The Daily News is reporting that Omar Minaya approached the Devil Rays and expressed interest in Danys Baez and Aubrey Huff.
The Daily News has learned that Mets general manager Omar Minaya is laying the foundation for a potential trade with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for closer Danys Baez and first baseman Aubrey Huff.Baez is hardly the answer to the Mets' closer problems, but the article gets a little more interesting.At the GM meetings in California yesterday, a Devil Rays executive told The News that Minaya initiated discussions about a deal for Baez or Huff, or both. The executive also said the Tampa contingent found the preliminary talks interesting and worth pursuing.
The most-likely scenario in which the Mets and Devil Rays would consummate such a deal - Tampa wants pitching in return - would be if the Mets fail in their bid to land Wagner. But even if they do get him, it could serve them in other ways.Chuck LaMar, who so viciously fleeced the Mets out of Scott Kazmir two years ago, is no longer with the club, so the Mets might actually stand a chance to make an even swap with Tampa. My problem with this whole thing is that if the ultimate plan is to get Ramirez from Boston, the Mets' outfield will be a disaster if they have to play Manny in right field. The Mets can't afford an outfield defense of Ramirez and Floyd, so I'm not sure how the Mets plan on working this one out.The Red Sox need relief pitching and a first baseman, and Baez or Huff could be used as part of a package in a trade for Ramirez. The Mets tried to pull of a similar type of trade for Ramirez in July.