Well it is official, Steve Gilbert from MLB.com just reported that the Arizona Diamond Backs have just released firebrand outfielder , Eric Byrnes . Byrnes , who has battled a nagging hamstring injury , was to have made $11MM this year if he had stayed on the Diamond Backs roster.
In the 482 plate appearances he’s made under the deal he had with Arizona , Byrnes hit .218/.271/.382.
Omar pick up the phone and let him be this years Gary Sheffield !! I would rather take a chance on Byrnes , who would make the league minimum than to waste five million dollars on a Randy Winn. Besides can you imagine having Byrnes coming off the bench if and when Carlos Beltran is finally off the disabled list ? It would be one of the best benches in the majors in my opinion !
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                                                                                 ” Is Omar Byrnin up the phone lines?!?”
31 comments
saltygary
1/20/2010-4:44pm at 4:44 pm (UTC -4)
This would be my favorite pickup of the season. There is something not right with this guy and that quality is whats makes him a fine player. This guy would try to run through a brick wall if it meant getting the out. He would add positive energy to the clubhouse.
rustyjr
1/20/2010-4:47pm at 4:47 pm (UTC -4)
i agree he is like Lenny Dykstra sans the steroids lol
rustyjr
1/20/2010-4:46pm at 4:46 pm (UTC -4)
scratch doug davis off the list – he signed with the brewers for 5 mil – thta means pinero & sheets aint coming cheap
saltygary
1/20/2010-4:58pm at 4:58 pm (UTC -4)
Meh the team has enough streaky .500 pitchers.
rustyjr
1/20/2010-5:05pm at 5:05 pm (UTC -4)
i dont want him either – just saying he went for more than i expected
dirtysanchez
1/20/2010-4:50pm at 4:50 pm (UTC -4)
Is he even healthy?
rustyjr
1/20/2010-4:51pm at 4:51 pm (UTC -4)
not sure – but isnt he worth the risk at league minimum?
CaseStreet
1/20/2010-4:52pm at 4:52 pm (UTC -4)
Wang.Byrnes Sheets
rustyjr
1/20/2010-4:54pm at 4:54 pm (UTC -4)
jeremy reed signed with the jays
mrose
1/20/2010-5:02pm at 5:02 pm (UTC -4)
Sheets Byrnes Wang sounds like a bad problem too
rustyjr
1/20/2010-5:05pm at 5:05 pm (UTC -4)
he sheet his wang !!
wannybackstra
1/20/2010-5:06pm at 5:06 pm (UTC -4)
LOL.
It sounds like someone or something is missing from the equation.
rustyjr
1/20/2010-5:09pm at 5:09 pm (UTC -4)
rotflwheres dick pole when you need him !
wannybackstra
1/20/2010-5:12pm at 5:12 pm (UTC -4)
Apparently rubbing himself on abrasive sheets!
rustyjr
1/20/2010-5:14pm at 5:14 pm (UTC -4)
lol is he doing a circle jerk with j.j putz ?
rustyjr
1/20/2010-5:15pm at 5:15 pm (UTC -4)
and where was r a dickey through all of this? admit it the mets did corner the market of phallicly named relief pitchers lol
CaseStreet
1/20/2010-4:54pm at 4:54 pm (UTC -4)
Stop the insanity rusty
rustyjr
1/20/2010-4:56pm at 4:56 pm (UTC -4)
lol i could be alex and the other drones on from what i can gathers blog and make a inept push for barry bonds lol
metsfan4decades
1/20/2010-6:20pm at 6:20 pm (UTC -4)
LOL – ‘what i can gathers blog’….
wannybackstra
1/20/2010-5:01pm at 5:01 pm (UTC -4)
I really don’t get the fascination with Byrnes. Sure he plays hard (when he plays). But he doesn’t play very well outside of one obviously outlier season in 2007.
In his last two injury riddled season he managed only 218 .271 .382 when playing.
It should be telling that Arizona would rather pay him $10m NOT to play for them than to play for them. And it’s not as if they’re chock full of outfielders; their projected starting LFer missed most of last year and their CFer has been a giant flop.
Also, it’s been a while since Byrnes has played CF regularly, likely because of his physical condition.
