Mets Twitter was up in arms last night when the news broke about LaTroy Hawkins signing a a one year deal with the Rockies for what seems like a very reasonable $2.25 million dollars. It looks like Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd has got this moneyball thing down pat. He gets himself a closer for far less than the open market price of $12 million annually. The Mets don’t need a closer, assuming Bobby Parnell will be ready for Spring Training. But Hawkins for that price was still a bargain for a late inning reliever. Consider that the Mets were almost on the hook for $2.4 million on Brandon Lyon last season, but cut him a day before his incentive bonuses kicked in. Also consider the Mets shelled out $3.5 million for Jon Rauch the year before. Give the Rockies credit. They’ve been down this road before with Hawkins in 2007, and he rewarded them with a solid season in the thin air of Denver posting a 3.66 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP in 66 appearances. Fare thee well, Hawk…
As we already reported yesterday, the Yankees have jumped into the pool of teams that are pursuing shortstop Jhonny Peralta. Andy Martino of the Daily News says that for the Mets, any rumor involving Peralta is bad news. On a three-year deal, the 31-year-old is perfect for a team looking for a legit hitter, and an upgrade at shortstop. Going into the offseason, there was some thought that Peralta’s Biogenesis suspension would reduce his value, but that does not appear to be the case. Martino sees Peralta as a test for the seriousness of the Mets front office. “An unexpected bidding frenzy would test the Mets’ budget, and willingness to re-engage in the hunt for real free agents, which they gave not done since the Omar Minaya years.” If the Mets get shutout on Peralta and Stephen Drew, they may just have to settle for Rafael Furcal who is a high injury risk, or resign themselves to another year of Ruben Tejada and Omar Quintanilla. Reyes Replacement Counter: 716 days and counting.
Where will Robinson Cano end up? (the Mets?) CBS Sports reported that the Yankees and their free agent second baseman are about $150 million apart in contract negotiations. Yes, you read that right. In comparison, the Mets and Hawkins were about $1 million apart. (Ducks) Cano is reportedly asking for $310 million over 10 years while the Yankees are offering about $160 million over seven years. I think Cano is out of his mind – or maybe it’s rapper Jay-Z who is filling his client’s head with these astronomical numbers. Cano is obviously the top free agent on the market and is coming off a fantastic season that saw him slash at .314/.383/.516 with 41 doubles, 27 home runs and 107 RBIs in 2013. But he’s 31 and is looking for a deal that will pay him trough 41. I think the best thing about that Albert Pujols deal was that it jolted the system and I don’t see GMs and owners ever duplicating that mistake again. Sorry, Robbie…
Finally, the Post caught up with Mets owner Fred Wilpon who said it was “painful” watching Mets games last season. The team’s owner was asked about the University of Michigan football team Monday and he responded: “What football team? It’s painful to watch that, but it was painful to watch a baseball game this year, too.” Hilarious… Trust me on this, Fred… I feel your pain… 🙂
