Jose Reyes for Johan Santana?

Posted on December 5, 2007 by Joe Janish

So MLBTradeRumors is reporting that the Twins have initiated a deal whereby:

– Mets send Jose Reyes, Kevin Mulvey, and Hector Pellot to A’s
– A’s send Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson to Mets
– A’s send Dan Haren to Twins
– Twins send Johan Santana to Mets
– Mets get Johan Santana, Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson
– A’s get Jose Reyes and Kevin Mulvey
– Twins get Dan Haren and Hector Pellot

Got all that? If not, don’t worry, it ain’t happening. If it is, I’m likely not taking the #7 Train to Flushing in 2008. Santana would be very nice to have, but not at the cost of Reyes. Yes, from a practical standpoint, the Mets are probably better off with Santana in the rotation and Crosby at shortstop than not having Santana and having Reyes at short. I get that. But I don’t care as much about the practicality as I do about enjoying the games I’m watching. And even with Jose’s down year, and his occasional lapses in concentration, he is still one of my favorite players of all time due to his exuberance and everlasting smile. He remains one of the few players that I find “worth paying to see”.

I doubt highly that the Mets would pull the trigger on such a deal, and hopefully they won’t.

How do you feel about this possibility? (I promise not to chide you if you’re OK with it. No, really.)

Posted in 07-08 Offseason, Hot Stove | 16 Comments

New Starter To Come from Within?

Posted on December 5, 2007 by Joe Janish

Now I’ve heard everything.

First the Orioles reject a juicy deal for Eric Bedard (thank god). Then the Mets are players, not players, then players, then out of it, then back to being players (maybe), for Johan Santana. Whatever, I don’t care anymore. Then AJ Burnett could be had for cheap … oh, no, not really, Toronto was just kidding. Meantime Dontrelle Willis gets spun out of the National League with Miguel Cabrera in a package of minor leaguers. Next we’re told that Billy Beane isn’t trading any of his young starters, and if he is, it won’t be to the Mets. Plus we found out that the Mets were “too late to the party” for Hiroki Kuroda, a 33-year-old who was less than dominant in Japan and is seeking a four-year deal — and we’re supposed to be disappointed about this. Next we’re hearing that David Wells is interested in the Mets — again, like we care? In addition, depending on who you listen to (or read), the Mets are “very interested” in Livan Hernandez, or “have no interest” in him at all. There’s been no rumor of the Mets talking to Carlos Silva nor Jason Jennings, though much speculation. As if all this wasn’t insane enough, some are spouting that the Mets’ “big” acquisition this winter could be either Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon.

But that’s not all. In this whirlwind of a week, the latest to come out is Ed Coleman on WFAN yapping about the Mets moving Aaron Heilman back to the starting rotation.

Come again?

Naturally, we can’t trust Coleman, since he’s the same guy who said the Mets were down on Luis Castillo because he was a bad influence on Jose Reyes. Is this Heilman stuff another of Ed’s wild opinions that he’s passing off as “inside information”, or could there really be some consideration of such a move by the Mets brass?

Those of you who have been reading MetsToday since its inception (yes, BOTH of you) probably remember my constant pestering about moving Heilman back into a starter’s role. In fact, it was something I wrote about once every three days (or so it seemed) during most of 2005-2006. OK, maybe not that often, but enough to annoy most people. I finally gave up on the idea with one last suggestion this past May.

For those who signed on here late, you can check these links: Aaron Heilman’s Elbow, Why Heilman Must Start, Heilman In the Pen, Another Heilman Harangue, Haren, Heilman or Harden (which eerily looks as though it could have been written this week and not a year ago)Heilman or Bannister, and my personal favorite, Aaron Heilman: Dispelling the Myths. These man-crush-like articles are some of my best writing, I think, possibly because I’ve felt so strongly on the subject of Heilman in the rotation.

Finally, though, I gave up on the cause. I’m now certain that Omar Minaya wouldn’t make the switch specifically because I kept writing so logically about it, waited for me to stop the campaign, let the issue cool a while, and THEN he considers the reversion publicly so it would sound like his idea.

OK, it’s my fantasy, let me live it!

