Mets Rumors

NL Notes: Lohse, Cardinals, Mets

By edcreech | February 17, 2013 at 6:03pm CDT

Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio predicts Kyle Lohse will sign with either the Brewers or Rangers as one of five moves which will happen this spring (Insider subscription required). Bowden also sees extensions for Adam Wainwright and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. Here's the other Senior Circuit news and notes from the first Sunday of Spring Training:

Count the Phillies out as suitors for Lohse as GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is prepared to go with the staff he has in camp, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
Lohse will only become of interest to the Cardinals if their rotation candidates aren't panning out during Spring Training, writes CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman in a piece outlining six reasons why the Redbirds remain playoff contenders.
One reason for the Cardinals making the postseason in three of the last four years is being ranked as one of the NL's top four teams in terms of innings pitched by the starting rotation, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Goold notes this year’s rotation is set to include four starters, beyond Wainwright, who combined have just one 190-inning season.
The Mets could use catcher John Buck as trade bait once they promote Travis d'Arnaud in the opinion of ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin, who cites the precedent of when David Wright took over at third base.
Bill Madden of the New York Daily News cautions the Mets to be prudent with their newfound financial flexibility if they dive into next year's free agent outfield pool. Madden lists Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, and Hunter Pence (all ranked in the top ten of MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings) as possible targets.

Latest On Mets, Jose Valverde

By Zachary Links | February 17, 2013 at 2:10pm CDT

2:10pm: A source tells Newsday's Marc Carig Valverde is only on the Mets' radar if there's an injury in camp and a need arises.

1:25pm: The Mets expect Valverde to receive a big league deal somewhere else, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. If that doesn't happen, however, they may consider him later, but not so much now.

12:54pm: A team insider characterized the chances of the Mets signing Valverde as "really, really unlikely," according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.

9:27am: The Mets are leaving the door "slightly ajar" for free agent Jose Valverde to join the club as their closer, an industry source told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. The source says that the Mets view Valverde, who turns 35 next month, as “a 5 out of 10.” However, as Davidoff notes, the Mets current bullpen isn't exactly filled with 8s and 9s.

Mets officials will assess the performances of their relievers in live action while continuing to collect information on Valverde. As it stands, Bobby Parnell is slotted in as the closer, with Brandon Lyon and Josh Edgin as the primary setup options.

It appeared that Valverde found a home earlier this month with the Marlins, but those reports proved to be untrue. Shortly thereafter, agent Scott Boras denied planting the story in order to drum up interest in his client. Valverde and Kyle Lohse are the two remaining members of MLBTR's Top 50 Free Agents list to be without a team.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

East Notes: Yankees, Hughes, Zimmermann, Mets

By Zachary Links | February 16, 2013 at 11:50am CDT

As the Yankees and Phil Hughes negotiated their one-year, $7.15MM deal for 2013, the topic of an extension hardly came up, writes Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger. As a pitcher, Hughes says that he never expected a long-term deal out of the Yankees before reaching free agency. At the same time, it sounds as though he'd like to stay in the Bronx for the long-term. “The Yankees are the ones who drafted me; they’re like a second family. For me to say I’d be neutral [about leaving New York] would be dishonest," said Hughes. Here's more out of the AL and NL East..

Jordan Zimmermann would be open to listening on a multi-year extension, but so far nothing has happened on that front, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The Nationals and the right-hander avoided arbitration with a one-year, $5.35MM deal yesterday.
Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) believes that Mets Triple-A manager Wally Backman would be a great big league manager, but he has a feeling that it will happen elsewhere and not with the Mets. If the Mets don't bring back Terry Collins next year, Martino expects the club to go with a younger skipper.
Jair Jurrjens' contract with the Orioles is now a minor league deal rather than a guaranteed pact, but the pitcher says he's not overly concerned about it, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The two sides first agreed to a $1.5MM contract with incentives potentially pushing the figure to $4MM, but red flags on his physical led to the O's insisting on a reworked deal.

Mets Notes: Santana, Backman, Collins, D’Arnaud

By Zachary Links | February 15, 2013 at 10:31am CDT

Earlier this week, Mets chairman & CEO Fred Wilpon offered an optimistic vision of the club's finances and inferred that the team should have some financial flexibility going forward. Sandy Alderson hasn't had the chance to work with a significant payroll, but Wilpon said he could see the Mets spending as much as they did under former general manager Omar Minaya. That would presumably mean a budget of more than $140MM for the Metropolitans. Here's more out of Queens..

