Jan 19
According to MLBTR, Molina signs a 1 year/$4.5 million deal with the Giants
-Im sure Met fans and Citi Field grounds crew are rejoicing. Kinda makes you wonder what the Mets offer was…Buster Onley says Mets new target is Yorvit Torrealba
Molina rounding 1st
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45 comments
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-5:06pm at 5:06 pm (UTC -4)
This is without a doubt my best day as a Met fan since the Jason Bay signing.
- Frenchy gets short, reasonable contract
- Organization announces new HOF class
- Delgado goes elsewhere
- Molina goes elsewhere
I swear to God if I read that the Mets have inked Sheets I’ll have a sportsgasm!
CaseStreet
1/19/2010-5:09pm at 5:09 pm (UTC -4)
LOL. I feel the same way, minus the sportsgasm.
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-5:10pm at 5:10 pm (UTC -4)
Wow I set you up for an “inked sheets” joke and you passed. Are you feeling OK?
metsfan4decades
1/19/2010-5:12pm at 5:12 pm (UTC -4)
HAHAHA – sportsgasm….
Obviously, Molina did not want to come to NY. Wonder if it was the Mets specifically or he just wanted to stay on the west coast re: his family. I understand he has two young sons.
Either way, not a big loss.
I’m not sure I understand the 5Mil to Frenchy but silver lining is no contract extension. Don’t really know how arbitration works but maybe they figured he would have got close to that anyway?
Clocks ticking: where’s those pitchers, Omar?
Kingman 26
1/19/2010-5:55pm at 5:55 pm (UTC -4)
Gotta agree with Grave here.
Good day to be a Met fan.
whataputz
1/19/2010-5:09pm at 5:09 pm (UTC -4)
Can we now focus on getting a pitcher! Give Santos/Thole a shot, I really don’t care, we need pitchers at the moment.
wannybackstra
1/19/2010-5:12pm at 5:12 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t think Torrealba will be any better than Molina in 2010. So as much as we all dislike Molina, it’s not as if the next guy will be any better unless they somehow trade for a catcher.
That said, I don’t view the Delgado and Molina situations as bad ones. It will hopefully inspire some creativity from Omar.
whataputz
1/19/2010-5:15pm at 5:15 pm (UTC -4)
I still think we should have signed Delgado, but that looks like it’s not happening, and there goes my Delgado jersey (damn you free agency!)There is absolutely no reason for us to sign Torrealba unless he does all of the paper work, signs for 1 year, and signs all the signatures. I’m not huge on Peniro, but if other teams want him, maybe he is good. I’d much rather go for a guy like Arroyo. Why build a giant park and sign ground ball pitchers and hitters? Only the Mets.
wannybackstra
1/19/2010-5:26pm at 5:26 pm (UTC -4)
I’m not sure it makes sense for the Mets to focus on either fly ball or ground ball pitchers right now since their defense does not look it will be very good to defend against either.
A guy who misses bats would be better.
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-5:17pm at 5:17 pm (UTC -4)
Understood about Torrealba and his ilk. I just really didn’t want the oldest, most expensive of the lot considering the whole lot are uninspiring.
dirtysanchez
1/19/2010-6:16pm at 6:16 pm (UTC -4)
cough cough Ricco cough cough…
metsfan4decades
1/19/2010-5:17pm at 5:17 pm (UTC -4)
Oops – MLBTR reports Blue Jays did NOT sign Delgado.
DNDJohan aka kistics
1/19/2010-5:17pm at 5:17 pm (UTC -4)
So…. who’s the next in line for Catching position? I saw both Torrealba and Barajas numbers…
Barajas Average over past 4 years
311 ABs 11HRs 43 RBIs .241 .289 .406
Torrealba average over past 4 years
267 ABs 6HRs 38 RBIs .258 .316 .394
I don’t know if I’m being naive about this, but I think Santos can put up these numbers too… in 2009 Santos
281 ABs 7HRs 40 RBIs .260 .296 .381….. What is the difference between this number and the 2 above?
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-5:20pm at 5:20 pm (UTC -4)
Nothing really. I think the thing with Santos is that even with those crappy numbers he outperformed his own previous resume so we can reasonably expect some decline in his performance. That thought and the reports that the team was “unhappy with his game calling” may lead to a Barajas or Torrealba despite the similarity of their recent numbers.
DNDJohan aka kistics
1/19/2010-5:27pm at 5:27 pm (UTC -4)
Ah…. perhaps you are right about the game calling thing… and yes I think it’s safe to assume that his number could decline, but I also think his numbers could stay the same or get better. He hasn’t had much of Major league career before last year and he’s only 29, so there could be an upside in him, especially having one year of ML experience under his belt.
wannybackstra
1/19/2010-5:28pm at 5:28 pm (UTC -4)
Well said, re Santos.