If it’s true that the Mets will step away from the table and end trade discussions for Bedard, Santana, Burnett, etc., and instead move Heilman to a starting role, I’ll be quite happy, as I prefer the Mets hold onto the few prominent youngsters they have if they won’t bring back someone like Danny Haren or Johan Santana. At this point, I don’t think Aaron will be a #1-type ace, but I do believe he can be a very strong #3 and possibly a solid #2. My support and facts are in the various aforementioned articles, so I won’t re-state them here. Further, I would feel very comfortable starting 2008 with a rotation consisting of Pedro, El Duque, Maine, Perez, and Heilman. An ace would be nice, but I don’t think it would be necessary to reach the World Series. Did the Big Red Machine of the mid-1970s have an ace? Did the LA Dodgers of the late 70s have an ace? Did the 2007 Rockies have an ace? What about the ’05 White Sox, the ’02 Angels, or the ’00 Mets for that matter? Go and check the rosters yourself, or take my word for it — no, none of those World Series clubs had a Josh Beckett or a Roy Oswalt. It’s nice to have a guy like that on your squad, but if you don’t, you can still get to the big show.

“But Joe,” you’re saying, “just yesterday you wrote that the Mets couldn’t afford to lose Heilman from the bullpen! ‘splain yourself, please!”

It’s true — I did state that. But here’s my thinking. If Heilman goes to the rotation than one or both of Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber would have to also make a transition OUT of the rotation. In addition, the Mets would have to sign Octavio Dotel, and/or acquire another legit setup man, either by hook or by crook. Maybe they give in to Luis Vizcaino’s ridiculous demands. Or perhaps they buy into Kip Wells’ agent’s bright idea that his client is perfectly suited for setup duty. The Mets set up these fallback options in the event that Duaner Sanchez and/or Juan Padilla don’t recover fully, and/or don’t return to their previous efficiencies.

It’s not a terrible idea. What do you think? Would you be satisfied with that five-man rotation, knowing that another reliever was coming into to help pick up the slack?

Posted in 07-08 Offseason, Hot Stove, Pitching Staff | 5 Comments

Nady Talk is Nada; Don’t Believe the Hype

Posted on December 5, 2007 by Joe Janish

Some of the “buzz” in the punditsphere has been that the Pirates are not going to offer Xavier Nady arbitration; a.k.a. “non-tender” him and thereby make him a free agent. Naturally, this has Mets fans filled with visions of sugar plum fairies and a rightfield platoon of Ryan Church and Nady in 2008.

Not so fast, all ye Shea faithful.

First of all, the idea that the Buccos would let one of their top three run producers walk away in return for nothing is pure lunacy, even for the Pirates. But just to check, I asked former Pirates blogger and highly ranking MVN executive (OK, maybe not THAT high ranking) Cory Humes about the “X Factor”. His response:

The day after Dejan Kovacevic wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Pirates were considering non-tendering Nady if they couldn’t move him in a trade, the Pirates “responded to the contrary.” You can read about their rebuttal here. Dejan dots his i’s and crosses his t’s, so I’m assuming he must have been fed bad information. As you implied, cutting Nady would’ve been sheer lunacy. Even with a raise coming in arbitration, his contract won’t be cost-prohibitive. That’s not even mentioning the fact that he was the Pirates’ most consistent offensive contributor in 2007.

OK, so Cory was the one who came up with the “lunacy” adjective … in any case, it fits. And though Mr. Humes may not have the insider connections of say, Buster Olney or Jon Heyman, I do believe he has a better handle on the pulse of Pittsburgh than we do here in the Big Apple. So as long as I had his attention, I figured I’d ask him what other “buzz” he was hearing around the Bucs. His response follows …

“The scoop, I suppose, is this: The Pirates will trade from their outfield surplus this off-season. Nady, Jason Bay and Nate McLouth (an underrated left-handed hitting fourth outfielder) are being shopped. Steve Pearce raked in the minors in 2007, and he could be in line for a starting spot in 2008. Nyjer Morgan seems to have first dibs on the center field job despite possessing few redeeming qualities. Ryan Doumit still figures into the picture as a backup catcher or right fielder. So, in essence you have that first trio filling one lineup spot. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nady or Bay traded, as well as McLouth, for a handful of prospects the average Pirate fan has never heard of.

On Monday, rumor had it that the Indians were offering Kelly Shoppach and Cliff Lee for Bay. That would’ve been a shot to the gut. While both Cleveland players would’ve been an upgrade over what we currently have at their respective positions, I think most diehards believe the Bucs need to get much younger. Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker could be solid regulars in 2009: forget 2008, and aim for the future. For that reason, veterans such as Jack Wilson, Matt Morris, Damaso Marte and Salomon Torres should all be available this winter.

