Mets Rumors

Mets Closing In On Deal With Chris Young

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 17, 2011 at 7:30am CDT

The Mets are closing in on a deal with Chris Young, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The deal is pending a physical. That could be more than a formality for Young, who missed most of last season with a shoulder strain before pitching in September.

Reports earlier in the month suggested Young was nearing a decision and willing to accept less than $2MM in guaranteed money. A deal with the Mets would reunite him with two of his former Padres bosses, current Mets execs Sandy Alderson and Paul DePodesta.

This post was first published January 17th.

Nationals Not Interested In Chris Young

By Mark Polishuk | January 14, 2011 at 7:21pm CDT

The Nationals are not pursuing free agent starter Chris Young, reports Bill Ladson of MLB.com. We heard two days ago that Young was close to a decision, with the Nats mentioned as a team that "may be in play" for his services.

With Washington out of the picture, that leaves the Mets as Young's primary suitors. The Amazins have been rumored to be interested in Young all winter and at one point were thought to have offered the right-hander a contract worth more than $1MM in guaranteed money (the Mets denied the report).

Mets Sign Raul Chavez

By Mark Polishuk | January 14, 2011 at 7:14pm CDT

The Mets have signed catcher Raul Chavez to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training, reports ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin (Twitter link).

Chavez, who turns 38 in March, last played in the majors in 2009, posting a .631 OPS in 168 plate appearances for Toronto. He spent last season catching for the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate. The Mets will be Chavez's eighth franchise in a pro career that began in 1990.

Quick Hits: Pedro, Young, Rays, Thome

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 14, 2011 at 3:00pm CDT

On this date nine years ago, Carlos Pena and Ryan Ludwick were traded for each other. Here are some links on a day that has featured a number of signings, but no trades…

Pedro Martinez told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he hasn't decided whether to pitch in the majors again or retire. The three-time Cy Young Award winner last pitched in 2009, when he made a late-season comeback for the Phillies.
Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if Chris Young is the top option remaining in the Mets' price range, now that the Royals have agreed to a deal with Jeff Francis. Mets executive J.P. Ricciardi told Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com that Young "could be a nice fit" for the team.
The Rays seem to like Vladimir Guerrero more than Manny Ramirez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Heyman also lists his best and worst deals of the offseason.
Jim Thome, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Twins today, would like to play at least two more seasons, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (on Twitter).
MLB.com's Jordan Bastian takes a position-by-position look at the Indians' roster.
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says it's been frustrating and disappointing not to add top starting pitchers this offseason, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.

Waiver Rumors: Brown, Igarashi, Rapada

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 14, 2011 at 2:07pm CDT

The latest on three players who were recently designated for assignment…

The Indians announced that Jordan Brown has cleared waivers. The Indians had designated the 2006 Carolina League MVP for assignment last week, but he will remain in the Cleveland organization and arrive in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
Ryota Igarashi cleared waivers as expected and was outrighted to Triple-A, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Mets DFA'd Igarashi last week.
The Rangers put left-hander Clay Rapada on release waivers and intend to release him, according to ESPNDallas.com. The Rangers designated Rapada and Max Ramirez for assignment last week.

Chris Young Nears Decision; Mets, Nats “In Play”

By Mark Polishuk | January 12, 2011 at 7:48pm CDT

Free agent starter Chris Young could be close to choosing a new team, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link). Olney cites the Mets, who have been connected to Young all winter, and also mentions that the Nationals "may be in play" for the right-hander.

When last we heard of Young, the word was that he was willing to accept a contract worth less than $2MM due to concerns about his health. The Mets denied they had made an offer worth more than $1MM to Young, but still reported favored Young over other free agent options as Jeff Francis.

Washington is a new suitor for Young, but like the Mets, the Nats can also offer Young a chance to pitch in a pitcher-friendly ballpark and a shot at rebuilding his value for a long-term offer next winter. The Nationals were known to be looking for pitching this winter, but haven't done much in that department other than signing Chien-Ming Wang and Chad Gaudin.

Mets To Sign Taylor Tankersley

By Zachary Links | January 12, 2011 at 11:40am CDT

The Mets have signed left-handed reliever Taylor Tankersley to a minor league deal, the team announced. Dave Gershman of the SPANdemonium blog first reported the agreement, which includes a Spring Training invitation, and MLBTR confirmed the deal.

