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Carlos Beltran

Stark On Twins, Reyes, Beltran, Draft

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Jose Bautista and Josh Beckett are the player and starting pitcher of the month for ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Here are Stark's latest rumblings from around the league:

  • Barring a miracle, the Twins will be sellers this July, but they aren’t ready to trade anyone yet.
  • One rival executive says they will eventually talk about trading prospective free agents including Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome and Matt Capps. The Twins would have interest in re-signing some of those players after the season and could conceivably do so even after trading them (the Indians did that with Austin Kearns last year).
  • Though Jose Reyes is the Mets’ most exciting player, the consensus is that the Mets are going to have an easier time trading Carlos Beltran, partly because they will feel the need to get more in return for Reyes.
  • The draft could be significantly different under a new collective bargaining agreement (baseball’s current CBA expires in December) and one scouting director says MLB needs to make changes, including a possible worldwide draft. "The dollars that are being asked now in Latin America are a joke,” the director said. “And this is the only way to address it."
  • One small-market official says a slotting system would hurt small market clubs, since it would prevent them from out-spending deep-pocketed teams on draft picks.
  • One GM suggests moving the draft back to the All-Star break and making it more of an event.

Mets Notes: Rodriguez, Beltran, Wheeler

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Mets owner Fred Wilpon offered some revealing comments about his players and his finances in recent interviews with the New Yorker and Sports Illustrated. Here’s the latest on the Mets, including more fallout from Wilpon’s words:

  • Carlos Beltran told Newsday’s David Lennon that he’s not an incomplete player, as Wilpon suggested (Twitter link). "I'm not 65 or 70 percent,” Beltran said. “I'm 100 percent."
  • Mets ownership has chosen a preferred bidder to buy a minority stake in the team, according to Josh Kosman and Lenn Robbins of the New York Post. The Mets are in advanced talks with a group led by former commodities trader Ray Bartoszek and investor Anthony Lanza, according to the Post.
  • The Mets' front office has not yet provided manager Terry Collins with guidelines for using Francisco Rodriguez, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. If the closer finishes 55 games, a $17.5MM option vests for 2012, something the Mets would surely like to avoid.
  • Sherman can only see a team trading for Rodriguez as a setup man or part-time closer.
  • Giants prospect Zack Wheeler told Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group that he’s happy in the Giants organization, but finds it flattering to hear himself mentioned as possible trade bait for players like Jose Reyes. "It is a compliment, but also you're with a really good franchise right now that treats pitchers really good and they're good at developing pitchers," Wheeler said. 

Fred Wilpon On Payroll, Reyes, Beltran, Minaya

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Fred Wilpon's media blitz was actually a two-part plan.  Jeffrey Toobin's article in The New Yorker was the big story Monday morning, mainly because the Mets owner was so candid about his players and team.  As informative as that article was, SI's Tom Verducci has more from an interview conducted with Wilpon last week.

  • The Mets are "bleeding cash," possibly $70MM this year according to Wilpon.
  • Wilpon talked about investing $100MM properly, an indication that the 2012 payroll may drop about 30% to that level.  This isn't a surprise; I wrote on May 2nd that a $100MM payroll next year would still give GM Sandy Alderson around $20MM to play with before accounting for minimum salary players.  So while Wilpon confirmed that the Mets are not likely to reinvest the money coming off the payroll after the season, it would have been nice if someone asked him how they'd handle a potential $10MM+ saved if veterans are traded during the season.
  • Verducci says the Mets "have studied the success of the Boston Red Sox in letting top veterans play out their contracts and taking the compensatory draft picks," and would only trade Jose Reyes if they receive a first-round type talent who is close to the Majors, similar to when the Athletics acquired Brett Wallace for Matt Holliday.  Does this mean the Mets won't consider trades built around top prospects who are not big league ready, such as the Giants' Zack Wheeler?
  • On the Reyes topic, Wilpon said, "I know there's a great question about whether we can keep the shortstop, so we're preparing for that if that should happen."  He admitted that Carlos Beltran "will be elsewhere" and the Mets hope Fernando Martinez could fill his shoes.  Of Martinez, Wilpon said, "He's fragile, but he can hit."
  • The Mets' new investor will be treated as a partner and will have some say, even though Fred Wilpon will remain the team's designated "control person" and Jeff Wilpon will remain the COO.
  • On former GM Omar Minaya, Wilpon said, "It was painful to see what Omar did to himself. Why did he do that?"  I'm not sure what Wilpon is referring to specifically here.

