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Heyman On Mets, Pujols, Chapman, Yankees

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Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon are closer to settling on a limited partner who will bring cash and keep the organization running, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Unlike the Dodgers, whose ownership situation “seems to be deteriorating,” the Mets are doing fine, according to Commissioner Bud Selig. Here’s the latest from Heyman:

  • If Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has support, it’s either “minute or nonexistent.”
  • People who know Mets GM Sandy Alderson expect him to trade Jose Reyes and others if he believes it’s best for the organization.
  • There’s no indication yet that the Cubs would be willing to offer Albert Pujols $200MM or more in free agency, Heyman writes. However, the Cubs have money and no long-term answer at first base.
  • Some baseball people believe Aroldis Chapman and Mike Leake could use time in the minors.
  • Though the Yankees aren’t concerned with Derek Jeter’s bat, they are “very concerned” about Jorge Posada. The DH has a .162/.273/.352 line with 6 homers this year.

NL East Notes: Proctor, Kimbrel, Mets, Harper

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As Carlos Beltran enjoys a three-homer day against Colorado, here's the latest from the NL East…

  • "At least two teams" contacted the Braves about right-hander Scott Proctor, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  When the Braves re-signed Proctor last month, the team agreed to trade Proctor before May 15 if he so desired, since Atlanta couldn't call the righty up before that date due to releasing him during Spring Training.  Proctor wanted to stay with the Braves, and will be called up to the Major League roster on Sunday.  
  • In another item, O'Brien thinks the Braves should consider making Jonny Venters at least a part-time closer alongside incumbent stopper Craig Kimbrel.  You can keep track of all the end-game news and rumors by following @CloserNews, MLBTR's sister Twitter feed.
  • Talks between Steve Cohen and the Mets "are at a little bit of a stalemate right now," reports CNBC's Kate Kelly (passed along by Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com).  Cohen is willing to pay around $200MM for 49% of the franchise, but "he wants some significant say over how they do what they do," including getting some seats on the team's board of directors.  Despite this setback, Kelly says negotiations "are still happening and the goal is to get this thing done ASAP.”
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson recently noted that most serious trade negotiations don't begin to develop until June, but ESPNNewYork.com's Rob Parker argues that the Mets should be looking to deal Jose Reyes quickly, since the shortstop's trade value is at its highest.
  • Is Bryce Harper the "best prospect ever"?  Fangraphs' Dave Cameron thinks it could be the case, given how Harper is just 18 years old.
  • The Nationals, who aren't selecting first overall for the first time since 2008, intend to take the best players available to them this June. Yet amateur scouting director Kris Kline told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he intends to "really focus on pitching." The Nationals select 6th, 23rd and 34th, so they're expecting to obtain three "really good players."
  • With the Marlins off to such a good start, ESPN's Jim Bowden thinks team management has to be looking into extending Edwin Rodriguez's contract.  The manager is just signed through this season and would seem like a no-brainer extension candidate, were it not for Jeffrey Loria's history of interest in bigger-name managers (such as Ozzie Guillen or Bobby Valentine).

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post

Heyman On Blue Jays, Royals, Bradley, Reyes

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The trade that sent Vernon Wells from Toronto to Anaheim was the “Holy Grail” of deals for the Blue Jays and the best move of the winter, writes Jon Heyman of SI.com. Jose Bautista's five-year, $65MM contract places second on Heyman's list of teams' top offseason moves. As Heyman says, Bautista could have been in position to earn $100MM or more as a free agent after the season if the Blue Jays hadn't signed him long-term. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • Royals GM Dayton Moore is pleased with Jeff Francoeur's production so far and says the outfielder does a lot of things well, though he “doesn't have a knack for getting on base.” As I showed last week, the Royals are getting lots out of their free agent acquisitions so far in 2011.
  • Can Milton Bradley find another job? Five MLB executives expressed at least strong doubt about Bradley's future job prospects in the Major Leagues. His fading offense and poor defense don't make up for the distractions he creates, which led one exec to predict that the outfielder's “career is over” now that Seattle designated him for assignment. Others expect Bradley to get one last chance.
  • It's early, but Heyman suggests the White Sox, Tigers and A's look like possibilities for Carlos Beltran this summer. Beltran has a no-trade clause and is impressing scouts early on this season.
  • The Red Sox and Blue Jays could be interested in catcher Jordan Weems, a high schooler who is moving up some draft boards.
  • Heyman hears that it's “highly unlikely” that the Red Sox would be willing to meet the Mets' asking price for Jose Reyes this summer.

