Heyman On Jaramillo, Holliday, Mets, Nationals

first

unless Holliday falls in love with Atlanta and takes a big discount I don't see it happening.

Wren must be pretty confident that he can move Lowe's salary if he thinks we can go get Holliday. I realize this isn't him saying it but if Lowe gets moved then all of a sudden we have more than enough to go get Holliday.

Yeah, I don't think that Holliday makes the most sense considering that they already have Heyward, McLouth, Schafer and Diaz already in the upper minors or on the ML roster.

"Rudy Jaramillo, who seems likely to become the Cubs' hitting coach, has had success working with Alfonso Soriano in the past."

This really confuses me. Success?

NYY wOBAs: .378, .371
TEX wOBAs: .345, .356
WAS wOBAs: .377
CHC wOBAs: .380, .374, .314

Other than his horrid 2009 campaign, Soriano was clearly a worse hitter in Texas than anywhere else, in spite playing half of his games in a hitter's park.

Who was his coach during his time in Texas? Rudy Jaramillo.

The guy that Chicago hires to fix Soriano? Yep, the same guy that coached him during his worst two years since becoming a star, Rudy Jaramillo.

Another odd move for Hendry and company, although I'll acknowledge that adding Jaramillo likely won't hurt.

While I would love for Holliday to come to ATL, I just don't see it as a realistic option. We would have to compete with payrolls like the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox. The Cardinals probably have the head-start, and I think Holliday wants to stay with them. So all these teams have the advantage over the Braves, even if we do dump Lowe's contract (which seems unlikely).

"1.) No Met fan wants Cory Sullivan or Daniel Murphy out in left in 2010."

I don't even want Murphy starting at 1st Base. I rather they bring Delgado back on a 1yr incentive based contract. Murphy just isnt that good. I'm tired of hearing what he should or may do..i just want a player that does and has a history of doing it.

Braves don't have to move Lowe in order to sign Holliday. But if they did, they wouldn't have enough to sign LaRoche and fill the bench and bullpen needs. While the Mets might sign Lackey or Holliday, I HIGHLY doubt they sign both. If I were them, I'd go with Lackey...

Tender Frenchy and Pagan a contract 2.

I would say Murphy and newly acquired Chris Carter will battle for 1B next season for the Mets.

About the only reason to trade Wagner for Carter was if they intended to use him, like the salary was all that important to the Mets.
Between the two, the Mets could probably get something of value. And then its getting people healthy and most importantly get some fire, get something going in that clubhouse.

I'm not a Mets fan but they should concentrate on fixing their rotation this winter. After Santana its not good. Resigning Perez was a mistake. They should go all in to get Lackey. Signing him would give them one of the best 1-2 starters in the NL. Their offense will be better just by getting players healthy. Beltran only played in 81 games this year, Reyes only played in 36 games and Wright only played in 144 games. Having all of them healthy will fix the offense.
Plus they won't be able to sign both Holliday and Lackey. It would cost around $180 million for both.

The Yankees getting Holliday depends on them winning the World Series. If they lose its a given, if they win ... they also get him. Thats right ... i think the Yankees lock up Matt Holliday as his power numbers in Yankee stadium will be greater regardless of the AL pitching. Holliday can mash with enough protection and a chance to play for a winning ball club with a grooving chemistry is one all players want.
However the Mets do need a LF and i see them getting Jason Bay. We have heard nothing on the Bay and Red Sox talk .. in my opinion they let him go and pursue an outfielder via trade, one like Jayson Werth or Corey Hart for example.
Reyes
Hudson
Beltran
Bay
Wright
Is a nasty 1-5 for the Mets

LF has been their biggest hole since cliff floyd had his career year in 05. Even if it doesnt mean being a contender right away in 10, which they will be, it will at least fill a hole for at least the next 5 years. If they get Holliday, then i would sign Marquis, move Maine to the pen and trade for Guthrie and garko and call it an offseason. Mets Roster for 10

1. Reyes SS
2. Castillo 2b
3. Holliday LF
4. Beltran CF
5. Wright 3B
6. Francouer RF
7. Garko/Murphy 1b
8 Thole/Santos

SP:
1. Santana
2. Marquis
3. Guthrie
4. Pelfrey
5. Ollie

If the Mariners' management "never thought much of [Johjima] as a player," why did they sign off on giving him a contract extension?

If you ask me, that comment says more about the ineptitude of Seattle's front office than it is an indictment of Johjima as a player. They went out and got him. They signed him to (or signed off on giving him) a contract extension. That doesn't sound to me like "they never thought much of him as a player" to me.

