Phillies Offseason Talk

[bobbyinlondon]

More from Wagner--doesn't surprise me:


Posted on Wed, Nov. 30, 2005
 




Burning Bridges, Mending Fences

Wagner: Phils not committed fully to winning

By Jim Salisbury

Inquirer Staff Writer


NEW YORK - On his first day as New York Mets closer, Billy Wagner came out throwing heat at his old team.

He trashed the Phillies' commitment to winning, wondered about their plan for this season, and said he'd likely still be with the club if it had been willing to give him a three-year, $24 million contract in July.

Instead, he officially became a Met yesterday, signing a four-year, $43 million contract that, according to agent Bean Stringfellow, easily topped the Phillies' best offer.

"The Mets are trying to win a World Series," Wagner said at Shea Stadium. "I felt like this was the right place to be."

And about the team 100 miles down the road?

"There's a difference between winning and being competitive," Wagner said. "In the end, I thought [the Phillies] were more interested in being competitive than winning.

"My goal is to get to the Hall of Fame and win a World Series. There's no doubt [Mets] ownership has resources and a competitive edge. They'll do whatever it takes to win. That's a huge plus."

Wagner, 34, leaned heavily toward the Mets after receiving a three-year, $30.25 million offer during a red-carpet visit to New York last week.

He became convinced that the Mets were his team when they guaranteed a fourth year, added an option for a fifth, and gave him a full no-trade clause Monday morning.

"We heard the Phillies had scheduled a conference call with Billy for [Monday] afternoon and that ownership was ready to review its offer," said Jeff Wilpon, the Mets' chief operating officer. "That's when we added a fourth year."

Wagner was so impressed with the Mets' offer that he had Stringfellow cancel the conference call with the Phillies, who, sources say, were ready to raise their offer and add a fourth-year option.

"I knew they wouldn't match all the Mets had done," Wagner said of his decision not to speak one last time with the Phillies. "They were still worried about age and all that stuff organizations worry about."

According to Stringfellow, the Phillies' best offer was three years and $25.5 million. Stringfellow said the value of the contract could have risen to just over $30 million with incentives based on games finished.

Wagner was not surprised that the Phillies weren't more aggressive.

"Not considering I gave them three for 24 [three years and $24 million] at the trade deadline and they laughed at me," he said.

Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro took umbrage with that comment.

"That's untrue," he said by telephone from Philadelphia. "No one laughed. The reason we were taken aback was that his original asking price was two years and $16 million. When we offered that, the asking price changed to three years at $24 million."

The Phillies were unwilling to offer three years in July because Wagner turned 34 that month and the team had concerns about the long-term health of his left shoulder. Wagner had spent time on the disabled list with a strained shoulder in 2004.

Like his predecessor, Ed Wade, new general manager Pat Gillick made keeping Wagner a top priority. Gillick improved the Phillies' offer to three years and was willing to add a fourth-year option, but it wasn't enough.

"If Pat had gotten there earlier, I think he could have gotten something done," Wagner said. "He didn't have much time."

Gillick and Wagner had one face-to-face meeting and the pitcher, at the time, said he was impressed with the new GM's plan.

Yesterday, Wagner made an about-face.

"For me, the question I had all along was I wanted to know their plan for getting relief and starting pitching and they really didn't have answers because Pat just got there," Wagner said.

"While the Phillies were getting rid of one guy, the Mets were buying up talent, and that's hard to overlook."

The "talent" Wagner referred to is slugger Carlos Delgado, whom the Mets picked up the same day the Phillies traded Jim Thome to the White Sox last week.

Wagner has 284 career saves, 59 of which came with the Phillies in the last two years. His legacy in Philadelphia may end up being the left-field wall at Citizens Bank Park. He frequently complained about it being too close. This week, construction crews will begin moving the wall back.

Wagner, at times, also complained about how close fans were allowed to get to the bullpens in Philadelphia, and how they would deride relievers during the game.

As a Met, he will play three series a year in Philadelphia.

