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Mets land Estrada

SteveJRogers Nov 20 2007 04:32 PM

The sports radio shows are reporting that Johnny Estrada has been traded from the Brewers for Mota! Right now I can't find an internet link

SteveJRogers Nov 20 2007 04:34 PM

Okay, this is from a site that will not be MentiOned FOr several reasons ]METS ACQUIRE CATCHER JOHNNY ESTRADA[/font] The New York Mets announced today that they have acquired catcher Johnny Estrada from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for righthanded pitcher Guillermo Mota.[/font] “Johnny adds depth to our catching situation,” said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. “He’s a former All-Star who switch-hits and has hit over .300 three times in his career.”[/font] Estrada, 31, hit .278 (123-442) with 40 runs scored, 25 doubles, 10 home runs and 54 RBI in 120 games with the Brewers last year. The 5-11, 209-pounder batted .313 (42-134) vs. lefthanded pitchers and hit .297 (60-202) with runners in scoring position last season. Johnny also constructed .313 (31-99) mark with four home runs and eight RBI against National League East opponents in 2007. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on October 4th to repair the torn medial meniscus in his left knee and also had a bone spur removed from his right elbow. The surgeries were performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, AL. Estrada has batted .280 (567-2,026) with 198 runs scored, 129 doubles, 42 home runs, 281 RBI in 589 major league games with Philadelphia, Atlanta, Arizona and Milwaukee. Johnny was named to the 2004 National League All-Star team. In addition, he has hit .333 (7-21) with two home runs and five RBI in six postseason games in 2004-2005 while with Atlanta.[/font] Estrada has compiled a .297 (272-915) batting average during his career with runners on base and has hit .353 (18-51) with the bases loaded. Mota, 34, went 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA in 52 games with New York last season. In 59.1 innings, he allowed 63 hits, 39 runs, 38 earned, with 18 walks and 47 strikeouts.[/font]

A Boy Named Seo Nov 20 2007 04:37 PM

Steve, if you're going to post the trade talk, give us the source, too, and we'll make up our own minds about it.

metirish Nov 20 2007 04:37 PM

I don't believe we got him for Mota.

SteveJRogers Nov 20 2007 04:38 PM

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Steve, if you're going to post the trade talk, give us the source, too, and we'll make up our own minds about it. I did in code.

A Boy Named Seo Nov 20 2007 04:39 PM

Apparently we did. [url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20071120&content_id=2305246&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym]Mets.com release[/url]: ]The New York Mets announced today that they have acquired catcher Johnny Estrada from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for righthanded pitcher Guillermo Mota. "Johnny adds depth to our catching situation," said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. "He's a former All-Star who switch-hits and has hit over .300 three times in his career." Estrada, 31, hit .278 (123-for-442) with 40 runs scored, 25 doubles, 10 home runs and 54 RBI in 120 games with the Brewers last year. The 5-11, 209-pounder batted .313 (42-for-134) vs. lefthanded pitchers and hit .297 (60-202) with runners in scoring position last season. Johnny also constructed .313 (31-for-99) mark with four home runs and eight RBI against National League East opponents in 2007. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on October 4th to repair the torn medial meniscus in his left knee and also had a bone spur removed from his right elbow. The surgeries were performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, AL. Estrada has batted .280 (567-for-2,026) with 198 runs scored, 129 doubles, 42 home runs, 281 RBI in 589 major league games with Philadelphia, Atlanta, Arizona and Milwaukee. Johnny was named to the 2004 National League All-Star team. In addition, he has hit .333 (7-for-21) with two home runs and five RBI in six postseason games in 2004-2005 while with Atlanta. Estrada has compiled a .297 (272-for-915) batting average during his career with runners on base and has hit .353 (18-51) with the bases loaded. Mota, 34, went 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA in 52 games with New York last season. In 59.1 innings, he allowed 63 hits, 39 runs, 38 earned, with 18 walks and 47 strikeouts.

Gwreck Nov 20 2007 04:40 PM

Daily News has the story too. http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2007/11/mets-deal-mota-for-johnny-estr.html

A Boy Named Seo Nov 20 2007 04:45 PM

It looks like he made 3.4M last season and is arbitration eligible for '08. At worst, it's Johnny Estrada for one year at +/- $4M and look again for a catcher next year.

Centerfield Nov 20 2007 04:46 PM

.699 OPS at Miller Park. Yeesh. I guess he was the best option though. What's he like defensively?

metirish Nov 20 2007 04:47 PM

Seems like a good bit of business for the Mets, I would never have thought you could get him for Mota. I guess the surgery has something to do with that.