SS-Reyes
2B-Hudson
CF-Beltran
3B-Wright

*Thats more than enough offensive production 1-4 Mets have no need for Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, sign John Lakcey and go after DeRosa, Nady, Blalock, or the trade route ... Luke Scott, Ty Wiggington maybe from the Orioles in a trade for Guthrie?*

1B-Nady
LF-Scott
RF-Francoeur
C-Santos

Santana, Lackey, Guthrie, Pelfrey, Perez

TNS - its been believed the extension to Johjima was forced upon the front office by ownership.

i belive the mets should go with bay which leaves us more money and we can get harden i think its chris carter at 1st murphy sucks

this is just a question, you think the sox would deal buccholz and lester for johan?

ahahahahahaahhaa

this is just a question, you think the sox would deal buccholz and lester for johan?

Posted by: clos79 | October 20, 2009 at 10:05 PM

This is just an answer:
No

I would really hate to see the Mets waste money on Marquis. Just because he had a miracle 1st half and went back to his normal self in the 2nd, is no reason to sign another Ollie Perez like deal. Take Derek Lowe off of the Braves hands for a nobody if the Mts want a fair pitcher at least they will get somebody that will have a chance to be good at Citi Field and then make a pitch for either Holliday, or Bay if the Mets have some spare change, but can't see the loyal fan base stomaching another dead FA signee and marquis is just that.

I was not the biggest fan of pursueing Holliday. Still think the money can be better spent on some shrewd lower budget impact bats and pitching depth. The more I think about it, as long as it's not a completely unreasonable deal, a 3-4-5 of Wright, Beltran, Holiday (not sure the order) would look pretty good.

"If the Mariners' management "never thought much of [Johjima] as a player," why did they sign off on giving him a contract extension?

If you ask me, that comment says more about the ineptitude of Seattle's front office than it is an indictment of Johjima as a player. They went out and got him. They signed him to (or signed off on giving him) a contract extension. That doesn't sound to me like "they never thought much of him as a player" to me."
_________________________________

TNS, Johjima was signed in April, 2008. The current GM, Zduriencik, was not hired until October, 2008. It is a mistake to evaluate the current administration by decisions made during the previous one.

The phrase "never thought much of him as a player" most likely refers to the attitude of Zduriencik and his administration, not the previous management team.

I think many analysts considered the Bavasi administration, and the interim team also, as inept, but they are gone. The new group appears exceptionally capable.

G13,

That's a ridiculous thing to say. Getting a guy like Jaramillo is a pretty big deal. Nobody else seems to have a problem with it; it's actually sparking discussion. It is not, by any means, a 'joke'.

Cardinal's front office said they'll do whatever it takes to sign Holliday, and they have the window of time to do it before he hits the open market. I'm pretty confident he'll get a competitive offer from them, so saying he's more likely to sign with 3 other teams is a bit far-fetched.

The Mariners "never thought much of [Johjima] as a player"? Why in the world did they extend him then?

Where did those OBP% for Soriano in the beginning of these posts come from? Does a Holliday signing for the Mets lead to them Dealing FMart for a young promisng arm?

Free Agency:
With Zambrano assuming Perez spot, the need for another starter should be filled by signing an afordable Randy Wolf or Ben Sheet's on an incentive driven deal once he demonstrates he's healthy to scouts. JJ Putz has a nearly 9 mil option which if he's healthy may be worth picking up, but that depends if ownership is truly unaffected by recent financial rumors. That 9 mil will be spent partially on a set up man in the Brandon Lyons mold. John Maine would round out the rotation but I'd like to see Omar bring in someone as insurance for Maine in the 5th spot. Even Pedro showed what he can accomplish when he has something to prove. What better stage for his final season then a chance to redeem himself from his lowest point, all be it at a bargin deal of maybe 1 mil. Even if he goes to the Bullpen, you know they'll be shoulder stiffness or some other unclear reason for a starter to take a seat. Wouldnt you prefer Pedro making a spot start or Nelson Figueroa. Think about it.

I would venture to say that signing Holliday would not be a bad signing because he fits the most obvious need in LF. He's proven his effectiveness outside of Coors and unless the asking price is unrealistic, which it may be, then just go with Mets Prospect Jason Bay. But there other directions to go. Move Bradley to LF and sign a RF such as Abreu or Vlady. But Holliday is the safe healthy move at about 15 - 17 mil a year.

That said, with Castillo gone it opens the door for Orlando Hudson, who is made for Citi field as a switch hitter with gap to gap power and above avg speed.

