Garland, Sheets Off the Table
Remove the garland from the Christmas tree, and get Lazy Mary to pull the sheets from her bed.
A little late on this, but reporting it so you can post your comments — Ben Sheets agreed to a one-year, $10M deal with the Oakland Athletics, and Jon Garland signed a one-year, $4.7M deal with the San Diego Padres.
As mentioned in the previous post, Sheets + Oakland makes a lot of sense for both parties.
Garland, I imagine, preferred to be on the Left Coast, so it’s possible the Mets were never a possibility considering their Right Coast locale. Additionally, he has a nice opportunity to hurl a stress-free year in a huge pitcher’s park — a good formula for boosting his value when he becomes a free agent again next winter.
Additionally, former Cub prospect Rich Hill signed a minor-league deal with the Cardinals. The lefthander had a breakout season in 2007, then forgot how to throw strikes. This is a very under-the-radar move that could very well turn out wonderful for St. Louis. Can’t you just see Hill suddenly finding himself under the tutelage of Dave Duncan?
In other belated reporting, you may or may not have heard that the Phillies signed Jose Contreras to a cheap one-year deal. I don’t think the Mets were ever a player for his services, and I don’t believe he would’ve been a good idea. Most reports speculate that Contreras will begin 2010 in the Philly bullpen.
Finally, the latest buzz is that Jarrod Washburn is leaning toward the Twins and Mariners.
So, who’s left on the open market for the rotation? Looks to me like Braden Looper, John Smoltz, and Pedro Martinez are the best of the best. Ouch. In other words, Omar Minaya best be burning the phone lines talking trade with other GMs to find another arm or two.
Mets Lose Argenis Reyes to Dodgers
It wasn’t bad enough that the Phillies stole Wilson Valdez from the Mets, but now it’s come to light that the Dodgers have won the heated offseason bidding war for Argenis Reyes.
How is this fair? Why must the rich always get richer? “To the victor belong the spoils” is a concept that is nearly 200 years old and does not belong in MLB. How will there ever be parity or fairness in baseball when perennial postseason teams like Philly and LA can cherry-pick the best “backup to the backups” from every other organization? Bud Selig needs to table ancillary issues such as instant replay and steroids and address the big problems such as this that are truly killing the game.
Phillies Sign Baez, Cubs Sign Byrd
The Philadelphia Phillies have signed Danys Baez to a two-year contract. The veteran righty reliever missed all of 2008 due to an elbow injury requiring Tommy John surgery, and came back last year to pitch in 59 games and post a 4.02 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP and 40 K in 79 IP. Without knowing the dollar value on the deal it’s hard to say whether it’s a great signing, but he is potentially a very good addition to the Phillies bullpen — he essentially replaces Chan Ho Park in the 7th-inning role, but with his closing experience could also move into either the job of setup man or possibly closer if Brad Lidge has more meltdowns. Before the TJ surgery Baez had electric stuff and once saved 41 games — as far as raw skills go he wasn’t far from K-Rod. His performance dropped considerably in 2006, and in early 2007 he began to complain of “forearm tightness”, eventually hitting the DL with that symptom — which is nearly always a precursor to an elbow injury. So it’s possible his woes in ‘06 — his walk year — may have been due to a hidden injury.
In any case he threw enough last year to prove he was healthy. I didn’t see him first-hand so can’t comment on whether he still has the lights-out stuff. The numbers say “no”, but he was in his first year after TJ surgery, in the AL East, and not in a closer role — so who knows? It’s a good move for the Phils considering that they are not necessarily counting on him to be more than a middle reliever.
In other news, the Cubs signed Marlon Byrd to a 3-year, $15M contract. So far Jim Hendry has not been assassinated, which is amazing considering that this asinine decision comes a year after the equally ill-advised signing of Milton Bradley (and trade of Mark DeRosa). When Byrd first came up with the Phillies he was a “five tool” player but he never flashed all five tools at once. His career path is eerily similar to that of Gary Matthews, Jr.: toolsy youngster, never better than a 5th outfielder, suddenly erupts with a career year at age 31 in Texas under the tutelage of hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo (and any other “help” ?) in a walk year, then signs a ridiculously over-valued contract. OK, Sarge Jr. got a stupid 5/$50M, but a 3/$15M for Byrd is nearly as irresponsible — was anyone else in the bidding?
Nothing against Marlon Byrd. He’s a nice enough guy, he might hit .285, and he’ll provide good defense, but my bet is the Cubs will rue this signing more than they celebrate it.
