The Mets still have a big hole at shortstop, and Stephen Drew is the perfect player to fill it, ESPN's Jim Bowden writes, suggesting the Mets should offer a deal in the two-year, $22MM range. Bowden argues Drew will help create a "winning environment" that will aid the Mets' core of young pitching. And with the qualifying offer dragging down Drew's market, the Mets are likely to get a deal that they might not get next offseason, when J.J. Hardy, Jed Lowrie and Asdrubal Cabrera will be available. Here are more notes from the National League.
- Cubs prospect Javier Baez denies rumors that he's looking for a new agent, reports Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Baez became a client of KPS Sports in September. "I don't know how this got started. I'm not sure. But that's a lie," Baez says. "I'm still with my (agency). They're doing a great job."
- The Reds would like to have former star third baseman Scott Rolen back as a guest instructor, Cincinnati.com's John Fay writes. Manager Bryan Price notes that Rolen would likely return in a player-development capacity, and the main obstacle right now is Rolen's commitment to his family.
I was hoping this was a rumor about Baez making the team out of Spring Training. They need his 450ft homeruns to break some of those windows across Waveland and Shefield and send a message to those greedy rooftop owners-
That’s a story probably worth telling that many of us not in Chigago-o-land don’t hear the entire story of..
We hear that Cub ownership threatened to build signs blocking the rooftops seats.. IF.. They didn’t fork over some of the proceeds they were getting from them.. Then there was bickering between the rooftop seat owners and both current, as well as past ownership with regards to how much was enough to be split.
I heard the city got into the squabble at one time even…
I’d like to see one of the writers here (hint hint) like Maybe the honorable Tim Dierkes himself, since he’s a Cubbie fan write up something about this filling us in on the details.
Thanks for bringing this up in a post JasonPen.
WWW is a beautiful thing. No need for Tim to beat a dead horse.
Well, it just depends on which side you decide you’re on. Their is a contract that allows the Rooftops to sell tickets and in return they have to give some of the proceeds to the Cubs.
The Cubs want to add a video scoreboard in Left Field (which is allowed as per a clause in the contract) but the rooftop owners are blocking it and threatening a lawsuit. Also they want to add a large see-through Budweiser sign in RF.
This hold up is blocking potential add-revenue that will allow the Cubs to renovate Wrigley, its player facilities, and build a hotel across the street. (to the tune of like hundreds of millions of dollars).
But my comment was just to take a shot at the rooftops, while bringing up Baez and his window-crushing power. (He broke a car window 50 feet beyond the outfield wall in spring training BP recently)
I can’t wait to see him (Baez), Bryant, Alcantara, Almora, and Soler all come up in the next few years! It has the makings of a really great offensive juggernaut!
Why would the Mets offer Drew 2 years 22 mil, when they just saw Cruz get desperate and settle for 1 year 8 mil?
The longer Drew goes without a team, the better positioned the Mets are to get him even cheaper.
Unless he waits until after the draft at which point the draft pick compensation goes away. If he can get $8 million for 2/3 of the season by waiting for June with no pick attached he would be no worse off. Might even get a multi-year deal then due to an injury. Also he is younger and not coming off a PED suspension.
the mets in on stephen drew? who knew?