Mets blog: Reyes Available, Orioles Interested

[Stan P]

Give up whatever it takes to get him and sign him to a 4 year extension. Sign Beltre to a 3year deal with an option for a 4th year. Just like that the left side of our infield goes from being the worst in the league to one of the best. Also, a 4 year extension means he would have a chance to become a FA at 31 and it won't block Machado.

[Crazysilver03]

Give up whatever it takes to get him and sign him to a 4 year extension. Sign Beltre to a 3year deal with an option for a 4th year. Just like that the left side of our infield goes from being the worst in the league to one of the best. Also, a 4 year extension means he would have a chance to become a FA at 31 and it won't block Machado.

If you sign him to a four year extension, he won't be a free agent until after 2015.

Machado could see major league time by 2013 and/or be the starter by 2014 if everything goes right.

[El Gordo]

Can you or someone else explain to me why Lee deserves TOR SP status? Yes, he was phenomenal in the playoffs (until the WS, anyway...), but he's only had one truly stellar season. Plus, he really wasn't even that great for the Rangers before the AL playoffs rolled around...

I guess I just take issue with the phrase "Lee lite." Lee's career has been anything but consistent(ly great). IMO, Matusz stands a chance of being a lot better.

What would you call a CYA SP, who's career ave. year includes a 16-8 record, 3.85 ERA, 218 IP, 168 K's ,54 BB's, 1.256 WHIP and a 3.10 K/BB?

[scOtt]

Uh, that's people, not women. And at least we're not Memphis!

Or Detroit!

[El Gordo]

Give up whatever it takes to get him and sign him to a 4 year extension. Sign Beltre to a 3year deal with an option for a 4th year. Just like that the left side of our infield goes from being the worst in the league to one of the best. Also, a 4 year extension means he would have a chance to become a FA at 31 and it won't block Machado.

Why would Beltre sign a 3 year deal with the O's when he will likely be offered a 4 year deal with LAAA? Why would Reyes extend rather than test the market in 2012 and sign with a contender?

[LookinUp]

Why would Beltre sign a 3 year deal with the O's when he will likely be offered a 4 year deal with LAAA? Why would Reyes extend rather than test the market in 2012 and sign with a contender?

Offer a guy with injury history a fair market value contract, or a little more, and he just might take it rather than risk an injury riddled season. Not everyone waits until FA to cash in.

On Beltre...not sure. Depends on the terms.

[Oriolidae85]

If the Orioles offered a package like that the Mets would laugh at the Orioles. Trying to trade spare parts isn't going to work. While both might be partial salary dumps, they are still substantial players.

I tend to disagree with you, but neither of us are GM's and I find this article's quotes rather interesting:

But on a conference call Thursday to discuss the planned August 2011 opening of a $6.5 million baseball academy and high school in his native Puerto Rico, Beltran added that he is open to considering waiving his no-trade clause or discussing a move to right field if the organization believes either move is best.

Because he is owed $18.5 million in 2011 and has experienced chronic knee issues that limited him to 64 games last season, the Mets likely would have to heavily subsidize his contract if they were to send him elsewhere.

As a result, the likelihood is Beltran opens the 2011 season with the Mets. Still, Beltran indicated, he would have to listen if the organization approached him with a trade proposal.

"I know that I have the no-trade clause, but if the team is searching or looking to trade a guy, I have to listen," Beltran said. "I want to be a Met. I want to finish my career with the Mets. Right now, my mentality is just to come back next year 100 percent to help this team win a championship. But, at the same time, if the organization is looking at different options, I have to be aware. I'm a professional. I know the organization, they're professionals. So if the situation comes between them and us, we're going to handle it in a very professional way."

If the O's are willing to take on more of CB's salary, they give less in prospects. Besides, Pie and Givens are valuable players the Mets could use. The same can be said for Pelzer; VandenH provides SP depth that they need and Adams is more of a throw in that has some potential and adds depth that is not far from being MLB ready. AND the Mets shed $24.5M of payroll while adding a couple of key players to their system. It's not my final offer, but not far from it either.

[mweb]

Can you or someone else explain to me why Lee deserves TOR SP status? Yes, he was phenomenal in the playoffs (until the WS, anyway...), but he's only had one truly stellar season. Plus, he really wasn't even that great for the Rangers before the AL playoffs rolled around...

