Frank Russo had this to say in an article on Mike Silva’s NY Baseball Digest: “We were also told that Orioles pitcher Kevin Millwood will be on the block sooner, rather than later, and that the Mets might be one of the teams that will show interest in him. If Ollie Perez continues to struggle, it would make a lot of sense for Omar Minaya to shore up his rotation by swinging a deal for a veteran presence like Millwood.”
Obviously this just sounds like pure speculation. The Mets MIGHT be one of the teams. Well obviously the Mets, a large market team, would be interested in a veteran like Millwood if their rotation continues to struggle. Time will tell if this is the route the Mets go in but I expect no improvements in the rotation from outside the organization before much closer to the trade deadline.
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36 comments
rustyjr
5/11/2010-7:56am at 7:56 am (UTC -4)
Yeah but who would we be willing to part with ?
steveo
5/11/2010-9:06am at 9:06 am (UTC -4)
I got an idea how about perez and all the money we owe him plus a bag of peanuts and a bucket of balls.
Kingman 26
5/11/2010-9:14am at 9:14 am (UTC -4)
If the truly pathetic O’s will let him go without demanding a prospect of serious value, do it, and do it now.
He has pitched well this year, has spent most of his life in hitters’ parks, and is not 36 until after the season.
If he came without much non-financial cost, he might be a perfect guy to go out and go 7 every time, save the pen, hence stretch the entire staff, AND maybe even fit in as somewhere between 3 and 5 starter next year.
stickguy
5/11/2010-9:34am at 9:34 am (UTC -4)
I don’t even care about the financial cost. The Mets saved (or actually didn’t spend) a fair amount of payroll this off season (basically the money budgeted for this SP), so spend the cash by eating the contract, and keep hoarding the prospects.
oh wait, that is what you said. Good, you are coming around.
Kingman 26
5/11/2010-9:39am at 9:39 am (UTC -4)
LOL!
We did not spend on Marquis/Pineiro (back to his mediocre crappy self)/Sheets/etc, so we can now spend on a healthy guy pitching well. Millwood fits the bill.
DO NOT trade prospects now. The team is close. A guy like Millwood would be ideal for at least the rest of 2010; eat innings, win some games, preserve the pen, etc.
stickguy
5/11/2010-9:42am at 9:42 am (UTC -4)
Millwood is fine if he comes for a 2nd tier prospect and salary relief. Just don’t expect him to be a stud pitcher. Think John Maine over his last few starts level. At best.
BTW, PinHead actually pitched a good game last night.
trs86
5/11/2010-9:57am at 9:57 am (UTC -4)
Millwood has always been an innings guy though so expect Maine like numbers through 6 2/3 innings instead of 5.5.
stickguy
5/11/2010-9:21am at 9:21 am (UTC -4)
all thepure guesswork hedge words in this one.
Probably the source was the orioles. Have to get the big name teams in the mix (whether they really are or not) to try and drive the price up on other teams.
But, just like before the season, the question when talking SP is who do you take out of the rotation (keeping in mind Omar was content to let this unch have nother run at it).
santana and pelf are obviously locked in at 1-2 (2-1?). And it looks like Neise is here to stay, barring a major extended meltdown that I don’t see coming. So, that is your top 3!
Maine has actually pitched very well his last 4 games (at least compared to the beginning of the year!). About 6 per start (5 2/3 I think) with an ERA of about 2.5ish. So, he is off the hot seat.
Leading us right back to yesterday’s thread about what to do with Ollie? And we still don’t kow if Omar and Co. are ever willing to do anything, since it A) means a major egg on Omar’s face, and B) a very expensive SP without a spot. Will they put him in the pen? Can they convince him to go to AAA to work on things? Could they possibly trade him for something that isn’t worse? Only the Shadow knows, and he ain’t talking!
