Links for Saturday…
- Rizzo reiterated to Ladson that he'd like to sign Adam Dunn to a contract extension, however he declined to talk about how the negotiations were going. The two sides first discussed an extension a few weeks ago.
- Carlos Delgado's agent David Sloane tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that his client will be out of action for four months after undergoing hip surgery. Last week, prior to his recent procedure becoming public knowledge, Sloane told Rosenthal that Delgado might wait until mid-season to sign.
- Ladson tweets that Nats president Stan Kasten was seen talking to Cristian Guzman's agent on Saturrday afternoon, though neither party would comment on the conversation (via Twitter). Guzman is in the final year of a two-year, $16MM contract.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson says (via Twitter) that Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo indicated that he's not finished trying to improve his team, and that's he's still on the look out from some pitching.
- GM Ed Wade wasn't the only Astros' executive to have his contract extended today. Assistants Ricky Bennett, David Gottfried, and Bobby Heck were all extended through 2011, tweets Houston's Senior Director of Social Media Alyson Footer.
- Mets' owner Fred Wilpon called the team's offseason "torture," according to Adam Rubin of The New York Daily News (via Twitter). Wilpon also said he expects the team to stay within the family for generations.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Victor Martinez said he "definitely" wants to stay in Boston beyond this season. We previewed V-Mart's impending free agency a few weeks ago.
- The A's will officially name Grady Fuson as a special advisor today, tweets Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. Fuson was fired as the Padres' VP of scouting and player development by new GM Jed Hoyer back in October.
“Mets’ owner Fred Wilpon called the team’s offseason ‘torture,'”
Ouch for Minaya.
This is the end for Minaya.
I found it rather amusing myself!
With a GM like Minaya it will always be torture in NY.
Hate to tell you but it ain’t just Minaya. There’s Jeff Wilpon right behind him pulling a lot of the strings….and he’ll be there looooong after Minaya’s outta there – piteously enough. Talk about torture!!
Hate to tell you but it ain’t just Minaya. There’s Jeff Wilpon right behind him pulling a lot of the strings….and he’ll be there looooong after Minaya’s outta there – piteously enough. Talk about torture!!
Yay! the Wilpons finally realized something. Ok so what they are saying is: The off-season was terrible, and it wasn’t their fault. I sure hope they asks themselves, Who is directly under us making all the shots? OMAR! Hopefully this is an indication of GM movement
The full quote was probably “The off-season was torture. The front office kept asking me to spend my money to improve the team. Every day they kept asking; it was torture.”
In an interview with him at the training camp he said something similar and then went on to say that he’s “probably the Mets’ #1 fan.” Hmm…so I guess it’s like “I just wanna love ’em – not spend on ’em.”
Kathy Bates was James Caan’s #1 fan in Misery. We saw how that one turned out.
Yeah, no kidding! Besides, I hate that type of label from a guy like Fred. The fact that he has more financial resources than most, loves baseball, and bought a team doesn’t make him #1 fan. They make him a rich guy who bought a team. True passion for the game comes from the heart – not the wallet. Anybody can have it.
The true number 1 fan who has those types of resources would put competent front office people in place, allow them to do their job & not meddle in the decision making.
“The true number 1 fan who has those types of resources would put competent front office people in place, allow them to do their job & not meddle in the decision making.”
….And not hide, or allow his son to hide behind said front office people – for any reason.
Anyway, amen.
Unfortunately, as long as the Wilpons are in charge, the Mets will have issues. Minaya may be ineffective, but I don’t imagine a lot of GMs thriving under such bad ownership. I predict that it won’t take long for the next Mets’ GM to become a scapegoat too.
i love how focused the nats front office is on pitching depth, but shouldnt Rizzo look to imprve the team in areas like 2nd base, first base and such?
Um Dunn is playing first base and they signed Kennedy. Not sure what more you want him to do.
I love how misquoted this website is when it comes to people. Wilpon did NOT say this off season was torture; he said WAITING FOR THE SEASON TO BEGIN WAS TORTURE. Anybody who thought he was referring to the moves they made this off season are absolute idiots – do you really think the owner would openly mock their own GM? I can’t believe how moronic some of you previous posters are. They asked him about the off season, he was saying that it was torture having to wait until the season finally begins NOT that the off season was bad..it amazes me how little logic people have
He wasn’t openly mocking him, but it was definitely a phrase which is amusing because it can be taken to mean that. If the waiting is hard, it does imply that one does not enjoy what is going on while one waits- especially if one says it was “torture.” I’m sure that wasn’t intentional, but it’s still funny. I mean, if you are waiting in a prison cell with electrodes in you- that’s torture. If you are waiting in a bar sipping some drinks with buddies, that’s not torture. Saying that waiting is torture implies that one does not enjoy the events occurring while one waits.
maybe he was trying to be positive & say it was being torture to say that he can’t wait for the season to start because he has good feelings? maybe?