A Boy Named Seo Nov 20 2007 04:50 PM

Centerfield wrote: .699 OPS at Miller Park. Yeesh. I guess he was the best option though. What's he like defensively? 73 steals allowed, 11 caught = .131 CS%. His career line is a little better at .239. By comparison, Yorvit's rate in '07 was .197 (61 SB, 15 caught) and Lo Duca's was .234 (72 SB, 22 CS). Complete fielding stats for each: [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=4713&context=fielding]Estrada[/url] [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=4568&context=fielding]Torrealba[/url] [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=3871&context=fielding]Lo Duca[/url]

Mex17 Nov 20 2007 05:07 PM

"Okay, this is from a site that will not be MentiOned FOr several reasons" Did you say hi to Paulie?

Valadius Nov 20 2007 05:07 PM

If somebody can work with him on how to draw walks, then I'm pretty happy right now!

SteveJRogers Nov 20 2007 05:11 PM

Mex17 wrote: "Okay, this is from a site that will not be MentiOned FOr several reasons" Did you say hi to Paulie? KO, Bill, BRD and crew all say hello as well!

Benjamin Grimm Nov 20 2007 05:25 PM

I'm pleased.

MFS62 Nov 20 2007 05:41 PM

Getting Estrada for Mota? Johnny's a fan favorite before he plays in his first game. Later

Frayed Knot Nov 20 2007 05:45 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 20 2007 05:52 PM

"...this is from a site that will not be MentiOned FOr several reasons" Enough with this nonsense OK? 1) you're only copying something that someone there copied from elsewhere. It's not like that site was the source of the material in the first place. 2) there's no reason you can't mention a site. Stop inventing problems that don't exist. Back to Estrada - and a brief comparison to the guy who almost landed here: - 2 years older than Torreabla - 23 points better in BA than YT in 2007 (30 pts career) - 27 points Lower OBA last season. 12 BBs in 442 ABs!! - similar sluggers: .125 IsoP vs .121 - switch hitter vs RH only. Helps slightly in platoon situations - recently repaired knee vs questionable throwing shoulder - probably similar $$ costs for 2008, but one year vs three at which point it looks like he'll be a FA after that so this may well be a one year and out deal. - Cost of money only vs a sometimes promising if erratic reliever whose brief success may or may not have been due to steroids. He had that one pretty good year in Atlanta, a year he never quite duplicated after that (I've seen this movie before) although had a decent one with Arizona in 2006. In all it's probably an OK move, especially considering the limited options at the position. Maybe our Wisconson-based correspondant can check in with his new Brewer-fan friends and get some impressions about his defense or other general tendancies beyond what the numbers show.

TheOldMole Nov 20 2007 05:49 PM

What's a switch hitter vs RH only?

Frayed Knot Nov 20 2007 05:53 PM

In trying to compare how Estrada stacks up against Torrealba (since he's essentially the replacement choice) I'm pointing out that Estrada is a switch-hitter while Torreabla hit RH only.

metsguyinmichigan Nov 20 2007 06:12 PM

Looks like a win for us, just getting Mota out of town makes it worth it!

Mex17 Nov 20 2007 06:14 PM

So if they can get Estrada for Mota, then why can't they get a solid #1-#2 pitcher for Gomez-or-Milledge and Pelfrey-or-Humber-or-Mulvey?

Frayed Knot Nov 20 2007 06:27 PM

="metsguyinmichigan"]Looks like a win for us, just getting Mota out of town makes it worth it! Reverse the names and that's what a quickie sampling of Brewer fans are saying about Estrada: "If Mets fans were disappointed with Lo Duca's defense, they're in for a heckuva surprise with Johnny" ... "garbage defensively" ... "clubhouse cancer" ... "didn't play like he cared" ... "whoever replaces him can't possibly be worse" ... "needs to lose 40 pounds" etc. ]So if they can get Estrada for Mota, then why can't they get a solid #1-#2 pitcher for Gomez-or-Milledge and Pelfrey-or-Humber-or-Mulvey On what planet does one have anything to do with the other?

smg58 Nov 20 2007 06:34 PM

He hits pretty well in even-numbered years. The guy has some upside if he can stay healthy. Most importantly the Mets gave up less than nothing to get him. Hard to like the walks, granted, but I have to give a thumbs-up to this one.

seawolf17 Nov 20 2007 06:40 PM

I'm happy going into the season with Jamon Castrada behind the plate. Good deal, especially considering they gave up nothing. And it's only a year. See ya, Mota.

