Luis Castillo Rumors

Mets Rumors: Castillo, K-Rod, Abreu

A few Mets rumors have surfaced today... According to David Lennon of Newsday, Mets GM Omar Minaya is ready to go ahead with Luis Castillo at second base next year. Paul Kinzer, the agent for Francisco Rodriguez, expects to meet with the Mets next week to negotiate for K-Rod, according to Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. After the Mets review K-Rod's medical records, Kinzer acknowledged that the next step would be a face-to-face meeting. And Anthony McCarron has a source who says the Mets and Cubs have both expressed interest in Bobby Abreu. However, the Mets continue...   Continue Reading

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Mets Rumors: Castillo, Heilman, Putz

The latest on the Mets... Joel Sherman of the New York Post says Luis Castillo met with the Mets and implored them to keep him. Castillo said he'll get into shape this winter. The Mets will still consider trade possibilities, but a deal doesn't seem likely. David Lennon of Newsday reports that Aaron Heilman called Omar Minaya yesterday to request a move to the rotation. The Mets are still opposed to it. Lennon adds that the Mets have received Francisco Rodriguez's medical records. Sherman says the Mets don't even want to do four years for K-Rod though. Tracy Ringolsby says...   Continue Reading

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Mets Rumors: Wolf, Fuentes, K-Rod, Street, Pedro

11:37am: SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Mets are eyeing Randy Wolf, in addition to Derek Lowe and Oliver Perez. Heyman adds that some Mets people are concerned about their catching, but others aren't thrilled with the free agent options. 9:20am: All kinds of Mets rumors this morning. Let's begin with the closer situation. The Mets are interested in Brian Fuentes, but Omar Minaya will not rule out Francisco Rodriguez. He makes a great point: contract numbers are tossed around early, but the player often fails to reach that amount. Joel Sherman says the Mets also want to speak to the...   Continue Reading

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Mets Interested In Javier Vazquez?

10:34am: Sherman says Minaya is not high on Vazquez as he once was. He heard the Mets might require the White Sox take Castillo's contract, which would probably be a dealbreaker. TUESDAY, 8:16am: Joel Sherman and Mike Puma of the New York Post talked to a Mets official who called the Vazquez idea a "pipe dream." It's difficult to see the White Sox taking Luis Castillo's contract back in a trade; Vazquez's value is not that low. MONDAY: According to Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune, the Mets are interested in White Sox pitcher Javier Vazquez. Van Dyck implies...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Jacobs, Howard, Renteria

Links for Friday... The A's claimed infielder Joe Dillon off waivers from the Brewers. Dave Cameron criticizes the Royals' acquisition of Mike Jacobs. ESPN's Keith Law also panned the move, suggesting Jacobs was a non-tender candidate for the Marlins. Peter Abraham breaks down the different types of hot stove stories and sources. Derrick Goold looks at Ryan Howard's arbitration case. MLB.com's Chris Haft talked to various scouts about Matt Cain's trade value. Edgar Renteria hopes to remain in Detroit, saying "Next year, we are going to win everything." ESPN's Tim Kurkjian names his top ten offseason storylines. Ken Davidoff says...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Hughes, Tigers, Affeldt

Links for Monday... I'm working on this year's Top 50 Free Agents list, with predicted destinations. It's always a tough puzzle to assemble. Anyone have educated guesses on where Ben Sheets, Oliver Perez, Braden Looper, and Jon Garland might sign? MLB.com's Mychael Urban believes Mark Mulder would like to return to the A's, but the team may not be interested. Plus, Mulder isn't even considering destinations until he is healthy. Japanese free agent pitcher Kenshin Kawakami hired American agent Tony Attanasio. The Red Sox may be interested. Joel Sherman of the New York Post takes the Yankees to task for...   Continue Reading

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Sherman's Latest: Gonzalez, Guillen, Castillo, Martin

