Mets Making "Hard Push" For Rod Barajas

by Sam Page on Feb 17, 2010 1:36 AM EST

But I thought the Wilpons were fresh out of money!!

Per Ken Rosenthal. Read: Rod Barajas is going to sign with the Mets. There is little standing between these two parties at this point in time. Ken Rosenthal even tweeted the story as "the #Mets FINALLY might get a catcher."

Rod Barajas is nothing to get excited about and is kind of a buzz kill, since this move surely makes Thole AAA bound. As a hitter, Barajas makes poor contact, perennially posting a bad batting average, but has good power. His batting average hovers so low, a Paul LoDuca-esque BABIP swing could bring him to .260 and it would mark a career year. Not exactly the ideal skills for Citi Field, but when has that ever been a consideration?

Catcher defense is nearly impossible to grasp, but Barajas carries a good reputation and a good arm. He ranked second in the AL last year with 29.3% CS. Most attempts to quantify receiving skills give him high marks.

Most importantly, though, he is not Omir Santos. While their skills are disconcertingly similar, Barajas projects almost certainly a little bit better, without Santos' downside of reverting back to an awful AA catcher. Sure, like most Mets' moves, you could try to follow the internal logic, along the way realizing frightening things like Brian Schneider is better, but that would kill my optimistic Spring Training buzz. The Mets are close to making themselves a little better and added some stabilizing depth at a very uncertain position.

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I'd rather have him than not have him.

But oh how I wish this was “Mets Making ‘Hard Push’ For Felipe Lopez”

by True Blue4 on Feb 17, 2010 2:01 AM EST reply actions

Yes and Yes

Lopez would be so cheap right now.

by Mackey Sasser on Feb 17, 2010 11:46 AM EST up reply actions

He would come here for peanuts if he was assured a fair shot at starting 2b.

"Wait till Biggus Dickus hears about this!"

by scott from peekskill on Feb 17, 2010 10:00 PM EST up reply actions

I don't think we can say that with any certainty.

There’s plenty of places where he’d have at least as good a shot at a starting job, and I haven’t heard anything about him liking the big city or preferring NY.

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

by Stephen Schmidt on Feb 17, 2010 10:13 PM EST up reply actions

He's really not better than Schneider

Barajas’ OBP is ghastly, but he hits for way more power, and is a better fielder. Plus, he isn’t nearly as bad against righties as Schneider is against lefties CHONE favors Barajas as well.

So this is a good pickup imo.

Heck if we can sign Felipe Lopez and somehow trade for Gil Meche, we could actually call this a decent offseason! (99% chance it won’t happen though unfortunately)

by Syler on Feb 17, 2010 2:07 AM EST reply actions

You Gotta Believe!

"F***ing shocker." -Billy Wagner

by nymgb44 on Feb 17, 2010 7:59 AM EST up reply actions

He will be better than the 2009 version of Schneider

Scheid was unbelievably bad last year. Barajas is at least a power upgrade. He’s like a watered down Ramon Castro. But I won’t like this if it means Thole doesn’t get a chance the whole year. And they better not carry 3 catchers on the roster, I hate when they do that.

by Mackey Sasser on Feb 17, 2010 11:45 AM EST up reply actions

i'd prefer it did mean Thole doesn't get a chance this year

he needs more time in AAA, and I’d rather they didn’t keep bringing him up to start from time to time or pinch hit off the bench, since neither one gets him the consistent work he needs.

by KeithsMoustache on Feb 17, 2010 11:49 AM EST up reply actions

Yes, but what if

a Barajas, Blanco, Santos poo poo platter is getting us about .240/.290/.350 type of line while Thole is ripping it up down in Buffalo. I would not mind if he got promoted in July or so. We can’t just punt the position for the whole year if all those guys end up sucking.

by Mackey Sasser on Feb 17, 2010 12:58 PM EST up reply actions

.280 career OBP. The jeff Franceour of the catching world

"Wait till Biggus Dickus hears about this!"

by scott from peekskill on Feb 17, 2010 10:01 PM EST up reply actions

My only concern is his defense was a bit shaky last year

if he was absolutely crushing AAA I’d consider it if he got to play regularly once they brought him up. If they’re playing musical chairs with 3 catchers though, no way. It’ll set him back more than it will help him if he’s on the bench 2/3 of the time.

by KeithsMoustache on Feb 17, 2010 10:57 PM EST up reply actions

Barajas is a slight upgrade, but

why didn’t the Mets save the money on Barajas, Blanco, Coste, and Riggins and sign a good catcher? I think this deal makes sense by itself, but when looking at all of the Mets’ moves at catcher it doesn’t make much sense. I also just noticed that Barajas had a .258 OBP last year. I didn’t know that was possible.

by EtSuKe on Feb 17, 2010 2:31 AM EST reply actions

I didn't mean to make it seem like the Mets had already signed Barajas

I should have added a few woulds.

by EtSuKe on Feb 17, 2010 2:34 AM EST up reply actions

This is exactly the point.

The FO did the same with relievers. Let’s spend four million on a bunch of complete crapshoots hoping that one guy sticks instead of getting what certainty can be found by signing the guy (or two) we needed.

