Piazza acquired by the Padres

[riverside sluggers]

I was kind of hoping to see how Belli wouldve done with more playing time. Piazza does have an offensive advantage over Doug. But Doug clearly has the defensive edge. Still overall a good signing by the Pods.

 

Piazza agrees on one-year deal with Padres

Ken Rosenthal / FOXSports.com

 

Free-agent catcher Mike Piazza has agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Padres, FOXSports.com has learned. The contract includes an $8 million mutual option for 2007. Piazza, 37, initially sought to sign with an American League team, intending to become a designated hitter. He chose the Padres over the Phillies when no such opportunity became available. The Padres are expected to use Piazza as their cleanup hitter and No. 1 catcher. They were preparing to go to spring training with two career backups, Doug Mirabelli and David Ross, splitting time at the position.

 

The Yankees showed mild interest in Piazza, and other AL clubs informed Piazza's representatives that the only way they could sign him was by trading a high-priced DH type. The Orioles, for example, would have needed to move catcher Javy Lopez. The Rangers would have needed to trade Phil Nevin. The Devil Rays would have needed to move Aubrey Huff.

 

The Padres envision Dave Roberts, Ryan Klesko and Brian Giles hitting in the first three spots ahead of Piazza. Vinny Castilla then would bat fifth, followed by Mike Cameron, Khalil Greene and Mark Bellhorn or Josh Barfield. Piazza hit 18 home runs in 371 at-bats for the Mets last season, a rate second only to the Rangers' Rod Barajas among catchers who had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. He also finished with a .785 on-base/slugging percentage, seventh among major-league catchers.

 

Throwing out base stealers is Piazza's primary deficiency as a catcher. Opponents were 82-for-92 (89.1 percent) against him last season, the highest percentage against any major-league catcher.

[Soxfan1]

Didn't Piazza want to DH? Maybe we can trade Wells to get Mirabelli back.

[riverside sluggers]

I never thought of it like that, afterall they currently have 3 catchers on their majors roster. The same thing happened with Mike Myers as well last season. Mirabelli would be a much welcome sight, especially from Wakefield's point of view

[BigPapiEnFuego]

Didn't Piazza want to DH? Maybe we can trade Wells to get Mirabelli back.

 

 

Thats an awesome idea. But, it would be kinda hard seeing as we already have 3 ML catchers, Tek, Flaherty, and Josh Bard.

[Soxfan1]

Well Flaherty and Huckaby won't last. I don't know what to do with Bard.

[KeepTheFaith1229]

If we don't acquire another catcher before opening day, I'm pretty sure Bard will be the backup.

 

 

 

EDIT: Mirabelli still might get most of the playing time at C, I have a feeling Piazza is going to be playing a lot of first base.

[Beckett95]

rotoworld

 

Mike Piazza has accepted a one-year, $2 million contract with an $8 million mutual option for 2007 from the Padres.

"The Padres told Mike that he could pretty much catch as much as he wanted to," agent Dan Lozano said. We wonder if that means there's a chance that Doug Mirabelli could be returned to Boston in a David Wells trade. The Padres will probably want to keep Mirabelli to start at least 60-70 games. With Piazza batting cleanup at least half the time, it looks like Mike Cameron will be dropped in the lineup, hurting his fantasy value.

[26 to 6]

If we don't acquire another catcher before opening day, I'm pretty sure Bard will be the backup.

 

 

 

EDIT: Mirabelli still might get most of the playing time at C, I have a feeling Piazza is going to be playing a lot of first base.

I doubt it...Piazza HATED the 1B experiment here in NY.

 

Good signing by the Pads. I'll be rooting for them yet again in the NL West for a 3rd consecutive year, and having guys like Piazza makes it a lot funner to root for them.

 

I just REALLY wish the Yankees would have gotten him

[Soxfan1]

I think you have enough washed up guys.

[26 to 6]

I think you have enough washed up guys.

