FRIDAY, 7:20pm: Barajas is now weighing multiple minor league offers, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. In addition to the Mets' $1MM proposal, Barajas is considering a $1.5MM offer from the Rangers, according to Rosenthal's source.
THURSDAY, 7:57am: Barajas is likely to accept the Mets' offer, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). The minor league deal would be worth $1MM.
WEDNESDAY, 12:57pm: Speaking to Brian Costa of the Newark Star-Ledger, a Mets official denied that they're making a "hard push" for Barajas. They have interest on a minor league deal.
7:40am: The Mets are making a "hard push" to sign free agent catcher Rod Barajas on a one-year deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Barajas is the only starter available at the position, and the Mets still have a need. The Mets offered a low-dollar, minor league deal, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.
Barajas, 34, hit .226/.258/.403 in 460 plate appearances for the Blue Jays last year, earning $2.5MM. Consider him the poor man's Bengie Molina.
6. Frenchy RF
7. Jacobs 1B
8. Barajas C
…the easiest half inning in baseball that doesn’t include a pitcher. Just don’t throw a strike and you’ll be just fine.
yea thats pretty gross.
One should look at ones own lineup before criticizing another. Also, lets wait and see who makes the team before we give them a spot in the lineup.
Because
7. Escobar SS
8. Heyward RF
9. Diaz LF
…is much worse than that. We don’t have a big slugger but our 1-8 are all extremely solid.
Heyward is no lock from what I read and Diaz? Is he pitching? Numbers confuse you.
You guys know, or at least should know, your lineup will be what holds you guys back. Your pitching is great but overall your lineup stinks.
If Heyward doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, which is highly unlikely, then we’ll have Melky playing, who can at least post league average numbers.
Our lineup stinks? Pot. Kettle. Black.
As an entire lineup? Yes. There is no doubt in my mind that if the Mets lineup is healthy it will out produce the Braves lineup. However, with our pitching that may not be enough for us.
At the same time though you can say that if the Braves lineup is healthy that they’d have a pretty solid offense to go with their very good pitching. McLouth-Prado-Jones-Glaus-McCann-Escobar-Heyward-Diaz may not be the best lineup in the NL East, but it’ll do some damage if healthy.
Obviously we’re banking our offensive success off of Chipper and Glaus returning to form, but that’s no bigger of a risk than Reyes, Beltran, and Wright doing the same.
I perhaps disagree with your thoughts on Chipper and Glaus being equal question marks with 3 guys in their primes.
Not when Beltran has already has some issues with injuries and Reyes had a torn hamstring when a lot of his game is based off of speed. Not to mention both play physically taxing, defensive-oriented positions.
I can understand being wary about Glaus (although I’m not), but I have zero concerns with Chipper. His BABIP was 30 points below his career average despite the fact that his LD% was essentially the same its been his entire career. Sure his power is on the decline but as that happens he’s adjusting his game to become more to a Todd Helton-type hitter.
Thing is Chipper’s numbers were not that bad last year. While he may rebound, that’s like saying Wright will rebound. There is potential for an improvement but not extreme.
Yes Beltran and Reyes are coming off injuries and play taxing positions but as I mentioned and especially in Reyes case he is still very young. Also, looking at his stats you should note that not as much of his game is based on speed as you think.
At least 56 steals in every full year, a speed number way above league average, and an above-average infield hit percentage. I’d say a lot of his game is based off of speed. He does bring a good OBP, decent pop, and above-average defense (which also can be effected by his injury) to the table as well, but his speed is what makes him what he is.
I actually think he would succeed lower in the order as well. I think his SLG has potential to increase. Yes it is raised by a significant amount of triples. While I agree speed is a large part of his game I don’t think he will suffer tremendously even if slightly slower.
a torn hamstring and a torn hamstring TENDON are two totally different things, do you guys even listen or actually read these reports? or is the bias in atlanta that bad?
face it, your time is over
The term “hamstring” can refer to the one large tendon in the quadriceps, the three posterior thigh muscles (that’s the ones behind your knee), or the tendons connecting the three posterior thigh muscles. No matter which is injured, its still a serious injury that saps speed and mobility from the injured person.
