Heyman On Reyes, Beltran
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- One NL exec believes the Mets will have to be "overwhelmed" or get a "clear win" to trade shortstop Jose Reyes, which is in line with previous reports. The Mets are 4.5 games back in the wild card, but have the luxury of seeing how the next 30 days or so unfold. For our look at the shortstop market, click here.
- I assume the same logic applies to Carlos Beltran, that the Mets wouldn't deal him for prospects if they're still in contention. Heyman says the Mets would eat most or all of Beltran's remaining money if they can get a decent young piece or two, and that the right fielder would probably waive his no-trade clause to go to a contender. At the trade deadline he'll have about $6MM left on his contract.
- Josh Willingham, Michael Bourn, and Ivan Rodriguez fill out the top five on Heyman's list of the best potentially available position players. The Nationals' Roger Bernadina sneaks onto the list at #23.
Reyes Says There’s “No Chance” He Switches Agents
2:57pm: Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal quotes Reyes (via Twitter) as saying that he spoke to Boras twice on the phone, but there's "no chance" he switches agents.
SATURDAY, 2:33pm: ESPN's Adam Rubin hears from a source that Reyes is expected to address the situation today prior to the Mets game at Citi Field tonight, and announce that he is staying with Greenberg. According to Rubin, Reyes may express displeasure that contact with Scott Boras was disclosed, and that it was not initiated by Reyes. Rubin also points out that Chris Leible, one of Reyes' agents, is the godfather of two of Reyes' children.
Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger tweets that he would be shocked if Reyes left his current representation. Newsday's David Lennon echoes that sentiment with a tweet of his own.
FRIDAY: Scott Boras already represents many of the game's biggest stars, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that he's looking to add Jose Reyes to his client list as well. Boras is speaking to Reyes about becoming his representative according to Rosenthal's sources, and a move would almost guarantee he'll test the free agent waters after the season.
Reyes is currently represented by Peter Greenberg. Agents are free to speak to players they do not represent, however they must disclose all contact with 40-man roster players to the union. Rosenthal says that other agents have tried to lure Reyes away from Greenberg in the past, and he apparently considered a change while meeting agents over the winter. Boras almost always takes his big clients out onto the open market, and Reyes will be one of the best available players this coming offseason.
Check out our Agency Database to see a list of known Boras clients and Greenberg clients.
MLBTR's Steve Adams also contributed to this post.
Mets Will Consider Scott Kazmir
Once the centerpiece of a trade that caused years of grief for Mets fans, Scott Kazmir was handed his release papers by the Angels last Wednesday. Kazmir was the big prize for the Rays in a 2004 trade that sent Victor Zambrano to the Mets, and now, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, there's at least a chance he'll come full circle and end up back with the club that drafted him 15th overall in 2002.
Martino notes that general manager Sandy Alderson is usually quick to dismiss speculation about players whom the team is genuinely not interested in, but when asked about the possibility of adding Kazmir, Alderson had this to say: "We look at everybody who hits the wire, and the same would apply to him."
It's hardly a strong commitment in favor of Kazmir, but it does at least point to a possibility that Kazmir could return to Queens seven years after he was traded. The Mets' rotation has been solid with a 3.84 ERA this season entering play today, but their depth took a significant hit when they lost both Chris Young (anterior capsule tear in his throwing shoulder) and top prospect Jenrry Mejia (Tommy John surgery) earlier this year. It's also still unknown when ace Johan Santana will pitch again. Kazmir is the type of low-risk, high-reward addition that could improve that depth if he can rediscover himself.
Olney’s Latest: McCourts, Reyes, Bell
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote about Vanderbilt catcher Curt Casali, who one evaluator called an "absolute steal" by the Tigers as a tenth round pick in this year's draft. "He's a smart guy, and he's been calling his own pitches," said the evaluator. "You don't see that a lot in college baseball these days, because the pitches are called from the bench."
Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- No matter what happens with the McCourts' divorce settlement, the Dodgers will be weakened. If Frank McCourt keeps the team, he'll be forced to use millions of dollars from the proposed FOX television deal to pay off the settlement. If he sells, the new owner will be stuck with a deal that is designed to infuse cash for McCourt now rather than help the franchise long-term.
- Two executives told Olney that they can't imagine being able to give up what the Mets would require in return to trade Jose Reyes. The Mets will be criticized no matter what, whether they trade Reyes, re-sign him, or let him walk as a free agent.
- Teams are beginning to "accelerate talks" with the Padres about Heath Bell, and multiple sides are preparing to exchange trade proposals.
NL East Links: Isringhausen, Reyes, Marlins
Let's round up some links from the NL East…
- ESPN's Buster Olney says (on Twitter) one name that has been raised by talent evaluators as a trade option if the Mets become sellers is Jason Isringhausen. Izzy has a 3.09 ERA in 23 1/3 innings as Francisco Rodriguez's primary setup man, but the advanced metrics don't like him as much: his FIP sits at 4.75.
