Mets deal Ventura to Yankees for Justice

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees made a rare deal with the crosstown Mets on Friday, trading outfielder David Justice for third baseman Robin Ventura.

The trade is the first in more than eight years between the teams and the first involving major leaguers since 1992. The teams have exchanged players only six times since the Mets began play in 1962.

"It's kind of weird to be traded from the Yankees to the Mets with the rivalry and all of that," Justice said. "I'm at that point of my career where you can always be traded at any minute. I'm happy to go to the Mets. There are far worse teams be traded to."

The deal satisfies needs for both teams. With the retirement of Scott Brosius, the Yankees were in need of a stopgap at third base until heralded prospect Drew Henson is ready to take over.

"It was obvious that we had a void to fill at third base in 2002," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "It is our belief that Robin -- with his left-handed bat and on-base average -- was our best option."

The Yankees also signed reliever Steve Karsay to a four-year contract worth about $22.25 million on Friday. The deal includes a club option for a fifth year.

The Mets struggled offensively last season and scored the fewest runs in baseball. They were also second-to-last in the NL in home runs. Mets right fielders hit .240 with just 15 homers and 61 RBI last season.

"He's been a very successful offensive player and his postseason experience speaks for itself," Mets general manager Steve Phillips said. "He has a knack for being on teams that get to the postseason. He's a big part of that is his contributions on those clubs."

Justice, whose teams have reached the past 10 postseasons, will provide the Mets with the left-handed power hitter they've been seeking to protect Mike Piazza. Justice has 294 career homers, including a career-high 41 in 2000 for Cleveland and the Yankees.

Justice, 35, struggled last season, going on the disabled list twice for an injured right groin, and batted just .241 with 18 homers and 51 RBI.

"I've got a lot left," he said. "Last year was based solely on injuries, no doubt about it. I still have my bat speed and still have my defensive skills. I don't feel like I've gone down at all. Injuries played a part."

"I'm still in the same city, living in the same place. I kind of like my scenery," he said. "Maybe a change of teams and situations will do that. Only time will tell."

Ventura, 34, batted .237 with 21 homers and 61 RBI for the Mets last season. He is a solid fielder and a clutch hitter, especially with the bases loaded. His 15 career grand slams are the most of any active player and ninth all-time.

His career on-base percentage of .364 is 41 points higher than Brosius' as the Yankees are making a concerted effort to improve their ability to reach base.

They are also close to a deal with first baseman Jason Giambi, who has led the AL in on-base the past two seasons.

There was no money exchanged in the deal. The Yankees will pay Ventura's $8.25 million salary in 2002 and the Mets will pay Justice $7 million. Both players are eligible for free agency after next season.

The Yankees and Mets hadn't made a trade since Sept. 17, 1993, when the Mets traded Frank Tanana for minor league pitcher Kenny Greer. In 1992, the Mets traded pitcher Tim Burke to the Yankees for reliever Lee Guetterman.

What I don't like about the Mets are their management -- they should have aggressively pursued A-Rod, they should be aggressively pursuing Barry Bonds -- but instead they think like a small-market team.

The Mets did pursue A-Rod. But they weren't exactly in the mood to grant him what amounted, virtually, to carte blanche over about a third of Shea Stadium seating. (I exaggerate only slightly, but at the time Rodriguez was demanding the kind of perks which usually get you a reputation somewhere between a flake and a spoiled brat - perks he rather noticeable cut back on, dramatically, when the Mets let it be known they weren't going to sign him. The Mets got burned pretty badly in the late 80s-early 90s with some of the deals they were signing to some of the egos on those teams. They haven't exactly been also rans on their current course.)

As for Barry Bonds, why should they pursue him? He may not hit as well in Shea Stadium as he does in PacBell Park (Shea isn't exactly that amiable a hitting park for left handed power hitters; the park is and has always been more a pitcher's park and Bonds isn't as adjustable a hitter as Mike Piazza in that ballpark). It would hurt more than help both if they pursue Bonds. Moises Alou, on the other hand, might have been a better fit for Shea - he's hit somewhat better in Shea than Bonds has, from what I have seen. And, he's a better glove-and-arm man than Bonds.

If anything, the Mets need better relief pitching. That's their priority need. Armando Benitez is not a crunch-time closer, and Franco is better off now as the setup man after a distinguished closing career. If anything, they ought to be hunting Jason Isringhausen (who came up with the Mets as a hot starting prospect until he had shoulder trouble and was moved to Oakland where he got straightened out and became an excellent closer) to bring him back. Isringhausen is going to get better, I think, and he doesn't wilt as easily in the stretch environment. And he's young enough to still have a good, long career ahead of him if he keeps his focus and doesn't get cute with his stuff.

I gotta disagree with you on the A-Rod thing. If Steve Phillips told me the sun was shining, I'd still look out the window for confirmation. I remember what he claimed about all the perks he said A-Rod wanted, and not only did A-Rod deny it, but not one other team backed up what Phillips said. If Alex Rodriguez had asked for the things Steve Phillips said he did, you would think one GM, like maybe the Texas Rangers GM, would confirm the story, but it didn't happen. IMHO, the Mets were looking for a way out of having to sign him.

As for Jason Isringhausen, he's a goner -- signed by St. Louis -- and the A's have already traded for Billy Koch as his replacement. I agree that Armando Benitez is not a big-game pitcher, but it sounds like the Mets don't want to do anything on that front either.