What Wilpon’s Comments Mean For The Mets

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Mets owner Fred Wilpon offered some not-so-constructive criticism for his star shortstop, his highest-paid position player and his franchise third baseman in Jeffrey Toobin’s recent New Yorker article. Soon after the Mets comment publicly on what Wilpon (pictured) said about Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright, the reaction will subside and the focus will return to the field. But before long the 22-24 Mets may have to consider trading players, including Reyes, Beltran and Wright. Here’s what – if anything – Wilpon’s comments mean for the trio of Mets stars going forward.

Wilpon

Jose Reyes

"He thinks he’s going to get Carl Crawford money. He’s had everything wrong with him. He won’t get it." – Wilpon.

Wilpon's comments suggest the Mets are shying away from Reyes' apparent asking price of $142MM. The Mets owner sounds hesitant about paying top dollar for Reyes when the shortstop hits free agency after the season. That would eliminate one bidder for Reyes' services after the season, but won't necessarily prevent the 27-year-old from floating an exorbitant price tag.

As for Reyes' trade value, rival executives tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney that Wilpon's comments reduced the Mets' leverage (Twitter links). GM Sandy Alderson faces the perception held by some general managers that the Mets must trade him because they won't be signing him after the season.

Carlos Beltran

"We had some schmuck in New York [Wilpon himself] who paid him based on that one [2004 postseason] series. He’s sixty-five to seventy per cent of what he was." - Wilpon.

Beltran had trade value before the article came out and Wilpon’s comments haven’t changed that. Speculation has already begun regarding possible suitors for the outfielder.

Agent Scott Boras is well aware that Beltran is having a resurgent season and that figures to boost his asking price in free agency after the season. Wilpon’s comments about Beltran’s current contract won’t prevent Boras from obtaining a shiny new deal for his client. But at age 34, Beltran is almost certainly not going to sign another $119MM deal, even if he matches his historic 2004 postseason performance.

David Wright

“A really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar." - Wilpon.

Alderson knows full well that Wright has had some superstar caliber seasons, and so do the rival GMs who might try to trade for him. If anything is limiting Wright's trade value, it's his pedestrian .226/.337/.404 line and the lower back stress fracture that has him on the disabled list.

Wright’s free agency is a long way off, as he’s under team control through 2013. He said this spring that he “can't imagine ever asking out" of New York and stated today that Wilpon is a “good man.” Could the owner’s comments change Wright’s stance on sticking it out with the Mets? It’s certainly possible, but we can’t assume that will happen.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Wilpon Fallout: Reyes, Beltran, Wright

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Mets owner Fred Wilpon publicly criticized three of his team’s best players in a piece by Jeffrey Toobin in the New Yorker. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explained and weighed in on the drama earlier today and others have since done the same. Here’s the latest on Wilpon, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright:

  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney says it was a "really, really bad idea" for Wilpon to agree to do the New Yorker interview in the first place. People aren't going to feel sorry for him and the news will generate lots of headlines for the wrong reasons.
  • Olney reports that the Mets would trade Reyes between the middle of June and the beginning of July if a deal occurs (all Twitter links). Though Wilpon's comments appear to be true, they cut into the leverage GM Sandy Alderson has, according to Olney. The Mets haven’t engaged Reyes in talks about a possible extension yet, Olney reports.
  • Reyes' agents are not going to comment, but the shortstop himself is not bothered by the story, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
  • Agent Scott Boras told Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal that he was surprised by Wilpon's jabs at Beltran, given how well the outfielder is playing this year. Boras also suggests he'd prefer to see Wilpon be more supportive of his team's players.
  • Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog wonders how Wilpon's words will impact the trade market for Reyes and how the story will impact players like Reyes and Wright as they try to focus on their jobs. 
  • Author Jeffrey Toobin said today on WFAN that he expects the Mets to try to re-sign Reyes and keep Wright, according to Cerrone.
  • As Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out, the sympathetic portions of the 11,000 word article "are obscured in total by Wilpon's critical comments on Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran." Mets officials say Wilpon is an obsessed fan who cares about every game, rather than a detached owner.
  • Though many owners and club officials talk critically about players in private moments, Wilpon made a mistake in expressing his thoughts publicly, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Mets skipper Terry Collins told Mike Puma of the New York Post that his team consists of professionals who can tune out distractions like this (Twitter link).
  • The Mets are formulating a response, according to Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger (on Twitter). It could take a while, he reports.

