Two nights after losing out on Jose Reyes, Sandy Alderson pulled the trigger on three moves to upgrade the Mets’ bullpen.
- Jon Rauch agreed to a 1 year, $3.5 MM contract. Rauch is a 33 year-old RHP who has been used as a set up man and closer in his career. He went 5-4 with a 4.85 ERA and 11 saves for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011. He has a lifetime 1.25 WHIP and 3.82 ERA. Bonus: The 6′ 10″ Rauch was once referred to by Keith Hernandez as a “wookiee.”
- The Mets acquired OF Andres Torres and RHP Ramon Ramirez from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for OF Angel Pagan. Torres is best known for his 2010 season with the Giants in which he belted 16 HRs and stole 26 bases. Ramirez pitched to a 2.62 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 2011. In his 6-year career, he’s averaged 69 innings per 162 games, and has a lifetime 1.24 WHIP. And of course, Pagan enjoyed a career year for the Mets in 2010, but suffered through mental lapses and inconsistency in 2011. Pagan and Torres share similar career numbers, age, and fielding ability, but the acquisition of Ramirez makes this deal a winner for the Mets.
- RHP Franklin “Frankie” Francisco agreed to a 2-year deal worth $12 MM. Of the three relief pitchers, Francisco is most likely to close, having saved 17 games for Toronto last year, and 44 total the past 3 years with the Jays and the Texas Rangers. Francisco is also famous for flinging a folding chair into the crowd of fans in Arlington, TX, injuring a woman, back in 2004. His record has been clean since then. On the field, he’s been a model of consistency, sporting a lifetime 3.72 ERA and 1.29 WHIP
Alderson has made it clear that he wanted to upgrade the bullpen. He did so in one fell swoop tonight, by acquiring 3 proven veteran relievers. Rumors had it that he would acquire pitchers who could close or set up, and in doing so, avoid paying big bucks for a free agent closer. He did just that.
Francisco and Rauch will make $9.5 MM combined in 2012, while early estimates have Ramirez making $2.3MM and Torres making $2.5 MM. They will avoid paying Pagan approximately $5 MM in arbitration.
5 comments
Anonymous
12/7/2011-4:23am at 4:23 am (UTC -4)
good job overall addressing a huge weak spot on the team. Now they can let ST sort out the final makeup, but they do seem to have an overload of viable arms. Someone like Beato could end up in the minors no matter how well he does, just due to numbers.
now that the back end seems to be taken care of (caveat of course that pens never seem to work out the way you expect!), if they can beef up the SP somehow, the pitching might not kill them again this year.
and if they are out of the running, always the chance to flip a RP for a prospect.
MetsFan4Decades
12/7/2011-4:24am at 4:24 am (UTC -4)
2 year and 12 MIL? That sounds a little high to me but I guess that’s what the market is this year for closers.
Anonymous
12/7/2011-4:31am at 4:31 am (UTC -4)
that seems to be going rate for a guy with experience. If you don’t want to pay that, then you roll the dice with a bunch of rookies or never were guys.
I can live with it.
Bryan
12/7/2011-5:09am at 5:09 am (UTC -4)
Really like the moves. The bullpen may not blow people away on paper, but it looks pretty solid, especially when you factor in Acosta and Byrdak to the 3 new guys. Plus Parnell is a smaller role where he may be able to succeed without the pressure of being an 8th or 9th inning guy. It also opens up the possibility of Beato starting in the minors and acting as rotation depth.
If Torres can be sound defensively he should do fine, the only issue is if he can be a reliable leadoff hitter.
Anonymous
12/7/2011-2:14pm at 2:14 pm (UTC -4)
I likie these moves as well. These are the type of moves I’d figure Sandy would be making all along. Sign/trade for multiple guys at the same position for a fairly cheap price and hope for the best on 2 of 3 or 3of 4 of them.
Also, the 3 RP are all guys who may bring in a better player at the trade deadline when everyone fights for secondary type RPs and generally overpay. Torres for Pagan is close to a wash, plus…And most importantly
The Mets save green backs.