The Mets have let their flexible pitcher Hisanori Takahashi enter free agency after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new deal.
The Mets and Takahashi extended their deadline to make an extension deal until midnight tonight. Takahashi was seeking a three-year $12-15MM contract, and the Mets were hoping for one lone year, and perhaps an option for a second.
Takahashi posted a 3.61 ERA in 122 innings as both a starter and reliever in 2010, while racking up 10 wins and 8 saves in the process.
On a personal note, if any 35 year old middle-reliever believes he’s going to get a 3-year deal worth $4-5MM annually, it’s just not going to happen. Takahashi will henceforth be known as “Bakahashi.” (just kidding! good luck Hisanori, where ever you end up!
26 comments
Prismo
11/5/2010-6:37pm at 6:37 pm (UTC -4)
Not to Taka.
Gonzo Will
11/5/2010-6:42pm at 6:42 pm (UTC -4)
Alright, it’s all Sandy now.
rustyjr
11/5/2010-6:50pm at 6:50 pm (UTC -4)
wow that was a ballsey take no crap move – me likey !!
GravediggerHebner
11/5/2010-7:47pm at 7:47 pm (UTC -4)
Later Hisa!
njstuckintx
11/5/2010-8:03pm at 8:03 pm (UTC -4)
For a second I thought that was actually his first name.
stickguy
11/5/2010-8:05pm at 8:05 pm (UTC -4)
well, if you needed a sign that there was a new way of doing business in place, this was a good one.
Hard to imagine him not being back for multiple years if Omar was still running the show.
GUess Sandy and the boys made a value determination, and told them what the best offer was, take it or leave it.
Good luck to him in FA now. WIll be really interesting to see what he ends up getting. And I hope he likes KC.
hazmet
11/5/2010-8:21pm at 8:21 pm (UTC -4)
Taka Hike Hisanori
There’s a new sheriff in town and his name is Sandy.
GravediggerHebner
11/5/2010-8:30pm at 8:30 pm (UTC -4)
When Sandy has agents and players in for negotiations, this music plays in the background:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hYV-JSjpyU&feature=related
True story – this is the ringtone on my cellphone
hazmet
11/5/2010-8:36pm at 8:36 pm (UTC -4)
lol, that, is, funny.
Of course great flick along with the less popular “Once Upon a Time in the West” starring Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, and Henry Fonda as the bad guy. And of course the lucious Claudia Cardinale.
GravediggerHebner
11/5/2010-8:51pm at 8:51 pm (UTC -4)
A long time ago I went on a used-DVD buying binge and “Once Upon…” was one of those I picked up. I really need to watch that. Thanks for the reminder.
hazmet
11/5/2010-8:56pm at 8:56 pm (UTC -4)
It’s one of those movies I didn’t appreciate at first but then the more I saw it I really enjoyed it. It’s right there in tops for the genre. The opening scene takes an eternity but it’s really very beautifully filmed. I believe it even has character actor Jack Elam in it.
njstuckintx
11/5/2010-8:41pm at 8:41 pm (UTC -4)
seems less like a negotiation and more like “i’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.” Taka got the horsehead.
hazmet
11/5/2010-8:30pm at 8:30 pm (UTC -4)
OK, I was going to just log out but I see Rubin posting where K-Rod lived at Charlie Samuels place after the judgement barring him to see his wife. Are you kidding me? The guy’s making how many millions a year and he’s hanging at Charlie’s place after the judgement? Oh man, was Tony B mixing cocktails in the kitchen for that crew while they plowed through the chex mix in Chuck’s man cave? Franky, baby, dude, your a grown man, a very rich grown man, please don’t tell me this pathetic portrait is accurate. You couldn’t have been living large at some penthouse in Manhattan? You had to hang at the Equipment Managers pad after the dress down. OK maybe he was trying to keep a low profile but in retrospect of all the guys he had to be hanging with, only in Metland.
stickguy
11/5/2010-8:36pm at 8:36 pm (UTC -4)
I posted the same basic thought over at that other forum when I saw the post up.
