Report: Mets cross catcher off wish list, get Lo Duca

[Short]

Report: Mets cross catcher off wish list, get Lo Duca

ESPN.com news services

The wheeling-and-dealing New York Mets crossed another need off their 2006 wish list, acquiring All-Star catcher Paul Lo Duca from the Florida Marlins in exchange for two minor league pitchers, the New York Daily News reported on its Web site.


It would be the second deal between the Mets and Marlins this offseason -- although The Associated Press reported the Lo Duca deal was not finished -- with Florida sending slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado to New York last month. The Mets also signed free-agent closer Billy Wagner, giving Mets general manager Omar Minaya a player at every postition he said was a priority.


Lo Duca, 33, was an All-Star in each of the past three seasons. He will be taking the place of Mike Piazza, a sure Hall of Fame player and, like Lo Duca, a former Dodger. Lo Duca hit .283 with six homers and 57 RBI for the Marlins in 2005.


The Mets will send 19-year-old right-hander Gabriel Hernandez and another minor league pitcher to be named, the Daily News reported.


Hernandez was 6-1 with a 2.43 ERA for Class-A Hagerstown of the South Atlantic League, then went 2-5 with a 5.74 ERA for Class-A St. Lucie of the Florida State League. He had a combined 131 strikeouts in 135 innings.


The departure of Lo Duca would represent the further dismantling of a competitive Marlins franchise, which sent Luis Castillo, a three-time All-Star and the Marlins' career leader in six major categories, to the Twins last week. The Marlins are citing rising costs after repeated bids for a new ballpark failed.


Delgado, ace Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell are also gone, and center fielder Juan Pierre is on the block.


Minnesota gave up right-handers Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler in the Castillo deal. The Marlins plan to use the hard-throwing Bowyer in the bullpen next season, while Tyler will begin the year in their minor-league system, general manager Larry Beinfest said.


With no new stadium on the horizon in South Florida, team president David Samson announced last week that the Marlins would dramatically reduce their payroll, which was $60 million at the start of the 2005 season. He also said the team will consider moving after the 2007 season, with Las Vegas and Portland, Ore., among the candidates.


With three trades, Florida has cut about $32 million from next year's payroll, excluding any Lo Duca deal. On Thanksgiving Day, Florida received seven prospects by trading Delgado to the Mets and sending Lowell and Beckett to Boston.


The Marlins' so-called fire sale is their second in eight years. Former owner Wayne Huizenga ordered a payroll purge after the team won the 1997 World Series, and prospects acquired in subsequent deals helped Florida win the title again in 2003 under current owner Jeffrey Loria.


Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Very happy with this one, Lo Duca is a great player. He'll hit somehwere from .280-.310 and add 5-10 homeruns, which is really good for a catcher. But considering the Mets track record, the two minor league pitchers they traded will go on to make the Hall of Fame...

[Disturbed]

I like what the Mets are doing here with thier team. I really hope it works out for them.

Even though I am a Braves fan, I love good competition.

[rams fan]

Why won't the Braves do anything? JS is ticking me off

[Disturbed]

Originally Posted by rams fan

Why won't the Braves do anything? JS is ticking me off

What do you want him to do? They are on a spending limit.

The Braves have only won 14 division titles in a row. They will once again field a competitive team next season.

The Braves don't have 100+ million to spend like the Mets do.

[rams fan]

So but we have money TO SPEND not to keep in a safe somewhere for no reason. We need to start working on bullpen and gettin a replacement lead off hitter and SS

[Disturbed]

I don't worry about the Braves man. Every year they get the pieces they need to compete. No, we don't need a lead off hitter and a SS.

Now reports around here are that we are getting Juan Pierre to play LF from the Marlins. There that takes care of the lead off hitter and Betemit will be just fine as a SS

[Short]

The Braves are one of those teams that manage to be an elite team no matter what. Just like the Patriots...oh wait...

Haha, j/k. The Braves will be just fine...

[Disturbed]

You know what the Mets are doing better this offseason than last? They aren't signing Beltran... or players like him. Lo Duca has a long history of being a solid player.. This is a good addition.

The Mets are going to be so beastly that they wont need those minor league pitchers. Lo duca, delgado, grundzalanik(maybe), reyes, wright, floyd, beltran and supposed Marry Ramirez if they can pull it off. Sounds like a All-Star roster to me.

[Short]

Do we have another Mets fan in the house?!

Forget Grudzelanik or however you spell it, I want Cairo back at 2B. I really like him...

And the more and more time goes by, the less likely Manny to the Mets looks. They're asking for our top prospects, and I'd hate to become the next Yankees giving all of our top prospects for old overpaid players. And with Manny and Floyd in the cornders of the outfield, you'd have Beltran basically having to cover the whole field. He's one of the greats on offense though, no doubt about that.

I'd be just fine with Cairo at 2B and Victor Diaz at RF. Just please keep Matsui out of the lineup. If they did that our lineup would probably look like this...
1. SS Jose Reyes
2. CF Carlos Beltran
3. 1B Carlos Delgado
4. RF Cliff Floyd
5. 3B David Wright
6. C Paul Lo Duca
7. RF Victor Diaz
8. 2B Miguel Cairo
9. Pitcher

Looks good to me ...

[SicK NasTy]

Not only does Lo Duca put up great offensive numbers for a catcher, but he really knows how to handle a pitching staff, especially the young guys. Great pick up for you guys, in my eyes the best of the offseason for NYM.

While the money is there for amove to be made by ATL, it isn't necessary to go get a big signing. I personally would like to see if we could trade for Pierre, like Disturbed said, and let Betemit play short. He'll be fine there for the 1 year he will be needed. Then if we could worka deal for Dannys Baez from Tampa (even though he could turn out to be another Kolb), and sign Todd Jones to set him up, and add a lefty arm to the pen (Chris Hammond?) I think we would be set.

Think about it..
LF Pierre
2B Giles
3B C Jones
CF A Jones
1B LaRoche
RF Francoeur
C McCann
SS Betemit.. Doesn't sound that bad to me..

Smoltz, Huddy, Sosa, Thomson, Ramirez with Davis, James, Lerew stepping in if one is traded..

Closer: Baez, Set Up: Jones, Hammond, Devine, Boyer, McBride, etc..

Even though NYM keep goign out and signing all these players, you will never convince me they will win the division...until they actually do it. It's still Atlanta's division, until someone takes ti from them..in the SEASON, not the offseason.

[rams fan]

Originally Posted by Disturbed

I don't worry about the Braves man. Every year they get the pieces they need to compete. No, we don't need a lead off hitter and a SS.

Now reports around here are that we are getting Juan Pierre to play LF from the Marlins. There that takes care of the lead off hitter and Betemit will be just fine as a SS

Betemit is not our SS!

[SicK NasTy]

Originally Posted by rams fan

Betemit is not our SS!

Why not Rams? I really don't see how you can say this, based on Atlanta's limitations (Payroll). He's not our shortstop why? Cause he's not a Super Star? Give the young guys a chance sometimes, it could pan out well. See Jorge Sosa for further details. And if we get Pierre, it will be really easy to live with Betemit at short.