The Mets officially signed free agent catcher Rod Barajas to one-year Major League deal today. He's guaranteed $500K, with another $400K to come if he's on the team's Opening Day roster. Easily attainable games played incentives could put another $1MM in Barajas' pocket.
Since the Type B free agent agreed to a Major League deal, the Blue Jays will receive a supplemental first-round pick (#41 overall) as compensation. Barajas turned down an offer of arbitration earlier in the winter and it probably cost him. He made $2.5MM with the Blue Jays last year and it would have been a surprise to see the club offer a significantly reduced salary. The Blue Jays, who signed catchers Jose Molina and John Buck, would not have obtained the compensation pick if Barajas had signed a minor league contract.
Mets' catchers hit a league-worst .254/.305/.380 last season. The 34-year-old Barajas hit .226/.258/.403 for the Blue Jays in 460 plate appearances, hitting 19 home runs.
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com originally reported the deal, while SI.com's Jon Heyman added the details. Both links go to Twitter.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Jeff Wilpon is doing a very poor job as shadow GM.
Hear Hear!!….and that is exactly what many in the League predicted would happen. couldn’t someone just buy the Wilpons out?
Pretty please….?
free agent catcher*
are they really that desperate for a catcher? wow, just wow.
Yes they are – and they need to get it done
Yeah, and I have a feeling that this is actually going to happen.
At least it will help our defense if it happens
yes
You cleary aren’t baseball smart. wow, just wow.
Mets have all the bargaining power here. On Rangers he will get less playing time so offer a bit more cash and get it done. He is a bad hitter but has power, wilbat 8th anyway, and is a very good defender – a perfect stop gap player that will allow Thole to get more seasoning at AAA. So give him 1.5 mil and a major league deal. GET IT DONE!!!!!!!!!
murphy isnt an easy out, he just doesn’t have enough power to be a 1b. hes a decent contact hitter, and decent gap power. He shouldn’t be a starting 1b but if he started somewhere he would be good
murphy isnt an easy out, he just doesn’t have enough power to be a 1b. hes a decent contact hitter, and decent gap power. He shouldn’t be a starting 1b but if he started somewhere he would be good
never got this. how does the position he plays in the field determine how good of a hitter he is? just because hes a first baseman doesnt mean he has to hit 30 hrs a year. thats what beltran wright and bay are for. switching positions wouldnt make him better, it would probably make him worse, because we’ve seen how much he sucks in the outfield, and i cant imagine him being any better defensively at second than he is at first. i hate how people say players need to change positions just because they play at a ‘power position’ and they are not a power hitter. does playing first base give him more at bats with runners on base? no. hes going to hit seventh most of the year, it doesnt matter that hes not a power hitter, and playing first base doesnt change that/
Well, the problem is you waste your advantage of superior offense at positions where other teams don’t have it by getting inferior offense out of positions where teams do. If Murphy were within 10 runs of his defensive value at first base, he would be more valuable at second base. Ditto the outfield, just cut the 10 in half. The Mets still have to compete with other teams, and most of those teams are getting much more offensive production out of first base. Murphy can probably make up some of that defensively, but there’s hardly enough data to conclusively say he’s a plus defensive first baseman. He appeared to be pretty good, but if he’s closer to average than great, he’s well below the league average for production from first base.
I’d say rather than it doesn’t matter what position he plays, it doesn’t matter where he hits in the lineup. The Mets offense is decent enough with the addition of Jason Bay, but it still doesn’t match the Phillies’, and their pitching isn’t going to be making up that difference either. The reason people say they want more production out of first base is because there are actually opportunities to get more production out of first base, unlike most of the other positions. I actually think its more important they upgrade second base than first, but first base is a close second to second base (if that makes any sense, lol)
How strange is it that Barajas has a LOWER ops than the the league-worst Mets’ output at catcher but is still a Type B free agent? The system’s broken.
wow, good point. I forgot he was a type B. Is this guy even worth the compensation draft picks + the $1.5mm?
The Elias Rankings take the last two seasons into consideration. His 2008 campaign was slightly more palatable offensively (.249/.294/.410) and he has always been a defensively sound catcher that produces the stats that matter in the Elias Rankings calculations for catchers. (Batting average, OBP, RBIs, HR, plate appearances, assists, and fielding percentage)
He’s not spectacular at it in any stretch of the imagination, but he did put up a career number of RBIs and came close to his home run benchmark. Five of seven ain’t bad, I guess. Best of luck to Barajas and his 1st-to-home hustling ability.
don’t think OBP is high on their list
Five of seven counted stats ain’t bad, according to them.
If this is true, I don’t see why Rod isn’t jumping on it – not like there are a pile of teams lining up to sign a C to a major league deal right now. Waiting out spring training hoping for an injury is a risky move.
According to Rosenthal Mets reach agreement with Barajas
yeah read it on twitter
….or the Mets could have just traded for a better catcher like Chris Snyder. At least his .OBP is league average.
Please please please pick the Mets offer Rod, need that draft pick!
What is Barajas recent numbers vs. the Phillies? If memory serves he hits em well.
All that really matters is if he handles a pitching staff well and is good defensively. Thole was the Mets’ best option for an offensive catcher even at the beginning of the off-season.
This is a great deal for the Mets, anyone who says otherwise has NO clue as to what the Mets are trying to do. Currently they have no STARTING catcher, just old or rookie catchers who can not do the job. Barajas provides a very veteran presence, he is also considered a great defensive catcher, he is one of the best at throwing at base stealers, and he is considered to help pitchers as well. Offensively he leaves much to be desired, but all of the available options for catchers (Bengie included) had this same problem – The Mets did not get him for his “offensive” skills, they got him for his great defense and great game calling and that is it.
Yeah, and considering that the rotation consists of Johan, 2 question marks, a pile of spare parts, and a pack of gum…somebody’s got to squeeze a halfway decent performance out of those guys.
This isn’t a great deal for the Mets. It’s not awful but it’s not great. The catcher handling the pitching staff isn’t the Mets problem. And every single one of the Mets catchers last year had a league average or better CS%. There is no purpose “upgrading” a position which you already have at least two capable players.
This isn’t a great deal for the Mets. It’s not awful but it’s not great. The catcher handling the pitching staff isn’t the Mets problem. And every single one of the Mets catchers last year had a league average or better CS%. There is no purpose “upgrading” a position which you already have at least two capable players.
I would’nt applaud them so strongly. Torrealba, Olivo and others would have been better options.
this wasn’t a bad offensive move either with the power outage the mets had last season. this guy hit 19 homers with 71 RBI’s batting seventh and eighth. when omir santos or henry blanco can do that you can come and tell me. this guy provides pop that the mets don’t have! I LOVE this move! finally a decent, major league starting catcher. you are right too he will help the pitching staff. the only problem is no one can help Oliver Perez!
GREAT MOVE! Now lets get JARROD WASHBURN for our number two starter so this guy can actually help some one.
excellent pts
Wow .. a major leaguer – very good
Wait, so basically, barajas will earn 2 million this year(with the incentives accomplished), so why couldn’t they sign Yorvit Torrealba for 1.4 million?
He improves pitchers… yeah, Pitchers the Mets DONT HAVE! Minaya better pray for dear life John Maine and Oliver Perez both win 20+ games and era’s under 3.50 or he’s FISH BAIT!!
Torrealba can’t throw a lick and has Zero power
It’s like because there isn’t a UZR for catchers people just completely ignore a catcher’s defense. He sucks offensively, but he is one of the best defensive catchers in the league. This is a very good value deal for the Mets.
fair point
It’s like because there isn’t a UZR for catchers people just completely ignore a catcher’s defense. He sucks offensively, but he is one of the best defensive catchers in the league. This is a very good value deal for the Mets.
just fyi if the major league deal never happened..
Even if Barajas signs a minor-league deal as long as he is in the majors before the June draft, the Jays get the 41st pick….according to Bob Elliott
torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bob_elliott/2010/…
just fyi if the major league deal never happened..
Even if Barajas signs a minor-league deal as long as he is in the majors before the June draft, the Jays get the 41st pick….according to Bob Elliott
torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bob_elliott/2010/…
*HIGH FIVE!*
Now pounce on Lopez.
I don’t get this deal. The Mets basically traded a 41st round pick for Rod Barajas which puzzles me. In 2005, the Red Sox drafted Clay Bucholtz with their 42nd round pick by the way.
The Mets ‘traded’ nothing. The draft pick is supplemental and created by virtue of the signing. It never existed prior to the signing and didn’t belong to the Mets or anyone else.
The Mets ‘traded’ nothing. The draft pick is supplemental and created by virtue of the signing. It never existed prior to the signing and didn’t belong to the Mets or anyone else.
You’ll never amount to more than a ball boy if you don’t read! lol
I don’t get this deal. The Mets basically traded a 41st round pick for Rod Barajas which puzzles me. In 2005, the Red Sox drafted Clay Bucholtz with their 42nd round pick by the way.
My mistake thought the pick belonged to the Mets
My mistake thought the pick belonged to the Mets
Barajas and Blanco likely make the team. Maybe Barajas and Santos. Thole needs more time to develop defensively.
very smart
Whew, good thing the Mets got him…I thought the Blue Jays were going to snatch him up, they need a few more mediocre catchers…
Basically the same player as Bengie and you guys got him for half the price.
why sign Barajas for 1 million when you could just bring any random scrub in at league minimum and they could probably hit .226 also. Even Geronimo Gil could do that
He’s caught an ace before and is an immediate upgrade. They have 4 catchers at about the league minimum and none of them was getting anyone excited in the least. Wonder if there’s any inside edge to having him when playing against Halladay.
exactly
very similar to det. signing laird. crappy offense, but superb defense more then makes up for it
Barajas is a a punk and a wuss…he’s afraid to block the plate. He’s responsible for Brett Myers injury in 2007. Wait until you see the reception he gets in Philly. I’m glad he’ll be coming to town often.
Yeah Brett Myers is a great guy who beats his wife
Meet the Mets, Meet the Mets, step right up and beat the Mets!
Say hello to last place in 2010. Even the Nats have improved.
Nats are still terrible.
A good move for the Mets. I love this little addition at the end:
“Mets catchers hit a league-worst .254/.305/.380 last season. Barajas hit .226/.258/.403 for the Blue Jays in 460 plate appearances, hitting 19 home runs.”
What a way to sneak a jab at the Mets – whatever chance this website gets to mock the Mets it does every time..incredible.
Met fans make the most comments = we care
How is that a jab at the Mets? They were saying Mets catching position was a weakness, and put Barajas line for 2009 (like they have for every single player signed, they put their seasons stats).
But no, you’re right – everyones out to get the Mets.
With a deal like this, plus the Park deal, where he took 1/3 of what the Phillies offered him months ago, I just don’t see how the agents are not getting DESTROYED more often. Had he taken arbitration, he would have easily guaranteed himself double this contract. How does he keep the same agent after this fiasco? We are talking about the prime years of the guys career and he gives away half his salary?