Oh please man...im not even gonna g on from here, not gonna start another 10 page Yankees/Red Sox arguement.

 

REeason I said it is because he fits perfectly. He can spend time DHing with Bernie/Giambi. When hes not DHing hes the lethal bat we're lacking off the bench, he is the emergency catcher, which is necessary if Joe plans on having Posada DH from time to time, hes proven in NY, just everything. I think he would have been a very good fit.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Oh please man...im not even gonna g on from here, not gonna start another 10 page Yankees/Red Sox arguement.

 

REeason I said it is because he fits perfectly. He can spend time DHing with Bernie/Giambi. When hes not DHing hes the lethal bat we're lacking off the bench, he is the emergency catcher, which is necessary if Joe plans on having Posada DH from time to time, hes proven in NY, just everything. I think he would have been a very good fit.

 

I agree he would have been perfect for the Yankees. Something about him just fits in with the rest of the team. I don't know if its the age or what but he looked destined for the Yanks. Oh well...guess Bernie is still the primary DH.

[26 to 6]

I agree he would have been perfect for the Yankees. Something about him just fits in with the rest of the team. I don't know if its the age or what but he looked destined for the Yanks. Oh well...guess Bernie is still the primary DH.

yea..im fine with bernie too, but we obviously need a 3rd player capable of catching, and he would have been perfect. Usually in a 3rd catcher, you need someone who is capable of playing other positions as well, (Craig Wilson, Robby Hammock, Eli Marrero, etc) but Piazza would have been someone I would have made an exception for (Yes, I know he can play 1st too, but that doesnt really count lol, we have a million first basemen)

[a700hitter]

For only $2 million, he was worth the risk for the Yanks or the Sox.

[jsinger121]

he would have sat on the bench. in san diego he will be playing much more than he would in either new york or boston.

[Beckett95]

he would have been a good fit for the Yanks. Even though he is awful defensively, he can still hit. He could have been good as a DH batting 7th for the Yankees.

[jsinger121]

might have been able to hit better than bernie or at least share some at-bats.

[Redguitar985]

rotoworld

 

So what do you do with Flaherty and Bard if we get Mirabelli? Send one or both of them along with Wells?

[26 to 6]

It would have to be Bard as Flaherty cant be traded until June 15th. But I can see the Sox outrighting Flaherty, though I doubt he would make it through waivers, and if he did I doubt he would opt to go down, would probably retire after that.

[a700hitter]

he would have sat on the bench. in san diego he will be playing much more than he would in either new york or boston.

I think he would have played a great deal for the Yankees at DH. Bernie would have been grabbing some bench.

[jsinger121]

i would have started him over bernie but joe would have been loyal to bernie like he normally is. in boston he would have rotted on the bench.

[a700hitter]

i would have started him over bernie but joe would have been loyal to bernie like he normally is. in boston he would have rotted on the bench.

Joe's loyal until he starts losing. He threw Bernie under the bus at the beginning of last year to make that ridiculous move of putting Womack in CF. That one was doomed from the beginning, and Bernie was not too happy about it.

[He Hate Me]

whew thank goodness, I thought for sure Steinbrenner was gonna offer him a 1 year10 mil deal

[26 to 6]

Joe's loyal until he starts losing. He threw Bernie under the bus at the beginning of last year to make that ridiculous move of putting Womack in CF. That one was doomed from the beginning, and Bernie was not too happy about it.

haha you have no idea what you're talking about then if you think thats the case. Joe's loyalty to Bernie Williams (and any of "his guys" for that matter) is unparralled. When we had Kenny Lofton, Bernie was supposed to DH, Lofton was supposed to play CF. Was that the case? No! Joe sat Lofton most of the time in favor of Bernie and Ruben. This year, that thing with Bernie being benched, Womack moving to left, Matsui to Center, and Cano was done because of the losing just to shake things up. It was mainly pressure by Cashman and others in the organization that led to that..but Bernie wasnt out of the lineup for more than 2 weeks. Trust me, through thick and thin, regardless of how things are going, Joe is going to stick by Bernie.

