Mets Rumors

New York Notes: Pettitte, Mets, Pitching

By Zachary Links | February 1, 2011 at 8:15pm CDT

Let's check out a few items concerning the Yankees and Mets..

Yankees people continue to hear from friends of Andy Pettitte that they think the 38-year-old will pitch this year, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. Of course, there's still no word from Pettitte himself on the matter.
As expected, Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon, COO Jeff Wilpon and team president Saul Katz met with commissioner Bud Selig today to talk about the team's finances, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. On Friday the club announced that they are looking to sell 20 to 25 percent of the team in order to give themselves a cushion against any settlement that comes from the Bernie Madoff case.
Mike Piazza, who earned more than $120MM over the course of his major league career, says he isn't interested in buying a share of the club right now, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.
Nick Swisher isn't concerned about the Yankees' pitching woes, writes Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger.

Mets Notes: Alderson, Reyes, Dickey, Dessens

By Mark Polishuk | January 31, 2011 at 6:27pm CDT

The Mets have settled with all of their arbitration-eligible players but that isn't the only news out of Citi Field today. The latest…

ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin has the transcript of GM Sandy Alderson's conference call with media today. The Mets' payroll will be between $140-$150MM next season, a total Alderson said "is significantly higher than we'd like to be on an annual basis."
Alderson said he isn't troubled about the recent news that the Wilpons want to sell a minority share of the club: "I'm not surprised by this development just because the Madoff situation was a backdrop to the Mets, and well-known backdrop. My enthusiasm and energy for this position and my confidence in the future of the Mets is undiminished."
Along those same lines, Alderson said "perhaps naively," he doesn't think the ownership situation will impact negotiations with Jose Reyes on a contract extension. Fangraphs' Paul Swydan figures the trade market for Reyes will be very busy this summer if the Mets decide to deal the shortstop rather than re-sign him.
R.A. Dickey will earn $2.25MM in 2011, $4.25MM in 2012 and received a $1MM signing bonus for his extension, reports Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger (Twitter link). The contract also includes a club option for 2013 worth $5MM.
Elmer Dessens wants to pitch next season but it apparently won't be for the Mets, reports Adam Rubin. The Mets told Dessens they're "going in another direction." The right-hander told the team he was willing to sign a minor league deal to return, a reversal of his stance from earlier this winter when Dessens implied he would retire unless he got a Major League contract.
Jason Bay talks to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick about his disappointing 2010 season and how he's looking to rebound next year.

Mets, Pagan Avoid Arbitration

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 31, 2011 at 4:28pm CDT

The Mets announced that they agreed to a one-year, $3.5MM deal with Angel Pagan, avoiding arbitration (Twitter link). Pagan filed for $4.2MM, while the Mets offered $3.06MM, so the sides agreed to a figure that's closer to the team's submission.

Pagan responded to his first everyday job with a breakout season in 2010. The 29-year-old hit .290/.340/.425 with 37 steals in 633 plate appearances, filling in admirably for Carlos Beltran. Though Pagan spent most of his time in center field last year, he also played left and right.

Now that the Mets have agreed to terms with Pagan, R.A. Dickey and Mike Pelfrey, none of the team's arbitration eligible players remain unsigned, as MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows.

Mets Avoid Arbitration With R.A. Dickey

By Mike Axisa | January 31, 2011 at 2:41pm CDT

The Mets and R.A. Dickey have avoided arbitration and agreed to a two-year deal with a third year club option, the team announced. Andy Martino of The New York Daily News, who first reported the agreement, says Dickey will make $7.5MM total for the two guaranteed years of the deal, excluding the option year and incentives (Twitter link). The contract is official, now that Dickey has passed his physical, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork, who says the deal is believed to guarantee $7.8MM (Twitter link).

When doctors performed Dickey's physical, one thing they're didn't find was a UCL in his right elbow. The 36-year-old knuckleballer is famously missing the all-important ligament, something Texas Rangers' doctors first discovered when they drafted him in 1996.

