The GM meetings are underway in Florida, and yes, the Mets will meet with agent Scott Boras about Alex Rodriguez.
“As I’ve said before, he’s one of the free agents in the market, and we’re looking at all free agents,’’ Minaya said, something he says all the time.
He also said: “We don’t need to fill third base. I’m telling you, today we’re very happy with David Wright at third base.’’
Minaya won’t tip his hand on anything. I read this as the GM covering all the bases because Rodriguez would be an unlikely and expensive fit.
The Mets offered a Rodriguez a little over $100 million seven years ago and if published reports are true, they’ll have to more than triple that to be in the hunt.
Boras will bring to the table reports detailing Rodriguez’s numbers and he’d be right. He’ll also speculate about what Rodriguez might produce revenue wise for the Mets and SNY. All that’s conjecture. The Mets will sell out most every game in 2008, the last season at Shea, and in 2009 and beyond, after the new park opens.
For Boras to credit Rodriguez for that would be inaccurate and self-serving.
20 Comments
Can ARod pitch? Cos that’s what the Mets need. Starting pitching. They can spend $300 million in a better way.
The other thing is that A-Rod could turn out to be a disaster. He’ll put up big numbers for sure. (Although probably not like last year). But the expectations will be so high. It could be ugly if A-Rod struggles or has a bad post-season.
The backlash from fans if either DW or Reyes was moved for A-Rod would be overwhelmingly negative. And if one of them slumped, or worse, got hurt, it would be even worse.
I get that he has to kick the tires, but I fear bad things if he is actually signed by the Mets.
I don’t see the Wilpon’s giving him $300 million.
To say that ARod could turn out to be a disaster applies to every move you make in every walk of life. So one should sit still and not make a move at all because it miught be bad. The fan reaction? If the fan reaction was blase about the great collapse, then the fan reaction is irrelevant.
And for your last comment JD about Boras, his job is to represent his client. If Omar can’t see what is bluster and what is real then Omar shouldn’t be there with the big boys. If I were a star player wanting $$$ Boras would be my only choice for an agent.
And to all those who say spend the money in a better way the question is where?? On Silva, the best FA out there?
Stand pat, stand pat you’ll be booing the team all year!
Just to let everyone know Carlos Beltran and David Wright won Rawlings Gold Gloves for their respected positions.
I agree Sloppy, the phrase self serving was invented just for sports agents, lol
Congratulations to David Wright and Carlos Beltran!!!
http://metsmerizedonline.com/blog/2007/11/carlos_beltran_and_david_wrigh.html
To Sloppy (RE: Boras): Agreed 100 percent. Boras’ only concern is getting the best deal for his client. One thing, however, in all those reports detailing what Rodriguez brings to the table, there will be a very small chapter on his influence in helping his teams win in the playoffs. I say, if selling out the stadium and ratings were the key, the best way to do that is to win.-JD
Well I guess the Mets can’t move their GOLD GLOVE third baseman….gotta hand it to Wright’s agents on this one.
I would hope this is just a pro forma meeting on Omar’s part. The Mets do not need Alex Rodriguez in any way – on or off the field and I cannot imagine a clubhouse with him and the current Mets coexisting together.
Perhaps this is just a woman’s view…......
Just get this over with already. Make him a best shot, take it or leave it offer and move on. 6 years, 180million, and tell him that A rod will be playing 1st base most likely, unless they can’t move Delgado.
Or don’t tell him where he is going to play. For that much money, he should park cars before the game, and sell dirty water dogs in the middle innings!
Annie (RE: Woman’s point of view): Can’t agree with you there. It’s not just a woman’s perspective, a lot of people think that way.-JD
this is going to be like the zito negotiations like last year, the price wasn’t all too overwhelming but omar never just made an offer and said take it or leave it. (that was probably a blessing in disguise tho, the mets will probably be in the talks for a while and boras will drive up the price even more, then omar will miss the chance to almost erase the collapse. Also J.D. do you think Omar might be talking to him about his other players? Like gagne? id take him
Annie it is definitely not a woman’s point of view, I don’t think he is worth the baggage that he brings. If he won a couple championships and still had the baggage I would say bring him on board but this is ludacris what he is asking for. He only cares about himself thats all.
