Mets Inquire On Reed Johnson, Shannon Stewart
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets have checked in on Blue Jays outfielders Shannon Stewart and Reed Johnson. Nicely done, Drunk Jays Fans. Although you spelled "rumor" incorrectly.
Sherman says Stewart is a long shot since he can’t handle right. The Mets want someone who can handle both corners, and Johnson could be that someone (he’s played 64 games in right in ’06 and 13 in ’07). The 31 year-old will earn $3.275MM this year. He could be useful if last year’s back problems are behind him.
Pedro Looking For Three Years?
Pedro Martinez commented yesterday that he’ll look for three years maximum on his next (and last) contract. The 36 year-old is a complete unknown for ’08, but hopes are high.
Martinez could seek $40MM or more over three years if he comes up with 180+ strong inning for the Mets this year. Of course, that would once again be a risky contract for a team.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Crede, Willits, Rivera, Belliard
Ken Rosenthal checks in with all kinds of hot stove info.
- Continuing on yesterday’s post regarding Joe Crede and the Dodgers , Rosenthal reports that a source close to Dodgers management explained that the team trading for a third baseman like Crede or Brandon Inge is "all about the budget and whether [owner Frank] McCourt will allow them to add money." Rosenthal continues to point out that Crede is a better deal than Inge in terms of their contracts, and that Crede could also be more attractive to Dodgers management because the White Sox might be willing to trade for prospects, while the Tigers are looking for immediate bullpen help.
- The Mariners had been in the market for a veteran right-handed hitting outfielder, but have opted instead for in-house options. It seems Coco Crisp could have filled a need. Sure, he’s a switch-hitter, but his splits suggest it could have made some sense. If they didn’t have to part with too much, it might have worked.
- The Angels have a surplus in the outfield — Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits — and Rosenthal reports that Willits is now untouchable according to the Angels (two teams have inquired after him recently). The two are blocked by Vladimir Guerrero, Garrett Anderson, Torii Hunter, and Gary Matthews Jr. While it sounds as if they’d prefer to move Rivera (a free agent at season’s end), it’s hard to imagine that they’d send Willits to the minors (he has options remaining) if they don’t find a good match for Rivera (Umpbump Coley suggested the Padres or Mets yesterday). As Coley pointed out, the Angels have numerous banged up pitchers, and there are a number of teams out there who are going to be starting center fielders with inferior skill sets compared to Willits (as Tim pointed out a few days ago).
- The Nationals are dealing with a surplus at second base, and Rosenthal believes that Ron Belliard is the most logical piece to move, what with his $1.6MM salary this season, and his $1.9MM for next. Rosenthal pinpoints the Rockies (perhaps too little range on the right side with Jeff Baker and Todd Helton), Cardinals, Twins, and White Sox as potential trade partners.
Mets Have No Interest In Bonds
A couple New Yorker-perspectives on the Mets interest in Barry Bonds:
First, The NY Daily News reports that the Mets have "laughed off" the idea, saying,
"…a high-ranking Mets official insisted there is no interest in taking on the monumental baggage – which includes charges of perjury and obstruction of justice – stemming from the out-of-work home run king’s involvement in baseball’s ongoing steroids mess."
And Joel Sherman at the New York Post has joined in on the fun,
"Of course the Mets should enlist Barry Bonds. He fits their program perfectly. He is old, injury prone and very likely will not respect the manager."
This isn’t new – MLBTR discussed Buster Olney’s recommendation of the Mets signing Bonds here, and MLBTR readers seemed to see this as a good move, despite Omar Minaya’s stated reluctance. As it stands, it doesn’t seem to be in consideration.
By Nat Boyle
Mets Dangle Relievers For OF Help
Scott Schoeneweis is miffed that the Mets may be considering using him as bait to snag an outfield replacement for Moises Alou.
The Mets have hinted they’d like to remove Schoeneweis and Jorge Sosa from their payroll, but the Alou injury situation makes the departure of the two relievers even more likely. Schoeneweis will make $7.2MM in 2008 and ’09 to complete his current three-year deal. Sosa makes an even $2MM in a one-year pact. Schoeneweis disappointed Omar Minaya last year with a 5.03 ERA in 70 games.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Mets called the Pirates to chat about Xavier Nady. New York may not have the pitching prospects the Pirates would want in return. Pittsburgh also may figure Nady’s value will increase toward the trade deadline.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Brandon Inge
Oh Brandon Inge…Has it really only been two years since Inge belted 27 home runs and endeared himself to Tigers fans everywhere by transforming himself from a utility player into an everyday Major League third baseman? In doing so, Inge became the poster-child for the resurgent Detroit franchise that took only three years to go from 119 losses to the World Series. And now? We are certain that there are still Tigers fans out there that love Inge, but we are having a hard time finding them. Inge, who has three years and $19MM left on a contract he signed prior to the ’07 season, was obviously upset when he lost his job after the Tigers traded for Miguel Cabrera. And despite an opportunity to receive 300+ at bats as a utility player on a contender (and receive $6.2MM while doing so) he is apparently unhappy about having to play catcher (though he feels that he was misquoted).
