On Sunday Mike Puma from the NY Post said the Mets are interested in Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez. According to Puma the price was still too high and nothing will materialize within the next two weeks. Adam Rubin of ESPN also stated that one source believes that Hernandez will become a Met.
Currently Hernandez is working his way off the DL with a hand Injury that occurred back in late May. He is 36 years old and makes 3.2 million this season and next. Hernandez has been a very serviceable catcher over the last 14 seasons, and has been primarily a backup/platoon backstop since ‘09.
In my view there is a high probability that this trade will happen as long as Hernandez returns successfully from the DL. Sandy was the GM for Oakland from 1983-1997. After a stint in the MLB Commissioners office he was CEO of the Padres from 2005-2009. Hernandez was signed by Oakland as an amateur free agent in 1994 and made his MLB debut for Oakland in 1999. Hernandez also played for San Diego in 2004-2005 (he was traded to SD one year before Sandy arrived). This is a total Sandy guy! He knows exactly what Hernandez brings in both on field performance, game calling and clubhouse presence. He was with him as a rookie and observed how he operated as a veteran. If there are rumors, then there has to be some truth.
The other reason why it may happen is it probably won’t take a lot to get him. He is at the tail end of his career making decent coin as a backup catcher. Adam Rubin stated that the Rockies tried hard to get Justin Turner before settling on Marco Scuttaro. He also feels that prospects like “Double-A shortstop Wilfredo Tovar or a Class A right-hander such as Domingo Tapia” might be able to get it done, or others involved may be “Matt den Dekker , Josh Edgin, Jacob DeGrom and Chase Huchingson.”
So would you like a veteran right handed catcher? What do you think he is worth?
Year Tm G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS 1999 OAK 40 136 13 38 7 0 3 21 18 11 .279 .363 .397 .760 2000 OAK 143 419 52 101 19 0 14 62 38 64 .241 .311 .387 .698 2001 OAK 136 453 55 115 25 0 15 60 37 68 .254 .316 .408 .724 2002 OAK 136 403 51 94 20 0 7 42 43 64 .233 .313 .335 .648 2003 OAK 140 483 70 132 24 1 21 78 33 79 .273 .331 .458 .789 2004 SDP 111 384 45 106 23 0 18 63 35 45 .276 .341 .477 .818 2005 SDP 99 369 36 107 19 2 12 58 18 40 .290 .322 .450 .772 2006 BAL 144 501 66 138 29 2 23 91 43 79 .275 .343 .479 .822 2007 BAL 106 364 40 94 18 0 9 62 36 59 .258 .333 .382 .714 2008 BAL 133 463 49 119 22 1 15 65 32 62 .257 .308 .406 .714 2009 CIN 81 287 25 74 13 1 5 37 33 34 .258 .336 .362 .699 2010 CIN 97 313 30 93 18 1 7 48 29 49 .297 .364 .428 .792 2011 CIN 91 298 28 84 13 0 12 36 23 41 .282 .341 .446 .788 2012 COL 27 93 8 20 5 0 4 15 5 12 .215 .260 .398 .658 14 Yrs 1484 4966 568 1315 255 8 165 738 423 707 .265 .329 .419 .748
Source Information:
Adam Rubin’s ESPN article: http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/50648/source-rockies-hernandez-interests-mets?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Mike Puma’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/NYPost_Mets/status/222025524166410242
7 comments
NJstuckinTX
7/10/2012-11:18am at 11:18 am (UTC -4)
Sign me up if it is basically just taking on some salary. Another RH bat and a proven defensive catcher are a win win in my book. Nickeas really has no place on a good Major league ball club.
Vincent
7/10/2012-11:34am at 11:34 am (UTC -4)
I would give them two cans of tuna and a bottle of Dr. Pepper for Hernandez. I wouldn’t send any player, this guy is a shade better than Nickeas
SaltyGary
7/10/2012-11:49am at 11:49 am (UTC -4)
A “shade better” than Nickeas is exaggerating a little, don’t ya think?
srt
7/10/2012-11:41am at 11:41 am (UTC -4)
OT:
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/8147011/new-york-mets-pitcher-dillon-gee-hospitalized
Yikes. Gee hospitalized with numbness in the fingers. Hope it’s nothing serious.
srt
7/10/2012-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
IDK…36 years old, coming off the DL.
There really is slim pickings for catchers – even back up ones.
If we’re going this route, hope we don’t give up too much for him.
Stickguy
7/10/2012-12:43pm at 12:43 pm (UTC -4)
this to me really just says how absolutely dismal Nickeas really is.
but, most of the players listed in the piece are actually prospects with talent and a possible future. So they won’t go in a salary dump. Maybe Degrom. More likely, a Carson/Cahoon type.
basically, if they get him, the only return should be some salary relief and spare part filler.
Bryan
7/10/2012-7:05pm at 7:05 pm (UTC -4)
I wouldn’t give up much for him, maybe if their LOOGY is part of the deal you can give up Edgin or DeGrom or Pill or Huchingson, but Tovar, Den Dekker, or Tapia NOWAY