Dickey has bounced from team to team for most of his career, but he broke out with the Mets last season. After being recalled from Triple-A in mid-May, he pitched to a 2.84 ERA with 5.4 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and a 55.1% ground ball rate in 174 1/3 innings. Given the nature of the knuckleball, that walk rate is mighty impressive.

“R.A. had a breakthrough season for our organization last year, meriting this new contract,” Mets GM Sandy Alderson said. “We expect R.A. to be a major part of our success going forward.”

As our Arbitration Tracker shows, Dickey filed for $4.7MM in arbitration while the team countered with $3.35MM, prompting Ben Nicholson-Smith is name his arbitration case one of ten to watch. Dickey would have been eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.

New York Notes: Pettitte, Mets, Collins, Crawford

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 31, 2011 at 1:49pm CDT

The Yankees would like a certain left-handed starter and the Mets are looking for the right minority owner. Here's the latest on baseball's two New York teams:

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if Andy Pettitte will demand more than Hiroki Kuroda money ($12MM) from the Yankees. The Bronx Bombers are reportedly set to offer the left-hander $12MM to play another season.
Martin Luther King III told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he has interest in advancing "the vision of a more diverse ownership group in professional sports."
Mets owner Fred Wilpon "is expected" to meet with commissioner Bud Selig in New York tomorrow, according to Peter Botte of the New York Daily News.
A number of baseball officials tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Wilpons are "delusional" if they expect to sell just part of the franchise without losing operating power.
Sherman suggests the success of the upcoming Mets season depends on how well their expensive players produce or how much they bring in July trades.
Sherman writes that Mets manager Terry Collins does not appear to have the same 'gravitas' as Bobby Cox, or even Joe Girardi.
Carl Crawford's deal does not prevent a team from acquiring the left fielder and flipping him to the Yankees, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Crawford can block trades to two teams thanks to the no-trade protection in his contract.

Quick Hits: Weeks, Dodgers, Cuddyer, Mets

By Luke Adams 2 | January 30, 2011 at 4:45pm CDT

On this day 20 years ago, the Atlanta Braves signed Falcons cornerback Deion Sanders as a free agent. Though he struggled in his first year as a Brave, 'Prime Time' was a key contributor for the National League champs in 1992; he hit .304/.346/.495 with 26 stolen bases in 325 regular season plate appearances and added eight hits and five steals in four World Series games. Sanders ended up leaving both Atlanta franchises in 1994, but not before he racked up 75 stolen bases and ten touchdowns for the Braves and Falcons respectively. Here are Sunday's links:

The Brewers are comfortable with Rickie Weeks' deadline for an extension, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He relays a quote from assistant GM Gord Ash praising Weeks for focusing on the right area once the season starts — baseball.
Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times looks at the possibility of Tony Gwynn Jr. hitting well enough to play every day and how that would impact the Dodgers' roster.
Michael Cuddyer and agent Casey Close have yet to discuss a long-term extension with the Twins, writes MLB.com's Kelly Thesier. While Cuddyer is open to talking about a contract during Spring Training, he'd prefer to table the topic during the regular season.
Martin Luther King III, son of the civil rights leader, is leading a group that's interested in buying at least 50% of the Mets, reports Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. The Wilpons were said to be willing to sell up to 25% of the team.
Given the Mets' financial situation, some rival executives think Jose Reyes is likely to be moved before this year's trade deadline, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider-only).
In a tweet, Olney adds that, despite considering it, the Diamondbacks are "probably not" going to implement a humidor at Chase Field this year.
Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders why expectations for Phillies' prospect Domonic Brown seem to have diminished since last summer.
Within an Indians mailbag, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says he can see the Tribe signing a couple more players before Spring Training, though the team would likely only do minor league deals.

