I wanted to update this post with some new and important information regarding Japanese import Hiroyuki Nakajima. The bidding is over and according to the great site NPB tracker, the winning team will be announced tomorrow and some have speculated that the Mets could be one of those teams that bid on the 29-year old shortstop.
Seibu will file the paperwork on the 7th (JST) and the winning team will be made public within the same day. So we don’t know the winning team or bid amount yet, though the Giants and Brewers have both clarified that they did not bid. So who might the winner be? My first three guesses would the Mets, the A’s, and the Rockies. But I’m not really up on the infield needs of most of MLB, so those really are random guesses.
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According to Steve Popper of NJ.com, Mets manager Terry Collins has said that the team has interest in Japanese import, shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima, who is expected to post this offseason.
Collins said that for now, Ruben Tejada is his starting shortstop, but that if Nakajima were to come, “we’ll see if we can find a hole for him.”
Nakajima hit .297/.354/.433 with 16 home runs, 100 RBI and 21 stolen bases last season this past year for the Seibu Lions in Japan.
The Lions agreed in the middle of November to post Nakajima and according to the Japan Times, one team put a bid on the shortstop. That team, according to Fox Sports, is the San Francisco Giants. However, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Fox’s report is inaccurate and the Giants were not the team that submitted a bid on Nakajima.
Could the team who bid for Nakajima be the Mets?
According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Mets will talk to free-agent reliever Jason Isringhausen about possibly returning in 2012, but warns they are not willing to offer much.
The Mets had a chance to trade Isringhausen last season at the trade deadline and had received offer for the veteran reliever that they turned down. Sandy Alderson later said he made the decision to keep Izzy as a mentor for Bobby Parnell and Pedro Beato who quickly went downhill soon after Frankie Rodriguez was traded. Izzy, was probably the Mets most consisten reliever last season but missed the final month of the season with leg numbness due to a herniated disc in his back.
The Mets have expressed interest in signing reliever Todd Coffey, formerly of the Washington Nationals, according to John Morosi of Fox Sports.
Coffey mainly throws a sinking fastball that goes up to 95–96 mph, and a sharp dropping slider at 81–82 mph, but has been very ineffective throughout his seven year career posting a 4.08 ERA and a 1.419 WHIP in 438 appearances.
Coffey, 31, is best known for his dashing sprints from the bullpen to the mound when he is summoned into a game. Last season, he pitched for the Nationals and went 5-1 with a 3.62 ERA in 69 relief appearances.