Looking Back: Phillies Lineup Comparison
While going through some posts from last offseason, I came across this one in particular titled Lineup Comparison: Phillies. It was written in mid-January, and the gist of it was that the Mets were at least one big bat short of posting an everyday lineup that had offensive potential comparable to the Phillies’ projected lineup.
This conclusion was based on the the premise that the teams would receive similar production from batters 1 through 4 and batters 8 and 9, and therefore: Read more
Talk Is Cheap
I had hoped to shelve the “Manuel Being Manuel” category until at least spring training. Unfortunately, everyone’s favorite zen master couldn’t contain himself through the winter months.
Jerry Manuel spoke with reporters in Indianapolis today, and Brian Costa provides the “highlights” of the conversation.
Among them:
- Manuel claims Read more
Would You Want Pat Burrell?
There have been a few rumors floating that the Mets could obtain Pat Burrell from the Rays — possibly as part of a three-team deal that would send Luis Castillo to the Cubs and Milton Bradley to Tampa Bay.
Such a trade may not come to fruition, but “Pat the Bat” is definitely on the trading block, and he fits the description of “power hitting left fielder” that the Mets are so desperate to acquire.
But would you, as a Mets fan, want him?
Forget that his name is Pat Burrell for a moment, and consider whether you would want a left fielder who averaged 31 HRs, 99 RBI, and an .890 OPS in the last four seasons he played in the NL East. Would you take on his one year and $9M in return for a marginal player, in a salary dump deal (from the Rays’ perspective)? Be sure to factor in the player’s motivation — in that he’ll be playing for a 2011 contract.
Granted, Burrell had a poor year in 2009, but it was his first time in the American League, his first time as a DH, and he spent the entire season fighting a neck injury. If the neck is fully healed — and yes it’s a big “if” — and he returns to the comfort and knowledge of NL opponents, there’s a decent possibility he returns to the 30-HR threat he was from 2005-2008.
Before you say “whoa, a lot of his homers came from playing in that bandbox known as Citizens Bank Park”, go check the stats — he hit 21 of his 2008 HRs away from CBP. In 2007 the split was about even (14 away, 16 in CBP) and in 2006 it was 17 away, 12 at home. There is no question he has the strength to hit the ball out of any park (18 in 334 career ABs in pitcher-friendly Shea Stadium helps support that argument).
In addition to his homerun power, Burrell hits the ball into gaps, takes a ton of pitches, and usually walks close to 100 times a year. When he’s on a hot streak, he can put a team on his back and carry it.
On the negative side, his fielding has gotten worse as he’s aged, he is a poor baserunner, and when he slumps, he slumps like no one else — they are massive, horrendous slumps that make him look like he’d be better off serving hot dogs for a living. I doubt the average Mets fan would be able to handle a lengthy Pat Burrell slump without sending a blunt object through the TV set.
Additionally, Burrell has proven to be less than savvy with the media, and often comes off as condescending or bitter when he’s quoted. Combine a bad slump with NYC reporters, and Pat Burrell could quickly become the target of angry Mets fans. Oh, and then there’s that whole history with him mashing homeruns in Shea while wearing a Phillies uniform — he’d be coming in with a reputation not unlike when Tom Glavine first arrived in Flushing.
How do you feel about the possibility of Pat Burrell joining the Mets?
*** UPDATE 11:30am ***
Andrew Vazzano of TheRopolitans has posted a rumor that Burrell has been traded to the Mets.
Braves Sign Takashi Saito
In a matter of 48 hours, the Braves have rebuilt their bullpen.
A day after signing Billy Wagner to be their closer, Atlanta wasted no time in locking up a setup man — Takashi Saito.
Saito was signed to a one-year, $3.2M contract. And just like that, the 8th and 9th innings are solved for the Braves.
I know what you’re thinking: a 39-year-old closer and a 40-year-old setup man sounds like a formula for trouble — particularly when both oldsters have suffered elbow issues in the past two years. But Wagner has a new elbow, and Saito cruised through 56 appearances last year — pitching in the AL East, no less.
All told, the Braves spent a total of $10.2M and a one-year commitment to shore up the back of their bullpen with two standout veterans. Compare and contrast that to the Mets’ strategy last winter of tying up K-Rod for 4 years and spending a total of $60M for him and J.J. Putz to finish up games in 2009. Now, which bullpen makeover made better sense?
So, to conclude the activity for the day: the Phillies added a Gold Glover to their infield, the Braves completed the overhaul of their bullpen, and the Mets signed two backup catchers.
The offseason is still young.
Phillies Sign Placido Polanco
So glad the Mets aren’t the only ones in the NL East making unusual free agent signings.
