27
2012
Hairston Claimed On Waivers, Unlikely He’ll Be Traded
An article by 
Jon Heyman reports that Scott Hairston has been claimed on trade waivers. Speculates that it could be Giants or Dodgers to block them.
Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the claim put in on Hairston was designed to block him from another team, and is unlikely to be traded.
The Mets could try and work out a trade with the team. pull him back from waivers. or simply give him to the claiming team.
Original Post 1:00 PM
The Mets have placed both Andres Torres and Scott Hairston on waivers before the weekend, and while there’s no surprise there, if they were going to do it anyway, why wait until the finals days in August?
Teams like the Dodgers may have had big interest in Hairston and we could have netted a considerable return, not sure we’ll get that much for him at this point although there is a rumor going around that he may have been claimed. By whom I have no idea.
But last week I asked some of our writers the following question about the hairless Hairston…
Scott Hairston is probably going to command at least a $3 million dollar deal on the open market, That’s a lot of dough for a 4th outfielder or even a right-handed part of a platoon. Should the Mets bring him back?
Clare Lafferty - Hairston has been a solid hitter and is fine in the outfield. Since the Mets put him on waivers recently, they are obviously trying to see what the market may bring. So, I think, while they have appreciated Scott’s play, they are certainly open to trading him or letting him go.
Mike Barrett – Based on the moves that Alderson has made in the past, its almost a sure thing that Hairston will be back. I don’t think he will command that much money and he knows NY is probably one of the few places he can get regular playing time.
Dan Valis – It really depends on what Sandy is able to do with the outfield situation. If he is able to secure two solid starters then I would say no. But if he has difficulty getting quality players to come in then he needs to consider it. Hairston has been really solid for us, but he is shinning mostly because nobody else is hitting on this team, especially in the outfield.
Joe Spector – At this point, who are the Mets going to put out there that isn’t either a washed up has been or a totally green minor leaguer? His value was at its highest a few weeks ago but he wasn’t traded. When you factor in the non-factor that is Jason Bay, there really isn’t any good answers unless if ownership is willing to eat Bay’s contract.
Jessep – It’s a question with so many variables attached to it. Is Jason Bay 100% on the Opening Day Roster? Do they go out and get any other OF help? I’ll put it like this – he can’t be their best outfielder. The roster needs to be re-tooled to the point where Hairston is an actual 4th outfielder. If somebody pays him $3million, they probably are offering him a bigger role than I would hope the Mets do.
Satish Ram – At least $3 million is right. He could probably ask for more and even play with the idea of starting somewhere. He is a complementary piece. He works with the right pieces around him. Unless the front office actually plans to contend next year, the money would sadly be better spent elsewhere. There’s a plethora of players that will be coming off injuries or bad seasons and looking for low-cost ways to prove themselves again. It is going to suck to go bargain bin hunting, but it seems like that’s the ideology this FO is going with for now. I really wish I had faith in their desire to contend, because to be honest, I would love Hairston back.
Robert Patterson – I suppose it depends what the team has to spend. Hairston is an asset, but not if retaining him comes at the expense of acquiring starting caliber talent elsewhere. An overhaul of the outfield is necessary for this team o move forward. Hairston isn’t a part of the long term solution, therefore his presence here is a luxury the Mets may not be able to afford.
XtreemIcon – Yes. As part of a platoon with Duda and/or Kirk, 3.5 million for a very capable duo is a great find. The issue I see is some teams offering him a full time job. He’s not a full-time player, so if he’s offered a full time job, even at the same $3, he won’t come back. And I don’t think he’s worth overpaying just to come back in a part-time role. But if $3 gets him here, then do it.
Nick Campione – I would re-sign Hairston to the best of my ability but let him know he will only platoon and that means Jason Bay must be cut too. I understand why some fans wanted to trade and still would look to do so by end of August especially with how bad Mets have played. I would only give him $3m if its over 2 years with $1.5m per.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 24 | 18 | .571 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 20 | .535 | 1.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 32 | .256 | 13.5 |
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Funny how people like Xtreem call Hairston “a great find”
It happens all the time and has happened many, many times in Mets history but since Alderson signs a bench player who has a good year it is an epiphany, a unique insightful amazing discovery that no other GM was capable of doing. That’s how those saber nerds think.
If Hairston is a great find than what do you call Todd Pratt? he was delivery pizza one day, a post-season hero the next. Was Endy Chavez the result of this unbelievable ability to find cheap talent in the same places other GMs overlook? Of course not. Was Benny Agbayani considered a “great find”? Like Hairston these are just a nice, run of the mill signings of a 4th Ofer, platoon/bench player that worked out.
a great rental maybe…
A great find would be if they signed him to a 3 year deal at 1.1 mil so they would have a 5 Mil player making a 5th of the buck he provides with his bang!
These one year deals they keep making are neither smart, long term or money saving!
They are just cheap for the sake of cheap and even when you hit on a good cheap player he’s not cheap to keep and all you did was pay him to reclaim his career to go play for someone else!
