Odalis Perez

by Schifftis on May 8, 2006 11:21 AM EDT

I have seen this mentioned a few places this morning:

"The Dodgers will explore trading Odalis Perez to the Mets, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Dodgers tried to trade Odalis Perez during the offseason, but no one was willing to take on his salary. Including a deferred signing bonus, he is owed about $9 million this season and $10 million next season. There is also a club option for 2008, which can be bought out for $1.5 million.
Meanwhile, Perez told Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng that he would return from bereavement leave Tuesday. He has been visiting his mother, who is in a Dominican hospital. The Dodgers would have to make a roster move when he comes back, and the pitcher who replaced Perez (Aaron Sele) isn't going anywhere."

Not sure how I feel about this, it is a lot of money for a so-so pitcher (3 game sover 500 for Career, doesn't walk many), but it doesn't sound like the Mets would have to give up much for him, as long as they are willing to take on his contract. I do think he is a better choice than Lima Time, and I am against trading Milledge for Zito.

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Comments

for a bag of balls,

it'd be worth the risk -- it's only money. Granted, the Mets do not exactly have an unblemished track record taking on other teams' salary dumps, but Perez has been pretty good at times in his career and is probably a solider option than Maine, Lima, Bannister et al to shore up the rotation (assuming that Heilman is not going to the rotation). But with his salary, even if the Dodgers send a couple of million along in the deal, it's not worth sending a single half-decent prospect in return.

by anonymous on May 8, 2006 11:38 AM EDT reply actions

although

you have to question the Benson trade if Perez is even being considered as an option at this point. Perez makes roughly what Benson does, Benson is probably a better pitcher (though Perez's best seasons have been better than Benson), and Perez is due his huge money for another season after this one. It's beginning to look very clear that dumping Benson's salary and obnoxious wife was not the best move for the team on the field this year.

by anonymous on May 8, 2006 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Benson

We all know at this point that this trade was operation subtract Anna. Lets not pretend it had a baseball purposes. Omar didn't want the Anna taking shots at the organization, posing in Playboy and trashing the new first basemans political idealogy. I can't say I blame him, his real mistake is not going after a starter to replace him this off season. He thought he could get by with out one and get one mid summer, and didn't count on injuries like Bannister hurting himself running the bases, or John Maine hurting his bird finger, or Zambrano not mentioning to anyone that he has elbow discomfort for 18 months.

its a ground ball...trickling... its a fair ball, its by Buckner, rounding third Knight, the Mets will win the ballgame, the Mets win

by DoctorK16 on May 8, 2006 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions

well

we don't really know that at all.

It looks like a likely explanation for it, but I am still willing to believe that there were baseball reasons, for two reasons - Benson was overpaid this year, and still had a year of being overpaid left on his contract, and Omar obviously was under orders to reduce payroll in some measure.

The second is related to him being overpaid: He isn't very good. He let the team down last year when they needed him to perform well.

I'm sure Anna made it easier to decide to pull the trigger, but his performance and salary made him expendable.

If Tom Glavine's wife was a skank with a loud mouth, they still wouldn't have traded him, because he performs.

It's like you said, they thought it was an area they had some depth - they had a lot of starters in camp, and I think that the thinking was that they would slot in Julio to the pen and Heilman to the rotation, but because of the WBC they didnt have time to work with Julio in spring training, and since Bannister did so well they kept Heilman out there. (they also lost an arm when Padilla got injured.)

If you think about the fact that we have four guys who could start for the big club on the DL or suspended (Bannister, Maine, Iriki, Zambrano) and two guys in the bullpen who were probably envisioned as possible starters, then the Benson deal doesn't look so fishy.

Unless we can get Perez for like a Jeremi Gonzalez or a Michael Tucker type player, I don't think it's worth it. And even then, I'm not wild about it.

Mr Koufax, don't you think Flanders is a big jerk?

by peteyfan45 @ Amazin' Avenue on May 9, 2006 7:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Espn

I've been watching Espn since about 6 AM, and they were really flogging the Zito for Milledge deal.

They also mentioned Perez, who may be a somewhat better option, if they are going to do one or the other, since it will probably only cost money.

I still wouldn't do either trade though.

Given their MO this off-season, it seems like the front office has mandated that they clear money in order to add money.

I'd prefer to see them sign Glavine to a new deal rather than spend all that money on Perez.

Perez is very similar to Benson. He doesn't walk many guys, but doesn't get many strikeouts either. Perez' career WHIP is 1.26 (better than Glavine's 1.29), while Benson has 1.37.

Lima's WHIP is 1.38, which is pretty amazing for a guy who gives up so many hits, and Pedro's is the ridiculous 1.02.