And excuse me for making a mistake, I will now defer to your greater knowledge in all aspects of life since I am only human and cannot compare to your god-like knowledge.
And I’d rather our time be over for now than to have not had anything since the 80’s.
The guy had what? 11 at bats above AA ball last year? Maybe he is the next Vlad, but I wouldn’t rush the kid. Even if he’d produce right out of the gate for the big league club, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Braves were patient with him to avoid the Super Two status.
The Braves normally don’t care when it comes to Super Two with position players. They offer long-term deals to their potential “franchise” players before they even hit arbitration. Pitchers, like Tommy Hanson, on the other hand are much higher injury risks than position players, so the Braves are more reluctant to hand out long-term deals to them, instead preferring to go year-to-year with them.
1. It’s Heywards job to lose and he never loses.
2. Just a typo, it’s difficult to edit on my iPhone.
3. If you were actually paying attention in the second half of last year you would know that our offense was one of the best in the NL in the second half. You and others need to stop only reading the talking points and actually see what our lineup did and can do.
You also do not have some of that production.
You got .295 .362 .452 .814 from 1B last season.
If Glaus can return to 2008 form that is possible again but that is for sure a large question mark.
As for Heyward, lol I thought Mets fans went overboard. Can we let the guy play a half a season yet before we start saying garbage like “he never loses”?
Heyward is a beast , but will go through growing pains
On Opening Day, the only hitters that are at least half decent in the Mets’ lineup are Bay and Wright. They also play in Citi Field, the place where it’s hard to hit a home run, which is what Bay gets most of his production from. So, Bay’s production is going to go down, and Wright proved this last season.
Leadoff – Equal, especially when Reyes is coming off surgery.
2nd – Braves, because Prado is way better.
3rd – Mets
4th – Mets, unless Glaus can produce.
5th – Braves
6th – Braves
7th – Braves
8th – Braves
This is the Opening Day roster, not when Beltran comes back.
I forgot to add, if Glaus bats 5th and not 4th, Braves win that spot.
But I think that the big picture when talking about these two teams are the the fact the Braves pitching is much nore dominant than the Mets.
No doubt that the SP for the Braves is much better. I still think that over the course of the season if both lineups are healthy the Mets out produce.
You could very well be right.
Jair situation is scary
I agree. I hope everything is okay.
Thole needs time at AAA – he need to stop rushing prospects
________________________________
It is, but there’s some pretty solid options sitting around if we need another starter. Medlen, Redmond, Ortegano, and Reyes could all give the Braves some decent innings from the five-hole in the rotation if need be. Of course, I’m right with you in hoping this is just some minor discomfort and he can resume throwing fairly soon.
I hate the Braves but like Jair – hope he isn’t hurt – shutting him down might be best for a little while
________________________________
Reyes is solid?haha.He is horrible.I don’t want him on the Braves roster this year!I’d rather sign Smoltz and let him pitch then Reyes.Yuck
To fill in as a fifth starter? Absolutely he is. Its not his fault that Bobby doesn’t trust him enough to let him get out of jams and he doesn’t have a large enough concurrent sample size for us to praise or damn him yet. What can’t be denied is how much talent that kid has, and its translated to results everywhere except Atlanta so far.
I don’t see how a career record of 5-15 with a 6.09 ERA is considered to be TALENTED .And you must be smoking some good weed because Cox has always trusted every 1 on the roster even if they are good or terrible.
I don’t see how a career record of 5-15 with a 6.09 ERA is considered to be TALENTED .And you must be smoking some good weed because Cox has always trusted every 1 on the roster even if they are good or terrible.
