Guest bravesfan Report post Posted December 20, 2002 Floyd brings punch to upgraded Mets Credit: ESPN.com news services NEW YORK -- The New York Mets have added a big bat to go with their upgraded pitching staff, agreeing in principle to a multiyear contract with outfielder Cliff Floyd on Friday. Floyd, who declined salary arbitration from the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night, must pass a physical Saturday to make the deal official. The deal is for four years and worth $26 million, ESPN's Peter Gammons reported. Floyd, who will play in left field, is the third big free-agent acquisition for the Mets this offseason as they try to rebound from a last-place finish in 2002. They signed left-hander Tom Glavine to a $35 million, three-year deal to be the ace of their staff and lefty Mike Stanton to a $9 million, three-year contract to bolster their bullpen. Floyd batted .288 with 28 homers and 79 RBI last season for Boston, Montreal and Florida. He will be a major upgrade over Roger Cedeno or Jeromy Burnitz in one of the corner outfield spots. The Mets probably will try to trade Cedeno or Burnitz. New York was last in the majors in batting average in right field and second-to-last in the NL in both homers and RBIs in left field. That was a big reason they finished 13th in the league in scoring. Floyd will be a formidable bat in the middle of the lineup, along with Mike Piazza. Floyd struggled with injuries early in his career but has played 295 games in the last two seasons. He is a .284 career hitter with 132 homers and 508 RBIs in 908 games. Like the Mets' other free-agent acquisitions, Floyd probably would not have signed with the team had manager Bobby Valentine not been replaced by Art Howe. Both Glavine and Stanton said they would not have come to New York if the volatile Valentine were still in charge of the team. Valentine and Floyd feuded in 2000 over the manager's initial snubbing of Floyd for the NL All-Star team. Floyd later made the team. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Mets also are close to finalizing a deal with Japanese third baseman Norihiro Nakamura. Nakamura hit .294 with 42 homers and 115 RBIs last season for Kintetsu of the Pacific League. In Japan, he has been courted by the Buffaloes and Hanshin Tigers, who are offering considerably more money than the Mets. New York is believed to be offering about $7 million for two years, while the Japanese teams are offering about $6 million a year for four or five years. Nakamura will announce his decision on Saturday in Japan. The Mets' projected lineup and starting rotation for the 2003 season: Roger Cedeno, LF Roberto Alomar, 2B Cliff Floyd, RF Mike Piazza, C Mo Vaughn, 1B Norihiro Nakamura, 3B Timo Perez, CF Russ Johnson, SS Tom Glavine, LHP Al Leiter, LHP Pedro Astacio, RHP Steve Trachsel, RHP John Thomson, RHP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lethargic Report post Posted December 20, 2002 The Mets projected finish: Dead last. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted December 21, 2002 Don't forget about the Marlins. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lethargic Report post Posted December 21, 2002 Don't forget about the Marlins. I didn't. ha Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted December 21, 2002 Last year I was scared- this year I shake my head. Didn't the Mets realise they made it to the World Series without my fantasy baseball team? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CanadianChris Report post Posted December 21, 2002 Don't forget about the Marlins. I didn't. ha Or the Expos, once the axe finally falls. No, actually, you were right. Mets are gonna suck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted December 21, 2002 Ha! Unless Vaugh and Piazza and Glavine revert to 1995...The mets are hurting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted December 21, 2002 The Marlins potentially have a good young staff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Will Scarlet Report post Posted December 21, 2002 They also have Jeffrey Loria as an owner. I doubt they will be going anywhere but down for a LONG while. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RobJohnstone Report post Posted December 21, 2002 Although I don't like the floyd signing, I can picture atlanta having a terrible year. Byrd is not that good, someone had to win some games for KC last year, might as well be him. Ortiz is hit or miss and I am not a fan. Marquis is unproven and maddux is one year older and doesn't go past 7 innings anymore. Sheffield is one year older and we know how he is when things go south. The other old men on the team, castilla,franco(is he 60 yet?), are not getting any better. Honestly I can see the mets taking the pennant this year. But, we will see. One or 2 more years and we bring that SS up, I think his name is cruz, I hear he will be the future of the franchise. --Rob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mad Dog Report post Posted December 21, 2002 I get the feeling that most of the Mets lineup is going to be spending a good portion of the season on the DL. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HartFan86 Report post Posted December 21, 2002 FUCK YOU BOSTON FOR GIVING FLOYD ARBITRATION YOU FUCKS. JUST GIVE HIM A FUCKING CONTRACT. Fucking Theo Epstein. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest kingkamala Report post Posted December 21, 2002 I have a bad feeling the Red Sox are gonna suck. Not just the usual sucking where they have a good first half of the season then break down in the second half. I have a feeling they are gonna suck all season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cartman Report post Posted December 21, 2002 FUCK YOU BOSTON FOR GIVING FLOYD ARBITRATION YOU FUCKS. JUST GIVE HIM A FUCKING CONTRACT. Fucking Theo Epstein. Actually I applaud Theo for letting Floyd go. We get 2 draft picks for him now, one from the Mets and one compensation pick. Also Floyd is NOT healty and probably never will be. He has been incrediblt injury prone and would not fit with this Redsox team anyways. I would much rather have Contreras for the kind of money they would have had to spend to keep Floyd. Remember SALARY has alot to do with things these days. Also Nasquez and Colon are still possibilities. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted December 21, 2002 Agreed. I have a good feeling about the Sox this year. Especially with the Giambi trade. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted December 22, 2002 Damn. He was supposedly going to Baltimore.. BOO! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cartman Report post Posted December 22, 2002 Exactly, Giambi could possibly be something special here in Boston competing against his brother. Both NY and Boston have Giambi's at first base now, should make for some interesting storylines all season if Jeremy can get out of Jason's shadow. Imagine the possbility, albeit slight, of Jeremy helping the Sox to their first title in almost 90 years when Jason couldnt get the Yankees back to the series even. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest geniusMoment Report post Posted December 22, 2002 How can anyone ever have a good feeling about the red sox. It wouldn't matter if they had five pedro's in their rotation and 6 Rivera's in their bullpen, they would still come up short because they are the red sox. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted December 23, 2002 Because in reality the Babe Ruth curse has only struck twice, in 78 and 86. Any other time it's been logically explanable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