1st Base: Realistically, there is only so much money and it would be great to sign Nick Johnson or Blalock, but more likely is to sign a right handed compliment to Murphy, Nady who was originally a 1st baseman in the minors with the padres would be a cheap and proven alternative for Murphy at 1B. He played himself out of town in a good way in 2006 and may even win 1B exclusively if Murphy struggles, but as a platoon they should combine for .280ish 20+ HR 80+ RBI's. Nady is also a back up policy in the OF should we see any resemblence of 09 happen injury wise. If anything Omar may resign Delgado to a 1yr incentive contact and send Murphy to the AAA to work at 1st Base and other positions. He'll be a valuable asset at 25yrs old with impressive AAA stats come July 31st when the Padres and Rays are looking to dump Adrian Gonzalez and Carlos Pena respectively for some prospects in their walk years.

Cather: Obviously you have a short term and cheap solution is Pudge Rodriguez, a 1 yr deal in the 1 - 2 mil range. But if his age scares Omar then Benji Molina(36 next yr) would be an excellent upgrade both offensively and defensively.

-Here's how the team lines up:

Reyes
Hudson
Beltran
Holliday
Wright
Bradley
Murphy/Nady/Delgado
Rodriguez/Molina

Bench:
Pagan
Santos
Tatis
Murphy/Nady
A. Hernandez(you can live with him if Reyes is healthy)

Santana
Zambrano
Pelfrey
Wolf/Sheets
Maine or Pedro? loser to the bullpen?

KROD
Puttz/Lyons Etc.
Parnell
Feliciano
Misch
Stokes
Maine/Pedro Etc.

Of course a lot has to happen for any of this to happen, including avoiding Omar's tendency to reward players such as Jose Contraes who he perhaps scouted in their prime 15 years ago. The main focus should be on Health and Fundamentally sound baseball which comes from proper coaching. There's always suprises both good and bad, such as Johan 2 years ago. Thank you for entertaining my thoughts and in closing, Angel Pagan did play well enough to perhaps start for most teams, but after this past season, isnt it great to have him as a 4th option just in case.

Jaramillo certainly won't hurt the Cubs, he can't be worse than what they've had in the past. I was optimistic about Von Joshua but that didn't turn out so well. Was it really his fault though? I just hope they aren't counting on Jaramillo to fix everything. I hope they also realize how good the offense was in '08 when their .obp was good and how poor it was in '09 when their .obp was bad. There's a lesson there if they're paying attention.

NY Mets
-sign holliday
-sign delgado (1 year cheap deal only)
-trade for jeremy guthrie/gil meche/ervin santana
-sign marquis/chapman

reyes
castillo
beltran
holliday
wright
delgado
francoeur
santos/thole

santana
guthrie/meche/santana
chapman/marquis
pelfrey
perez/maine

we would have a nasty lineup and a pretty solid rotation..what would be even better would be to trade for halladay for the #2 spot but that prob wont happen

8. Hire a new GM - Because the one who has led us to 3 straight seasons above .500 is terrible? Let's see what Hendry can do, I still have faith.

Posted by: Bdlugz | October 21, 2009 at 10:03 AM

With that payroll, you'd better be able to field a team that can win at least 82 games.

There are a lot worse contracts than Big Z's. Soriano, Zito, etc...

Posted by: vtadave | October 21, 2009 at 11:40 AM

Vernon Wells certainly comes to mind.

Heyman is probably being fed this crap by Boras. The Giants won't make a play for Holliday. They just don't have the money in the budget that they're likely to have, which should be about $90M.

I think your plan JoseJoseJoseee is very realistic and I feel you may get all that you outlined. The 2009 Mets pre horrific injury list were contending in the NL East. It wasnt until Beltran, the 3rd of the big 4 (Delgado,Reyes,Beltran,Wright) went down that the team fell out of contention. So with the 2010 season upcoming we will retain 3 of the big 4, and add perhaps Holliday or Bay to make a healthier younger big 4. Then adding some pitching and a strong fundamental catcher, right handed compliment to Murphy if we dont even bring back Delgado and there is no reason we cannot contend in 2010.

Man I miss the 2004 Oliver Perez. He's probably my favorite Pirate over the past ten years. He was nearly unstoppable that year and when he would get into Preying Mantis mode, well, I'll just say that got me jacked up about as much as a Griffey Jr. at bat in the 90s.

I remember how nervous I was for the dude in Game 7 of the NLCS.

Hell, my nephew was even named after Oliver Perez.

Okay, I'ma stop now...

