Cruel Winter. Official Thread of Pain and Suffering AKA Mets Off-Season 2013

[Captain Crunch]

We shouldn't have to go through this brehs

Mets acting like they're targeting Cody Ross

Spoiler

The Mets could target free agent OF Cody Ross this winter, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

“The Mets have a glaring need for outfield help, and multiple baseball officials yesterday pointed to Cody Ross as a possible free-agent target for the team,” writes Puma.

Ross, who will be 32 on Opening Day, hit .267 with a .326 OBP, 22 home runs and 81 RBI with 129 strikeouts in 476 at-bats this past season with Red Sox. He just completed a one-year, $3 million contract he signed with Boston before the 2012 season.

Before Ross signed with the Red Sox this past January, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN said the Mets were interesting in signing him, although Adam Rubin of ESPN New York later said the Mets didn’t want to spend more than $1 million to secure his services.

Last month, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe said the Red Sox are interested in signing OF Cody Ross to a multi-year deal, although according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford, Ross and the Red Sox were not close to coming to terms on a new deal during the exclusive negotiating period last week.

Cafardo says Ross could be interested in signing with a team out west, although he says the Yankees, Phillies and Braves could be “major players” for Ross’ services this winter.


Michael Baron, MetsBlog.com
Ross would be a strong fit for the Mets. I thought he was a strong fit last winter as well, and was disappointed the Mets didn’t sign him at the time. He is a polished version of Scott Hairston, as Ross has hit right-handed pitching better over the course of his career. Ross does strikeout more than Hairston but his production is more or less even from both sides of the plate, which is something Hairston struggles to do. Ross is a capable defensive player who can play all three outfield positions as well. Given the Mets could be going with Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Lucas Duda – two left-handed hitters who don’t provide much certainty – Ross’ right-handed bat and his versatility could prove very valuable for the Mets, should they pursue him this winter.

Mets could target Cody Ross this winter | Metsblog

The comments below though

 

[metsfan]

I can't decide which of these represents my feelings towards this organization more. Either way,

 

[Captain Crunch]

David Wright Wilson Defensive Award Winner

 

[SmoothOperator88]

Is it too early to throw the 2013 Mets in the :bushes:?

 

[mvp_status]

Hell no, I refuse.

Yall have fun with this thread though

 

[Big Dick]

mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

 

[Captain Crunch]

Is it too early to throw the 2013 Mets in the :bushes:?

I already did, and so I did so w/ the next couple of years.
The only thing I'm looking forward to is the Wilpons being forced out and replaced after Selig retires in 2014. If not for that, maybe we trade Wright and dikkey and start investing in the draft and International Free Agents(kids from Latin America; young players from Asia).

Spoiler

Who am I kidding, we don't trade Wright and he signs w/ the Phillies in 2014, and the Wilpons are never forced out even after Bud Selig retires.

 

[Captain Crunch]

12 or more teams would be interested in dikkey.
12 or more teams would be interested in dikkey | Metsblog

 

[Easy-E]

Okay, I'ma make sure to follow the team, this time

It's hard to be a MLB fan

 

[Tommy Fits]

Is it too early to throw the 2013 Mets in the :bushes:?

Never too early lol.

Mets donated 100k to the Daily News Hurricane Sandy relief fund while Fred has Jeff on the phone with FEMA looking for financial help

 

[Trust Me]

David Wright Wilson Defensive Award Winner

Looks like he'll be receiving a really nice deal in Philly or the Bronx after this upcoming season.

 

[Captain Crunch]

There's no way the Yanks get Wright, unless they somehow get rid of A-Rod's salary.
I'd say the leaders to get Wright in 2014 are Phils; Angels, and maybe the Reds and Braves.
Most likely Wright ends up w/ a NL East team, whether it's the Marlins; Phillies or Braves, Wright will continually stick it us in 2014 and on as a rival.

 

[Captain Crunch]

Without the financial assistance of Major League Baseball, Fred Wilpon's tenure as owner of the New York Mets would almost certainly have ended by now.

Some other important tidbits

But the Mets are going to need additional money from somewhere. The $240 million they received from selling off minority stakes in the team back in March is already accounted for: at least $110 million to pay off a portion of what was a $430 million debt against the team due in 2014, $25 million back to M.L.B., $40 million to pay off a bridge loan from Bank of America that allowed the team to pay operating expenses last winter, at least $43.7 million in bond payments on Citi Field due in June and December, a revenue-sharing bill due to M.L.B. that totaled $20 million in 2011, $20 million in interest on a $450 million debt against S.N.Y. due in 2015, and at least $20 million in interest on the remaining $320 million or so in debt against the team.

Depending on the team's losses this season, that puts the end of the $240 million right around the December payment against Citi Field. And ownership still faces the very same cash crunches in 2013 on a money-losing team, interest against the large debts on the team and S.N.Y., and Citi Field debt payments as well.

That leaves Wilpon and his partners with few options: essentially, hope the debtholders give him more time, even if he cannot make a payment on even the interest on his debts, or find another source to loan him money to pay the financing on his already outstanding debts.

The chances of this happening were viewed as dim by the trustee for the Bernie Madoff victims, Irving Picard, back in March, leading him to settle the case for effectively nothing, rather than pursue his guaranteed floor of $83 million awarded to him in summary judgement prior to the trial date.

As Picard wrote in an affidavit filed at the time of the settlement: "Based upon financial information provided by Defendants since the [agreement], and on the advice of my counsel, we have become satisfied that Defendants' cash flow and lender covenants would not have enabled me to recover more for the BLMIS customer fund in the forseeable future by litigating to the point of judgment."

In other words, this wasn't an educated guess. This is the state of things according to Wilpon and his partners themselves, and fully verified by the trustee.

Full article
How will the Mets' owners fare without help from the league? | Capital New York

 

[Captain Crunch]

Mets looking to shop Niese.

DPLennon Asst GM John Ricco said that with cost of starting pitching, teams eager to trade for it. I'd say high probability of Niese getting dealt

I swear if we gonna try to move Niese, we better be trying to win now(ala spend money) or just blow this up and stockpile on young talent. You don't try to move an Andy Pettite-lite that's locked up unless less you have a solid plan in place.

 

[Rev]

“Sources: #Mets showing little interest in signing dikkey to extension, discussing him in trades, as @Joelsherman1 reported,” Ken Rosenthal tweets.