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Mets close to signing Gary Sheffield


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http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/st/archives/2009/04/mets_close_to_s.html

METS CLOSE TO SIGNING SHEFFIELD

By JOEL SHERMAN

The Mets were closing in on signing Gary Sheffield, likely today, with an eye on giving him significant playing time, according to three people involved in the talks.

"Unless something drastic happens, he is a Met," one of the sources said. "Someone would have to offer him a second year, and I just don't see that happening."

One person who has talked directly to Sheffield said the slugger prefers the Mets over the Phillies because he sees a greater potential for playing time, and wants the heavier workload as a way to showcase for the 2010 season. Sheffield is a free agent at the conclusion of this season.

In the past 24 hours, Mets GM Omar Minaya has talked directly to Sheffield to explain the Mets' interest and where the player would fit on the team, a source said. The source said that several Phillie players have also called Sheffield to lobby for him to come to Philadelphia. Two of the sources portrayed this now as totally Sheffield's call, he has the information and has to decide on the Mets, Phillies or Reds.

What is interesting from a Met perspective is that Sheffield's signing is as much about giving them protection in right field with Ryan Church as in left field with the inexperienced Daniel Murphy. There are factions of the club that are down on Church, wondering if he will ever hit lefties with any consistency or totally fulfill his promise.

The Mets dispatched two scouts to watch Sheffield in Tampa on Thursday, which was first reported by SI.com. But the element that the Mets were most interested in seeing was Sheffield throw. That is because they envision that he will be playing some right field, which is Church's position. One person briefed on that workout said the Mets were satisfied that Shefffield could throw well enough to be competitive. Sheffield has been slowed by shoulder issues in recent years.

The Mets also believe, according to one source, that even diminished that Sheffield remains a legitimate threat and still has good, long at-bats with a willingness to accept a walk.

"When he comes up he is still Gary Sheffield, he is still a presence," one Met official said.

Having seen that workout, the Mets intensified their efforts to beat out the Phillies and Reds to sign Sheffield, and they delivered a message to the veteran slugger that has apparently won his affections: "They told him if he plays well, he will play a lot," a Sheffield confidant said.

The Mets only have to pay Sheffield $400,000, the major league minimum. He was waived recently by the Tigers, who would owe him the remainder of that salary.

If the Mets sign Sheffield, their plan wouild be to have him go right on the 25-man roster and be available for Opening Day Monday. Fernando Tatis probably would become more of a pinch-hitter and potentially play more as a reserve at first and third base than in the outfield. In the short run, the Mets would likely just have Nick Evans begin the season in the minors if Sheffield signs and is ready to begin the season Monday in Cincinnati. However, Evans was only supposed to be with the Mets for a few games before they needed a No. 5 starter and Livan Hernandez was promoted to the 25-man roster.

So it is possible the Mets will seriously have to weight cutting Marlon Anderson and eating the $1.15 million due him in 2009 to create a full-time slot for Sheffield or demoting Jeremy Reed and leaving themselves without a true backup center fielder on the roster.

Sheffield, nephew of former Mets ace Dwight Gooden, hit just .178 in spring for the Tigers. Detroit has tremendous financially burdens, but decided to eat his huge salary rather than keep him as the DH. Sheffield had his worst season last year, batting just .225 with 19 homers. Sheffield is sitting on 499 career homers, 25th most in history.

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As soon as Steinbrenner had the chance he started throwing $$ at overpriced, older free agents, as you mentioned. Most of them were jerks who had no regard for the team. That would include Sheffield, Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Clemens (oh boy), Javier Vasquez, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, Carl Pavano, Kenny Rogers, & of course the ultimate example, Alex Rodriguez. Watching the Red Sox beat those Yankees in '04 was very enjoyable for all those didn't like or respect the Yankee way of doing business.

LOL

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LOL

Did you read the article you posted, numb nuts? The Mets would only be on the hook for $400K.

Your idiocy aside, it sucks if they sign this bozo. He is without question one of the worst guys in baseball, & has been for a long time....if he's on the team i'll just root for him to get hit by a fastball in the noggin, putting a runner on base & hopefully him to the DL.

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Did you read the article you posted, numb nuts? The Mets would only be on the hook for $400K.

Your idiocy aside, it sucks if they sign this bozo. He is without question one of the worst guys in baseball, & has been for a long time....if he's on the team i'll just root for him to get hit by a fastball in the noggin, putting a runner on base & hopefully him to the DL.

Money is one thing, being an "older free agnet", "jerk", and "having no regard for the team" is another, OBVIOUSLY I was responding to those parts of your post.

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According to reports, the Mets told him that "You deliver, and you'll play"......presumably the inverse of that would be if he's not delivering that he won't play. My guess is they see him playing a little of left, a little of right, maybe some first base....mainly against Lefties.

Still, ugh, I hate having to root for Sheffield to do well.

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Anybody else find it ironic that the guy that said...