And added tht if you were someone looking to get out from under the contract still, getting him sucked into this mess would be a guaranteed way to do it!
ANd I am glad that Alderson is going to be the front man on damage control for the Samuels situation, not Omar. Also a real good thing that this happened early in the off season.
hazmet
11/5/2010-8:40pm at 8:40 pm (UTC -4)
Share the same thought on Sandy being in charge with damage control. I think the best part is he won’t be perpetuating damage and at some point once the purge of the last skelton from Omar’s reign, and any earlier reigns based on Samuels tenure are purged, then he shouldn’t have any damage control to have to deal with. In theory.
I think once he gets the hires in order and lingering crap like this he’s just going to rip of fast like a bandaid, expose the scabs and get it out of the way quick to get it in the rear view mirror faster.
GravediggerHebner
11/5/2010-8:49pm at 8:49 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah I feel pretty confident that any Takahashi or Samuels press conferences won’t degenerate into anyone lobby for anyone’s job.
Instead of paranoid insecurity there will be military precision and execution.
hazmet
11/5/2010-8:50pm at 8:50 pm (UTC -4)
For community consideration:
The first 2 of Sandy’s 10 baseball commandments for the NY Mets:
1. Hire the Best
2. Take no crap in negotiations
When the next one reveals itself I’ll get back to this.
kistics
11/5/2010-9:02pm at 9:02 pm (UTC -4)
Holy cow! This Alderson guy doesn’t mess around!
Is this a right move? Perhaps Taka and his agent did not come down from 3/$12-15M.
metsfan4decades
11/5/2010-9:02pm at 9:02 pm (UTC -4)
Well, I guess there is a new Sheriff in charge.
And what’s up with KRod and that story? I guess I should take into account his age……no offense to anyone (sincerely) but he’s a 20 something ML ballplayer making millions. Doesn’t make him smart, just talented.
oleosmirf
11/6/2010-9:44am at 9:44 am (UTC -4)
it was a great season for Takahashi and the bullpen will certainly miss him but you cannot give 3 year deals to 36 year olds with only 1 season under his belt in the MLB. Im sure Feliciano will be out the door as well…
right now our BP is K-Rod, Parnell, Acosta and possibly Igarashi. considering the few options we have in the farm, we need to hope Alderson can find some gems on the cheap…
njstuckintx
11/6/2010-10:06am at 10:06 am (UTC -4)
With 2 SPs needed and a bunch of arms for the BP… I really hope we see the mets go in house with 2B and use all their available $$$ on arms.
stickguy
11/6/2010-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
Don’t sleep on that kid that the Mets just added to the 40 man roster either (manny alverez?) Had a huge year, moving from A+ all the way to AAA. Could be a sleeper in ST to add to the pen.
njstuckintx
11/6/2010-12:11pm at 12:11 pm (UTC -4)
when was he added?
stickguy
11/6/2010-12:14pm at 12:14 pm (UTC -4)
within the last week. I saw a note on it on some site.
stickguy
11/6/2010-11:41am at 11:41 am (UTC -4)
i am actually not that unhappy with that as the 1st 4. Every pen needs to add at least 3 guys per year anyway. Ang that is a closer, and 3 guys with good FBs that just need to be focused a little.
I was hoping for a better pitching coach, but it looks like we may be stuck with Warthen. But Parnell seemed to be getting better, and Iggy I hope gets his mojo back over the winter.
and of course, the new manager doesn’t bollocks up the pen like the last one did.
oleosmirf
11/6/2010-12:25pm at 12:25 pm (UTC -4)
the pitching was not a problem at all last season. Santana and Dickey had an ERA under 3, Niese at 4.20 and Pelf and 3.66. as for the pen, K-Rod, Parnell, Acosta, Dessens all with ERAs under 3 and Feliciano and Takahashi were under 4.
granted ERA is not a great measure to use but i fail to see how Warthen did a poor job???