Chris Capuano And Taylor Buchholz Salary Details

by Eric Simon on Jan 3, 2011 10:14 PM EST

Adam Rubin has the details. On Taylor Buchholz's deal:

Taylor Buchholz says Mets plan to use him as a reliever. He has a $600,000 base salary. He was an elite set-up man in '08, before TJ surgery

And Chris Capuano's deal:

Capuano has $1.5 million base+incentives. A 2-time TJ surgery patient, Brew wasn't option after added Greinke/Marcum since he wants to start

Rubin also says that the Mets are still interested in other starting pitchers like Jeff Francis and Chris Young.

Of the two new additions, Capuano has the most upside and the greatest likelihood of bringing signifiant positive value to the roster. He was worth 6.9 rWAR combined in 2005 and 2006 when he averaged 220 innings, 7.1 strikeouts per game, and 2.8 walks per game. That kind of upside wouldn't come with a paltry $1.5 million price tag if Capuano's 2011 forecast weren't shrouded in uncertainty. He had Tommy John surgery in 2002 and again in 2008 and has thrown just 66 innings in the last three years. The good news is that his velocity last season was 87.4 MPH, which is right back where it was before his most recent elbow reconstruction and might even have been a half-tick higher.

This is exactly the sort of deal Sandy Alderson alluded to weeks ago when he said the Mets will have to look for potential impact players who won't cost a lot of money. Francis and Young also fit into that category. While none of these pitchers is certain to excel, with a minimal investment and a bit of luck they could wind up with some pleasant surprises.

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When I saw that the Mets were still interested in Jeff Francis, my heart skipped a beat because

I thought it said Jeff Francoeur. I guess I’m still getting myself out of the bad habit of expecting the worst.

Chamption of the R.A. Dickey Face contest and "Cromulent Photoshopper Extraordinaire" of Amazin' Avenue!

by Steve Schreiber on Jan 3, 2011 10:23 PM EST reply actions

niced small contracts on 2 guys coming back from TJ

it could be great signings, if they do not work out it didn’t cost all that much

Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all

by Rickfansince76 on Jan 3, 2011 10:31 PM EST reply actions

So, I'm assuming Buchholz has the bullpen job if healthy?

Bullpen
1) K-Rod
2) Parnell
3) Carasco
4) Buchholz
5) Beato (or Acosta if he doesn’t impress in Spring Training)
6) Mysterious LOOGY
7) Longman (Misch or Gee if we sign Francis)

We take a hit losing Pedro with whatever LOOGY we replace him with. No Dessens or Nieve types who have more BBs than Ks though.

by FrancoTAU on Jan 3, 2011 10:45 PM EST reply actions

This bullpen does not have enough Boof!

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

AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 453 posts (10/03/10)

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Jan 3, 2011 11:31 PM EST up reply actions

the boof is on fire!

What Would Matt Szczur Do?

Fact on Villanova Sports

by Hoyadestroya85 on Jan 4, 2011 12:12 AM EST up reply actions

Might Boof contend for a starting job?

I am willing to wait to build a world class franchise (h/t to millsy)

by BobbyV_Incognito on Jan 4, 2011 1:39 AM EST up reply actions

These are great great great great

great great great signings! Both!

I am super amped about them. The timing of both of these guys coming off of Tommy John is perfect, the deals are cheap, and they both have track records of real success.

I don’t know why these guys are both so under-the-radar — a lot of guys coming back from injury still get talked-up a lot in the offseason.

Chris Capuano is a former 18 game winner who posted a 4.28 ERA from 2005-2007. He was a little hit-unlucky in his last season before his injury as well. His velocity seems unaffected by the surgery as well: http://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfxo.aspx?playerid=1701&position=P&pitch=FA

And I heard he’s a swell guy (and smart, Duke grad).

by Brian Mangan on Jan 4, 2011 1:24 AM EST reply actions

he is a really nice guy

met him twice at parties, very quiet, nice guy. Won’t be a clubhouse problem.

by ScottfromPeekskill on Jan 4, 2011 7:46 PM EST up reply actions

I like

If we can nab Francis, too, we at least have a shot at having a genuinely solid starting rotation even if we get nothing from Santana this year.

by psiogen on Jan 4, 2011 2:03 AM EST reply actions

i hope it happens

I think we get him for insuarance, that would be 3 guys coming off injuries, so fi one goes down we have someone to fill the spot. plus it doesn’t cost much

Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all

by Rickfansince76 on Jan 4, 2011 7:53 AM EST up reply actions

I love the signings

Bucholtz especially, since he’s still arbitration eligible twice more

by Stephen Schmidt on Jan 4, 2011 2:13 AM EST reply actions

I'm just glad Chris Young isn't going to be a definite part of the rotation.

If he still signs and looks good than fine, but he’s still too much of a question mark to not have Francis or Cap ahead of him on the depth chart.

by FrancoTAU on Jan 4, 2011 2:28 AM EST reply actions

I am actually surprised Cap was this cheap

Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all

by Rickfansince76 on Jan 4, 2011 7:54 AM EST reply actions

Me too

But maybe the incentives are worth a ton.

by Dan Lewis on Jan 4, 2011 10:01 AM EST up reply actions

I think it's probably because he's averaged 22 major league innings per season

over the last three years. Pretty sure that’s why.

by Jack Str on Jan 5, 2011 12:30 AM EST up reply actions

I'm meh on Buchholz, but I like the Caps signing

"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"

by feslenraster on Jan 4, 2011 8:54 AM EST reply actions

great moves

adding pitchers to cheap 1yr contracts is indicative of a smart front office(excluding jw) Maybe they could add young or penny 1yr@ 3M w/incentives And i may be the only met fan who wouldn’t mind bringing Lasting M back on the cheap

by bob c on Jan 4, 2011 11:41 AM EST reply actions

Milledge wouldn't be the worst pickup in the world

But he’s basically Nick Evans at this point. I’d rather see us go for a good defensive outfielder of some sort.

by psiogen on Jan 4, 2011 12:32 PM EST up reply actions

Nick Evans and Lastings MIlledge

First jazz trombome/bad rap duet ever.

It's a triumph of number crunching over the human spirit...aaaaaand, it’s about time. -- Play-by-Play Announcer, The Simpsons.

by MookieTheCat on Jan 4, 2011 4:08 PM EST up reply actions

Wow. This is extraordinarily depressing. It looks like this is it for offseason signings.

One guy has had two TJ surgeries and has thrown 66 innings in the majors total since 2007. The other guy has watched his limited durability do the following IP cliff-dive: 102, 76, 20.

These aren’t guys you plan to intentionally put into your major league rotation to start the season. These are the guys you put into your major league rotation (in the unlikely case that they’re healthy and effective) after your sixth and seventh starters have shown they can’t cut it. Just… wow.

Horrific.

by Jack Str on Jan 5, 2011 12:35 AM EST reply actions