According to Jon Heyman , Wagner has been claimed by an unidentified team. The Mets are still on the hook for about 2.5M for this year’s salary and another 1M if the Mets choose to buy out his 8M option this off-season. The Mets have 3 days to decide among3 options. 1 Allow Billy to be taken by the claiming team with nothing in return, strictly salary relief. 2 Try and work out a trade with the claiming team that they do not have to accept. 3 Pull Billy back into the depths of this Mets season of despair.  According the MLBTR the Marlins and Rays are known to have interest in Wagner.
UPDATE: According to Ken Rosenthal the Red Sox were the team that claimed Wagner. See options above as to what their options are. That decision will have to be made by 1:00pm Tuesday.
What do you guys think the Mets should do? As I have already expressed, to me the best option is to keep him and hope that he builds up enough value to offer arbitration in the off-season. Billy has already said he wants to be a closer so I do not see him accepting the arbitration. If he does then we have a well paid closer tandem unless one is traded.
Update: In more Mets drama today Gary Sheffield said, according to Bart Hubbuch, did he did NOT ask for extension. Can we have one laid back drama free day with this circus?
18 comments
metsfan4decades
8/21/2009-3:56pm at 3:56 pm (UTC -4)
IDK, I can’t see them pulling him back, then offering him arbitration. I could be wrong, but I’m willing to bet they don’t go down that road – even if it does mean the draft picks.
But…if that’s the road they’re gonna take, then I hope they discussed it with Wagner first. Can you imagine Billy for the next 6 weeks if he thinks he lost a shot to go to a contender this year?
CaseStreet
8/21/2009-4:21pm at 4:21 pm (UTC -4)
tough one. would be fun having Gary and Billy on the team, when they both want to be traded.
tkfj
8/21/2009-4:47pm at 4:47 pm (UTC -4)
My ideal situation, not that I expect it to happen, but hear me out.
Billy Wagner does not get moved before the waiver deadline and we give him the last 6 weeks of the season to prove he is capable of pitching like he was known to. We offer Billy arbitration in the offseason, and at the same time shop Krod.
Look at it objectively, a closer is usually a power pitcher and regardless of age Billy has the possibility, if healthy, to be more of a power pitcher than KRod. Billy has a 96 mph fastball and a fresh arm. Krod’s velocity has fallen off. Take into account also Krod’s peripherals, BB/9 innings is up, K’s/ 9 innings is down. He is having a solid season in the save department but the other stats don’t lie, besisdes for saves he is having a pretty poor statistical season.
Wagner coming of injury could be had on the cheap, 4-5 million for a 1 year contract. Clear the 12 mill a year, 17.5 mill option of KRod’s, to give this team more money to work with during the offseason. Lets face it closer, while an important position, isnt nearly as important as LF, 1B, #2 SP, and catcher. We can work with the money we have or we could be creative and get ourselves some more. Better players, better team. At this point we cant even get to the 9th without a lead, lets fix that first.
tkfj
8/21/2009-4:49pm at 4:49 pm (UTC -4)
*with
CaseStreet
8/21/2009-4:59pm at 4:59 pm (UTC -4)
I appreciate wanting to shave money to fix the rest of the team, but HELL NO. Wags is old and coming off of surgery.
tkfj
8/21/2009-5:41pm at 5:41 pm (UTC -4)
That is why my idea depends on Wags proving himself. Just trying to think outside the box.
trs86
8/21/2009-5:53pm at 5:53 pm (UTC -4)
Appreciate outside the box, but do we really want 2008 all over again when Wagner goes down?
tkfj
8/21/2009-6:11pm at 6:11 pm (UTC -4)
While not injury prone over his career, I’ll agree he has had his fair share of injuries.
Trying to find a cheaper alternative to what we currently have.
trs86
8/21/2009-6:17pm at 6:17 pm (UTC -4)
But it’s only 3.5M more, nothing that should be considered. Also, we would then have no closer when Wagner went down nor a closer the following season. What we also forget is that in 2008 Billy had already blown 7 saves by Aug 2nd.
trs86
8/21/2009-6:28pm at 6:28 pm (UTC -4)
Something to consider, many reports say the claiming team could be the Red Sox. One player to consider IF the Mets are determined to go with Murphy at 1B could be Aaron Bates http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/batesaa01.shtml . Bates is 25 years old and this is his first year above AA. He has had a rough year in AAA this year but has excellent power and is RH. He could be the potential platoon partner for Murphy if he struggles.
metsfan4decades
8/21/2009-6:35pm at 6:35 pm (UTC -4)
On the pregame show tonight, they said Heyman is claiming it’s the Red Sox.
trs86
8/21/2009-6:39pm at 6:39 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, it’s in my update on the update. LOL.
I think there is potential to work out a good deal here. I still think that if they can’t get the equivalent of 1 top prospect then they should keep him and offer him arbitration. Wagner would not take it, there is no way. Thus we would get 2 picks.
trs86
8/21/2009-6:51pm at 6:51 pm (UTC -4)
How about Chris Carter, never given the chance in the bigs but impressive minor league numbers. Maybe a Nady type?
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=carter003wil
whataputz
8/21/2009-7:04pm at 7:04 pm (UTC -4)
That picture is hilarious..if you look closely you can actually see bagels on the floor!
whataputz
8/21/2009-7:30pm at 7:30 pm (UTC -4)
I’m not going to jump to conclusions here, but it really irritates me to see that the Mets are demanding the other team pay his salary. Note to Mets: you are paying his salary if the sox don’t take him anyway! This should be about 1 thing and 1 thing only, and that is to bring in the best possible player. There is no reason to give him to the sox if they pay his contract and take a low end prospect or even nobody, when we can just have the draft picks next season. Again, I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt, but if they make a deal in which boston pays most or all of his deal, and the Mets get a scrub, I’m going to be annoyed.
sabermetrician
8/21/2009-7:40pm at 7:40 pm (UTC -4)
It would be extremely annoying if they don’t land at least a high end prospect. It doesn’t have to be a top prospect, but someone who at least doesn’t have a built in ceiling.
sabermetrician
8/21/2009-7:38pm at 7:38 pm (UTC -4)
Dirty- No comments on the game thread! Is this the new Mattsblog?
gategem
8/21/2009-8:09pm at 8:09 pm (UTC -4)
The RedSox need all the help they can get. The superior Yankees team is once again demolishing them.