Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!
Kaz Matsui has gone back to Japan to play with one of the Japanese teams. I remember all the talk about him before he came to the Mets – he was a Chipper Jones with the bat, playing SS like he was Ozzie all ovah again. Maybe there, but sure nuff not here. We paid him 5 mill this past year to (not) play second base.
Now, we are gonna be paying Clint Barmes about the same to be a utility guy, or to not play second. And it’s gonna be 5 mill because he’s arb eligible and earned 3.5 mill this year to not play second base.
So even though it’s not adding to the payroll, just replacing someone, Fast Eddie has suddenly gots to make cuts SOMEwheres, so it’s Tim Byrdak, the 37 year old LOOGY and his 1.6 mill. It’s too bad for him that he’s arb eligible, because he’d get a raise. If he was a FA, he could just be re-signed for the same amount. But he was removed from the 40 man (along with Gustavo Chacin and Matt Nevarez – you remember him, he was the supposed Big Deal we got from the Rangers for Pudge Rodriguez – only thing he’s any good at is giving up walks – 38 IP, 46 WALKS, 41 K at AA. Don’t nobody else want him neither. He was on the 40 man all year last year and got 400 K to uck-say. Don’t ask me why a guy with a 1.98 WHIP got PROMOTED to AAA. Well, you can ask, and I’d say – politics – Fast Eddie don’t wanna admit he made a mistake…)
Anyway, Byrdak only managed 38 innings last year, partly because he was used primarily as a LOOGY because Mills wouldn’t send him out there to pitch a whole inning, and partly because he was hurt. He had his usual mid 3s ERA, but his H/9 increased to over 9 from 5.7, homers dropped and walks remained steady at 4.7/9 IP. I can understand not wanting to pay 2+ mill for a LOOGY. (I can’t understand wanting to pay 3 something mill for a 42 year old Doug Brocail, let alone 5 mill for a 32 year old Clint Barmes, but I digress…)
Anyway, he’s been assigned to AAA – not sure how on earth they could do that without passing him through waivers, but there he is. Maybe it’s because they can refuse the assignment and become FA, but I’m not sure. Anyway, I have a feeling that somehow, he’ll be on the team because the only lefty reliever they have is Fernando Abad. If not, and he’s released, he’ll find a job because he’s a lefty and he’s alive. But Mills sure nuff loved having 3 leftys and playing the matchup stuff as much as possible, so I don’t know that he’ll be happy with only Abad.
We’ll see…
And yes, I am going to bed early because tomorrow is the High Holy Day for females and me n the grrrrrrrrls are gonna CHARRRRRRRRRRRRGE it!!!!!
Tags: Houston Astros, MLB
Ed Wade will sign Byrdak, in the Winter. He’s a lefty, and he’s still breathing,
so I’m not too worried. I never though Chacin was any good, so no big deal
lossing him. I;m more interested in a RELIABLE 5th. starter! Figgy will fill
Moehler’s shoes…..but he’s NOT going to give you 150-200 innings next year.:)
becky,
only other lefty is wesley wright and hate to say it eddie boy, but byrdak is still bettern wesley, much as i LUUUVVV the little guy. as for a 5th starter, fast eddie is good at finding relievers offn the scrap heap, not starters. i would also be surprised if figgy stays the 5th starter all year – but then again, i would have said that about moehler 3 years ago, sao youneverknow. i doubt that drayton is gonna fork over money for a starter but he threw away money on clint barmes, so what do i know…
sigh
hope u had a good thanksgiving…
Lisa……i didn’t go shopping, had a quiet Thanksgiving with our youngest
boy (27yrs.) and enjoyed watching the Saints beat the Cowboys!! Nice relaxing
day. You and I KNOW Figueroa is not the answer to a fifth starter. Sooooo who
does Ed Wade go after? My money is on Bonderman, or Jeff Francis. Both
are coming off a first year back from surgery, and I think either one of these
two guys could hold down a back end of a rotation spot, very well! If the fans in Houston are waiting for Lyles to get called up…….they may be waiting for
at LEAST another year. I see NO REASON to rush an arm like Lyles, do you?!
He’s 19yrs. old, and has a BUNCH of years to establish himself! Drayton McLane
needs to “sweeten” the pot for a potential owner, by at LEAST trying to put a
quality product on the field. I have a feeling “clank” as you call him, is going to
get traded sooner, rather than later. McLane will take it on the chin, to free up
money next year, just like he did with Roy. One can only HOPE that’s gonna
happen! Have a good time shopping, I did all mine online! Becky:)
becky
you and i might could know that figgy is not the answer to a 5th starter, but that has like zero to do with what fast eddie thinks or what mclane wants to pay for… i wouldn’t have any problem with bonderman or francis as long as they are 1 year contracts and cheap, sort of like the russ ortiz/mike hampton experimenty.
as for lyles,
i think that it is fast eddie who is doing all the talkin about how we gonna see lyles this season. he wants to show how his Big Draft Choices are already in the majors, even if they are more castro than posey, to put it mildly. i see like NO reason to rush a 19 year old kid who can’t get AAA hitters out, just like i saw NO reason to rush a 23 year old catcher who couldn’t hit AAA pitching, but, fast eddie gots his agenda to pimp
mark schreunder pointed out on my last entry that prospective owners care more about the good lease on the ballpark and the RSN than they do whether the team is any good. unfortunately. all the people who wanted to get rid of drayton kept kind of conveniently forgetting that there are wollfs and lorias out there and they very well could be the next owner and we could be in for a LONG time of suckage, especially as bud selig and the rest of MLB want it to be that every single year, it is the yeccchs, redsux and mets in the playoffs and anyone else who just happens for some odd reason to be good that year. the rest of the owners take their 30 mill a year profit and give the finger to the fans while craying about how the yankees are sooooooooo unfair and the problem is really those greeeeedy players
we’ll see if clank gets traded because mclane would have to eat an enormous amount of money AND find some team who wants/needs a DH
It’s nice to have a REAL baseball conversation with another woman!
It gets kida hard hang’in with the fellas, they don’t give a girl a chance!
I still think Wade will try to test the waters on Carlos. The Rangers
are the ONLY team he would want to go to. He has a ranch about
2hrs. away from Houston in Warton, Tx. and he wants to stay close
to his ranch. If it takes eating millions to move him, my money is on
a trade. But…..like you say, who knows. I hate winter, the days are
longer, and I don’t get my baseball “fix”! Becky:)
I’m sure Clint Barmes will be the opening day starting shortstop, unless they trade for somebody better in between now and then, like Scutaro or Hardy. How sad is it that Barmes will be our best option for SS?
becky,
it IS great to have another grrrl around here!!!!!
- most of the guys around here are great. but i can sure nuff feel the roll-eyes if i start talkin bout (shudder) shopping
wade has been trying to trade clank for a couple of years, but clank has turned down every trade. including to the redsox/yanks. the rangers don’t need another DH – they already got vlad. and the other problem is that clank had BAD numbers last year and he wasn’t hurt.
i hate winter too. days are too short and no baseball in em
barmes couldn’t hit in colorado. he’s gonna hit here??????