2006 Mets Hot Stove Thread

[Keyser Soze]

From MetsBlog.com...

Late this afternoon, Newsday's Jon Heyman and David Lennon were first to report that the Mets and Padres have swapped Mike Cameron for OF-1B Xavier Nady, who is eligible for salary arbitration this off-season…

According to a source with inside knowledge on what teams were asking in return for Cameron, “the Mets did the best they could.” Cameron is said to be healing well from a season-ending collision with OF Carlos Beltran. Cameron's lengthy recovery, coupled with the league-wide understanding that he hoped to be traded in lieu of Beltran's presence in center field, ultimately diminished his value…

Nady will most likely serve as a right-handed bat at first base to fill in for rookie 1B Mike Jacobs against left-handed pitchers. Last season, Nady hit .323 with 3 HR in 124 at-bats against lefties…

However, Nady could interest Tampa Bay as a replacement for 1B-OF Aubrey Huff, whom the Mets have reportedly discussed with the Devil Rays. Published reports have indicated a deal could break down as Huff and Baez for RHP Aaron Heilman, RHP Jae Seo and RHP Yusmeiro Petit. The Devil Rays, instead, could prefer Nady, an option at first, over Petit, who has yet to excel at Triple-A…

Fans of the Mets would like to think Cameron was worth more than Nady. This may be true. According to multiple reports, Mets GM Omar Minaya has been ultra-aggressive this off-season, and was rumored to be pushing Cameron on several teams at last week's General Managers meetings in California. Therefore, logic would dictate that had a better deal been available, Minaya would have made it. If this is the case, and Nady was fair value, fans should wait and see how other activity takes place this off-season before judging this deal, as I suspect future moves and this trade are not exclusive to one another…

[diceisgod]

crap!

[GonzoStyle]

HOT STOVE!!!

[Gooch]

If you don't get value, hold onto him. Come spring training, his value, with more recovery time behind him, would have been up. Poor trade. Sometimes pure aggression services poorly, and I think it did here on the part of the GM.

[HedCold]

they want to make room and clear money for someone like manny. if you somehow get someone like manny or giles, and you have him floyd and beltran playing everyday, teams know you're looking to get rid of the guy and you still won't get market value.

of course, someone like floyd can just get injured again, but thats the risk you have to take, and i'm glad the mets finally have someone like minaya who is willing to take it

[HedCold]

is the term "Hot Stove" actually getting people to find this forum from a search engine or something? why are there always guests viewing the forum?

[Goatweed]

GUESTS = NOSY BASTARDS!!!

[GonzoStyle]

that stove is burning!!!

[Goatweed]

I thought it was burning last season tho...

[Keyser Soze]

they didnt have time to wait for his value to return. they dropped 7 million off the payroll and got a bargaining chip that works for several deals in the pipeline. plus he's young and not arbitration eligable until 2007.

[Keyser Soze]

<span style='font-size:13pt;line-height:100%'>Soriano could be next target for Minaya </span>
Thursday, November 24, 2005
By BOB KLAPISCH
Bergen Record

The image is almost too rich for Met fans to digest - a lineup that's
loaded
with power and speed, 2-through-5, good enough to turn the Mets into
real
run producers.

The Carlos Delgado stunning acquisition Wednesday has transformed the
Mets
into wild-card favorites, and, according to one National League
executive,
Omar Minaya isn't finished adding octane to the offense.

After formally announcing the Delagado deal either today or Friday, the
Mets
will explore a trade for Alfonso Soriano, which, if completed, would
complete the transformation Minaya had dreamt of since becoming the
general
manager.

Already he's looking at the early stages of a Murderers' Row: Carlos
Beltran, David Wright, Carlos Delgado and Cliff Floyd. And that's
without
Soriano, whom the Rangers are looking to move, or Manny Ramirez, who is
apparently history at Fenway, too.

Money is apparently no obstacle to the Mets, who are shedding some $35
million from last year's payroll and project no higher than the
low-$100
million mark. They're willing to take on the $10 million or so that the
arbitration-eligible Soriano will earn this year, although Ramirez's
$20
million annual salary will be tougher to digest.

