12.01.09

NYDN’s Spector : $2 Million For Cora Is “Insane”

Posted in Baseball at 2:45 pm by GC

Never let it be said the Mets are only concerned with peddling shirts no one wants ; over the past two days, they’ve inked former Red GM Wayne Krivsky to augment the super talent that is Omar Minaya, signed backup backstop Chris Coste, and re-upped with utility IF Alex Cora. It’s the third of those transactions the New York Daily News’ Jesse Spector finds most questionable, scoffing, “either their financial picture isn’t as bleak as has been presented, or the Mets just spent $1.5 million too much to fill a roster spot that demanded a minimum-salary player.”

Cora is a versatile infielder, a disciplined hitter, a solid clubhouse presence and a savvy guy with the media. And the Mets are insane for making this deal.

The last time that Cora played triple-digit games in a season was 2004 with the Dodgers. He has a .313 career on-base percentage, is 34 years old and coming off surgery on both of his thumbs. He’s hit one home run in the last two seasons combined and has an OPS+ of 70 for the last four seasons.

The Mets have switch-hitters at Cora’s two natural positions of shortstop and second base, so it’s not as if he’s going to be up for a platoon. If he has 308 plate appearances as he did this year, it will mean that another season in Flushing has been spoiled by injuries.

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