I think in trading Bay or Nady, McLouth and Wilson, the Pirates need to pick up at least one middle of the rotation starting pitcher at or around the Triple-A level; a corner outfield prospect that can reach the majors relatively quickly; and a glove-first catcher who can split time with Ronny Paulino if necessary. The Pirates’ system is weak in general, but it’s always nice to pick up young pitching when possible.

I’ll be shocked if Marte and Torres are still Pirates in March. Marte’s value might never be higher — he’s a dominant LOOGY earning $2 million in 2008 — and Torres can still be a right-handed seventh inning option for a winning team. The Pirates are stuck with Morris unless they want to eat some of the $9.5 million he’s owed this season. I’d rather see him pitch in the first few months of the season, and hope that a contender will bite in June or July.

I’m not a Mets expert, but I’d think a Nady/Church platoon would make sense. Damaso Marte’s worlds better than Scott Schoeneweis. I’m not sure if Phil Humber would be available in a trade for B-list players, but he’s the kind of arm I think the Pirates would be wise to add.”

Cory’s comments are pretty much the perspective from Pittsburgh, and I find it very interesting to hear a point of view outside the New York – Metropolitan area. Personally, I’m getting pretty tired of all the Johan Santana talk, particularly since we know there’s a better chance of hell freezing over than the Mets grabbing the Minnesota lefty — so this Pirate talk arrives to me as refreshing. Marte for Humber … hmm … I don’t think so, unless Nady is involved. Or Bay, for that matter. Maybe Mulvey, Humber, and Church for Bay and Marte? If nothing else, it has a ring to it.

There’s also been a lot of buzz about Ian Snell, and from the New York POV you’d almost think that Pittsburgh is ready to give him away. Nix on that one, too. According to Cory:

“I only trade Ian Snell or Tom Gorzelanny if I get Delmon Young and another piece. I think they’ve both proven more than Matt Garza, and have the potential to be special pitchers. They’ll only be moved if the Pirates are absolutely blown away with an offer.”

Again, this is Cory Humes and not Ken Rosenthal. But it’s fascinating to find out how highly valued these Pittsburgh pitchers are from the Pirate fan’s perspective. It sounds like the Mets would have a better chance prying Eric Bedard away from the Orioles.

Thanks again to Cory for his input. He used to write quite a bit for the Pittsburgh Lumber Co., which is still a fine blog and definitely worth a look-see if you want to get the scoop on the Pirates. I’ll try to get more “rival” bloggers’ perspectives on the hot stove if you find it entertaining — be sure to let me know in the comments.

Posted in 07-08 Offseason | 13 Comments

Relief Option: Luis Vizcaino

Posted on December 4, 2007 by Joe Janish

This from Kat O’Brien, the Yankees’ blogger at Newsday:

“I talked to Luis Vizcaino’s agent, Bean Stringfellow, a little while ago. He said of Vizcaino: “He made a point to me that he does like New York.” However, he said nothing is imminent and that he is also talking to the Mets, White Sox, Royals and Dodgers, along with the Yankees. Stringfellow also believes that Vizcaino can get a 3-4 year contract along the lines of Scott Linebrink, who inked a four-year, $19-million pact with the White Sox. At those dollars, the Yankees are likely to be out.”

Count the Mets out, too. Vizcaino looks like a nice idea for, say, a two-year deal AT MOST, but after being “Torre-ized” last year, I’d be hesitant to offer anything more. We’re already stuck with The Show and nearly had to find out how long two years could be courtesy of Guillermo Mota.

All the more reason not to be dealing Aaron Heilman in any deals this winter. If Luis Vizcaino thinks he can demand a ridiculous Scott Linebrink contract, then it may make more sense to horde middle relievers than anything else.

Look at it this way — the demand for setup men has become so insane that Kip Wells is now being marketed as one. I think I’d trade a closer before a reliable 8th-inning guy like Heilman — a closer is easier to find.