Let's take a little break from Peavy-mania and look at some other situations around the big leagues, courtesy of Joel Sherman. Padres GM Kevin Towers can't see any circumstances under which he'd trade first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He's signed cheaply, and the Padres already have offensive problems. Sherman knows that it will be extremely difficult for the Mets to move Luis Castillo this offseason, but offers one scenario that has been discussed before: Trade Castillo to the Royals for perennial hothead Jose Guillen. Guillen would bring the Mets a power bat and arm to put in left field, while Castillo...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Castillo, Avila, Young

Links for Wednesday... Chat today, 2pm CST. Mets GM Omar Minaya regrets the Luis Castillo contract. In another post, Minaya admits that in an ideal world he wouldn't have to give multiyear deals to relievers, but that's the way it is. The Tigers decided not to allow the Mariners to interview assistant GM Al Avila. Outfielder Luis Gonzalez would be open to re-signing with the Marlins, but it doesn't seem likely. Gonzo hopes to play in 2009, as he'd like to reach certain statistical milestones. Viva El Birdos examines the Cardinals' trade chips. Charley Walters wouldn't be surprised if the...   Continue Reading

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How To Fix The Mets

I will offer my own opinions on how to improve the Mets in the Offseason Outlook, due within a few weeks. Many journalists have already weighed in - let's take a look. Newly added bullet: John Harper of the New York Daily News. He advises the Mets to decline Delgado's option while signing Orlando Hudson, Raul Ibanez, and Derek Lowe and trading for J.J. Putz. Say goodbye to Castillo, Perez, and Martinez in this plan. Ken Davidoff of Newsday: Sign free agents Francisco Rodriguez, Darren Oliver, Juan Rivera, Fernando Tatis, and Wes Helms. Also sign one of Jon Garland, Derek...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Byrnes, Teixeira, Swisher

Random links for Tuesday... SI.com's Jon Heyman notes that a Cy Young award for Johan Santana would lock in his 2014 option at $25MM. Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball wonders if the Mets might end up signing Ivan Rodriguez. The Jays officially received Fabio Castro to complete the Matt Stairs deal. Buster Olney had this one in August. Bummer to see Larry Borowsky of Viva El Birdos stepping down from blogging. He's been my favorite Cardinals writer. Nick Piecoro wonders if Eric Byrnes could be traded for another bad contract player like Luis Castillo. The Red Sox treated Mark Teixeira...   Continue Reading

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Mets Rumors: K-Rod, Castillo, Pedro

Let's collect some a few postmortem Mets articles floating around this morning. Ken Davidoff suggests the Mets patch up their bullpen with Francisco Rodriguez. It'd be an obvious overreaction, and would ignore past history of big money tossed at relievers. The Mets had a firsthand look with their own Billy Wagner signing. $43MM for 193.3 innings - was it worth it? David Lennon believes Luis Castillo is as good as gone, though I'd be surprised if eating half of his contract is enough. Would Castillo get a three-year, $9MM deal on the open market right now given numerous palatable one-year...   Continue Reading

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Mets To Unload Castillo?

A common question in MLBTR chats: will the Mets attempt to unload Luis Castillo's contract this winter? According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Mets and Castillo are "heading for a divorce when this season is over." Castillo was upset to see rookie Argenis Reyes starting at second base. Omar Minaya signed Castillo to a four-year, $25MM contract in November of last year. The Mets flirted with David Eckstein that winter, but balked at his demands. Eckstein eventually signed with the Blue Jays for one year and $4.5MM. Castillo, 33, is hitting .252/.351/.316 in 335 plate appearances this year. His...   Continue Reading

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A Tale Of Two Second Basemen: Hudson, Castillo

Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News, via MetsBlog, notes that the Mets are looking to shop Luis Castillo this off-season. This comes just one year after the team signed him to a four-year, $25MM deal. His aching knees have limited him to just over 300 plate appearances this year. It's not clear who would want Castillo, nor how much salary the Mets would need to eat. One speculated target is Orlando Hudson, who sits atop an uninspiring class of free agent second basemen. He'll be in high demand, of course. The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro talks about Hudson's...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Bonds, Davis, Chulk, Ichiro