Well anyone who thinks he is only going to get 3 Mil offerred had better look at what other comparable players are earning for the performance.
Hairston is almost on a par with Pagan who makes close to 5M per and while he is younger all that really means is he would get a longer term than Hairston will but the per year salary is very likely to be close.
Thats says a 4-5 Mil per deal is likely to be offered for Hairston not the lowly 3 mil everyone expects.
That said he is the only RH hitting option we have in the Outfield and no matter what the price is you have to ask yourself if not him then who is going to be in there vs LHPs?
It sure as hell should not be Bay but likely will be. And any other decent option will cost a lot more than Hairston will.
SO look back at the history and actions Sandy has showed here so far and what do you think is going to happen?
Hairston will be your starting RH Hitting Ofer next season unless Sandy lets himself get outbid by refusing to bid against himself!
His Highness already confirmed left field would be a platoon of Duda and Bay next season. That leaves CF and RF up for grabs. Hairston is going to command more like $5 million and most likely a two year deal, so he’s not coming back. They will probably give CF to Nieuwenhuis and try to find a cheap $1 million bat in free agency to play RF. There you have it.
That said I almost hope they do make the trade with Hairston.
While it probably isn’t a smart baseball move it will have the affect of forcing the FO’s hand to get off his butt, stop wasting time with Bay as his only RH OF Bat, and maybe force them to go after someone that will require a decent spending commitment for more than a year!
If you take that 5 Mil Hairston is likely to get and add 5 Mil to it you basically have what would be a solid RH Power bat to play the OF!
Maniac – where did you read/hear that a decision was already made for next year?
Kay – Alderson said duda in lf and bay’s value is as a platoon v lefty. He said it on wfan last week
Thanks for the clarification. I think that was a bad move by SS to make such a stsement in Aug for the following year.
Mets fans will take that as gospel and if anything chnges it will be “but SA said…..”
I hope it does change and upgrades
Sorry for the horrifc typing spelling, using my blackberry is not a good idea
I agree with TRS. I don’t expect bay on the roster opening day. And at this point, he is a current player, so they are not going to bad mouth him, since they will try anything to unload him in the off season!
As to the comment he made kay, it is true, that if he has any value it would be as a platoon guy. But, that is not the same as saying I guarantee he is going to be doing it for the Mets next year. hell, he probably won’t even be doing it this September, in order to get Duda more LF PT!
what really makes me laugh is the anti-Sandy agenda crowd. All you hear is that he is a pathological liar, can’t be trusted, etc. Unless he says (or 1/2 says) something they think is wrong, then they jump all over it and treat it as Gospel. Can’t have it both ways.
GM speak regardless is largely smoke to be blown up your arse, so best to not put too much faith in anything they say. At best, it is true at the time, but subject to change at a moments notice.
Good point(s) Stick
I still think he has intentions of dumping Bay at some point during the off-season but it’s not like he can just come out and say “This guy is trash, we have no need for him and will be cutting him before the season starts”.
Let him go. Signing him to a huge raise would be no different than what Minaya did with Jose Valentin and Fernando Tatis. If you go dumpster diving and the players give you a good season, you count your blessings and move on.
More times than not, you are correct on this philosophy. There are always the Darren Oliver stories but those are few and far.
I thought the Tigers were at the top of the list to claim Hairston.
Hi Hotstreak,
I might be wrong but I think one’s own league gets first shot at a player on waivers.
Thanks Joey D.
I believe you are correct.
Trade him if we can get a decent prospect back and then re-sign him in the winter.
Off Topic: Listening to Bisons game and Backman just said in an interview that while he doesn’t know who will be called up he said would expect about 7 or 8 people to be called when rosters expand.
Mejia by the way with a rough 3rd inning. after a solid 1st 2 innings.
Hard to believe they have that many guys on the 40 man, or a way to get them there.
Mejia and Mchugh, sure they could be. Elvin I guess is on the 40 man. Nickeas?
True, the interviewer even asked Backman if that was a lot and Backman if I heard right said it was about the norm.
Looking at who is on the 40-man if indeed they call up 7 to 8 I wonder if the following possibly get a call up?
Jeurys Familia
Collin McHugh
Jenrry Mejia
Zach Lutz
Jordany Valdespin
Juan Lagares
Mike Nickeas
I forgot about a few, but there are some guys on there I would not expect to see (Lagares for sure, and IMO Familia). The rest can come up, so that is 6, a reasonably normal number.
Actually I never figured out what seems to be a contradiction between limiting the innings pitched in the minors and yet calling one up in September to pitch even more innings if possibly deemed ready to face major league hitting. Though not all starters reach their maximum innings count, wouldn’t most who don’t miss their turn in the rotation – and pitch well enough to go about six complete innings on average – have just about reached that total by the end of August?
Just wondering because decades ago the emphasis on innings pitched was of little consequence if the September call-up was still pitching well.
