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Mets Considering John Smoltz

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The Mets are considering John Smoltz for a rotation spot, according to Anthony McCarron of The New York Daily News. Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.com was all over this earlier in the week.

The 42-year-old righthander has drawn interest from the Nationals, Phillies, and Cardinals this offseason. Even though his ERA was an ugly 6.35 last season, Smoltz still posted strong strikeout and walk numbers. A National League team seems like the best fit, and a contender could do a lot worse at the back of the rotation. 

McCarron adds that the Mets continue to negotiate with Bengie Molina, however things are moving along slowly.  

Heyman On Damon, Tejada, Pineiro, Molina

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The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • Heyman believes the Yankees would not go beyond one year and $6MM to re-sign Johnny Damon.  On MLB Home Plate Boras said Damon "would just have to move forward," while not faulting the Yankees for sticking to a budget.  Heyman suggests four alternatives for Damon: the Giants, Mariners, Braves, and Angels.  The Angels would be a tough fit barring a Juan Rivera trade, as their outfield and DH spots are full.  The problem with the Braves is that they're approaching their payroll limit.
  • Despite a report that the Cardinals probably can't afford Miguel Tejada, Heyman sees them as the best fit.  Heyman's $8MM idea seems too pricey though.
  • The Mets debated offering Joel Pineiro a two-year, $15MM Jason Marquis special, but at this point Pineiro seems to be seeking Randy Wolf's three-year, $29.75MM deal.  MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone sees the team landing Jon Garland instead.
  • Heymans says the Mets "seem serious about sticking with an offer of one year and a vesting option" for Bengie Molina.  However, Cerrone "gets the feeling the Mets might have a two-year deal on the table."

Mets Rumors: Bay, Molina, Delgado, Pineiro

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Sean Casey tells Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News that he likes the Jason Bay deal for the Mets. Casey, who played with Bay in Pittsburgh and Boston, expects the left fielder to adjust well to New York. Here are some more Mets-related rumors:

  • The Mets aren't nearing an agreement with Bengie Molina, who is looking for a three-year deal. We've been hearing for a while now that the Mets aren't interested in committing to Molina for that long. They're comfortable with a one-year deal that includes a vesting option, according to McCarron's source.
  • As ESPN.com notes, Yorvit Torrealba could be a solution for the Mets if there are no hard feelings between the two sides. The Rockies don't appear to have room for Torrealba now that they're reportedly close to signing Miguel Olivo.
  • The Mets are still interested in Carlos Delgado, who could start playing winter ball this weekend.
  • Joel Pineiro is still on the team's radar, but the Mets haven't spoken to his representatives this week. 

Jason Bay Reactions

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With an agreement in place between Jason Bay and the New York Mets, reactions to the deal are already starting to pour in….

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post feels that the Mets will regret signing Bay within a few years.
  • Yahoo's Jeff Passan feels that Bay's money would've been better spent on John Lackey.
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law says that Bay's defense will dictate whether the contract is a good one or not, and argues that the Mets will need to make a few more moves to contend.
  • It may have taken a while to get done, but "all's well that ends well," writes Rob Neyer of ESPN.com.
  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff is on board with the deal, and hopes the Mets continue to stay financially responsible for the rest of the winter. This means going "nowhere near" Joel Pineiro at his current asking price, and not guaranteeing Bengie Molina two years (Davidoff suggests that reports of an imminent two-year deal for Molina are inaccurate).
  • Scott Lauber of The News Journal looks at what the move means for the Phillies, both as a division rival and as a club that will have their own free agent outfielder (Jayson Werth) next year.
  • Articles from Ian Browne of MLB.com and Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune examine the signing from Boston's and Seattle's perspectives, respectively.
  • R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs explains why, even if it's heavily backloaded, the Mets' offer was more financially appealing than one the Red Sox made earlier.

Odds & Ends: Zambrano, Cabrera, Molina

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Links for Monday…

  • Matt Klaassen of Fangraphs gave his thoughts on the Orioles' "enviable outfield logjam."  In his Offseason Outlook for the club, Tim suggested that Luke Scott could make sense as a trade candidate.
  • A week ago, we heard conflicting reports about whether or not the Yankees had talked to the Cubs about acquiring Carlos Zambrano. SI.com's Jon Heyman reports, via Twitter, that the Yankees "definitely" inquired, and speculates that Zambrano is "eminently available."
  • In a piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, David O'Brien suggested in passing that the Braves could potentially use Melky Cabrera as a trade chip. Heyman tweets that the Cubs would be very interested, if the Braves were to make Cabrera available.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says Bengie Molina "might be willing to consider" a two-year deal.  So far the Mets are at one year with an option.
  • Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik must retain at least one of Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez long-term.
  • Derek Zumsteg of U.S.S. Mariner gives us a Milton Bradley chronology.
  • CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban tweets that he's heard a whisper connecting the Giants to free agent reliever Kiko Calero.
  • WEEI's Alex Speier examines the differences between the contracts of John Lackey and A.J. Burnett.  In case you missed it, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe revealed on Wednesday that Lackey must play for the league minimum in 2015 "if an old elbow injury forced him to miss significant time with surgery any time during the deal."
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says statheads and scouts are mostly in agreement these days, and Moneyball would be a very different book if Michael Lewis wrote it today.

