I thought this was interesting. I can't imagine Furcal actually agreeing to play second, but what do I know?
mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ne...p&c_id=mlb
Mets prepare to launch pursuit of Furcal
New York buys out contracts of Looper, Mientkiewicz
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
       
NEW YORK -- The third day of the free agent filing period brought with it some expected housekeeping by the Mets as well as an opportunity for them to launch a pursuit of a free agent who could further change their image -- Rafael Furcal.
The club exercised its option on the contract of Steve Trachsel and opted to buy out the contracts of Braden Looper and Doug Mientkiewicz rather than retain the two for $9.8 million. The decisions were announced Monday by general manager Omar Minaya, who also noted in a statement that the club intends to speak with Looper's agent about returning next year for a salary less than the $5.8 million the reliever would have earned had the club exercised its option.
More intriguing, though, is the club's thinking involving Furcal, a primary component in the Braves' success over the last six seasons. In a piece of outside-the-box thinking, the Mets are considering signing the veteran shortstop to play second base, and thereby, fill one of the team's more conspicuous vacancies. The thought has been discussed enough that more than a few Mets people are aware of it.
Sign Furcal, play him at second, have him bat high in the order -- first or second -- and let him and Jose Reyes run. A tandem of that nature would be more potent and distractive than what the Marlins have at the top of their order -- Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo. And it might force opponents to use more left-handed pitching, a scenario that would benefit right-handed hitters David Wright and Mike Cameron and switch-hitters Reyes, Furcal and Carlos Beltran, while affording Ramon Castro more at-bats if the Mets decide to platoon behind the plate.
Whether Furcal, one of 22 players who filed for free agency on Sunday, can play second base is an issue, of course. He comes off his best defensive year at shortstop, committing 15 errors after averaging close to 30 in his first five seasons. Only one of his career errors was made at second base. He has played 36 games at second, 31 of them as a rookie in 2000, and the most recent one in 2004.
The Mets watched career shortstop Kaz Matsui fall short as a first-time second baseman last year, but he had been unsuccessful as a shortstop in 2004.
Some Mets personnel are aware of indications that Furcal is not opposed to playing second base and he is interested in playing with the Mets.
"I'm not sure. Maybe he's just been saying things like that to get a New York club involved," one Mets player said last week. "But there have been a few times we heard he wanted to come over."
The Mets were prohibited from speaking with Furcal until he filed. They can't negotiate with him until after the final day of the free agency filing period, Nov. 11, but they can speak with him about playing second base and other salient points, other than money.
The top of the order was a critical factor in the Mets' offensive shortfall this past season. The first two hitters in the Mets' batting order ranked last in the National League in on-base percentage -- .294 and .296. Furcal's on-base percentage, lower than .300 into June, was .348 for the year, slightly higher than the league average.
Furcal can also be an offensive force. His run production numbers for 2005 were remarkably similar to those of Reyes. Each drove in 58 runs, with Furcal scoring 100, one more than Reyes.
The idea of having Reyes, Furcal and Beltran or Furcal, Reyes and Beltran -- three fleet switch-hitters -- at the top of the order appealed to Minaya last year when the plan was for Matsui to be the No. 2 hitter. Furcal is a more dynamic player with more power and more stolen bases. His 46 steals in 2005 were a career high.
Minaya didn't return calls to his office Monday.
He and other members of the Mets hierarchy had made the club's intentions regarding Trachsel, Looper and Mientkiewicz known weeks ago. Trachsel, who underwent back surgery in March, will earn $2.5 million for 2006. He earned $6,782,500 for 2005 when he pitched merely 37 innings and qualified for none of the incentive clauses that would have dramatically increased his 2006 salary.
Looper, who required shoulder surgery after the season, receives a $250,000 buyout, and Mientkiewicz gets a $450,000 buyout, which the Red Sox, the club that traded him to the Mets, is obligated to pay. His 2006 salary would have been $4 million.
In other roster moves, the Mets reinstated five players to the 40-man roster -- Cameron, right-handed pitchers Bartolome Fortunato and Tyler Yates, left-handed pitcher Felix Heredia and infielder Jeff Keppinger. Each had been assigned to the 60-day disabled list.
Jose Offerman was one of 22 players who filed for free agency Monday and is the seventh Met to file overall. The other six are Mike Piazza, Marlon Anderson, Miguel Cairo, Danny Graves, Gerald Williams and Mike DiFelice. With those free agents removed and the injured players reinstated, the Mets now have 38 players on their 40-man roster.
