Rangers/Giants In Lead For Beltran (2 UPDATES)

The New York Mets are making progress with both the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants in trade talks involving outfielder Carlos Beltran. The Indians actually offered to take on Beltran's entire salary, but Beltran refused to go there using his no-trade clause.

As I stated earlier this week I think the Rangers make a lot of sense, and I would think Beltran would want to go there since they are most likely going to be in the playoffs. That being said, Beltran has stated his desire to play in the NL, unless it is the Red Sox so it will be interesting to see if he uses his no-trade clause again here.

I would still have the Rangers as the favorites, but we will have to wait and see. No matter what Beltran will be wearing a different jersey after the trade deadline.


***UPDATE***

Or not...

Beltran is not going to the Rangers, tweets Rosenthal. The Giants are his presumed frontrunner.

It is also being said that Boris wants Beltran to go to SF, because they have the money to resign him in the offseason.


***UPDATE 2***

The Mets have agreed to send Beltran to the Giants for Zach Wheeler. The Mets are said to be sending back a lot of money. Beltran has 24 hours to agree to the trade, which isn't expected to be an issue.

Beltran An Option For Red Sox RF Woes?

Carlos Beltran has long been rumored as someone the Sox could go after at the deadline. The Mets will look to move him, because he is a free agent at the end of the year is still owed $6MM by the time the trade deadline rolls around. I keep going back and forth on this. For one the Mets would have to each some of that money for the Sox to even take a look, on top of that what would the Sox have to give up for a 1/2 season of service?

From a baseball standpoint Beltran could bring a lot. He is a good fielder, and gives you a much better option in the lineup then JD Drew. Beltran is having a nice year for himself (.285 13 HRs 57 RBIs). What is also interesting that he is a type A free agent, so if the Sox got him they could get a 1st round pick as compensation if they didn't resign him.

I still this Cuddyer is more likely, and the most likely scenario is that they will do nothing, but it's something to at least keep an eye on.

Fred Wilpon Has Something To Say

So the Mets owner Fred Wilpon had some things to say about some of the players he has right now, mainly Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright, here they are:

• Shortstop Jose Reyes will not be getting a super-huge contract from the Mets. "He thinks he's going to get Carl Crawford money," Wilpon said, referring to Crawford's seven-year, $142 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. "He's had everything wrong with him. He won't get it."

• On right fielder Carlos Beltran, Wilpon refers to Beltran's huge postseason with the Houston Astros in 2004 and says: "We had some schmuck in New York who paid him based on that one series. He's sixty-five to seventy percent of what he was."

• About David Wright: "Really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar."

• On whether the franchise might be snakebit, Wilpon makes another pointed Beltran reference. Author Jeffrey Toobin writes: "At one point, I mentioned to Wilpon the theory that the Mets might be cursed. He gave a sort of half laugh, and said, 'You mean' -- and then pantomimed a checked swing of the bat. Any Mets fan (I am one) would understand the reference. The Mets took the 2006 National League Championship Series to a seventh game against the Cardinals."

Wilpon apparently does like first baseman Ike Davis. "Good hitter," Wilpon says. "[Word for poop] team. Good hitter. ...We're snakebitten, baby."

Well.... this certainly isn't going to get our players to play harder for you. Figuring the Mets are getting sued for a billion dollars because they had a hand in the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme, I would try to deflect my hate talk of his own team and make it more about building for a great future. This is one of the most unprofessional things I have ever heard and if I were Jose Reyes, Calros Beltran and David Wright I would be strongly asking for a trade. It's bad enough that soon your job won't be able to pay you, but for your boss to be bad mouthing you on top of it is just a toxic work environment.

Beltran To Red Sox Rumors Are Back (UPDATED)

"Newsday's David Lennon says a deal between the Red Sox and Mets has gained some traction. While a trade is still a long shot, Mets GM Sandy Alderson is not averse to eating salary to move him. Lennon also speculates on a Daisuke Matsuzaka-Beltran swap, as the two are owed nearly the same amount of money ($20MM vs. $18.5MM, respectively). Matsuzaka would need to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate such a deal (MLBTradeRumors)."

There are only 2 ways I can see this happening. The first is that the Mets eat at least half of his salary. The other way is the Sox sending Dice-K to the Mets for Beltran, and then the Sox turn around and sign Cliff Lee. I can't see the Sox trading Dice-K without getting another starting pitcher (and a good one at that) with the problems they had with their starting rotation last year. Both these scenarios seem a little far fetched, but something to keep an eye on especially since there is a mystery team that is rumored to have offered Cliff Lee a 7 year deal (and it wasn't the Yankees).


