Category: Latest News

Mets Trade Angel Pagan to Giants

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: RY 24: RY ...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The Mets traded Angel Pagan to the Giants for outfielder Andres Torres and reliever Ramon Ramirez. Pagan is a tremendous athlete that frustrated Mets fans with bonehead plays in the field and on the bases. He appeared to be making great strides to realize his potential in 2010 but took a step back in 2011. Hopefully, he’ll realize that potential with the Giants because he seems like one of the good guys in the game.

Ramon Ramirez is the important piece of the trade for the Mets. He’s been working the middle innings in the majors since 2006 to some success. His career ERA is 3.16. That’s pretty good for a career middle reliever. Surprisingly, the Mets are Ramirez’ fifth team in seven seasons. That goes to show how little a priority that middle relievers are.

Andres Torres is a throw-in in this deal. He’s a light-hitting switch hitter with some speed that plays solid defense in the outfield. He’ll be 34 years old next season and hasn’t made it to free agency yet. He made $2.2 million last season so he’ll be in line for a little bit of a salary increase. I would guess the Mets see him as a fourth outfielder and plan to make another move to replace Pagan in center field.

Mets Sign Jon Rauch

Jon Rauch (right) and José Molina
Image via Wikipedia

The Mets signed 6’10” reliever Jon Rauch to a 1 year/$3.5 million deal to, presumably, work the back end of the bullpen. Mets fans are familiar with Rauch from his year in Washington. He’s kicked around the league a bit since then and pitched for the Blue Jays last year with 11 saves and an ugly 4.85 ERA.

Rauch has always pitched in a lot of games. Last season he pitched in 53 games which was his lowest total since 2005. His career ERA is 3.82 and he’s certainly an imposing presence on the mound, not only because of his height but he’s covered in tattoos from head to toe.

Rauch will provide an experienced arm in the back of the bullpen to work in front of Frank Francisco and team with Bobby Parnell to work the seventh and eighth innings.

Mets Agree to Contract with Frank Francisco

Frank Francisco
Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

The Mets got their closer for 2012 and 2012 in free agent Frank Francisco. He agreed to a 2 year/$12 million deal to work the ninth inning for the Mets. He’s one of the last free agent closers to agree to a contract after Jonathan Papelbon got the market going by signing with Phillies early in the game. Since then the closers have been going quickly which left the Mets with the bargain basement choices left without a chair.

Francisco had 17 saves with Toronto last year with a 3.55 ERA. He’s 32 years old and has a career 3.72 ERA.

Bobby Parnell didn’t appear to be up to the closing job in 2011 so the Mets had to go outside the organization. But it didn’t make sense to go for the high end closers like Papelbon or Heath Bell because the Mets don’t look like they’ll be winning a lot of games in 2012. There’s nothing to save if you’re losing.

Francisco is a solid, low-end closer that doesn’t break the bank. He’ll hold down the fort for two seasons while the Mets ride out the contracts of Jason Bay and Johan Santana.

Video: Jose Reyes Agrees to Marlins Contract

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: RY 24: Jos...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Most media outlets are reporting that Jose Reyes agreed to a 6 year/$106 million contract with the Marlins that includes a seventh year option at $22 million with a $4 million buyout. The Marlins are not giving Reyes a no-trade clause. He’ll join recently signed Heath Bell and incumbent shortstop Hanley Ramirez on the Miami roster.

It’s a sad day for Mets fans and it looks pretty silly that the Mets didn’t trade him during the 2011 season when they could have gotten something for him. The Mets will not receive the Marlins first round pick because of the Marlins poor record last season.

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MLB Allows Mets Near Record Debt Level

ST LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 28: MLB commissioner B...
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In the continuing saga about the Mets trying to get out from under the Madoff lawsuits and the attendance problems, MLB has allowed the Mets to secure more debt than the $400 million that’s already on the books. The Mets are now taking out a series of small loans against the team from investors in the $15-$20 million range. The SportsMoney blog has a post today detailing the Mets desperate plight to raise cash and comparable situations in MLB (Rangers and Dodgers).

The investors are offered a chance to get their loan back plus 3% annually in six years or just keep a small stake in ownership of the Mets with no chance for a majority share. Apparently, JP Morgan and other debt holders must have signed off on this strategy. They certainly didn’t like the Mets plan for a $200 million loan/ownership stake from David Einhorn this summer.

This new set of loans will take the Mets to approximately $540 million plus interest leveraged against the team. Keep in mind that the Dodgers, currently in bankruptcy, have the highest ever debt against a team at $555 million.

It sure looks like the Mets are following the path of the Rangers and Dodgers which both ended with team sales via bankruptcy court. But Bud Selig and his good friend Fred Wilpon keep telling us that the Mets are doing fine even though the Mets haven’t repaid their secret $25 million loan from MLB that was due last summer. Maybe some Mets fans would be happy if there was an ownership change for the team?

Mets 2012 Uniform Changes

Tom Seaver and Tug McGraw Jerseys at Mets Hall...
Image by slgckgc via Flickr

The Mets are following on the heels of the new Miami Marlins’ uniforms with some changes of their own to the uniform. ESPN is reporting that the Mets will hold a press conference on Tuesday to display the changes. The word is that the Mets are going retro for their 50th anniversary in 2012 and that they’re going to reduce the black used.

I won’t complain about either change. The Mets have had problems embracing their past, most notably when Citi Field opened and the Mets forgot to include any team memorabilia or images in the park. So switching to a retro look of pinstripe with “Mets” on the front and no black shadows is fine with me. Also, reducing the use of the black alternate uniforms is a solid choice at this point. They’ve over-utilized the black uniform to the point that I forgot that it was the alternate it was used so often.

Brian Erni from MetsBlogalso reports that David Wright, Ike Davis, and Lucas Duda will be at the press conference. Presumably, they’ll be there to model the retro look uniforms. It’s interesting that Wright will be continuing to do everything the Mets ask of him despite the trade talk that’s been in the news this offseason. It would certainly be awkward if the was traded in the near future after attending a press conference on behalf of the team.

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Video: Dwight Gooden on Missing 1986 Parade

1986 World Series
Image via Wikipedia

It’s very well known that Dwight Gooden missed the 1986 World Series celebration parade. He said he overslept but we all knew what really happened. I don’t know anyone that didn’t assume for all these years that Doc was high as a kite somewhere during the parade and was too high or too embarrassed to make it.

Gooden is making an appearance on E:60 on ESPN with Jeremy Schaap tonight at 8pm. He finally admits what everyone else already knew, he was high during the parade. Doc admits that he was in some projects on Long Island getting high and just lost track of time and missed the parade.

I’m not sure why this is such a big deal. We all knew the truth anyway. But there something to hearing Doc admit it that can lay to rest one  of the minor mysteries of Mets history.

Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts in the comments. Are you glad that he finally admitted it? Or it doesn’t matter anymore because too much time has passed and we all knew what happened anyway?

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