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Odds and Ends: Andruw, Marquis, Coonelly

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Links for Monday…

Mets Backup Plans for Lowe

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Regis Courtemanche of Metsblog.com has a guest blog up at Newsday, discussing the Mets’ backup plans should they fail to sign Derek Lowe.

The Mets have expressed interest in Oliver Perez, Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland. Courtemanche’s first choice is Wolf.

Wolf posted similar numbers to Perez last year, and Perez is represented by Scott Boras, and will be asking for more years and money than Wolf. Additionally, Wolf is represented by the same agent – Arn Tellem – as Francisco Rodriguez, and is already on good terms with Omar Minaya.

Is not giving Lowe the money he wants really worth the drop-off in quality you might get with any of the backup plans though? Courtemanche doesn’t think so, especially because not going after Lowe leads to the possibility of him landing with the Braves or Phillies, which would harm the Mets even further.

Courtemanche also wonders why there has been no interest shown in Ben Sheets:

His susceptibility to injury is probably why, most notably the shoulder problems he incurred in 2006. Nevertheless, Sheets is much better than any of the above mentioned alternatives since he allows fewer homers, earned runs, and walks. Plus, his five complete games were third in the majors behind Roy Halladay, and his former teammate, C.C. Sabathia. Worth a second look if you ask me.

Mets’ Pitching Pursuit Will Take Time

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David Lennon of Newsday talked to Mets GM Omar Minaya, who expects his pursuit of a starting pitcher to be drawn out.  Minaya suggested it could be resolved by mid-January.

The Mets have a three-year, $36MM offer out to Derek Lowe and have made other offers as well.  It’s been suggested the Mets will top out around three years and $40MM.  In a report yesterday, Tony Massarotti said the Mets and Lowe discussed two proposals last week: a four-year deal and a three-year contract with a vesting option.  Massarotti suggests the Mets entered the bidding with a weak offer because Lowe has no other suitor in the Northeast.  If the Mets don’t improve the offer much, it’ll be a test of how much geography matters to Lowe.  Though not in Lowe’s preferred geographic region, Gerry Fraley considers the Braves in the mix for him.

Oliver Perez is next in line for Omar Minaya, though Lennon believes his future is linked to Lowe’s.  If neither Boras client can be signed, Randy Wolf and Jon Garland become the targets.  Pedro Martinez remains a possibility as well.  The plan is nice and all, but other teams need starting pitching too and may start signing these guys in the next few weeks.

Mets Make Offer To Lowe

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TUESDAY, 7:03pm: It looks as though the first of the Mets’ offers has been issued.

According to Jack Curry of the New York Times, the Mets have offered Derek Lowe a three-year deal, worth a total of $36MM.  I imagine half the teams in baseball would be willing to offer that amount to Lowe. The article maintains the current notion that Lowe is the Mets’ first choice to bolster their rotation.  He had reportedly been seeking five years and $90MM.

MONDAY: MLB.com’s Marty Noble on the Mets:

They intend to make offers early this week to at least two and probably three free-agent pitchers — Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez and Randy Wolf — in hopes of signing one of them.

Noble says the Mets continue to rank the three in that order – Lowe, Perez, Wolf.  The Mets haven’t shown any indication of wanting to sign more than one.  Lowe and Perez should be ready to sign soon now that Scott Boras isn’t occupied with Mark Teixeira.

Noble adds that the Mets aren’t terribly concerned about having only one left-handed reliever on the roster (Pedro Feliciano).  They’ll look for bargains rather than pursue a Joe Beimel type.  Mets GM Omar Minaya does want to acquire a utility infielder, with Alex Cora atop the list.

Olney’s Latest: Lowe, Castillo, Hudson

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Buster Olney focuses his new column on reluctant-to-spend teams and how they’ve changed the market. He turns up some interesting rumors…

  • The Rays and A’s are in a "bidding war" of sorts over the likes of Jason Giambi, Pat Burrell, Garret Anderson and Bobby Abreu. Both teams are willing to spend, but neither wants to go first since prices are higher now with both teams interested than they will be once the first team signs a player.
  • The Mets are in a great position since the Cards and Brewers aren’t likely to compete for Oliver Perez, Derek Lowe and Randy Wolf. This means they can wait, knowing that bargains will likely surface.
  • The Mets have "quietly continued to gauge" the Luis Castillo market and are interested in moving him and some of his salary.
  • If they find a taker, they could pursue Orlando Hudson.
  • As Joel Sherman predicted, the Nationals are now courting O-Dog.
  • Olney asks whether aging stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Pedro Martinez will choose to play for the offers they’re likely to get.
  • Brad Penny may soon decide where he wants to pitch next year. He’s weighing "an overture from the Cardinals" against other options.