- An executive told SI.com's Jon Heyman that he believes Mets shortstop Jose Reyes will eclipse Carl Crawford's seven-year, $142MM contract as a free agent this winter because of his bat and "shutdown" defense (Twitter links). Another exec told Joel Sherman of The New York Post that "Prince Fielder is going to get at least 7 yrs with that body, so tell me how [Reyes] doesn't get at least 7 yrs."
- The Marlins made a series of roster moves today, but MLB.com's Joe Frisaro hears that the team is not considering a managerial change (Twitter links). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, meanwhile, says that manager Edwin Rodriguez is on shaky ground and the team maintains interest in Ozzie Guillen and even Bobby Valentine.
- Peter Gammons hears that Marlins players believe team ownership will go over the the heads of the baseball operations department and fire Rodriguez as well as his coaches (Twitter link).
When Batting Champions Get Traded
It shouldn't come as any surprise that if Jose Reyes, the current National League leader in batting average, gets traded, the move will be almost entirely unprecedented. Generally, players at the top of the league leaders category in batting average are considered irreplaceable, and stay put. But as should be obvious by now, these aren't ordinary times for the New York Mets.
But the only time a batting champion was ever dealt mid-year, it was by the arch rivals of the New York Mets back in the most successful period of the franchise's history. The year was 1990. The player was Willie McGee, the team the St. Louis Cardinals, and the statistical ramifications were truly wacky.
It had been a rough year for the Cards, who'd won a National League pennant in 1987, and 86 games in 1989. A team whose best seasons were built around speed, defense and pitching saw all three areas decline. Other than John Tudor, the pitchers were decidedly average- and Tudor, now 36, pitched just 146 1/3 innings.
The hitters were slowing down, too. Ozzie Smith turned 35. Vince Coleman, who'd stolen more than 100 bases three times, swiped just 77. Terry Pendleton hit .230 with six home runs, and no one had the power of Jack Clark – the home run leader was a young catcher named Todd Zeile, who clouted 15.
But Zeile, along with young outfielders Bernard Gilkey and Ray Lankford, appeared to be the foundation of the next Cardinals team. That made for a very different fit in the manager's chair, and halfway through the season, the great Whitey Herzog called it quits. Rebuilding mode was on.
But that didn't stop McGee, who'd already won a batting title and MVP back when the stakes were higher in 1985. Playing primarily center field, McGee posted a .335 batting average in 125 games during his age 31 season. The Oakland Athletics had Dave Henderson in center field, and wanted a better defensive alternative to the aging Hendu. So on August 29, Oakland traded Felix Jose, Stan Royer and Daryl Green to St. Louis for the magical McGee.
Jose was supposed to be the centerpiece of the deal, but he simply never developed into the top-tier slugger the Cardinals wanted. (Actually, his numbers mirror, rather dramatically, his minor league production). McGee's pace fell off as well, and he hit just .274 with the Athletics- enough, however, to get them to the 1990 World Series. McGee, a free agent-to-be like Reyes, then signed with the San Francisco Giants that winter.
Thanks to the math of the time, however, McGee's .274 didn't prevent him from winning a batting title. Back then, totals accrued in the American League were considered separate from NL totals. So McGee, with his .335 NL average in the required number of plate appearances, sat frozen atop the batting average leaderboard. Thus, he edged out the full seasons of Eddie Murray (.330), Dave Magadan (.328) and Lenny Dykstra (.325). George Brett's .329 took home AL honors. McGee's combined .324 average wouldn't have won either league.
How baseball would handle the leaderboard if Jose Reyes switched leagues is still unclear. Currently, Reyes trails Adrian Gonzalez, the AL leader in batting average, by a single point. But if Reyes should get dealt while winning a batting title, Mets fans cannot accurately bemoan an unprecedented occurrence. And in a fascinating twist, the GM who'd deal Reyes, Sandy Alderson, is the same GM who traded for McGee with the Athletics. Maybe the man just hates untainted batting titles.
Stark On Dempster, Adams, Reyes, Braves
Jayson Stark leads his latest column for ESPN with a debate with colleague Buster Olney about realignment possibilities. He notes that his sources say there's no chance divisions are dissolved and baseball becomes two 15-team leagues. On to Stark's other rumblings…
- An NL executive who spoke with Cubs GM Jim Hendry says there's no likely scenario where Ryan Dempster is traded. Earlier today, there were indications the Yankees at least have an eye on Dempster, who has full no-trade rights and a $14MM player option for 2012.
- Padres reliever Mike Adams also is likely to stay put, as the Padres are only interested in trading impending free agents Heath Bell and Chad Qualls.
