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Saturday, January 05, 2008

ESPN: Mets get Pagan from Cubs, send OF Coles and P Meyers

The New York Mets acquired outfielder Angel Pagan on Saturday from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers.

Outfielder Corey Coles and righthanded pitcher Ryan Meyers were sent to the Cubs.

The 26-year-old Pagan batted .264 with four home runs and 21 RBIs for Chicago last year.

“Angel is young, athletic and has the versatility to play all three outfield positions,” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said in a statement.

Pagan was originally drafted by the Mets in the fourth round in 1999. He was traded to the Cubs for cash Jan. 25, 2006.

Coles, 25, rose to New York’s Triple-A affiliate last season, but spent the bulk of his time at Double-A Binghamton, where he hit .296 and stole nine bases.

Meyers is a 22-year-old who had 13 saves and a 2.14 ERA in 33 games at Class A Savannah. He struck out 48 and walked 14 in 42 innings.

Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute Posted: January 05, 2008 at 03:26 PM | 46 comment(s)
Related News: Teams, Chi Cubs, NY Mets

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1. I Love LA (OFF) Posted: January 05, 2008 at 04:34 PM (#2661123)

Yes!

2. baudib Posted: January 05, 2008 at 04:39 PM (#2661129)

WTF

3. With 17th Pick, From LA, 1k5v3L KcoLLoP Posted: January 05, 2008 at 04:39 PM (#2661130)

I'm sure this is a part of a bigger trade. Pagan, Humber and Carp for Johan Santana? [ducks]

Two years ago, Omar traded him to CHN for cash. Today, he gets him back. That's how you make profit.

4. Teddy the Wonder Lizard Posted: January 05, 2008 at 04:45 PM (#2661137)

...and the earth shook

5. Halofan Posted: January 05, 2008 at 04:48 PM (#2661139)

Pagan > Milledge?

6. With 17th Pick, From LA, 1k5v3L KcoLLoP Posted: January 05, 2008 at 04:52 PM (#2661145)

Pagan > Milledge?

Pagan: more intangibles, better chemistry, less bling bling, no ho-talk. In short, yes.

7. CW treats quantity like a vampire treats blood Posted: January 05, 2008 at 04:54 PM (#2661152)

Yeah, except for the fact that Milledge is a better hitter than Pagan, has less of an injury history and may well be better defensively.

So, yeah, Pagan is better than Milledge if you completely ignore baseball.

8. With 17th Pick, From LA, 1k5v3L KcoLLoP Posted: January 05, 2008 at 05:07 PM (#2661170)

7: That's crazy talk.

9. CW treats quantity like a vampire treats blood Posted: January 05, 2008 at 05:50 PM (#2661215)

Milledge had an OPS+ of 105 in 2007. Pagan's OPS+ was 87. This isn't rocket science.

10. Sam M. Posted: January 05, 2008 at 05:57 PM (#2661221)

Milledge is 4,000x better than Pagan.

But I guess the real issue is (as long as we're talking ONLY about 2008) whether Pagan + Church + Schneider > Milledge.

In that case, Milledge is only 2000x better than the three of them combined. Pagan adds pretty much nothing but a fifth outfielder to the Mets' roster. Which is a nice thing to have, I suppose. Hip, hip, hooray.

11. With 17th Pick, From LA, 1k5v3L KcoLLoP Posted: January 05, 2008 at 05:59 PM (#2661225)

9: Small sample size.

Sam, I want to see some confidence intervals on those numbers.

12. Sam M. Posted: January 05, 2008 at 06:05 PM (#2661228)

Levski, since you are talking about intangibles, chemistry, and bling-bling, I really don't see the need to bring confidence intervals to the table. Lastings Milledge, despite being three years younger than Angel Pagan, was a massively better ballplayer. And he will be every year the two of them play baseball for the rest of their natural lives. Pagan has had a consistent .306 OBP for his entire major league experience. He will never, ever, ever be a useful major league starting outfielder. Ever.

But since Milledge wasn't traded for Pagan, and Pagan won't be filling Milledge's spot in the OF (Church, mostly, will be), I really don't see why the comparison is relevant.

13. With 17th Pick, From LA, 1k5v3L KcoLLoP Posted: January 05, 2008 at 06:09 PM (#2661232)

Sam oh Sam. Of course I'm agreeing with everything you're saying. I'm just having fun here. THE Angel Pagan, back in Mets uniform? This is priceless. I can't stop giggling.

