The asking price for relief help remains high, even for players nearing free agency, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The Mets, of course, are looking for relievers and they’d prefer to acquire a controllable player, according to Sherman. Here are Sherman’s latest notes, starting with the Mets:
- Acquiring a controllable reliever would provide the Mets with a long-term bullpen option but, it won’t be easy to complete a deal. “The problem is those guys are so scarce, and the cost, at least at this point, is prohibitive,” a Mets official told Sherman.
- The Rays have always liked Lucas Duda, so there’s a potential match between the Mets and Rays, Sherman writes.
- The Mets privately believe that the future of pitching prospect Jeurys Familia may be in the bullpen, so they could promote him in a relief role.
- Cole Hamels could decline an extension offer that’s expected to fall in the six-year, $130MM range, but it wouldn’t be easy to do so, one team executive told Sherman. “My sense is he is comfortable in Philly, they have made the playoffs five years in a row and the $130MM says they value him, so it is going to take a heck of a reason to say no to that.”
- If the Padres’ efforts to lock Huston Street up to an extension fail, they’ll make him available in trades later this month.
Boston has a BP full of middle relievers and needs to move at least 1-2. They even have Mortenson still at Pawtucket with no room for him, Tazawa will go back as soon as Atchison returns from the DL, Hill will be back soon and yet another will have to go.
Tough to figure which ones will go..
Albers
Mortenson
Padilla
Melencon (jam up since 1st series of season and recall)
Tazawa
Guessing 2 of those 5. won’t be any of the 3 lefties, nor Atch and Aceves.
Edit:
Point was.. Mets could fix the middle corps just with what Boston has extra.. All have been solid.
But what would the Red Sox want from the Mets? They’re certainly not going to get a starter.
Prospects, even lower tier ones.
The idea of Boston needing SP is overblown anyway. They just sent the 2nd best SP over the last month (Franklin Morales) back to the pen.
Juerys can’t throw strikes in AAA so in the bigs i’m sure he’ll be a strike throwing machine.
it depends on how much cole is willing to leave on the table. if he and his agent think he’d get south of $160m in FA, accepting the $130m now is probably an okay idea, especially considering he does like it in philly (if what he’s been purporting is true).
if he anticipates getting in that north of $160m, perhaps in the $170m+ range, it may be hard for him to leave that much go.
It would be hard to leave ANY money on the table. Yes, these guys are stinking rich and about to get even more stinking rich, but the $30MM you’re suggesting he would leave on the table is still a ridiculous amount of money.
I have absolutely no doubt that he likes it in Philly, but I also have absolutely no doubt he could like other cities as well. Particularly when you have the kind of cash he has, you can find an awesome part about just about any city.
This is pretty much the first comment I’ve read on this site that made any sense.
On Cole Hamels, I think that it will start at 6 years and $140-145M minimum, just looking at Matt Cain’s contract. With the Phillies so far out of the NL East race, I expect them to be sellers and Hamels to be in another team’s uniform before this time next week.
6 years 134 will get it done if teams are backing out that means they are close to a deal. at this point its just wishful thinking on your part that it doesnt happen
Two things here. Firstly, I hate that they’re so eager to give up on Familia as a starter. Let him try to work it out, rather than sacrificing a potential SP for a possible playoff berth this year (a berth I think they’ll miss anyway). SP has a much greater value than an RP.
Secondly, I wonder what Duda would net the Mets. Their biggest need is obviously bullpen help, but under no circumstances should a regular major league player be traded for a bullpen arm. Obviously, the Rays wouldn’t be giving up offense. Unless they’re willing to part with one of their many young starters for him, I highly doubt a deal gets done.
I agree. Duda is not a mid-season trade candidate. This is an issue for season’s close. The Rays would be a good candidate and the asking price greater, as you suggest. Duda is arguably more valuable to others (b/c they’d position him properly, and I believe he’s been letting his fielding woes impact his performance at the plate) than he is to the Mets. Mets have to hope he picks it up in the second half to give themselves some leverage.