New York Mets Hot Stove Report

[s_dooley24]

"Multiple independent baseball sources have told GB that the Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays are working on a four-team megadeal that would send -- eventually -- Miguel Tejada to the Red Sox, Kris Benson and Julio Lugo to the Orioles, Aaron Heilman and prospects to the Devil Rays, and Manny Ramirez to the Mets.

We've been able to piece together some aspects of the deal, but they are subject to change as the teams continue to communicate with one other.

Mets would send Heilman and Matsui (and $5 million) to Tampa Bay for Lugo. Then New York would send Lugo, Kris Benson, Brian Bannister and Victor Diaz to Baltimore for Tejada, and then send Tejada to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez.

For example:

Mets would get Manny Ramirez
O's would get Lugo, Benson, Bannister, Diaz
Red Sox would get Tejada
Devil Rays would get Heilman and Matsui

Nothing's close, but "these are the kind of deals that either fall apart immediately, or take until the spring to complete."

That's not all, folks.

We also hear that if the deal is not completed in a timely fashion, that the Mets will "not rest until they acquire Ramirez."

Just a little update and some players being tweaked in the trade I found...

4-way Manny frenzy

Execs buzzing over potential Mets megadeal

BY BILL MADDEN
and ANTHONY McCARRON
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS


Manny Ramirez is eager to forget Boston, and Mets want him.

The Mets have been engaged in ongoing talks with the Devil Rays about reliever Danys Baez, but, according to multiple baseball sources, those discussions could bloom into a blockbuster four-team trade scenario in which Manny Ramirez winds up at Shea and similarly disgruntled slugger Miguel Tejada lands in Boston.

According to sources, both the Red Sox and Orioles have resigned themselves to accommodating the trade requests of Ramirez and Tejada, who want off of their respective teams. But since the Orioles have signed Jeromy Burnitz to complete their outfield, they may not have a match with the Red Sox in a straight-up Tejada-for-Ramirez deal, so several baseball executives said they'd have to get other teams involved.


That's where the Mets and Devil Rays come in. The basics of the four-team deal that had the baseball executives buzzing yesterday and would appear to satisfy the needs of all four clubs would have Tejada and Tampa Bay's Joey Gathright going to the Red Sox to fill Boston's holes at shortstop and center field.


Ramirez and Baez would go to the Mets, giving them one of the game's best sluggers and a setup man. The Orioles would satisfy their need at shortstop by getting Julio Lugo from Tampa Bay and add pitching by getting Matt Clement from Boston and possibly Kris Benson from the Mets.


The Devil Rays, who have always been difficult to deal with, especially in complicated transactions, are seeking top prospects and young pitching and would be satisfied in that regard by getting third baseman Andy Marte from Boston and Jae Seo and Aaron Heilman from the Mets. In addition, the Mets would send Kaz Matsui to Tampa to give the D-Rays a stopgap shortstop replacement until prospect B.J. Upton is ready.


An executive with one of the teams called the four-team scenario far-fetched, but an official with another of the teams said he expected to broach such talks.


The Mets and GM Omar Minaya long have coveted Ramirez, a nine-time All-Star. Ramirez has said he wants to leave Boston and the Mets are one of the few clubs in baseball that could take on all or part of his monster salary - Ramirez is due $57 million over the next three seasons.


Money, of course, could complicate the deal. In addition to Ramirez's hefty price tag, Tejada is owed $48 million and part of a $12 million signing bonus for the next four years.


Independently, the Mets have been talking for weeks with the Devil Rays about Baez, who was 5-4 with a 2.86 ERA and 41 saves as a closer last season. Seo and Heilman have been mentioned as possible matches in a potential one-for-one deal, but two Mets sources said yesterday they would "absolutely" not part with Heilman for Baez.


However, if talks expand and include bringing Ramirez to the Mets, Heilman might have to be sacrificed.


If the Mets got Baez, he would set up for new closer Billy Wagner. But Baez doesn't seem to want to switch jobs. In an interview yesterday with the St. Petersburg Times, he said, "I don't know if I want to be a setup guy. I want to be a closer.


"But if they trade me, I don't have a choice. If they want me to be a setup guy, that's what I'll do."

Originally published on December 31, 2005

 

[Jayhawk_Thor]

Why would the Orioles do that?

Trade an MVP candidate at baseball's premier position for two mediocre, overpayed pitchers and a decent shortstop?

Even Angelos isnt stupid enought to pull the trigger on that...

 

[Jayhawk_Thor]

Nevermind... He is....

:mj07:

 

[s_dooley24]

The Mets stove has been cold too long.....