14. Urban Faber Posted: January 05, 2008 at 06:10 PM (#2661234)

I saw Pagan hit a home run off Cole Hamels in 2006.

15. Dan The Mediocre Posted: January 05, 2008 at 06:37 PM (#2661252)

Pagan is a decent backup outfielder and pinch runner, but not much more. I'm guessing the prospects the Cubs got aren't anything to get excited about.

16. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: January 05, 2008 at 06:42 PM (#2661258)

I'm guessing the prospects the Cubs got aren't anything to get excited about.
They're not.

17. Walt Davis Posted: January 05, 2008 at 07:25 PM (#2661285)

Meyers is a 22-year-old who had 13 saves and a 2.14 ERA in 33 games at Class A Savannah. He struck out 48 and walked 14 in 42 innings.

As return for Angel Pagan, I'm more than happy with that. Unless his arm is no longer attached.

18. Monty Posted: January 05, 2008 at 07:35 PM (#2661288)

Unless his arm is no longer attached.

They'll have someone check on that.

19. Hey, it's what Johan uses (Matt) Posted: January 05, 2008 at 07:41 PM (#2661289)

Angel Pagan? Seriously?

20. jwb Posted: January 05, 2008 at 08:18 PM (#2661305)

And he will be every year the two of them play baseball for the rest of their natural lives

Sam M., There's your mistake. Once that pagan swallow leaves the barn, he'll come back as a motherstomper even that CGI-enhanced Angelina Jolie character can't even imagine. Dusty told me so. Omar, get him signed to a VERY long contract now.

21. billyshears Posted: January 05, 2008 at 09:04 PM (#2661343)

$10 that Omar will use the acquisition of Angel Pagan as a justification after he trades Carlos Gomez for the Expos former bat-boy.

22. Gromit Posted: January 05, 2008 at 11:31 PM (#2661424)

Every year the Mets trade for a 4th/5th outfielder. Can't they grow their own?

23. The Mets make Russlan sad Posted: January 05, 2008 at 11:37 PM (#2661427)

In that case, Milledge is only 2000x better than the three of them combined. Pagan adds pretty much nothing but a fifth outfielder to the Mets' roster. Which is a nice thing to have, I suppose. Hip, hip, hooray.

Again, I think it is very likely that Church is a better player than Milledge in 2008. Beyond 2008, Milledge is likely to be the superior player.

I can't believe no one has made a Church/Pagan joke yet or that no Met fan has made a joke a Rasky/Coles joke yet. We're definitely not in mid-season form yet.

More seriously, what does this do to the bench? Assuming the Mets go with 12 pitchers, they have Castro, Easley, Chavez, Anderson, Gotay, and Pagan which means one of them has to go. Goodbye Gotay?

24. The Clarence Thomas of BTF (scott) Posted: January 05, 2008 at 11:56 PM (#2661441)

wtf?

seriously?

25. Meatwad now with interlock! Posted: January 06, 2008 at 12:13 AM (#2661453)

Gromit they did this time, only problem was they had to reaquire him after trading him for cash the first time.

26. baudib Posted: January 06, 2008 at 12:29 AM (#2661465)

I don't think Church is going to be better than Lastings Milledge in 2008.

27. AJMacaroni Posted: January 06, 2008 at 12:34 AM (#2661468)

What's the point of this?

28. baudib Posted: January 06, 2008 at 12:40 AM (#2661475)

There's no point.

29. The Mets make Russlan sad Posted: January 06, 2008 at 12:46 AM (#2661477)

I don't think Church is going to be better than Lastings Milledge in 2008.

Lastings still has yet to show the ability to hit righthanded major league pitching effectively and his defense in the corner has been shaky at times (he looks more comfortable in center to me). Church hits righties (.887 OPS in ~560 PA the last two years) and is solid defensively. Lastings still needs time to work out the kinks in his game which I am confident he will do, just not right away. Of course, I agree that it is possible that he'll be better than Church in 2008.

30. Kyle S Posted: January 06, 2008 at 12:57 AM (#2661489)

When is Angel's brother Archangel Pagan going to be called up? What about his cousin Angel Theist?

This delights me.

31. AJMacaroni Posted: January 06, 2008 at 12:59 AM (#2661492)

There's no point.

That's what I figured.

32. Andere Richtingen Posted: January 06, 2008 at 01:16 AM (#2661498)

Unless his arm is no longer attached.

In the Cubs organization, this syndrome is referred to as a "misplaced humerus," usually treatable by a few days off.