The team's search for a lefty out of the bullpen began in earnest after losing Hisanori Takahashi and Pedro Feliciano in free agency. At times the Mets have been linked to some of the stronger left-handed relievers on the market such as Brian Fuentes, but for the most part they have targeted more affordable options this winter.

Tankersley, 28, missed all of the 2009 major league season with an elbow injury. After seeing limited action as a lefty specialist in 2010, he rejected a minor league assignment and was granted free agency in October. In four seasons with the Marlins, Tankersley had a 4.58 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9. The reliever is represented by Tom O'Connell.

For Now, Mets Won’t Cut Castillo

By Zachary Links | January 11, 2011 at 8:02pm CDT

While the Mets have internally discussed releasing second baseman Luis Castillo, they still plan to bring the veteran to camp, tweets Jon Heyman of SI. However, the club is at the 40-man limit and as they continue to look into acquiring more pieces, such as a left-handed reliever, they could sever ties with the second baseman.

Castillo's lack of versatility makes it difficult for the Mets to keep him. Mets GM Sandy Alderson has shopped Castillo around but after posting a .235/.337/.267 slash line in 2010, it's been difficult to find a taker. Alderson recently conceded to ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin that if he stays with the team, it'll have to be as the primary second baseman.

“If he’s going to be on the club, it probably will have to be as the regular second baseman, or somebody who plays quite a bit of the time at second base. He just doesn’t give us enough coverage other places to play a utility role…And I think that’s probably his best and maybe only role — regular duty at second base,” the GM explained.

The three-time All-Star is set to make $6MM in the final year of a four-year, $25MM deal.

Mets Notes: Dickey, Capuano, Young, Reyes

By Zachary Links | January 11, 2011 at 5:43pm CDT

Mets GM Sandy Alderson spoke with ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin yesterday to address a number of questions concerning the club. Here are some highlights..

The Mets are scheduled to exchange arbitration figures with Angel Pagan, Mike Pelfrey, and R.A. Dickey next Tuesday. Alderson wants to maintain financial flexibility going forward but still won't rule out giving multiyear deals to any of the aforementioned arb-eligible players.
The Chris Capuano signing does not preclude the Mets from getting another starting pitcher. In fact, Alderson says that he would like to sign another starter for a deal similar to Capuano's. The left-hander is set to make a base salary of $1.5MM but could earn more than $4.5MM through incentives in 2011.
Rubin asks about reports in recent weeks that say the Mets have made offers to free agent pitchers Chris Young and Jeff Francis. Alderson says that the club has talked with agents for other pitchers before and after the Capuano signing but wouldn't characterize anything as being "beyond the discussion stage."
Alderson seems open to the idea of talking about an extension with Jose Reyes during the season. The recently-crowned GM says that he doesn't have a firm policy when it comes to in-season negotiations. Earlier this month, Alderson said that he wouldn't talk about a new deal with Reyes during Spring Training.
No surprise here, but the Mets are looking for out-of-house options when it comes to left-handed relief. Alderson summed it all up by saying that the club is looking for starting pitching, a lefty reliever, and fourth and fifth outfielder possibilities, in that order of priority.
There's likely a position available for Omar Minaya if the former GM wants to pursue it.

Dave Bush On Mets’ Radar

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 11, 2011 at 12:22pm CDT

Dave Bush is among the starting pitchers on the Mets' radar, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). As Crasnick notes, current Mets exec J.P. Ricciardi was the Blue Jays' GM when Toronto selected Bush in the second round of the 2002 draft.

The Rockies reportedly had interest in Bush earlier in the offseason, but the market for the right-hander has been remarkably quiet this winter.

Bush, 31, is a back-of-the-rotation starter who won't be mistaken for former teammates like C.C. Sabathia and Roy Halladay any time soon. But he notched 18 quality starts in 2010 and has averaged 28 starts and 168 innings per season since cracking the Blue Jays' rotation in 2005. He posted a 4.54 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 174 1/3 innings last year.

The Mets have added Bush's longtime teammate, Chris Capuano, and have also expressed interest in Jeff Francis and Chris Young as GM Sandy Alderson looks to add depth to his rotation.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Mets Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect