5:35pm: Foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Mets continue to talk with Beimel, while other clubs remain in the mix.
9:25 am: The Rockies expressed interest in free agent lefty Joe Beimel, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Southpaw Franklin Morales is slated to close while Huston Street is out with a shoulder injury, creating an opening in left-handed relief.
Beimel, 33 in April, posted a 3.58 ERA, 5.7 K/9, and 3.1 BB/9 in 55.3 innings for the Nationals and Rockies last year. The excellent FanGraphs splits pages show us that Beimel still handles lefties quite well, but had home run problems against them last year. He is not to be used against righties.
Today is the one-year anniversary of Beimel's one-year, $2MM deal with Washington, so he's not afraid to wait for the right situation. At the trade deadline the Nats traded Beimel and cash to Colorado for Robinson Fabian and Ryan Mattheus. The Rockies chose not to offer arbitration to Beimel on December 1st. Last we heard Beimel received an offer from the Mets in recent weeks.
Holy_Roman_Emperor
I can’t believe he isn’t signed yet.
Frankly, I wouldn’t mind the Cardinals getting in on Beimel, and dumping the unsightly bloated obese floundering wreckage of Dennys Reyes in the process.
Ferrariman
were paying him 1.5million and he might get us a 1st round DP next offseason. might as well use him, though i wouldn’t cry if he left either.
Redhawk
Yes the Rockies are interested in Beimel. He’s a solid LOOGY and has the coolest bathrobes ever. However, he was wanting more money (and a mulit-year contract) than his numbers said he was really worth. Rockies owner a couple of weeks ago, said there wasn’t much room left in the Rockies budget for this year.
Guest 2433
I think the Rockies can fix up a 1MM dollar Major League Contract for Joe Beimel.
flumesalot
“He is not to be used on righties”
LOL, sounds like a stern warning during the end of one of those irritating pharmaceutical commercials 😀
markjsunz
If used properly the way the Dodgers used Bimel he is very effective. He is not a closer but a guy who can get a tough lefty or two out. Always good to have a guy like him in the pen.
espensdad
Joe’s an awesome guy on and off the field….He would be a GREAT fit with any team out there….He’s normally lights out against lefty power hitters, and if you look back in your MLB history books guys and girls, He’s ranked in the top five all time for longest innings pitched without giving up a home run and he’s has two Dodger records. #1 being inning pitched by a left handed pitcher and (until Manny came along) the highest number (#97) on a players back!!! Go Joe, look forward to seeing you wherever you end up!!!
Tko11
Why do the Mets bother…they need Washburn or another SP more than Beimel. Way to address the team’s needs this offseason.
Infield Fly
Sure the Amazins could use Washburn, but it would be nice if Washburn showed them some love in return. Contract or no he seems to want nothing to do with the Mets.
Guest 2432
True, but in the Mets defense, who wants to be unemployed?
Infield Fly
Well I don’t have numbers on this but there seems to be a slowly growing trend of players who would rather hold out and sign mid-season than take a contract that doesn’t match precisely what they’re after. It’s usually about the $$$ but I wouldn’t put it past a guy to hold out for one of his preferred teams or locations, regardless of the economy. In light of the fact that it’s usually the older players (whose body of work speaks for itself) that successfully pull this off, Washburn might want to sit up and take notice. He ain’t one of them.
Just_MLB
also a growing trend of free-agents who would rather play in Beirut than Queens
Ricky S.
Funny – but c’mon you know $$$ talks
Ricky S.
he wants to get $$$
Tko11
No one seems to want to do anything with the Mets besides Bay…sadly. But as of now Washburn has no job so he might as well sign a one year deal with the Mets if they would offer him a contract.
Infield Fly
See my answer above to SPANdemonium. It speaks to your point.
Ricky S.
Washburn is Washed up forget him… he stinks
Guest 2425
Beimel is vastly overrated. Oh and his personality isn’t the best.
Guest 2429
Over the last 4 seasons he is the last thing from overrated.
Guest 2430
His xFIP has been around 5 in those four years, he allows a insane amount of baserunners. Hes lucky and hence overrated.
Guest 2431
Even if he’s walked a ton of Baserunners, he still didn’t let many cross the plate.
markjsunz
The nats. tried to use him as there closer, that is why his ERA was up last year he was misused by a bad team.This guy is lights out on the proper pitching staff. I am not sure about xFIP and all the other new age formulas used to evaluate a player but I know what I saw when Beimel was a Dodger. The job was always done.He had an incident in the hotel bar during the playoffs where he cut his hand and he lied about it and got caught. He cleaned up his act. More guys have ruined a promising career hanging out in bars and chasing tail.
Guest 2434
Yeah, I think xFIP makes sense, I just think the big picture shows Beimel is a really good reliever. I think the Marlins should sign him, but between the Rockies and Mets I’m going to take the Rockies. A team he is very familiar with.
Tko11
Yea if he allows lots of baserunners but lots of them didn’t score then whats the problem? Id take a pitcher who allows baserunners each inning but got out of it without a run scoring.
bigdizzy
Shame on you dodgerblue, how many times did you scream your head off cheering for Beimel when he struck out Bonds??? I see you online all the time and I know you are a true dodger fan, does the past have no value to you at all? No one in history destroyed Bonds like Joe did when he was with the dodgers. Have a little sense of dodger history and pride before you post!
jb1996
Beimel is different than Street,but i do think they should sign him.
bigdizzy
ll
bigdizzy
Beimel is overrated? Did you ever hear of a guy called Barry Bonds? Bonds average against Beimel was .064 in like 60 at bats! Dodgerblue, shame on you, you know better, you watched it! Beimel owns Bonds,Griffey, Dunn and Howard, four possible hall of famers, the best left handed power hitters og oue era,what else do you want? Even though howard got him once last year, Beimel usually makes him look rediculous at the plate! Just pay the man!
Ricky S.
Forget the talk about some medicore left reliever, the real issue with the Mets is Reyes.
Cora is a nice guy, with sure hands who turns outs into outs, but losing Reyes is a severe, maybe almost crippling, blow to the offense.
I love Reyes, but if he doesn’t come back strong after this one, then its time to move on.