As for the trade, I think a motivating factor in the Yankees getting rid of Justice is the fact that last season, he generated more tabloid headlines due to his ex-girlfriend's palimony suit than he did for his hitting. (And the process server jumping on the field in Anaheim didn't help matters.) Brian Cashman made a point today of saying what impeccable character Robin Ventura has.

The Yankees are the opposite of the Bronx Zoo now -- this era of Yankees management does not want coverage for any thing but what goes on in the field. Jeff Nelson is still smarting over the Yankees not making a big play for him last season -- he thought it was about money. It was about him publicly badmouthing Joe Torre last season when Torre didn't pick him for the All-Star team. Chad Curtis wrote his ticket off the team when he dissed Derek Jeter. The only way you get second chances on these Yankees is if you happen to be an ex-Met like Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden!

I remember what he claimed about all the perks he said A-Rod wanted, and not only did A-Rod deny it, but not one other team backed up what Phillips said. If Alex Rodriguez had asked for the things Steve Phillips said he did, you would think one GM, like maybe the Texas Rangers GM, would confirm the story, but it didn't happen. IMHO, the Mets were looking for a way out of having to sign him.

I can understand your point, but consider this: The hungering to try to land that guy was so fevered that did you really think anyone was going to own up to anything else while trying to save face in not landing him? Look, this isn't exactly a long-term dis on A-Rod (hey, for all we know, he wanted those perks as compensation for having to live in New York, which even I as a native New Yorker can agree is an acquired taste), and he certainly had an A-Rod style season, but if you don't count that occasionally he's not the most astute trader in the game, I've never known Steve Phillips to spout off for its own sake.

Plus, while it might have been a nice catch to land a marquee shortstop, it wasn't exactly like the Mets were hurting at that position - Rey Ordonez is one of the prime fielding shortstops in the league, notwithstanding the injuries. So he's not a marquee hitter? Who cares when he's saving you a couple of runs a game in the field. Being a not-so-marquee hitter didn't exactly cost Ozzie Smith that much - and that guy's going into the Hall of Fame (deservedly). Hate to break it to you, but good defence does the one thing that nuclear offence can never do for you: keep the other guys from scoring too many runs. Which, incidentally, is the prime reason why Bill Mazeroski belongs in the Hall of Fame: There is a meaning to his having had (and still holding, even if - you can look it up - Ryne Sandberg gave him a hell of a run for the money) the best defencive statistics of any position player in baseball history. Anyone who says Bill Mazeroski doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame is blowing smoke out of his belly button.

If I were Phillips, I'd have been saying from the outset, "I like what A-Rod brings to the table but I have a good glove at shortstop who does exactly what I need to have done out there, and I really need to shore up my bullpen first and foremost, because I've got a guy who looks great in the late innings until we get down the stretch or into the World Series, and then he leaks like a sieve. I also really need to make sure my good starting pitching is kept happy for a good long time. I've got hitting, good hitting, but guess what beats good hitting." (Translation: He should have been spending more time trying to keep Mike Hampton happy than playing footsie with A-Rod. For that matter, the Mets need to knock it off with the back-and-forth and put Glendon Rusch in as either the number five man in the rotation or as the number one middle relief man, his two best roles, but shuttling him between both is taking his consistency off.)

The Rangers aren't going to confirm a damn thing - if anything, they have a bigger stake in face-saving, considering their number one need following the 2000 season (and continuing, come to think of it) was pitching, lots of pitching, they had the American League's worst team ERA, and their idea of bringing the team ERA down below 5 was to spend what usually gets you a decent pitching staff on...a shortstop. I'd have to be thinking I need to be saving a hell of a lot of face, if I spent the price of a good pitching staff on one shortstop and still ended up so far out of the money I couldn't see the Indians' ass without binoculars...

As for Jason Isringhausen, he's a goner -- signed by St. Louis -- and the A's have already traded for Billy Koch as his replacement. I agree that Armando Benitez is not a big-game pitcher, but it sounds like the Mets don't want to do anything on that front either.

Ah, well. Isringhausen would have been a good fit for the Mets. Then again, now I recall it being said he did have an affinity for the Cardinals, among other things because he's native to that region, I think.

As for the trade, I think a motivating factor in the Yankees getting rid of Justice is the fact that last season, he generated more tabloid headlines due to his ex-girlfriend's palimony suit than he did for his hitting. (And the process server jumping on the field in Anaheim didn't help matters.) Brian Cashman made a point today of saying what impeccable character Robin Ventura has.

Which is one reason why I wouldn't have traded for Justice. Not just Ventura's character, but Ventura, any way you look at it, is a more intelligent and disciplined hitter. Robin Ventura having an off-season is more valuable to me than David Justice having a career year. The biggest Met need remains the bullpen. As for Strawberry and Gooden, they're a texbook exercise in what might have been, but between the two I'd rather have had Gooden on my teams. He never ran away from responsibility for his mistakes; and when he finally faded from being a power pitcher to a journeyman junkballer, he took it with class and did with it what he could. He probably cheated himself out of the Hall of Fame, though Mel Stottlemyre didn't help (you don't tell a power pitcher who's just ruled baseball for two season that he needs more - the guy just swept the majors in the key pitching categories, not to mention he was deadly when he had three or less runs to work with, for all the "experts" were kvetching about his lack of run support, but that's how you learn to pitch! - and then decide what's missing is the kind of off-speed finesse stuff that's going to end up wrecking your arm or shoulder or both...that, far more than the substance abuse, was what wrecked Dwight Gooden as a pitcher), but don't let anyone tell you he was anything less than a class act even through the worst of his foibles. I'm told he works now in scouting for the Yankees and good luck to him. The man knows the game and is an asset to it.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.