His career minor league numbers were 258 .304 .348 (over 2400 PAs) and were even slightly worse at AAA: 256 .311 .325 (529).
While his MLB totals last season are certainly comparable to the still available free agent yutzes, there is ample reason for discomfort.
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-5:39pm at 5:39 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks Wanny, you’re the one who initially brought Santos’ minor league numbers to my attention, so props to you for planting the seed. Let me re-phrase that…
DNDJohan aka kistics
1/19/2010-5:43pm at 5:43 pm (UTC -4)
Yes that’s a good point. But how much more offensive production would you get from Barajas/Torrealba and Santos/Thole/Blanco. I don’t know if you’d get much different outcome offensively.
Now if the reason for getting Barajas/Torrealba is the play calling, then it can be justified. But we really can’t debate that much….
wannybackstra
1/19/2010-5:54pm at 5:54 pm (UTC -4)
It means almost nothing but I find it interesting to look at and then bore you all with it but three of Rockies starters (Jimenez, De La Rosa and Cook) had better OPS+ against throwing to Chris Ianetta last season than did Torrealba, who was “preferred” by Marquis and Hamels.
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-6:04pm at 6:04 pm (UTC -4)
Yawn! No seriously I love this kind of info thanks for bringing it Wanny. And I assume you meant Hammel there but hey we all know facts aren’t very important when the Mets are the topic so no worries mate.
wannybackstra
1/19/2010-6:08pm at 6:08 pm (UTC -4)
Yes, Hammel, a typo likely resulting from my various recent posts defending Cole’s status among the league’s elite.
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-6:22pm at 6:22 pm (UTC -4)
Well it came right after a silent “s” at the end of Marquis so I suppose you could’ve been using it as a silent “s” in which case it seems perfectly appropriate to me.
That it was surrounded by such useful facts makes it easily forgivable.
Cole says “thanks for defending my elite-ness” by the way, I forgot to tell you previously.
stickguy
1/19/2010-5:28pm at 5:28 pm (UTC -4)
not sad to see Molina go. Sounds a lot like a guy wrapping up his career and wanting to stay close to home.
Not sure though that Yorvit is all that exciting, but if he at least comes cheap, it does give some depth. Probably rather have barajas, but at this point, might as well go with the one that projects to give the best D and support to the pitchers.
WOnder if Omar is going to swing a trade instead? Snyder was bandied about at oen piotn. And did TB ever move one of thier excess catchers?
Just too bad the Delgado rumor wasn’t true (if it wasn’t!). might be safer to dodge that bullet.
And even though I am not big on the whole chemistry thing, getting some more churn on the roster is probably a good thing, even if it is just to appease the fans (and I really am not big on making moves for that reason).
Anyhow, if these 2 are off the table, it should free u pmore money to throw at a pitcher (say, Sheets?)
wannybackstra
1/19/2010-5:33pm at 5:33 pm (UTC -4)
Snyder would be a risky proposition coming off back surgery. But from 2006-2008 he hit .251 .346 .438, which is certainly better than these other guys. He also threw pretty well: 45%, 36% and 31%, respectively.
I guess at this point, it might be worth the risk if his physical checks out.
stickguy
1/19/2010-5:45pm at 5:45 pm (UTC -4)
depends, of course, on what the deal is to bring him in. He could be the position player equivilant of a risk/reward pitcher like Sheets.
Plus, it lets me dream about moving Castillo for another contract again!
Hell, who knows, maybe Omar has been working behind the scenes setting up dominos, and tomorrow we will see a flurry of moves bringing in a C and SP, moving Castillo out, and signing a 2B (hmm, are there any available that might want to come to the mets?)
If nothing else, they should have plenty of FA $$ left to spend.
wannybackstra
1/19/2010-6:03pm at 6:03 pm (UTC -4)
It might make sense from the perspective that Arizona has an obviously better player at catcher (Montero) and does not have an obvious 2B.
It looks like 2B will be a competition between Kelly Johnson, Ryan Roberts (who hit adequately last year) and Tony Abreu, who may not be able to handle the position defensively but was a real masher in the minor leagues.
The contracts are almost a wash: Castillo owed $12m and Snyder owed $11.25m. They could make it almost an even money swap by the Mets taking back utility player and Met killer Augie Ojeda, who would have no use playing behind Castillo/Johnson/Abreu/Roberts.
