Budget '07 Part II

So far this off-season, it seems the Mets need to fill seven positions. 2B, IF, IF/OF, SP, RP, RP, and RP. Of course if Lastings gets moved they would have to fill left field, but in moving Lastings, they would fill a rotation spot most likely leaving the Mets with seven holes still to be filled. I think we universally agree that Chad Bradford will be back. He has been making $1.4 million the past two seasons and the most I can see him getting this season is $2 million. However, if the Mets lay down a two year deal which I do not have a big problem doing, they might be able to sneak him for $1.5 million per year. Being that he is a type A free agent who will get offered arbitration by the Mets, it is hard to see someone giving up first rounder for him and laying out $3.6 to $4 million for million on top of that. Although, the Cubs are still in existence and they love plunking down insane amounts of money for set-up men, I think he is coming back.

For better or for worse, I also see Chris Woodward coming back for his versatility. He will get paid roughly $0.85 million. The Mets also need to find a middle infielder to come off the bench and I do think they will ultimately bring Jose Valentin back despite his deal with the Devil having seemingly run out. He can provide some pop off the bench and played solid defense for the Mets. If they do not bring him back, figure on a similar player getting roughly $1 million to come off the bench.

That ultimately leaves four spots that are real wildcards here for the Mets. Second base, ace, and two bullpen spots. In my perfect world, here is how I would like to see things shake out:

2B Rich Aurilia - $4.00
IF Jose Velentin - $1.00
IF/OF Chris Woodward - $0.85
SP Daisuke - $12.00
RP Chad Bradford - $1.50
RP Justin Speier - $3.50
RP Dave Williams (or other lefty long man) - $1.40
Total Payroll $106.23

If you get a big pitcher like Daisuke, I'm comfortable with letting one of the kids fill in for Pedro until he is ready. I have no problem with a top three of Daisuke, Glavine, and Maine with Perez/Williams/Humber/Pelfrey/etc. getting a shot at the last two spots. As for Aurilia, check his home/road splits in 2006. He was a solid player and I would even give him a two year contract if it was affordable with an eye to place him on the bench in '08 if someone else steps up to play second. For now? No one is really close and Rich provides some nice pop to help alleviate the lack of a big bat at the corner outfield positions. I really want Speier. I think he certainly makes Heilman expendable and the Mets could backfill Heilman's spot in house with a cheap option. Dave Williams takes Darren Oliver's place and can spot start when needed.

2B T. Graffinino - $2.00
IF Jose Velentin - $1.00
IF/OF Chris Woodward - $0.85
LF Alfonso Soriano - $15.00
RP Chad Bradford - $1.50
RP Dave Riske - $3.00
RP Dave Williams (or other lefty long man) - $1.40
SP Acquired via Trade - $8.00
Total Payroll $113.06

Here Lastings, Heilman, and whomever was traded for a starting pitcher making $8 million per year. I overshot here because I have no idea who it could be, but in this framework, the payroll will come down a few million if the player is getting paid less and it is likely whomever Omar would trade for would be making less. It is possible that Omar can field a team with Soriano and a young ace that would cost about $111 million.

2B Mark Loretta - $3.00
IF Jose Velentin - $1.00
IF/OF Chris Woodward - $0.85
SP Vicente Padilla - $8.00
RP Chad Bradford - $1.50
RP Phil Humber - $0.84
RP Dave Williams - $1.40
SP The Duque - $4.00
Total Payroll $102.57

In this case, Omar shits the bed. Well, not so much shitting the bed as not overpaying because he was desperate. Zito priced himself out of what they though he was worth, the relief market went nuts and Riske and Speier got paid $12 million per year by the Cubs to pick up some garbage innings in losses, and Omar decided to hold onto Heilman and Lastings because everyone was playing hardball with him via trades. Padilla was the only guy priced appropriately and The Duque was brought back. Highly unlikely? Not really.

2B Alberto Callaspo - $0.33
IF Jose Velentin - $1.00
IF/OF Chris Woodward - $0.85
SP Barry Zito - $15.00
RP Chad Bradford - $1.50
RP Justin Speier - $3.50
RP Dave Williams (or other lefty long man) - $1.40
LF Moises Alou - $5.00
Total Payroll $110.56

Omar was just kidding. Zito was the guy they wanted all along but did not want to drive up his price. Unfortunately, it was sky high anyway. However, Omar pulled off a shrewd move in bringing in Alberto Callaspo from the Diamondbacks to get a cheap position player in there at second and to fill in an organizational need. He also brought in Moises Alou because the Mets needed more pop and he was not keen on letting Lastings and Alberto both start so Lastings will get sent to AAA to refine his game. If he starts lighting the world on fire like Wright did, Green's days will be numbered.

2B A. Hernandez - $0.33
IF Jose Velentin - $1.00
IF/OF Chris Woodward - $0.85
SP Barry Zito - $15.00
RP Chad Bradford - $1.50
RP Warm Body - $1.00
RP Dave Williams - $1.40
LF Alfonso Soriano - $15.00
SP The Duque - $4.00
Total Payroll $122.06

Omar went for broke. He kept Heilman and Milledge and went out and got the big dogs like a few people want. The Mets payroll hits about $140 million when benefits are added and the rest of the forty man roster is added in falling short of the $148 million luxury tax threshold. Milledge will be sent to AAA until he forces his way up the bigs since he didn't exactly destory AAA last year. Norfolk goes undefeated with Gomez, Milledge, Humber, Pelfrey, Bannister, Smith, and Mulvey leading the charge. The World explodes.

