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Odds & Ends: Anderson, Smoltz, Red Sox, Dye

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Links for Friday…

Mets, Two Others Interested In Catalanotto

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The Mets are one of three teams interested in Frank Catalanotto, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com. The Brewers and Marlins are "believed to be" Catalanotto's other suitors. The 35-year-old hit .278/.346/.382 in a part-time role for the Brewers last year, playing at second and in left and right. 

Like Jim Edmonds, who the Brewers added yesterday, Catalanotto is a left-handed hitter with a significant platoon split. He struggles against lefties, but has a career .819 OPS against right-handers.

Mets Sign Josh Fogg

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The Mets signed pitcher Josh Fogg to a minor league deal, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.

Despite poor peripheral stats, Fogg managed to post a 3.74 ERA in 45.6 relief innings for the Rockies last year.  He tossed another 40.3 ugly innings as a starter in the minors.  In his best days, Fogg was able to chew up 30 starts with an ERA around 5.00 for the Pirates and Rockies.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Damon, Burrell, Lopez

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On this date two years ago, the Mets and Twins agreed to a five player deal sending two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana to New York. The Mets and Santana had a 72-hour window to finalize a contract extension, and the two sides eventually agreed to a six-year, $137.5MM contract to make the trade official. Santana has given the Mets over 400 innings of 2.78 ERA ball, while just one of the four players the Twins received in the deal is still with the organization.

Here's some links from around the baseball blogosphere…

  • Blogging Mets isn't sure where the Mets can turn for pitching help now that Jon Garland and Ben Sheets are off the market.
  • The Baseball Opinion wonders if the Sheets and Justin Duchscherer signings were calculated moves by Billy Beane made with the intention of flipping both at the trade deadline.
  • Royals Authority takes a look a Kansas City's crowded outfield.
  • Camden Crazies goes through some different roster permutations for the Orioles.
  • The Sports Banter comes up with some possible destinations for Johnny Damon.
  • Meanwhile, U.S.S. Mariner thinks Damon would be a cost effective way to upgrade Seattle's roster.
  • Rays Index takes the latest Rays' rumors as a sign that they're still trying to trade Pat Burrell.
  • Pro Ball NW gives us five reasons why the Mariners should trade Jose Lopez.
  • TAUNTR chimes in on some of the latest hot stove news.

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

Six Teams Considering Chien-Ming Wang

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THURSDAY, 7:45pm: Nero says that Wang is reconsidering his plan not to return from shoulder surgery until a couple months into the season, writes Jayson Stark of ESPN.  Nero says that "four or five teams" are pursuing Wang more aggressively than expected and therefore, his client could sign before Spring Training if he receives the right offer.

Stark mentions the Mets, Dodgers, and Cardinals as potential destinations for the 29-year-old hurler.

MONDAY, 5:32pm: Ken Rosenthal catches up with Chien-Ming Wang's agent, Alan Nero, who reports that a half-dozen teams are currently reviewing Wang's medical records.

Wang is training with an eye on throwing off a mound within a week or two, Nero added.

“We’re anticipating a major-league offer with a substantial guarantee and substantial upside,” Nero said.

The way that works out, timing-wise, Wang should be throwing off a mound right as the teams licking their wounds from losing out on Ben Sheets are ready to take notice.

The two are hardly similar pitchers, however. While Sheets gets more fly balls than ground balls and has a healthy strikeout rate, Wang is quite dependent on his infield defense.

So for those who miss out on Sheets, better check to see if Luis Castillo or Michael Young is playing for your team before going after Wang. If so, you might want to save your money.

Mets To Re-Sign Fernando Tatis

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THURSDAY, 6:30pm: The Mets and Fernando Tatis have reached agreement on a one-year deal, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. 

Terms of the agreement are currently unknown, but Puma writes that the 35-year-old will earn less than the $1.7MM he made last season.  However, a baseball source indicates that with incentives, Tatis could approach that figure.

3:00pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com says (via Twitter) that the Mets will sign Tatis. This means Carlos Delgado will have to look for a job elsewhere.

WEDNESDAY, 6:46pm: Adam Rubin of The New York Daily News says a deal should be wrapped up "shortly." 