Mets Unlikely To Trade Reyes And Re-Sign Him

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Dreaming up scenarios where the Mets cash in shortstop Jose Reyes for top prospects this summer and then re-sign him after the season?  "I think that's unlikely," GM Sandy Alderson told Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.  Alderson noted that such examples are rare, if not unprecedented.

Additionally, Alderson hammered home another important point: in general, trade talks don't get serious until June, and major trades are most likely to happen in July.  Realistically, a Reyes trade would probably occur over two months from now, and a lot can happen during that time.

If the Mets decide to try to re-sign Reyes – a big if – Costa says waiting until after the season "is a risk they appear willing to take."  Reyes, 27, is hitting .318/.365/.490 in 171 plate appearances this year.  If that holds up, he figures to top $100MM on the open market.

Heyman On Wheeler, Reyes, Martin, Reds

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Now that top prospects Eric Hosmer and Jose Iglesias are in the majors, Jon Heyman of SI.com examines the minors’ top prospects. Mariners infield prospect Dustin Ackley, the second overall pick behind Stephen Strasburg two years ago, is "over-rated'' and without a clear defensive position in the opinion on one NL executive. Here’s Heyman’s latest from around the league:

  • The Giants and Mets don’t appear to be talking about Jose Reyes at the moment, but the rumors won’t stop until the calendar flips to August or another team acquires the shortstop. Heyman hears from one person who believes the Mets would “have to” send Reyes to San Francisco if they could get pitching prospect Zack Wheeler in return.
  • MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes suggested Wheeler as a possible target for the Mets last week.
  • In off-field news, Heyman reports that the Mets are getting more interest than expected from buyers interested in a minority stake in the team.
  • The Rangers hope Cuban outfield prospect Leonys Martin, who signed last week, can help them in 2011. 
  • The Reds were among the teams that bid on Martin, according to Heyman.

New York Notes: Reyes, Jeter, Logan, Pridie

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Let's catch up on the latest links relating to the first-place Yankees and the last-place Mets….

Stark On Liriano, Hamels, Hosmer, Reyes

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Here's the latest from Jayson Stark of ESPN.com …

  • Twins lefty Francisco Liriano could be made available via trade in July if Minnesota continues to struggle, but teams will be hesitant to acquire him because of his inconsistencies. One scout told Stark that Liriano has great stuff, but the southpaw's mechanics are a mess. Liriano is under team control through next season.
  • Phillies lefty Cole Hamels' three-year, $20.5MM deal expires after this season, leaving him with one year of arbitration eligibility before free agency. Stark wonders how the Phillies will approach a potential extension for Hamels, and Hamels' agent said that the sides haven't yet discussed such a deal. One point of reference to keep in mind, per Stark: Justin Verlander, whose five-year, $80MM pact with the Tigers bought out three years of arbitration eligibility.
  • Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer made his Major League debut today amid much fanfare, but several teams told Stark that they would have waited a while longer so as to ensure that the blue-chipper wouldn't be a Super Two. Kansas City, however, has said all along that it would call up its players when they're ready, according to Stark. Earlier today, Ben Nicholson-Smith examined the financial implications of Hosmer's promotion.
  • The Mets and Giants maintain that they haven't discussed a potential trade for shortstop Jose Reyes. However, Stark thinks the Giants will need to address the position, and Reyes is a perfect fit.

Heyman On Reyes, Lowe, Peavy, Howard

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The Cardinals, Giants, Brewers, Red Sox, Twins and Mariners are possible suitors for Jose Reyes this summer, writes Jon Heyman of SI.com. However, the Mets don’t have an obvious replacement for their shortstop and attendance could suffer if they deal Reyes, as Heyman points out. (Though the Mariners have won seven of their last nine games and haven't obtained much production at short, it's still extremely difficult to imagine them trading for Reyes.) Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:

  • Derek Lowe could be available at the trade deadline given the Braves’ starting pitching depth.
  • The White Sox have insurance on Jake Peavy, according to Heyman. This means that the team may already have started receiving payments to help cover the injured right-hander’s $16MM salary.
  • Heyman, a defender of Ryan Howard’s five-year, $125MM contract from the start, says the first baseman has been “worth every penny so far.” 
  • On the one-year anniversary of Howard's deal, I concluded that Howard and agent Casey Close had done well to sign the contract.
  • The Nationals may want to consider locking manager Jim Riggleman up, Heyman writes. The Nationals have a team option for Riggleman's 2012 services.