Time for some random linkage. I'll be on XM Radio today at about 5pm CST - channels 176-189 with Mike Ferrin. The Dodgers signed Jerome Williams - remember him? Viva El Birdos runs through starting pitchers who might be on the Cardinals' radar. Sam Mellinger of the KC Star takes a look at Dayton Moore's trade record. Meanwhile, Joe Posnanski explains why the Royals should sign Barry Bonds. Ken Rosenthal doesn't want to let Ed Wade off the hook in the Shawn Chacon dustup. Red Reporter thinks the Reds are winning the Edinson Volquez-Josh Hamilton swap. Rangers first base prospect...   Continue Reading

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Mets Give Castillo Four Years, $25 Million

UPDATE, 11-19-07: The AP confirms it. Seems like there were more creative ways to fill the second base vacancy. Castillo was playing it safe, and four years is too much. UPDATE, 11-18-07: Now Ken Rosenthal has this one. This one just came in from Tim. Dominican sports website Impacto Deportivo is reporting that the Mets and Luis Castillo have agreed to a four-year deal worth $25 million. They say to expect an official announcement shortly. I got the summary from Tim. If anyone could head to the website and translate, it would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and just because it's..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Bonds, Broussard, Hunter, Rowand, More

We missed an installment from good ol' Kenny Rosenthal yesterday. He's back today in full force (unlike another great rumor source, Buster Olney, who posted nothing really new in his blog today). The A's, once considered the best bet for Barry Bonds, are no longer interested in the indicted slugger. Rosenthal thinks it's likely that Bond's trial will start after Opening Day, causing him to miss time regardless of the verdict. And then there's the whole prison issue. The Rangers spoke to the Mariners at the GM meetings regarding the availability of Ben Broussard. Talks didn't really go anywhere, since..   Continue Reading

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Eckstein seeking Lugo-esque deal

If Julio Lugo was able to snag four years and $36 million last off-season, well, by golly, David Eckstein wants to do the same this year. You can make some arguments with the comparison - Lugo is a year younger, flashes a bit more power, and has been more consistent in his production (from year-to-year; we're not counting his huge drop-off after being traded to the Dodgers last year). But it's tough to argue with Eckstein for wanting to start talks at that level. This may deter Eckstein's perceived No. 1 suitor, the New York Mets, who are looking at..   Continue Reading

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Mets Rumors: Eckstein, Dotel

Let's catch up with the Mets, who are moving on to other needs now that they've settled their catching situation. MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone says the Mets have some interest in David Eckstein as a second base option, and may meet with him soon to wine and dine him. Eckstein might be the backup option to Luis Castillo. I've said all along, I don't get why Eckstein would market himself as a second baseman. As a shortstop he stands to get $21MM over three years; as a second baseman he doesnt. Ben Shpigel of the New York Times adds that the..   Continue Reading

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Astros To Make Offers To Cordero, Castillo, Wolf

So far, Ed Wade's list of targets for the Astros is as follows: Jeremy Affeldt Luis Castillo Francisco Cordero Tom Glavine Tadahito Iguchi Jason Jennings Troy Percival Jon Lieber Scott Linebrink Kaz Matsui Dontrelle Willis Randy Wolf According to the Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice, Wade will be making offers today to Cordero, Castillo, Wolf, and more. Wade plans to toss out "multiple offers at multiple positions" until each hole is filled with some kind of warm free agent body. It seems like a strange way to build a team. Sounds like the Astros intend to sign a second baseman, closer,..   Continue Reading

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Mets Targeting Livan Hernandez?