Mets Target Lowe, Perez

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Now that Mark Teixeira has found a home in New York, the Mets would like to talk with two other Scott Boras clients about following suit, Ben Shpigel of the New York Times reports. The Mets are interested in Derek Lowe and Oliver Perez, in that order, and believe that the market may be shaping up to allow them to obtain their first choice.  Nothing is imminent for the Mets at this time.

With the Yankees (almost) definitely out of the picture, and the Red Sox seemingly focused more on hitting, the Mets are optimistic that they can get Lowe for considerably less than the five-year $90MM deal he was rumored to be looking for initially. If for some reason this doesn’t work out, the enigmatic Perez would be their next choice, Shpigel says.

Lowe, 35, had a 3.24 ERA in 211 innings for the Dodgers in 2008. Perez, 27, had a 4.22 ERA in 194 innings for the Mets.

Mets’ Minaya: Nothing Imminent

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1:38pm: The New York Daily News has, essentially, the same report. Roger Rubin writes that Derek Lowe is a top priority for the New York Mets, but nothing’s imminent. Something could happen during the next week, though.

Rubin sees the Boston Red Sox as being competition for Lowe’s services.

9:48am: Mets general manager Omar Minaya told Kat O’Brien of Newsday to “Go enjoy the holiday” and that nothing was happening on the New York Mets’ front today.

Minaya did say the team has been talking to free-agent starting pitchers, including Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez and Randy Wolf.

As far as outfielder Manny Ramirez, “a Mets source” told O’Brien in the same article that the Mets will not sign him.

Murray Chass: Furcal, Sabathia, Lowe, Teixeira

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Murray Chass has a nice Sunday post covering some of the biggest names in the game.  Let’s take a look:

  • Chass summarizes the Rafael Furcal fiasco nicely, and explains the potential legal hazards that refusing to work with the Wasserman group could lead to.
  • Brian Cashman has said that his refusal to trade for Johan Santana last year was because the Yankees knew C.C. Sabathia was going to be a free agent this year. Chass looks at their numbers side-by-side and points explains how by not trading for Santana, the Yankees risked missing out on both aces.
  • The Mets are very interested in Derek Lowe, but not his pricetag. Boras wants similar money to Barry Zito – about $18MM per season – for the 35-year-old Lowe. The Mets also like Oliver Perez, but he’s another Boras client with a big price tag. The Mets don’t want to add another big contract.
  • Is there really a team with a $200MM+ offer on the table for Mark Teixeira? Chass isn’t so sure. It seems that Boras always has a "mystery team" in on the negotiations, but his client never seems to sign there… Don’t count the Red Sox out just yet.

Mets Starting Pitching Update

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SATURDAY, 6:27PM: Ken Rosenthal confirms several of the ideas suggested in Heyman’s Friday article.

The Mets apparently are in fact interested in Tim Redding as a back-of-the-rotation starter, and would like to add either Derek Lowe or Oliver Perez to the front. The Mets appear willing to give Redding a two-year deal, while the Rockies, also interested in Redding’s services, are willing to do a one-year deal only.

Jason Marquis appears to be a likely target of the team that fails to sign Redding.

FRIDAY, 12:28PM: SI.com’s Jon Heyman has the latest on the Mets’ quest to add two starting pitchers.

Heyman says the Mets are waiting for Scott Boras to get Mark Teixeira signed before seriously engaging for Derek Lowe and Oliver Perez, their top two targets (in that order).  Randy Wolf is the third choice if the Boras clients fall through.  Heyman suggests Lowe’s asking price is $66MM over four years.

The Mets are also looking to add a back-end type to soak up innings.  This group includes Freddy Garcia, Tim Redding, and Jason Marquis.

Heyman’s Latest: Perez, Greinke, Dye, Garland

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The latest from SI.com’s Jon Heyman, non-Teixeira department…

  • Heyman describes the Mets’ chance of signing Oliver Perez as "remote for now." He names other "potential suitors" – the Brewers, Dodgers, Reds, and perhaps Mariners.
  • Apparently some Yankees people wouldn’t mind if Andy Pettitte passed on their $10MM offer, as they’d be able to pursue Ben Sheets or Derek Lowe.
  • The Red Sox "looked into" trading for Zack Greinke but didn’t like the price.
  • Heyman says the Reds, Braves, and Rays are still showing interest in Jermaine Dye.
  • He says the Dodgers, White Sox, and Mets "could be possibilities" for Jon Garland.  A return to Chicago?
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