NYM non-tenders Johnny Estrada

[brewers255]

Mets non-tendered catcher Johnny Estrada, outfielder Ben Johnson and RHP Juan Padilla.

Estrada was a goner from the moment Brian Schneider was acquired, if not before then. Johnson and Padilla get knocked off the roster because they haven't recovered from injuries as well as hoped. The Mets may offer minor league contracts to both.

rotoworld.com

 

Would you have any intrest of signing him to like 1 or 2 million per year?

[PlayerHader]

NO! I think he pretty much burned bridges when he left.

[billyhallfan]

NO, why would they run him out, and then sign him?

[bigredrobbo]

Why does anyone still think the Estrada issue was about money? The guy made some people dislike him so much that we took the first deal we could get for him...

[Invader3K]

Melvin wins another trade, it looks like.

[sgtcluels]

Melvin wins another trade, it looks like.

Depends if Mota remotely works out. We are responsible for his what.. 3.2 million dollar salary, Mets might have won by a salary dump if Mota doesn't work out.

[Invader3K]

Ah, that's true. I forgot Mota's contract was worth that much. Still, as of right now, I would put the Brewers ahead on this one.

[Thurston Fluff]

Melvin wins another trade, it looks like.

Depends if Mota remotely works out. We are responsible for his what.. 3.2 million dollar salary, Mets might have won by a salary dump if Mota doesn't work out.

 

I don't see $3.2 million as much risk at all for this team. We are beyond the days when this was a major deal. If it turns out Mota wasn't worth it I'd still consider it a worthwhile deal. The only way to get something for nothing is to take a gamble. One year at close the league average salary is as close to negligable as it gets.

[sgtcluels]

I see what you are saying, but couldn't we have used that 3.2 Million for say.. LF Help or backup utility player. Mota is a known cheater, so who nows, maybe he'll end up on the Mitchell report and be suspended for even longer. (Not sure if that will happen as he paid his dues). So really, we might have just got bambozolled by the Mets and we could have just non-tendered Estrada.

 

I hope it works out. I personally would love to be signed for 3.2. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[jwill535]

he has already been suspended once for Roids, i think double jeopardy would apply here unless he tested positive again.

[djoctagone]

i hope the mets didn't inform johnny in spanish.

[Fatter than Joey]

Ah, that's true. I forgot Mota's contract was worth that much. Still, as of right now, I would put the Brewers ahead on this one.

 

I think the Mets are entirely happy with how this worked out for them.

 

Plus the fact we are paying Mota means he is a lock for our bullpen.

[Tbadder]

See, I've been saying all along that baseball is entertainment. How can we not be amused and happy about the Mets non-tendering Estrada. I love this game!!!!

[Thurston Fluff]

I see what you are saying, but couldn't we have used that 3.2 Million for say.. LF Help or backup utility player.

 

I think we have enough backup utility type players already. I'd rather they spent money on medicore bullpen help vs medicore utlity help at this point with this club. If the choice was between paying Mota 3.2 or a starting caliber LFer then I'd agree it was a bad investment. I don't think that is the case though. I think there is money enough for both. That was why I think a $3.2 million gamble isn't the impediment it once would have been.

[TheBrewer]

Remember that article that Estrada put quotes in at the end of the season, about how he owes us and wants to show us the catcher he really is not one that has injury issues etc.. I almost feel bad for him, but at the same time maybe something is really up for Estrada and people don't like him.. Brian Anderson said he was great in terms of media, always wanted to talk, nice etc.

[dlk9s]

I wouldn't say the Brewers "won" the trade. If what I read was correct after the trade went down, the Mets never intended to keep Estrada. It was a salary dumping move.

[SoCalBrewfan]

I don't think this is a trade with winners or losers, at least at this point. If Mota pitches well I'll change my tune, but this was clearly a change of scenery trade of guys who had fallen out of favor.

 

While the Mets definitely wanted to dump Mota, the idea that a $3.2M commitment would prevent them from much of anything doesn't seem plausible...that's little more than a rounding error on their $116M payroll. My sense is that they wanted to get something for Mota, and had some level of desire for Estrada after their FA catching solution evaporated (Torrealba), so they agreed to swap problems with Milwaukee. Then at some point their plans changed, when they got Schneider in particular...apparently they were trying to trade Estrada in the Schneider deal and in subsequent discussions, but got no takers. Johnny's personality apparently hasn't endeared him to the wider baseball community, and his production has faded to the point where teams are less inclined to put up with him any more.

 

While I'm sure that they'll give Mota a long look to start the season, my hunch is that they don't expect all of the guys behind Gagne and Riske to pan out...which is why they have a bunch of them. One of the trio of Torres, Mota, Turnbow could become a mopup man or be jettisoned early...that is of course in addition to the cheaper and younger but similarly volatile McClung and Aquino.

[Fatter than Joey]

I don't think this is a trade with winners or losers, at least at this point.

 

Agreed 100% -- The Mets certainly achieved what they set out to do.

 

the idea that a $3.2M commitment would prevent them from much of anything doesn't seem plausible...that's little more than a rounding error on their $116M payroll.

 

Yeah -- I don't think it was the money as much as the amount of hate Mota got from Mets fans.

 

Then at some point their plans changed, when they got Schneider in particular...

 

I think Estrada was never more than a "Plan B" or fallback position for the Mets. They were hedging their bets with Estrada basically. I think that the Mets were never interested in Estrada wearing a Mets uniform.

 

One of the trio of Torres, Mota, Turnbow could become a mopup man or be jettisoned early...that is of course in addition to the cheaper and younger but similarly volatile McClung and Aquino.

 

I suspect Mota and Torres will be locked into their positions because of their salaries. They will have to suck a lot harder than McClung/Aquino to lose their jobs.