Busy Mets are zeroing in on Zito
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Wednesday, December 7, 2005
By STEVE POPPER
STAFF WRITER
AP
arrowBarry Zito
DALLAS - While it may be the big bat of Manny Ramirez that remains an infatuation for general manager Omar Minaya, it might be the potent arm of Barry Zito that is the real pursuit of the Mets.
While the Mets and Red Sox have tried to make a deal for a year now that would bring Ramirez to New York, the possibility of the Mets making a move for a starting pitcher who could reside near the top of the rotation has become a more likely scenario.
The Mets have discussed a number of scenarios in which they could deal away their own No. 3 starter, Kris Benson. And according to one baseball official the Mets were discussing a deal Tuesday night that would send Benson to Kansas City for either lefty Jeremy Affleldt or right-hander Mike MacDougal, both relievers.
An upgrade in the rotation could come if they can land either Zito or Javier Vazquez, who was with Minaya during their time in Montreal. Vazquez has demanded a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Mets met with D-Back officials Tuesday to try to find a match.
Zito, who flourished under current Mets' pitching coach Rick Peterson, is the last of the A's big three that included Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson. One baseball official said that A's GM Billy Beane has downplayed his interest in dealing Zito, but the A's are listening to offers and if the right one comes, they are open to moving him now.
Spotlight
Name: Barry Zito
Position: Pitcher
Age: 27
Experience: Six seasons (86-53, 3.50).
Strengths: Darting fastball; one of the best curves in the majors.
Weaknesses: Poor control (averaged 3.5 walks per game in '05).
The skinny: 47-17 his first three seasons, only 39-36 since.
The A's already added Esteban Loaiza with a three-year, $21 million deal last week and even Zito finds it hard to fathom that he could be kept around.
Zito, who will make $8.5 million in the coming season in the last year of his contract, told the San Francisco Chronicle, "My first thought was that I'm getting traded. ... Unless the new ownership has changed more than I thought, it will be tough for them to have two starters making so much. It doesn't seem feasible. I'll believe it when I see it. The first indication is if I show up in Phoenix for spring training."
According to a person close to Zito, the 2002 Cy Young Award winner likes New York and would be open to signing a contract extension with the Mets if a deal could be completed. The Mets would require a window to extend Zito's contract beyond the 2006 season if they were to pull the trigger on a deal, something that the A's and Zito's agent Arn Tellem are believed to be open to.
The bigger question is whether the Mets will surrender what likely will be the beginning asking price for Zito - top prospect Lastings Milledge.
Minaya would not discuss either of the starting pitchers, but he did admit an interest in adding to the starting rotation that is deep, but with a number of question marks. The Mets have Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine at the front end of the rotation, both reliable, but closer to the Hall of Fame than their prime. Then the Mets can trot out Benson and a pair of pitchers from among Jae Seo, Steve Trachsel, Victor Zambrano, Aaron Heilman and Brian Bannister.
"We would like to add a guy. We still believe with our ballpark we like to have pitching as a priority," Minaya said. "The opportunity comes to get a frontline guy you have to at least explore it."
As in their pursuit of another bat, the Mets are dealing from a position of power - having enough depth that they believe they can walk away empty-handed in these pursuits and still enter the season confident that they can contend.
But there is a window where the Mets can upgrade their rotation while filling another of their most pressing needs. The team discussed a deal with the Orioles last month for Benson that would have brought reliever Jorge Julio - a move that would save the team approximately $5 million in salary this year.
The cost-cutting - and improving the bullpen at the same time - would be necessary to get Vazquez, who will earn $12 million in each of the next two seasons, or Zito, who is likely to be worth at least that annually in an extension based on the market that paid A.J. Burnett $11 million per year in his just-completed deal with the Blue Jays.
Minaya was meeting with teams through the night Tuesday, but also working on filling out the rest of the roster. The team was working on a deal to try to retain Roberto Hernandez, but Minaya said the team was not talking with Braden Looper any longer. The Mets also were still trying to find a taker for Kazuo Matsui - intent on signing Mark Grudzielanek after tonight's deadline for salary arbitration.