Fred Wilpon On Reyes, Wright, Beltran

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Jeffrey Toobin of The New Yorker has penned a must-read article about Mets owner Fred Wilpon, although at almost 11,000 words you may have to save it for your lunch break.  Toobin spent significant time with Wilpon, and also conversed with Bernie Madoff.  The article serves as a great primer on Wilpon's rise.  A few items within MLBTR's realm:

Wilpon on Jose Reyes on April 20th:

"He thinks he’s going to get Carl Crawford money.  He’s had everything wrong with him.  He won’t get it."

MLBTR's take: We've heard the rumor that Reyes could seek a contract in the seven-year, $142MM range, but it gains credibility coming from the Mets' owner.  While it's rare to hear this kind of blunt honesty from a team owner, there's nothing surprising here.  Reyes may have raised his stock beyond Crawford's in the month since Wilpon's quote, and a Mets extension has seemed unlikely for some time.

Wilpon on David Wright on April 20th:

"He’s pressing.  A really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar."

MLBTR's take: Again, there are plenty of people who consider Wright less than a superstar at this stage in his career, but now we can count the Mets' owner among them.  Since Wright can be under team control through 2013, there's not much reason to consider an extension right now anyway.

Wilpon on Carlos Beltran:

"We had some schmuck in New York who paid him based on that one series [his 2004 postseason with the Astros].  He’s sixty-five to seventy per cent of what he was."

Toobin notes that Wilpon was referring to himself in this quote.  I imagine most GMs agree that Beltran is 65-70% of what he was, especially since he's playing right field rather than center.  But Wilpon's comment doesn't exactly boost Beltran's trade value.

Wilpon on Ike Davis and the Mets in general on April 20th:

"Good hitter.  Shitty team—good hitter."

MLBTR's take: I just thought this was a funny quote coming from Wilpon.

Bernie Madoff on Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz:

"He must feel that I betrayed him, as do most of my friends who were involved. Hopefully, they will understand the pressures I was under. I made money for them legitimately to start, but then I got trapped and was not able to work my way out of it. It just became impossible for me to extricate myself, or even try and extricate myself…Fred and Saul were only guilty of trusting their friend and I will live with that guilt and shame forever."

Toobin feels "there are many levels of self-delusion" in this quote, but it is "relevant evidence" as Irving Picard attempts to prove that Wilpon and his associates just looked the other way in Madoff's Ponzi scheme.

Fred Wilpon on investing money with Madoff:

"We certainly wouldn’t have had five hundred and fifty million dollars invested in something that’s a Ponzi scheme, when you know it can only evaporate at some point. We didn’t know."

For me, this is hard to argue.  Toobin notes that as the Mets' risks in the Picard lawsuit far outweigh Picard's, "some kind of settlement seems likely, if not inevitable."  For Fred Wilpon's sake, hopefully the sides can agree on an amount closer to the owner's initial $160MM-range expectation rather than Picard's one billion-range figure.

New York Notes: Montero, Colon, Alderson

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Here are today's Yankees- and Mets-related links, as Ivan Nova and Mike Pelfrey prepare to square off in the rubber match of this weekend's Subway Series….

Make Or Break Year: How Are They Doing?

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Before the season, MLBTR writers identified 13 players who were set for 'make or break' years. These players had experienced ups and downs in their respective careers and were positioned to re-establish themselves as difference makers at the Major League level and set themselves up for success in free agency. Now that we're at the quarter pole for the 2011 season, let's check in on the lucky 13 players (all links go to the MLBTR posts):