Fman99 Nov 20 2007 07:03 PM

I love this deal. Estrada's career BA is 30 points higher than ol Yorvit and no Mota in 2008. To me it's win/win.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 20 2007 07:36 PM

This sounds like an exchange of the least popular players of two teams. Word on Estrada is he's fat, lazy and has a bad attitude. Word on Mota is he's a cheater, an asshole and he sucks.

vtmet Nov 20 2007 07:44 PM

Valadius wrote: If somebody can work with him on how to draw walks, then I'm pretty happy right now! what is the advantage in a catcher that draws walks? Most of them are slower than molases anyhow...He doesn't strike out much, has averaged about 37 extra base hits per season in the last 4 seasons, has a .297 batting average with runners on base (past 3 season average)...and most importantly is not Paul Lo Duca...

Edgy DC Nov 20 2007 07:48 PM

I like Estrada. I don't believe that last line at all.

Centerfield Nov 20 2007 07:53 PM

Didn't Estrada get into a fist fight with Yost during a Mets game?

Kid Carsey Nov 20 2007 07:54 PM

sea: >>>Jamon Castrada behind the plate<<< >>>it's only a year<<< That's the right way to boil it down.

Frayed Knot Nov 20 2007 08:15 PM

]what is the advantage in a catcher that draws walks? Because if he's drawing walks then he's not making outs - something Estrada did at a better than 70% clip last season.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 20 2007 08:19 PM

yost may have just been being a manager, but made a point after his shoving match with Estrada that Johnny was only defending another teammate. What I recall about Estrada was that he was traded for Kevin Millwood.

metirish Nov 20 2007 08:57 PM

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: yost may have just been being a manager, but made a point after his shoving match with Estrada that Johnny was only defending another teammate. What I recall about Estrada was that he was traded for Kevin Millwood. Yes and I remember at the time the Braves were being questioned for that move because Millwood was a stud (sorta) at the time, had a big year the season before IIRC. The Braves though maintained they were getting a future star catcher.

Frayed Knot Nov 20 2007 09:14 PM

That was the year the Braves offered potential FA Greg Maddux arbitration in order to get draft picks when he left only to see him fool them all by accepting the offer. That unexpected move wound up blowing apart the Braves' budget prompting them to trade Millwood for the then young backup catcher Estrada. Much chuckling ensued amid wondering if Schurholz had lost it until Estrada wound up having a better year than Millwood.

Nymr83 Nov 20 2007 11:23 PM

i love this trade. go omar!

Mex17 Nov 21 2007 02:47 AM

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11212007/sports/mets/mota_motive_134133.htm Estrada is arbitration eligible in January, and a team source indicated it's possible the Mets will simply allow him to become a free agent. Either the Post is making crap up or Omar is out of his mind. Estrada should be the starting catcher for this team!!!! This was a gift from Heaven.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 21 2007 06:57 AM

Adam Rubin was kinda saying the same thing this morning in the News. He picked up on something Omar said about the Mets now having "depth at catcher." Rubin says that the Mets may turn around and deal Estrada or they could non-tender him if they got another catcher through some other means. I guess it's possible, but I think it's likely that Estrada will play for the Mets next year. He'll play as often as Castro allows him to play. (And Castro will play as often as Estrada allows him to play.)

Frayed Knot Nov 21 2007 06:59 AM

Mex17 wrote: Either the Post is making crap up or Omar is out of his mind. Or maybe he doesn't particularly want Estrada (like because he's not very good) and the deal was simply a way to get out from under Mota's 2008 salary which IS guaranteed. Or, as they say in the beer commercial ... BRILLIANT!!! ]Estrada should be the starting catcher for this team!!!! This was a gift from Heaven. Well, if you think the "gift" part is that he was able to get rid of Mota then it's a gift whether Estrada is kept or not. If you think having Estrada as the starting catcher is the heaven-sent part then I think you have an over-inflated view of his worth.

smg58 Nov 21 2007 07:08 AM

The Mets do have the option of non-tendering Estrada, but I don't see them using up bargaining chips on another catcher at this point unless Estrada's recovery from elbow surgery is going poorly, or another bargain offer for a catcher comes up.

