Archive for December, 2006
Gamer: Follow Up
Since I have nothing better to do in this post-Zito Hot Stove season, I’ve researched some previous World Champions and identified the “gamers” on those clubs. If you read this blog frequently, you know I’m not much for analyzing Win Shares, ZiPS projections, PECOTA cards, and other hard-core baseball stats. MetsGeek covers that stuff in [...]
What Baseball Writer to Trust
Matt Cerrone brought up a good question and poll at MetsBlog: Who Do you Trust in the Media? Personally, I trust no one, and lately have zero faith in the traditional newspaper journalists-turned-web columnists. The immediate impact of the internet has a lot to do with this … guys like Jon Heyman had a set [...]
Mets Need a Gamer
Let’s not think about the starting rotation for a moment — it’s too depressing and stressful right now. Instead, re-focus on another missing piece of the Mets roster: a gamer. The Mets came within one swing of the bat from the World Series. Ironically, it was not the pitching that kept them out, but the [...]
Pitching: Plan B
So the Mets have lost the insanity sweepstakes of 2006. Without landing Barry Zito, the team must make some kind of move, or moves, to provide more depth in their shaky starting rotation. What is their recourse and plan of action as 2007 is about to be rung in? Here are 10 possibilities: 1. Give [...]
Giants Sign Barry Zito
It’s official: the San Francisco Giants owner and GM are on crack. They’ve signed Barry Zito to a 7-year, $144M contract. Apparently the Giants didn’t notice that they were the only team going over 4-5 years / $75M … so in essence, they bid against themselves. And apparently they didn’t learn from the many, many, [...]
Time to Stockpile Pitching
With the Texas Rangers’ recent notification that Barry Zito has until this weekend to accept their contract offer, two things could happen as a result: 1. the real bidding will begin immediately; or 2. Zito and agent Scott Boras will wait as long as necessary for a “mystery team” to emerge. The latter option is [...]
Rangers Give Zito Deadline
According to the Star-Telegram, owner Tom Hicks emailed Scott Boras with the news that Barry Zito has until this weekend to accept the Rangers’ contract offer. Hicks is quoted to have written: “We’ve made a very strong offer. If we don’t have agreement with his agent by this weekend, we will pursue other alternatives.” Kudos [...]
Yanks Shop Randy Johnson
Brian Cashman couldn’t speed dial his West Coast comrades fast enough, upon hearing Randy Johnson muse melancholy on the attributes and importance of being near family. Randy had just lost his brother, it was the holidays, and how else would a man feel under the circumstances? Cashman, however, is going full throttle to move the [...]
Rangers Get McCarthy
The Chicago White Sox pulled a page out of the New York baseball spin book, drumming up unreal interest for an unknown quantity, then turning it into something else. Usually, though, the Mets will flip an Alex Escobar and Billy Traber for Roberto Alomar, or the Yankees will deal Jason Anderson for Armando Benitez. No, [...]
Sammy Sosa Comeback
He couldn’t just go away quietly … no, it appears that Sammy Sosa is making a comeback. A year after declining a $500,000, non-guaranteed contract from the Washington Nationals, Sosa claims that he will now accept such an offer in order to get back into the big leagues. Maybe it’s seeing all the crazy money [...]
Zito (Boras) Speaks
For the first time this offseason, Barry Zito has spoken at length regarding his present and future. The article opens with mention of Zito’s hardworking offseason, and the fact that he’s already trimmed his body fat percentage “by 4.5 percent”. There are several direct quotes from Zito, specifically addressing his publicly perceived value — which [...]
Mets Do Not Take Riske
The Kansas City Royals are about to sign reliever David Riske to a one-year, $2M contract. Granted, this is not the type of signing that is headline news. However, it’s alarming that they were able to wrap up a fairly decent, healthy middle reliever for so little money and only a one-year commitment in this [...]
Heilman in the Rotation?
After writing my last post, and looking over the pitching staff, it appears that the Mets might be considering a move of Aaron Heilman to the starting rotation. Yes, it could just be my wishful thinking overpowering the truth, but consider the offseason moves the Mets have made so far: 1. Re-signed Guillermo Mota, despite [...]
Planning Without Zito
Let’s pretend that there really is a possibility that Barry Zito will sign with the Rangers, or some team on the Left Coast. What will the Mets’ pitching staff look like? Well, here it is right now (we’re omitting Pedro because we don’t know when/if he’ll be back): Potential Starters Tom Glavine Orlando Hernandez John [...]
No Zito Under the Tree
Maybe Omar Minaya was on Santa’s “naughty” list, because it doesn’t look like there will be a signed contract from Barry Zito waiting under the Mets’ tree come Christmas morning. In fact, it doesn’t look like Zito will be under anyone’s tree … unless, perhaps, they are celebrating Russian Christmas. Even then, the outlook looks [...]