I guess I just take issue with the phrase "Lee lite." Lee's career has been anything but consistent(ly great). IMO, Matusz stands a chance of being a lot better.

Because he's had 3 straight elite seasons.

[MrOrange82]

What would you call a CYA SP, who's career ave. year includes a 16-8 record, 3.85 ERA, 218 IP, 168 K's ,54 BB's, 1.256 WHIP and a 3.10 K/BB?

I'd call him Cliff Lee?

I guess I should preface this next part with a question: do you think being the best pitcher on any staff makes somebody a "TOR SP"? Because...

...Halladay, Wainwright, Carpenter, F. Hernandez, Sabathia, Lester, Verlander, Lincecum, Cain, J. Sanchez, Santana (despite injuries), Kershaw, Price, Jimenez, J. Johnson, M. Latos, J. Weaver, Hamels, Bucholtz, and T. Hanson are all guys I'd prefer to have leading my rotation going forward (and obviously I've left some noteworthy names off the list).

Does Lee fit in with the above names? Probably. Is he better than most? IMO, no. And even if you disagree with that, will he continue to be better than most over the next 5 years? Almost certainly not.

Btw, to put a different spin on it: the career averages you mentioned are barely better than Ted Lilly's...and you'd be hard-pressed to convince me that the differences rationally = TOR SP status and 15 million additional dollars in annual salary.

Also, also...C. Lee's won more than 14 games exactly twice in his career. 16 win per year "average"? Hardly.

[MrOrange82]

Because he's had 3 straight elite seasons.

He was 4-6 with a 3.98 ERA in 15 starts for Texas before the playoffs.

[mweb]

He was 4-6 with a 3.98 ERA in 15 starts for Texas before the playoffs.

Look at the whole season and consider the park and that he's a flyball pitcher. Over the past 3 seasons, I believe he's been among the 3 most valuable pitchers according to FanGraphs.

[LookinUp]

He was 4-6 with a 3.98 ERA in 15 starts for Texas before the playoffs.

He was pitching injured in August...but I agree that he won't be nearly the same pitcher in 3-5 years.

[MrOrange82]

Look at the whole season and consider the park and that he's a flyball pitcher. Over the past 3 seasons, I believe he's been among the 3 most valuable pitchers according to FanGraphs.

Number 1 this past season, number 6 in '09, and number 4 in '08. Obviously great, but are you saying that's somehow park-dependent? The only reason I'd argue is because his 2010 was, IMO, one-half of an elite season which was buoyed by a largely-superhuman postseason effort. And he made more starts for Texas (good-but-not-great) than he did for Seattle.

Really, 13 starts with a line of 2.34 ERA, 0.945 WHIP and 14.83 K/BB carried his 2010 season.

[Maverick2143]

Number 1 this past season, number 6 in '09, and number 4 in '08. Obviously great, but are you saying that's somehow park-dependent? The only reason I'd argue is because his 2010 was, IMO, one-half of an elite season which was buoyed by a largely-superhuman postseason effort. And he made more starts for Texas (good-but-not-great) than he did for Seattle.

Really, 13 starts with a line of 2.34 ERA, 0.945 WHIP and 14.83 K/BB carried his 2010 season.

I think what he is saying is that part of Lee's troubles in Texas can be attributed to the fact that he is a flyball/strikeout pitcher and Texas is a launching pad. It really wasn't a good match as far as skill set vs. park factors.

[VeveJones007]

Number 1 this past season, number 6 in '09, and number 4 in '08. Obviously great, but are you saying that's somehow park-dependent? The only reason I'd argue is because his 2010 was, IMO, one-half of an elite season which was buoyed by a largely-superhuman postseason effort. And he made more starts for Texas (good-but-not-great) than he did for Seattle.

Really, 13 starts with a line of 2.34 ERA, 0.945 WHIP and 14.83 K/BB carried his 2010 season.

A lot of those less-than-super Texas starts were supposedly because of a bad back. I think you'll have a much easier argument saying that he's more likely to revert to that performance because he'll be 32 next year and back problems don't just go away.