Mets Rumors

Mets And Royals Discussing Francoeur, Others

By Zachary Links | July 26, 2010 at 3:09pm CDT

MONDAY, 3:09pm: A source tells ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that the Royals have "no interest" in Francoeur or Perez (Twitter link).

SUNDAY, 7:33pm: Talks between the Mets and Royals are fluid, though it doesn't appear that Guillen will be headed to Queens, says Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. It seems that if Guillen is dealt elsewhere, then Kansas City would be interested in Francoeur, Martino adds.

7:00pm: Francoeur and Perez are on the block, a source tells Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter). Another source tells Heyman that a trade with Kansas City "might happen" (Twitter link).

6:36pm: The Mets are in talks with the Royals and three names from each side are "in play," writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Those Royals players are Gil Meche, Kyle Farnsworth, and Jose Guillen while the Mets being discussed are Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo, and Jeff Francoeur. It is unclear how advanced the talks are, cautions Rosenthal (via Twitter).

While the two sides aren't necessarily looking at a three-for-three swap, the two biggest contracts do match up well. Meche and Perez's contracts are identical over the next two seasons, with both pitchers earning $12MM in this year and next. The Mets made an attempt to swap the two just over a week ago.

Francoeur and Farnsworth also match up well, says Rosenthal. Farnsworth's contract has a club option for 2011 for $5.25MM, though he has the right to void it in favor of a $500K buyout if he is traded before the 2010 World Series. Francoeur will make $5MM this season before entering his final year of arbitration eligibility.

Odds & Ends: Rangers, DeJesus, Westbrook, Happ

By Zachary Links | July 25, 2010 at 10:45pm CDT

There's still plenty of news in the baseball world outside of today's surprising deal. Let's dive in..

Derek Czenczelewski and Gil Bransford of ESPN took a look back at the best and worst trades in Rangers history.
Ben Davis will take one more shot at the big leagues, this time as a pitcher, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
The Red Sox were serious about David DeJesus before his injury, a rival executive tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
The Indians are drawing only mild interest in pitcher Jake Westbrook, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Trade bonuses in his contract remain an obstacle, even though Cleveland would be willing to include cash in the deal, Rosenthal adds (via Twitter).
Mets GM Omar Minaya declined to give his coaching staff a vote of confidence, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Hitting coach Howard Johnson appears to be the most vulnerable of the bunch.
Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ has looked good as scouts have had an eye on him leading up to the deadline, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Happ would likely head to Houston in a deal for Roy Oswalt.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels continues to say that the club will look internally for improvement, writes ESPN.com's Jeff Caplan.

Gorzelanny, Lilly Both Drawing Interest

By Steve Adams | July 25, 2010 at 1:49pm CDT

We've heard for weeks that Ted Lilly will be one of the more attractive pitchers available at this year's July 31 deadline. According to Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times, Lilly's not the only Chicago southpaw drawing interest either.

Tom Gorzelanny, in the midst of one of his best seasons at the Major League level, is getting some attention as well. He's posted a 3.22 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .242 average through 86.2 innings (14 starts). His 3.33 FIP and 8.7 K/9 support his success, but control is an issue, as he's also walking 4.6 per nine innings.

In contrast, Lilly's overall numbers are weaker than Gorzelanny's, but he allows far fewer baserunners. He's walking significantly fewer hitters (2.1 BB/9) and opponents are batting just .236 off him. Lilly's drawn greater interest, according to De Luca, but the Mets are currently backing down their pursuit. Part of their hesitation lies in the Cubs' asking price for the veteran lefty, but also contributing to their concerns is Lilly's drop in velocity. He's never been a flamethrower, but his fastball is averaging just 86mph, which is down from his career mark of 88.2mph.

Gorzelanny is the cheaper option between the two. He's making just $800K in 2010 and is eligible for arbitration following the season. Lilly is a free agent following the season, and while his no-trade clause is believed to include the Phillies, Twins, and Rays, he's unlikely to block a trade to a contender. His current Type A status is appealing, though he's far from a lock to be offered arbitration.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Phillies, White Sox, Tigers, Lilly

By Zachary Links | July 24, 2010 at 9:11pm CDT

Links for Saturday evening..

The Cubs signed second-round selection Reggie Golden for a bonus of $720K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. Golden, the 65th overall pick in the draft, received a bonus $157K more than MLB's recommendation for his draft position.
Scouts from the Astros, Tigers, Rays, Red Sox, and Pirates were all in attendance at Phillies-Rockies today, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.
During FOX's telecast of Mets-Dodgers, Ken Rosenthal reported that the Phillies have scratched Double-A starter J.C. Ramirez from his Sunday start, though he is not injured. The move, he says, could be an indication that a trade is in the works.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen thinks clubs are asking for too much in trade talks, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland wants to hang on to his young talent unless the club can get something special in return, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Despite some recent reports to the contrary, Cubs officials told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com that there is nothing imminent regarding Ted Lilly.
The Mets are "near-certain" to non-tender John Maine this winter, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The right-hander underwent season-ending surgery on his right shoulder yesterday.
It's unlikely that the M's move Jason Vargas, a Seattle official told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

Jose Guillen Drawing Interest

By Luke Adams 2 | July 23, 2010 at 7:57pm CDT

There are several teams with at least "a passing interest" in Jose Guillen, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal names the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Padres, and Giants as potential Guillen suitors.

