.


The same official also portrayed a return as unlikely, unless Delgado is receptive to a low-cost, one-year contract. Delgado, 37, is a Type B free agent, meaning the Mets would receive a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the 2010 first year player draft if they offer arbitration, however they are unlikely to do that because of the high salary Delgado would command in arbitration. He would likely accept an inflated one-year deal in arbitration, which the Mets would rather just avoid.


Source: New York Daily News

Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests that the Mets could have interest in Jason Varitek.
Varitek will almost surely exercise his $3 million player option with the Red Sox, but if he doesn't feel like playing expensive backup to Victor Martinez, he may choose to gamble and test the market. Varitek has been connected to the Mets as recently as last offseason. Sherman writes that the 37-year-old backstop would provide veteran leadership and some pop behind the plate that the Mets sorely need.

Source: New York Post


http://www.rotoworld.com/content/home_MLB.aspx


The Mets do seem like Joel Pineiro -- a little, anyway. They have to be impressed by his recent performance, although they don't seem anxious to invest $30 million for three years on a pitcher who was released two years ago.

http://cardinalsbestnews.blogspot.com/2009/11/mets-may-have-interest-in-joel-pineiro.html


MLB.com's Barry Bloom figures that Gary Sheffield and Carlos Delgado are both done in New York after Mets GM Omar Minaya was very non-committal about the possibility of re-signing either of the two veteran sluggers.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/



Blogs:


So, I pose this beginning scenario. Trade for Roy Halladay. Assuming he is willing to waive his no trade to go to the Mets, I say get him here. It is clear the Mets need at least one, in not two starters. The free agent pitchers available include a good number two (John Lackey) and a bunch of solid number threes and fours (Garland, Wolf, Marquis, etc.). Halladay represents a second force for the team in the pitcher's league, the NL.
http://www.metscitiblog.com/metscitiblog/2009/11/roy-halladay-to-the-mets.html

We've been hearing quite a bit in the form of trade rumors and faux proposals. I do have to say that in light of previous years where we would hear some crazy-ass stuff on the table (including what was to me the improbable trade of Johan Santana to the Mets which actually did happen), this year the trade rumors seem to be reasonable. As an example, yesterday a pretty strong rumor verified by multiple sources came out that Luis Castillo might be going to the Cubs in a three-way involving Toronto (Mets would get Lyle Overbay) and Chicago (Chicago is looking to dump Milton Bradley). A typical garbage-in garbage-out deal. As I was saying to my Mets office buddy DiLo, this is the year to trade Castillo. He'll NEVER look as good as he did this year. Looks are deceiving. Like fly balls (yes, that still hurts months later). If that's all we have to do, I say pull the trigger and pull it yesterday. We'll worry about 2B when we have to.
http://networkedblogs.com/p17344862

My catcher is J.C. Martin. He only played 2 seasons with the Mets but had one huge moment in the 69 World Series. During game 4, score tied 1-1 in extra innings, J.C. bunted for a sacrifice and proceeded to run inside the base path causing the throw to hit him in the arm. That allowed the ball to bounce away and Rod Gaspar sprinted home with the winning run. My first baseman is Ed Kranepool simply because he played his entire career with the Mets. All 18 years. Amazing. My second baseman is Doug Flynn. He was my favorite of the 4 players the Mets got in the ill-fated Tom Seaver trade. Plus, I met him at the Mets fantasy camp several years back. He was great guy. My SS is Rey Ordonez. He was such a great fielder in his prime. His very first game with the Mets while on his knees in short left field he threw out a runner trying to score. Unforgettable.
http://metsiesandothermusings.blogspot.com/

Mets Alumni:


Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that Bobby Valentine is a finalist to manage the Nationals. Interim manager Jim Riggleman, who led the Nationals to a 33-42 record, is the other finalist. Hiring Valentine would be quite the splash, although his salary demands would be considerably higher than Riggleman. According to general manager Mike Rizzo, the Nationals are expected to make a decision by the end of the week. - Source: FOXSports.com
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/home_MLB.aspx

According to FOXSports.com, J.J. Putz would be willing to accept a set-up role.
"He has a preference to be a closer, but absolutely will not rule out an eighth-inning job depending upon many factors," his agent Craig Landis said. "Money obviously will be one. Location, how good the team is, the coaching staff. If everything else stacked up and it happened to be a setup job, we'd consider it." He may have no choice. The 32-year-old right-hander put up a disappointing 5.22 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 2009 and is working his way back from elbow surgery. As expected, the Mets declined his $9.1 million option last week.
Source: FOXSports.com

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playernews.aspx?sport=MLB

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