The Future Of: Castillo, Maine, and Ollie

The Future Of… Step Three: Minors Savings, The Pen, everyone Named Castillo, Maine, and Ollie

So, by the end of day two, I saved the team $8,218,000 more in salary, and the total savings now comes to $52,668.000.

In addition, my 25-man stands at 17.

More Savings:

Let’s keep saving for the beginning of today. There are players being paid more than the minimum, to play AAA ball, on a team that is dead last, and we have kept them around in case of an emergency, so we can send them to Queens, and lose there. This is crazy.

I never liked Omar & Co.’s approach to AAA baseball. I hate nursing homes and I sure don’t need to write or root for one.

The following players are currently under a minor league deal and they, regardless of their results in 2009, offer this team no future. They include a 40+ year old that has pitched lights out, but as in the case of Ken Takahaski, if I have no use of a 40-year old in the majors; why would I keep one in the minors?

They would be:

OF – Emil Brown - $650,000
P Elmer Dessens - $600,000
OF Bobby Kielty - $600,000
OF Wily Mo Pena - $5,000,000 (what are you takin’ about, Willis?)
OF Javier Rodriquez - $585,000

This represents an additional savings of $7,435,000, raising the total savings to $60,103,000

The entire Tampa Bay payroll is around $63.,000,000… the Marlins is less than $37,000,000.

The Pen:

We’ve already determined that Francisco Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jose Feliciano, Brian Stokes, and Eddie Kunz are in my opening day 2010 bullpen. This is a 2-year plan, so it doesn’t have to be perfect on opening day 2010. What it will be is representative of the work needed. The five guys mentioned above will get the lion share of the work in my pen, thus, I can promote the three best guys in my minors system, that offer me a considerable future, due to the fact that they are in their 20s, not beyond:

Roy Merritt – Merritt has been up and down in 2009, but he’s ready. And, he will be 24-years old in 2010. This is the perfect time to work him into the pen rotation.

Tobi Stoner – Stoner has been a starter his entire career, but, with the projection of Jon Niese, Brad Holt, and Jenry Mejia being the next three SPs that will get a turn, the only way he gets on my team is in the pen. And, he deserves to be in Queens. I’ve followed his career through the Mets’ teams and no pitcher has succeeded with less support than Stoner. He’s a great pitcher and would make a great long man. He will pitch 2010 at 25-years old.

Adam Bostick – Bostick turned around his career in 2009 and he will pitch in 2010 at the ripe old age of 27. Makes my pen.

So, my 25-man now sits at 20 and I got 60mil in the checking account.

Everyone Names Castillo:

I have nothing against Javier Castillo. He’s a career .266 hitter in the minors, he has played 1B, 2B, SS, and 3B, and he’s be 26-years old next year. My kind of utility player, plus I can give him all the uniforms we already have made with his last name on them.

(25-man now at 21… still 60-mil in the checking account)

I have nothing against Luis Castillo either. He’s a nice guy, who’s been successful as a major league baseball player, worked hard in the 2009 off-season to be fit and ready, and has a great agent.

I do hate his contract, and I want to rid myself of as many, in my opinion, Omar & Co. mistakes from the past (why didn’t he sign that guy that the Dodgers signed?).

I will buyout the current contract that has $12,000,000 left on it. I’m sure my legal eagles can convince him and agent to accept a cash payment of 8mil to get him an outright release, so he can sign on with another team. I will play Alex Cora at 2B in 2010, because I have more pressing needs in the free agency market.

Naturally I have to deduct this entire payout from my checking account, so, I’m still at 21 players on my 25-man, and my checking account is down to $52mil and change.

John Maine

Remember, this is a 2-year plan, and the least I can do is give this guy another year to heal and prove he should stay apart of this team. I’m going into the free agent market for an SP2, and Mike Pelfrey will be the SP3 and Jon Niese the SP5. A healthy John Maine might be the best SP4 in the National League.

(25-man now at 22… $52mil in the checking account)

Ollie:

Same-o, same-o as Luis Castillo.

I don’t want to spend much time here. The contract was a mistake, he was handled badly in the WBC, and I’d rather cut fish with him so he can sign somewhere else. We owe him $24mil, and, again, I’m sure the legal guys can convince him and his agent to take a buyout at $18mil (I’m getting sick…).

So, we end day-3 and we’ve got only 3 more players to add to our 25-man, we’re short a catcher, outfielder and starting pitcher, and we’ve got $34,000,000 to spend in the contract year of 2010 to build our new team with the same payroll as 2009.

Tomorrow – free agency.