According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports, free agent pitcher John Lackey may be close to signing a deal with the Boston Red Sox. He writes,
Free-agent right-hander John Lackey underwent a physical Monday with the Red Sox, an indication that he is close to an agreement with the team, according to a major-league source.
Rosenthal also speculates that the deal is expected to be similar to the five-year, $82.5 million contract that the Yankees awarded free-agent right-hander A.J. Burnett last winter.
Obviously this is a big blow to any chance that Lackey would end up signing with the Mets, who failed to even make an offer because as a team source said, “we are focused on Jason Bay right now.”
In my opinion if the Red Sox do indeed sign Lackey, and it sure looks that way, it makes signing Jason Bay all the more important. It also now puts Jason Marquis and Joel Pineiro squarely in the Mets’ sights, like it or not.
That said, it pisses me off that no offer was tendered to Lackey who would have been a more valuable acquisition for a team that desperately needs a compliment to Johan Santana.
I didn’t realize that the Mets front office has become so inept that it is only capable of focusing on one free agent player at a time.
*Mets Merized Online Needs Your Help*
Mets probably wouldn’t want to spend on both of them anyway. They’ll slap on some window dressing on the rotation, sign Bay and call it an offseason. Lets hope the next GM after 2010’s 75 win season can do a better job with FAs and getting a better coaching/training staff.
Besides, did anyone really expect the Mets to get two of the three big FAs this offseason? Seriously, the Mets? They can’t even properly fire a guy, and you expect them to actually make smart moves to improve a moribund team? Friend, if you expect that, you better go root for the Phillies or Yankees, theres no place for that sort of stuff here.
Mets signed Pedro and Beltran in one off-season.
In my eyes, this team is regressing and I’m sure all of you are witnessing this just like I am it’s amazing how from ‘04 to ‘06 we manage to get, Pedro, Beltran, Delgado, Wagner, Sanchez and other in between sure those moves were great then, but the problem is it’s doing nothing for us NOW and they try to sign big name guys, but they just aren’t consistent in that area is it really that hard to talk to more than two people, even one in an off-season? Omar needs to drink some of Theo’s tea, it just might get that brain I don’t even know if I can call it a brain at this point but in this case we’ll have to either that or just fire the guy plain and simple, or just sell the team, I’m sick of mediocrity coming from this team I call my favorite. It was shameful to watch such a World Series as I did this year because 2nd after being a Mets’ fan is being a baseball fan for me so naturally having the urge to find out whats going on in baseball I am forced to watch whats in front of me and yes our team was injured but the ‘09 version was just a mix of the 07′ and 08′ teams plus johan, k-rod, putz, schneider, and minus a few it wasn’t really goin to make a difference even if we were healthy and thats what the so-called GM fails to realize, he’s happily complacent and there’s always that what if, what if they don’t get Bay then what? I would just say, guys get prepared for probably another long and horrific season.
Well, it sucks. This is not the same Omar or front office capable of landing folk like Martinez, Beltran, Santana, and Rodriguez. If any FA seemed to be a Mets must have, then Lackey was the guy.
I say set sights on Bay and Marquis.
And they want to spend big this offseason. Yeah Right!
I’m on my phone so I can’t write much but you hit the nail on the head, the mets need arms to keep the ball in the park and lackey is alds\ws proven. Jason marquis is not a double ace.
I think the Mets will sign Marquis. He is very good friends with Frenchy and has said that he has always wanted to pitch in his home state. Will that be enough??? I dont think it will be. Marquis is decent but far from the number 2 starter the Mets need so badly.
I think that Ben Sheets or Erik Bedard would be prefect. I know there is quite a bit of injury risk involved but when those two are healthy they can be two of the best. They can both be had on short incentive filled contracts. The Mets do not have the farm system to trade for a good starter but they do have some money to burn.
The News said the Yankees were looking at Sheets, and that Sheet’s asking price was 11 – 12mm. Not that he’ll get that, but market is insane for pitchers.
I don’t think the Yanks will give him big money since he didn’t pitch this past season. One year plus incentives will be most likely for Sheets. No team will want to risk shelling out big money on oft-injured players these days.
I don’t Lackey was ever going to sign here. If this happens we should go all out for Halladay trade and sign Bay if it isn’t crazy.
……………….
“…. I didn’t realize that the Mets front office has become so inept that it is only capable of focusing on one free agent player at a time ….”
This is the way it’s always been …. one area (i.e., starting pitching, offense, bullpen, etc.) or one player …. multitask? improve multiple gaping holes instead of just one at a time? Not in the Omar reign of incompetence …. the man has always been, is now and will always be a moron.
These are my thoughts on the confusing decision that the Mets made to target a one-dimensional free-agent corner outfielder instead of a premium free-agent starter…
http://the1constant.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/12/mets_news_confusion.html
That has always been the story on Omar, and probably the Wilpons. One thing at a time is all they can handle. Well, if that is the case, the pitcher was far more important, was he not?
Oh my god. Listen to what you guys are saying. There is a lot of competition for these free agents. Maybe Lackey didn’t want to play for the Mets.
Lackey is no guarantee health wise.
All of a sudden no one likes Bay?
What do you want? 6 players earning $18M each?
You seem quite adept at defending the Mets for sitting on their hands rather than improving the team like the Phillies, Red Sox and Yankees have.
