Mets Acquire Estrada For Mota
UPDATE: Non-tendering Estrada is still an option for the Mets, but they’ve unloaded Mota’s contract. The Mets may shop around for better options, knowing they have an adequate fallback. According to Jamey Newberg, the Mets found the asking prices for trade targets Gerald Laird and Ramon Hernandez to be unacceptable.
The Mets found their catcher today in the person of Johnny Estrada. To get him from the Brewers, Omar Minaya only had to surrender Guillermo Mota.
It was a swap of a couple of unwanted guys. The Brewers would’ve non-tendered Estrada rather than pony up $4MM+ for him. However they’ll probably plop down something close to that for Jason Kendall, who is superior to Estrada only in the intangibles department. Doug Melvin offered Estrada to the Mets while naming six different players he’d accept in return.
Mota was actually decent in terms of his 2.6 K/BB ratio this year, but he was hittable and home run prone. Maybe the Brewers can make something of him, though at $3.2MM it’s a slightly pricey gamble. Mota of course brings more steroid stigma to Milwaukee’s pen, which already has Derrick Turnbow.
Odds and Ends: Kendall, Crisp, Gagne
I’m back in the swing of things, kind of. We’re still living out of boxes, but I’ve got a laptop and I’m digging into all the rumors I missed. Joe did a great job the last couple of days. Be sure to visit his Yankees blog, River Ave. Blues. On to today’s random rumors…
- I’m hearing that Jason Kendall could be a fallback for the Mets if they can’t pry Ramon Hernandez loose from the Orioles.
- The Blue Jays have about $4MM to spend, and J.P. Ricciardi likes the idea of Michael Barrett splitting time behind the plate with Gregg Zaun. It seems unlikely, though, because the Padres would have to not offer arbitration to Barrett. And Barrett would have to take a one-year, $4MM deal.
- Jamey Newberg discusses the idea of a Coco Crisp for Gerald Laird swap. He notes that the market for Laird should be picking up, but the Red Sox might prefer to wait to trade Crisp.
- Haven’t heard this one much yet…how about Eric Gagne for the Houston closer vacancy? Would Scott Boras present a problem?
- David Wells could be an option for the Mets, if he doesn’t retire or end up on the West Coast.
- One free agent from Japan who hasn’t gotten much press is Marc Kroon. He didn’t catch on in MLB but has been doing well for Yokohama the past few years. Kroon holds the record for the fastest pitch ever thrown in a Japanese game (161 km/h, which is about 100 mph). You can see that in this video (the second pitch he throws, the crowd loves it). Kroon is considering trying the Majors again; he says so on his website (note that his site plays music when you visit).
Braves Sign Tom Glavine
It’s now official: the Braves have signed Tom Glavine to a one-year, $8MM deal. There doesn’t appear to be any kind of second-year option. The Braves initially came in at $6.5MM. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman says the Nationals and Phillies were in on him, but never really had a shot at making a deal. The Mets probably aren’t terribly concerned about the loss, since they get the Braves’ valuable #18 overall pick next June plus a supplemental pick as compensation.
After a 2007 lacking in rotation depth, the Braves have a slew of candidates to start. Even without counting on Mike Hampton for anything, they are in good shape. Pitching depth can unravel quickly, but things look good as of November 19th, 2007.
The Braves might be pretty much set this winter, assuming they like Josh Anderson as their starting center fielder.
Mets Give Castillo Four Years, $25 Million
UPDATE, 11-19-07: The AP confirms it. Seems like there were more creative ways to fill the second base vacancy. Castillo was playing it safe, and four years is too much.
UPDATE, 11-18-07: Now Ken Rosenthal has this one.
This one just came in from Tim. Dominican sports website Impacto Deportivo is reporting that the Mets and Luis Castillo have agreed to a four-year deal worth $25 million. They say to expect an official announcement shortly.
I got the summary from Tim. If anyone could head to the website and translate, it would be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and just because it’s the same thing as we’ve been hearing since yesterday and I didn’t want to give it another post, Glavine’s agent is saying that his client and the Braves are "maybe one or two phone calls away" from a deal.
Joe Pawlikowski is co-author of River Ave. Blues.
MetsBlog: Lo Duca The Best Choice
Matthew Cerrone at MetsBlog takes on the question facing the Mets since mid-day yesterday: Who starts at catcher next year?
Ramon Hernandez, who was offered a contract by the Mets two years ago when he was a free agent, is said to be Omar Minaya’s top choice. However, this presents a problem. Hernandez won’t come cheap, and the Mets would need to retain their best trading chips if they want to acquire a front-line starter. This would seemingly rule Hernandez out, since "word from Baltimore had been that Hernandez would cost a high-end prospect."
A cheaper trade option would be Miguel Olivo, though it’s likely he will be non-tendered by the Marlins, who probably don’t want to give him a raise over his $2 million 2007 salary. Gerald Laird is another option, as the Rangers have Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Taylor Teagarden, and Max Ramirez in tow. The Mets might be able to acquire him without giving up a piece of the puzzle to acquire an ace.
Olivo and Laird would be more likely to platoon in some capacity with Ramon Castro, while Hernandez would be more likely take on a starting role.
Cerrone says the Mets prefer to sign a catcher. He mentions Michael Barrett, but notes his Type A status, which may be a deterrent for many teams. Maybe he’d make sense for a bottom-15 team, since Barrett would then cost a second rounder. Jason Kendall is also mentioned, though his horrid 2007 is giving pause to potential suitors.
So, in the end, Paul Lo Duca appears the best choice. He costs neither draft picks nor prospects. True, he might not be able to hold up over an entire season, but that’s why the Mets signed a capable backup in Castro.