The Giants, who have been connected to virtually every available outfielder, were said to have scouted Guillen last night. However, most of the other clubs Rosenthal lists have yet to be linked to Guillen. The Yanks, Sox, Mets, and Padres could all be in the market for another outfielder, and may not have to take on too much salary to acquire Guillen — last month, we heard from ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the Royals were willing to eat a good chunk of the money owed to the 34-year-old. Guillen has approximately $4.76MM remaining on his $12MM 2010 salary.

With David DeJesus on the disabled list for the rest of the season, Guillen (.279/.342/.463) has become the Royals' most appealing chip for teams in search of outfield help.

Lilly Can Block Trade To Rays

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 23, 2010 at 3:16pm CDT

Ted Lilly can block a trade to the Rays, but not to the Mets or Tigers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Ken Rosenthal reported over the weekend that Lilly can block trades to ten teams, including the Twins and Phillies. Morosi notes that interest in Lilly picked up this week after his strong outing Wednesday. There was already plenty of interest in the left-hander and it appears that the Cubs will deal him.

The 34-year-old projects to be a Type A free agent after the season, though not by much. That means teams could obtain picks in the 2011 draft if they're willing to risk an offer of arbitration. Lilly has a 3.88 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 this year and he makes $12MM (about $4.8MM remains).

Odds & Ends: Greinke, Cardinals, DeJesus, Guillen

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 23, 2010 at 2:50pm CDT

Links for Friday, exactly one year after the Rockies acquired Rafael Betancourt…

A source tells George A. King III of the New York Post that the Royals will listen on all of their players, including Zack Greinke. As one MLB source explained to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, the Royals would really need to be blown away to trade their ace (Twitter link).
The Cardinals have slowed their search for a shortstop who can hit, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Here's a major blow for the Royals: David DeJesus will miss two to six weeks, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter). Either way, he's out until after the deadline.
The Giants scouted Jose Guillen last night, according to Olney (Twitter link).
Brewers manager Ken Macha appears to have job security for the rest of the season, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News suggests that the Phillies should send Raul Ibanez back to Seattle. That's a deal that wouldn't interest the Mariners in the least.
Jeff Francoeur told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork that he loves New York, but wouldn't mind being traded if it means he gets to play more. The Mets appear to be trying to trade Francoeur.

Royals Like Jeff Francoeur

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 23, 2010 at 12:39pm CDT

The Royals 'like' Jeff Francoeur, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Mets would like to trade Francoeur, and Royals GM Dayton Moore was in the Braves front office when the right-fielder made a name for himself in Atlanta, so the Mets and Royals could become trade partners. About $2MM remains on Francoeur's salary, and that's an obstacle for the Royals, according to Rosenthal.

The 26-year-old told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork that he wouldn't mind getting traded. Even if he stays in New York for the rest of the season, Francoeur may get a change of scenery this winter, since he's a non-tender candidate. Francoeur has hit .247/.297/.380 this year, though he did post an .836 OPS after the Mets traded for him in 2009.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Gillies, Oswalt, Hart, Lilly

By Mike Axisa | July 23, 2010 at 12:06pm CDT

On this date ten years ago, a 36-year-old Barry Larkin signed a three-year contract extension with the Reds worth $27MM. This came a day after Larkin invoked his ten-and-five rights to block a trade to the Mets, who agreed to send then-top prospect Alex Escobar and two others to Cincinnati. New York dealt Melvin Mora and three other players to Baltimore for Mike Bordick five days later, filling their shortstop hole. Larkin, the first 30-30 shortstop in baseball history, hit just .257/.328/.372 during the life of the extension.

Here are some links with the trade deadline seemingly right around the corner…

Phoul Ballz interviews Phillies' prospect Tyson Gillies, who was acquired in the Cliff Lee trade this winter.
Crawfish Boxes lists the players they would want if Roy Oswalt is traded to the Cardinals.
Ghost of Moonlight Graham looks at the trade market for Corey Hart.
Disciples of Uecker explains how the Brewers screwed up the J.J. Hardy trade.
Twinkie Town reviews the Twins' trade deadline action from 2007-2009.
Monkey With A Halo provides a full-proof plan to fix the Angels in the second half.
The Baseball Opinion speculates about a Ted Lilly to the Mets trade.
The Friarhood looks at some ways to improve the Padres' outfield situation.
Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? has some fun with a rumor involving Neftali Feliz.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Mets Designate Fernando Nieve For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 23, 2010 at 7:51am CDT

The Mets designated Fernando Nieve for assignment after last night’s loss, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. In need of relievers, the team flew in right-hander Manny Acosta from Triple A and he will replace Nieve on the roster, according to the Mets.

The Mets claimed Nieve off of waivers from the Astros last year and he responded by posting a sub-3.00 ERA in 36.2 innings of work. This season, the 28-year-old Venezuelan has a 6.00 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Mets' decision to designate Nieve had something to do with the five runs he allowed the D'Backs to score in his relief appearance Monday.

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