Archive: November 19th, 2009

Paul LoDuca Wants To Come Back

paul-loducaThis afternoon in an appearance on XM 175 MLB Home Plate (SIRIUS 210), former Mets catcher Paul LoDuca expressed a desire to return to the big leagues in 2010.

LoDuca missed all of 2009 due to injuries, but claims he is now 100 percent healthy, and ready to make a comeback.

The feisty catcher hit .318 in 2006 with the Mets, but dropped to .272 in 2007 before leaving the team as a free agent.

Here is what LoDuca had to say on XM:

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Jason Marquis Far from a Perfect Fit

jason-marquis-roxA while back, Jason Marquis began to lobby for a Mets contract offer through his friend and advocate Jeff Francoeur. Now he’s made a full-blown pitch, suggesting to Bart Hubbach that he and the Mets are a “perfect fit”.

As we’ve discussed earlier, Jason Marquis needs the Mets involved if he’s to obtain a multi-year, multimillion-dollar contract from an MLB team. It’s that simple. The Mets are known to overpay free agents year in and year out, particularly when they have an urgent need to fill. This year, the onus is on the Mets to find at least one reliable and durable veteran starting pitcher, and Marquis not only fits that bill but is coming off the best season of his career.

In many ways, I like the idea of Marquis as a Met. He would fit in nicely as

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Braves Release Brian Barton

brian-bartonAccording to Baseball America, the Braves have released former phenom outfielder Brian Barton.

Barton was considered a great athlete but went undrafted after a strong career at U Miami, as clubs believed he’d make use of his aerospace engineering degree rather than pursue baseball. However, he signed a $100,000 bonus (plus another $100K for schooling) with the Indians, and has been a prodigal nomad ever since.

The Beaneheads like Barton’s plate discipline and ability to

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2009 Analysis: Jeff Francoeur

jeff-francoeur-12When Jeff Francoeur was acquired from the Braves in return for Ryan Church, the immediate reaction was mixed. On the one hand, the Mets were getting a 25-year-old, high-energy outfielder who regressed for two and a half years after being considered a cornerstone player and future All-Star. On the other hand, they were giving up a right fielder who — as the statheads will confirm — was a better all-around player at the time of the trade. In other words, the Mets were giving away a known, steady quantity in return for a possible flash-in-the-pan — and at that, one that might be sitting on a cold stove.

It was a moderate-risk, high-reward gamble on

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