AAOP: Considering I agree

by MetsKnicksRutgers on Nov 12, 2009 6:52 PM EST

with many of the moves already proposed by many here (Harang, Polanco/Kennedy, Holliday)I felt I'd take a different stab at it looking towards 2011 and how to maximize our potential then.

Back-loading contracts wasn't allowed in the plan, but I do not see why lowering payroll in 2010 to around 95-100 million couldn't allow us for maybe 160 or higher payroll in 2011.

Thus my first move would be to work on shedding salary for players that won't be necessary for 2011 those being:

Francisco Rodriguez: 3 years/$37M (2009-11), plus 2012 option at 17.5 which will definitely vest.

Cubs: With all the talk of Castillo to the Cubs, and their problems at the back of the pen I would trade Frankie for Bradley rather than Castillo. We take 2 years off the books, and I'd ask the Cubs to pay 4 million of his 2011 contract making it an 8 million dollar deal. Were the Cubs leery of paying 33 million for BB-Rod from 2011-2012 I'd attempt make a flyer at one other team.

Astros: With Valverde leaving, and Mcclane never one to capitulate I'd ask for Bourn at first, but most likely being rejected I'd ask for JR Towles both of them making around 500K. If both of these offers are rejected I'd go back to the Cubs asking BB-Rod for Bradley straight up which should get done.

This has a max savings for 2010 and 2011 of up to 22 million and if we take Bradley's entire contract we save about 3 in those two years, but have a lot more payroll flexibility going forward.

This can be done because BB-Rod still does have some value around MLB, he is still a pretty good reliever and may bounce back next year, unfortunately he is vastly overpaid constraining our 2011 splash.

Jeff Francoeur of Non-tender saving us 3.4 mm

this is the one I hated doing but, it had to be done for this post to make any sense:

Carlos Beltran of
7 years/$119M (2005-11)

He is making 37 million from 2010-2011. He will most likely be at least worth that much, and possibly a lot more. The only team I can think of right now that may be interested is the Bosox. Initially i'd ask for Bowden AND Bard but, I do not see Theo trading all those controllable years of pitchers for 2 years of an aging Beltran, but Beltran for Bowden straight up would get it done.

Pedro Feliciano lhp1 year/$1.6125M (2009)

Another one I would hate to let go of, but still being cheap and having a damn good 2009, Pedro has decent value. I also worry that his prima facie stats (4 era 1.5 WHIP) may creep back in 2010 lowering his value. Offer him to the Phils. Or I'd offer him along with Nieuwenhuis for Brandon Wood with the hope that Wood can play 2B.

Luis Castillo 2b
4 years/$25M (2008-11)

Whoever will take him and and we will send 4 million.

This is what my hopeful line-up would be for 2010

C: Towles/Thole

1B: Murphy/Evans

2B: Wood

SS: Reyes

3B: Wright

CF: Pagan

LF:Bring back Willy Mo for 1/600k, and see if he can at least get some homers and trade him at the dead-line

RF: Kearns/Jenkins/Hinske whichever one would take the cheapest contract probably around 1/2 million

RF: Bradley

Bench:

Evans/Murphy

Towles

Joey Gathright

Counsell/Loretta/Aurilia at vet minimum

Nick Green at vet minimum

SP: Johan/Pelf/Bowden/Ollie then Nieve/Niese/Maine battle for 5th spots

BP: Green/Parnell/Misch/Robertson/Kelvim Escobar as a reclamation project/Stokes/Figgy

Taking Bradley's full contract and we get our 2010 payroll down to about 100 million. With the money saved it will be used to re-sign Jose if he comes back healthy. By the blessing of the Elusian gods hopefully one of Beckett/Halladay/Lee makes it to FA. Beckett i'd do 5/85 Halladay 4/70 and Lee 4/70. If we gotta raise Becks up to 90 or lee and halladay up to 75 then we make that move.

Our last order of business would be to sacrifice many a chicken in the hopes that Mauer makes it to FA. Give him whatever he wants 8/180-190 if it takes that much.

A 2011 rotation of Santana/Big FA/Pelfrey/Bowden with Niese/Holt/ and Mejia looks pretty damn strong along with a core of

Reyes/Mauer/Wright/Wood/F! along with tejada thole evans and murph.

I understand a TON needs to fall right for those 2011 guys to make it to FA. But, if a plan like this is made clear by management I would be willing to accept it much like I have with the Knicks. Yes, there is a TON of speculation in this fanpost and I could have done more with filling in the 2011 team and figuring out the payroll, but that is way too much effort for me right now. Pretty much, I just wanted to have fun with this and litmus test AA to see if the community would go along with a one year rebuild.

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Comments

Definitely interesting

You get bonus points for creativity. I haven’t analyzed your plan in depth, but at first glance it’s reasonable, and I could definitely buy in to the general concept. The Mets need to sell high occasionally on players if it means saving money and picking up long-term value. Though it’s a tough sell to the fanbase—to accept two losing seasons in a row.

by DoghouseBlues on Nov 12, 2009 8:39 PM EST reply actions

I see the logic in lowering payroll for the upcoming 2011 season

I advocated cutting some payroll as well, although you do a much more thorough job of cutting the excess bad contracts off in anticipation of a big rebuild. This would be a rough team to march out there after last seasons disaster, as it is unlikely to be a competitive team in 2010, but from a real life strategic perspective it might be what we need for 2011 and beyond.

by KeithsMoustache on Nov 12, 2009 8:45 PM EST reply actions

yea

this team would be brutal in 2010, but a front 3 of santana, bowden and pelf could actually keep us respectable

by MetsKnicksRutgers on Nov 12, 2009 9:00 PM EST up reply actions

I'd love to have funds available, but my pitcher of choice would be Brandon Webb

"We're just as bad as the old Mets, but this time nobody's laughing"
-Dallas Green

by Stephen Schmidt on Nov 12, 2009 8:53 PM EST reply actions

Admirable and inventive, but

You wrote:

“Back-loading contracts wasn’t allowed in the plan, but I do not see why lowering payroll in 2010 to around 95-100 million couldn’t allow us for maybe 160 or higher payroll in 2011.”

I just don’t see this—the Wilpons, with a new stadium and coming off a disastrous season, will get crucified for cutting payroll now, and lose droves of fans for years.

There’s also no reason the Mets can’t carry a $150 million dollar payroll in 2010 and bump that to your target of $160 million in a year or two. If you wanted to use the $50 million towards 2011 specifically and aim at a one year bump in payroll to $200 million, signing a bunch of one year deals—presumably for high risk high reward ballplayers—that could get pretty interesting…

by SeanSchirmer on Nov 12, 2009 9:45 PM EST reply actions

I didn't

get into it very much for 2011 besides the big guys. If we could bump it to 180 because of the 2010 payroll, we could field a pretty ridiculous team

by MetsKnicksRutgers on Nov 12, 2009 9:47 PM EST up reply actions

I also meant to add

that this plan wouldn’t happen thats for damn sure, the wilpons would never give off the idea that they were throwing a year away as unfortunate as that is. I still think that Donnie Walsh has done an amazing job cutting the knicks payroll in just over 18 months on the job, and with no cap in MLB the mets being a big market team could slash payroll for one year save money gain prospects through trades and go crazy on FAs the next season.

by MetsKnicksRutgers on Nov 12, 2009 9:49 PM EST up reply actions