JD – you nailed it.
Sloppy – So you want ARod?
I´m tired of reading that ¨it will take $300 million to get ARod¨—that´s playing right into Boras´ hands. If his best offer is 8 years at $220-$240 million, he´s not going to sit out. Last time, Tom Hicks outbid his competitors by around $100 million, and with a limited number of teams capable of or interested in making that kind of committment, the chances of another idiot emerging are reduced.
Why do any of you care that the guy is going to make 30M/yr. If you had his talent wouldn’t you ask for the Stars, the Moon and the planets? I would. And if you say no you are full of it.
Also the money should not be an issue. The Mets have more money than anybody except the Sox and yanks. Second, the clubhouse thing is overated. Thirdly, why do people assume that wright/reyes have to move? make arod move to 1b. It would endear him to the Fans that he made a sacrifice.
If I’m the Mets I tell Boras that they’ll pay him but only if he moves to 1b. From the reports this might work b/c alot of teams are bowing out. But it won’t happen b/c the Muts won’t eat Delgado’s salary.
Thus, expect the tweaking process to continue by signing Anderson, Castillo etc…....and expect the Muts to be a .500 team in 2008…...especially now that it appears that Galvine will be headed to Atl and though I’m no fan of his (and don’t want him back), if we don’t replace his inn/and decent performance (over the course of the yr) will will definelty be .500…and there does not appear to be any good alternatives…...
Thus, are only chance to be better than .500 is to pound the opposition into the ground! SIGN AROD…
Boras will as he has done in the interest of his clients, past and current, leverage all of the teams against each other in order to give his client (and himself), the largest pay day. It is in Boras’ interest to keep a big name team like the Mets in the mix as long as he can to drive the price up, even if his client has not desire to come here. The Mets should put their best offer out there (without giving up the store) and then either have it accepted and bow out of the AROD sweepstakes showing that they made an effort. Everyone gets affected by these media circuses, including the other Mets. AROD is a great player, but, is not worth the undermining of the rest of the team. My vote is we offer quick, get out, and then turn our attention to pitchers, catchers, and second basement full time.
..oops second basemen.
I’m not crazy about paying Rodriguez a lot of money but let’s remember the Mets had probably the worse regular season collapse WITHOUT him. John is certainly right the Mets will sell a lot of tickets for the next couple of years without him but what would A Rod mean to TV ratings and selling season tickets (currently the Yankees sell 36,000 the Mets 26,000). How many extra season tickets would he sell not to mention merchandise? Would that pay for A Rod? I don’t know. I’m sure Boras will tell you a lot but is there any independant way to estimate that?
I have seen a number of athletes in my life who are ridiculed in their first 10 or 15 years who suddenly become
heroes. muhammed Ali (Gerald Ford invited him to the White House in 1975. Unthinkable a few years earlier). Carl Yastremski (made a run for 100 rbis in 1976. See Jim Bouton books for earlier negative comments on the second greatest athlete Long Island ever produced..the screen name is my choice as greatest). Mike Schmidt (MVP in 1986). Shaquille O’Neal when he started to win for The Zen Master. Wilt Chamberlain when the taller Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came in the league. Peyton Manning last year.
Rodriguez will soon be catching up to real legends and he is clean, as far as we know. What would that mean to drawing fans (plus the Mets can scalp tickets on Stub Hub).
I have said I am in favor of concentrating on pitching and I still am. But A Rod in the Orange and Blue is very tempting. I don’t go around hating the Yankees but let’s face it: how good would it be to get one of their guys and win with him? I shouldn’t be dreaming this after the pain of Generation K 12 years ago but suppose we have the young aces already on hand with Humber and Pelfrey to go with Maine and perhaps Perez?
Maybe Boras sees things differently and better from the outside.
No starting pitcher is available that is worth it’s salt, whether in trade (for what the Mets would have to give up to make it happen,) or free agency. Given that you go for the best player that is available to help strengthen your team. A-Rod is the man to sign. To say that the Mets won’t have enough money to sign him and let’s say Santana as a FA is just plain wrong.