Matt Diaz Signs with Yankees and Other Updates
According to various reports, outfielder Matt Diaz has accepted a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the New York Yankees.
This shouldn’t be big news, but Diaz was one of the few righthanded-hitting outfielders on the free-agent market who fit into the Mets’ budget. Diaz gets $1.2M plus the opportunity for another $800,000 in incentives. On the bright side, by signing Diaz, the Yankees may no longer have interest in Scott Hairston. Besides Hairston, the only other RH-hitting free-agent outfielder left is Austin Kearns. Though, you could technically refer to Bill Hall, Jeff Baker, and Mark DeRosa as “outfielders” even though they’re really infielders / utility men. There are also a few minor-league free agent OFs who hit from the right side still looking for a job; they include, among others, Jason Michaels, Joe Mather, Shelley Duncan, Brent Lillibridge, and Darnell McDonald. Not exactly a group that takes your breath away.
Also signing a minor-league contract is former Met John Maine, who mention here for no other reason than he is a former Met.
In other news, the trade of Joel Hanrahan to the Red Sox has been completed. Hanrahan and Brock Holt go to Boston while Jerry Sands, Stolmy Pimentel, Mark Melancon, and Ivan De Jesus Jr. join the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
That’s the latest on the hot stove, which still has a mild simmer going. The Mets have to make a few more moves before spring training, and they have about seven weeks to do so. My guess is we’ll see a few free-agent pitchers signed and at least one more trade for an outfielder. Who is on your shopping list? Sound off in the comments.
That means Hefner, Mejia and McHugh are the 5th spot candidates. Is Chris Young any better? The other alternatives out there may cost too much for the Wilpons. The BP is a crap shoot no matter what you do.
The problem with going with what you’ve got in the outfield is that unless Jason Turner is going out there, you’ve only got one right-handed hitter (Cowgill).
And you still have no legitimate lead-off hitter.
And you still have aquestion mark in CF.
And you still have the defensive hole in whatever place Duda will stand.
The only better options I see on Joe’s list are Hairston and Kearns. If either can be had for peanuts, cool.
Relax, as Joe said above, 7 weeks to spring training. Plenty of time for the Sandyman to put together a competitive team. As Izzy noted above, if our beloved Wilpons and their lackey GM fail to field a team with MLB-caliber starters, bullpen, and OF, then we should speak with our wallets. Simple economics. Also, as Joe said above, a trade and a few signings and then we can evaluate. Regardless, they will be a longshot in 2013, and it will depend on the core, along with Santana, to give us a good 162 game performance.