Mets Would Like To Trade Mike Pelfrey
11:34am: Adam Rubin of ESPN New York got the sense from a team official that Pelfrey's availability is more of a routine thing than serious consideration of moving him (Twitter link).
11:05am: Mike Pelfrey has struggled through Spring Training so far, and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Mets would like to trade the right-hander. A rival executive told Heyman that the "best thing for him might be to get out of New York."
Pelfrey, 28, has allowed 20 hits and 16 runs in 9 2/3 innings with more walks (six) than strikeouts (four) this spring, though the team doesn't appear to be considering releasing him. The Boras client will earn $5.675MM this season, though the Mets would only have to pay him a portion of his salary if they release him before Opening Day. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2008, Pelfrey has pitched to a 4.27 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 while throwing at least 180 innings in each season. He is under team control as an arbitration-eligible player in 2013 before qualifying for free agency.
NL East Notes: Pelfrey, Parra, Nats, Valdez, Phillies
On this date last year the Mets released Oliver Perez with one year and $12MM remaining on his contract. Perez, now a member of the Mariners organization, hasn't appeared in the Major Leagues since. Here are some links from his former division…
- After talking to a Mets official, "it doesn't seem" like the team has talked about cutting Mike Pelfrey, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link). However, the Mets are "well aware of the fact" that Pelfrey's contract is non-guaranteed and, if the right-hander is cut, the Mets will only have to pay a portion of his $5.68MM salary. Pelfrey has had a very rough Spring Training, posting a 14.90 ERA in 9 2/3 innings of work.
- The Diamondbacks aren't going to trade Gerardo Parra to the Nationals, a D'Backs source tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter).
- The Phillies are looking for infield help but it's "doubtful" they would try to re-acquire Wilson Valdez, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Phils dealt Valdez to the Reds in January since the Phillies felt they were already set for utility infield options — somewhat ironic given their current position.
- David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News argues that the Phillies need to add a veteran infielder give the questionable health of their projected starters. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Placido Polanco and Michael Martinez are all currently dealing with injuries.
- ESPN.com’s Buster Olney gets the sense that the Braves’ on-field personnel prefer Andrelton Simmons for the starting shortstop job, while the front office favors Tyler Pastornicky. Such divergences of opinion are common and not necessarily problematic, as Olney notes.
- Olney hears from talent evaluators who say Jair Jurrjens has struggled to command his fastball and that Jason Heyward is "still thinking about his mechanics" at the plate.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post
Quick Hits: Francis, Phillies, Athletics, Torre, Mets
Lance Berkman told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick that he thinks Bud Selig extorted new Astros owner Jim Crane into moving the team to the AL next season. "I think that's exactly what it was," said the former 'Stro. "To tell [Crane], 'We're going to hold the sale of the team up until you guys agreed to switch?' It just happened that the Astros were being sold at an optimal time for that to happen."
Conspiracy theories aside, here's the latest from around the league…
- Jeff Francis can opt out of his minor league contract with the Reds on March 28th, but he told reporters (including John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer) that he will report to Triple-A if he doesn't make the team.
- MLB.com's Todd Zolecki hears that the Phillies have been looking for infield help lately, but no one seems to be a clear upgrade over Freddy Galvis. The Phightin's lost utility man Michael Martinez due to a broken bone in his foot today.
- Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com wrote about all of the Athletics roster turnover. "You do know your time is limited here," said Brandon McCarthy. "You're not looking to put down roots."
- Joe Torre is waiting to see what happens with the Dodgers' ownership situation before returning to his old job at MLB, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Torre's group bowed out of the bidding because of the parking situation at Dodger Stadium.
- “I think that we as a franchise have a chance to go through sort of an evolutionary process to get us back to where we want to be,” said Mets GM Sandy Alderson to Andrew Keh of The New York Times in the wake of the team's recent financial moves. "From just an overall, organization standpoint, the landscape today is a lot brighter than it was two or three days ago, going into a potential three-week trial."