Posted in 07-08 Offseason, Hot Stove, Pitching Staff | Comments Off on Relief Option: Luis Vizcaino

No Blockbuster for the Mets

Posted on December 4, 2007 by Joe Janish

It’s still early, but it looks like the Mets will not be making a blockbuster deal for big-name pitcher at the winter meetings this week. But that’s not my opinion, it’s coming from the horse’s mouth — Omar Minaya himself mentioned in a press conference that he didn’t see a major deal going down before the end of the week.

According to various sources, Minaya offered Aaron Heilman, Carlos Gomez, and Philip Humber to the Orioles for Eric Bedard. I, for one, am glad the O’s were dumb enough to balk at the deal. There was some buzz that Peter Angelos didn’t like the way the Kris Benson deal turned out, and if that’s true, I wish him good luck in trying to unload the lefty who publicly wants out of Baltimore. Oh, he can do it, I’m sure, but for a better package than that? Doubtful.

At this point, Gomez, Humber, and Heilman are among my favorite Mets, so I’m glad the deal didn’t go down. I also think that losing Heilman would be more impactful than gaining a starting pitcher who may not be better than Oliver Perez next year. I was more interested in Bedard two years ago, when he was a 26-year-old on the cusp and likely would have come cheap. Now, he might be an overvalued, 29-year-old Mike Hampton waiting to happen. Seriously, I wonder if Bedard has already had his best years — and don’t see him as an ace on a championship team.

Here’s my litmus test for all potential starting pitcher targets: would I start him over Pedro Martinez in Game 1 of the playoffs? (This is different than the Opening Day assignment, BTW … Pedro is probably the Opening Day starter short of Sandy Koufax or Tom Seaver coming out of retirement.) No? Then he’s not the #1. And in my book, Bedard doesn’t start. Johan does, as does Danny Haren and Jake Peavy. And maybe a healthy Rich Harden or Mark Prior, for that matter.

But it doesn’t matter, because Bedard won’t be coming to Shea. And it appears that Johan Santana will not be, either — he looks to be booking a ticket to Beantown. Plus, we found out Danny Haren was likely never an option, with or without Lastings Milledge as bait. Oh, and Jake Peavy is off the market, too, after signing a 3-year extension with the Padres. Heck, even Dontrelle Willis is gone, with the D-Train dealt to Detroit.

Let’s see … no Bedard, no Santana, no Haren, no Willis. In fact, there is at least one pundit who claims that the bottom of the barrel — Carlos Silva and Livan Hernandez — are not even options at this point in time.

Um, OK. Now I’m getting a little nervous. On the one hand, I’m glad that Gomez, Heilman, and Humber are still in the organization. On the other, who is going to start those 32 games and pitch those 200 innings that Tom Glavine left behind? I was thinking of Bartolo Colon as a fallback option for the fifth starter spot, not a guy to start pursuing in desperation to fill out the middle of the rotation. No, there hasn’t been any word at all on Colon coming to the Mets — which is what worries me considering Omar’s tight-lipped ship. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, two – thousand – and one (sing along, folks!). For those who forgot — that was when a guy about the size of Santa, only bigger, squeezed his way down the chimney at Shea Stadium. And on some days, Bartolo Colon looks wider than Mo Vaughn — or, at least, closer to the ground.

Yes, I advocated bringing Colon in, but that was IN ADDITION TO signing someone like Silva or Livan or acquiring a Bedard type. Now it looks like Colon, Jon Lieber, Freddy Garcia, or Hiroki Kuroda could be a major signing rather than an afterthought for an ST invite. Or worse, the Mets may have surrender top prospects such as Gomez and Humber for a borderline AAA pitcher such as Cliff Lee. YIKES!

If it’s true the Mets aren’t hot on Livan nor Silva, I wonder if Jason Jennings is suddenly coveted by Minaya and his troops? Again, the biggest giveaway is the fact we’ve heard ZILCH on Jennings — and if the Milledge trade is any indication, the loudest Mets rumors are the least likely to come to fruition. Instead, the acquisitions will appear from thin air. Thoughts?

Posted in 07-08 Offseason, Hot Stove | 12 Comments

Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera Leave the East

Posted on December 4, 2007 by Joe Janish

NEWSFLASH:

Dontrelle Willis AND Miguel Cabrera have been traded to the Detroit Tigers.

HOLY S !

In what is the biggest blockbuster in years, the Marlins have dealt both of their most coveted players to the Tigers in return for outfielder Cameron Maybin, lefty starter Andrew Miller, catcher Mike Rabelo, and pitchers Dallas Trahern, Eulogio De La Cruz and Burke Badenhop.