Posted by: bucs_lose_again | October 21, 2009 at 01:36 PM

Sure he used to be a very good pitcher. He still has nasty stuff. He has a great slider and still throws 92-93, which is certainly enough to get by in the bigs. The problem with Ollie continues to be a lack of focus and a lack of mental toughness. He's a baby. Dan Warthen has to hold his hand through every start and constantly remind him to maintain his arm slot and make sure he's falling towards the plate. When you're 28 years old and have been in the bigs for 8 years, that's unacceptable. He changes his mechanics 200 times a year, there is no consistency with this guy. It's like whatever feels good that day he does it, that's why one game he'll throw a one-hitter and strike out 10 and the next outing walk 7 in 2 innings. He's way too inconsistent, and at some point you have to realize he may not live up to the potential he has. That's why signing Ollie was such a bad move, nevermind the amount of money he was given and the fact that not one other team was in on the bidding.

Jose, don't get me wrong, I wasn't making any excuses for the dude. Actually, I'm kind of pissed at him for wasting such incredible talent. It was always so enigmatic to me how the guy would show up huge for the big games but would get raked by the lower tier teams.

"1. Sign Matt Holliday. Adds a big bat to middle of the lineup, a right handed gap splitter who should hit a ton of doubles at Citi, and a decent defensive OF who will man LF for several years.

2. Trade for Aaron Harang. I would bet that we could get him from Cincy relatively cheap if we eat the contract. He could have a lot of success at the cavernous Citi Field.

3. Sign Erik Bedard and Justin Duchscherer to a 1 year incentive laden deal. Both guys have very high upside and add quality rotation depth, not like last year when Omar added Livan and Tim Redding. Also they shouldn't cost too much coming off of injury/psychiactric leave of abscence.

4. Sign Gregg Zaun. Obviously Josh Thole is the catcher of the future and should be groomed as such. Zaun can basically keep the seat warm for Thole, with Thole getting some playing time in the process. Zaun would basically play the same role he did this year with Baltimore holding down the fort until Wieters arrived.

4. Sign Marlon Byrd. I would pencil in Fernando Martinez to play RF next season, but Marlon Byrd is a good insurance option because he is good enough to start should something happen but also can provide depth at all 3 OF positions.

5. Bring Delgado back on a 1 year deal with incentives. Why not? He could at least show some life this year. If not, we have Murphy and Chris Carter to step in.
"

Absolutely perfect. I wouldn't mind Ollie being the number 4 or 5 starter, but I totally agree with your assesment of how they should go about the offseason. I also still think Murphy can be a solid player, but having him him a supersub type role with Delgado back for another year seems perfect to me.

Wow run on sentence!

Absolutely perfect. I wouldn't mind Ollie being the number 4 or 5 starter, but I totally agree with your assesment of how they should go about the offseason. I also still think Murphy can be a solid player, but having him him a supersub type role with Delgado back for another year seems perfect to me.

Posted by: nrmax88 | October 21, 2009 at 04:06 PM

Yeah I'm positive Ollie will be in the rotation in 2010, I guess as a 4 or 5 he can be effective. Actually with how dominate he can be when he feels like it, having Ollie as a 5 isn't the end of the world. I also still think Murphy can contribute, I was low on him early in 2009, but he really played well at 1B and he showed much better discipline and pitch recognition as the season wore on. I think he can definitely be a key component to the Mets success.

Delgado was hitting the ball well before he got hurt in 2009 though, imagine if we get half of 2008 Delgado back. Especially with Reyes and Castillo at the top of the lineup doing their things, that's 4 big bats to drive in runs. Reyes, Castillo, Beltran, Holliday, Wright, Delgado, Martinez/Byrd, Zaun, and P is a very very potent lineup. It just goes to show how ridiculously close this Mets team is to being WS contenders. We don't need to spend $1 billion dollars signing Matt Holliday, John Lackey, Bengie Molina, Orlando Hudson, Rich Harden or empty the farm system trading for Doc Halladay. Matt Holliday is a splurge buy who will really help this team but the rest of the money needs to be spent wisely on guys with high upside and not Livan Hernandez, Tim Redding, and Alex Cora.

I also agree with what you said about Beltran nrmax88. I hate to hear people who want to move Beltran, he is definitely our best player offensively and defensively. Obviously he has declined slightly with injuries, but he's only 32 and honestly I think he is still the best all around CF in baseball. The guy is a stud. No way should the Mets even consider moving Beltran, he has definitely been worth every penny of that contract.

30 million ain't going to buy you Lackey and Holliday. I think the Mets will have more than that to spend if they want, but they probably need to concentrate on a) the rotation and b) depth.

scratch Schneider for Greg Zaun, and get Orlando Hudson into that mix as well pertaining to Luis Castillo.