The Phillies have signed Gold Glove second baseman Placido Polanco to a three-year, $18M contract to play third base.
I like Polanco — a lot. If the Mets didn’t have Luis Castillo, I would have loved to have seen them sign Polanco. But on a two-year deal, and to play 2B.
It’s a little surprising that the Phillies chose Polanco over Adrian Beltre — who is younger, a Gold Glove caliber third baseman, and has more power potential — but I suppose they have their reasons. Polanco generally has a better OBP than Beltre but that part of his game dipped in 2009. Beltre’s power dropped dramatically last year as well, but that was due to injuries. I wonder if the Phillies doubt Beltre’s birth certificate, and feel he’s going to break down?
*** UPDATE ***
An asking price of $10M per year now explains the Phillies’ passing on Adrian Beltre. Three years for Polanco, though, still seems like too much.
Phillies Sign Brian Schneider; Coste Prefers Philly Too
According to The Morning Call, Brian Schneider has signed a one-year two-year, $3M contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Schneider grew up in Pennsylvania, graduating from Northampton High School, about an hour north of Philadelphia — and as you may have guessed, grew up a Phillies fan.
According to Brian’s Uncle Mike (the Northampton HS Athletic Director):
“It’s neat because we all grew up Philllies fans and we were fans wherever he went, but for him to come back home, everybody is overjoyed. His dad (Mike’s brother Pete Schneider) called and said he on his way over to the stadium now.”
In related news, the Mets signed former Phillie Chris Coste to a contract that guarantees him a spot on the 40-man roster. Coste had this to say to CSNPhilly.com (hat tip to MetsBlog):
“It was the Mets,” Coste told CSN. “It’s the last team I ever saw myself playing for. I knew I was going to accept it, but had to think about it for a few days. It wasn’t my choice to leave Philly,” Coste said. “I never wanted to leave Philadelphia, I will always consider myself a Phillie.”
It is so pleasing to hear that Brian Schneider is happy to be joining the Phillies, and that the Mets’ newest catcher would prefer to be with the Phillies.
Coupled with the recent signings of Alex Cora and Elmer Dessens, could the offseason have begun with any more optimism and excitement? Doubtful.
To All You Yankee Rooters
Not long ago, I gave you five reasons to root for the Phillies in the World Series.
Which team to pull for was a difficult decision for any Mets fan. But now that the World Serious is over, and the Yankees are the 2009 World Champions, I have a question for those Mets fans who chose to root for the Bronx Bombers: would you now reconsider that decision?
I ask because it is now five days after the final game, and yet the YES network is still showing that goddamn parade 24 hours a day. Sure, it’s easy to avoid the channel, but when I’m surfing or looking through the on-screen TV guide, that damn thing pops out like an inflamed wart. And if you frequent NJ’s Route 3 highway, you’ve no doubt noticed that a digital sign just past the Meadowlands STILL states “Friday – Celebration Parade in Manhattan”.
But it’s not just the parade. I turned on the Giants football game on Sunday — the first time I’ve put the Giants on since they won the Super Bowl — and, lo and behold, the Yankees “general manager” Joe Girardi was honored in a pregame ceremony.
Then of course, there was the “key to the city” thing. If the Phillies had won the World Series, I doubt I would be reading about Pedro Martinez getting a key to the city of Philadelphia — that news simply wouldn’t get up here (NOTE: this post does not apply to anyone living in the South Jersey / Philly area).
Similarly, I probably wouldn’t be seeing Matt Stairs, Greg Dobbs, and other Phillies bench players hawking various products and promoting local businesses the way I suspect we’ll be seeing people like Jerry Hairston, Jr. on local cable channels and newspaper ads this winter.
I also doubt sincerely that I’d be seeing people coming out of the woodwork wearing Phillies hats all over my town, on the ferry, on the bus, on the subway, and in random coffee shops — such as I and others are seeing NY Yankee hats infiltrate their neighborhoods.
And I’m certain I would not be running into at least one acquaintance every day who just happened to be a Phillies fan, knifing me with their gloating smiles and condescending quips like “I’m sure the Mets will turn things around soon”.
Again, I’m sure things would be / are much different in the South Jersey / Philly area. But here in the New York City Metropolitan Area, there is no escape from the daily reminders that the “other” New York team won the World Series.
As fellow blogger Greg Prince of Faith and Fear opines:
“Tell me how this isn’t tangibly more hellish than a Phillies victory.”
It’s going to be a long, cold winter, Mets fans.
Mets Gifts
MetsBlog FeedMore Sponsors
fix bad credit
repairmycreditnow.com - repairmycreditnow has a v phase process that will successfully fix bad credit legally
