Omar Minaya's $36 Million Titanic

by James Kannengieser on May 3, 2009 8:00 AM EDT Comment 57 comments

(click to embiggen)

It seems likely that Oliver Perez will be sent to the minor leagues, although he has to agree to the assignment since he has 5+ years of major league service. That's probably the best option at this point, as Ollie in the bullpen just won't work, and the Mets can't afford to trot him out there every five days. A trip to the minors helped turn around Steve Trachsel in 2001 and Brett Myers in 2008. Good luck Ollie. Get it together.

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does that make ramon casto

billy zane’s character?

HELLO HELLO MR WILPON. WE WANT THE MANSION NOT THE CONDO.

by kendynamo on May 3, 2009 10:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Nah

I’m pretty sure Castro is the guy who falls and hits his head on the propeller when the boat is falling apart. I got dumped by a high school girlfriend for laughing at that part, but it’s much less funny when Omir Santos is involved.

by TedBerg on May 3, 2009 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Propeller guy!

by James Kannengieser on May 3, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Wright

I think Wright is the Italian kid that does everything right, starts swimming away from the Titanic, and then the whole goddamn boat hits him in the face.

by Lunkwill Fook on May 3, 2009 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And

The boat is the fans who boo him

by Joamiq on May 3, 2009 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've never seen the film

does the boat make it?

'Oh yes, I know all about that duty-of-a-citizen stuff. It doesn't go. There are exceptions to every rule, and this was one of them. When a man risks his liberty to come and root at a ball-game, you've got to hand it to him. He isn't a crook. He's a fan.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on May 3, 2009 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes it does, little brother.

Everyone is OK. You don’t need to worry about it. Most people cried because they worried about the iceberg (which, for some reason, is ignored after it bumps into the boat.)

"The people of Houston are spending money like oil's selling at $40 a barrel."

by IanB in MD on May 3, 2009 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Dear Ollie....

Please oh PLEASE, I beg of you, Refuse the demotion to the minors and become that free agent that you couldn’t be successful at during the offseason and then head back to Mexico where you can eat all the burrito’s and taco’s til your heart’s content!!

by NYMet5 on May 3, 2009 11:42 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'll bet my life savings that doesn't happen.

But I’d still root for it ;-)

The 2009 NY Mets: WE GOT K-ROD! OMG, Putz, too! Sign Lowe! Lowe's a Brave. Sign Manny! Tim Redding, WTF? Sign Manny! Sheets or Perez? SHEETS! Perez?? Oh, Sheets is hurt -- good job, Minaya! WTF?! SIGN MANNY!

by ZaBlanc on May 3, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We'd still have to pay him

by Gina on May 3, 2009 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gina's right

I want him to accept the demotion to the minors and who knows maybe pull a Steve Trachsel. Suck, go down to the minors at an advanced age, become very good/underrated, develop a great taste for wine, and in the final year become overrated by Marty Noble by winning 15 games with an ERA over 5.

by Sokojoe on May 3, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We researched this the other day....

And, yes, if we demoted him and he refused (even if he passed through waivers), he’d have the right to become a free agent. It would be like Sheffield, we’d be on the hook for the entire contract except for the major league minimum the other team would have to pay him. I really don’t like that option. Unless he signed with the Phillies. I love to pay him to suck for the Phils.

by Lunkwill Fook on May 3, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

“Unless he signed with the Phillies. I love to pay him to suck for the Phils.”

That really would be the best possible outcome, right?

by cjmulrain on May 3, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe

if he refuses assignment, it will be such a huge PR mess that the Wilpons will get fed up and go in an entirely different direction with the front office?

see silver lining.

by Gina on May 3, 2009 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bavasi/JimBo '09

King of the bling come to lay down the evidence//Not George Bush, L-Millz be da president

by Sam Page on May 3, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Can we get Ed Wade in the mix as well?

by Sokojoe on May 3, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also if he got claimed on waivers

Would we still have to pay his contract or would the team that claimed him have to? I’ve really never understood totally how the waiver process works.

by Gina on May 3, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think he would have to be waived

because of the service time thing. Not sure though.

King of the bling come to lay down the evidence//Not George Bush, L-Millz be da president

by Sam Page on May 3, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's got options

so no need to clear waivers.

Completely random thought: If Ollie does end up going to B’lo, will he be the highest-paid minor leaguer of all time (not counting players on rehab stints)?

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on May 3, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

With his service time, there's no way Ollie has any options left.

by whynot on May 3, 2009 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oddly enough

He does. From this article:

Perez has options remaining, but would have to give consent before being sent to the minors — something he seemed open to when asked about the possibility after the game.