Also, did you know that Kris Benson's full name is Kristin? That's what his Espn profile says...

Mr Koufax, don't you think Flanders is a big jerk?

by peteyfan45 @ Amazin' Avenue on May 8, 2006 2:55 PM EDT reply actions

I read that Glav was re-upped for 2007

here for instance...although that article is basically unreadable.

by peeder on May 8, 2006 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions

basically

the team can decide they want him for $12 million, or he could decide to comeback on his own for 5.5 million. Either side can buy out the others option if they decide to part ways and don't want the other side throwing a wrench in that. He took a pay cut for this year and deferred it too. A good deal for all involved, Mets get payroll flexibilty this year and a set in stone number for Glavine next year, Glavine gets security.

its a ground ball...trickling... its a fair ball, its by Buckner, rounding third Knight, the Mets will win the ballgame, the Mets win

by DoctorK16 on May 8, 2006 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions

No Odalis

Not for that kind of money. I would take that money and put it towards Doug Davis and Andy Pettite in the offseason.

by future on May 8, 2006 5:57 PM EDT reply actions

andy petitite

is staying down in TX. I doubt he wants back to NYC, plus he has had arm problems before. Doug Davis isn't exactly a star. Its not like the Mets are starving for money, and they need a starter before the end of the year. I say if the Dogders want to this for a middling prospect you do it.

its a ground ball...trickling... its a fair ball, its by Buckner, rounding third Knight, the Mets will win the ballgame, the Mets win

by DoctorK16 on May 8, 2006 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

The only onerous contract we have left

is HazMat...and that isn't even so onerous. So it's not as if the Dodgers can eat any of our mistakes while we eat theirs.

Perez has personal issues to attend to as you note, and won't necessarily be ready-to-go when he returns. He's young, and a lefty, usually has decent enough K/BB and ERA though he has been knocked around this season. Still, 3-1 on the year so far behind a lineup not as good as ours.

He could work out for us, but when you think about it, what it says is Heilman is worth $10 million a year for the next two (Wagner money) to keep in the bullpen at all costs. If we just slot Heilman into the rotation (getting more irresistable by the day) and bring up Bell, Owens, Ring, etc...we save the dough for a real rental at the deadline and a major free agent in the offseason.

by peeder on May 8, 2006 6:05 PM EDT reply actions

Metstradamus

has this in an item on pitchers who might be available:

Greg Maddux, Cubs: This one is interesting. What could be more evil than knocking the Braves off their perch with Tom Glavine on the Mets? Why knocking them off with Glavine and Greg Maddux wearing orange. Scrumptious. But would the price for Maddux be too high for yet another 40 year old pitcher who may not want to be a hired gun for somebody? Probably...and the Cubbies are actually still in the hunt, so this isn't going to happen either. But wouldn't it be worth it for the reprise of the "Chicks Dig the Long Ball" commercial?

He says it better than I can.

I think it is a nice thought, because Maddux as a third starter looks pretty good, but its probably not worth it.

Still, if the price were right, I'd obviously rather have Maddux here than Perez. (and with Piazza gone, does that mean #31 is available?)

Mr Koufax, don't you think Flanders is a big jerk?

by peteyfan45 @ Amazin' Avenue on May 9, 2006 2:08 PM EDT reply actions

Maddux

would probably cost significant players/prospects in trade, though, and that makes a deal much less likely to be worth it. I know Maddux has pitched well recently, but it's always very dicey to make a "win it now" trade for such an old player, and I'm not happy to see any more potentially significant contributors to the Mets' future leaving town.

by anonymous on May 9, 2006 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions

All these rumors(Zito, Perez,Maddux...)

How long before somebody mentions Clemens.

I guess you heard it here first. The Glavine restructure is evidence that the Mets are making room to sign the ultimate rent a pitcher, the hated Roger Clemens!

I completely joking but thought it be fun to picture it in my head for a second.

by thekid on May 9, 2006 5:13 PM EDT reply actions

sorry

but I've heard that about five other places already, although not since the Glavine restructure.

Mr Koufax, don't you think Flanders is a big jerk?

by peteyfan45 @ Amazin' Avenue on May 9, 2006 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions

by peteyfan45 @ Amazin' Avenue on May 10, 2006 7:45 AM EDT up reply actions

No

he was talking about what I won for having talked about Clemens over and over again.

And that's nothing.

by future on May 10, 2006 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Livan

ESPN is claiming the Mets are interested in Livan Hernandez. I hope it's just fluff. Livan has been terrible this year and was bad last year too. The only thing he's any good for is eating innings.

by OronosFemur on May 9, 2006 5:44 PM EDT reply actions