I don’t even know where to start with this one. On the one hand, I’m ecstatic that a.) Cabrera and Willis have left the division, and the National League; and b.) that the Yankees obtained neither of them.

However, this trade is a real head-scratcher. I thought for certain that Cabrera was worth at least that type of package — and possibly more — all by himself. I may not be a good judge of talent, but I believe that Miguel Cabrera is hands-down the best hitter in baseball not named Albert Pujols — and possibly as good or better than Sir Albert. And in return the Fish get not one player with a full Major League season under his belt.

Would I rather have Andrew Miller or D-Train? Tough one, I’m not really sure. Yes, Willis had a tough 2007, but he’s already succeeded at the MLB level while the jury is still out on Miller. So call it a wash, I suppose, since Miller has tremendous upside. But, Willis was once a Cy Young candidate, is still only 25, and Miller’s ERA in 2007 was nearly 6. I mean, jeez, Mike Pelfrey‘s numbers were startlingly similar to Miller’s last year, and they’re about the same age (and height). Does that mean the Mets could have traded Pelfrey for Dontrelle? Would we have been happy with that deal?

As far as Miggy goes, I doubt the Mets could have made a play for him. But it makes you wonder. We know Cameron Maybin has a world of potential, but is he definitely ahead of where Lastings Milledge is now?

Mike Rabelo is the 28-year-old version of Mike DiFelice, so don’t even give him a second thought; he’s filler in this deal (actually, since all the other kids in this deal were pitchers, the Fish needed another receiver to help catch them all). Dallas Trahern is a 22-year-old righthanded starter who has moved quickly through the Tigers’ system, pitching a game in AAA last year. Baseball America said he had the “Best Slider” in the Detroit organization back in 2005, and was #8 in their “Top Ten Prospects” list. From the scouting reports I’ve read, Trahern actually sounds a lot like Pelfrey — he depends on a low-90s sinker, has at best an average slider, and doesn’t strike out enough batters.

Eulogio De La Cruz was #6 and had the “Best Fastball” as well as the “Best Curveball” in 2006. The 23-year-old De La Cruz got into six games with the big club last year, and projects to be a closer with his 100-MPH fastball and knee-buckling curveball. However, he tends to get erratic (can you say Jorge Julio?) so he may be a few years from MLB duty.

Burke Badenhop sounds like a sorry excuse for a poorly groomed infield, but in fact he is a 24-year-old righthanded pitcher who has had success at every level. However I don’t know a thing about him other than the stats. Where the heck did Detroit find all these young pitchers?

So the two most notable stars on the Marlins have exited, with Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla remaining. Suddenly, though, the Fish have a remarkably talented and young corps of pitchers who have lots of potential. I’m not worried — at least, not about 2008. These young arms will take a few years to mature.

Discuss …

Posted in 07-08 Offseason, Hot Stove | 5 Comments

Market Update

Posted on December 3, 2007 by Joe Janish

In the last week …

Matt Herges signed a one-year deal with the Rockies. Fine with me; he wouldn’t have been much more valuable than Aaron Sele, in my mind.

Troy Percival signed a two-year, $8M deal with the Tampa Bay (not Devil) Rays. He would have been a nice guy to have set up, but there was no public buzz about him coming to Shea.

Bobby Brownlie was invited to spring training by the Nationals. No big deal, other than I mentioned him as an ST invite possibility a few weeks ago. My interest in him was mostly tied to the fact he was a “local” kid, from Rutgers.

David Riske appears to be on the verge of signing with the Brewers. He was a favorite of mine and other visitors of MetsToday, and he may soon be off the market. The options are dwindling quickly. Octavio Dotel suddenly looks to be one of the top options for the ‘pen.

Lance Cormier was DFA’d by the Braves. He’s only 27, might be worth an ST invite.

Chris Shelton and Timo Perez were DFA’s by the Tigers. No thanks on Timo returning. Shelton, however, is intriguing. He can play 1B, some OF, catch, and bats from the right side. He hasn’t done a thing since a smoking hot April of 2006. He might fit in nicely as a backup to Delgado and RH pinch-hitter. ST invite?

Posted in 07-08 Offseason, Hot Stove | 6 Comments

Mets Trade Milledge to Nats

Posted on November 30, 2007 by Joe Janish

OK, everyone who saw this coming, put your hand up.