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on May 3, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Weird,

that he has options but you need his permission. I kind of thought options expired once you reached certain service time levels.

by whynot on May 3, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I have no idea how that system works

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on May 3, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm pretty sure

The options only get used up when a player on the roster gets moved to the minors and its not subject to service time. Since the Pirates were so bad when Ollie was there, despite the fact that he came up so young they kept him on the big league roster for the most part. It looks like the Padres used one option on him in 2003, and then the Pirates didn’t use the second until 2006 (he had three games in the minors in 2005, but I’m guessing that was a rehab assignment).

The thing is, once you have five years of service time, you can reject an assignment to the minors even if you have options, meaning he could be sent to the minors without having to clear waivers if he were to give his consent. If he didn’t have options, consent or no consent, he would first have to clear waivers.

Keep in mind, I could be wrong about this, but that’s how I understand it.

by Mark Himmelstein on May 3, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think,

that if we place him on waivers any team that claims him is obligated to pay his full salary. Therefore you know nobody will claim him. If he’s released, the Mets are on the hook for the whole amount and he can get whatever additional dollars another club wants to pay him.

I’m sure willing to gamble on waivers.

by whynot on May 3, 2009 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

keep dreaming

if a team that picks him up off waivers has to pay the contract, no one is going to pick him up.
if the mets are stuck with the contract if he gets picked up off waivers, he’ll never be put on waivers.

by englishgrey on May 3, 2009 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good stuff!

Though I’m glad the actual film is about Leo DiCaprio…

by Prince on May 3, 2009 12:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The real Titanic only cost $7.5 million to build.

by whynot on May 3, 2009 12:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Inflation.

"And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic..."

by Blicks on May 3, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yea, it cost something like $400 million dollars by contemporary dollar standards

by englishgrey on May 3, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

so it's more analagous

to the last 2 Yankees seasons, then?

by cjmulrain on May 3, 2009 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

or the combined contracts of teixeria and sabathia

another two early season busts – although i’m sure they will both recover more quickly than ollie

by englishgrey on May 3, 2009 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wait to kill his joke with a bazooka, people.

And That Happened: Sports with a Hint of Sarcasm

by philkid3 on May 5, 2009 7:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wilpons = Iceberg

by cuseindahuse on May 3, 2009 2:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Outsider here

That picture is pure win.

"And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic..."

by Blicks on May 3, 2009 2:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Per Hubbuch

Ollie is “balking” at an assignment to AAA. Super.

by jasondg on May 3, 2009 3:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Word on the street

is that he’s going to the pen.

by Joamiq on May 3, 2009 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you have got to be kidding.

he shouldn’t object to a stint in the mexican league at this point. i am going to let him have it tomorrow night.

by whynot on May 3, 2009 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also that his knee is barking apparently

DL maybe? Please, oh pretty please go to the DL.

by Mark Himmelstein on May 3, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

at least if they dl him then they can send him for a rehab

but if his knee is really a problem he shouldn’t be pitching in major league games.

by whynot on May 3, 2009 4:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I really would rather that he go on the DL

but the ESPNEWS bottom line is saying that he’s been sent to the pen. I’m hoping this just means that he’s being punished by being forced to sleep in the rainy bullpen tonight and that the actual decision is yet to be made. Apparently Peter Gammons will have a report on it in a few minutes.

by Joamiq on May 3, 2009 4:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't really see how much good sending him to the pen will be.

if he can throw strikes as a starter is sending him to the pen going to make something click? It seems like they’re just doing this to appease him/save face.

by Gina on May 3, 2009 4:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Really?

It’s a great move to send an erratic career starter who needs a regime into a slot where he’ll never know when he’s going to pitch. This should work swimmingly.

by whynot on May 3, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey, here's an idea:

How about we root for the team and stop spending all 6 months forming a lynch mob for one player? It’s clear AA doesn’t like Oli, we get it. Let’s start cheering this team on since their struggles thus far haven’t been enough to knock them out of the race in April. The division is still ours for the taking, you know.

Sorry, but it seems like this blog has gone out of its way on about 5 occasions already to say “Oliver Perez sucks”… some fans we are to slag our players.

by WWORDuke on May 3, 2009 10:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh, no. We aren't rooting against Ollie.

If you really did closely look in gamethreads and the like, you would see our disdain for booing players. We are, however, pissed at Minaya. Being mad at him isn’t wrong.
But I don’t disagree with your overall message. Please, the season’s just beginning.

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

by squid92 on May 3, 2009 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Even I'll defend the members of AA on this one.