Ben Shpigel of the New York Times has some new Mets info for us today. Surprisingly, Shpigel believes the one free agent starter the Mets will seriously consider is Livan Hernandez. That is odd because I had read Livan wasn't high on Omar Minaya's list. We've seen the Mets connected to free agents Byung-Hyun Kim, Carlos Silva, Hiroki Kuroda, Kyle Lohse, and Jason Jennings so far this offseason. As far as some unsung trade opportunities, my Mets guy says Ervin Santana, Chris Capuano, Claudio Vargas, and Noah Lowry are being considered. According to Shpigel, the Mets hope to re-sign Ramon..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Andruw, Rowand, Castillo

Ken Rosenthal has cranked out another rumor-filled column. A summary is below. The Marlins are insisting on Howie Kendrick in a Miguel Cabrera deal. The Angels are understandably reluctant. The Nationals could sign Andruw Jones long-term if they felt it was a bargain - say, $13MM a year. The Giants, White Sox, and Padres may be in the mix as well. Hmmm, White Sox and Boras? And if Scott Boras changes his tune and hunts for a one-year "rebuild value" contract for Jones, the Red Sox could get involved. The Phillies think Aaron Rowand will end up getting a 4/52..   Continue Reading

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Astros Hope To Sign Luis Castillo

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Astros are looking to inject some OBP into their leadoff spot by signing second baseman Luis Castillo. He adds that not many teams are looking to fill second base via free agency, so the Mets might be the only team battling for Castillo. Rosenthal rates Kaz Matsui and David Eckstein as the best second base alternatives behind Castillo. The Rockies are prepared to offer a two-year deal to Matsui but will move on if he wants too much. They can't be thinking about offering more than $8MM, wouldn't you say? Rosenthal says Matsui is not..   Continue Reading

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Luis Castillo Hopes To Stay With Mets

Luis Castillo had wanted to play for the Mets for some time before they brought him aboard in a summer trade. By most accounts he fulfilled his obligations: he got on base, played sound defense, and did those #2 hitter things that always draw praise. John Delcos of The Journal News quotes Castillo as saying he wants to come back in 2008. Presumably the deal would be for something like two years, $10MM. It would add a little stability to second base for the Mets. Delcos says the only other free agent 2B who might rival Castillo is Kaz Matsui,..   Continue Reading

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Mets Close To Deal For Luis Castillo

UPDATE: Doesn't look like the Twins got much here - Double A catcher Drew Butera and High A outfielder Dustin Martin. Martin might become a fourth outfielder one day. Ken Rosenthal snags another one: the Mets are close to acquiring Luis Castillo for two minor leaguers. If my memory serves me correctly, this would be Omar Minaya's first deal since December's acquisition of Ambiorix Burgos. [Edit: Well, the Jake Gatreau acquisition in June counts.] He's been uncharacteristically inactive. Is Castillo even an upgrade at second base? Maybe, but it'd be hard to argue he's a difference-maker. The Mets have a..   Continue Reading

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Mets Hunting For Reliever, Second Baseman

Pretty much the same old story with the Mets, though Joel Sherman and Mark Hale of the New York Post do have some new tidbits. The authors name Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, and Eric Gagne as relievers on the radar. However it seems the asking price is too high for Gagne and the Indians have become the frontrunner for Dotel (they may have passed the Dodgers). Shawn Chacon doesn't catch the Mets' eye, and they don't want Chad Bradford's three-year commitment. They had that option with Bradford this winter. I think that logic is silly - Bradford's pitched..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Dye, Lamb, Jennings

Ken Rosenthal has a new article up. Let's see what's in there beyond the Teixeira stuff. The Angels have a few alternatives to Mark Teixeira in Jermaine Dye and Mike Piazza. However, the team isn't exactly bursting with open outfield/DH spots, especially once Juan Rivera returns. Troy Glaus still makes a ton of sense, but the Blue Jays would want a lot. Probably 2/3 of the Teixeira package. Aside from Mark Loretta, the Padres would also like to acquire Mike Lamb from the Astros. Even tossing aside his awful April, Kevin Kouzmanoff has been about average for his position offensively..   Continue Reading