My guess though is they end up trading (closer to July) for a vet SP. In essence, the one that they should have gotten in the spring, and they never spent the money budgeted for.
trs86
5/11/2010-9:59am at 9:59 am (UTC -4)
I can’t see them making a move until later either.
oleosmirf
5/11/2010-10:10am at 10:10 am (UTC -4)
i think the most important person the Mets need to replace is Howard Johnson.
unfortunately he’s on a lifetime contract…
trs86
5/11/2010-10:11am at 10:11 am (UTC -4)
I think he will be gone by the ASB if the offense does not improve.
oleosmirf
5/11/2010-10:21am at 10:21 am (UTC -4)
im not so sure…he gets no criticism when i feel he’s a bigger problem than Manuel
trs86
5/11/2010-10:24am at 10:24 am (UTC -4)
He sure the hell gets it here and now with Keith and Ojeda starting in on his handling of Wright I see him gone.
dirtysanchez
5/11/2010-11:45am at 11:45 am (UTC -4)
i totally agree oleo. I am working on a post about this but if this guy survived 2 collapses and 2009..he is not going anywhere.
trs86
5/11/2010-11:52am at 11:52 am (UTC -4)
Dirty he did not really survive the first collapse as much as he was lucky. He was the new guy and there was no way they were firing him after firing their hitting coach a short time before. This off-season none of the guys were getting fired. I still say that the Mets fans and media will be out for blood and Hojo is one of the first to go.
oleosmirf
5/11/2010-10:05am at 10:05 am (UTC -4)
bye bye Catalanatto.
welcome to NY Chris Carter
trs86
5/11/2010-10:07am at 10:07 am (UTC -4)
Agreed, yipppie.
I want to see how Jerry uses Carter. I think it would be good to start giving Bay and Frenchy (especially) some time off against some RH>
stickguy
5/11/2010-10:20am at 10:20 am (UTC -4)
Given that Frenchy is really overrated (by some people), and has over his career been particularly mediocre against RH pitching, i would love to see carter get starts in RF agains RHP, and even be given the chance to win a full platoon job.
At minimum, use him as a true 4th OF (I have obviously demoted GM to 5th, unless there is something lower than that?), and give him a couple starts a week at least. and of course, if Ike ever needs a day off.
2 strts/week in RF, 1 in LF (unless/until Bay goes off on a hot streak, but even then, he ain’t no spring chicken), and a couple PH spots shold give him plenty of ABs to stay fresh, and prove if he can hit. Especialyl since they will mostly be against RHP.
and keep the chain moving. Pridie for GM, go for it! Tatis gets another month or 2 (he is doing OK recently as purely a PH), and cora likely never goes anywhere.
trs86
5/11/2010-10:23am at 10:23 am (UTC -4)
Tatis is going nowhere because of his ability to play so many positions.
oleosmirf
5/11/2010-10:27am at 10:27 am (UTC -4)
and the fact that he bats RH
dirtysanchez
5/11/2010-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
and apparently doesnt get teh call to hit against a lefty…thank god we have gmj for that situation :/
GravediggerHebner
5/11/2010-10:17am at 10:17 am (UTC -4)
In the context of potential Met roster moves the guys on the FAN just said that Eric Byrnes is currently employed (in a non-playing capacity) by the Brooklyn Cyclones. I had not heard that. I suppose a GMJ-Byrnes swap is a classic lateral move. Especially given his bizarre exit from Seattle I’m not sure I want to go there.
trs86
5/11/2010-10:18am at 10:18 am (UTC -4)
Hmmm, how the hell did we not know that?
oleosmirf
5/11/2010-10:28am at 10:28 am (UTC -4)
http://www.metsblog.com/2010/05/10/news-eric-byrnes-is-working-for-the-cyclones/
trs86
5/11/2010-10:34am at 10:34 am (UTC -4)
I am confused, reading this the guy says he was joking. Joking about him volunteering or even being there to start with?
trs86
5/11/2010-10:36am at 10:36 am (UTC -4)
OK nevermind, it’s a hoax.
stickguy
5/11/2010-10:22am at 10:22 am (UTC -4)
I saw this last night someplace. maybe in the comments.
There is a reason he is do PR internship in Brooklyn. He just might make you miss GMjrs. fine ABs.
oleosmirf
5/11/2010-10:42am at 10:42 am (UTC -4)
I would look at Aaron Harang as someone I think the Mets could reasonably acquire, later on in the year.
Perez and some cash plus Nick the Stick and a mid level pitching prospect
trs86
5/11/2010-10:52am at 10:52 am (UTC -4)
No way would the Reds take Perez back for Harang. Not to mention how much he is owed himself.
# 10:$12.5M, 11:$12.75M ($2M buyout)
# 2011 option increases to $13M with 210 IP in 2010
# if traded, 2011 option becomes mutual option at $14M ($2.5M buyout)
So lets say you eat 8 million of Perez’s contract. That means you have just paid 23 million dollars to go from Perez to this: 6.02 ERA 40 innings in 7 starts with 11.4 H/9 rate.
oleosmirf
5/11/2010-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
well I would not plan on picking up his option. The idea is to get rid of Ollie’s contract so the Wilpon’s can’t use that argument for not getting Cliff Lee or a pitcher of his status.
Sure Harang is not great but he’s better than Perez (although thats not saying much) especially leaving one of the most hitter friendly parks to come to Citi.
It makes sense in the long run to get rid of Ollie’s contract b/c not only does that get him off the mound but it enables us to spend more next season…
trs86
5/11/2010-11:54am at 11:54 am (UTC -4)
Is he better than Perez? He’s actually pitched worse.
Also again it does not enable us to spend anything more. It would cost us 23 million just for one year of Harang counting his salary and the 8M on Ollie’s.
dirtysanchez
5/11/2010-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
Unless they find a way to dump ollie, there is no way this gets done. So far santana,pelf,niese and maine have earned their spot in the rotation. Ollie as usual has not. I would love for them to eat most of ollies contract for a millwood kinda guy but I just dont see that happening.
GravediggerHebner
5/11/2010-11:52am at 11:52 am (UTC -4)
I also don’t see it. I don’t see a SP acquisition at all, unless one of the current SP gets so injured they’re out for the season.
What I see happening is Ollie pitching roughly like he has been, and staying in the rotation as the 5th starter.
The only non-injury action I can imagine taking place with Ollie is if he has like 4 or 5 consecutive horrific starts (say all less than 5 innings with lots of walks and earned runs allowed) then I think the organization would approach Ollie and his agent with the “Steve Trachsel scenario” in which Trachsel agreed (because as an established vet he had to agree) to go to the minors and work on his craft, then come back up. In that scenario the Mets would not acquire an outside pitcher but would just call someone up from the minors to fill in who could be sent back down upon Ollie’s return.
I am not completely clear on all the parameters of Trachsel’s situation and I guess it’s possible that Ollie simply doesn’t qualify for it by some rule(s).
trs86
5/11/2010-11:55am at 11:55 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. Ollie would have to accept it and clear waivers, (which should not be a problem, lol)
trs86
5/11/2010-11:54am at 11:54 am (UTC -4)
How has Maine earned his spot? He has not had anymore productive starts than Perez has. Yeah Maine has looked better his last 2 but he’s still sitting there with an ERA near 6.00.
Mr North Jersey
5/11/2010-12:05pm at 12:05 pm (UTC -4)
PEREZ
APR 10 – 5.2/IP 4/ER 4/BB 6/SO – BAD
APR 16 – 6.1/IP 1/ER 3/BB 4/SO – GOOD
APR 21 – 5.0/IP 2/ER 3/BB 4/SO – GOOD
APR 27 – 3.2/IP 3/ER 4/BB 2/SO – BAD
MAY 03 – 6.0/IP 2/ER 4/BB 4/SO – GOOD
MAY 09 – 3.1/IP 3/ER 7/BB 2/SO – BAD
MAINE
APR 07 – 5.0/IP 4/ER 1/BB 3/SO – BAD
APR 13 – 3.0/IP 8/ER 3/BB 4/SO – BAD
APR 18 – 5.0/IP 3/ER 4/BB 4/SO – GOOD
APR 23 – 3.2/IP 1/ER 2/BB 3/SO – BAD (Removed for injury not performance)
APR 28 – 6.0/IP 2/ER 3/BB 9/SO – GOOD
MAY 04 – 6.0/IP 1/ER 2/BB 6/SO – GOOD
MAY 10 – 6.0/IP 2/ER 4/BB 5/SO – GOOD
Id say Maine’s last 3 starts have been better than Ollie’s last 3 starts.