AA was pretty darn vocal that Minaya should not re-sign Ollie this offseason because he was looking for a contract that was way out of proportion to his production. Therefore, I believe that AA, above almost any other outlet, has a right to gripe about the Ollie signing. However, even with the gripes, JamesK does say: “Good luck Ollie. Get it together.” I’ve seen similar sentiments in other Ollie-centric articles. So it’s not like AA is rooting for him to lose.

by SQUAD on May 3, 2009 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

I remember back in that little limbo period after Lowe signed and Ollie seemed inevitable but wasn’t on board yet, I was trying to do some optimistic comps, and Sokojoe was politely giving me grief about it, but added a caveat something along the lines of “once Ollie resings, I’ll be the first to do a rosey colored fanpost about him”. And true to his word, he did. I don’t think any of us root for Perez to fail, we all want him to succeed, and we all enjoy when he does succeed. But we also had a sense of dread about the idea of resigning him as well, and, well, we’re a group that likes to stay consistent. He’s been a mess, and its not a huge surprise either. I think most of the people here are more upset at the front office about this disaster than anything, and there probably isn’t anyone here who wouldn’t jump for joy if Ollie’s next start was the first no-no in team history or something.

by Mark Himmelstein on May 3, 2009 11:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

One more thing.

I could be wrong, but I don’t think anyone was necessarily opposed to having Ollie on the team. It’s just that his contract demands were way out of line with his on field performance. I can’t speak for everyone, but I would think a guy like Ollie would be the kind of guy you wouldn’t mind signing to a reasonable contract to fill out a rotation because he does have pretty good stuff and on the days he does put it all together it usually equals a Mets win.

by SQUAD on May 4, 2009 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Then "dum spiro, spero".

He should get it back together soon enough. The bigger issue AFAI can tell is that the hitting has just not been there. Hopefully one more starter will be available via trade, because the NL is there for the taking.

by WWORDuke on May 4, 2009 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

.299/.460/.610

that’s adam dunn’s line this year. ok, his UZR/150 in the OF in -25.7, but still, that bat would look really nice in the three or four hole for the mets right now.

on the other hand, the mets are first in the NL in batting average, second in OBP, and sixth in SLG (which is surprising considering that they’re third to last in HRs and second to last in doubles…must be the whopping 12 triples they’ve hit). so the hitting hasn’t been bad. the pitching has.

by englishgrey on May 4, 2009 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree, I think the hitting will be fine.

Reyes and Wright really haven’t been doing that great. Beltran, Church, and to a lesser extent, Murphy have been carrying the offense. Once Wright and Reyes get going, this offense will really take off.

The pitching has been putrid. I also believe Manuel has been mis-managing his bullpen. I would like to see Figgy in the pen, so he and Parnell could give you 2+ innings when your SP only goes 5 freaking innings. This way you don’t need to use every single BP arm every single day. Heck, even Stokes has looked pretty good. Let these guys work more than one inning and save Green/Putz/Frankie for high leverage/late inning situations.

by SQUAD on May 4, 2009 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

I think Green needs to get pulled back a bit, he’s been rough the last few times out. I think Jerry’s biggest problem is that he overmanages. He sometimes seems so intent on making something happen that he handcuffs his players. I felt like he was doing it early in the season with the running game, and he’s laid off that a bit, but now lately he’s been doing it with the bench. I don’t think its become a huge issue in the bullpen yet, but it could easily become one if the starters don’t start going deeper.

And what is his deal with Stokes? A week ago, Stokes could go every day, and now all of a sudden, it feels like we’ve barely seen him at all.

by Mark Himmelstein on May 4, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

The power hasn’t been there, but the hitting has been okayish. It definitely doesn’t look like anyone’s about to run away with the division. The NL East is loaded with teams that are above average but unspectacular…..and then the Nats.

by Mark Himmelstein on May 4, 2009 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

To be fair...

I think the Mets and the Phillies will end the season as more than above average teams, probably among the top 5 teams in baseball, along with probably the Dodgers and some mix of the Brewers/Cardinals/Cubs/Giants/Marlins/Braves.

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

by squid92 on May 4, 2009 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And by baseball, I meant NL.

Just saying. But still, I do think the Mets have the talent to be top 5 MLB.

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

by squid92 on May 4, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

But in my eyes, all of those times are above average but unspectacular. That’s what the NL is made of right now. Teams that are on either side of average, and then of course, once again, the Nats. Even the Dodgers. They have a great offense, but they have some pitching issues, though so far so good for the most part.

by Mark Himmelstein on May 4, 2009 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs