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Davidoff On Twins, Indians, Reyes, Rays

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Since few teams have been completely eliminated from contention, the trade market is developing slowly, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff. As of today, the top commodity available is relief pitching and there’s lots of interest in that department. Here are the rest of Davidoff’s notes on the trade market:

  • Heath Bell, Francisco Rodriguez, Chad Qualls and Luke Gregerson are available. 
  • The Mets believe they can keep their fans interested even if they trade Rodriguez.
  • The Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cardinals and Rangers are among the teams that are heavily in the mix for relievers.
  • It appears extremely unlikely that the Mets will trade Jose Reyes, but his top suitors would likely include the Reds, Indians, Giants and Mariners, four teams that have poked around for infield help, according to Davidoff. It’s even possible that the Red Sox would pursue Reyes if he became available.
  • The Orioles aren’t quite ready to shop Koji Uehara and the Twins aren’t quite ready to shop Matt Capps. In fact, the Twins aren’t going to sell until they’re sure they’re out of contention.
  • The Yankees are focused on finding a lefty reliever, a commodity the Red Sox and Tigers would also like to acquire.
  • Though no frontline starters appear to be available, the Yankees are looking to acquire a top starter. Cleveland and Detroit are also looking for rotation help.
  • The Mariners are looking for an outfielder and the Phillies are still looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder.
  • One official says the Rays are “buying and selling.” Johnny Damon could be had in the right deal, according to Davidoff.

Mets Are Shopping K-Rod, Byrdak, Isringhausen

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The Mets are making it clear to other teams that they're looking to move relievers Francisco Rodriguez, Tim Byrdak, and Jason Isringhausen, two sources tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.

"They are really trying to move Isringhausen, and also Byrdak and K-Rod (before the trade deadline)," said one of the sources. "Those guys have pitched well, and they could help somebody."

Their actions, Martino writes, do not yet indicate that they're giving up on this season.  The club could trade a reliever or two and still claim to be serious about this year.  However, it does seem that they will look to sell and build towards the future.

Rodriguez's situation is complicated by his 2012 contract option, which vests if he finishes 55 games.  At present, K-Rod is on pace to finish 61 games this year.  The right-hander will earn $17.5MM in '12 if his option kicks in but can be bought out for just $3.5MM if he falls short of the mark.

Quick Hits: Mets, Indians, Cameron, Gregerson

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Tuesday night linkage..

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson says that he isn't counseling manager Terry Collins on how to use Francisco Rodriguez, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.  K-Rod is on pace to finish more than 55 games this year.
  • Indians owners Larry and Paul Dolan have encouraged GM Chris Antonetti to find ways to improve the club, but that doesn't mean he's operating with an open checkbook, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.
  • The Mariners, Phillies, Nationals, Twins, and Rangers didn't inquire on Mike Cameron before he was dealt to the Marlins, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • A major league executive told Tom Krasovic of InsideThePadres (via Twitter) that no team wants to take on money in a deal.  The teams that can absorb salary, the exec says, have a big advantage.
  • The Padres activated right-hander Luke Gregerson from the disabled list today and a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that there's already trade interest in him.
  • There's been a lot of interest in pitcher Scott Kazmir and he should have a team soon, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  On Sunday, Buster Olney of ESPN estimated that Kazmir would find a club by early next week.

Quick Hits: Orioles, Canseco, Dodgers, Gutierrez

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The Yankees obtained Jeff Weaver from the Tigers in a three team deal that sent Ted Lilly to Oakland and Carlos Pena to Detroit on this date in 2002. We've only seen minor moves so far today, so here are some links to check out…

  • Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun runs through some possible trade candidates on the Orioles, including J.J. Hardy, the hot hitting Mark Reynolds and Jeremy Guthrie.
  • Jim Caple of ESPN.com catches up with Jose Canseco, who is now managing and playing for the independent Yuma Scorpions with his brother Ozzie. Not surprisingly, the Scorpions are having a memorable season under Canseco, who has lots to say as usual.
  • Bud Selig has argued that the Dodgers would have been in financial trouble again by 2013 had MLB accepted the club's proposed deal with Fox, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (on Twitter).
  • The attorneys for Frank McCourt wrote that others teams with financial questions enjoy "the velvet-glove treatment" from MLB, according to Shaikin. McCourt's lawyers are asking for documents relating to the Mets' financial issues to prove their point: that the Commissioner's office is biased against McCourt and the Dodgers.
  • Nicaraguan right-hander Osman Gutierrez obtained a $210K bonus from Toronto, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). The Blue Jays announced yesterday that they had signed the prospect.

Mets Notes: Capuano, Rodriguez, Reyes

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The Mets are a game over .500 now, but they were 46-37 on this date last year. Here's the latest on the Mets before they take on the Dodgers in Los Angeles…

  • Chris Capuano has started earning incentives, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The lefty has earned $175K in incentives on top of his $1.5MM base salary and stands to continue making bonus money as the season progresses and he logs more innings.
  • Francisco Rodriguez appears to be available and some general managers believe his trade value is at a tipping point, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter). The closer has finished 32 games and needs just 23 more games finished for his $17.5MM option to vest for 2012. Since teams don’t like that price tag for Rodriguez, they’re wary of acquiring him in a trade.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson told MLB.com's Anthony DiComo that yesterday's New York Post report about Jose Reyes was "one man's opinion." Joel Sherman reported that the Mets are unlikely to trade Reyes this summer and are leaning strongly toward authorizing a substantial offer for him after the season.
  • Yesterday I compared Reyes to fellow speedster Carl Crawford, who signed for $142MM last offseason.

