Because Rick Petersen can straighten out Ambiorix Burgos in eleven minutes? From Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal :
The Mets, seeking to bolster their bullpen with a young power arm, are closing in on a trade in which they would land right-hander Ambiorix Burgos from the Royals for a right-hander Brian Bannister, FOXSports.com has learned.
Burgos, 22, was 4-5 with a 5.52 ERA last season for the Royals in 73 1/3 innings. He had greater success as a rookie in 2005, going 3-5 with a 3.98 ERA in 63 1/3 innings.
(UPDATE : the trade is as real as Mitch Green)
The AP is reporting Boston and infielder Julio Lugo have come to terms on a 4 year, $36 million contract. It’s a little curious that having taken on $106 million in salary in the past 24 hours (and with D-Mat’s status still unresolved), numerous sources continue to insist the Red Sox aren’t nearly so eager to part with Manny Ramirez.
The Journal News’ John Delcos’ take on Boston’s acquisition of Lugo.
That’s a lot to spend for mediocrity, and you can always get a player of his ability, and for a lot less.
If Lugo is worth that, then you have to ask yourself what’s Jose Reyes worth? Certainly more than the $23.25 million the Mets signed him for this summer.
Luckily for reliever Joe Borowski, the Indians’ physicians aren’t nearly as exacting as the Phillies’. Borowski signed a two-year deal with Cleveland this evening.
There’s a brief mention of a Lastings Milledge/Joe Blanton trade rumor on MLB.com, and we can fully expect by the end of the week, Milledge’s name will have been dropped in a possible exchange with virtually every avaiable starter in the big leagues, except for Scott Kazmir.
ESPN Radio reported earlier tonight that Greg Maddux will cost San Diego $10 million in 2007, with the right-hander holding the option on a 2008 salary of $7 million. Maddux, you might recall, was brutally bad from May ’til his acquisition by the Dodgers, though the park where Pets Fly Balls Go To Die should be more hospitable than Wrigley.
SI.com’s Jon Heyman ID’s the Brewers as one of P Jason Schmidt’s suitors. It’s a nice idea, but I’m pretty sure Schmidt wants to be paid in US dollars, not Boy Dirt Car CDR’s.
First Jason Vargas, then Burgos: I actually like this trade, but did Rick Peterson only re-up on his contract if it was guaranteed that he’d be leading a staff headed by some of baseball’s least effective ’06 pitchers?
I actually like this deal, if only because it’s obvious the Mets would rather overpay for a veteran than start Bannister or Pelfrey in ’07, so it’s kind of something for nothing. Better to get a young, cheap relief arm with some (tenuous) upside, and give Bannister a shot at throwing 200 innings next year. The Mets only seem to trade with a few teams — Pittsburgh, K.C., San Diego — but the Royals trades always seem pretty straight-up to me, give or take a David Cone-for-Ed Hearn deal here or there. Considering that the Royals organization has been run by inbred-Wal-Mart-royalty/cutout-bin-GMs the last decade or so, that’s probably not good.