To fill in as a fifth starter? Absolutely he is. Its not his fault that Bobby doesn’t trust him enough to let him get out of jams and he doesn’t have a large enough concurrent sample size for us to praise or damn him yet. What can’t be denied is how much talent that kid has, and its translated to results everywhere except Atlanta so far.
That’s obvious.
Hmmm, so Reyes is not a decent hitter?
Reyes will win NL comeback player of year easily. He is 2nd best SS in NL behind Hanley
These type of comparisons are pointless. How much better is one spot than the other?
You also might try to put names in these spots? Does either team even know what their lineup is?
I am guessing the Mets:
Reyes, Pagan, Wright, Bay, Francouer, Murphy, Catcher, Castillo.
That could obviously change and we could see Castillo 2nd and Pagan lower in the order.
So right now that 6-8’s OPS is very much in question.
Our weakest spot until Beltran comes back is whoever bats 5th unless they decide to stretch the lineup and go with Castillo, Pagan, Reyes.
As much bashing as the Mets do on Castillo you can’t call him an automatic out. His .387 OBP would have been the 2nd highest on the Braves and one point below Chipper. He’s not a good hitter but he gets on base. Pagan, one year wonder or not he produced .306 .350 .487 .837 very similar stats to your own CF.
Mets terrible offense last year destroyed by injuries: .270 .335 .394 .729
Braves lineup with a down year from Chipper: .263 .339 .405 .744
Not only was it a down year from Chipper, but we had Kotchman at 1B, Anderson in LF, Francoeur in RF, and injuries to Johnson, Schafer, McCann, McLouth, and Church along the way. The Mets had more than their fair share of injuries, but its not like the Braves didn’t have injuries and general suckiness going on with their lineup too.
True you did have some injuries but none of those guys missed Met like significant time. You are right that Chipper had a down year but still produced. How likely is it that at his age he returns to MVP form?
Your first base as a whole last year produced. You have to factor in that you had a red hot LaRoche for much of that time. Your injuries to guys like Johnson, Schafer and Church are really pointless as their production was able to be replaced by their replacments. McCann played in 138 games, that’s not bad for a catcher anyway.
Anyway, original point, Braves lineup will make the difference as to whether they contend or not. No logical Braves fan could doubt that. The Mets rotation will make the difference.
And the other half of the time at 1B there was Kotchman. You can’t look at one without the other. 1B was a blackhole for the Braves until LaRoche arrived. Plus you can’t really say the injuries to Johnson and Church were meaningless. Johnson still played more at 2B than any other Brave. Church was playing CF while McLouth was out, and when Church was injured we played Reid Gorecki.
You’ll get no argument that those are the defining factors for the Braves and the Mets, but I think the Braves offense is in much better shape than the Mets pitching staff.
However, total your first base produced .295 .362 .452 .814 last year. I would not consider that a hole.
i stopped reading when you said “they also play at citi field, the place where its hard to hit a homerun”
you dont watch much baseball do you? look at the charts, citifield was in the middle of the pact in homerun ballparks last year, ahead of citizens bank in philly .. look at the lineup they put on the field .. they also hit more homeruns at citi field then they did on the road .. but yeah, keep listening to the media instead of actually WATCHING the game
Hmmm, did not know that Cit was ahead of Philly last year in HR. You sure about that? If so that speaks as much to the Mets pitching than the park.
Although I do agree that the park factor is very overrated. The Mets just did not have any power in the lineup last year.
OK so your facts are a little twisted or misunderstood one.
Citizens bank gave up the 2nd most HR last season. 190 HR. Citi gave up 123. Most likely much of that difference is due to the fact the Phillies played a lot of games at one and the Mets played a lot at the other.
The “Citi Field Effect” is overblown. As the sample size increases, it will be evident that Citi, although not even close to a hitters’ park, is not PETCO East.
Yunel Escobar is bound to have a huge season. I actually think the Braves lineup is going to be really good this year. As you said, there are no 30-Home Run threats but for an opposing pitcher, I’d be worried to go through this lineup two or three times a game.