Just a Manny sweepstakes update though...a few minor tweakings are in the works...


Blockbuster brewing?
Jan 3 - A blockbuster four-team trade involving Manny Ramirez could be in the works, the New York Daily News reports. The Mets would get Ramirez from the Red Sox and reliever Danys Baez from the Devil Rays. The Sox would receive shortstop Miguel Tejada from the Orioles and center fielder Joey Gathright from the D-Rays. Baltimore would get Julio Lugo from Tampa and possibly starters Kris Benson from the Mets and Matt Clement from Boston. The Rays would get cheap players with big upsides, such as Aaron Heilman and Jae Seo from the Mets.
According to the Boston Herald, the Sox are still in Manny-Tejada talks. The Sox are offering Ramirez and Clement to the Orioles in exchange for Tejada and an outfielder, possibly 22-year-old prospect Nick Markakis.

Ramirez reportedly would accept a deal to Baltimore only if the O's would exercise a pair of options on his contract. Those options would keep Ramirez in Baltimore through 2010 but are at a whopping $20 million each, which would be a major deterrent to the Orioles.

 

[soul train]

Mets sign Chad Bradford


The New York Mets today signed 31-year old right-handed relief pitcher Chad Bradford to a one-year Major League contract.
Bradford, 6-5, 203 pounds, was 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 21 games with the Red Sox in 2005. Chad began last season on Oakland's Disabled List. He underwent lower back surgery in March. Chad made nine minor league rehabilitation appearances between June 24th and July 12th before being traded to Boston for outfielder Jay Payton on July 13th.

In his major league career, the Jackson, MS native has pitched with the White Sox, A's and Red Sox and has a combined 23-16 record and seven saves with a 3.49 ERA in 325 games.

"Chad is a veteran guy who has had success in the post-season," said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. "He brings valuable experience to our bullpen."

Last season for Boston, Bradford did not allow a run in 23 of his 31 appearances. He only gave up three extra-base hits (two doubles and a home run) in 104 batters faced.

Bradford pitched with the White Sox in parts of 1998, 1999 and 2000 and was with Oakland until his trade to the Red Sox. Chad appeared in at least 68 games each season from 2002-2004.

"New York is a great situation for me," said Bradford. "I worked with Rick Peterson in Oakland and I know what he can do. With all the off-season additions, I'm sure the Mets will be contending for a playoff spot and I want to do all I can to help."

In eight post-season appearances with the White Sox (2000) and the Athletics (2001-2003), he has not allowed a run in 8.1 innings.

For his career, righthanded batters have a .225 (188-834) average against Bradford. Chad has permitted 10 home runs in 834 at-bats against righthanded batters lifetime, an average of one home run per 83.4 at-bats.

 

[soul train]

MEET THE METS,
MEET THE METS,
Step right up and greet the Mets!
Bring your kiddies,
bring your wife;
Guaranteed to have the time of your life
because the Mets are really sockin? the ball; knocking those home runs over the wall!
East side,
West side,
everybody?d coming down
to meet the M-E-T-S Mets of New York town!

 

[Pujo21]

METS trade SEO to Dodgers for Duaner sanchez. Sanchez is a workhorse.

and forget the Cardinals as longs as the have The ambulance chaser Roosie LaRoosie as their manager. That guy thinks tooooooooooo much !

 

[soul train]

ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-hander Jae Seo and left-handed reliever Tim Hamulack from the New York Mets on Wednesday for right-handed relievers Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll.

A 28-year-old South Korean, Seo made 14 starts for the Mets last season, going 8-2 with a 2.59 ERA and 16 walks and 59 strikeouts in 90 1-3 innings. He also was 7-4 with a 4.29 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A Norfolk.

"Seo's going to get a chance to start," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "He had a real good year with the Mets and in Triple-A, pitched close to 200 innings. Seo is a no-frills guy who knows how to pitch."

Seo, who went 5-10 with a 4.90 ERA in 2004, has a 22-24 career record and 3.85 ERA in 66 starts and five relief appearances, all with the Mets.

"This gives us a little more depth in the starting rotation," Colletti said. "I don't think this will prohibit us from getting another starter in either free agency or in a trade. One more would be good. I think we have a rotation now that's capable of throwing 180 innings, 200, 210 through all five starters."

New York general manager Omar Minaya is seeking middle relievers after signing Billy Wagner to be the Mets' closer, and Sanchez will work alongside Aaron Heilman and Chad Bradford in the bullpen. It was unclear whether the Mets were still trying to acquire Danys Baez from Tampa Bay.