NL East Notes: Vizcaino, Phillies, Mets, Lannan
Earlier today MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reviewed the Marlins' busy offseason. Here are some more links from the NL East…
- Braves GM Frank Wren told reporters that reliever Arodys Vizcaino will miss the 2012 season after undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. The 21-year-old right-hander appeared in 17 games with the Braves last year and entered the season as the 40th-best prospect in MLB, according to Baseball America.
- The Phillies could start the season with prospect Freddy Galvis at second base, or explore the trade market for alternatives. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney hears from rival executives that there’s a short list of veteran middle infielders available in trades. Maicer Izturis, Alberto Callaspo, Chris Getz and Blake DeWitt appear to be options for teams seeking infield depth.
- Even though they're short on left-handed relief, the Mets are unlikely to sign C.J. Nitkowski, Hong-Chih Kuo or Dontrelle Willis, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports.
- Jayson Stark of ESPN.com hears the Nationals "still have a lot of motivation" to trade John Lannan and his $5MM salary (Twitter link).
Quick Hits: Padres, Nishioka, Giants, DeWitt
Here's a wrap-up of news from around baseball as we head into Tuesday….
- A number of teams have asked the Padres about their bench players, but the Friars are "inclined" to keep them, reports Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link). Everth Cabrera is one of the players who has been asked about, and Hayes presumes Jesus Guzman is another.
- Tsuyoshi Nishioka's demotion to Triple-A has Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities radio pointing the finger at both Nishioka and at Twins management for signing the Japanese shortstop and letting J.J. Hardy leave.
- The Giants' rise to prominence has been fueled by their homegrown stars, writes Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle, and the team could be a couple of years away from having almost an entire roster comprised of players drafted and developed internally.
- Gregor Blanco is a virtual "stone-cold lock" to make the Giants' Opening Day roster, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Signed to a minor league deal in November, Blanco has had a huge Spring Training and seemingly has a backup outfield spot sewn up.
- Cubs utilityman Blake DeWitt's name "has come up in recent trade rumors," according to Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago. DeWitt has played mostly second and third in his career, though he appeared in 23 games in left field for the Cubs last season. DeWitt could be a possibility for teams looing for infield depth like the Phillies, Athletics or Twins.
- With the Madoff trustee lawsuit now settled, Andrew Keh of the New York Times wonders if the Mets might now be able to explore keeping David Wright with the team long-term and notes that such a move would help sooth the team's disillusioned fanbase.
Mets Notes: Ownership, Wilpons, Kazmir
The big news out of Citi Field today was the settlement of the lawsuit between the Mets' owners and Irving Picard, the trustee for Bernie Madoff's victims. Here are some more items about the team, including fallout from the settlement…
- The Mets have sold 12 minority ownership shares in the club for $20MM each, reports Teri Thompson and Michael O'Keeffe of the New York Daily News. The deals were settled last week, with the buyers of seven of the shares (four for cable company SNY and one each for Saul Katz, Jeff Wilpon and Steve Cohen) publicly known. The $240MM generated by the sale of these ownership shares will go towards covering the club's operating costs for the 2012 season. The Mets have also paid back several team debts, including a $25MM loan from Major League Baseball and a $40MM loan from Bank Of America.
- "So while the Wilpons may consider themselves the day’s winners, it’s the fans that emerge as the losers," writes Bob Klapisch for FOX Sports. Klapisch outlines the several hundred millions in debt that the franchise still owes and predicts the Mets may face several more years of low payrolls and uncertainty.
- Scouting reports on Scott Kazmir "were not great," which is why the Mets passed on a reunion with the left-hander, writes MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. This mailbag piece also covers such topics as the Mets' training and medical staffs and center field prospect Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
- Earlier today, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith reviewed the Mets' offseason.
