Absolutely, if you believe a Saturday report from the New York Daily News’ Adam Rubin.
Mets officials dined with free-agent infielder David Eckstein in Greenwich, Conn., this week in the hopes he’ll fill the second base vacancy in Flushing.
By employing the same kind of treatment that wooed Billy Wagner and Tom Glavine during previous offseasons, Mets officials are illustrating how serious they are about signing the sparkplug to play second.
Eckstein, the 2006 World Series MVP at shortstop, apparently is looking for a contract comparable to the four-year, $36 million deal Julio Lugo signed with the Red Sox last December, which might prove a stumbling block. That’s a larger price tag than fellow free agent Luis Castillo is expected to command. Castillo has several other suitors, including the Astros.
Though the cynic in me would rather see the Mets reacquire Stupor Joe McEwing and pay him the league minimum than invest nearly $40 million in the services of the diminutive Eckstein, I’m gonna try and look on the bright side. For one thing, this could be just what TNA needs to increase their buy-rates in the Tri-State Area. Who amongst us wouldn’t like to see Chris Russo hit with a chair?
There’s also the small matter of the organization giving up on Ruben Gotay (.295 BA in 190 big league at bats last year) and Anderson Hernandez (.301 batting average at New Orleans, though he struck out twice as often as he walked). But who am I to claim the Mets aren’t excellent judges of infielding talent? It’s not as though Marco Scutaro ever amounted to anything .
Your dudes need to employ that SABER crap into their evaluation of young players. Dustin Pedroia was a joke the first month despite having great SABR numbers and it all worked out in the end. They need to stop spending their cash on Moises Alou and hire better amateur scouts, mandude.
Quite ironic that the one latino player the Mets should be going after – Castillo – they’re not. Omar’s going to sign a 5-foot-tall white guy to block Gotay and A-Hern? At least the Yorvit deal fell through.
ironic?
some of Omar’s past free agent acquisitions included Latino icons Billy Wagner and Paul Lo Duca. He traded for such hispanic fan faves as Shawn Green and John Maine.