My god………
I will say something, why would anybody want a deal kinda like the dodgers and red sox have, maybe sacrificing wright in the deal so we can get rid of $45 million more in the payroll if we all know it will not be used to bring in free agents? not sure if anybody paid attention of last offseason when we shaved off $50 million + of the payroll and still we acquired crap trough FA. also, we all know how SA feels about signing players long terms or to high salaries. I guess slurpers will be slurpers no matter what the situation is. From he was the right man for the job, to had a good day, to the franchise is going into the right direction, to the wilpons are broke and it’s not his fault, to now wanting to shaved more salary of the payroll so he can work with this team. I mean, Lol, the excuses will continue for as long as he’s here. at this point, to me, it is what it is.
When we get to the one where the Dog ate his homework I think we can safely say they have run out! LOL
Until you started your normal middle school rhetoric I agreed with much of what you said. The Mets have already budgeted to pay Johan and Bay next year so trading one of our few tradable assets just to rid themselves of 45M that likely would not be reinvested in a weak FA market would be asinine.
You see there is the problem….
You Bitch he has no money to spend or claim they won’t LET him spend money and then you go and ignore the fact you AGREE with us that even if he had the money he would not likely spend it!
If they set a 100 Mil budget and he cuts 45 Mil out of he he should be able and willing to spend 45 Mil!
But you seem to think he won’t?
Who would be stopping him then cause it sure wouldn’t be the Wilpons that could be used as an excuse it that happened!
Still incapable of having a grown up counterpoint with using the word slurper?
You do realize there is a difference between excuse and reason. SA may be guilty of trying to get the best for the $, but you do realize the last few years the $$$ had an awful lot to do with loans owned to MLB, money tied up in bad contracts as well as a little something that was a snippet in the Media about Madoff.
Yes big difference….
Reason has an underlying logic that explains all events and actions.
Excuse has no underlying logic just a targeted dismissing of the events, actions or lack of actions that can’t be explained logically!
Those loans to the MLB and BoA are all paid off! Wilpons don’t owe either of them a penny! The Stadium and SNY loans are not problems of the Met finances they are seperate businesses!
So whats the EXCUSE or the underlying logic to the continued lack of spending now?
This idea of a team blocking a waiver should’ve been addressed in the CBA. The team that does that and doesn’t pursue a legitimate trade should be penalized, possibly a draft pick or some restitution to discourage this action.
Very true, and I’m surprised it wasn’t addressed in the new CBA considering how prevalent it has become in the last ten years. It’s actually counterproductive to the whole competitive balance MLB has always advocated, but never does a damn thing about it.
Define a legitimate trade?
Thats the problem with what your proposing!
It’s a little to subjective to call one trade proposal legitimate and another not.
What could be done though is award the team who loses the player a draft pick but how do you evaluate what value pick they should get?
A Beltran could be worth a 1st rounder but a Hairston wouldn’t!
And a compensatory pick would not stop the practice at all. The team who makes the claim would have to lose a pick.
I agree in principle with what your saying but I just don’t see any fair way to actually implement it considering the many different types of players that go through that proccess.
Better to remove the Waiver wire entirely and just make a hard trade deadline of August 31st which if I’m not mistaken is the cutt off day for players being eligible for your post season roster.
I agree that legitimate trade is subjective but I also know that this should’nt be allowed to continue. Maybe a July 31st or August 31st deadline is the answer but to not address this is a problem that’s been going on for too long now. I know that MLB doesn’t want a team to load up on players for the playoffs but a team blocking another with no intention of making a trade just can’t continue. That’s why I feel it would’ve been the perfect time to take care of this in the new CBA. Maybe it was just overlooked but they have other topics that they are still discussing to be implemented.
I hear you…
But unfortunatly the players will never let them make the changes that are needed to stop the practice in the CBA.
Think of why there is a waiver wire in the first place.
Teams sure don’t want one they would rather have the ability to assign anyone to thier Minor league team at any time as many times as they want!
It’s the players who really want it the most, It inhibits the chance a MLB team will send them down to the Minors or release them, and gives them a second chance to stay in the MLB.
The best solution is to award a draft pick from the team that claims him. They MIGHT get that from the players. The only issue will be coming up with a scale to determine which pick you get.
Be it the same round the player was originally taken in, Or something similar to the Type A , B FA system used for FA comp…
It’s not impossible to limit the practice but I see no way to stop it entirely.
And I don’t care if teams do it and I’m getting an extra pick for him.
Seems reasonable that there is some restitution. Maybe a Type A player could be a pick from the claiming team’s top 15 (depending on waiver’s ranking score) and a B player from the 16-30 something along those lines would definitely make a team think twice if you were serious about limiting it.
Basically if they claim him they would essentially be trading a Pick to get the Vet plus taking over his salary!
That would stop the blocking because a team could lose 5 or 6 picks if they are not careful and throw claims on 10 players they don’t REALLY want and ruin thier draft!