If Johan Santana has the strong, healthy season that he is expecting, then he could trigger his option year and, in turn, hurt his mid-season trade value, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The hurler's six-year, $137.5MM deal expires this season, but the contract has a 2014 player option that vests for $25MM if Santana pitches 215 innings in 2013 and is on the active roster for the final 30 days of the season.
Triple-A manager Wally Backman still wants to be a big league manager and he could be waiting in the wings as Terry Collins faces an uncertain future, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. For his part, Backman says that he's not gunning for Collins' job.
Blue Jays import Travis d'Arnaud draws high praise from his former coaches, writes Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. Phillies catching coordinator Mike Compton even went so far as to reference Johnny Bench.

Quick Hits: Valverde, Mets, Ellsbury, Bauer

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 14, 2013 at 3:07pm CDT

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he is "shocked" and "broken-hearted" that reliever Jose Valverde hasn’t signed yet, according to the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Valverde and Kyle Lohse are the only players from MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents who have yet to sign. Here are some links from around MLB as we await their decisions…

Mets owner Fred Wilpon insists that he's financially solvent and willing to spend. Less than a year from now he'll have the chance to prove it, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes.
Jacoby Ellsbury said he loves playing for the Red Sox, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). However, the center fielder has decided to defer to agent Scott Boras when it comes to his contract status. Ellsbury, a free agent this coming offseason, ranks fourth on MLBTR's initial Free Agent Power Rankings.
Red Sox CEO/president Larry Lucchino suggested the team could discuss an extension with Ellsbury this spring, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports. "We’d very much like to have him here," Lucchino said.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs believes the low-cost options built into the contracts of pitchers such as John Lackey and Felix Hernandez could represent the beginning of a positive trend for MLB as a whole.
Trevor Bauer told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that he doesn't have "hard feelings" toward his former team (Twitter link). The Diamondbacks traded Bauer to the Indians in December and Miguel Montero had some critical words for the right-hander earlier this week.

AL East Notes: Haren, Johnson, Blue Jays

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 14, 2013 at 11:00am CDT

On this date in 2007 the Red Sox signed free agent outfielder J.D. Drew to a five-year, $70MM contract. Though Drew hit .264/.370/.455 in Boston, he had trouble staying on the field and faced his share of scrutiny over the years. Here are today's AL East links, as Drew's younger brother Stephen prepares for his first season with the Red Sox…

Dan Haren told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that his agent had a lot of conversations with the Red Sox this past winter (Twitter link). The Nationals ultimately signed Haren to a one-year, $13MM deal.
Blue Jays right-hander Josh Johnson took note of Felix Hernandez's seven-year, $175MM extension, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. "It’s kind of hard not to see that. It’s incredible, he deserves it," Johnson said. He'll earn $13.75MM in 2013 before hitting free agency next offseason. The 29-year-old ranked third on MLBTR's initial Free Agent Power Rankings.
The Blue Jays’ roster includes many players from the 2012 Marlins, but Toronto’s club won’t be so disappointing, Morosi writes at FOX Sports.com.
Infielder Omar Quintanilla seriously considered the Mets and Orioles this offseason before deciding to sign in New York, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. The Mets traded Quintanilla to Baltimore for future considerations last July then re-signed him in January after the Orioles non-tendered him.

Mets Anticipate Payroll Flexibility

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 13, 2013 at 12:27pm CDT

Mets chairman & CEO Fred Wilpon offered an optimistic vision of his team’s finances today, suggesting that payroll could soon rise well above $100MM (via Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com). Wilpon said he could see the Mets spending as much as they did under general manager Omar Minaya, who operated with a budget of $140MM-plus. The Mets will spend big in free agency next winter if that’s “appropriate,” according to Wilpon, who added that his past financial problems are behind him.

Here are some more Mets-related notes…

GM Sandy Alderson said the Mets made a "strong effort" to sign free agent outfielder Michael Bourn, Rubin reports (on Twitter). Alderson said the Mets wouldn’t consider offering a vesting option for a fifth year, as the Indians ultimately did.
The Mets aren’t actively shopping for relief help, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports (on Twitter).
Wilpon doesn’t expect to address the contract status of manager Terry Collins until after the season, Rubin reports (on Twitter). Collins’ contract expires following the 2013 campaign. However, Wilpon strongly endorsed Collins and Alderson, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
Wilpon said he wasn’t going to lose David Wright if at all possible, Marc Carig of Newsday reports (Twitter links). "To me, he's our Jeter," Wilpon said, in reference to Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
Wilpon noted that all surprise teams get great pitching and said he believes the Mets are in position to get that type of pitching, according to Carig.
The Mets say they are aiming to break even financially this season. Wilpon added that the team must be competitive on the field to accomplish that goal, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

New York Notes: Yankees, Bourn, Santana

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 12, 2013 at 10:51am CDT

Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters today that his team is capable of winning 95 games and the World Series. "If we play up to our capabilities, I believe we're a very good team," Girardi said (via Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News on Twitter). Here are some more links from New York as the Yankees and Mets begin Spring Training…