GravediggerHebner
1/20/2010-5:07pm at 5:07 pm (UTC -4)
Obviously you’ve never seen his engaging and humorous TV show on FSN Southwest or you wouldn’t say such things!
But seriously, I just think he’s a decent option as a 4th/5th OF for $400,000, that’s all. If he were to somehow return to his 5 year 2003-2007 average performance (.268/.330/.452) which b-r considers to be an OPS+ of exactly 100, I’d take that for the minimum from a back up.
rustyjr
1/20/2010-5:08pm at 5:08 pm (UTC -4)
i understand – i was thinking more in terms of a reserve player to back up pagan – hes a good base runner , is speedy – when healthy in the outfield and plays hard nosed – hey we thought shef was washed up before he came to the mets and before he tanked on purpose , he had a decent year
wannybackstra
1/20/2010-5:11pm at 5:11 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll settle with you guys on a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training.
I just don’t want anyone planning around this guy being able to play through even a fraction of a season.
rustyjr
1/20/2010-5:13pm at 5:13 pm (UTC -4)
done deal – now wheres my money !! atmit it backstra youre just jealous because he is the second comming of lenny !!! lol
wannybackstra
1/20/2010-5:30pm at 5:30 pm (UTC -4)
How blessed we would be to have such two fine citizens.
GravediggerHebner
1/20/2010-5:28pm at 5:28 pm (UTC -4)
That’s fair Wanny.
Is it fair to say that Bay is the least of a ? of all the OFs? Beltran who knows what or when we’ll get it, Francouer who knows which one will show up, Pagan who knows if he’ll stay on the field.
If all those ? go wrong the team is screwed anyway. If one of them goes wrong, AND IF Byrnes returns to some semblance of his old self, he could pitch in, that’s all.
I guess I just don’t think it’s any worse to ask Byrnes to ideally be your 5th OF than it is to ask anyone else to be that because I think if this team is going to be forced to rely heavily on it’s 5th OF things have (once again) gone horribly wrong and it’s not likely to end well whether that person is Byrnes or Cory Sullivan or Reed Johnson IMO.
stickguy
1/20/2010-5:29pm at 5:29 pm (UTC -4)
at minimum wage, what do you have to lose? They do need a guy that can legitimately play CF for the bench, with Pagan being the starter.
And if he proves that last years wasn’t a fluke, you cut his sorry keister.
I don’t expect much from him, but hey, maybe he will finally be healthy enough to be the next Tatis?
but really, the key is super cheap, and no talent required in return for him.
GravediggerHebner
1/20/2010-5:31pm at 5:31 pm (UTC -4)
Two more things: if Omar brings in Byrnes it further confuses and frustrates the “los Mets” freaks and to me that’s a good thing; and thanks Rusty for putting “Disco Inferno” in my head.
steveo
1/20/2010-6:09pm at 6:09 pm (UTC -4)
Again no Byrnes please, He’s a hell of a nice guy (I’ve met him sevral times out here in the wild west) but if this team is to move forward I can’t see how signing a player who hasn’t been good or healthy for years is going help 1 bit, given that there will be plenty of outfielders willing to take a job at the same league minimum when spring training starts. Please pass on this guy we need healthy players that can contribute not players that will play when there hurt and thus hurt their team.
Mr North Jersey
1/20/2010-6:12pm at 6:12 pm (UTC -4)
Talking about putting the cart in front of the horse. The Jets are making available the ability to pre order AFC Champion memorabilia.
http://www.jetsshop.com/jets/home.php?cat=546
metsfan4decades
1/20/2010-6:28pm at 6:28 pm (UTC -4)
IDK about Byrnes. Problem is, if not healthy enough to play days in a row, if needed (i.e. Sheff and his hamstring problem), then again we’re taking up a roster spot for a ‘day to day’ in terms of health type player.
At league minimum, maybe it’s worth a shot. But between Reyes and that debacle, Sheff and his leg problems and Castillo tripping down the dugout steps (and I’m sure there are others I’m not remembering at the moment), at times last year we were playing with like 23 guys instead of the full 25.
If we do sign him, he’s got to stay relatively healthy and be able to contribute. If not, cut our losses and pick up or bring up someone who can. Don’t want to see that ‘day to day’ nonsense we saw all last season.