Cringing

How do you make a Met fan cringe? Thanks to this insightful suggestion by Jon Heyman, we now know how.

From si.com:

"The Mets, Rangers and Indians are believed to be three teams looking to sign star Rockies closer Brian Fuentes, who had a special season in his walk year. (And he will walk, as the Rockies can't afford him.)
The Cardinals are another team that could badly use the 33-year-old Fuentes. But the Mets are seen by some as the favorite to sign him. The Mets are badly in need of a shutdown closer and view Francisco Rodriguez's asking price of $75 million over five years as too steep considering their $11 million commitment to injured closer Billy Wagner.
Fuentes' take is expected to be along the lines of $36 million over three years, a relative bargain."

Whooaa there Jonny. Yes, the Mets need a shutdown closer as much as any other team in the majors. And sure, Fuentes would be a welcome addition to the Mets given the season that he had in 2008. His 1.54 road ERA signifies how good this guy can be away from Coors Field. But to think that Fuentes is a shutdown closer is a stretch. Remember, only one year ago, Fuentes was so bad as a closer down the stretch that he actually lost the job to Manny Corpas. Fuentes was great in 2008, but the term "shutdown closer" should be reserved for guys like Rivera, Nathan, Papelbon, and Lidge.

And really, is Fuentes a $12 million dollar a year player? I think not. He's a very good relief pitcher, but the only reason he's being mentioned in the same breath as K-Rod is simply because both are free agents at the end of the season. Consider that Joe Nathan receives less than $12 million per season, Lidge will receive slightly more than $12 million per season, and Mariano Rivera, perhaps the greatest closer of all time, receives $15 million per season. Again, Fuentes does not belong in the same breath as any of those guys.

So if the Mets are willing to pay Fuentes $12 million per season, then why is K-Rod for $15 million per season too much? Yes, 5 years is too many, but I'm sure any Met fan would prefer K-Rod at $15 mil, especially if the Mets are willing to go as high as $12 mil on Fuentes. I understand that the market will naturally spike the price tags on these guys, but $12 mil a season for Fuentes is ludicrous. I'd say that's about $4-$5 million more per season than I'd be willing to pay. If some other team is willing to pay that, I'd happily pass. Desperation does not equal insanity.

Then again, if his price goes down, make a push for him Omar, please.