[yankeessuck013]

Best of luck to the future Hall of Famer as he gives it one last shot. However, nothing like moving to the ultimate pitcher's park.

[a700hitter]

haha you have no idea what you're talking about then if you think thats the case. Joe's loyalty to Bernie Williams (and any of "his guys" for that matter) is unparralled. When we had Kenny Lofton, Bernie was supposed to DH, Lofton was supposed to play CF. Was that the case? No! Joe sat Lofton most of the time in favor of Bernie and Ruben. This year, that thing with Bernie being benched, Womack moving to left, Matsui to Center, and Cano was done because of the losing just to shake things up. It was mainly pressure by Cashman and others in the organization that led to that..but Bernie wasnt out of the lineup for more than 2 weeks. Trust me, through thick and thin, regardless of how things are going, Joe is going to stick by Bernie.

Facts are facts. When they started losing Joe had Bernie hit the bench and Womack started playinf LF. Cashman doesn't write out the lineup card. Joe does that. When Joe played Bernie over Lofton and Sierra, it had nothing to do with loyalty. Bernie was the better CF than Lofton and Sierra made the whole OF worse.

[eZ_d0eS_iT]

once again, i had heard earlier this afternoon on XTRA that the angels were interested, but the deal he settled for w/SD was not the same his agent was demanding from anaheim. however, given the idiotic waste of time trial going on here in socal with the city suing arte moreno over the underuse of the word anaheim in association with the angels, the front office ends up losing out on a bargain. personally, i would have liked to see him end his career with the dodgers, but we have too many catchers already.

[26 to 6]

Facts are facts. When they started losing Joe had Bernie hit the bench and Womack started playinf LF. Cashman doesn't write out the lineup card. Joe does that. When Joe played Bernie over Lofton and Sierra, it had nothing to do with loyalty. Bernie was the better CF than Lofton and Sierra made the whole OF worse.

The pressure to shake things up significantly, like Joe did (with Cashman) in making that whole move last year was just that, to shake things up for a little bit. Joe had no intensions of keeping it that way, in about 2 weeks Womack was out and bernie was in. I am more than sure that Joe talked with Bernie about this long and hard, and i'm sure it was hard for him to do.

 

Also, you cant say that in the year 2004 Kenny Lofton was not as good a Center Fielder as Bernie Williams. His speed alone makes him better. The reason Joe didnt play Lofton was because he wanted Bernie in Center, and Ruben DHing. The loyalty Joe Torre displays is completely unexplainable, you have no idea man.

[jsinger121]

The pressure to shake things up significantly, like Joe did (with Cashman) in making that whole move last year was just that, to shake things up for a little bit. Joe had no intensions of keeping it that way, in about 2 weeks Womack was out and bernie was in. I am more than sure that Joe talked with Bernie about this long and hard, and i'm sure it was hard for him to do.

 

Also, you cant say that in the year 2004 Kenny Lofton was not as good a Center Fielder as Bernie Williams. His speed alone makes him better. The reason Joe didnt play Lofton was because he wanted Bernie in Center, and Ruben DHing. The loyalty Joe Torre displays is completely unexplainable, you have no idea man.

 

 

i agree....joe is one of the most loyal managers in the game and was playing bernie in center longer than he should have. he sticks with his guys and if you are not in his circle them he won't use you especially if you are in the bullpen.

[MC Hammer]

i agree....joe is one of the most loyal managers in the game and was playing bernie in center longer than he should have. he sticks with his guys and if you are not in his circle them he won't use you especially if you are in the bullpen.

Reason #1 that no one wants to play in NY. If you're not in Joe's cliq ... you don't get PT.

 

Loyalty is good to an extent, but Joe takes it a little too far.

[riverside sluggers]

That he does, Torre has set a good example on why to not overuse relief pitchers