Phillies Offseason Talk

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

"My elbow's healing nice, but I can't seem to get rid of these hemorrhoids."

[thrillhouse]

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Mets Fans

P.S - gift basket is in the mail

[SunMo]

see if you're thanking us in a year and a half when Wagner pitches 35 innings due to injury and he still has 2 years guarenteed on that contract.

[thrillhouse]

They don't care about three years from now.  They care about now.  When you're in the same town as the yankees you can't go too many years without winning something.  So if it takes giving wagner a four year deal thats really only going to benefit the Mets for two years, then yeah, they're all for it.

Plus its baseball, where money doesnt matter.  Thats why football is better.

[Rome]

They don't care about three years from now.  They care about now.  When you're in the same town as the yankees you can't go too many years without winning something.  So if it takes giving wagner a four year deal thats really only going to benefit the Mets for two years, then yeah, they're all for it.

Plus its baseball, where money doesnt matter.  Thats why football is better.

It's been nearly 20 years since the Mets won anything, Chief.   

Better to get it right now than 10 years from now because you overspent on someone like Wagner.

[thrillhouse]

Well they got there in 2000, but they were beat by a team that threw more money at more players then them.

[BigEd76]

....and it was the least likable World Series ever...

[MDS]

and one of the least watched. cause no one outside of new york gave a shtein.

[bobbyinlondon]

They don't care about three years from now.  They care about now.  When you're in the same town as the yankees you can't go too many years without winning something.  So if it takes giving wagner a four year deal thats really only going to benefit the Mets for two years, then yeah, they're all for it.

Plus its baseball, where money doesnt matter.  Thats why football is better.

Interesting--they threw money at Beltran and Martinez and didn't win. And what if he has a recurrence of the injuries he had in 2004?

[thrillhouse]

They don't care about three years from now.  They care about now.  When you're in the same town as the yankees you can't go too many years without winning something.  So if it takes giving wagner a four year deal thats really only going to benefit the Mets for two years, then yeah, they're all for it.

Plus its baseball, where money doesnt matter.  Thats why football is better.

Interesting--they threw money at Beltran and Martinez and didn't win. And what if he has a recurrence of the injuries he had in 2004?

Yeah but they went from 20 games under .500 to 4 games above it in one year so it helped.  So the same goes for this offseason with Delgado and Wagner and whoever else they sign.  Mets desperately needed a first baseman and a real closer.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Jayson Stark

The Phillies have stepped up their efforts to sign Gordon in recent days, according to two sources who have spoken with them. What is still unclear is whether they are willing to give Gordon the three-year contract he is looking for at age 38.

It's believed the Phillies have an offer on the table for Gordon, but indications are that it's for less than three years. And GM Pat Gillick expressed reluctance Monday to give contracts that long to 38-year-old pitchers like Gordon and Trevor Hoffman, who have now moved to the top of the free-agent closer heap.

In fact, that somebody might just get that deal from the Phillies. They've kicked the tires on nearly all the available closers -- from Gordon and Hoffman to Bob Wickman and Kyle Farnsworth. But every indication is that they've been the most aggressive team in the market in pursuit of Gordon, whom they've tried to sign on two previous occasions in the past.

Gordon -- who spent the last two seasons as Mariano Rivera's primary setup man in The Bronx -- hasn't been a full-time closer since 2001. But aside from saves, his stats the last two years were as close to Wagner's as any free agent out there.

Opposing hitters batted .180 and .203, respectively, with microscopic on-base percentages of .237 and .272, against Gordon over the last two seasons. That's not quite up there with Wagner's .181 and .165 batting averages, and .218 and .229 on-base percentages. But at this point, the Phillies can't be too picky.

And since the Phillies need to add setup men in addition to a closer, that would free up money to reel in both. And the Phillies are also actively chasing setup men. They'd been interested in Gordon whether they signed Wagner or not. And they made a run at Bobby Howry before he agreed to a three-year, $13-million deal with the Cubs.

They're now believed to be honing in on deals with Wagner's predecessor with the Mets, Braden Looper, and former Brewers righthander Rafael Santana -- both of whom would be used to set up.

But the top priority, Gillick said, is a proven closer -- especially now.

"You'd rather have ... someone who has done it," he said. "So certainly, you've got to have somebody who can handle that situation. If you're talking about a club that is out of contention, maybe they can take a chance on a young guy. But it's different for a team that's trying to contend."

Julio Santana stats

I believe Stark was talking about Julio Santana and not Rafael Santana.

And the last quote by Gillick basically shuts down the "move Madson or Padilla or Tejeda" to closer crowd.

[MDS]

i like farnsworth and gordon together doing whatever. combined wont cost as much as wagner.

[PhillyGirl]

LOL, Mets "fans" thanking Phillies fans.

Classic.

Overpay much?

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

It's funny to hear Mets fans whining about the Yankees buying a team.

[ice grillin you]

Overpay much?

who cares its not the fans money and theres no cap