GM Jr. to Mets

[mul21]

Just heard this on the radio in St. Louis. Not sure of what for, but it sounded like it was done.

[J.R.]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35011503/ns/sports-player_news/

[Post Count Padder]

The Mets have acquired outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. from the Angels, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman.

Let's hope they're not giving up much and taking on very little of his remaining salary. Matthews, 35, has hit just .248/.325/.383 since signing a five-year, $50 million contract with the Angels in November of 2006 and had a .697 OPS in 316 at-bats last season. He's also a highly overrated defensive outfielder and is owed $23 million over the next two seasons.

[Post Count Padder]

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick has learned that the Mets will send a "low salaried pitcher" to the Angels in exchange for outfielder Gary Matthews Jr..

SI.com's Jon Heyman suggested Brian Stokes might be the man in a column filed early Friday morning. We'll just have to wait and see. Stokes, for what it's worth, is a 30-year-old right-hander with a 5.02 career ERA and 1.62 career WHIP. He posted a 45/38 K/BB ratio last season in 70 1/3 innings.

 

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com hears that the Angels will pick up a "whole bunch" of Gary Matthews Jr.'s remaining salary in their deal with the Mets.

As they should. Matthews was reportedly dealt to New York on Friday morning, though we haven't caught wind of any other details. The 35-year-old outfielder is owed $23 million over the next two seasons and hit just .250/.336/.361 in 360 plate appearances last year. He's expected to see some time in the Mets' outfield while Carlos Beltran (knee) is sidelined.

[Tim M]

Well, it looks like all of the nightmare outfield scenarios people had going into the off-season never happened. GMJ, Pods, and Ankiel are all elsewhere.

[Old Style]

I read an unconfirmed report on another board that the Angels are picking up around $21 million of the GMJ contract.

[Formerly Snayke]

Minaya must have woken up this morning to news of the Royals signing Ankiel and thought "like hell I'll let him one-up me on terrible decisions! I'm getting Gary Matthews, Jr.!"

[mul21]

Minaya must have woken up this morning to news of the Royals signing Ankiel and thought "like hell I'll let him one-up me on terrible decisions! I'm getting Gary Matthews, Jr.!"

 

Eh, if Old Style's reported numbers are right, that's really not terrible. $2M for 2 years isn't really bad for the production he'll provide. Granted, I know nothing about the guy they gave up, but the numbers somebody posted certainly aren't anything earth shattering.

[Sever82]

Man i read this so wrong at first. The Angels are picking up all but 2 million left on GMJr deal, so they're picking up 21 million. at first i read it the other way around and thought the Mets were picking up most of his deal which would mean they might be out of the race for sheets.

[Old Style]

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=4848752

 

AP reports the $21 million number.

[haubrich91]

Wow, that's bad. Angels must have really want him out of town.

[Post Count Padder]

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=4848752

 

AP reports the $21 million number.

That's ridiculous. This was just a bad contract all around.

[Cubswin11]

I am assuming this will have to go to a review board, not that trades ever seem to get stuck there in such a process, to get approved given the disparity in money changing hands? Decent backup OF option to replace Beltran early in the year and they will have enough guys, once Beltran gets back, to get alright production in RF between Pagan/Francoeur/GMJ/Murhpy/FMART (if they call him up).

[A-Cal]

the angels window has expired, and they are going to fall hard this season

[TruffleShuffle]

the angels window has expired, and they are going to fall hard this season

 

maybe, but that division sucks so they could still win it.

[Rob]

I am assuming this will have to go to a review board, not that trades ever seem to get stuck there in such a process, to get approved given the disparity in money changing hands? Decent backup OF option to replace Beltran early in the year and they will have enough guys, once Beltran gets back, to get alright production in RF between Pagan/Francoeur/GMJ/Murhpy/FMART (if they call him up).

 

If memory serves, anything over $1 mil needs to go to MLB for approval. But they basically just rubber stamp everything that comes through.

[A-Cal]

the angels window has expired, and they are going to fall hard this season

 

maybe, but that division sucks so they could still win it.

 

anything is possible, but i don't see them finishing higher than third behind the mariners and rangers

[17 Seconds]

the angels window has expired, and they are going to fall hard this season

 

maybe, but that division sucks so they could still win it.

 

oakland is the only team that looks crappy

[Little Slide Rooter]

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=4848752

 

AP reports the $21 million number.

That's ridiculous. This was just a bad contract all around.

 

And to think who was the predicted destination for him the year the contract was signed.

[Backtobanks]

From MLBTR:

 

ESPN's Buster Olney spoke to several people in the game about the Mets picking up Gary Matthews Jr., and the general thought is that he "can't hit for average, can't hit for power, his defense ranks statistically among the worst outfielders in the majors, and, to top it off, rival scouts have been reporting that in recent years he has been a clubhouse negative."

 

No wonder why they had to pickup $21 million to get rid of him. Great pickup by Minaya. :-))

[NCCubFan]

From MLBTR:

 

ESPN's Buster Olney spoke to several people in the game about the Mets picking up Gary Matthews Jr., and the general thought is that he "can't hit for average, can't hit for power, his defense ranks statistically among the worst outfielders in the majors, and, to top it off, rival scouts have been reporting that in recent years he has been a clubhouse negative."

But other than that he's great. :D

[Backtobanks]

the angels window has expired, and they are going to fall hard this season

 

maybe, but that division sucks so they could still win it.

 

oakland is the only team that looks crappy

 

 

They can't be crappy because Beane is a genius and has worked miracles with his small budget. :mrgreen:

[Cubbie Swagger]

I would've prolly taken GMJ for 1 mil per year.

 

I dunno why, but I always kinda liked him despite all the sucking. Maybe just cuz he's the son of the real Gary Matthews. But I do recall several circus catches he made when he was with the Cubs... and that one incident involving a squirrel in center field. So... he's at least entertaining to watch.

 

But actually... aside from his one good year... he did have numerous other years where he was "serviceable" offensively. I would say he's not horrible as a 4th outfielder.

[Sammy Sofa]

Which numerous years were those? Looking at his career he's got like 3 years where he was "serviceable," and one of those he missed a ton of games.

[Cubbie Swagger]

Which numerous years were those? Looking at his career he's got like 3 years where he was "serviceable," and one of those he missed a ton of games.

He was a serviceable 4th outfielder basically every year from 2002 until the present. Out of those years, I'd say he was serviceable as a starter in 02, 04, 05, 06 and 07. Keep in mind I am not saying "good", but rather "serviceable". Except for 06, when he was obviously pretty [expletive] good.