Rangers Sign Dave Bush

By Steve Adams | January 30, 2011 at 1:26pm CDT

The Rangers have signed Dave Bush to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, tweets Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In a different tweet, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick informs us that Bush's base salary will be $1MM if he makes the club, with another $1MM in incentives. The Indians and Mets also expressed interest in the long-time Brewer.

Bush, who turned 31 last November, owns a career ERA of 4.66 that's backed up by his peripherals (4.64 FIP, 4.47 xFIP). Last season, he hurled 174 1/3 innings of 4.54 ERA ball in the Brewers' rotation, where he's spent the past five seasons. If he makes the club, Bush will return to the AL for the first time since 2005, when he pitched in Toronto (the club that originally drafted him).

While he's never had an overpowering fastball (88.4mph career average), last season saw his velocity dip to an average of 86.5. His normally strong command (2.33 BB/9 career) diminished as well, as his walk rate jumped to a career-high 3.36/9. Bush will need to re-establish his precision and improve on his career 1.3 HR/9 in order to thrive in a hitters' environment such as Texas.

New York Notes: Dickey, Murphy, Posada

By Luke Adams 2 | January 29, 2011 at 9:48pm CDT

SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field, making it very possible the stadium will host an All-Star Game before it hosts its first playoff game. Let's check out the rest of today's Mets- and Yankees-related links….

The Mets' two-year deal with R.A. Dickey could be a coup, says Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger.
Daniel Murphy has played all over the diamond in recent years, and will head into the 2011 season aiming to become the Mets' starting second baseman. Manager Terry Collins says Murphy could also play some first and third base. ESPNNewYork's Adam Rubin has the details.
Speaking to the media, Jorge Posada discussed his and Derek Jeter's defensive positions for 2011 and beyond. Peter Botte of the New York Daily News passes along quotes from the Yankees' new designated hitter, who says he still expects to see some time behind the plate this year.
Chad Jennings of the Journal News explores possible fits for the Yankees' bench, naming Lastings Milledge or Felipe Lopez as potential targets.

Rodrigo Lopez Weighing Offers From Braves, Mets, Rockies

By Mark Polishuk | January 29, 2011 at 4:11pm CDT

Rodrigo Lopez "expects to decide to sign" with either the Braves, Mets or Rockies by the end of the weekend, reports ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (ESPN Insider subscription required). All three contracts are non-roster invitations to Spring Training, with various performances bonuses attached.

Lopez, 35, allowed a league-high 37 homers and 111 earned runs last season, posting a 5.00 ERA and a 2.07 K/BB ratio in 33 starts with Arizona. Lopez has already played for the Rockies (in 2007) and has also pitched for the Padres, Orioles and Phillies in his nine-year Major League career, missing the 2008 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Olney On Mets, Young, Figgins

By Dan Mennella | January 29, 2011 at 9:59am CDT

The fallout continues from the Mets' announcement on Friday that a portion of the team is up for sale, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Here's Olney's take, as well as some other items of note …

The Madoff scandal could prove to be a turning point in Mets history if it leads to a change in the team's ownership. The financial implications go a long way toward explaining why the Mets' baseball-operations staff has been on a shorter payroll leash since the signing of Jason Bay, and one has to wonder how long the Mets will be operating in that mode as the legal process plays out. To that end, signing a big-ticket free agent like Albert Pujols in the near future would be difficult. Finally, was new GM Sandy Alderson aware of the Mets' financial standing when he took the job?
Rangers president Nolan Ryan and manager Ron Washington are on record as saying that Michael Young will be with Texas on Opening Day, as Young is well-liked by the organization and will be useful in the super utility role. Both the Rangers and Rockies say that trade talks regarding Young have not been rekindled.
The Athletics' rumored pursuit of Chone Figgins makes sense if you consider that he fits Oakland's preference for acquiring players who are fast and defensively sound. To boot, Figgins would cost the A's only about 60 percent of what they were willing to spend on free-agent Adrian Beltre, who signed with the rival Rangers. Olney interprets Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik's comment that Figgins is the Mariners' third baseman as a, "no comment."

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