6:06pm: The Mets are deep into negotiations with Fernando Tatis, reports Mike Puma of The New York Post. A deal could be reached within a matter of days.

GM Omar Minaya contacted Tatis' agent today, and indicated that he wants an answer soon. Tatis earned $1.7MM in 2009, and Puma says he wants a comparable contract for 2010. A deal would seem to eliminate the possibility of a Carlos Delgado return. Puma mentions the Rockies and Mariners as other clubs that have expressed interest in the free agent. 

The 35-year-old Tatis hit .282/.339/.438 with just eight homers in 379 plate appearances last year, though he did see time at six positions. He will be forever remembered as the first (and only) player in Major League history to hit two grand slams in one inning, off the same pitcher no less.

Could John Smoltz Land With Mets?

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THURSDAY, 6:12pm: There has been "increased momentum" towards an agreement between the Mets and John Smoltz, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday. It's believed that the 42-year-old is seeking $4MM guaranteed, plus performance bonuses.

Though the Mets have yet to make Smoltz a formal offer, they have expressed enthusiasm about bringing him aboard.  Likewise, the righty is encouraged by their level of interest.

8:44am:  Smoltz could take the Pedro Martinez path and sign mid-season, believes a source of Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News.  Pedro signed with the Phillies in July and made his debut a month later.

WEDNESDAY, 9:58am: John Smoltz will fit with almost any club, assuming he comes cheaply.  It's unknown whether he can provide significant innings in 2010 as a 43-year-old, but there's something left in the tank given his 73 strikeouts and 18 walks in 78 innings last year.  He's a potential weapon in the back end of a rotation or a bullpen.

Mike Puma of the New York Post says that with Ben Sheets and Jon Garland off the board, Smoltz could be the "last man standing" for the Mets.  While they've been in contact, Puma believes the Mets aren't willing to spend much.  Meanwhile, David Waldstein of the New York Times believes Jarrod Washburn is a possibility for the Mets.

Bob Klapisch of The Bergen Record wrote today that Smoltz is "believed to be leaning toward the Cardinals," but Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cards "appear unlikely to engage" Smoltz given their Rich Hill signing yesterday.

The Phillies and Nationals have been linked to Smoltz this winter, though the Phils may be set after reaching an agreement with Jose Contreras.

Hisanori Takahashi Seeking Major League Deal

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Japanese lefty Hisanori Takahashi seeks a big league deal as he attempts to transition to MLB, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  Crasnick names five interested teams: the Orioles, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, and Giants.  Takahashi, 35 in April, is willing to pitch as a starter or reliever.

Last year for the Yomiuri Giants Takahashi posted a 2.94 ERA, 7.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and 1.0 HR/9 in 144 innings. Takahashi's '08 numbers: 4.13 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and 1.18 HR/9 in 122 innings.  By numbers alone Takahashi could be considered a command guy who might have trouble keeping the ball in the yard and exceeding 150 innings.

Back in November, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker profiled Takahashi.  He earned about $1.3MM in '09 and is represented by Peter Greenberg.  Takahashi doesn't throw very hard or shut down lefties, but is known for his screwball.

Odds & Ends: Street, Nelson, Prospects, Mets

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Links for Wednesday…

Cubs Sign Chad Tracy

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The Cubs officially signed infielder Chad Tracy to a minor league deal today.  ESPN's Bruce Levine and Jayson Stark first reported the agreement last night, which is worth $900K if Tracy makes the team and another $525K if he reaches 450 plate appearances.

Tracy, 30 in May, struggled to a .237/.306/.389 line in 288 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks last year.  Tracy's future looked bright in May of '06, when he inked a three-year, $13.25MM deal with the D'Backs coming off a .308/.359/.553 season.  But even then he was shielded against lefties, against whom he's never had success.  Tracy's left knee began to bother him, and he had microfracture surgery in September of '07.  A blood clot complicated his recovery.  In March of '09, Tracy told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert the knee was no longer a factor.

Tracy gives Chicago a left-handed reserve bat and corner infield backup for Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee.  The Rockies, Orioles and Mets had also shown interest in the veteran infielder, who will be changing addresses for the first time in his six-year major league career. 

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

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