December 5, 2005 -- The Mets weren't comfortable trading Aaron Heilman for Tampa Bay catcher Toby Hall. And they didn't want to engage in bidding wars for free-agent backstops Bengie Molina or Ramon Hernandez this week.
Yet they are apparently willing to trade their top minor-league pitching prospect on a catcher who turns 34 in April.
Though the team was not ready to announce the trade last night, indications were Florida catcher Paul Lo Duca would be headed to the Mets for minor-league righty Gaby Hernandez and a player to be named.
A MLB official noted the Mets were still having dialogue and the deal could still fall apart, but another official said the trade was settled contingent on physicals.
Gaby Hernandez, 19, was recently rated as the Mets' third-best prospect, according to industry bible Baseball America.
The Mets have now traded three of their top four prospects, as righty Yusmeiro Petit (BA's No. 2 ranked prospect) and first baseman Mike Jacobs (BA's No. 4) were shipped to Florida in the Carlos Delgado deal.
Outfielder Lastings Milledge, their No. 1 prospect, is "highly unlikely" to be traded, one team source recently said. However, if GM Omar Minaya completes his quest to land Manny Ramirez this week, Boston will almost certainly want Milledge as part of the package.
---The Mets traded their best picthing prospect to save 1 (maybe 2) million a year for a 34 yr old catcher. Molina (30) and Hernandez (29) could have been had for 7-8 million a year while LoDuca makes 6.25 mil over the next 2 yrs. Again I must ask why Omar?
Yet they are apparently willing to trade their top minor-league pitching prospect on a catcher who turns 34 in April.
Though the team was not ready to announce the trade last night, indications were Florida catcher Paul Lo Duca would be headed to the Mets for minor-league righty Gaby Hernandez and a player to be named.
A MLB official noted the Mets were still having dialogue and the deal could still fall apart, but another official said the trade was settled contingent on physicals.
Gaby Hernandez, 19, was recently rated as the Mets' third-best prospect, according to industry bible Baseball America.
The Mets have now traded three of their top four prospects, as righty Yusmeiro Petit (BA's No. 2 ranked prospect) and first baseman Mike Jacobs (BA's No. 4) were shipped to Florida in the Carlos Delgado deal.
Outfielder Lastings Milledge, their No. 1 prospect, is "highly unlikely" to be traded, one team source recently said. However, if GM Omar Minaya completes his quest to land Manny Ramirez this week, Boston will almost certainly want Milledge as part of the package.
---The Mets traded their best picthing prospect to save 1 (maybe 2) million a year for a 34 yr old catcher. Molina (30) and Hernandez (29) could have been had for 7-8 million a year while LoDuca makes 6.25 mil over the next 2 yrs. Again I must ask why Omar?
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