"We'd have to move some money to make that happen," is how one official
described a trade scenario between the Mets and Red Sox. It's either
that,
or the Sox agree to pay a portion of Manny's earnings. Boston would
have to
initiate the talks, as well, which is why the Mets still regard a deal
for
Ramirez as a long shot.

For the time being, though, Delgado's arrival will further tempt Billy
Wagner to accept the Mets' three-year, $30 million offer. In fact, they
may
not have to guarantee that fourth year, after all. The current deal is
structured with an easy-to-reach fourth-year rollover - "only a major
injury" could prevent Wagner from reaching the requisite levels,
according
to one person familiar with the language - that swells the package to
$40
million.

And if Wagner is thinking about getting to the World Series, the Mets
think
they offer a straighter, less cluttered path to the postseason than the
Phillies. That's the dividend that Delgado offers all by himself. He's
a
stand-alone threat to the Braves, having batted .333 at Turner Field
last
year, and a proven clutch hitter.

Delgado batted .359 in September, while the Marlins were chasing a
playoff
spot, and batted .327 overall with runners in scoring position. Delgado
isn't young, but at 33 is still capable of producing at least three
more
quality seasons, in the Mets' estimation. For that reason, they're
comfortable with trading away Yusmeiro Petit, their best pitching
prospect,
along with Mike Jacobs.

Yet, there are unresolved issues: it was Delgado who harpooned a deal
with
the Mets last winter as a free agent. He signed a four-year, $52
million
deal with Florida after deciding the Mets had overplayed their racial
and
ethnic connection while recruiting him. In particular, Delgado took
offense
to Tony Bernazard, one of Minaya's closest associates, for speaking to
him
in what one person called "street" Spanish.

The two men are Puerto Rican born, and Bernazard apparently assumed a
tone
of familiarity that Delgado considered off-putting and disrespectful.
On two
separate occasions, Delgado asked his agent, David Sloane, to instruct
the
Mets to keep Bernazard out of the talks. Ultimately, Bernazard was
forced to
the sidelines, but by the time Minaya took over it was too late.

Sloane angrily said Delgado was choosing Florida because the Mets
didn't
treat Delgado like a man. All this is still relevant because Delgado
now has
the contractual right to demand a trade after the 2006 season. If the
Mets
don't comply, he becomes a free agent again in 2007.

When asked if there was any leftover hostility between Delgado and the
Mets,
Sloane replied via e-mail: "We're waiting to see how the Mets want to
handle
it. No comment until then."

The Mets find it hard to believe Delgado would still hold a grudge a
year
later, if for no other reason than the $48 million he'll earn at Shea
over
the next three years. There's no guarantee that kind of money will be
available to Delgado if he reenters the market. One Met official said
Wednesday, "We consider this water under the bridge."

Nevertheless, CEO Jeff Wilpon was intending to speak to Delgado by the
end
of Wednesday afternoon, just to smooth over the rough edges.

And what about Delgado's long-running vow not to stand for God Bless
America? That's another matter the Mets need to resolve. In past years,
Delgado has avoided scrutiny by remaining in the clubhouse during the
playing of the song, although when caught on the field - stranded on
the
bases after the last out, for instance - he has, in fact, removed his
hat
and assumed a respectful pose.

Delgado won't be able to hide now that he's a Met, even though the song
is
played less frequently than at Yankee Stadium.

But that's as far as the Mets' angst goes. For one chilly day in
November,
their universe looks almost perfect. It's not a perfect team, certainly
not
yet, but Minaya is one step closer to his Holy Grail offense.

Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 21:18:59 -0500
From: "wally" <[email protected]>
Subject: ARTICLE: Delgado's addition helps Wagner cause

Plain Text Attachment [ Download File | Save to Yahoo! Briefcase ]

Delgado's addition helps Wagner cause
BY KEN DAVIDOFF AND DAVID LENNON
Newsday

Yesterday served as the Phillies' turn to talk finances with Billy
Wagner.
But the Mets spoke to Wagner through their acquisition of Carlos
Delgado.

Bean Stringfellow, Wagner's representative, said yesterday that he
called
Wagner as soon as he learned of the Mets' latest move. Wagner's
reaction,
according to the agent, was a simple, "Wow!"

"It does coincide with what Omar, and everyone involved with the Mets,
has
said," Stringfellow said. "They're dead-set on putting the best team
together to win the championship. This move is indicative of exactly
that."

