It’s an uplifting account that reminds all us of the human and compassionate side of an athlete that we rarely see or hear about. Considering the emotional weight of the loss of a friend, it’s remarkable that he was able to compete in finish the AFL season as strong as he did. The Mets’ first baseman of the future, finished the Arizona Fall League season hitting .341 with four homers and 16 RBI in 85 at-bats. Not too shabby! - metsmerized
Is Alex Cora a good hitter? If he is, he really hasn’t shown that ability through 12 major league seasons. Three times has Cora produced a wOBA over .300. His best skill has been his ability to draw a walk, with a career walk percentage of 6.8%. He doesn’t hit for power, with only 35 career home runs and 128 doubles in 3,459 plate appearances. He is not a particularly good base runner (as per Baseball Prospectus’ EqBBR stat, Cora has only four times produced a positive baser unning season, although one of those seasons was 2009). Drawing walks is not an unimportant skill, as both Will and I have emphasized here while ripping on Bengie Molina, but that is the only offensive skill Cora has displayed consistently in ten full seasons in the big leagues. - blueandorange
The Mets saved $3.2 million by handing Billy Wagner to the Red Sox in late August for minimal return. Essentially, the Mets sold two draft picks to save that money. Now, we've learned whose draft picks the Red Sox receive for taking on Wagner's remaining '09 salary and $1 million buyout.
Wagner reportedly will sign a one-year, $7 million deal with an option with the Braves. Because Boston offered Wagner arbitration, the Red Sox get Atlanta's first-round pick, plus a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds - Read more: Adam Rubin
Even if the Braves knew with absolute certainty that Soriano and Gonzalez both were heading for greener pastures, there are plenty of better options in free agency right now. Furthermore, the Braves’ most pressing need does not lie in the bullpen; it lies with their offense. First baseman Adam LaRoche was not offered arbitration, and they are currently looking at an outfield of Nate McLouth, Matt Diaz, Ryan Church, Gregor Blanco, and Jordan Schafer. On the whole, this seems to be a misguided signing by Braves GM Frank Wren. With about $70 million already on the books, the Braves have about $25 million to play with to fix up the team for 2010. They chose to spend 28% of that on Billy Wagner, who if healthy, may pitch in 5% of the team’s innings. For the same amount or cheaper, they could have signed a first baseman or outfielder who will take over 10% of the team’s plate appearances. - link
According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Phillies have agreed to terms with free agent catcher Brian Schneider on a two-year contract. Schneider will serve as backup to Carlos Ruiz in Philadelphia. The 33-year-old hit .218/.292/.335 with three homers and 24 RBI over 194 plate appearances in 2009. He is a .251/.323/.374 career hitter – so, I guess it’s same as a trade of old, thin hitting catchers, right… the Mets get Kosco, or whatever the hell his name is… you just know which one will have a great year… rotoworld
David Wright hit .307 in 2009, but his slugging percentage plunged 87 points. He also committed 18 errors, third-most in the NL. He remains the team's level-headed leader and is under contract through 2012 with an option for 2013. Wright led the Mets with 27 steals in 2009. Shawn Bowman is a possible backup, though he hasn't played above Class AA. - usa today
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