6. Ibanez
7. Victorino
8. Ruiz
🙂
The Mets need to be far more worried about their starting rotation than they do their lineup, however, both aspects look awful right now. Its Johan with nothing to follow. If Johan misses any amount of time, this could be a last place team. Mets shouldve invested their money into Lackey instead of Bay.
Eric, not many teams can say they have three guys from 6-8th in the lineup who will ALL post sub .300OBP and might not slg .425. Yes that half of the lineup is awful and Omar did a terrible job addressing his teams needs this offseason.
Neither, Francouer nor even Jacobs have career averages of OBP under .300. Also they both have SLG averages over .425 for their career as well. Jacobs significantly over. Barajas is not even here and Jacobs has not earned a spot.
Theriot
Fukudome
Lee
Ramirez
Byrd
Soriano
Soto
Fontenot/ Baker
I say in the NL the
Phillies
Rockies
Dodgers and
Cardinals have better then that…. Pretty Sad
Jacobs wont be the starting 1B. book it.
funny. I’m a Met fan and laugh
someone is a little bitter about the trade last year…
Bitter? No, I was hoping everyday last year that Diaz, Blanco, or someone would be in RF instead of Frenchy and that he would be on the bench and not racking up outs in the lineup.
Frenchy is not an everyday starter in the MLB. Period.
You will find out how wrong you are SOON enough.
Well if Barajas is a poor man’s Benji Molina then is Santos a poor man’s Barajas?
I think Thole has a great opportunity to win the starting catching spot. And he can hit.
Do you call 1 HR in Triple-A, hitting? He needs time to grow.
yes because HRs are the only measure of whether a player can hit or not.
Yes, I agree. However 1 HR in Triple-A doesn’t scream major league ready. His career .375 SLG in the minors ain’t special either.
He needs AAA time .. we’ve rushed our players under Minaya way too much
The Mets have:
6. Frenchy RF
7. Jacobs 1B
8. Barajas C
The Braves have:
6. Escobar SS
7. Heyward RF
8. Diaz LF
The Phils have:
6. Ibanez LF
7. Victorino CF
8. Ruiz C
gosh, based on paper alone, i’d have to go with the back-to-back NL champs winning the east again. but that’s why we play the 162 games: so the phils can trash the division again 🙂
I think the bottom of the Mets order could consist of Francouer, Thole, and Murphy which is better than listed above.
It’s pretty funny how you don’t have any clue what your talking about, when did we sign Barajas? When did anyone say Jacobs was the starting 1st base or Heyward starting RF…stick to being a bandwagon phillie fan but do it quietly so everyone doesn’t see how much of an idiot you are 🙂
Read all the comments child. I’m not the one who put out the “Jacobs at 1st” theory. As for Heyward FOR THE BRAVES, I’ve heard and read that it very well could be his job to lose. But what do either of us know? I’m a fan of the team that beat the living snot out of the Mets in 2007, 2008, and 2009 and you, well you’re a pathetic little Mets fan. 🙂
Obviously you were if YOU wrote it in your post. 2008 your really going to say a 7-11 record agaist the mets is beating the living snot out of them? Yea you kicked our a$$ in 2009 but that was agaist a AAA team so if you want to feel proud in that go ahead. And I would rather be a true Mets fan and baseball fan anyday than be a pathetic bandwagon phillies fan who doesn’t know squat about baseball and runs their mouth like a true “child” to get a reaction :):)
I don’t see how Barajas is an upgrade over anyone else they’ve brought in. Thole needs to be their starter by mid-season anyways, and the upgrade from say Blanco to Barajas is negligible at best. Why not use this money being spent here to get a 1B that has a solid OBP and pop like Branyan? Or to improve the bullpen with a guy like Bradford, Calero, Park, Beimel, or Mahay?
Branyan is not really much to count on. He is more of a question mark than even Jacobs, Murphy and Glaus.
