Mets looking to be big spenders in 07 FA

[Exit 117]

METS MAY BE BIG BUYERS IN 2007

 

March 14, 2006 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - The second baseman next year could be Anderson Hernandez. Mike Pelfrey and Brian Bannister might be in the rotation. Lastings Milledge might be one of the starting outfielders.

And if you couple those prospects with some of the Mets' inexpensive key players (David Wright, Jose Reyes, Aaron Heilman) and consider their 2007 finances, the Mets should be in a position next winter to go after some of the free-agent gems. That means GM Omar Minaya could be making a bid for Barry Zito. Or Jose Contreras. Or both.

 

The 2006 year hasn't even begun, but in looking ahead to the salaries beyond this season, they are in an interesting position. They have only six major league players with guaranteed contracts for 2007, meaning they are going to be fascinating to watch dollar- and transaction-wise over the coming year.

 

 

 

The players with 2007 guaranteed money are Carlos Beltran ($12 million), Carlos Delgado ($14.5M), Julio Franco ($1.15M), Paul Lo Duca ($6.25M), Pedro Martinez ($14M) and Billy Wagner ($10.5M). Technically, Pelfrey and Philip Humber are guaranteed money as well, albeit at less than $1M combined. The total is less than $60 million in salary - giving the Mets plenty of options for next year.

 

Not only are the Mets only financially committed to a few players, but assuming Beltran returns to his pre-Met form and nobody suffers a career-altering injury, all the contracts are seemingly for good players who you'd probably want to return. In other words, there is no bad money, like Kazuo Matsui this year ($8M) or Mike Piazza last year ($15M).

 

On the minus side, though, the Mets have Cliff Floyd, Steve Trachsel, Matsui and potentially Tom Glavine coming off the books after this year (the first three are free agents, while Glavine has an $11M club option for 2007), and with that financial freedom, the Mets must also replace those players. It's why having inexpensive players in key roles - like Hernandez, Milledge, Pelfrey, Wright, etc. - can help the Mets so much.

 

Minaya, who said yesterday that the Mets can add payroll this year, pointed out that players like Reyes, Duaner Sanchez and Victor Zambrano are arbitration-eligible after the season and will make more money in '07. But overall, the Mets are in a fine position. Consider the Yankees are committed to 12 players and more than $140 million in 2007 salary when it comes to guaranteed money or likely-to-vest options.

 

Juan Padilla will undergo Tommy John surgery today. Said the reliever, who posted a 1.49 ERA last year, "If it was a situation where my velocity and location were ok but there was some pain, I could put up with some pain if I had to. But all of those things were wrong and as a result it's best to find out what's wrong. I'm bummed, because I'm going to miss the season, but I'll be better off in the long run."

 

Martinez played catch and did fielding drills yesterday ... The Mets beat the Nationals 10-4, but the game was called in the seventh when a power problem in the area caused several lights to go out. Xavier Nady crushed a moonshot homer over the 40-foot-high center field wall.

 

- Additional reporting by Mike Vaccaro

Edited March 17, 2006 by Exit 117

[gateb]

And this is the reason why I rush my childhood

[Plax 4 Prez]

And this is the reason why I rush my childhood

[Exit 117]

And this is the reason why I rush my childhood

I don't get it

[gateb]

I don't get it

Do you know my age?

 

Every year I hear the same thing. As soon as Looper blew the first game of the year against Cincy I was anticipating the 2006 season, when I knew that Wagner, Gordon, Hoffman, etc. would all be FAs and basically, the closer was our main weakness.

[Plax 4 Prez]

Do you know my age?

 

Every year I hear the same thing. As soon as Looper blew the first game of the year against Cincy I was anticipating the 2006 season, when I knew that Wagner, Gordon, Hoffman, etc. would all be FAs and basically, the closer was our main weakness.

It's going to be a crazy rollercoaster year