Perhaps. I assume he was trying to say something along the lines of “The waiting is the hardest part” but it just came out as a bit ambiguous.
Ladson is torturing us with that Twitter. We would love to think that the Nats have traded Cristian Guzman, but we know that this is not going to happen. Kasten is probably just shooting the breeze; Spring Training is not terribly eventful early on. I suppose the only other thing I can think of would be the result of Guzman’s check-up on Physiclals Day.
I’d love to be wrong.
Whoever wrote this article needs to revise it immediately, it is extremely misleading about what Wilpon was remarking…how amateur can you be at simply copying and pasting what a person said?
I like what Wilpon says – it shows he cares
Yeah….he cares about the way he wants people to see him.
He should. Its been a brutal last few yrs
Yeah….like “fan abuse!”
I know I’m being realistic and optimistic but man he deserves some breaks. At minimum Reyes/Wright to come back to form
It’s a start, but when the opportunity permits he can give himself an even better break by springing for a first-rate SP to support Johan!
Maybe @ deadline. We need a few breaks like Martinez having a good year @ AAA, 2 out of 3 of our non Johan starters doing well. and Beltran returning @ a good level
I know I’m being realistic and optimistic but man he deserves some breaks. At minimum Reyes/Wright to come back to form
Yeah….like “fan abuse!”
He should. Its been a brutal last few yrs
Yeah….he cares about the way he wants people to see him.
Say what you want about Boras, but if Delgado was his client, my guess is that Phillipon would have performed the first hip surgery.
Ey Boras – is that you, man?
Just kidding. Pretty good point.
I’m sure Adam would like to stay with the Nats. 3/42 could do it if he repeats his 09 form.
3/42 would do it for any player thats to much money for a poor defensive player i would see something 3/30 or somewere along that amount
He got 2/20 last off-season when he hit 240 or whatever it was and struck out almost 200 times. Last season, he improved his AVG. and cut down on the strike outs. He’s never going to be a good defensive player but then again, nobody is perfect.
Here is the sad part – he was still worth only 1.3 WAR. Yes, his defense is THAT BAD. Put Adam Dunn at DH, and you have maybe the best full-time DH in the game. Put him in the field, and you’re likely wasting your money.
wow, 1.3? I really would have expected it to be worse.
I think obivously a team like the Red Sox, White Sox, or any AL Team would love to have Adam Dunn as a DH, but he loves playing for the Nats and I actually think that they are going to get a deal done. If he hits free agency, he will go to an AL Club. Probably a contender but for now, he’s going to be working hard in Spring Training and hopefully do the best he can to make solid throws and good scoops at First Base.
Unless the Nats make a huge splash (finally) in the FA, Dunn walks to Boston. Dunn would crush Fenway and if BoSox pull the trigger for A. Gonzalez, that’s a now powerful lineup. Not sure how this factors in with VMart.
3/42 seems high. 3/34-37 seems right for a full time DH like Dunn.
What contracts are off the books for the Mets after this season?
Tatis’ contract is up.
I just think that Dunn wants to stay where he is. I can’t see him leaving.
Not sure what clues Dunn is putting out there saying that he wants to stay where he is at, and since his arrival, no real moves have been made. Zimmerman is the one who was saying that he wanted to stay put if I remember correctly, hence the extension. Strasburg signing isn’t really relevant to this either since he won’t be ready for another year. They have the money, have offered to spend on the right FA, but…
I still say that Dunn walks to a yearly contender this time for a reasonable contract so he doesn’t get overkooked this time
Dunn actually has said that he would sign an extension. And some real moves have been made. No Matt Holliday or John Lackey but Jason Marquis, Adam Kennedy, Pudge, Wang, Capps, and Morgan have come to the Nats via trade and signing. That’s some major improvements.
Am I the only one wondering where Pujols is mentioned?
I got it! He’s mentioned in your question!
yeah, what?
Earlier today when it was posted for the first time, it was about Mozliak’s intentions to lock up Pujols.
Gotcha. Grazie.
Fred Wilpon is Captain Clueless. To use the words “third-highest payroll” as justification that the team could make mid-season moves is ridiculous. You can have a high payroll and still suck. He’s Joe Walsh, living a life of illusion.
Did I miss something? Where is Pujols,
bring dunn on over to the AL…dude was born to DH