On Tuesday, the Mets wrapped up Wagner's visit to New York by extending
a
three-year, $30.25-million offer to the free-agent closer. The offer
features a $10-million team option for 2009 that can be vested
automatically
if Wagner finishes 60 games in 2008. The 34-year-old finished 70 games
in
2005 and has hit the 60 mark in three of his past four seasons.

The offer also features a full no-trade clause.

The Phillies spoke with Stringfellow yesterday, and it's believed they
increased their offer from a two-year package with a vested option to
three
guaranteed years, with money similar to what the Mets tendered. Given
Wagner's stated enjoyment of his past two seasons in Philadelphia, that
could motivate the Mets to guarantee the fourth season.

"We had a nice conversation," Phillies general manager Pat Gillick told
the
Philadelphia Inquirer.

Though the arrival of Delgado solves the Mets' need for a big bat, the
club
will be disappointed if it can't land Wagner. There is hope that
Wagner's
two-day stay in New York eradicated any doubts that the lefthander had
about
moving his family here, although the money will probably prove the
biggest
factor.

"With Billy, there was a concern about him being comfortable here, and
I
think they were pleased by the visit," said Mets pitcher Tom Glavine,
who
took part in the recruiting effort. "If there was any apprehension or
whatever, I think that was addressed. Now it's just a matter of him
making a
decision."
Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

[Bloody Anus]

UGH

NO.

This would be a disaster, especially since they'd probably have to give up Milledge to make it happen.

[Galt]

It would be an awesome fantasy baseball team unless you counted on base percentage. Which would result in an abundance of solo home runs and 2-out steals of second base.

[The Jays]

the Mets are obviously trying to re-create the 2003 AL All-Star team

[Keyser Soze]

i dont want soriano but he's still a huge upgrade over matsui as long as they dont have to give up milledge to get him.

[Keyser Soze]

From Metsblog.com

According to Peter Gammons at ESPN, the Red Sox do not want to move OF Manny Ramirez, and will do everything they can to persuade him to remain in Boston. However, Gammons notes, if Ramirez must be traded, it appears the Mets are Boston's only partner…

…it will be interesting to see what happens to manny's value as the off-season moves on…if the mets take the position of being mildly interested, but not obsessed, and manny remains adamant that he must go, as spring training approaches, the price could drop to a place that makes ramirez a bargain…

Several New York reports indicated yesterday that talks between the Mets and red Sox regarding Ramirez had increased over the last few days…

[Keyser Soze]

<span style='font-size:13pt;line-height:100%'>Mets are bringing the news by outspending the Yanks</span>
<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>Posted: Thursday December 1, 2005 1:24PM
Author: SI.com, John Donovan</span>

They buy up all the best free agents, they make trades that other teams barely even dream about, they grab the back-page headlines and then they're named as the early team to beat.

If those wildly spending Mets are trying to out-Yankee the Yankees this winter, they're doing a pretty good job of it.

This has been a whopper of a silly offseason so far for Omar Minaya's Mets, what with jettisoning unhappy outfielder Mike Cameron to clear salary, trading for first baseman Carlos Delgado and signing free-agent closer Billy Wagner. I'd say it's been almost un-Met-like, but that'd be forgetting last year's spend-a-thon, when new general manager Minaya spent $119 million on center fielder Carlos Beltran and gave Pedro Martinez a four-year deal worth $53 million.

The truth is, we now have to consider this the modus operandi of the Mets under Minaya. They're aggressive in their ideas. They're relentless in their execution. More than anything, they'll spend beyond the point of overspending, to get what they want.

Sound a tad like those Yankees? Well, it's certainly no accident. That strategy has made the Mets the team of the moment in the Big Apple, not to mention the early favorites in the National League East.

"With the ownership that has the resources, and the competitive edge that says we'll do whatever it takes to win, I think that's a huge plus," Wagner said. "That's what I'm here for."

Just look at what the Mets have done in the first month or so of this offseason. They've filled a huge void at first base by trading for the slugging Delgado (he's hit at least 30 home runs every year since '96), even managing to get the Marlins to pay $7 million of his salary to take him off their hands. They've plugged a gaping hole with the signing of the fastball-flinging lefty Wagner (he has 284 career saves), though it took the richest annual contract ever for a reliever ($10.75 million for the next four years).