NL East Notes: Utley, Harper, Mets
The Mets' owners reached a $162MM settlement with the trustee for the victims of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme earlier today. Here are some more notes from the NL East…
- The Phillies announced that second baseman Chase Utley “has come to a bit of a plateau” in his rehab. He’ll travel out of town for a few days to see a specialist for his knees, the team added. Utley's chance of playing on Opening Day seem slim and prospect Freddy Galvis may get his chance at the MLB level.
- The Nationals optioned Bryce Harper to the minor leagues over the weekend, and outsiders aren’t the only ones praising the move. "He is going to be special, but he isn't ready,'' one Nationals veteran told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- The Mets' owners hope to recover approximately $125MM on loser funds, Heyman tweets. This would reduce their losses to $37MM or so.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports believes commissioner Bud Selig should step in if the Mets don't start operating like a high-revenue team by next winter (Twitter link).
Mets Owners Reach Settlement With Madoff Trustee
The Mets' owners settled the ongoing lawsuit against them this morning. They agreed to a $162MM settlement with Irving Picard, the trustee for those who lost money in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, Richard Sandomir of the New York Times tweets. Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz won't have to start paying the settlement for three years.
The settlement doesn't mean the Mets' financial woes are over with, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes (Twitter link). However, Mets ownership is better-positioned to maintain control of the team. The settlement also caps expenses for the owners, who oversaw a $50MM reduction in payroll this offseason.
Offseason In Review: New York Mets
The Mets rebuilt their bullpen and lost Jose Reyes this offseason, lowering payroll by a record $50MM in the process.
Major League Signings
- Frank Francisco, RP: two years, $12MM.
- Jon Rauch, RP: one year, $3.5MM.
- Ronny Cedeno, SS: one year, $1.2MM.
- Scott Hairston, OF: one year, $1.1MM.
- Total spend: $17.8MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Matt Tuiasosopo, Miguel Batista, Rob Johnson, Chuck James, Lucas May, Garrett Olson, Adam Loewen.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired OF Andres Torres and RP Ramon Ramirez from the Giants for OF Angel Pagan.
- Claimed SP Jeremy Hefner from the Pirates.
Notable Losses
- Jose Reyes, Willie Harris, Ronny Paulino, Chris Capuano, Jason Isringhausen, Ryota Igarashi, Chris Young, Pagan.
Draft Picks Gained or Lost
- Obtained 71st overall selection from Marlins for Reyes. Also obtain supplementary first round pick, 35th overall.
The Mets lost their franchise shortstop, lowered payroll by a record $50MM and watched as the Marlins and Nationals spent and traded aggressively. It wasn’t a fun offseason to be a Mets fan.
Despite the team’s interest in Jose Reyes, the free agent shortstop signed with Miami for $106MM. The Mets didn’t seem willing to guarantee the dynamic 28-year-old shortstop more than five years and $75-85MM, and Reyes said they never extended a formal offer.
GM Sandy Alderson is working with a payroll in the $90MM range, but with Johan Santana and Jason Bay combining to earn $40MM of that sum, he didn’t have much flexibility. To replace Reyes, the Mets will rely on Ruben Tejada and newcomer Ronny Cedeno. Though they offer a promising balance of upside and certainty on paper, the pair may cost the Mets three or four wins relative to Reyes, who's one of the best in the game.
The Mets did spend on their bullpen, signing a pair of free agents who spent the 2011 campaign in Toronto: Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch. Francisco had a respectable season, pitching especially well after the All-Star break, but it took $12MM to sign him. Given that relievers such as Chad Qualls, Todd Coffey, Takashi Saito, LaTroy Hawkins and Kerry Wood signed for $3MM or less, $12MM seems like a lot for Francisco.
Still, Alderson’s decision to improve the bullpen makes sense, since it was a clear area of need entering the offseason. The Mets also obtained Ramon Ramirez from the Giants in the trade that sent non-tender candidate Angel Pagan to San Francisco for Andres Torres. Ramirez, who has put together four solid seasons in a row, will be a welcome addition to Terry Collins' bullpen. It's also possible that relievers such as Bobby Parnell and Manny Acosta will show progress, further improving the 'pen.