  • Scott Kazmir - Kazmir, now on the DL, has appeared in one game this year and he allowed five runs, five hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. I'll be surprised if he signs a guaranteed contract this winter.
  • Nate McLouth – McLouth was coming off a poor 2010 season, but the results are much better in 2011. He has a .262/.355/.379 line, though UZR/150 suggests his defense in center field has been poor since 2009.
  • Grady Sizemore – After missing most of 2010 with a knee surgery that required microfracture surgery, Sizemore returned with a vengeance, only to hit the disabled list with an injury to his other knee. In 18 games before he got hurt, Sizemore posted a .282/.333/.641 line with six homers.
  • Ryan Doumit - Though he has only stepped to the plate 82 times, Doumit has a healthy .278/.358/.458 batting line. The switch-hitter has been available in trades for a while and it wouldn't be surprising to see him dealt this summer.
  • Jonathan Broxton – Broxton is on the disabled list with a bruised right elbow and there's no timetable for his return. If he doesn't pitch well later this season, he will be overshadowed by this offseason's strong crop of free agent relief pitchers.
  • Joel Zumaya - Zumaya had elbow surgery a week ago today and is now resting and rehabbing. It's not clear that he'll return to the Tigers this year.
  • Casey Blake – Blake required surgery for an elbow infection and could return to the Dodgers soon. Before he got hurt, the 37-year-old had a .956 OPS in 66 plate appearances.
  • Aramis Ramirez - Ramirez is off to a so-so .287/.347/.368 start, but his power can sneak up on people, as it did last year when he hit 19 homers after July 5th.
  • Edwin Jackson - Still just 27, Jackson has a 4.53 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 55 2/3 innings. His name appears multiple times on the leaderboard for free agent starters.
  • Bobby Abreu - The 37-year-old doesn't have much power at this stage in his career (.327 slugging, .072 isolated power), but you won't find many hitters capable of a .377 OBP.
  • Carlos Beltran - Beltran has rebounded in a big way this year. The way he's hitting (.286/.381/.564, 8 homers) he'll be among the most appealing free agents available after the season. I suggested this spring that he and agent Scott Boras could ask for a multiyear deal and that seems even more likely now.
  • Matt Capps - Capps hasn't walked anyone in 18 1/3 innings and he has five saves and a 3.93 ERA. The 27-year-old's value doesn't appear to have changed much this year.
  • Jeff Francis - Though Francis is 0-5 with a 4.83 ERA, he has averaged 6.0 innings per start for the Royals and has a respectable 27K/10BB ratio. The left-hander seems healthy after consecutive seasons with shoulder issues.

Quick Hits: Vazquez, Mets, Brewers, Rays, O’s

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Here are some items of note for Sunday. On this day in 1941, 70 years ago, Joe DiMaggio began his Major League-record 56-game hitting streak, a mark that still stands today and has been largely unchallenged, as Jayson Stark of ESPN.com writes.

  • It doesn't sound like the Marlins are ready to give up on Javier Vazquez, writes Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. The Fish are paying Vazquez $7MM this year, but he allowed six runs in four innings today to raise his season ERA to 7.55.
  • The New York Post's Brad Hamilton reminds us that on July 1, the Mets will begin paying Bobby Bonilla $1.2MM each year for the next 25 years. New York struck that deal in 1999 to avoid paying the $5.9MM remaining on his contract when they released him.
  • MLB.com's Adam McCalvy writes that despite the offensive woes of Carlos Gomez and Yuniesky Betancourt, the Brewers are sticking with them for the time being.
  • Operating on a tight budget has its advantages for teams like the Rays, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Without extra cash to commit to pricey free agents, clubs like Tampa are rarely encumbered by poorly producing, highly compensated veterans, Sherman explains.
  • Meanwhile, the Orioles would like to emulate the Rays' formula for success, writes Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com.
  • Should the Yankees come to part ways with Jorge Posada in the wake of Saturday's incident, they could use the DH spot to rest veterans like Alex Rodriguez, or they could pursue a new DH like Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (subcription needed). Beltran is off to a great start with the Mets this season and could draw interest on the trade market, although Matt Klaassen of FanGraphs recently speculated that Beltran wouldn't yield much more than salary relief for the Mets.
  • Pete Rose is still seeking a second chance to manage, and he thinks it's hypocritical that players and coaches who have used PEDs, abused alcohol and been involved in domestic-violence incidents remain in the game, according to an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com).

Quick Hits: Astros, Lincecum, Yankees, Beltran

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Sad news in baseball today, as the Blue Jays announced the passing of player development senior advisor Mel Queen and Harmon Killebrew announced that his esophageal cancer has developed to the point that doctors don't expect a cure. MLBTR extends its sincere condolences to Queen’s family and Killebrew and his family. Here are today's links…

  • Astros manager Brad Mills was optimistic regarding the overall future of the organization after learning Drayton McLane Jr. had reached an agreement to sell the team to a group led by local businessman Jim Crane, according to Stephen Goff of Examiner.com.
  • Tom Singer of MLB.com takes an entertaining look back at some deals that didn't happen, including a possible trade that would have sent Tim Lincecum to Toronto. 
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he would like to add a southpaw to his team. “I’m just not going to get one right now,” Cashman said. “And I don’t know if I’ll get one this summer.”
  • Rosenthal says the Yankees shouldn't rush lefty Manny Banuelos to the Majors. "Let Manny become Manny … No sooner than 2012," Rosenthal writes.
  • Matt Klaassen of FanGraphs examines Carlos Beltran's trade value and says "it is hard to imagine the Mets getting more than a couple of C prospects in return for Beltran if they send a few million dollars along."
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