"I'm sure I'll be treated the same way everyone else is," Wagner said. "I'll be heckled. The fans there are passionate. They're going to think I ran to the money - which I guess they would have passed up - but I get heckled in every park. It's part of the game."

[Phillyiggles_fan]

To date the Mets haven't been able to gel as a team.

Will be interesting to see how Wagner fits in with the group of Egomaniacs the Mets have...

[SD_Eagle5]

farg Wagner, now I have another reason to hate the farging Mets. While he may be right, keep your comments to yourself asswipe.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Well, Stark was right about getting Santana. Let's see if the Flash Gordon shoe drops soon too.

I still think they should go after Flash as a s/u guy and trade for Danys Baez from TB.

[SunMo]

Julio Santana:

42 IP, 21 ER, 34H, 4.50 ERA, 1.26 WHIP

[PhillyPhreak54]

Very average indeed.

Maybe they see something they can work with. Or Gillick is assembling a group of guys and may the best ones win. Thats what he said he wanted to do with the starters.

By the way...if any of you guys get the Inky today, they have a diagram on the front page of the sports section of the changes at CBP.

LF wall is going back 5 feet (329 to 334) and it is going to be 2.5 feet higher from 8 feet to 10.5 feet.

Monty said that they watched every HR hit to LF the last two years that that about 18-22 of them per year would not go out in the new LF. They are taking out 2 rows of seats, about 194-198 total.

[ice grillin you]

the height increase will make a big difference....seemed like every third homer to left was a line drive that just barely cleared the fence and went into the flower beds

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

"I'm sure I'll be treated the same way everyone else is," Wagner said. "I'll be heckled. The fans there are passionate. They're going to think I ran to the money - which I guess they would have passed up - but I get heckled in every park. It's part of the game."

He's absolutely right.  Fans will and should heckle him... but it's not like they would have taken less $$$ to stay.

Yay Julio!

[MURP]

the fact that Bell and  Lieberthal are still on the team makes me want to puke. 

[BigEd76]

Gillick was on WIP about an hour ago...

-- He does not believe in FNTCs, and he doesn't seem to be a fan of 10/5s either.
-- He says he doesn't watch press conferences for players leaving his teams unless they're on in the background....said he saw Wagner's PC yesterday.
-- Disagrees with Wagner that they're not trying to win, but he's not going to spend like crazy like the New York teams....he likes to be more creative.
-- He says he got reports from the medical staff that Wagner may have about 2 years left tops. They were willing to go to a 3rd year on a deal, but they were never going to touch a 4th or 5th year.
-- When asked why it's OK to let Wagner walk because of his age but they're looking into closers older than him, he said the guys like Gordon and Hoffman pitch on location and "use their brains, not just their arm".    He said when Wagner's velocity falls to the mid-90s as expected, he's pretty much screwed.
-- Reiterated that they're going outside the organization for a closer.
-- No big trades are on the table right now....they're looking at depth and "back of the rotation" starters instead. 
-- Says it's up to Charlie to decide how much Bell and Nunez are used.....he's just providing the players.
-- He says Rowand and Nunez will be great for team chemistry, then he added the usual cliches about winning attitude, blue collar, etc...
-- Despite Morganti's protests, he came right out and said we are not signing Bengie Molina. 

[MDS]

damnit. the catcher on this team is total garbage. i hate ed wade.

[Seabiscuit36]

-- When asked why it's OK to let Wagner walk because of his age but they're looking into closers older than him, he said the guys like Gordon and Hoffman pitch on location and "use their brains, not just their arm".  evil  He said when Wagner's velocity falls to the mid-90s as expected, he's pretty much screwed.

Im happy Gilick said it because that was my fear with Wags.  He's all speed and when you take that away he's Terry Adams

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

They're stuck with Loserthal one more year at least.  Oh well.

[BigEd76]

Santana signing official....1 year, $800K plus incentives

[Rome]

-- Says it's up to Charlie to decide how much Bell and Nunez are used.....he's just providing the players.

Whew.  I feel much better now.