I just think that the plan of signing so many high priced free agents is not a good plan. The Mets will not have a $200M payroll.
The Mets are in a bind now, I admit. But signing all these high priced guys is very risky. If they don’t perform and when their production declines, it really hurts.
The Yankees have had lots of bad signings. They carried Jason Giambi’s $20M for three years while he was in a steep decline. Their luck seems to have changed now.
I’m not sure what to do. But you just might have to resign yourself to a rebuilding program that does not include winning the division is 2010.
I’m just being practical and realistic.
Practical and reasonable is paying for solid guys like Lackey and Halladay.
Foolish and unresonable is overpaying for Marquis and Pineiro as the Mets will ultimately do.
$16 million per year for Lackey = GENIUS
$12 million for Perez = DUMB ASS!
FIRE OMAR!!!
They should have taken their first shot at a top pitcher. It appears they did not.
We lost out on Lackey and the latest news is we lost out on Halladay also. Halladay goes to the Phils in a 3-way deal with the Jays and Mariners. Cliff Lee goes to the Mariners and prospects to the Jays. Teams are acting to improve themselves for next year. The Mets are asleep and doing nothing.
Message to the Wilpons: If you’re not serious about baseball, SELL THE TEAM NOW!
Amen Brother….
Omar! Omar! Where art thou???
Okay everyone, don’t panic. First, we were never going to get Halladay (too much money, too many prospects). Second, Lackey would have been overpaid. Let the Red Sox spend their way to oblivion trying to keep up with the Yankees. Third, the Phillies lost Lee in their trade so I feel that is almost a wash for them. Fourth, now we have a bunch of money to sign Bay and a couple of decent, if albeit middle rotation arms. Let’s go ahead and sign Piniero and Marquis (perhaps even Sheets) keep Maine, put Niese in the rotation and try to unload Pelfrey and Perez in package deals.
What do we get for Perez? A slightly used lawn mower, an usher, and a grounds keeper to be named later?
Don’t be too optimistic…more like a half a bucket of used golf balls, and the club Tiger’s wife used to bust the window of his SUV(Ya know, for Omar next October)…and someone may throw in the pants that Plax shot himself in.
Good one Matt!!!!
Doc won an average of roughly 15 games /yr over the past 6 yrs; Lee about 13/yr….so a modest upgrade. i am far more irate that we gave up on the only #2 starter in the market place. i doubt we ever made a bid for Lackey. BTW, Francesa said the Mets fell out of the Halladay race, because we would not give Reyes in the deal. If that’s true, we can’t fume too much on not getting Halladay.
Now, we have to settle for second tier pitchers. Francesa says to go after Arroyo; that the Reds would give him up in a salary dump (owed 10mm in 2010). Should we? Or should we sign Marquis for about the same money each year over 3 years? Sheets? Bedard? Harden if not to the Rangers)?
This is our new reality. What do we do?
A couple of middle of the road pitchers on 3 or 4 year deals will keep us in third place for 3 or 4 years.
i don’t disagree. What then, do we do? i was pining for a robust Plan B, maybe with some Tier 2 pitchers but also with the likes of Pierre or Crawford, Figgins….small ball to terrorize the opposition. Now, i have no clue.
OK, here’s what should be the real plan B.
1. figure out who not to get, therefore eliminating BS thumb twiddling.
2. focus on what FA’s to go hard at.
3. find out who to get via trade.
As far as 1 goes…No Delgado (at worst an entire lost season to injury w/ Murphy all year…same as doing nothing, only spending more….at best: he only starts hitting in July, when it’s too late anyway)…No to Pineiro (lifetime underachiever)…No to Holliday (I taste a repeat of Oakland in Citi, with a ton of money spent).
#2…too late for Lackey (go figure)…but Sheets for 1 yr could be your #2 if he stays healthy (I’m w/ that), Go all in for Bay, although streaky, best of the batch for LF… Pick Marquis or Garland (I prefer Garland, but either will do) probably require long term, but either will be a reliable inning eater, and Garland is a gamer, not expecting either to be a #2. Here’s the catch…Go hard for Nick Johnson at 1st…at worst, .275, 10, 60 w/ .375 OBP and Murphy filling in at 1st for a couple weeks, at best .300, 15, 85 w/ .400+ OBP…good # 3 hitter for this team. He doesn’t K, walks alot, and would help sure up the meat of the lineup.
#3…If Arroyo is attainable, get him…the Reds are terrible, he may come cheap….either he or Sheets would work out for a #2 guy. Arroyo is a slight head case, but stood tall in the playoffs for Boston when he was there.
I know some of this is goofy, but if it worked out, Hello NL East Champs.
i like Nick Johnson, but he’s fragile; hardly ever plays a full season: 1 500 AB season; 2 others 450 ABs in 7 ‘full’ years. We go with Murphy/Garko at 1B; pray we trade Castillo; sign Johnson or Kennedy; sign Bay; trade for Arroyo, sign Marquis or Sheets, maybe both; sign Capps or Carrasco.
I means the red sox got a starting pitcher…move on Mets…..Lackey is not worth the $ , jason Marquis is a deal at 5 mill a year , will pitch 250 innings and have a era at 4.00 ( wow what a joke, in the 60’s and 70’s an 4.00 era on a starting pitcher for the mets moved u to the unemployment line!)