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Mets Sign Ryota Igarashi

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8:10pm: Igarashi's two-year deal with the Mets is worth $3MM, tweets NPB Tracker. Given the cost of late-inning arms this offseason (Brandon Lyon, for example), this seems like a solid, low-risk investment for the Mets.

THURSDAY, 3:41pm: The Mets announced the signing of Igarashi, tweets Ken Davidoff of Newsday.  It's a two-year deal, tweets Ed Price of AOL FanHouse.  ESPN's Keith Law gave a scouting report a few days ago, calling Igarashi a "slightly wild power reliever" with a mid-90s fastball and a splitter he can throw for strikes.

8:41pm: Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post tweets that a Mets source has confirmed that the club has indeed signed Igarashi.

WEDNESDAY, 7:55pm: NPB Tracker (via Twitter) passes on a report from Japanese site Sanspo.com that the Mets have "a basic agreement" to sign reliever Ryota Igarashi.  A follow-up tweet translated a comment from Igarashi's agent Arn Tellem, who says that "the fine points of the contract" are still being worked out.

Cust Hopes To Sign By Christmas

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Free agent outfielder/DH Jack Cust hopes to sign by Christmas, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  He's expected to have two or three offers from which to choose.

Crasnick finds the A's, Rays, and Mets unlikely to sign Cust despite varying degrees of interest.  Instead, the ESPN scribe considers the Royals, Mariners, and Tigers to be "possible fits."  The issue with the Mariners: it'd be out of character for them to endure Cust's ugly defense in left field, and signing him as a DH would reduce Ken Griffey Jr.'s role.

Crasnick does not mention the White Sox, Rangers, or Blue Jays, though those teams could technically make room for Cust at DH.

Given that Cust played his first full season at 28 in '07, the concern is that his downward offensive trends of the last two years will continue.

Market For Mike MacDougal

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ESPN's Jayson Stark looks at the market for recently non-tendered reliever Mike MacDougal in a Rumor Central post today.  Stark says eight to ten teams are "actively pursuing" MacDougal, with the Phillies most interested.  Stark names the Orioles, Pirates, Cardinals, Mets, and A's as other suitors.

The Nationals had the worst bullpen ERA in baseball in 2009 (5.09), so their decision to non-tender MacDougal isn't a good sign.  The righty, 33 in March, struck out only 34 while walking 38 in 54.3 innings this year.  Despite a 96 mph fastball and a strong groundball rate, MacDougal would be a risky late-inning bullpen addition if he costs several million.

Olney On Holliday, Bay, DeRosa

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Hot stove nuggets from ESPN's Buster Olney…

  • Olney doesn't see Jacoby Ellsbury as a great fit for the Padres in a potential Adrian Gonzalez deal, in that Ellsbury will be arbitration-eligible a year from now and is represented by Scott Boras.
  • Olney heard the Red Sox would be interested in signing Matt Holliday at less than the current Cardinals offer.  Here's the question: what exactly did the Cardinals offer to Holliday in guaranteed money and years?  $15-16MM a year for up to eight years is pretty vague.  Is it just a five-year offer, as Olney suggested a few days ago?
  • Jose Valverde is in a bad place, writes Olney, as there's no clear suitor looking to spend $8-10MM for a closer and give up a draft pick.  If Valverde lingers on the market into February he could be a bargain.
  • Olney heard that the Mets' "five-year concept" for Jason Bay is heavily backloaded, so much that the true value is similar to Boston's rejected four-year, $60MM offer.
  • Righty Edgar Gonzalez might be Japan-bound.  He spent this year in the Oakland organization.
  • Mark DeRosa's asking price appears to have come down – Olney says it's in the three-year, $18MM range.  Still seems too pricey, but it's a step in the right direction.

Multiple Teams Watching Kelvim Escobar

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WEDNESDAY, 10:52pm: Peter Greenberg, Escobar's agent, informed FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi that representatives from the Yankees and Twins were also at the throwing session (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 2:54pm: Zavarce tweets that the Rays, Cubs, Brewers, Giants, Pirates, Tigers, Mariners, and A's are on hand to watch Escobar throw.  Several of those clubs are new additions to the list of suitors.

TUESDAY, 10:17am: If you speak Spanish and would like to read Zavarce's full article about Escobar, click here to download a PDF.

MONDAY, 1:08pm: The Mets offered a minor league deal to pitcher Kelvim Escobar, reports Efrain Zavarce for Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional.  According to Zavarce, the Rays are also interested.  We cannot find Zavarce's article online, but follow him on Twitter if you speak Spanish.  Hat tip to ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr., who pointed followers to Zavarce's article and provided translation.

We learned during the Winter Meetings last week that the Mariners, Brewers, Orioles, Mets, and Yankees are other suitors for Escobar, who will pitch as a reliever in 2010 in hopes of preserving his shoulder.

Mets Notes: Bay, Marquis, Pineiro

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A few newsbits surrounding the Flushing Meadows nine….

  • Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says the the Mets "are trying to be careful not to bid against themselves" for Jason Bay since they may be the only club with serious interest at this point.  Rosenthal notes that the Red Sox are no longer a factor given the Mike Cameron signing, the Angels and Giants have "consistently downplayed their interest" in the free agent outfielder and the Mariners were never a major player in the Bay sweepstakes.  We learned earlier today about the Mets' current offer to Bay.
  • Rosenthal and his cohort Jon Paul Morosi also note that the Mets have interest in Jason Marquis and Joel Pineiro, but may face some competition from division rivals Washington.  Rosenthal and Morosi say the Nationals want to add two pitchers, with at least one being a No. 2 starter, and the Nats are also looking at Jon Garland.  
  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff said that (of all things) Bay's long-ago stint in center field with Pittsburgh is the reason that New York rates him as a better defender than Matt Holliday.
  • While answering e-mails from Mets fans disappointed by their team's lack of big free agent moves, MLB.com's Marty Noble points out that no number of free agents would make the Mets contenders in 2010 unless their large number of injured stars are healthy.  Noble also "wouldn't count on a reunion" between the Mets and Joe Torre in spite of the fact that Torre's contract is up in Los Angeles after next year and Jerry Manuel might be on the hot seat.

Odds & Ends: Carroll, Crisp, Cameron, Hermida

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Links for Wednesday…

  • The Tigers signed lefty Brad Thomas out of Korea, and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that they paid $1MM.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirmed our report of the Pirates' interest in Kelly Johnson, explaining that the Pirates view him as a corner outfield option.
  • FanGraphs' Dave Cameron wonders why teams seem to undervalue Cliff Lee.  In a related story, Lee's agent Darek Braunecker believes their position has been mischaracterized. 
  • ESPN's Buster Olney expects Jamey Carroll to choose between two-year offers from the A's and Dodgers, probably today (I mistakenly wrote the Angels earlier).
  • Mentioned first on Twitter: I've heard that Coco Crisp would prefer a one-year deal with the Padres or A's.
  • Boston's Mike Cameron signing was officially announced today.  Michael Silverman and John Tomase of the Boston Herald have details on the two-year, $15.5MM contract.  John Lackey's deal was also announced.
  • WEEI's Alex Speier says the Red Sox told Jeremy Hermida they'd trade him if they re-signed Jason Bay.  Speier wonders if the Cameron signing will prompt a Hermida deal.
  • The Angels' one-year, $6.5MM deal with Hideki Matsui was also announced, as was John Buck's one-year, $2MM deal with Toronto and Ross Gload's two-year, $2.6MM deal with the Phillies.
  • The Royals put out word they've re-signed outfielder Shane Costa to a minor league deal.  Costa, 28, missed almost the entire '09 season with a leg injury.
  • USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets details on LaTroy Hawkins' two-year, $7.5MM deal with the Brewers.
  • Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker examines the reports about reliever Ryota Igarashi, who might be headed to the Red Sox or Mets.
  • The Mariners signed 19-year-old shortstop Pedro Okuda to a minor league deal, according to a team press release.  Okuda was born and raised in Brazil but attended high school in Japan.

Mets Offer Five Years To Bay, Will Pursue Holliday

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According to SI's Jon Heyman, the Mets "tweaked their offer to Jason Bay," offering five guaranteed years as an alternative.  This five-year contract is at a "slightly lower" salary than the $16.25MM featured in their four-year, $65MM offer.  Heyman says the Mets are willing to go to five years and $75MM for Bay, which would be a $15MM salary.

Heyman says the Mets focused on Bay in hopes of signing him more quickly than Matt Holliday.  However, GM Omar Minaya will now jump in on Holliday and may talk to Scott Boras today.  If the Mets have their sights set on one of the two big-name sluggers, competition could come from the Angels for Bay and the Cardinals for Holliday.

ESPN's Buster Olney feels differently – he says the Mets are currently at four years for Bay but could go to five eventually, and are monitoring the Holliday talks but not actively involved.

Heyman adds that the Mets' talks for Bengie Molina are at a standstill, due to Molina's demand for a three-year deal in the $20MM range.  Hopefully the Mets are not that desperate.  Heyman believes the Mets might do two years and $10MM for the 35-year-old.  With all the lousy catchers getting two guaranteed years, Molina certainly has a case.

Discussion: Mets Offseason

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Earlier today Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post wrote that there is pressure on Omar Minaya after the Mets missed on Roy Halladay and John Lackey. The Mets have yet to make a significant move this offseason and Minaya spoke about the Mets plans. Minaya said that so far "the timing of the deals have not been there." He also confirmed that the Mets did make a trade offer for Halladay. 

Jeff Francoeur added that the offseason is not over and that the Mets "need three or four different pieces to make [the Mets] a playoff team."

Recently we have heard the Mets linked to Jason Bay, Fernando Rodney, Ryota Igarashi, Matt Capps, and Yorvit Torrealba.

With several of the big names already off the board, what do the Mets have to do this offseason to once again be a playoff contender? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.

 

Mets Near Deal With Ryota Igarashi?

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8:42pm: Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post spoke with a Mets official who is still confident the Mets will sign Igarashi. Hubbuch adds that the two sides are "still in talks" and that "nothing is imminent."

4:36pm: Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker points us to a Japanese report that says the Red Sox are the leaders to sign Igarashi. They're apparently willing to offer a two-year deal worth $2-3MM in total.

2:51pm: Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post confirms that the Mets are in serious talks with Igarashi.

2:07pm: The Mets are close to signing Japanese pitcher Ryota Igarashi to a two-year deal, according to David Waldstein of the New York Times. The 30-year-old righty attracted interest from a number of teams. He'll have the chance to set up Francisco Rodriguez, now that J.J. Putz has signed with the White Sox.

ESPN.com's Keith Law says Igarashi is a "slightly wild power reliever" who will throw 93-96 mph. He recovered from Tommy John surgery to take on a regular workload last season.

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