Joe Pawlikowski is co-author of River Ave. Blues.
Eckstein seeking Lugo-esque deal
If Julio Lugo was able to snag four years and $36 million last off-season, well, by golly, David Eckstein wants to do the same this year. You can make some arguments with the comparison — Lugo is a year younger, flashes a bit more power, and has been more consistent in his production (from year-to-year; we’re not counting his huge drop-off after being traded to the Dodgers last year). But it’s tough to argue with Eckstein for wanting to start talks at that level.
This may deter Eckstein’s perceived No. 1 suitor, the New York Mets, who are looking at him to fill their second base vacancy. One has to wonder, though, if the Mets wouldn’t just be better off with Luis Castillo, who performed averagely in his 199 at bats with the Mets last season (.296/.371/.372). On the whole, Castillo is far better Lugo comp than Eckstein; both Lugo and Castillo will be 32 next season, and have seen similar production over the years. The Astros are also reportedly interested in Castillo, though the same can be said for nearly every FA on the list.
The Mets are also looking at Orlando Hudson in possible trade scenarios to fill their second base vacancies. Speculation, though, is that the Mets would like to hold onto their movable prospects in order to acquire a front-line pitcher. Clearly, Johan Santana tops that list.
The Cardinals aren’t officially severing ties with Eckstein, but it appears unlikely that they will dole out a Lugo deal for him. New Cardinals GM John Mozeliak had this to say about the scrappy shortstop:
"We’re going into it looking for a shortstop, and given the fact that David is out there, obviously we have him in mind. One of the things we’re doing internally is trying to get a feel for the supply and the demand of shortstops in this market. David probably is doing the same, and right now there doesn’t appear to be a lot of teams looking for shortstops."
At first, I didn’t think too many teams needed shortstops, but after looking around it seems that there are plenty of teams that could at least use an upgrade at the position. Unfortunately, Eckstein doesn’t represent much of one.
Joe Pawlikowski is co-author of River Ave. Blues, a Yankees blog.
Mets Deal With Torrealba Falls Apart
It seemed pretty official, but it appears that Yorvit Torrealba will not be behind the plate for the Mets next year. Sources started whispering this morning that the deal was falling apart, and the Mets brass confirmed it this afternoon.
"The Mets did not reach an agreement with Yorvit Torrealba," Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said, "and there are no current negotiations."
Torrealba’s agent, Melvin Roman, declined to comment on the situation. Looks like Omar might be getting on the phone with Paul LoDuca sometime soon. Yorvit was looking at a three-year, $14.4 million deal with the Mets.
Joe Pawlikowski is co-author of River Ave. Blues, a Yankees blog.
Mets Rumors: Eckstein, Dotel
Let’s catch up with the Mets, who are moving on to other needs now that they’ve settled their catching situation.
- MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone says the Mets have some interest in David Eckstein as a second base option, and may meet with him soon to wine and dine him. Eckstein might be the backup option to Luis Castillo. I’ve said all along, I don’t get why Eckstein would market himself as a second baseman. As a shortstop he stands to get $21MM over three years; as a second baseman he doesnt.
- Ben Shpigel of the New York Times adds that the Mets would love to trade for Orlando Hudson but might need to save their top prospects to trade for starting pitching. Shpigel says the Mets have inquired with Octavio Dotel‘s agent. Dotel came up as a starter with the Mets, debuting in 1999. He was dealt to the Astros soon after in a package for Derek Bell and Mike Hampton.
Latest On Torrealba/Castro Situation
UPDATE, 11-16-07: As expected, Torrealba has inked a three-year deal with the Mets. Newsday reports the deal is worth $14.4MM. Since Torrealba was a Type B free agent, the Rockies will get a supplemental pick for their loss.
FROM 11-15-07:
One half of Omar Minaya’s desired catching tandem seems set: Ramon Castro has signed a two-year, $4MM contract. It’ll be announced after he has a physical. Honestly I thought Castro could’ve done better and marketing himself as a starter, but I guess he’s happy in New York.
The other part is waiting to see if Yorvit Torrealba will accept the Mets’ aggressive three-year, $15MM offer. Adam Rubin’s source speculates that the Mets could even make it four years with an option for 2012. How is Torrealba such a hot commodity? David Lennon and Ken Davidoff say Torrealba is now also mulling a three-year offer from the Rockies. We should know one way or another today.
Torrealba and Castro don’t make for an ideal platoon; the idea is more to keep each well-rested. Over the last three years Castro has significantly better numbers against both lefties and righties than Torrealba, but he’s the backup. It sounds like the Mets want Torrealba for less tangible reasons – his passion and his gamecalling.
The Rockies, by the way, may turn to Paul Lo Duca. They don’t expect to retain Torrealba.
Orioles To Attempt To Extend Bedard
It looks like Erik Bedard is Andy MacPhail’s top priority right now. He’s already gauged the trade interest for his ace, and is now exploring the idea of a contract extension.
Jeff Zrebiec says the Mets, Yankees, Angels, and Dodgers expressed interest in the southpaw starter. Interesting to see the Halos in the mix. The Dodgers are pushing the hardest for him. Two years of Bedard is expected to cost a team three MLB-ready players. The names mentioned for the Dodgers are Jonathan Broxton, Matt Kemp, and Clayton Kershaw. While Kershaw’s not MLB-ready, I doubt the Orioles would mind. Zrebiec says the problem with the Dodgers is that Kemp and Kershaw would be part of a Miguel Cabrera package.
What would a contract extension cost? I’m thinking it would require something like four years, $65MM to cover the two team-controlled years and two years of free agency.
Zrebiec also mentions that the Mets inquired on Ramon Hernandez, but found the price of a high-end prospect prohibitive.