Mets Rumors: Fuentes, Cordero, Delgado

"Isn't it too early for other teams to be talking dollars with free agents?"

That's what I thought. Maybe someone can shed light on how this is legal.

They aren't talking dollars if you read the article. Dempster's agent is simply trying to drive up the price by making it clear he would be comfortable in New York, a team that would probably be willing to try Dempster for 4/50 or at the very least 4/48. It's all strategy for the agents at this point.

I believe the exclusive negotiations end on the 14th of this month, but I may be a day off.

Which means the article isn't credit-worthy or there are ethical issues being breached.

If this is true (which I'm not exactly believing at this point), 4/44 for a closer was ridiculous when Francisco Cordero got even more money than that and it's ridiculous now with Fuentes.

I think Chad Cordero will be a Met. Now I dont know if he will be brought in as the closer though so that could make him go elsewhere. But I think Minaya likes him a lot and will try hard to bring him in here.

Agreed. Sign Chad. Sign Cruz. Sign Affeldt. Sign Ayala. Boom.

I know that it's anathema to suggest that a closer might be important...so let's go a different route. The Mets aren't going to go into next year with Cruz, Affeldt and Ayala as the big 3 in their bullpen. Forget whether or not they should, they just won't. Minaya is going to go out and spend on a closer, that might be Fuentes, Putz, KROD...maybe Street, who knows. Taking that into account, I would like them to try to bring in a guy that has a chance to be trully dominant, like Putz. The other options are all quality bullpen arms, but Putz has a chance to be a mariano/pappelbon type guy.

"The Cardinals need help in their bullpen. If they have a chance to sign Fuentes, do it. Being conservative and not being agressive is what the Cardinals have done since Walt Jocketty left, it's time to start making some moves so we can be a contender again."

Give Chris Perez the job, and add a solid lefty reliever not named Fuentes. Aggressiveness is good, when its called for. Sometimes it isn't (see Haren, Dan).

Juan Cruz can be pretty dominating. He definitely has the ability to close, I'd rather take a chance on him and Affeldt producing , along with Ayala and a Chad Cordero, who you could sign for less money then K-Rod combined. I'd also rather take the gamble that Cruz performs well enough that we don't have to trade any more of our already questionable farm to get a guy like Putz, who, while having great upside, is going to become very expensive very soon and has a recent injury history. If the Mets only needed a closer, then I would agree with you. But they need 3 or 4 solid bullpen arms out there, and I would rather have that then one guy who comes with a 'closer' tag.

Opinion...I feel these are realistic.
1) Package Heilman/Evans/fill in blank for Sonnanstine
2) Trade Castillo straight up for Andruw Jones (They patch in Castillo for Kent at 2nd and we eat the last year of Jones's deal/ any production in LF a bonus)
3)Sign Hudson, K-rod, Affeldt
4)Optional - Trade Delgado for hard throwing bullpen help.

Since listing roster is popular...Lineup
1. Reyes
2. Hudson
3. Beltran
4. Wright
5. Delgado(if kept)/Murphy
6. Andruw Jones
7. Church
8. Schneider

Pitching
1. Johan
2. Pelfrey
3. Maine
4. Sonnanstine
5. Niece?
Pen
RP-K-rod
RP-Affeldt
RP-Joe Smith
RP-Parnell
RP-Kunz
RP-Felicano

This is not a strict outline, maybe more of a proposed start with work to do. Does anyone agree/disagree with these moves or particular parts of it? Opinions...

i think the dodgers should make a decent offer for cordero, hes a hometown kid. i watched him pitch for fullerton, he pitches with a bulldog mentality. i dont think saito is coming back, from what i heard/read he needs tommy john, i love saito but i doubt hes got anything left. then if the dodgers sign manram they should throw one of the heavy dollar short year deals at sheets. just for the simple fact if he can go 6 the pen will pick him up.

i know they have no chance cause the mets need him more than the dodgers, cordero i mean.

Duly Noted supermets, though I was curious on opinions and have to respectfully disagree somewhat. The rotation would take a "huge downgrade", in what sense? Sonnanstine for Ollie is more or less the only difference, and Sonnanstine may be more consistent. That could not qualify as a "huge downgrade". Secondly, the offense would be similar but with Hudson full time over Castillo/A. Reyes (upgrade), a healthy Church all season barring injury (upgrade) and I should have listed Andruw Jones/Murphy/Tatis platoon in LF (that would be the case most likely in what I listed - I consider that an upgrade to last season). I appreciate opinion, that is what I wanted to get, but I was not shown great evidence against it. Another SP or LF would be great (insert Maggs, Swisher, Soriano, Manny...the wishlist goes on) but as stated, that is merely a start and not a finished product.