Now it seems like trading Inge may be the best solution for both sides with Inge landing a starting job on another team and the Tigers able to skim $6.2MM off the books for a player that was not going to start. The only question now is: Who is willing to give up a player (or two) for 30-year old Inge with a $6.2MM price tag, no seasons with an OPS+ greater than 100 since 2004 and bad facial hair? Let’s take a look at what is being written in the Blogospere…
If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.
- A League of Her Own thinks the Cubbies should ship Ryan Dempster and Jason Marquis for Inge. Boy, Cubs fans really don’t like Marquis right now.
- The Cub Reporter doubts that the Cubs will land Inge, as the team seems to be all talk this off-season…Anybody want a Brian Roberts update?
- Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness lists about 437 reasons the Dodgers should not be interested in Inge, noting that the Dodgers would end up downgrading at third base, paying more salary to do so and weakening their bullpen in the process. And yeah, they don’t like his facial hair either.
- Bugs & Cranks thinks Inge should just shut up and accept hit utility role on a good team.
- Mack Ave. Tigers has finally had enough of Inge and doesn’t want a guy on the Tigers that doesn’t care about winning.
- The Detroit Tigers Weblog wonders if Inge’s decision to start talking to reporters is a way to try and expedite a trade, but notes that his words are not endearing himself to any potential trade partners.
- Mets Fever sees the Mets and Tigers as a good match up. If the Mets can’t land Marcus Thames, then maybe Inge would fill their needs.
- Fanhouse thinks the Giants might make a good trade partner for the Tigers as Inge could be a better fit than Joe Crede whom the Giants have recently inquired about.
Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.
Olney On Bonds And The Mets
ESPN’s Buster Olney makes a pretty strong case for the Mets signing Barry Bonds. Bonds is a lot like Moises Alou, only a better hitter with more baggage. Jeff Sackmann only saw six teams as possible fits for Bonds; the Alou injury might make the Mets the seventh (although Alou missing a month of the regular season was a given). The Mets could get a ton of value from left field if they somehow kept these two from being injured simultaneously.
Olney argues that Bonds is the one available impact bat who can be acquired for only money. And the Mets haven’t been terribly concerned with a few steroid-linked players coming through town. I agree with everything he’s saying, and I think New York fans wouldn’t mind so much if Bonds helped them win a World Series. However, Omar Minaya mostly dismissed the idea of signing Bonds or Sammy Sosa.
A more likely option is Marcus Thames, though Jon Paul Morosi believes Jim Leyland’s fondness for him might preclude a trade.
Odds and Ends: Johnson, Ponson, Nady
Ever lose a contact in the bathroom and scour for it for hours? That was my morning. Good times. On to the links.
- Friend of MLBTR Susan Slusser notes that the Giants had two scouts watching the A’s on Wednesday. One guy they might have been eyeing is first baseman Dan Johnson. It seems that Johnson, who is out of options, may be able to linger around on the A’s roster until at least mid-April given the expanded rosters for the Japan series. And since Slusser’s article we’ve learned that Daric Barton‘s hand injury is more serious than initially thought. That could buy Johnson even more time if the A’s aren’t ready to trade him.
- The Cardinals, Mariners, Royals, and Diamondbacks, Astros, and Rangers were among teams with scouts watching Sidney Ponson touch 94mph today. He’s stopped drinking and lost some weight; who knows, maybe he can help an NL club.
- Peter Abraham views Joba Chamberlain‘s recent comments with a little skepticism.
- MLB.com’s Marty Noble calls a Mets trade for Xavier Nady "quite unlikely," though an anonymous Mets player likes the idea.
Alou Out 4-6 Weeks
TODAY: Omar Minaya said that if he makes a deal, it will probably be toward the end of spring. And it would be for more of a fourth outfielder type (my words, not his).
YESTERDAY: In general, the Mets weren’t counting on 150 games from Moises Alou this year. But the news that a hernia will knock him out for four to six weeks could press Omar Minaya into action. Even before the injury they had been reportedly searching for a right-handed hitting outfielder. And ailments for various other Mets seem to be piling up.
Recently we’ve read about Marcus Thames and perhaps Brandon Inge as possible Mets targets. Yesterday we speculated that Reed Johnson, Kevin Millar, Jason Michaels, Matt Murton, and Jay Payton seemed like possibilities. Commenters added names like Juan Rivera, Xavier Nady, Randy Winn, Jonny Gomes, Aubrey Huff, and even Sammy Sosa. Plenty of options out there for Minaya.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Thames, Konerko, Ellis, Atkins
Ken Rosenthal has a new column up; let’s take a look.
- Rosenthal dissects the outfield options for the Mets, many of the names we’ve been speculating. He notes that the Mets’ talks for Marcus Thames fizzled during the Winter Meetings.
- He says Paul Konerko "remains quietly available," and expresses the opinion that the Mets or Yankees could both use him. Rosenthal believes Chicago’s biggest need is starting pitching.
- Rosenthal speculates that six years at $18MM per might be the Rockies’ limit for Matt Holliday. Will the Scott Boras client demand full market value? Also, Colorado doesn’t seem to have any plans to lock up Garrett Atkins.
- Signing Mark Ellis to an extension rather than trading him is a possibility for the A’s. Three or four years at $5MM per would be the going rate.
- Though Dylan Hernandez wrote that the Dodgers "don’t appear to be interested in Brandon Inge," Rosenthal says they’re "indeed intrigued."