It’s not original with Rob Neyer, but he noticed recently that bad teams throw a bunch of money at a bunch of guys who just aren’t all that good and before they realize it no longer have enough money to go get, you know, actual good players.

by SeanSchirmer on Feb 17, 2010 3:20 AM EST up reply actions

The deal does make sense by itself, but only because it was made in order to paper over

a number of less than optimal moves.

by SeanSchirmer on Feb 17, 2010 3:21 AM EST up reply actions

Better...

…than a kick in the head.

by danielj on Feb 17, 2010 2:54 AM EST reply actions

Pokerap?

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Feb 17, 2010 2:42 PM EST up reply actions

i think i see where you're going with this

I’ll wait and see if i’m right.

by KeithsMoustache on Feb 17, 2010 10:58 PM EST up reply actions

I actually LIKE this move

Barajas is better than nothing, and we definitely have the money saved up (some of it should be sitting in Ben Sheets’s bank account…), so why not? He and Blanco give us a very good defensive catching tandem, which is more important that one may initially think considering Oliver Perez is on the staff. And who knows, maybe he hits 15-20 homers along the way. He’s better than Bengie Molina, Omir Santos or 2010 Josh Thole, so we might as well give the guy a shot.

Lopez next, please!

"F***ing shocker." -Billy Wagner

by nymgb44 on Feb 17, 2010 7:57 AM EST reply actions

Why?

We already have like 5 catchers.And that OBP scares me

I Believe in 2010

by Jadden Hopkins on Feb 17, 2010 8:25 AM EST reply actions

Yawnnnnnnnnnn....

The straw house at catcher might become a twig house. Another inferior solution to a self-imposed problem. We NEED bricks!!! First, drop a load of them on Omar and Jerry, and then pick them up and fill the need behind the plate with a REAL, catcher. One can hit for power, one can catch, one can throw, one’s too old, and one’s too young. Mash them all together and you still don’t get a whole proven catcher. I’m all for limiting the unemployment line, but signing every backup catcher that’s played in the last five years is foolish. Why not save the Barajas money, fire Jerry and get a real manager and go with the crop of partial or unproven talents we already have under contract?

by Cranky50 on Feb 17, 2010 8:27 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

"We NEED bricks!!!"

This sounds like a rallying cry.

"He's definitely mixing it into his repertoire. That's French for 'repertoire' " - Keith Hernandez

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Feb 17, 2010 8:53 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Haha, rec'd

And agreed! 2010 rally cry WE NEED A BRICK HOUSE

"Wait till Biggus Dickus hears about this!"

by scott from peekskill on Feb 17, 2010 10:04 PM EST up reply actions

I am now thoroughly convinced

the Mets believe once you use a catcher once, you’re supposed to throw them away and use a new one, maybe for sanitary reasons?

by KeithsMoustache on Feb 17, 2010 8:58 AM EST reply actions

Use them more than once, and they might get hurt.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Feb 17, 2010 10:13 AM EST up reply actions

I don't think it's a bad move

I just don’t see the purpose, he’ll likely only be a slight upgrade and like someone else said we probably could have put the combined funds used on catchers towards something more useful. In other news to me this would be a prime example of the mets nickeling and diming themselves. They won’t take on the 4.5 million for Snyder, but they’ve probably spent close to that combined on all the catchers they’ve brought in who combined aren’t neatrly as valuable.

"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'

it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.

by Gina on Feb 17, 2010 10:43 AM EST reply actions

I don't like Snyder for the Mets.

He’s a far better batter than any of the Mets catchers, but that bad back really scares me. Of all the positions on the diamond, I’d think it would be most likely to be a recurring issue with a catcher than any other position. If Snyder was signed to a one year deal or still year to year, I’d think he was a decent gamble. I don’t like it with next year paying him 5 million plus.

I think in this case I’d prefer Barajas to Davis, just because we at least know he’ll be good defensively and off the books next year. I’m not sure that I prefer Barajas to starting the season with Thole there, but I’m not really against the move either. This is just another meh move in my opinion.

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

by Stephen Schmidt on Feb 17, 2010 11:42 AM EST up reply actions

Oh I agree the back is a major issue

but I imagine why he’d be being traded as a straight salary dump rather than trading prospects for him. I think, with his upside, the possibility of just having to eat the 5 million over the next 2 years is a fair trade, since if the back issues don’t flare up you’ll be getting a WAY above average production for well below market value, especially considering our other option is accumulating a lot of meh catchers.

"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'

it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.

by Gina on Feb 17, 2010 1:03 PM EST up reply actions

Most years I wouldn't be as wary of it, but the Mets already have a pretty sizeable chunk of money commited to payroll next year.

With as many questions as we have in the rotation, I’d rather see the Mets peg some of that money for pitching. There’s plenty of good pitchers that should be available next year, and I’d rather tham be in on guys like Webb and Vazquez then passing because they locked up too much money in a guy like Snyder who’s back issues could easily make him a sunk cost. As of now, the Mets should be able to backload a guy like Webb or Lee and fit him into the payroll, as Castillo and Perez will be off the books the following season with the strong possibilty of internal solutions replacing them at the minimum.

I’d be all for Snyder if we really thought he was one of the last pieces to put us over the top, but as it stands now we’re more of a fringe contender who might be in the hunt with a few breaks. I’d rather start the season with some combo of what we have, and allow Thole to work on his Catching in Buffalo. Mid-season we can reasses where we are and where Thole is, and probably still get a guy for relatively little.

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

by Stephen Schmidt on Feb 17, 2010 1:30 PM EST up reply actions