Jul 20
Fans hoping for the New York Mets to acquire Cleveland Indians hurler Jake Westbrook (both of you) have been dealt a savage blow by FOX Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal who notes that Westbrook has a stipulation in his contract that requires he receive a $2,000,000 bonus if traded. His uniform # 37 is a not available anyway. Next!
Nice work by your agent
MLBTradeRumors
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18 comments
Mr North Jersey
7/20/2010-2:27pm at 2:27 pm (UTC -4)
LoL, Nice post Grave. Some content was greatly needed and appreciated.
Kingman 26
7/20/2010-2:53pm at 2:53 pm (UTC -4)
Agreed!
This is fun agreeing all the time!
ceetar
7/20/2010-2:33pm at 2:33 pm (UTC -4)
I wouldn’t be against Westbrook. He’s okay. eh.
stickguy
7/20/2010-2:34pm at 2:34 pm (UTC -4)
geez, why do teams cave in and put some of these dumb stipulatins into contracts?
And I was almost talked into JB as the “better than nothing” option!
No way I see Cleve. getting anything for this guy (even 1 C prospect) without kicking in some $.
I am going to stick with my fascination with trading Ollie + Mejia +? for Oswalt.
metsfan4decades
7/20/2010-2:45pm at 2:45 pm (UTC -4)
I was thinking the same thing about these contracts.
Becoming a ML ball player is a very lucrative job. I can’t even relate….
oleosmirf
7/20/2010-2:49pm at 2:49 pm (UTC -4)
Ollie, Mejia and Flores maybe is enough, probably not though. Either way we have too many other question marks to trade our best hitting prospect and pitching prospect away…
stickguy
7/20/2010-3:35pm at 3:35 pm (UTC -4)
I doubt Omar is trading Flores at all, and certainly not with Mejia.
the Astros seem to be a strange team though, so you can’t assume logic will prevail.
Say they are willing to take Ollie as the salary offset (just assume). Beyond that, how much can they really expect?
Or more accurately, at what point is the return really worth more than another 1.5 lost years from Oswalt?
Even Mejia alone gives them a top pitching prospect that they don’t seem to have now. So add something like cahoon (for filler) and a bat like Ratliff or Duda (even Evans), and they have some depth.
Or just keep him and lose until he walks away for no return.
njstuckintx
7/20/2010-2:39pm at 2:39 pm (UTC -4)
For every option that comes off the table, it drives up the price of those remaining. Supply and demand.
stickguy
7/20/2010-3:36pm at 3:36 pm (UTC -4)
not if you run out of teams ready/willing/dumb enough to take on the remaining dreck.
oleosmirf
7/20/2010-2:47pm at 2:47 pm (UTC -4)
Westbrook > Ollie/Misch/Takahashi.
Francessa says that everytime the mets have told him they are looking to make a move, they have came through and made the move. He fully expects a SP (not Oswalt or Haren) to be added…
GravediggerHebner
7/20/2010-3:37pm at 3:37 pm (UTC -4)
I cannot possibly argue against the idea that Westbrook > Ollie/Misch/Takahashi.
I just don’t see him as enough of a difference to be worthwhile and I think it was you who noted in a previous thread that his acquisition only helps if a bunch of other things fall into place too. I agree with that point and thus wonder why bother with Westbrook?
darknova306
7/20/2010-3:42pm at 3:42 pm (UTC -4)
I’d see Westbrook as more of a way to throw a bone to the restless fans without having to go all out trading the future. I’d almost say we should play with the team we’ve got while letting the kids on the big club and AAA grow and gain experience for next year’s run. During that time we see what we have and Omar can put together a plan for how to put the team over the top in the offseason and pick a replacement manager.
GravediggerHebner
7/20/2010-4:03pm at 4:03 pm (UTC -4)
Except for your point on Westbrook I agree with you. I think a significant (can’t say majority) portion of the fanbase would consider Westbrook an underwhelming acquisition and would do the proverbial torches and pitchforks thing to express their displeasure, at least in a talk-radio/blog kind of way. I know I would not be pleased if the deadline acquisition is/was Westbrook.
I agree though with your thought on the roster otherwise. It may take more guts than this organization has but I’d:
-trade/cut Francoeur for minor league filler/bullpen help & promote Feliciano as BU OF;
-trade/cut Barajas for minor league filler/bullpen help & make Thole primary C;
-trade/cut/make a coach out of Cora and use Turner as the BU IF.
Those moves and the resulting understanding that this 2010 Mets team isn’t likely (barring these kids all hitting the ground running + Pelf getting back to early season Pelf) to make the playoffs which will certainly result in the replacement of Manuel should be enough to appease the fans for the balance of this season (except those who think Francoeur, Barajas & Cora are good players and Manuel is a good manager).
darknova306
7/20/2010-4:08pm at 4:08 pm (UTC -4)
I meant it more as management’s attempt to placate the fans, not that the fans would necessarily BE placated by the move.
But yeah, I like your points. Especially getting rid of Barajas and letting Thole get in there everyday.
GravediggerHebner
7/20/2010-4:17pm at 4:17 pm (UTC -4)
Aha, thank you for bearing with me I better understand your point now and agree with you.
stickguy
7/20/2010-4:15pm at 4:15 pm (UTC -4)
I actually think they can do both things (your moves, plus get a trade deadline pitcher). Kind of covering you bets.
the 3 moves you outline (which could be expanded to removing Ollie from the organization) could/should make the team better immediately. Or at least in aggregate, they won’t be any worse!
Plus of course, any return (trades) will be that much more depth to use/trade.
This goes along with a point I kept making in the dugout last night. While a SP coming in will certainly help, with only 10-11 starts left, it will not likely be enough (unless you somehow get an ace who will go 10-0 with a 1.00 ERA, and the SP being replaced is a comeplete train wreck).
Because, the only way this team makes a serious run at the playoffs is if the guys on hand already carry them there. If they don’t, then no Sp will do it for them.
so, you may end up looking at the same 1-2 wins at the end of the year that screwed them in 2007 and 2008, so yeah, westbrook/lilly/myers can possibly make up that difference. And all the moves you listed are not likely to cost them those games!
gategem
7/20/2010-5:20pm at 5:20 pm (UTC -4)
If a repeat of 2007 and 2008 were to occur Jerry would get an extension.
stickguy
7/20/2010-5:25pm at 5:25 pm (UTC -4)
not a chance.