Um … all right … let’s try this again. ANYONE who saw this coming, please RAISE YOUR HAND!

Huh. No one raised their hand.

So for those who missed it, the Mets traded Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church.

On the one hand, the deal almost obliterates any chance of the Mets making a play for an ace pitcher such as Dan Haren or Johan Santana — we think. Of course, other teams might be higher on Carlos Gomez than we thought — though, I’m not comfortable dealing Gomez after trading Milledge.

On the other hand, the Mets were able to get one of the top defensive backstops in all of MLB, plus a legit starting outfielder, in return for a player who has not yet established himself at the big league level — that’s nothing to sneeze at. Naturally, we all thought that Omar Minaya would be using Milledge as bait in a deal for a big-time pitcher, but the Mets were able to get pretty good value in this exchange with the Nationals.

Brian Schneider

In an interview a few years ago, when Minaya was still in the front office for the Expos, he said that nearly every time an opposing GM called, the first question was “what do you want for Schneider?” Indeed, Schneider was a hot property back in the early part of this century (that’s a crazy thing to say, ain’t it? boy time flies … ) — good enough to push out Michael Barrett and be considered a future All-Star. However, Schneider is no longer an up-and-comer but a veteran, and just turned 31 a few days ago (nice birthday present!). While he continues to garner respect as one of the best defenders of the dish, his bat never quite came around after an inspiring .275 average and 19 doubles in his first half-season of MLB duty. His average has dropped steadily from year to year, plummeting to .235 in 2007. His power is nonexistent, though he probably will collect more extra-base hits than, say, Jason Kendall (which isn’t saying much). He did hit more than ten home runs in consecutive seasons — at age 27-28, a time when most players hit their prime. Who knows, maybe a change in scenery — to a winning team — may spark his offensive production.

However, it doesn’t matter, does it? Schneider is pretty much penciled in to the #8 spot in the order, and won’t be expected to do much. He batted anywhere from 6th to 8th for the lowly Nats, and there is one aspect of his game that has improved — his ability to draw walks. He drew a career-high 56 last year, and struck out an equal amount of times. So that’s something.

Schneider will be in the lineup for his defense, plain and simple. He’s a throwback backstop, and may remind some oldsters of Jerry Grote. Lord knows he’ll hit like Grote.

Ryan Church

Church had his first opportunity to play everyday as a 28-year-old and did well — not great, but far from bad. He was one of those guys who you probably had on your fantasy team if you played in a deep NL-only league, because he gave you a decent OPS. Is he an All-Star? No. Is he the traditional power hitter you expect from a corner outfielder? No. But he is a very strong defender, handles the bat fairly well, and is fundamentally sound. The lefty swinger batted anywhere from cleanup to the #7 spot for the Nats, and though he finished the year as a leftfielder, he started it as their everyday centerfielder — so he should be able to add some range to the Mets outfield. Two big things about Church’s offense — he’s patient, and he has gap power, witnessed by his 43 doubles in 470 ABs last year. Looking at his stats and his defensive ability, he compares favorably to Aaron Rowand at the same age. Here’s the bottom line: if Lastings Milledge won the RF job (as expected), he’d probably hit between 15-20 HRs, with a .275 average, a bunch of doubles, and spend most of the time in the #7 hole. We can expect nearly identical stats from Church in the same position of the order, plus offer a higher OBP and better defense. In the short-term, the players are a wash. Of course, Milledge could be an All-Star in future years, but the Mets are concerned with the present.

Bottom Line

From a PR perspective, it’s not a great deal. The litmus test is, does your wife have any idea who Ryan Church or Brian Schneider are? It doesn’t help that there were two very strong factions of Mets fans — those who loved Milledge and think he’ll be a superstar, and those who didn’t care much for his attitude and are happy to see him leave. In that vein, at least half the fans are ticked off. But when you look at the deal at face value, and consider the short-term — which is what the Mets are concerned with — then this is a pretty strong deal, and a fair one for both teams.

Let’s also consider that the dealing is not over; for all we know, one or both of these new acquisitions could be a piece in a trade to go down next week at the winter meetings. We’ll wait and see.

*** FYI, if you posted on this trade before this article went live, please be advised I moved all the relevant comments from the previous post to this one ***

Posted in 07-08 Offseason | 26 Comments