Matthews: I'm natural choice for Mets leadoff spot
Not that Gary Matthews Jr. can’t help the Mets (if any, not by much), but if he thinks he’ll be hitting leadoff (yes, he is today, but so what?) regularly, the Mets have much, much more to worry about.
With the Mets acquisition of Gary Matthews Jr., likely to challenge Angel Pagan for the starting job in centerfield as Carlos Beltran rehabs, I’m wondering who will get the nod come Opening Day.
This is not who you hope will start, but rather who will be the starter.
Update – 12:20 p.m.: Heyman confirms Stokes to LA for Matthews Jr. Angels will pay all but $2 million that is owed to him over the next two years.
Money saved from Molina will pay for Matthews, not that it makes it OK.
$1 million a year for Matthews is something I can live with.
Update – 11:57 a.m.: Jon Morosi tweets that it is, in fact, Brian Stokes heading to LA for GMJ.
Update – 11:56 a.m.: In discussing GMJ’s salary next season, Crasnick writes “It's believed the Angels will pay most of the two years and $23 million remaining on Matthews' contract with the Angels.”
Update – 11:34 a.m.: Crasnick tweets that he was told a “low salaried pitcher” is heading to LA. MLBTR suggested Brian Stokes, as the Angels had interest in him earlier, but that was just a guess.
Original post: According to Jon Heyman, the Mets are set to acquire Gary Matthews Jr. the Los Angeles Angels.
Heyman notes that Luis Castillo is not involved in the deal.
The Angels are going to pick up a “whole bunch” of Matthews contract, according to Jerry Crasnick.
No matter how much money they’re picking up, this looks like a bad deal for the Mets from the start.,
People are simply piling on this GMJ to the Mets trade. Here are my four favorite tweets this morning.
OGTedBerg: Just watch the Mets try to start Gary Matthews Jr. over Pagan next year. Just watch that. That's so going to happen.
mattcasey9: Anytime you can get a guy whose last 3 years of OPS are .742, .675, .697, and UZRs of -12.3, -9.3, -14.5 ... you HAVE to make that deal
MetsMerized: Gary Matthews Jr. misjudges flyballs, is terrible on basepaths, and dont run out grounders. Should fit right in.
dances_w_vowels: Gary Matthews, Omar? Really? Subtraction by addition, I think.
You can’t make this stuff up. Well, they just did.
