The latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- The addition of two playoff teams could have a big effect on the American League, with certain clubs being able to aim for 89 or so wins.
- The Mets seem more eager to trade Carlos Beltran than Jose Reyes or David Wright, says Stark, perhaps with a June deal possible for the outfielder. The Mets appear willing to take on a portion of Beltran's $18.5MM salary to improve the return.
- Stark says "don't be surprised" if the next labor deal makes DUIs grounds for suspension. Yahoo's Jeff Passan tweets that Shin-Soo Choo's Monday DUI makes it six already for MLB players this year.
- Several scouts feel that Ubaldo Jimenez's shoulder is bothering him, despite the team's denials. Jimenez hasn't been very impressive in any of his four starts this year.
- An official of one team that monitored Kevin Millwood feels that he "might be done" and his stuff has regressed. Millwood hopes to sign this week after opting out of his Yankees contract Monday.
I don’t think it is a shock that the Mets would be more eager to move Beltran then Reyes or Wright. His best days are behind him but he is having a nice year and could benefit some team yet this year so I would imagine there would be interest in him depending on the amount of Beltran’s contract the Mets are willing to absorb.
Two other factors may also be he has the largest contract from the three, as well as having depth behind him with Pagan and Pirdie, if needed.
Who’s their shortstop if they ship Reyes out? Daniel Murphy? lol
If Reyes is moved my guess would be Ruben Tejada would get the first shot. In regards to Beltran moving him would also allow the Mets to get some return on him as his contract prevents the team from offering arb so they cannot get draft picks. Reyes if he is not traded would still net them 2 high picks as compensation. Wright I just do not see going anywhere unless a team blows the Mets away with an offer. He is signed to pretty reasonable contract through 2012 with an option for 2013.
Real shame in that entire story is how McDowell was suspended at all and how 1st amendment rights work for 1 side and not the other.
You don’t have the first amendment right to call your employer’s customers names and to threaten them. You will probably get fired for doing so, and have no recourse. First amendment rights are not absolute.
Roger McDowell was always known as a Prankster in the clubhouse. I’m not in the Braves clubhouse but im sure it has carried into his coaching career. With that being said, while yes politically incorrect and insensitive, he was probably having his idea of fun with the fans heckling him. Some people have the type of personality that if you are going to go certain places with heckles and ball busting there are gonna give it right back to you.
He got fined by his employer, not arrested by the government. Don’t worry, his rights are intact.
first amendment rights don’t apply within a private organization, you can be fired for violating those terms.
You don’t have the right to free speech in the workplace. You don’t have total freedom of speech.
No duh they’d be more eager to trade Beltran.
Wright’s 28, he’s the homegrown face of the franchise, he’s still a great player (although struggling a bit this season so far), and is signed on generally favorable terms for the team through 2013.
Beltran is a mid season rental, who’s 34, with a very iffy knee amongst other health concerns that has prohibited him from playing CF, and has never been a real fan favorite, which is a shame as I’m one of the few Mets fans who remember his greatness in that he had some of the best years in the history of baseball at CF.
While I strongly believe in first amendment rights I am also an employer. If I had an employee that expressed their first amendment rights in a manner that cost me business, good will, or customers I would fire them.
lol.
I guess you’re the only one to see the humor in ironnat’s logical thought
Or he finds it weird that ironnat decided to share his thoughts in reply to something that has nothing to do with his thought.
that would be it
DUI’s- way cooler than PED’s.
DUI’S still get you in to the HOF!
Being an idiot doesn’t improve your ability to play baseball, but being an idiot and taking PED’s do.
“DUI’S still get you in to the HOF!”
If you don’t drive into a ditch on the way there.
Even if Beltran were to put up a near-MVP type season, there is virtually no chance the Mets would try to re-sign him because of his bad knees and the potential they might give out on him at any time. He belongs in the AL as a DH. So, yes, he might be very available.
But I don’t think Reyes or Wright are going anywhere mid-season. Fans of other teams and instigators like Olney and Joel Sherman can speculate and dream up trade scenarios till the cows come home, but they are wasting their time.
2 weeks from now:
Jimenez to undergo TJS
seriously rockies…take it easy on this guy
wow, his shoulders bothering him AND he needs tommy john surgery?
Didn’t you know, Tommy John Surgery is now in the shoulder
I know Miguel Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo have DUI’s, but who are the other four?
Austin Kearns, Derek Lowe, and idk
Two Indians make the list. I guess Cleveland will need to find a new joke besides ones about Miguel Cabrera now.
Coco Crisp has one of them.
I have always felt Beltran was a good player for a bad team (Royals) who had a great playoff run while protected in the lineup. As a Met fan Beltran is not someone i would cry about if he was traded away from the mets. Remember he told the Yankees he would go to them for less money right after the mets offered him a contract. There’s a section of the Mets fan base who doesnt forget stuff like this.
That section of Mets fans, which I perceive you to be a member, have forgotten that Beltran has been one of the better FA signings in Mets history. His moodiness and open dislike for Willie Randolph, the called third strike in the play-offs againist the Cards,add that to the manner in which he went about the recent surgery, and one can say that Beltran and the Mets’ relationship has been prickly at best.
One thing in his defense is that he’s been their best hitter since he arrived, as well as the only clutch hitter on the team. Even when Delgado was on the team, Beltran was the one hitter that the opposing pitchers feared with men on base. while Wright and Reyes get all the press and accolades, Beltran is the only player who hits when the chips are one the line. Mets fans that don’t care for him always overlook that point in order to complain about him.
Not really complaining about his overall performance during his mets tenure. Where else can you find a Center Fielder who hit for power and average like he did? Not very many in the past 10 yrs. I guess my thing is that he was not “homegrown” and didnt really want to be here anyway. Therefore i wouldnt be too upset.
As a met fan if Beltran were traded say in the winter of 08 the mets could have gotten alot back for him (assuming they ate a sizeable portion of the contract). Oh but us met fans can dream cant we?
the cardinals should try and get Wright
On the surface it sounds good. Especially after the Freese injury. But I don’t think the Cardinals will be in on Wright at all. First of all, there is no way to squeeze another big contract into the payroll. Third base is the one area that the Cardinals actually have some talent in the minors. Between Freese, Carpenter, and Cox they should be able to come away with a solid third baseman of the future. No reason to throw big money at a position you should be able to fill pretty cheap for the next 5+ years.
So the mets want to move the aging overpaid rf instead of their better cheaper players…..wow…..