Mets send CF Angel Pagan to SF, sign 2 relievers

[dolphann4life]

http://sports.yahoo....iants-metstrade

DALLAS (AP)—Walking across the hotel lobby,

New York Mets manager Terry Collins smiled.

“We rebuilt our bullpen in one day,” he said.

In a rapid-fire series of moves at the winter meetings that took 1 1/2 days to put together and 1 1/2 hours to finalize, the Mets agreed to trade center fielder

Angel Pagan(notes) to San Francisco for outfielder Andres Torres(notes)and pitcher Ramon Ramirez(notes), and reached agreements with free-agent relievers Frank Francisco(notes) andJon Rauch(notes).

Francisco gets a $12 million, two-year contract while Rauch receives a one-year deal worth $3.5 million. He can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses.

“Good, solid arms,” Collins said. “We’ve got some depth now.”

While the trade had not yet been officially announced and the free-agent deals had not been finalized, Collins was beaming as he headed upstairs to congratulate general manager Sandy Alderson.

“No disrespect to our guys,” Collins said, “but we couldn’t stop some teams. I think we can now.”

Francisco, the likely closer, spent six seasons with the

Texas Rangersbefore he was traded to Toronto last winter for catcher Mike Napoli(notes). The 32-year-old right-hander had 17 saves in 21 chances for the Blue Jays, going 1-4 with a 3.55 ERA.

Rauch also was with the Blue Jays, and the 33-year-old right-hander was 5-4 with 11 saves in 16 chances and a 4.85 ERA. He has 85 big league saves in a career that includes time with the

Chicago White Sox, Montreal-Washington, Arizona and Minnesota, including a career-high 21 for the Twins in 2010.

Ramirez, a 30-year-old right-hander, was 3-3 with a 2.62 ERA this year, holding right-handed hitters to a .203 average and lefties to a .240 mark. He came to the Giants at the trade deadline in 2010—when general manager Brian Sabean added a band of “castoffs and misfits” as they became known to help the franchise to its first World Series title since moving West in 1958.

“I know one thing: He gets lefties out. He’s got the good sinker,” Collins said. “We’re going to be able to spread out all the workload.”

New York’s bullpen had a 4.33 ERA last season, 28th among the 30 major league teams, ahead of only Minnesota (4.47) and Houston (4.49). Following the trade of

Francisco Rodriguez to Milwaukee at the All-Star break, Jason Isringhausen(notes) closed until he got his 300th save, thenBobby Parnell(notes) took over and faltered. Manny Acosta(notes) also got some chances.

“We knew we had to get some bullpen help here,” Collins said. “I was all onboard the way Sandy’s approach was, hey, look, let’s not go spend it all on one guy. Let’s spread it out and get some depth. I’m shocked how he made it all fit.”

The moves were the first for the Mets since All-Star shortstop

Jose Reyes(notes) agreed Sunday to a $106 million, six-year contract with the Miami Marlins, a deal that could be finalized Wednesday.

It was unclear entering the offseason whether the Mets would offer a 2012 contract to Pagan, who made $3.5 million this year and is eligible for salary arbitration in his final season before free agency.

“We’re going to miss Angel. Played great here,” Collins said. “But again, our target was to rebuild the bullpen and he was a piece that they wanted badly.”

Pagan was a frequent fill-in for mentor

Carlos Beltran(notes) in recent seasons until taking over the everyday job in center this year. Beltran shifted to right in spring training before he was traded to the Giants in late July.

A switch-hitter with speed, Pagan hit .262 with seven homers and 56 RBIs this year, down from .290 with 11 homers and 69 RBIs in 2010. It’s unclear whether Sabean will continue to pursue bringing back Beltran. The GM called it a “fluid” situation last week.

Torres, who turns 34 next month, batted .221 with four homers and 19 RBIs this year after straining his left Achilles tendon, his production down considerably from the Giants’ World Series championship year of 2010, when he came back quickly from an emergency appendectomy in September to finish at .268 with 16 homers and 63 RBIs. He is not eligible for free agency until after the 2013 season.

“Speed guy, can give us the leadoff spot and a quality defender,” Collins said.

[faba]

Pagan made bonehead plays which ran him out of New York-

3 relievers we got gives us depth if nothing else

[slowmoe57]

anything to help our relief core -- which was dreadful last year -- would love a SOLID closer

[JohnnyHector]

would love a SOLID closer

Not necessary, since they don't figure to be playing with a lead very often.

I hope nobody shows up to Citi Field this year.

[Bugg]

Not necessary, since they don't figure to be playing with a lead very often.

I hope nobody shows up to Citi Field this year.

Becomes clearer each day Selig demanded the Wilpons take Alderson as their frontman to avoid the fate of Frank McCourt.

The Wilpons were only able to buy out Doubleday from thier ill-gotten madoff gains. They knew Madoff was a hack, which is why their Uncle Saul was recruiting marks for madoff explicitily telling them not to ask any questions how Madoff bettered the market for years and beyond reason.

Simply this is a disgrace to allow a franchise to slide into oblivion because Selig likes the Wilpons and didn't like McCourt. It's clear as long as the Wilpons are in charge the Mets will suck. TThey should be forced to sell the team already before MLB gives them another loan. Iamgine Mark Cuban buying this team, or DOnald Trump. Instead we get this embarrassment.

[T0mShane]

I think this is the prelude to a McCourting, actually. Possibly to give them a year to re-fund the team while at the same time paring the payroll to make it more appealing to the next buyer. Either the Wilpons will have the money next year or they won't, in which case they sell without it looking like they were forced out at gunpoint.

[Bugg]

I think this is the prelude to a McCourting, actually. Possibly to give them a year to re-fund the team while at the same time paring the payroll to make it more appealing to the next buyer. Either the Wilpons will have the money next year or they won't, in which case they sell without it looking like they were forced out at gunpoint.

One hiccup with a McCourting; thw Wilpons do not want to give up their stake in SNY ever. And any new owner might not have much to say about that.Except that he could put SNY and the Wilpons on notice that the Mets will not reup with SNY ever. Who even knows what that deal is since it's basically self-dealing anyway. Without the Mets SNY has practically no programming. Yhe Wilpons are like ticks, andy they have burrowed into their host, and won't be easy to remove.

[T0mShane]

One hiccup with a McCourting; thw Wilpons do not want to give up their stake in SNY ever. And any new owner might not have much to say about that.Except that he could put SNY and the Wilpons on notice that the Mets will not reup with SNY ever. Who even knows what that deal is since it's basically self-dealing anyway. Without the Mets SNY has practically no programming. Yhe Wilpons are like ticks, andy they have burrowed into their host, and won't be easy to remove.

I guess it all depends in how broke they really are. You'd figure owning as much property in Manhattan as they allegedly do will become profitable again, but maybe not for another decade. If Selig strips them of the team, the new owner can hold a gun to their head for SNY, like you said, by threatening to move all the team's games to a mystery channel. Let Fred own the valueless 24-hour "Beer Money Network."

[JohnnyHector]

Let Fred own the valueless 24-hour "Beer Money Network."

I have little doubt that Chris Carlin could carry that channel by himself...

[Blackout]

great move for SF