Side Note:as for 661dodgerblue, I can only laugh, that may have been a stretch proposal. Just an idea, both are not doing much of anything for their current teams. Agreed he does not bring much to the table.

Too bad they also want to shop Feliciano. Stop posting all your racist comments and don't leave out facts just to fit your racist argument that is wrong.

Mr. Met

You want the Mets to bring in Andrew Jones? The guy hit like .170 last year. I'd rather have Castillo at 2nd then Andrew Jones in the Outfield.

"Mr. Met

You want the Mets to bring in Andrew Jones? The guy hit like .170 last year. I'd rather have Castillo at 2nd then Andrew Jones in the Outfield"

That's really strange, seeing as how Andruw would be gone after one year, and we are not committed to him for longer then that, where he also still has some upside. Castillo is here for 3 years, and has no considerable upside at all.

Clarknaddison, you are officially the stupidest person I've ever had the disadvantage of listening to. Just for your ignorant comments I'm going to vote for Omar Minaya for president in 4 years. It's not his fault the best players in baseball are hispanic. Get over it, stop crying. No one complains about all white teams.

nrmax i've been through this time and time again on this site so i'm not going to go through backing Street up again. Just do me a favor and go look up his stats and his peripherals. In fact, since people seem to like to take his bad 1st half of 08' and run with it, look up his stats for 2007 and prior. You don't put up those numbers, that consistently by being anything but good.

"In order to get Street I'm assuming that Murphy would have to be one of the pieces, no question."

Murphy has Beane/A's written all over him. Great plate discipline, and can slot right in at 3rd if Chavez can't play 3B after his surgery, and in the 1B/OF if he can.

Probably the piece BB would go for, yes and the piece I personally, as an A's fan, would hope was coming back. In dealing with the A's, one of Murphy or Wilmer Flores are probably the ideal targets.

Murphy is probably the Met Im most excited to see as mets fan. Like Melonis rex said his plate discipline was incredible last year for a rookie and he handled lf pretty well for a 3b. I would love to see him take over at 1b when Delgado leaves. I just hope he can get playing time in '09. I don't know if he would be able to pull off 2b, but I guess we'll see.

If the Rangers have serious interest, how would a package including Heilman, Carp/Evans as an option to replace Blalock at 3rd, and a mid-level pitching prospect with considerable potential in 21 year old SP Brad Holt for LF David Murphy, a position the Mets are starving to replace but can't pursue due to more pressing issues with the bullpen. The Rangers get one year of Heilman and will be able to give him a second chance at starting, and although I can't guarantee Carp's readiness for '09, Evans has shown signs he is ready for on the job training during the '09 season in ML ready talent displayed during the '08 season. The ever pitching starved Rangers also have a solid talent in RHP SP Holt. That would be ideal for Met fans, and I have to believe it's intruiging to say the least from the Rangers' perspective.

I understand he is another left-handed hitter, but the Mets are in need of an everyday LF, platoons rarely work over the course of a full season, and it is often difficult for players to stay healthy for a 162 game season when they are unable to get into a constant grove; i.e. Tatis at the end of the season. I understand both Carp and Evans are 1B, but both have minor (very minor) experience at the hot corner, and at such a young age they both can adapt. If not Texas' young option at first base in Chris Davis has much experience at 3B and could be moved. On the subject of Holt, he does have a high ceiling but he is very young and we do have several comparable prospects in Moviel, Antonini, Rustich, and Vinyard. Holt posted a career year in the minors this year so his worth is at a high. David Murphy I believe would be under team control through 2010 or even 2011, not sure, but he would offer the Mets security in the OF. The trade scenario also allows the Mets to keep Murphy, giving them the option to bat him against LHP and start in LF occasionally. An OF of David Murphy, Carlos Beltran, and Ryan Church is one I feel very confident in. This also frees up Heilman's spot in the 'pen, creating the need to go out and sign the relievers I mentioned above. Still I believe both Schoenweis and Feliciano both need to be moved as well, and they both have very high value as specialist type relievers.

Players like Holt, Kunz and Niese are more valuable to an organization because quality pitching is a lot harder to find than a corner outfielder. The Mets can pretty much go anywhere in search for an of. If any of our young pitchers were to be moved I would believe it would have to be for a quality young pitcher that would be available.(Peavy, Webb, Linececum)Not to say however that these players are available to the Mets.

nrmax88

So?........... He still hit just .170 last year. Castillo could turn it around as well. He is a lifetime .300 hitter and plays a posistion where a lot less is demanded of him. If Andrew Jones was brought in here he would be expected to put up good numbers and if he doesnt thats a whole in the lineup and the fans would boo him hard.

Like I said when it comes to Andrew Jones or Luis Castillo i'll take Castillo.