Mets Open To K-Rod Deal; Yankees “Marginally Interested”

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The "door is wide open" for a team to acquire Francisco Rodriguez as the Mets are shopping the reliever, a Yankees source tells Bob Klapisch of FOX Sports (Twitter link).  The Yankees themselves "are only marginally interested" in Rodriguez, however, since Rafael Soriano is tentatively scheduled to return from the DL after the All-Star Break.

Rodriguez specifically cited the Yankees and Rays as two of the "good teams" he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to join, but the right-hander has been adamant that he would prefer to remain a Met. 

Rodriguez's $17.5MM option for 2012 will vest if he finishes 55 games this year and gets a clean bill of health from doctors once the season is over.  He is on pace to pass that 55-game plateau (Rodriguez has finished 31 games thus far) but obviously wouldn't get a chance to close with the Yankees unless Mariano Rivera suffered an injury.  While the Yankees probably wouldn't have to worry about the vesting option, Rodriguez is still owed roughly $5.7MM in salary this year and even the Yankees don't want to spend that much more on late-game relief when they're already paying Rivera and Soriano a combined $25MM.

Tale Of The Tape: Jose Reyes & Carl Crawford

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Fred Wilpon has made it clear that he doesn’t think Jose Reyes is worth $142MM. But there are 29 other owners in baseball and some of them might be happy to offer Reyes the Carl Crawford-esque contract that Wilpon believes his shortstop wants.

Jose Reyes

“He’s had everything wrong with him,” Wilpon told the New Yorker in April. “He won’t get it."

Wilpon has a point. Reyes, who is now sidelined with an apparently minor hamstring issue, has had a variety of injuries over the years. He missed time with a thyroid problem last year, tore his hamstring in 2009 and hit the disabled list with ankle, fibula and hamstring problems earlier in his career, in ’03-’04. 

Yet Reyes remains on a pace to surpass 150 games played for the fifth time in seven years and his numbers are impressive despite the time he has missed. As the table below shows, Reyes’ career numbers are strikingly similar to the ones Crawford had when he hit free agency last offseason and Reyes could have a more impressive walk year in 2011 than the one Crawford had a year ago.

Reyes is just 28, a year younger than Crawford was when he hit free agency. Quality shortstops are harder to find than quality left fielders, which provides Reyes with additional leverage. However, Crawford has more home run power, fewer injury issues and, as a result of his health, higher career totals in most counting stats.

Reyes vs. Crawford

Is $142MM too much of a commitment for a player who has struggled to stay on the field? Possibly, but since Crawford signed for that much, Reyes' representatives at Peter Greenberg Sports will presumably argue that their client deserves a similar or superior deal. After all, Reyes is younger, plays a more challenging position and has similarly impressive statistics. There seems to be a good chance that some team will prove Wilpon wrong this offseason and, ironically, it might even be the Mets.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Mets Sign Miguel Batista

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The Mets signed Miguel Batista to a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Cardinals released the right-hander late last month.

Batista pitched 29 1/3 innings for the Cardinals this year, posting a 4.60 ERA with more walks (19) than strikeouts (16). The 40-year-old's ground ball rate dropped from his usual 50% figure to 36.8% this year, but his average fastball velocity remains respectable. Even after 17 seasons in the majors, the righty averages 92.6 mph.

Mets Unlikely To Trade Reyes; Big Offer Possible

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There’s “almost no way” the Mets will trade Jose Reyes this summer, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Instead, GM Sandy Alderson is leaning strongly toward authorizing a substantial offer for the shortstop after the season, when he hits free agency.

Reyes, who could return from a mild hamstring strain this week, has been among the best players in the league to this point in the season. Alderson doesn’t sound particularly concerned about the injury, but Reyes has told the team he doesn’t want to negotiate in-season, so there’s plenty of time to determine the severity of the strain.

Alderson believes re-signing Reyes would energize the fan base and prevent a hole from opening up in the lineup, according to Sherman. The GM will have to convince ownership that a substantial offer is vital for the team’s success. Earlier this season owner Fred Wilpon said that Reyes isn’t worth a $142MM contract.

Alderson doesn’t generally like massive free agent contracts, but he acknowledges that some big market teams need to invest in stars for fans to spend on and cheer for. The New York front office is not concerned that a big contract would affect Reyes’ drive to succeed.

Mets Sign Jose Garcia

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The Mets have signed Venezuelan catcher Jose Garcia, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.  Exact bonus terms have not been made available, but Badler tweets that the backstop got "sandwich-round type money", less than $1MM.

Garcia has received high praise for his catching intangibles and level, line-drive swing.  The 16-year-old is a switch hitter with below-average power, though some scouts think that his power could improve somewhat.  The Mets have been tied to Garcia for some time.

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