2B Mark Loretta - $3.00
IF Jose Velentin - $1.00
IF/OF Chris Woodward - $0.85
SP Aquired via Trade - $6.00
RP Chad Bradford - $1.50
RP Warm Body - $1.00
RP Dave Williams - $1.40
SP The Duque - $4.00
LF Moises Alou - $5.00
Total Payroll $105.73

Omar kind of plays it safe. He gets the ace he needs via trade and loses Heilman and Milledge in the process and he brings in some vets for a one year run and to keep the seat warm until something else presents itself. He chose not to overpay for bullpen help and went with a guy like Ryan Franklin who they felt could be solid out of the bullpen for them with a little work.

There are endless possibilities, but I just wanted to give a few scenarios so everyone can gauge the type of payroll the Mets could be looking at. In any season without The Duque, you can add in $4 million if you think Omar will add him into the mix instead of wanting to go with Brian Bannister, Phil Humber, Mike Pelfrey, or Dave Williams for part of the season. For me, it really depends upon whether or not Omar can reel in that ace. If he can bring a front line starter in, I am more than comfortable with making a rotation out of what the Mets have. If the Mets run with Acquired Ace, Tom Glavine, and John Maine as their top three, I am comfortable with the Mets finding two guys in house to hold down the fort until Pedro comes back and I am certainly comfortable with the Mets being able to find one guy out that bunch who will hold down the fifth spot more than admirably when Pedro does come back. I consider The Duque a luxury item but not a necessity.

* * *

Bobby Valentine is enjoying his time in Japan and taking a bit of the credit for David Wright and Jose Reyes.

"They were my picks to click," Valentine said. "[Tom Robson] was the special assignment guy. Robby's assignment was to go out and see if David Wright can hit. Robby came back and was like, 'Don't let them draft anyone else'. Jose, he came one Spring Training for a while. I remember throwing him batting practice to him as a switch-hitter, we were making him a switch-hitter. He didn't think he could hit left-handed, and you can go ask him, I said, 'You can hit left-handed.'"

Whatever dude, you were a good guy but I'm glad you are still not managing the Mets. He also fielded some Daisuke questions and it is safe to say he is a member of the fan club.

"He's a good pitcher, he'll do fine," said Valentine. "If he stays healthy, he'll do just fine. He's a world-class pitcher."

Can Matsuzaka, who is being chased by both the Yankees and Mets, handle New York if that's where he winds up?

"Well, I don't know," Valentine said. "He's been the biggest star of his team in his league since he's been 15-years-old. The thing he might not be able to handle is not being the biggest star. But I don't think expectation is going to be a problem. He's a legendary [figure]. He's the [Hideki] Matsui of the pitching world. He's the pitcher prodigy basically."

He was very vocal about Ichiro when he came here much in the same manner.

While on the topic of the biggest mystery of this off-season, here are some of Scott Boras' thoughts on the topic.

"You're talking about a guy who can change the face of the franchise," Boras said. "We've never had an international pitcher in this position this good. And to acquire him, there's no compensation. You don't have developmental costs. You don't have to wait eight years to see if he'll become a No. 1 pitcher.

"What you're getting is a ready-made No. 1 pitcher that half of the franchises in baseball don't have."

Delgado? The man.

"I'm very pleased to say, we did talk to Carlos' agent, David Sloane, and Carlos has notified us that he is very happy to be here. He enjoys being with the New York Mets and everything about this organization. He will not exercise the right to demand a trade," Minaya said on a conference call. "He wants to be a Met for the rest of his career. Hopefully he'll not only win a World Series here, but he can get to 500 home runs. I think there's a very good chance that he has a chance to be Hall of Famer. My wish is that he will be with us for the rest of his career."

Omar? The Man times two.

Delgado's agent, David Sloane, asked the Mets to pick up the $12 million option, but Minaya refused.

"I'm hopeful that, at some point in time, we will exercise that option. Right now is not the right time," Minaya said in a conference call with reporters. "That [2009] would be the year we go to a new stadium. He has bought a house in the area. He's involved in the community. We're hoping that he can play beyond the option with the New York Mets."

I would have caved (which is why I'm not a GM). Not that it would have been the worst thing, but I would have broken and ponied up the guaranteed money. Delgado was happy here so I could not have really envisioned him leaving anyway.

Tommy, Tommy, Tommy.....

The Mets are waiting on a decision from left-hander Tom Glavine, who could opt out of his contract. "It's pretty much in Tommy's court right now," said Minaya, who has been talking with agent Gregg Clifton. Glavine has said he will play for either the Mets or Braves next season.

Shit or get off the pot man. The Mets have enough to worry about and need you to make a decision so Omar knows where he needs to focus his efforts. Newsday seems to think a one year deal for $12 million is on the horizon and that would seem about right.

As for Glavine, he and the Mets should hammer out a one-year deal for about $12 million by Friday, the day that Glavine must act upon a $7.5-million player option (he'll decline it). The Mets want and need Glavine, who turns 41 in March, to front their rotation. They also will consider free agents Jeff Suppan and Randy Wolf; lefthander Barry Zito appears a less likely option at this point.

Also from the above link:

Randolph, who won the NL East title in his second season with the Mets, is expected to get another three-year contract, at a significant raise from his current three-year, $1.875-million package.

Congrats Willie. You will get a raise because the GM is brilliant. Not the other way around.

It seems the Mets were in on Ichiro.

An executive of one of the teams considering submitting a bid said he had no idea how to decide what to bid. When Ichiro Suzuki was posted six years ago, the Seattle Mariners won the rights to him with a bid of $13,125,000. The $125,000 was added in case any other team bid $13 million.

But the Dodgers and the Mets, believed to be the runners-up, fell well short of the Mariners’ bid; the Dodgers bid $8.5 million, the Mets $8 million.

Interesting...

Mesa beat Scottsdale 10-6. Fernando Martinez went 1 for 4 with a run scored and a strikeout and owns a line of .236/.282/.347. It might not look great, but he has been a rousing success so far this winter.