Girardi said one of his biggest Spring Training concerns is finding a right-handed designated hitter, Feinsand reports (on Twitter). Juan Rivera and Matt Diaz could provide offense from the right side to complement lefty bats such as Travis Hafner and Dan Johnson.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports expects Derek Jeter to be a valuable contributor for the Yankees in 2013, even if this is the year the Yankees falter as a team.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Mets' interest in Michael Bourn "was essentially an empty pursuit" since the team wasn't about to sign Bourn without assurances that they'd keep their 11th overall draft pick. The Mets never made a firm bid for Bourn, and their suggestions did not include options for 2017. Sherman reported last night that the Mets made Bourn a four-year offer before he agreed to terms with the Indians.
Johan Santana said he's not thinking about the trade deadline or free agency, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). The left-hander will earn $25.5MM in 2013 and his contract includes a $25MM club option for 2014. Presumably the Mets will choose the $5.5MM buyout over the option.

Reactions To The Michael Bourn Signing

By Steve Adams | February 11, 2013 at 11:27pm CDT

The Indians agreed to a four-year deal with Michael Bourn earlier tonight, presumably capping an offseason spending spree that saw GM Chris Antonetti dish out $117MM in guaranteed contracts. Here are some reactions from around the baseball world pertaining to tonight's news…

It doesn't sound like the signing will prompt the Indians to trade Drew Stubbs or Michael Brantley, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
In the event of a trade, Stubbs is the most likely to go, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, who notes that the Mets are a logical landing place.
Heyman also writes that the Mets' credibility took a hit with their inability to sign Bourn. He opines that the team should've have filed a grievance weeks ago to attempt to keep their first-round pick, even if it meant risking increased leverage for Scott Boras in negotiations.
The contract is good for both Bourn and the Indians in the mind of Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan. He adds that Cleveland's protected first-round pick meant they were sacrificing less value to sign Bourn, as he cost them only a competitive balance draft pick. Because they didn't have to give up as much value as others would have to sign Bourn, they were willing to spend more on the contract itself.
It's a fair contract, and Bourn immediately becomes one of Cleveland's best players, but the move is still a head-scratcher according to ESPN's Keith Law. Law feels that Cleveland's pitching isn't improved enough to make them a .500 team, which makes all of this spending a curious decision unless it's with an eye toward stockpiling affordable talent for future trade assets.
Law also notes that the Royals are losers in this deal, as part of their rationale for parting with Wil Myers was that the weakness of the AL Central could make them Wild Card contenders: "…every move that Cleveland, Minnesota or the White Sox make to get better hurts the odds of Kansas City getting to the 88-win territory."

Mets Sign Brandon Lyon

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 11, 2013 at 10:43pm CDT

MONDAY: ESPN New York's Adam Rubin has the breakdown of Lyon's contract. He'll earn a $750K base salary, and his contract has incentives for appearances, games finished and time spent on the MLB roster.

Lyon will receive $100K for reaching 40, 45, 50 and 55 appearances. He'll receive $125K for reaching 60 and 65 appearances. He'll receive $50K for finishing 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 games. He will receive $100K for 1, 30, 60 and 90 days spent on the roster. Lastly, he'll receive $125K for 120 and 150 days on the roster.

All told, Lyon's contract could total $2.3MM if he hits each of his incentives. That seems unlikely, as he doesn't currently project as New York's closer.

FRIDAY: The Mets announced they have officially signed free agent right-hander Brandon Lyon to a one-year deal. Meister Sports Management represents Lyon, who will earn a base salary of between $750-$900K, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The total value of the deal will be worth $2.4MM if Lyon hits his incentive bonuses (Twitter links).

Lyon, 33, split the 2012 season between the Astros and Blue Jays. He posted a 3.10 ERA with 9.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 37.5% ground ball rate in 61 innings of relief work. The 11-year veteran averaged 90.2 mph with his fastball. Lyon earned $5.5MM in 2012, but the terms of his deal with the Mets are not yet known.

The Mets have added a number of relief pitchers on minor league deals this winter, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. Scott Atchison, Tim Byrdak, Pedro Feliciano and LaTroy Hawkins are also candidates for the New York bullpen. Frank Francisco is expected to close for the Mets (though be sure to follow @closernews in case anything changes).

Lyon drew interest from several teams before completing his deal with the Mets. The Giants had interest and the Blue Jays never ruled out a reunion.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the agreement (on Twitter) and Andy Martino of the New York Daily News first reported the sides agreed to a one-year deal (on Twitter). Steve Adams also contributed to this post.

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