He’s hit a hell of a lot better over the course of his career than any of the Mets potential 1B have. He also has a injury history, but I’d rather have Branyan as my starter with Murphy/Jacobs as Plan B than Murphy/Jacobs as my starter and God knows who as Plan B.
Look at his 2nd half numbers last year.
I don’t really know for sure but what is your backup plan for 1B if Glaus still sucks?
If Glaus is healthy, he shouldn’t suck. Never has before. If he’s not healthy, then there’s a potential problem. Plan B would be either Hinske, moving Prado to 1B (opening a hole at 2B), or finding someone off the proverbial waiver wire. Freddie Freeman should be an option in 2011, but he’s not there yet.
Eric Hinske is the primary back-up plan, but there’s also Mitch Jones that could take the spot over if need be. Wren has also left some payroll open in case there needs to be a trade made mid-season.
You mean when he was injured?
Yes, he would be much more of a question mark than any of the Mets current questions. That was a significant injury last year. Thus the reason that his contract is so low. A lot of teams doubted his ability to return from it.
But your question was what is the Mets backup plan, it appears the Braves backup plan is not much better.
My question wasn’t what the Mets back-up plan was. I was stating that if I were a Mets fan I’d prefer to have Murphy and Jacobs as my fall-back to Branyan over having them as my potential starters. It was a statement of my personal opinion.
“The Mets are making a ‘hard push’ to sign free agent catcher Rod Barajas on a one-year deal [. . .] [they] offered a low-dollar, minor league deal, tweets SI’s Jon Heyman.”
Okay, I know Rod Barajas had a poor year and he was never all that great of a player, but I’m not sure you can offer a low-money minor league deal and claim you’re making a hard push at the same time. Somebody is either wrong or horribly misstating the situation.
Well the hard push could be Minaya getting down on his knees and begging.
I gotta a cousin in Staten Island who can catch a little in his men’s softball league, the Mets should call him too.
Well it’s bettter than Omar going after Jose Molina. I suppose Omar will be dancing in the streets if he gets the Barajas deal done.
If he signs a minor league contract, do the Blue Jays still get a pick in the Compensation Round?
No, the pick only comes if he signs a Major League deal. The same thing happened earlier this offseason with some other team.
Finally a smart bargain basement move. Barajas can’t hit but is a good stop gap for Thole plus he is a good defender. Another thing to note is that he used to play on Phillies and catch Halladay as a Blue Jay, he could offer tips/insights on Philly batters and Halladay that might help.
Minaya is likely running out of time with this job.
For real, we could sign Albert Pujols for a steal-of-the-century type contract and still be somehow criticized. “He’s too old now. He’s only going to decline. He had an ingrown toe nail 6 years ago so he can’t run anymore. Good job Mets.”
I’ve been asking for them to sign this dude for months now. I hope it gets done. Santos belongs in the minors. Thole needs another year in AAA no matter how good he does in the spring. Barajas hitting 7th with a little pop and above avg defense is the way to go. Give him a major league deal ASAP. Don’t mess around like you’ve done since the Bay signing.
I’m just having trouble figuring out how signing Barajas could really be that great for the Mets. Dude has a .258 OBP, unless he is throwing out 75% of baserunners and not allowing any passed balls, he isn’t enough of an improvement for the Mets to be wasting their time on.
Mets need a starter. It’s amazing Omar can’t see that.
Thats funny they are making a “hard push” but only offered a low-dollar, minor league deal.
40 Man Roster is full
Barajas would be a good addition for them. Thole is still a novice and has been noted as provided very poor defense. Barajas brings a vet into the mold, with a hint of power but typical poor average, who can hold his own on defense and call a good game. The Mets should be gung ho after him right now.
Mets and Braves are both trash. Marlins are much better.
Way to make a well though-out, concise, thought-provoking post.