And they're far from finished. Minaya still is working on a possible trade for Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez. The Mets are the front-runners for the free-agent catcher of their choice, either Ramon Hernandez or Bengie Molina. They may be pursuing free-agent setup man Tom Gordon. They're probably after a starting pitcher, too.

"We want to win," said the Mets' chief operating officer, Jeff Wilpon, during the press conference introducing Delgado. "We're tired of losing. It's no fun."

This is all great news for Mets fans, and great fodder for the new cable network the Mets are launching, which promises to fund at least a little of their spree. It's bad news for the rest of the NL East, where the Marlins are in retreat, the Phillies are scrambling for a replacement for Wagner, the Nationals are still without an owner and the Braves, for now, are simply stuck in neutral.

Yet, for all that shopping, the Mets still have issues. Without Cameron in right field and Delgado at first base, they're worse defensively than they were last year. They still need a catcher to replace Mike Piazza. Kazuo Matsui, now at second base, has not worked out and is being dangled as trade bait. Their bullpen in front of Wagner still needs flushing out, and their starting pitching, beyond Martinez, is still an iffy proposition.

They have fantastic rising stars in Beltran, third baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes. Young righty Jae Seo (8-2, 2.59 ERA in 14 starts) could add stability to the rotation. They have other up-and-comers, too, including righty Aaron Heilman, an emerging reliever, and minor league outfielder Lastings Milledge.

But they traded away a couple of prospects in pitcher Yusmeiro Petit and first baseman Mike Jacobs in the deal for the 33-year-old Delgado, and their pitching -- notably Martinez (34 years old), lefty Tom Glavine (40 in March) and new pickup Wagner (35 next July) -- could break down any minute now.

Still, this is no time for getting all gloomy. After what they're done in the last month, the Mets couldn't be any higher. They're absolutely elated. They are undeniably relevant now.

Last winter, on the very day that the Yankees introduced newly acquired pitcher Randy Johnson to the New York media, the Mets boldly matched them by parading out Beltran, the prize of the free-agent market. It was a remarkable day for New York baseball, and a telling one for the Mets.

So far this baseball winter, the battle for the Big Apple is not even close. The crosstown Yankees are conspicuous only in their silence. That may be the Mets' biggest coup yet.

[Keyser Soze]

<span style='font-size:13pt;line-height:100%'>Jayson Stark : Rumblings and Grumblings</span>

New York Mets

Let's see. They've added a $16-million-a-year first baseman (Carlos Delgado). They've added a $10.75-million-a-year closer (Billy Wagner). They're trying to trade for a $19-million-a-year outfielder (Manny Ramirez) and a couple of starting pitchers (Barry Zito and Javier Vazquez) who will make a combined $20 million. And they're still pounding away on catcher, second base and their bullpen.

Let's just say the rest of the sport has noticed.

"They must have money trees they're picking from in their bullpen," one AL front-office man said, laughing. "Earl Weaver used to have tomato plants in the bullpen. Omar has money trees."

"I wonder if their printing presses in the basement are going to run out of green ink," another AL executive quipped.

"I guess the Mets didn't get the [fiscal-sanity] memo Bud [Selig] sent out," an official of yet another club said with a chuckle.

But it's the Mets' cash, so they ought to be allowed to spend it. That's what America is all about. True, they potentially could add players who might make $60 million and beyond next year. But they also have unloaded players who made $33 million last year. And that TV network of theirs is a money machine waiting to hum.

So although all those flying dollars don't guarantee the Mets anything next summer, they do guarantee them this right now: On paper, they're already the best team in this division -- and possibly the whole league.

"Right now, the Mets are absolutely the team to beat," said one scout. "They're out there in open water flooding all the other teams' boats. They're popping holes in the other teams' armadas."

Yes, they're doing more than adding deck chairs. They're chopping off their opponents' hulls.

"They got Wagner from the Phillies, and they got Delgado from the Marlins," one NL assistant GM said. "Those are more than just additions. Those are double whammys."

[GonzoStyle]

the funny part will be when they don't make the playoffs.

[The Jays]

after carlos delgado crashes into kaz matsui