Trade Candidate: David Wright

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It seems a foregone conclusion that the Mets will trade at least one of their high-priced stars this summer.  Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and Francisco Rodriguez have been the most-rumored candidates to leave Queens, but all three players carry risk for any trade partner. 

Beltran is under contract just through this year, he has a full no-trade clause and is coming off of two injury-plagued seasons.  Reyes can also be a free agent this winter, so an interested team might not be willing to trade much of value for the shortstop unless it is given a negotiating window beforehand.  Rodriguez has little value as a closer due to the vesting option that would guarantee him $17.5MM in 2012 if he finishes at least 55 games this year, and no team is desperate enough for a stopper at that price.

The Mets do have one asset that carries no baggage — David Wright.  The third baseman is just 28 and signed to a contract that would pay him roughly $27MM between now and the end of the 2012 season, plus a $16MM club option for 2013 (with a $1MM buyout).  Wright has indicated he wants to stay in New York and wouldn't ask for a trade. 

Losing a homegrown star like Wright would be an unpopular move amongst Mets fans, but if Sandy Alderson is committed to a complete rebuild, moving Wright would be the last step, but also the most lucrative in terms of what the Mets could demand in return.  Here are a few of the teams that would likely get in on the bidding if Wright became available…

  • Angels.  Alberto Callaspo has been the bulk of playing time at third for the Halos, with the hot-hitting Maicer Izturis seeing a few starts at third and at shortstop.  Wright would certainly be an upgrade, the Angels could afford him, and they probably have the prospect depth to get the New York's attention.  (Though Mike Trout is untouchable.) 
  • Athletics.  It isn't Billy Beane's style to make a big deadline move, but with the AL West as tight as it is and Kevin Kouzmanoff having seemingly lost his starting job at third, the A's could decide their time is now and make an offer for Wright.  If the quest for the playoffs came up short, Oakland might also try to flip Wright this winter.
  • Cardinals.  David Freese got off to a great start but he will be out for at least the next two months with a fractured hand.  With the Albert Pujols negotiations looming this winter, St. Louis is pretty unlikely to pick up another big contract, though the argument could be made that Pujols would be more eager to stay if Wright was also in the lineup.
  • Marlins.  Florida is right behind the Phillies in the NL East despite a revolving door at third base.  The Fish aren't known for adding big contracts, but with their new ballpark opening next season and a real shot at the playoffs, an exception could be made.  That said, it's hard enough to imagine the Mets trading Wright at all, and almost impossible to see them moving their franchise player to a divisional rival.
  • Rockies.  Ian Stewart was sent to Triple-A after a 2-for-26 (.077) start to the season and was recalled on Tuesday after hitting well in the minors.  It's possible Colorado could look for outside help if Stewart continues to struggle, since their veteran infield depth (Jose Lopez and Ty Wigginton) has also been ineffective.
  • Tigers.  Brandon Inge has started 29 of Detroit's 32 games this season and while his defense at the hot corner remains above average according to UZR/150, he has managed just a .551 OPS at the plate.  Inge has been an underrated source of power for the last few seasons but he has just one home run in 2011.  He signed a two-year extension last October so the Tigers would have to eat some money if they acquired another third baseman, but if Detroit gets back into the pennant race and still needs hitting help, Wright could look awfully tempting.

Quick Hits: McClellan, Berkman, Reyes

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Dan Meyer, Matt Anderson, Luis Castillo and Robb Quinlan probably didn't like it very much when the Phillies released them this spring, but they may not have realized that they have something in common with their former GM. The Blue Jays released Ruben Amaro Jr. on this date in 1996, before he ever played a Major League game for them…

  • Kyle McClellan has become a valuable cog in the Cardinals’ rotation, as Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains.
  • McClellan's teammate, Lance Berkman, told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that he was disappointed with the way his tenure with the Astros ended. “They basically said, 'You're bad. We're bad. Let's cut ties and get on down the road.' And that was hurtful.”
  • International scouts tell Melissa Segura of SI.com that this year's Dominican July 2 class of amateur free agents is the best they've seen in years (Twitter link).
  • Anthony DiComo of MLB.com presents ten possible destinations for trade candidate Jose Reyes, some (Milwaukee) more plausible than others (the Bronx).
  • Former Reds and Nationals GM Jim Bowden also weighs in on the market for Reyes. He has the Giants, Cardinals, Red Sox, Reds and Angels as possible suitors on his list at ESPN.com.
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