"I pursued other things, but this one was in front of me," Minaya said. "The others that were out there never came to fruition. I had to make a choice: either wait for something else or get something that we've liked all along."

Seo joins a Los Angeles rotation that includes right-hander Brett Tomko, who signed last month, and three returnees: right-handers Brad Penny and Derek Lowe, and left-hander Odalis Perez.

Jeff Weaver, a 14-game winner last season, is a free agent and has until Sunday to re-sign. Colletti said he's spoken with Scott Boras, Weaver's agent on several occasions but called Weaver's return a long shot.

Colletti said the 29-year-old Hamulack has a good chance to make the Dodgers' roster. Hamulack made his major league debut last year after 382 minor league appearances in 10 seasons, making six appearances and allowing six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. He was a combined 5-3 with 12 saves in 49 games for Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Norfolk.

The 26-year-old Sanchez was 4-7 with a 3.73 ERA and eight saves in 79 games last season, tying him for second in the NL in appearances, and he served as the Dodgers' closer late in the year. He was a setup man in 2004, going 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 67 games.

Sanchez made his big league debut in 2002 with Arizona. He also pitched for Pittsburgh in 2002-03 before the Dodgers claimed him on waivers after the 2003 season.

The 25-year-old Schmoll, signed by Los Angeles in May 2003, was 2-2 with a 5.01 ERA and three saves for the Dodgers and 0-3 with a 4.78 ERA in 22 games for Triple-A Las Vegas last season.

"It was tough to trade both of them," Colletti said. "Omar had a need in the bullpen. I felt I have a need in the rotation."

 

[s_dooley24]

No mo Manny

http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/story?id=396286

 

[soul train]

NEW YORK -- Acknowledging that Bret Boone is the personification of low risk and high reward, the Mets signed the veteran second baseman to a Minor League contract on Wednesday, inviting him to Spring Training and expressing hope that he again can show the prowess that made him one of the game's most productive middle infielders just three years ago.
But the Mets understand that Boone, 37, isn't likely to regain the power lost last season, when he batted .221 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs in 88 games with the Mariners and Twins. And they see him as more of a possible understudy than an everyday player. A member of the Mets hierarchy said as much on Wednesday, noting the club's effort to deal Kaz Matsui and have rookies Anderson Hernandez and Jeff Keppinger compete for the everyday second base assignment.

General manager Omar Minaya didn't use the same phrasing, but he did say, "I don't know if [Boone] can rebound," and asked "What is there to lose? ... I've always liked Bret Boone, there's something about him ... His accomplishments in the Majors are well documented. He's an All-Star who has been to the postseason and knows how to win. He's a veteran guy who gives us more options."

"I look at this as a tremendous opportunity," said Boone.

The Mets have afforded Boone the chance to return to the National League for the first time since 2000, when he played with the Padres. Previously, he played five years with the Reds and one with the Braves. Boone hit 183 home runs and drove in 680 in seven seasons before last year, the last four of the seven with the Mariners.

The Twins traded for him on July 11, 2005, and released him on Aug. 1, and Boone finished with his least productive season since 1997.

"Last year was a season I'd like to forget," he said.

 

[Jayhawk_Thor]

NEW YORK -- Acknowledging that Bret Boone is the personification of low risk and high reward, the Mets signed the veteran second baseman to a Minor League contract on Wednesday, inviting him to Spring Training and expressing hope that he again can show the prowess that made him one of the game's most productive middle infielders just three years ago.

Actually... he is the personification of a player who was great when he went on steroids, and terrible when he had to get off of them. But who's splitting hairs?

 

[soul train]

 

[soul train]

 

[soul train]

 

[soul train]

 

[soul train]

 

[s_dooley24]

Looks like Todd Walker might be available. I think he might be a good pick up for the Mets. Another left handed bat, albeit an at best average fielder. He performed in Boston so that means he can handle a decent amount of pressure. That is the one thing that worries me about FAs to the Mets is the NY Media factor. I think that got to Beltran a bit, but I think he will have a better year for a couple of reasons.

1. More proctetion in the lineup (i.e. Delgado, Wright a yr older)
2. Won't bad 3rd where he shouldn't have been anyway
3. Not all the pressure of him being the big FA signing of the off season
--that pressure to some extent will be on Delgado, but he as preformed where ever he has been so that doesn't worry me( just his glove a bit)

 

[Dayad]

And who do you suggest the Mets give up to get Walker? The Cubs are not GIVING him away

 

[Pujo21]

METS JUST TRADED KRIS BENSON to baltimore for reliever JORGE JULIO..........

bye bye benson

 

[Dayad]

Interesting move