attgig Nov 21 2007 07:13 AM

Centerfield wrote: Didn't Estrada get into a fist fight with Yost during a Mets game? I'm guessing that's why they got rid of him, more than the injuries. And that's prolly why the brewers fans are glad he's gone. I'm guessing makeup of the mets is going to be a positive influence on him.

metirish Nov 21 2007 07:27 AM

="attgig"] Centerfield wrote: I'm guessing makeup of the mets is going to be a positive influence on him. I think that stuff is over rated, if you're a bollox you're a bollox. Frayed Knot Nov 21 2007 07:28 AM From the [url=http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2007/11/20/estrada-gets-his-say.aspx]Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal[/url]: Estrada and teammate Tony Graffanino were involved in a dugout altercation with manager Ned Yost in early August - ironically, in a game against the Mets - but that was not believed to be a factor in the trade. "I don't really want to get into all of that," said [GM Doug] Melvin. "It doesn't do any good to talk about negatives." More from Melvin: "We're just looking for more of an energy level and a catcher who works well with pitchers." If Estrada's energy level was down, his agent, David Schwartz, said it probably was related to the injuries he played with. "I don't think Johnny got enough credit for playing hurt all season," said Schwartz. After the season, Estrada had surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow and repair torn cartilage in his left knee. And from Estrada himself: "I heard they wished I worked better with the pitching staff," said Estrada, who will be playing for his fourth team in four years. "That (ticks) me off. I think sometimes, as a general manager or an owner, or even a manager, you don't have the pulse of the team. (General manager Doug Melvin) is not in the clubhouse." TransMonk Nov 21 2007 07:30 AM From the Brewers' board: I asked: Would there have been any takers if I would have proposed that deal before it happened? Answer: Nope. General consensus here is that we hoped to get a little bit more, especially because we had some leverage without having a replacement for Estrada inked. Most here think Estrada for Mota + our expected FA signing of Jason Kendall is a rather lateral move. metirish Nov 21 2007 07:34 AM Estrada not working well with the pitchers would be a concern , seems telling that a GM would say that. soupcan Nov 21 2007 08:12 AM I like the Post's theory that they may just cut Estrada loose rather than offer him offer him arbitration. Basically just dumping Mota. I keep reading about the Mets having interest in Laird so maybe Omar's trying to swing that deal? But if they keep Estrada keep in mind that although his defense (according to the Brewers fans) was atrocious, he did have a bone spur last season and has since had it removed. Problem solved or at least addressed? Maybe. The Post article also said that Omar has not dismissed out of hand giving Castro a shot a the starting job. Of course thae question of Castro staying healthy enough to do that is a big one. John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 21 2007 08:50 AM Yeah, I don;t think we're necessarily done trying to find a catcher. Would you guys endorse a deal of Endy Chavez for Gerald Laird? The Rangers want a center fielder. Everyone loves Chavvy but we're nuts thinking we're going to keep on getting greatness out of him. Edgy DC Nov 21 2007 08:55 AM Moving Endy to someone blinded by his highlight reel would be smart. Cold-hearted, but smart. metirish Nov 21 2007 09:04 AM I'd do that deal for Laird. Neyer on Estrada( no more Neyer from me ) ] How big a catch is Estrada?posted: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry From the Department of Did He Really Say That, here's Omar Minaya on the Mets' new starting catcher: "Johnny adds depth to our catching situation," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said. "He's a former All-Star who switch-hits and has hit over .300 three times in his career." Estrada had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Oct. 4 to repair a torn meniscus. He also had a bone spur removed from his right elbow. The operations were performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Yes. Technically, Johnny Estrada has hit over .300 three times in his career. One of those times was in 2003, when he went 11-for-36 with the Braves, which figures out as .306. To be fair, Estrada also batted .328 with Triple-A Richmond that season. So he certainly had a good year. The next year he batted .314 in 134 games with the Braves, was an All-Star, and even picked up a few points in the MVP balloting (he finished behind Juan Pierre, but still). Since 2004, though, his numbers aren't nearly as impressive: .309 on-base percentage, .406 slugging. And much of that happened in Miller Park, a fairly neutral park. Estrada's a year older and moving to one of the toughest parks for hitters in the National League. He certainly won't be the worst catcher in the league, but I don't see many All-Star Games or .300 seasons in his future. Then again, maybe Dr. Andrews' tender care will work wonders. Estrada threw out only eight percent of the runners trying to steal against him last season, and presumably Minaya believes the elbow surgery was successful. But aren't they all? Edgy DC Nov 21 2007 09:14 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 21 2007 07:20 PM How many all-star games does Neyer see in Mota's future? Let's get some perspective here. 1) Mota don't buy gold, not after last season. 