Jason Bay Rumors: Wednesday

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10:48pm: The Red Sox might also be looking into extending an offer to free agent Matt Holliday, reports Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald.  However, Silverman notes that signing Bay, let alone the more expensive Holliday, would be difficult.

7:31pm: The Mets have not heard from Bay's agent, Joe Urbon, in the last couple of days, a team official tells Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News.  The same official says not to expect the club to ink Bay or Bengie Molina before Christmas.

In other Mets news, Carlos Delgado's delay in returning to baseball via the Puerto Rican winter league is apparently a result of issues related to the hip surgery he had last summer.

6:48pm: Boston has had internal discussions about extending their organizational budget to potentially allow for another offer to be made to Jason Bay, a team source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.  The discussed proposal would be in the vicinity of the four-year, $60MM deal originally pitched to the slugger.

It was widely thought that the signings of John Lackey and outfielder Mike Cameron spelled the end of Bay's tenure with the Red Sox as the club is now teetering on the edge of the $170MM luxury tax threshold.

Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Giants, Nationals

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Lots to get to as we round out another Hot Stove Monday…

  • Rob Bradford of WEEI.com has the backstory on Mike Lowell, his thumb injury and the trade that wasn't. Lowell expects to be ready for baseball activities by the first week of spring training, but has no idea if that will be with Boston or another team.
  • MLB.com's Chris Haft answers mail from Giants' fans. He says, among other things, that the Giants are reluctant to trade Jonathan Sanchez straight-up for Dan Uggla-as well they should be.
  • Washington Post Nationals beat reporter Chico Harlan weighs in on the Jason Marquis signing, noting that Marquis has more career victories than the other starters on the Washington 40-man roster combined.
  • AOL Fanhouse's Ed Price says that "All we hear out of the Mets camp is that they don't want to be bidding against themselves. Well, the fact of the matter is, the Mets might just have to bid against themselves." This is hard to understand, considering that Jason Bay and Bengie Molina certainly aren't likely to sit out the season rather than accept offers from the Mets.
  • Lyle Spencer of MLB.com speculates about what it would take for the Angels to acquire Derek Lowe.

Mets’ Molina Strategy Linked To Bay

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Ken Davidoff of Newsday (subscription required) reminds us that the Mets made offers to Jason Bay (four years and about $65MM) and Bengie Molina (two years and about $10MM) on December 10th.  After talking to a Mets official, Davidoff explains the team's strategy:

If the team fails to secure Bay, it will strongly consider raising its offer to Molina. But if Bay signs, the Mets will hold a harder line with Molina.

MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone doesn't see why the two would be related, and I agree.  Is it a payroll thing?  Or do the Mets simply hold Molina in higher regard than the other 29 teams?

Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post says both players are holding out for an extra year, and the Mets might start considering other options if the stalemate continues.

Molina Key To Catching Market

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A "person in the industry" tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that once Bengie Molina signs with a club, the rest of catchers on the open market are going to be scooped up quickly. 

While the Mets are known to be pursuing Molina, the two sides are not close, according to one source.  As a result, free agent catchers Rod Barajas, Jose Molina, and Yorvit Torrealba are still waiting by the phone.  Torrealba is drawing interest from the Mariners, Rockies, Rangers, Mets, and Giants.

Reportedly, Molina is seeking a three-year deal worth roughly $20MM.  Do you think he will continue to hold out for that type of money, or will he ease up on his demands and sign with a team relatively soon?

Heyman On Bay, Molina, M’s, Dodgers

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The Mariners are "not a serious player" for Jason Bay, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. The Braves and Giants don't appear to be engaged with Bay and the Angels aren't focused on him now, so the Mets are the lone known suitor for the left fielder. They're keeping in touch with Scott Boras, who represents Matt Holliday, but they may be willing to offer Bay a deal in the five-year $75MM range. They're hoping to hear back from him today. 

Ideally, the Mets would like to sign Bay and Bengie Molina, who still wants a three-year deal worth about $20MM, or roughly twice as much as the team is presently willing to commit. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • The Angels have more interest in Javier Vazquez than Derek Lowe, according to one source.
  • The Mariners are interested in locking up Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez. 
  • The Red Sox would like to acquire Adrian Gonzalez. If they can't pull a trade for Gonzalez off, they would like to sign Adrian Beltre. However, that could put them over the luxury tax. 
  • The Dodgers are interested in Ronnie Belliard and Felipe Lopez. 
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