From the NY Daily News’ Adam Rubin and Bill Madden.
Mike Cameron, whose season ended Aug. 11 in San Diego, is the newest member of the Padres.
The Daily News has learned Mets traded the displaced center fielder there today for outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady (above) pending physicals.
Cameron has been recovering from fractures to both cheekbones and his right orbital socket, which he suffered in a violent collision with Carlos Beltran.
Cameron had been the subject of trade talks since last winter, when the Mets signed Beltran, pushing the two-time Gold Glove winner to center field. He would have been shipped to the Red Sox at the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline had the Mets obtained Manny Ramirez.
Xavier McDaniel and Xavier Cugat, unavailable for comment.
Cameron’s a good fit for the spacious OF at petco. Nady, I must confess, I’m confused about. He’s got more upside (probably) than another year of Doug Mientkiewicz, but as you’ve pointed out, Boston need a first baseman, too. I suppose the X-Man can provide cover if Mike Jacobs comes back to earth, but doesn’t it seem like there should’ve been more on offer? This is a slight comedown from talk of a Sheffield/Cameron trade last summer.
And the NY Post scrambles its headline writers for a season’s worth of permutations on “X Marks The Spot.â€
Or probably not, actually. I’ve read a lot about the Mets flipping Nady to Boston as part of a Manny deal, enabling them to keep Lastings Milledge around. Kind of makes me wonder if they could’ve gotten more for Cameron. His name alone is good for a whole mess of Percocet.