The change of scenery swap brings Torres, a 34-year-old journeyman to the Mets. His career batting line is inferior to Pagan's, but Torres costs $2.7MM in 2012 and is under team control through 2013, while Pagan will earn $4.85MM before hitting free agency this coming offseason. UZR suggests Torres is an excellent outfielder and defense was indeed a driving reason for the trade.
"More than anything, we're expecting solid center field defense from Torres," vice predident of player development and scouting Paul DePodesta told MLBTR. "Offensively, we'd anticipate something in between his 2011 and 2010 performances."
The Mets' signing of Chris Capuano worked out nicely in 2011, when the left-hander made 31 starts. The team didn’t make any such additions this offseason, though swingman Miguel Batista re-signed on a minor league deal. If Johan Santana’s shoulder limits him in a significant way — a real possibility given the nature of shoulder injuries and the trouble he encountered last summer — the Mets may explore the market for starting pitching. So far, they haven't been as eager to sign starting pitchers as they were a year ago.
"There were two main factors at play," DePodesta explained. "One, we felt strongly about Capuano a year ago and didn't have the same conviction about someone in this year's class. And two, we didn't have the same opportunity to sell this year. With Santana coming back, we had a full rotation, assuming health. Therefore, our situation wasn't as appealing to a Capuano-esque starter."
One of the most significant moves of the Mets' quiet offseason occurred when the club officially decided to moves the outfield fences in at Citi Field. The change ostensibly creates balance between offense and defense, but it could also increase fan interest and enhance the trade value of certain Mets position players.
If David Wright drew serious trade interest, we didn't hear about it at MLBTR. The currently sidelined third baseman could rebuild his trade value in his suddenly cozy home park if he stays healthy. A midseason deal is possible, but if the Mets wait until next winter, they'd be offering Wright for a full season instead of just the pennant race.
The Mets seem content to rely on catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas for the duration of the 2012 campaign. Veteran free agents including Ivan Rodriguez were available, but it makes sense for a developing team such as the Mets to see what their young, internal candidates can do before turning to the veteran stopgap types.
Optimistic Mets fans will look to the likes of Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, Jeurys Familia, Matt Harvey and Jenrry Mejia and hope for big seasons in 2012. There's also Zack Wheeler, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Brandon Nimmo and the promise of the 12th overall pick this June. Talent is on the way.
Yet the Mets' offseason was at best unspectacular and at worst demoralizing. Until the team's bad contracts officially expire and the multi-million dollar lawsuit against against owners Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon is settled, there's no indication that the Mets will stop operating like a small-market club. Sometimes it’s hard to believe they play in the biggest market in the U.S.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Harper, Martinez
Earlier today, we learned the Nationals signed outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady to a minor league contract, adding insurance for Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche, who are both battling injuries. Here's more on the Nats and a couple other items of note …
- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel implied that his team may look for infield help outside of camp now that Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Placido Polanco are all dealing with injuries, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. We heard earlier today that the Phils could be interested in someone like utility man Mike Aviles of the Red Sox, although Aviles is tentatively slated to be Boston's starting shortstop as of now.
- The Nationals optioned prized prospect Bryce Harper to minor league camp, the team announced. The Nats will go with an in-house option such as Roger Bernadina and/or Rick Ankiel in center field, a source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com, with Jayson Werth playing right field. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, for one, doesn't think Harper's demotion was related to his arbitration or free-agent clocks (via Twitter).
- Mets manager Terry Collins said Fernando Martinez, now with the Astros, was waived this offseason because the outfielder was unable to stay healthy, writes Paul Hagen of MLB.com. "I know his talent. I know he's got great talent. Unfortunately, he's been one of those guys who's had a tough time getting the amount of games that I think you have to have to get ready." Martinez, for his part, said he was surprised that the Mets chose to waive him, thinking instead that he thought at times that a trade was possible.