"I called it years ago. What I called is that you're going to see more black faces, but there ain't no English going to be coming out. … [it's about] being able to tell [Latin players] what to do -- being able to control them," he told the magazine.

"Where I'm from, you can't control us. You might get a guy to do it that way for a while because he wants to benefit, but in the end, he is going to go back to being who he is. And that's a person that you're going to talk to with respect, you're going to talk to like a man.

"These are the things my race demands. So, if you're equally good as this Latin player, guess who's going to get sent home? I know a lot of players that are home now can outplay a lot of these guys."

...is now about to be the ONLY African-American Player on a team with a heavy latino influence?

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According to reports, the Mets told him that "You deliver, and you'll play"......presumably the inverse of that would be if he's not delivering that he won't play. My guess is they see him playing a little of left, a little of right, maybe some first base....mainly against Lefties.

Still, ugh, I hate having to root for Sheffield to do well.

If he hits anything like he did the first few years with the Yankees, you'll love him... Where does he bat? 3rd, 4th, 5th?

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i don't get it.....they had a chance to get one of thebest hitter sin the game in ramirez and they pass.....and now they sign this idiot. i don't care if it's only for 400k. we don't need this has-been steroid abuser. i am now forced to root for this idiot to do well........motherfu*ker!!!!!!

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Anyways, in the article it says Sheffield will be getting significant playing time. Does he take time from Murphy or Church?

Church unless Murphy isn't as good as he has shown. It's early but Murphy appears to be the real deal.

OMAR is on YES now. Saying he told Sheff no playing time is guaranteed.

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You kidding? 6th unless they move Murphy down in the order. Our 3-4-5 hitters are set.

Yeah, I wasn't thinking.

SS- Reyes (S)

LF- Murphy (L)

3B- Wright ®

CF- Beltran (S)

1B- Delgado (L)

RF- Sheffield ®

C- Schneider (L)

2B- Castillo (S)

Seems about right, though I may flip Delgado and Sheffield.

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i don't get it.....they had a chance to get one of thebest hitter sin the game in ramirez and they pass.....and now they sign this idiot. i don't care if it's only for 400k. we don't need this has-been steroid abuser. i am now forced to root for this idiot to do well........motherfu*ker!!!!!!
If you're gonna sign a jerk, sign one who can still hit like Ramirez.

The password is MADOFF.

Can we get a vbookie betting line going as to the ths first time Sheffield bitches about something or other? I'd say May 10th.

Sheffield in his prime was a good hitter, but he's pretty much done. I think he has a serious mental problems. Delgado, for example, is a complete jerk. Sheffield is different in that not sure he can help himself. At a loss why the Mets would bring him in. Murphy looks like the real deal. If Church stinks you can bring up the latest phenom or get someone cheap at the deadline who can fill out the year. This wreaks of panic, but he is cheap.

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It was leaked before Free Agency even began (And well before the Madoff scandal broke) that they were not raising payroll this offseason.....and they went and spent right up to last years payroll. I'm not sure why anybody thinks the Madoff situation has had any effect, because it really hasn't.

They didn't sign Manny Ramirez because it wasn't in the budget. Nothing more that needs to be said about it.

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It was leaked before Free Agency even began (And well before the Madoff scandal broke) that they were not raising payroll this offseason.....and they went and spent right up to last years payroll. I'm not sure why anybody thinks the Madoff situation has had any effect, because it really hasn't.

They didn't sign Manny Ramirez because it wasn't in the budget. Nothing more that needs to be said about it.

Don't care who you are, having about $300 million of your money dissappear has an effect.
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Totally untrue. Only the Yankees signed known Steroid users to multi-million dollar deals.

agreed. A steroid user is a steroid user. The only difference is a steroid user making about 400K can be cut without management having bat an eye. A Steroid user making about 275 million. well you know...

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agreed. A steroid user is a steroid user. The only difference is a steroid user making about 400K can be cut without management having bat an eye. A Steroid user making about 275 million. well you know...

That's 2 separate issues. I have no problem with the Mets bringing in Sheffield, but I want to remind all the Mets fans who ripped the Yankees for there steroid guys that the Mets are willingly bringing in a steroid guy of there own.

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That's 2 separate issues. I have no problem with the Mets bringing in Sheffield, but I want to remind all the Mets fans who ripped the Yankees for there steroid guys that the Mets are willingly bringing in a steroid guy of there own.

yeah like we had any say in this????

i'd be willing to bet that most mets fans don't want sheffield here.

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yeah like we had any say in this????

i'd be willing to bet that most mets fans don't want sheffield here.

You can count me as one of them -- this move caught me off guard and I have been scratching my head all day on this one -- BUT he is a Met now so whatever he can bring I guess I have to live with it --

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That's 2 separate issues. I have no problem with the Mets bringing in Sheffield, but I want to remind all the Mets fans who ripped the Yankees for there steroid guys that the Mets are willingly bringing in a steroid guy of there own.

Yankee fans cheer on and defend their 'roid users.

Mets fans are disgusted this piece of sh!t is a member of our team now.

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