- Jose Reyes might not be Brian Sabean's type of player, says one baseball man who speaks with the Giants' GM regularly. Still, Stark's source wondered if the liberation of winning last year's World Series might compel Sabean to take more chances. Of course, the Mets are looking like potential buyers right now.
- The Braves are "aggressively positioning themselves to deal for an outfield bat as soon as they can find a team ready to open its sell-off shop for business," writes Stark, and they've already checked in on Josh Willingham and Hunter Pence. We outlined potentially available power bats earlier this month.
Alderson Talks Reyes, Trade Deadline, K-Rod
Mets GM Sandy Alderson chatted with WFAN's Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts today for about twenty minutes; here are a few highlights.
- Asked when the Mets will make a formal contract extension offer to Jose Reyes, Alderson laughed at the direct nature of the question and responded, "Well, we said that we will reach out to Jose at some point, and I expect that will happen. Beyond that, I can't tell you." Questioned about the possibility of extending Reyes before season's end, Alderson noted that it's a "two-sided process." He said he hasn't gotten to the point of determining limits on what to offer Reyes, and reiterated that the feelings of the fans factor into his decisions.
- Reyes spoke to WFAN's Mike Francesa today, saying right now all he can control is his play on the field. He says he wants to stay but understands this is a business and he doesn't know what's going to happen. He doesn't talk about his future contract with his agent Peter Greenberg.
- Though the Mets have long been considered potential sellers, Alderson says the team playing well closer to the trade deadline is "the best possible situation for us to be in." Later, he guessed that the Wilpons "would do everything they can to make that possible" in terms of creating payroll flexibility to make deadline acquisitions. Alderson, however, feels that getting Ike Davis, David Wright, and possibly Johan Santana back would provide a similar boost.
- Alderson didn't commit much on the Francisco Rodriguez situation, only saying that the hosts had "reminded me of all the difficult propositions we face." He admitted that next year's payroll is a big issue, and said the vesting option situation will be more fully addressed down the road. K-Rod currently has 27 games finished, and it's possible he could reach 55 by the end of August, causing a $17.5MM option to vest for 2012.
Scott Kazmir Rumors: Thursday
27-year-old lefty Scott Kazmir was released by the Angels yesterday. The team ultimately received 188 innings of 5.31 ball, plus 10 2/3 postseason innings, since acquiring him on August 28th, 2009. The Angels gave up prospects Alexander Torres and Matt Sweeney that day, and infielder Sean Rodriguez was included as a player to be named later. The Angels still owe Kazmir over $9MM to cover his salary for the rest of the season and the buyout on his club option. Today's Kazmir links…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he hasn't looked into the possibility of acquiring Kazmir but will eventually, tweets MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Cashman commented, "I know he's struggled."
- Kazmir is a "possibility" for the Mets, GM Sandy Alderson said in response to a question on WFAN's Benigno and Roberts (MetsBlog has more info). However, when pressed on the topic by Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, Alderson admitted his interest in Kazmir is the same as it is for everybody who hits the wire (Twitter link). Kazmir, of course, is a former first-round pick of the Mets who was traded by former GM Jim Duquette to the Devil Rays in '04. Kazmir's history with the organization is a factor, Alderson told Dan Martin of the New York Post.
- My take: signing Kazmir is a low-risk proposition that almost any team could justify, taking him on as a minor league project for the next several months similar to what the Nationals are doing with Oliver Perez. But that's only if Kazmir wants to sign right now and finds a good fit.
- "I don't have any regrets," Angels GM Tony Reagins said of the '09 Kazmir trade, speaking to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. Explained Reagins, "You make decisions in this business and live with the consequences."
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia remarked to ESPN's Mark Saxon and the AP, "He's still young and I'm sure at some point we hope he can unlock that secret of where he needs to be."
Mets Notes: Gee, Mazzoni, Einhorn, Collins
Dillon Gee's xFIP (3.90, well above his 3.05 ERA) and low BABIP (.244) indicate that the right-hander is probably due for a regression, writes Mark Simon of ESPN New York. Mets fans are hoping the magic can last for at least one more start as Gee puts his 7-0 record on the line tonight against the Braves. A Mets win tonight would get them back to the .500 mark (34-34) for the season.
Some more items from the Amazin's….
- The Mets announced the signings of 12 draft picks, including second-rounder Cory Mazzoni. Mazzoni, a right-handed pitcher from NC State, was taken 71st overall.
- If Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz don't pay $200MM back to pending minority owner David Einhorn within three years, Einhorn will receive a 60% controlling interest in the franchise for just one dollar, writes Mike Ozanian of Forbes. Somewhere, at least one Yankee fan is claiming the price is too high…
- Given all of the off-the-field drama, trade rumors and injuries that the Mets have suffered this season, Terry Collins should be a Manager Of The Year contender for keeping the team competitive, argues Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.