You have to be crazy to gear up for ARod at this point - I think it's pretty unlikely that the Mets will want to move Wright or that he's going to want to stay in NY.
I think it's better than "pretty unlikely". I think A-Rod will go to the team that cuts him the fattest check, regardless of location. Boras will get him in that mindset. I could see the Mets moving Wright (do not see the Reyes/Santana trade though) to the other side of the infield, and I could see Wright doing it, even if he wasn't in love with the idea. Bottom line, the Mets could definitely pay the most, in which case I like their chances. There's no definitive favorite for A-Rod, so why not?
Wright has already volunteered on multiple occasions that he is ok with moving to another position if we can get Arod.
Then we disagree. I think ARod hated the way he was treated in NY, and he will be an even bigger target if he moves to Queens than he was in the Bronx, since all of the Yankee fans and pro-Yankee media types will come after him with everything they have. And, given his less-than-spectacular performance under pressure in the postseason in the Bronx, I wouldn't be so positive that he'd handle the pressure in Queens all that well anyway. I already went on record saying that if signing him wouldn't hamstring the team I'd support it, but I'm not all that enthusiastic, to be honest.
In regards to the likelyhood that A-Rod leaves, I don't think New York will hurt the Mets chances significantly. I just haven't heard that, and he seems to respond to money. As for how much of a coup it would be, I think it would be a great signing. The line-up would just be too good. It's so easy to look at something from every concievable angle (heck, that's partly the cause of this board's existance), aned we do that all the time, but I think sometimes you just have to say, "You know what? If the Mets sign A-Rod, I don't see how their offense could be significantly improved in any realistic way afterwards."
sure didnt respond to the fat check the yankees wrote him before he opted out. i dont think its about the money, everyone on the planet knows the yankees would be the team to give him the biggest contract and i guess that wasnt good enough for him. it would be interesting to see him as a met though, he'd get ass blasted by the media.
If anything I think this furthers the case for NOT going after ARod. It's going to be a lot harder to get the pitching you desperately need when you already have $30 million committed to ARod.
http://www.firejoemorgan.com/2007/10/pecota-predicts-2008-white-sox-0-162.html Doesn't really have anything to do with the Mets(other then reminding us that as scary as it is Willie is not the worst manager in baseball) but a hilarious read nonetheless.
He opted out because he figures he'll get more money if Boras can pit teams against each other. He may also think the Yankees were bluffing (it appears they aren't). Do not count out the Mets in the A-Rod sweepstakes. Not saying that I'm expecting them to get him or something, but they very well could. OK, I really need to get some sleep.
Lets be honest though the Mets big guns can offer him more protection that what the Yankees big guns can. This is simply at the plate right now not alltime. Reyes > Jeter Wright > Cano Delgado = Giamblaco/Alphabet/Phllips Beltran > Matsui Maybe I'm crazy but I think if you put Arod in the Mets lineup next year it makes the 1st half of the lineup better than what the Yankees was. I'm not saying Reyes is better than Jeter but he is on teh upside of his career and even though Jeter's avg is better Reyes is always a major threat to score when he gets on base.
you can add abreu > shawn green?milledge? to that list. and if posada comes back this is a very different conversation. those guys were very valuable to us last year.
Marlon's coming back for a couple more years. and Jose Valentin had his option declined, he's likely done with the Mets. I'm fine with both moves.
He's been paid $10 million over the past two years to have a WHIP of 1.33 and blow 14 saves, is coming off knee surgery, and will be 31 before the start of next season. Maybe he'll do fine, but I'll bet the 'Stros are thrilled to get him off the payroll.
It just gives the Phils another guy in bullpen that you cant trust in a big spot Gordon Myers Lidge I'll still take Hillbilly White Trash Wagner over those 3 guys.....
It's almost impossible to have peripherals as amazing as Lidge's and not be a great pitcher. 67 IP 54 H 9 HR 30 BB 88 K 68.3 IP 55 H 6 HR 22 BB 80 K The first line is Lidge last year and the second is Wagner last year. He makes half as much as Wagner and is 5 years younger. Tell me how the Phillies didn't just get one of the best closers in the league for next to nothing?
How about because for the last six weeks of the season Wagner was not only not one of the best closers in baseball, he was horrifically horrible? Wagner was not one of the best closers in the league last year; he was one of the best closers through the middle of August, and one of the worst after that. Here are Wagner's numbers through August 20, and afterwards: 54 IP 36 H 4 HR 16 BB 64 K 14.3 IP 19 H 2 HR 6 BB 16 K It is obvious that Lidge's numbers aren't remotely close to Wagner's when Wagner was actually pitching well. Lidge was consistently mediocre last year; Wagner was amazingly great for 3/4 of the year, and amazingly horrible for 1/4 of the year.
Lidge was not in fact "consistently mediocre" last year. He had 3 months, May-July where he put up a line of 35 IP 20 H 2 HR 12 BB 46K which is pretty much identical to Wagner's when he was pitching well. He stumbled at bit at the end of the year but someone capable of putting up those kinds of numbers obviously still has great stuff.