I would rather see the Mets try to scrape up enough money just to sign Lopez. I mean its highly improbable bcs they have castillo signed with big bucks, but if they can keep handing out a bunch of useless minor league deals im sure they have enough to sign him for one year…
As a phillies fan I hope the mets sign Barajas. I mean me and my friends literally still joke about how bad he was as a catcher. He let a guy slide under him after he had the ball and the guy was only half way down the line. Then brett myers injured his shoulder and missed a couple of months. Maybe he will do the same to johan or k-rod.
We too are also glad that you signed Brian Schneider to multiple years.
By all metrics available, Barajas’ defense is consistently ranked near the top.
Ya, but he was also booed out of philly, literally
Sure but that’s Philly being Philly.
I wouldn’t call a minor league deal a “Hard Push”
40 Man Roster is full right now
Barajas probably wishing he’d acept arb he’d be in the majors instead of being offored minor league deals.
Barajas is a solid stop gap move
As a Phillies fan, I’ll admit that the bottom of the Mets lineup looks bad but overall, I’d much rather have their hitters than Atlanta’s lineup. Pitching is a whole other ballgame though.
“Plus barajas provides a defensive upgrade over santos.”
That and he calls a better game. With a career .226 AVG, anything else he offers is pretty much “frosting” (ie: he does have some pop).
Is it bad that I’m almost excited about this deal? Like, more so than Bay?
Hardly. I think you’re right on the money. I mean…look what we got after Johan! The Mets BETTER come up with someone who can call a good game, ’cause with that starting crew we’re gonna need someone behind the plate who can wring out every ounce of competence he can find…or just flat-out manufacture it.
Exactly. Plus, his experience with Halladay as well as being on that Phillies line up a few years ago is an added bonus. The pop in his bat isn’t going unnoticed either.
He better be our starting catcher opening day.
“He better be our starting catcher opening day.”
There’s a choice?
>:)
“He better be our starting catcher opening day.”
There’s a choice?
>:)
Exactly. Plus, his experience with Halladay as well as being on that Phillies line up a few years ago is an added bonus. The pop in his bat isn’t going unnoticed either.
He better be our starting catcher opening day.
Hardly. I think you’re right on the money. I mean…look what we got after Johan! The Mets BETTER come up with someone who can call a good game, ’cause with that starting crew we’re gonna need someone behind the plate who can wring out every ounce of competence he can find…or just flat-out manufacture it.
Is it bad that I’m almost excited about this deal? Like, more so than Bay?
midseason…
-Reyes
-Castillo
-Bay
-Beltran
-Wright
-Francoeur
-Jacobs
-Barajas
-Santana
that seems like a pretty good lineup to me
there hitting is fine
if they pick up washburn they have a chance
midseason…
-Reyes
-Castillo
-Bay
-Beltran
-Wright
-Francoeur
-Jacobs
-Barajas
-Santana
that seems like a pretty good lineup to me
there hitting is fine
if they pick up washburn they have a chance
When the mets get Barajas to a minors deal that would be great
He is a starting catcher who plays great defense and can handle the pitching staff
So with Barajas and Blanco the mets have the best defenisive duo at catching
and Santos I one of the worst
Would be great to add Barajas
When the mets get Barajas to a minors deal that would be great
He is a starting catcher who plays great defense and can handle the pitching staff
So with Barajas and Blanco the mets have the best defenisive duo at catching
and Santos I one of the worst
Would be great to add Barajas
Good move ,especially being a minor league deal. He is atleast better than Santos. I do have concerns that he and Frenchy in the same lineup = a lot of k’s and rally killers.I would rather the Mets look at Lopez to fill in at 2nd but I think they don’t want to offend Johan and cut ties with his best friend Luis Castillo. I also heard Lopez was a cancer in the clubhouse. Anybody else hear this about Lopez?
mets will win nl pennat just watch
Is this before or after you wake up?
Not sure if anyone is still reading this thread but Mets upgraded their offer to a major league deal. I know I sound like a broken record but Barajas can’t pitch.