Pineiro Applesauce - Mets show interest in Figgins and Pineiro, Nats choose Riggleman, NL Gold Gloves announced

by Joe Budd on Nov 12, 2009 10:07 AM EST in Applesauce

So, I'm trying a new format today. Thoughts? Criticisms?

Meet the Mets

Mets will try to keep Figgins from Philadelphia

I don't exactly have a place to put him, but would love to have Figgins.

Jon Heyman twitters that the Mets will look at Pineiro

3 years $30 million is awfully steep for a one-year wonder.

1986 + MTV

H/t to Metsmerized. Who would have ever known that Lenny Dykstra would reach such heights. He is so... articulate.

Toby Hyde's got Ike Davis video

Ah... That looks about right. Scouting the Sally also brings us some Eric Beaulac video.

David Wright will be fine, at least at the plate

Phew, I can rest easy now. 2010 is all squared away then.

Matt Holliday will use the Mets to make more money elsewhere

This still would be better than signing him to a Mark Teixeira-level contract. I'd rather be spurned at the beginning of the courtship than be stuck with him for 8 years.

Around the NL East

Washington Nationals to keep Jim Riggleman as full-time manager

I guess I can keep my vigil going for Bobby Valentine then. Even though Fire Jim Bowden thinks it's too close to call.

Matt Lindstrom on the trading block
Pure speculation, but always interesting. Another one who got away.

Around MLB

BtB evaluates the NL Gold Glove selections

Yeah, no major complaints from me about this year's choices. Hudson did probably win on reputation, however. Rob Neyer gives his take as well.

The Dodgers are Ignoring Orlando Hudson

Spurned in favor of Ronnie Belliard. This is the Mets' savior?

Matsui has no plans to return to Japan

I take it that he's either satisfied for now with his porn collection or he found a suitable dealer here.

Jermaine Dye had a rough fielding year in 2009

Victor Zambrano's mom is safe

Griffey stays with Mariners for 2010

The farewell tour just added a few more shows.

New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox both shopping for Roy Halladay

The Mets might be "favourites", but beware the AL East arms race.

Pete Rose lobbies for his girlfriend to appear in Playboy

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Comments

your comment about holliday interests me

because i’ve heard many people here and elsewhere state that holliday is the easy choice this winter mainly because he “only costs money” whereas someone like gonzalez will cost players.

however like you mentioned, acquiring holliday means locking ourselves in for 7-8 years at a rate of $17-20/yr. in my eyes a contract like that severely limits our roster flexibility going forward; basically, he becomes the last high level FA we could expect to sign until another one of the “stars” (beltran, wright, reyes, k-rod, santana) is gone.

so in a pretty tangible (though opposite) way holliday will cost us players too, the players we couldn’t sign as a result of paying him deep into the next decade. this means that beyond missing out on the elite 2011 pitching market, when superstars like hanley, pujols, prince, felix or haren potentially become FA’s in the next 2-3 years the Mets probably can’t be major players.

i’m not saying holliday is a terrible idea because he’s definitely a good bet to earn that contract but i don’t think it’s the no-brainer, “its just money” situation that people are characterizing. money is not quite as fungible an asset as people seem to think. like players, money is a commodity, one that can and does run out leaving a team that needs to bolster through FA out of luck.

by Rob Castellano on Nov 12, 2009 10:41 AM EST reply actions

that said

if you were trading for someone of his calibur, you’d have to sign him to a long term extension anyway. So I’d still say, yes, it’s only money. Not because it’s insignificant, but because it costs us no talent in return, allowing us to save money by not needing to sign addtional replacements.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Nov 12, 2009 11:01 AM EST up reply actions

this

Throwing a lot of money at Holliday isn’t like throwing a decent amount of money at Castillo – the chances are that Holliday is going to be worth it. And even if, at the end of his contract, he’s not worth the kind of money they’re still gonna be paying him, he probably will have earned it. How many people are complaining about Carlos Beltran’s contract right now? Not too many people were complaining about Piazza’s contract in ‘04 and ’05, even though it limited roster flexibility and he wasn’t really worth it anymore.

"[The Giants] beat us down. We were beat by a grown-man team, a team we want to be like one day. They came in here and took it to us. Out-manned us, out-gunned us. ... It wasn't even close." - Raheem Morris, 9/27/09

by cjmulrain on Nov 12, 2009 12:07 PM EST up reply actions

Is Holliday really expected to get that much

If he is then I wouldn’t want anything to do with him. I was expecting him to get more along the lines of 14-15 million 5-6 years.

by Gina on Nov 12, 2009 12:43 PM EST up reply actions

im guessing he's gonna get closer to 18-20/year

which is why i’m a bit wary of him. He’s undoubtedly the best out on the FA market this year, but I feel like we could stretch that money to improve in a lot of places instead of just one.

by KeithsMoustache on Nov 12, 2009 2:00 PM EST up reply actions

Joel Pineiro

Inside my mind is screaming (ARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH) Why why why why why why, the agony of it all. Serenity now.

Can’t they see his stats are misleading thanks to the power surge of Cards’ bats? I’m asking this question to myself since the Mets front office will not to keep myself sane.

Just want to bang my head against my desk and got back to happier times.

Thanks for letting me vent.

by cuseindahuse on Nov 12, 2009 11:44 AM EST reply actions

The other factor is Dave Duncan. He made Jeff Suppan look like an ace, once he went to the Brewers he went back to being shitty Jeff Suppan again. The same could happen here with Pineiro.

No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.

by sireric on Nov 12, 2009 11:47 AM EST up reply actions

It could happen here

But it seems highly unlikely that it will, and considering we already have so much “fixable” crap in our rotation do we really want more.

by Gina on Nov 12, 2009 12:44 PM EST up reply actions

I dont think the cards bats have much to do with his lower FIP

He has completely altered his pitching style, and the new style works well for him. I agree as soon as he leaves Duncan there is always the risk he regresses back to his old pitching style, especially with the brilliant Dan Warthen on the case, but if he sticks to the sort of gameplan duncan has given him, he’ll be a valuable addition.

by KeithsMoustache on Nov 12, 2009 2:04 PM EST up reply actions