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01/10/2005: Mets fans should be happy....
The general buzz is that the biggest free agent deal of this off-season is due to be consummated, as the NY Mets and playoff series darling Carlos Beltran have apparently come to terms. According the the New York Times, the deal is for seven years and $119 million.
They are hoping that Beltran, who was seemingly destined to play center field for the Yankees, then was supposedly returning to the Houston Astros, can help them revive a stagnant organization, and they are dreaming about eventually challenging the Yankees for supremacy in New York.$119 million? Why the hell not an even $120 million? I'll be wrapping my mind around that for a few odd minutes this morning when I have nothing better to do.
By being persistent and offering the most money, General Manager Omar Minaya persuaded Beltran to spend the next seven summers chasing fly balls in Flushing and playing in the shadow of the Yankees. The Mets are hoping Beltran can do something about that shadow.
Beltran does everything well: he can run, hit, hit for power, throw and field. In signing Beltran and Pedro Martínez, the premier free-agent pitcher on the market, the Mets have invested $172 million in a makeover. That Minaya - who has made a point of appealing to Hispanic players - was able to persuade each player to relocate to a team that has averaged 71 victories in the last three seasons cannot be viewed as anything but baseball's biggest coup of the off-season.
Len on 01.10.05 @ 07:19 AM CST
Replies: 4 comments
on Monday, January 10th, 2005 at 11:40 AM CST, Roboto said
The positive to this deal is that Beltran is on the right side of 30. The Mets always give the big money to the free agent stars a few years too late (Pedro, Cliff Floyd, Glavine, Bonilla, Piazza).
I was disheartened to read that Boras called the Yankees at the last minute offering them a deal of 7 years, $100mill. As if the Mets were second place.
Also, it seems a little dumb to sign a great CF, when they already have Mike Cameron. Cam's numbers are great for a strong defensive CF'r, but subpar for a rightfielder.
on Tuesday, January 11th, 2005 at 6:58 AM CST, Len Cleavelin said
Boras offered the Yankees a deal for *less* money than the Mess...er, Mets had offered? Something don't seem right about that.
on Tuesday, January 11th, 2005 at 9:20 AM CST, Roboto said
I think the only other explanation--other than Beltran's first choice was the Yankees--would be that he was trying to bait the Yankees into show *some* interest in the negotiations. Don't forget, the Yankees are so over the cap that a 7/100 would have turned into a 7/140 or so deal (with luxury tax penalties).
The game Boras was probably trying to play was to get the Yankees interested at 7/100, and then try to squeeze the Mets for a few extra million in a counter.
on Tuesday, January 11th, 2005 at 11:49 AM CST, Len Cleavelin said
The cap slipped my mind (how in hell it did that I don't know, but...) That makes sense.