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Latest Mets Rumors: Luis Castillo, Chad Cordero

Let's have a look at the latest rumors swirling around the Mets. Second base remains an area of focus. A Twins scout was at Shea recently, presumably trying to figure out what to ask for from the Mets for Luis Castillo. The Mets were recently scouting the Twins as well. The problem is that Castillo is not yet officially available. A couple of Marks, Grudzielanek and Loretta, remain on the radar. The Astros might consider signing Loretta to an extension, though no details have been discussed. The Devil Rays hosted the Red Sox last night, and a Mets scout was..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Dunn, Wheeler, Izzy

Ken Rosenthal posted a new column last night, and has updated it very recently. I've already spoken about the Teixeira stuff, but there's other good material in there too. Some of the wilder speculation out there has been that the Twins might trade Torii Hunter or Johan Santana if they decide they're out of it. Various Baseball Prospectus reports put the Twins' playoff chances between 5-10%. Rosenthal debunks the idea that Minnesota would shop Hunter without first making him an offer, and keeping Santana for at least 2008 makes sense. Plus, Santana has a no-trade clause. Rosenthal does have some..   Continue Reading

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Healey's Latest

Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball has some new rumors for us this morning. There's talk that if the Twins are more than five games out at the trading deadline, they'll start dealing veterans. An obvious one is Luis Castillo, earning $5.75MM this season. He has long been connected to the Mets. He almost signed with New York as a free agent and the team has tried trading for him before. Healey believes Lastings Milledge is too much to give up, so don't look for a straight up swap of those two. Though I imagine the Twins would love having Milledge..   Continue Reading

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Luis Castillo A Met In '08?

The Mets and second baseman Luis Castillo have seemed like a good match for a while now. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported today that Castillo nearly signed with the Mets three years ago before the Marlins improved their offer. Additionally, the Mets almost traded for him in November of '05. Today I added Castillo to my list of 2008 Free Agents; he ranked 29th. Should Jeff Kent retire, Castillo will compete with Marcus Giles as the best available 2B after this season. Castillo won't return to the Twins; they have a younger version of him in Alexi Casilla. Actually, Casilla..   Continue Reading

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Twins Buzz: Mueller, Marte, Lowell

It's well known that the Twins lineup at present is woefully devoid of power hitters. While noted Twins blogger Aaron Gleeman seems very receptive to a second baseman who can actually get on base, he acknowledges Luis Castillo's complete lack of punch. So who's on the radar? Well, you can cross Bill Mueller off the list. He's planning on signing with either the Dodgers or Pirates. Mueller is a nice player, but he's exactly what the Twins don't need at third. Mueller is a fragile on-base machine. Sure, the team could use more players who take walks, but A)they don't..   Continue Reading

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Thoughts on Farnsworth and Castillo

Many of you have emailed me concerning the Kyle Farnsworth signing and Luis Castillo trade. I appreciate the tips; rest assured that I'm aware of these rumors and signings and I'll post if I have anything to add. Farnsworth has officially signed with the Yankees, although the Rangers' offer was superior. The Farnz can be a little homer and walk prone at times, but his strikeout rate has never failed to impress. His track record off the field leaves a bit to be desired. The Twins were the clear victors in the Luis Castillo trade. Minnesota held on to Scott..   Continue Reading

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Luis Castillo To The Mets

Our suspicions from yesterday have been confirmed: Luis Castillo is definitely on the trading block. Many sources mention the Mets' interest in the second baseman. The names we're hearing coming back from the Mets are shortstop Anderson Hernandez and/or second baseman Jeff Keppinger (via the Palm Beach Post). Alex Gonzalez won't be returning to play shortstop in Florida, and the Marlins are less than confident in their top prospect at the position, Robert Andino. If the Mets would give up Hernandez, the Marlins would probably pull the trigger. While Yusmeiro Petit is probably out of the question, the Mets could..   Continue Reading

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