33. HowardMegdal Posted: January 06, 2008 at 02:14 AM (#2661516)

This led me to wonder if Endy Chavez's days are numbered. But it also provides outfield depth in case Gomez is dealt in a Santana deal.

Or maybe they just missed Angel Pagan. Anything is possible, and I'd like spring training to start... now.

34. 100 Years is Nothing Posted: January 06, 2008 at 09:04 AM (#2661603)

How could you not miss Angel Pagan? I am sure this will really hurt the Cub's chances for World Series this year, as he is the best pagan in MLB these days, and that is hard to find, much less develop.

35. thetailor Posted: January 07, 2008 at 02:40 AM (#2662154)

Castro, Easley, Chavez, Anderson, Gotay, and Pagan.

This strikes me as an awful bench. Sure, it would be great if you had a couple of utility-knife, glove-and-speed kind of players on the bench... but shouldn't one of them be able to hit? Like, really, step up in the box and really just hit the ball? I love NL baseball but I really feel like I want someone I could have confidence in at the plate in a big situation. Get me someone who can hit a home run. Castro would be fine if he wasn't the catcher. One. Just one guy.

36. The Mets make Russlan sad Posted: January 07, 2008 at 02:50 AM (#2662162)

Easley has 37 homers in 872 AB the last 4 seasons, one every 24 AB. Anderson has slugged .500 the last two seasons and seems to thrive in clutch situations. You can't really expect much more than that from your primary pinch hitters. The one thing this team lacks is a backup outfielder with pop but I can live with a back up outfielder that's really good defensively like Endy.

37. thetailor Posted: January 07, 2008 at 04:15 AM (#2662177)

Those are awfully rose colored glasses for a guy who is a career .252 hitter in Easley (who also .230 or so from 2003-2006) and for Marlon Anderson, who did not actually slug .500 last year and has slugged less than .400 for his career. Both of these guys have been mostly useless ... but I guess they could be clutchy.

38. The Mets make Russlan sad Posted: January 07, 2008 at 04:39 AM (#2662181)

When I said that Marlon slugged .500 the last two seasons, I meant that his slugging percentage during the two year period of 2006-2007 was .500. His batting line is .297/.351/.500 in around 400 plate appearances which is pretty good. Obviously, he isn't that good but he should be a solid lefthanded bat off the bench.

Easley has .936 OPS against lefties the last three seasons in about 300 plate appearances. (.309/.387/.549) with a more than respectable 41/30 strikeout to walk ratio.

Obviously, these are small samples and there are reasons to expect players to struggle next season. Sure, I'd like better players on the bench but how realistic is that? Better players would want (and deserve) bigger and better roles. All things considered, I am happy with the bench.

39. The Kevin Mitchell Report Posted: January 07, 2008 at 08:09 AM (#2662197)

Angel Pagan, Ryan Church. Chris Truby, anyone?

40. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: January 07, 2008 at 08:52 AM (#2662203)

And lo, there was a Gay Lord; and He did anoint the baseball with secret oils and spices.

41. Edmundo, more Jules than Jim Posted: January 07, 2008 at 09:39 AM (#2662213)

And lo, there was a Gay Lord; and He did anoint the baseball with secret oils and spices.

Thou makest me guffaw with righteous laughter

42. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: January 07, 2008 at 10:19 AM (#2662234)

If Pagan is healthy he is a solid contributor from the bench. He has not been healthy.

The Cubs could go without a backup CF thanks to Fukudome and Soriano. My guess is they bring up Fuld for the role, however.

43. jyjjy Posted: January 07, 2008 at 10:51 AM (#2662256)

And lo, there was a Gay Lord; and He did anoint the baseball with secret oils, spices and glitter body gel.

Fixed it for you.

44. Exploring Leftist Conservatism since 2008 (ark..) Posted: January 08, 2008 at 05:17 AM (#2663171)

Meyers is a 22-year-old who had 13 saves and a 2.14 ERA in 33 games at Class A Savannah. He struck out 48 and walked 14 in 42 innings.

So Omar trades a 22-year old with a live arm for 25 year old Angel F. Pagan, whose upside is 5th outfielder who can sort of ph against righties? Pagan's the kind of player a big market club like the Mets should be buying only with money, not with minor leaguers with promise.

(If anyone wants to bring up Meyer's career mL WHIP of 1.44, I have to admit it that number doesn't exactly inspire.)

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ESPN: Mets get Pagan from Cubs, send OF Coles and P Meyers

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