E-mail: [email protected]
----------------------
I would clearly LOVE this.
e-mail print
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
By STEVE POPPER
STAFF WRITER
AP
arrowBarry Zito
DALLAS - While it may be the big bat of Manny Ramirez that remains an infatuation for general manager Omar Minaya, it might be the potent arm of Barry Zito that is the real pursuit of the Mets.
While the Mets and Red Sox have tried to make a deal for a year now that would bring Ramirez to New York, the possibility of the Mets making a move for a starting pitcher who could reside near the top of the rotation has become a more likely scenario.
The Mets have discussed a number of scenarios in which they could deal away their own No. 3 starter, Kris Benson. And according to one baseball official the Mets were discussing a deal Tuesday night that would send Benson to Kansas City for either lefty Jeremy Affleldt or right-hander Mike MacDougal, both relievers.
An upgrade in the rotation could come if they can land either Zito or Javier Vazquez, who was with Minaya during their time in Montreal. Vazquez has demanded a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Mets met with D-Back officials Tuesday to try to find a match.
Zito, who flourished under current Mets' pitching coach Rick Peterson, is the last of the A's big three that included Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson. One baseball official said that A's GM Billy Beane has downplayed his interest in dealing Zito, but the A's are listening to offers and if the right one comes, they are open to moving him now.
Spotlight
Name: Barry Zito
Position: Pitcher
Age: 27
Experience: Six seasons (86-53, 3.50).
Strengths: Darting fastball; one of the best curves in the majors.
Weaknesses: Poor control (averaged 3.5 walks per game in '05).
The skinny: 47-17 his first three seasons, only 39-36 since.
The A's already added Esteban Loaiza with a three-year, $21 million deal last week and even Zito finds it hard to fathom that he could be kept around.
Zito, who will make $8.5 million in the coming season in the last year of his contract, told the San Francisco Chronicle, "My first thought was that I'm getting traded. ... Unless the new ownership has changed more than I thought, it will be tough for them to have two starters making so much. It doesn't seem feasible. I'll believe it when I see it. The first indication is if I show up in Phoenix for spring training."
According to a person close to Zito, the 2002 Cy Young Award winner likes New York and would be open to signing a contract extension with the Mets if a deal could be completed. The Mets would require a window to extend Zito's contract beyond the 2006 season if they were to pull the trigger on a deal, something that the A's and Zito's agent Arn Tellem are believed to be open to.
The bigger question is whether the Mets will surrender what likely will be the beginning asking price for Zito - top prospect Lastings Milledge.
Minaya would not discuss either of the starting pitchers, but he did admit an interest in adding to the starting rotation that is deep, but with a number of question marks. The Mets have Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine at the front end of the rotation, both reliable, but closer to the Hall of Fame than their prime. Then the Mets can trot out Benson and a pair of pitchers from among Jae Seo, Steve Trachsel, Victor Zambrano, Aaron Heilman and Brian Bannister.
"We would like to add a guy. We still believe with our ballpark we like to have pitching as a priority," Minaya said. "The opportunity comes to get a frontline guy you have to at least explore it."
As in their pursuit of another bat, the Mets are dealing from a position of power - having enough depth that they believe they can walk away empty-handed in these pursuits and still enter the season confident that they can contend.
But there is a window where the Mets can upgrade their rotation while filling another of their most pressing needs. The team discussed a deal with the Orioles last month for Benson that would have brought reliever Jorge Julio - a move that would save the team approximately $5 million in salary this year.
The cost-cutting - and improving the bullpen at the same time - would be necessary to get Vazquez, who will earn $12 million in each of the next two seasons, or Zito, who is likely to be worth at least that annually in an extension based on the market that paid A.J. Burnett $11 million per year in his just-completed deal with the Blue Jays.
Minaya was meeting with teams through the night Tuesday, but also working on filling out the rest of the roster. The team was working on a deal to try to retain Roberto Hernandez, but Minaya said the team was not talking with Braden Looper any longer. The Mets also were still trying to find a taker for Kazuo Matsui - intent on signing Mark Grudzielanek after tonight's deadline for salary arbitration.
E-mail: [email protected]
----------------------
I would clearly LOVE this.
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