***UPDATE***

There were rumors that the Red Sox could be interested in Beltran, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com cites a Mets source who says: "It's all the same. There's nothing (espn)."

Beltran Out 12 Weeks

Beltran underwent knee surgery in Colorado that will sideline him for 12 weeks. Oh, but the story doesn't end there. Apparently Beltran has been hiding this from the Mets, and never got their approval. As far as they were concerned they thought he would be ready for Opening Day (right now they are predicting May), now that is in question, and it looks like the Mets might try to void his contract.

The Mets are just such a mess, and I have a bad feeling that this is going to get very ugly, because if I was the Mets I would be doing everything I can to try to get some of the money back from Beltran's huge contract. In the end, it doesn't matter the Mets aren't making the playoffs...

Ryota Igarashi agrees to $3M, two-year deal with NYM

"NEW YORK -- Hoping they found their setup man on the other side of the globe, the New York Mets agreed Thursday with Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi on a $3 million, two-year contract.

The 30-year-old right-hander became the first major addition this offseason for the Mets following a 70-92 debacle that left them with a fourth-place finish in the NL East.

New York thinks Igarashi could fill the role of eighth-inning setup man for All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez.

"We've had an interest in Ryota for two years," general manager Omar Minaya said in a statement. "He's got a power arm and an outstanding split-finger."

Igarashi went 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA and three saves in 56 games last season in Japan. He struck out 44 and walked 20 in 53 2/3 innings." -ESPN.com

As a Mets fan I will not complain about this signing. I've been saying that I don't understand why the Mets have cannot make the smart rational decisions that even we as mere fans know to make. The Mets need PITCHING, and hitting too, and a new GM but pitching most importantly. Putz was a failure, I can only hope this new japanese setup man won't follow in the footsteps of every failed setup man since 2000.

As for the Bay signing? Honestly, if Jason Bay becomes a New York Metropolitan I will have no choice but to be excited. A power hitter to add some run support for Johan Sanata would be nice in Citi Field; but I don't want Bay. The Mets are notorious for signing players coming off of their contract seasons, in their early or mid 30's, giving them too many years. I trust that Jason Bay would be a great hitter in NY and in the National League again but look at Beltran for example; 32 years old, 19 million dollars in 2009 and hit amazingggggg .325 10 hr 48 rbi and 11 sb....but only played 81 games with TWO messed up knees that are only getting worse.

My Mets Plan:
> Trade Beltran NOW
> Sign and trade Bay
> Dump Luis (fuck face) Castillo and Carlos Delgado (FA)
> Keep Santana, Wright, Reyes, Krod and Pelfry; If your not one of those 5 guys...go the fuck awayyyyyyyyyyyy...rebuild

If the Mets think they have a shot at winning the World Series in 2010 with that team HAHA...I might as well let a Phillies fan laugh and slap me to remind me they just got Roy Halladay

Mets Trading Beltran?

"A major-league source tells WEEI's Alex Speir that despite a recent suggestion in the Boston Herald, the New York Mets will not be trading centerfielder Carlos Beltran to the Boston Red Sox, or anyone else. Due to the state of the rest of the Mets roster, this is not surprising news. But it does mean that if the Red Sox strike out on re-signing Jason Bay or convincing Matt Holliday to give the American League another try (ESPN)."

The Mets need to trade Beltran. They have so much money tied up in aging, injured players. If the Mets want to do anything this year then they should really try to trade Beltran for some starting pitching AND sign John Lackey. It still amazes me that a team could go into a season without a starting rotation, but then again these are the Mets...

Carlos Beltran To DL

Joining Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes and JJ Putz, Carlos Beltran is the newest Met to the DL. Carlos Beltran was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday, an enormous blow to a struggling New York Mets team already decimated by key injuries.

The All-Star center fielder has an aching bone bruise on his right knee, the same injury that sidelined him for a couple of games in late May. An MRI exam Monday showed the bruise has gotten worse -- Beltran said the doctor told him it just about doubled in size from last month. This sucks for the Mets and I am glad. The Mets suck, and if not for Johan Santana and Livan Hernandez they would be fucked. Now the Mets will try to salvage some offense with their lead off hitter and 3rd and 4th out of their lineup.