Marty Noble is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ne...p&c_id=mlb
Mets prepare to launch pursuit of Furcal
New York buys out contracts of Looper, Mientkiewicz
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
       
NEW YORK -- The third day of the free agent filing period brought with it some expected housekeeping by the Mets as well as an opportunity for them to launch a pursuit of a free agent who could further change their image -- Rafael Furcal.
The club exercised its option on the contract of Steve Trachsel and opted to buy out the contracts of Braden Looper and Doug Mientkiewicz rather than retain the two for $9.8 million. The decisions were announced Monday by general manager Omar Minaya, who also noted in a statement that the club intends to speak with Looper's agent about returning next year for a salary less than the $5.8 million the reliever would have earned had the club exercised its option.
More intriguing, though, is the club's thinking involving Furcal, a primary component in the Braves' success over the last six seasons. In a piece of outside-the-box thinking, the Mets are considering signing the veteran shortstop to play second base, and thereby, fill one of the team's more conspicuous vacancies. The thought has been discussed enough that more than a few Mets people are aware of it.
Sign Furcal, play him at second, have him bat high in the order -- first or second -- and let him and Jose Reyes run. A tandem of that nature would be more potent and distractive than what the Marlins have at the top of their order -- Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo. And it might force opponents to use more left-handed pitching, a scenario that would benefit right-handed hitters David Wright and Mike Cameron and switch-hitters Reyes, Furcal and Carlos Beltran, while affording Ramon Castro more at-bats if the Mets decide to platoon behind the plate.
Whether Furcal, one of 22 players who filed for free agency on Sunday, can play second base is an issue, of course. He comes off his best defensive year at shortstop, committing 15 errors after averaging close to 30 in his first five seasons. Only one of his career errors was made at second base. He has played 36 games at second, 31 of them as a rookie in 2000, and the most recent one in 2004.
The Mets watched career shortstop Kaz Matsui fall short as a first-time second baseman last year, but he had been unsuccessful as a shortstop in 2004.
Some Mets personnel are aware of indications that Furcal is not opposed to playing second base and he is interested in playing with the Mets.
"I'm not sure. Maybe he's just been saying things like that to get a New York club involved," one Mets player said last week. "But there have been a few times we heard he wanted to come over."
The Mets were prohibited from speaking with Furcal until he filed. They can't negotiate with him until after the final day of the free agency filing period, Nov. 11, but they can speak with him about playing second base and other salient points, other than money.
The top of the order was a critical factor in the Mets' offensive shortfall this past season. The first two hitters in the Mets' batting order ranked last in the National League in on-base percentage -- .294 and .296. Furcal's on-base percentage, lower than .300 into June, was .348 for the year, slightly higher than the league average.
Furcal can also be an offensive force. His run production numbers for 2005 were remarkably similar to those of Reyes. Each drove in 58 runs, with Furcal scoring 100, one more than Reyes.
The idea of having Reyes, Furcal and Beltran or Furcal, Reyes and Beltran -- three fleet switch-hitters -- at the top of the order appealed to Minaya last year when the plan was for Matsui to be the No. 2 hitter. Furcal is a more dynamic player with more power and more stolen bases. His 46 steals in 2005 were a career high.
Minaya didn't return calls to his office Monday.
He and other members of the Mets hierarchy had made the club's intentions regarding Trachsel, Looper and Mientkiewicz known weeks ago. Trachsel, who underwent back surgery in March, will earn $2.5 million for 2006. He earned $6,782,500 for 2005 when he pitched merely 37 innings and qualified for none of the incentive clauses that would have dramatically increased his 2006 salary.
Looper, who required shoulder surgery after the season, receives a $250,000 buyout, and Mientkiewicz gets a $450,000 buyout, which the Red Sox, the club that traded him to the Mets, is obligated to pay. His 2006 salary would have been $4 million.
In other roster moves, the Mets reinstated five players to the 40-man roster -- Cameron, right-handed pitchers Bartolome Fortunato and Tyler Yates, left-handed pitcher Felix Heredia and infielder Jeff Keppinger. Each had been assigned to the 60-day disabled list.
Jose Offerman was one of 22 players who filed for free agency Monday and is the seventh Met to file overall. The other six are Mike Piazza, Marlon Anderson, Miguel Cairo, Danny Graves, Gerald Williams and Mike DiFelice. With those free agents removed and the injured players reinstated, the Mets now have 38 players on their 40-man roster.
Marty Noble is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