2) There are worse things than a catcher with a .715 OPS. 3) GMs tend to say nice things about a player they've recently acquired. We all know there's a downside, but it makes more sense to talk about the factors that motivated you to pull the trigger. The question they're answering, after all, is "Why did you acquire that guy?" (if only implicitly). The Mets had plenty of good things to say when they got David Justice. then they flipped him before the week was over and it seemed they'd been planning to all along. Benjamin Grimm Nov 21 2007 09:23 AM Is Laird really anyone to get excited about? I mean, it looks like he'd be decent enough, but why trade anyone to get him? He doesn't seem like he'd be much of an improvement at all over Estrada and Castro. Let's go into 2008 with what we have at catcher and try again in 2009. (Too bad Jesus Flores isn't an option.) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG 2007 120 407 48 91 18 3 9 47 142 30 103 6 2 0.278 0.349 0.224 Career 279 881 130 217 48 5 19 93 332 61 210 9 4 0.297 0.377 0.246 Rockin' Doc Nov 21 2007 11:24 AM I'm not familiar with Laird, but seeing the stat line Yancy posted makes me want to steer clear of him. A career .246 hitter that strikes out close to 25% of his at bats while providing little power does not appear to be the answer for the Mets catching situation. I believe I would rather go with Castro/Estrada and keep Endy Chavez. smg58 Nov 21 2007 12:18 PM And Laird's putting up those mediocre numbers in Texas. His upside is Estrada's 2007 numbers. Would anybody here start him over Castro? Centerfield Nov 21 2007 12:23 PM metirish wrote: ="Centerfield"] I'm guessing makeup of the mets is going to be a positive influence on him. I think that stuff is over rated, if you're a bollox you're a bollox. I'm being misquoted here. I feel like Paul LoDuca. soupcan Nov 21 2007 12:32 PM I think I read that Laird is very good defensively. I'm not advocating Castro, Estrada or Laird. Just looking at what the Mets options are and trying to figure out what Omar's thinking. Nymr83 Nov 21 2007 01:00 PM Centerfield wrote: ="metirish"] Centerfield wrote: I'm guessing makeup of the mets is going to be a positive influence on him. I think that stuff is over rated, if you're a bollox you're a bollox. I'm being misquoted here. I feel like Paul LoDuca. tell him that other guys on this forum speak english too RealityChuck Nov 24 2007 06:10 PM Johnny Estrada is already the best Estrada to play for the Mets (as a Met). Though, of course, it's unlikely he'll be as interesting a trivia question as Chuck (a pitcher who won just one game for the team -- but a very historic one for the Franchise). SteveJRogers Nov 25 2007 09:22 AM RealityChuck wrote: Johnny Estrada is already the best Estrada to play for the Mets (as a Met). Though, of course, it's unlikely he'll be as interesting a trivia question as Chuck (a pitcher who won just one game for the team -- but a very historic one for the Franchise). UMDB is your friend [url=http://ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=813]Tom Seaver's debut[/url] That is a pretty interesting bit of trivia. And I assume that is why you said "the Franchise" the way you did! RealityChuck Nov 25 2007 10:17 AM Yup. I followed Chuck Estrada fairly closely that year, for his first name alone. He also was a pretty good pitcher when he came up: won 33 games his first two seasons, but hurt his arm and never came back. His win was the only decent game he pitched that year, and once his ERA flirted with 10, he was released. Edgy DC Nov 25 2007 02:19 PM He'll have to log a couple of games to best Francisco Estrada. metirish Dec 13 2007 06:59 AM News on Estrada, Johnson,Padilla and others. [url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071213&content_id=2324600&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym]Mets cut ties with players[/url] Mark Prior and the Cubs part ways, he's worth a look I guess but his agent says Doctor Andrews expects Prior will be ready to pitch mid-May although the agent then said " "if you want to be conservative, tack a few months onto that." ". Edgy DC Dec 13 2007 07:20 AM Adkins gets one inning pitched. Johnson gets 27 at-bats. That Ring-Bell trade is looking pretty bad this morning. And henceforth shall it remain. John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 13 2007 07:36 AM Adam Rubin acknowledged that Johnson and Padilla were each recovering from their respective injuries slowly. I wondered if that wasn't a message from the Mets to lay off these guys, we want to re-sign them to minor league deals. Johnson is a real disappointment. I was hopeful they'd made a steal there.