Mets Sign Henry Blanco
According to reports, the Mets have signed catcher Henry Blanco to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. This signing puzzles me. The Mets have made it clear Blanco would be a back-up, and that they are still pursuing a starting catcher. Bengie Molina is the name most prominently mentioned. But why spend a million and a half bucks on Blanco when Omir Santos proved himself to be a competent back-up, and would come at a third of the price?
The Mets are alleged to be cash-strapped because of Bernie Madoff, yet they sign Blanco (left), and re-sign Alex Cora to a $2 million contract when a cheaper back-up infielder could easily have been had. This leads me to believe the Mets are doing just fine financially. Maybe reports that they pulled their original invesment (and then some) from their Madoff account may be true after all.
Or maybe Omar Minaya is working on something big, and Santos or Josh Thole will be part of a major trade, thus the need for Blanco and Chris Coste.
Or maybe, just maybe, Minaya is using his failed formula from last year. In case you forgot, he spent a couple of million dollars here, a couple of million dollars there, on retread pitchers like Livan Hernandez and Tim Redding, when he could have pooled that money and spent it on one good pitcher like Jon Garland or Randy Wolf.
So assuming the Mets have money to spend, it will be very disappointing if they can’t land at least one of the top free agents, like John Lackey or Matt Holliday, or trade for a big-ticket player like Adrian Gonzalez. It’s going to be an interesting couple of months.
There is always plenty of money for old Latin players. Just like in the government where there is always money for minortity welfare recipients, while hard working talented players and people get screwed. Its the new PC world.
CPAMAN, I can understand your frustration but lets not get crazy here. Omar did sign Chris Coste and they still have Omir Santos so this is not a race thing. I tend to believe it is an attempt to corner the market on broken down old crappy catchers. You can never have enough! Just think how much fun we’re going to have watching these guys next year!
It is obvious that the woes of the pitching staff are due to a lack of personal attention so it only can be that with the way Minaya is stockpiling these guys each pitcher will have his own catcher!!! Afterall Yankees pitcher JJ Burnett had one and they won the World series! So if it worked for them……
Blanco will catch for Ollie “Dead Eye” Perez; Coste will catch for Maine; Santos will catch for Pelfrey; Thole will catch for Santana; and the soon to be signed Benji Molina will catch for what ever piece of sh@#t they sign to fill out the rotation.
I think Ron Hodges will be back soon, someone needs to work with the bullpen!
So there you have it CPAMAN!!!
I think it is a race thing with Minaya.
1).11/20/06-Signed Moises Alou to one-year, $7.5 million contract plus team option
2).10/31/07-Picked up Moises Alou $7.5 million option
3)11/30/06-Let Chad Bradford leave via free agency after a great year.
4).12/6/06-Traded Brian Bannister to Kansas City for Ambiorix Burgos
who was a bum.
5)12/8/06-Re-signed Guillermo Mota to two-year, $5 million contract
6).12/11/06-Let Darren Oliver leave via free agency who pitched well
7).11/19/07-Re-signed Luis Castillo to four-year, $24 million contract
8)2/2/09-Re-signed Oliver Perez to three-year, $36 million contract
Seems to me like he is taking care of latino players to me and the proof is there.
I forgot these moves by Minaya
1).12/9/05-Signed 47-year-old Julio Franco to two-year , $2.2 million contract
2)7/31/06-Traded Xavier Nady to Pittsburgh for Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernandez who tuened out to be 2 bums.
Sorry but he just seems to take care of his own kind with better salaries