Red Sox Add Dana Eveland; Moncada Too Expensive for Mets
Dana Eveland, who resurrected his MLB career with the Mets last season, has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox.
After returning from a stint in Korea, Eveland posted a 2.63 ERA, 1.093 WHIP. amd 8.9 K/9 in 30 appearances for the Mets. It seemed possible that he’d return to the orange and blue to compete for a LOOGY role, but the Mets were concerned about his health — he didn’t appear after September 6 due to inflammation in his elbow. Can’t really blame them, particularly when the Mets already have Scott Rice, Sean Gilmartin, Josh Edgin, and a few farmhands going after what will likely be two LOOGY spots. I think Eveland benefited from being somewhat of a mystery and underexposure; if he’s healthy this year, he could be effective in the Adulterated League with the same advantage — at least, for a while.
In other news, former Met Gonzalez Germen, who had been sold to the Yankees, has been sold by the Yankees to the Rangers.
Also, two free-agent outfielders came off the board in the last few days. Nori Aoki signed with the Giants for one year and $4.7M guaranteed, and Colby Rasmus signed with the Houston Astros for one year, $8M. Aoki’s power has dwindled significantly since his first year in the USA, but he’s otherwise been a steady performer with a penchant for getting on base. We’re still waiting for the enigmatic Rasmus to become a superstar; maybe 2015 will be the year.
Finally, the Mets are reportedly out on 19-year-old Cuban shortstop phenom Yoan Moncada, due to budgetary constraints. Hmm … I guess there’s still work to be done in terms of creating “payroll flexibility” — get on it, Mr. Alderson!
I’m glad Germen was sold by the Yankees to the Rangers. It shouldn’t matter to me, but if Germen pitched well on the Yankees it would have annoyed me. If he’s good on the Rangers, it doesn’t sting anywhere near as much.
I look at these deals that Aoki and Rasmus got, and it again makes me wonder why Cuddyer was signed to a two year, $21 million dollar contract. I know, I know, the Rockies made Cuddyer a qualifying offer (QO) at 1 year, $14 million and then the Mets have to offer something better for Cuddyer to accept the Mets offer rather than the Rockies. But once the Rockies extended Cuddyer the QO, the Mets couldn’t have found someone else who could hit lefties as a corner OF? Note that I did NOT write someone who bats right-handed; it does not matter whether the OF bats right-handed, only that he hits lefties well. What are Aoki and Rasmus’ splits? They bat left-handed, but are they guys who can hit lefties well? If so, the Mets should have signed one of these guys to a one year deal with a lower average annual salary rather than signing Cuddyer to a two year deal of $21 million and losing the first round draft pick.
LOL
On another note, I forgot to mention one more thing in my first post, which is that I don’t even know why anyone – me, or anyone else – would think the Mets are going to sign guys like Moncada that are estimated to cost $80 million ($40 million to the player plus $40 million tax if I understand commentators’ writeups correctly). But yet I continually think that one of these days the financial freeze of the last six years or so will thaw.
But it never does.
What is sad is that if the Mets start winning, more fans will come to the games, and it will ensure the Wilpons won’t have to sell the team. That being said, I can’t root for the Mets to lose so that the Wilpons will have to sell. But surely the more the Mets win, the less likelihood the Wilpons are going anywhere.