DNDJohan aka kistics
1/19/2010-5:30pm at 5:30 pm (UTC -4)
I say the hell with the catchers… just give the job to Santos and Thole this year and sign Mauer next year!!! YEAH!~!~!~
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-5:52pm at 5:52 pm (UTC -4)
The backstop at Citi Field is really close anyway, the team only really needs a catcher on the road
dirtysanchez
1/19/2010-6:14pm at 6:14 pm (UTC -4)
lol as much as I love mauer, i think the chances of him leaving the twins are lower than us signing him(thats a yogism for ya)…Mauer will stay on the twins.
gategem
1/19/2010-6:29pm at 6:29 pm (UTC -4)
Mauer will probably end up with the Yankees.
steveo
1/19/2010-5:33pm at 5:33 pm (UTC -4)
Delgado report is bogus the jays didn’t sign him but thank god for molina not being a met
Kingman 26
1/19/2010-5:56pm at 5:56 pm (UTC -4)
I wonder if Heyman knows that Molina didn’t sign with the Mets the first week of December?
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-6:02pm at 6:02 pm (UTC -4)
LOL. Even earlier today when the Mets/Molina failure to consummate was announced Buster Olney said something like “now that the Mets are out looks like the Mariners.” Whoops!
Mr North Jersey
1/19/2010-6:18pm at 6:18 pm (UTC -4)
So the catcher many said were close to signing stays home in S.F. for if true less years and money.
I wonder if reports will now come out that despite rumors, in fact the Mets were never close to begin with.
To which I say who cares why he didn’t sign we have much bigger issues to deal with like our starting rotation to deal with.
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-6:30pm at 6:30 pm (UTC -4)
FWIW, one report I read said the Mets made a 1 year, $5 million “take it or leave it” offer today. I suppose if that’s true one can debate how “close” that is, but personally I would call extending an official offer “close.”
But oh yeah, who cares.
I’m more excited about the anonymous scout that says the Mets are among 3 “contenders” for Ben Sheets after his workout today.
Mr North Jersey
1/19/2010-6:33pm at 6:33 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah but that may be the same source that said the Mets were close to signing Bengie.
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-6:38pm at 6:38 pm (UTC -4)
But since these reports from anonymous sources tweeted by pundits are so often irrational I am going to irrationally choose which ones to believe and which ones to doubt. So there!
Mr North Jersey
1/19/2010-6:39pm at 6:39 pm (UTC -4)
hehehehehe
Mr North Jersey
1/19/2010-6:41pm at 6:41 pm (UTC -4)
The one thing Minaya has to still do is get the Mets that Starter that has been much needed from Day 1 after the World Series.
GravediggerHebner
1/19/2010-6:55pm at 6:55 pm (UTC -4)
Well ever since Omar uttered the infamous quote which goes something like “We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan” haven’t you just been brimming with confidence that there is a plan and that it’s being faithfully executed? I know I have.
God only knows if they have/had a plan and if so what it might be. I think it’s fair to say that as an outside observer, it’s hard to tell. Combine their actions with reports of various believability along these lines in this rough chronological order and decide for yourself:
- At the winter meetings Omar says we are concentrating on starting pitching
- Actually signing a bunch of catchers, a back up infielder and some middle relievers
- Despite having signed a bunch of catchers, a back up middle infielder and some middle relievers while allegedly concentrating on starting pitching, rumors of Bengie Molina and his “close-ness” dominate the off season
- Uh oh, starting pitching is too expensive, Omar now concentrating on hitters
- Actually signing a hitter in Jason Bay (hooray!)
- Bengie Molina re-signs with the Giants (whoops?)
Given what team officials have actually said, what reporters have reported as rumors, and what has actually happened, I find it hard to see a plan in all of that, other than a plan of “don’t spend ‘too much’ on expensive players, only do that on cheap ones.” And I say that while in a happy mood about all the stuff that did or didn’t happen today.
Mr North Jersey
1/19/2010-6:59pm at 6:59 pm (UTC -4)
Ladies & Gentleman, there you have it your post 2009 New York Mets off season in a nutshell.
“Only In New York”
Hazmet
1/19/2010-7:08pm at 7:08 pm (UTC -4)
Swwhhh. That was close.
I wondered quietly to myself if the Mets true interests in signing Bengie was to use the chest protector covering his massive girth as an additional green screen to run advertising on for additional revenue.
Mr North Jersey
1/19/2010-7:17pm at 7:17 pm (UTC -4)
Good one
Hazmet
1/19/2010-7:23pm at 7:23 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks, I do try…
Heb’s Monty Pythons post pic is priceless, you guys do a great job.
trs86
1/19/2010-10:03pm at 10:03 pm (UTC -4)
I was not big on this when I first saw the signing but Grave brought this to our attention that day. What about going with Santos, Coste and Blanco? Coste can be Murphy’s backup and with Pagan starting you still have room on the bench.
Coste, Blanco, Cora, CF BU, Carter