SSH2005 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Blue Jays close to adding Molina http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5311552 Catcher Bengie Molina's free-agent odyssey is nearing a conclusion. The Blue Jays are close to signing Molina to a one-year, $5 million contract with a $7.5 million option for 2007, FOXSports.com has learned. The addition of Molina, 31, will further solidify the Jays' position as a likely contender in the AL East. He will be the team's fifth major off-season addition, joining third baseman Troy Glaus, first baseman Lyle Overbay and two other free agents, right-handed starter A.J. Burnett and closer B.J. Ryan. The Mets made Molina a three-year, $18 million offer early in free agency, then traded for catcher Paul LoDuca before conducting further discussions. Molina ultimately chose the Blue Jays over the Dodgers, who continued negotiating with him over the weekend and apparently were willing to offer a similar contract. The Dodgers, however, have two highly regarded young catchers, Dioner Navarro and Russ Martin. Molina evidently believed he had a better chance of lasting longer with the Jays, who do not have a major-league ready catching prospect. The Angels chose not to re-sign Molina in part because of the ascent of Jeff Mathis, who will team with Molina's younger brother, Jose, this season. Bengie Molina's arrival in Toronto will relegate Gregg Zaun to backup duty, giving the Jays one of the game's strongest catching tandems. Molina, a right-handed hitter, reached career highs last season in batting average (.295), on-base percentage (.336), slugging percentage (.446) and home runs (15). Zaun, a switch-hitter, had career highs in home runs (11) and RBIs (61). Both Molina and Zaun work well with pitchers, though some scouts believe that Molina's receiving skills have regressed. Molina's 3.55 catchers' ERA last season was the third-best in the majors. Great offseason for the Blue Jays. They could have a real shot at the division and definately at the Wild Card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan101 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 That park in Toronto is a VERY underrated hitters park, he will put up good numbers there. I thought Toronto way overpaid to get some of their other new players this offseason, but this deal is a very fair one for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Fantastic move imo. Bengie is the best defensive catcher in the al, is fantastic at handling a pitching staff, and is a terrific clutch hitter. I'm a huge fan of Molina and think this move could payoff big time for the jays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan101 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 01:02 PM) Fantastic move imo. Bengie is the best defensive catcher in the al, is fantastic at handling a pitching staff, and is a terrific clutch hitter. I'm a huge fan of Molina and think this move could payoff big time for the jays. Agreed, amazed he lasted on the market this long. Plus, his speed is a real asset for the Jays, he turns singles into doubles, goes from 1st to 3rd, and scores from 2nd on singles with ease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSH2005 Posted February 6, 2006 Author Share Posted February 6, 2006 They could have the best catching tandem in baseball with Molina and Zaun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan101 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 01:05 PM) They could have the best catching tandem in baseball with Molina and Zaun. Your clearly forgetting about AJ the menace and Widgermania when you say that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSH2005 Posted February 6, 2006 Author Share Posted February 6, 2006 By the way, how dumb does Molina look now for turning down a 3-year, $18 million contract offer from the Mets? Stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitetrain8601 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 01:02 PM) Fantastic move imo. Bengie is the best defensive catcher in the al, is fantastic at handling a pitching staff, and is a terrific clutch hitter. I'm a huge fan of Molina and think this move could payoff big time for the jays. I disagree. I mean, I think it's a good move, but everyone tells me that his defense has gone down big time since their WS season. Just about every Angels fan will tell you that they think his brother (their new starting catcher of the Angels) is flat out better in all categories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSH2005 Posted February 6, 2006 Author Share Posted February 6, 2006 (edited) I disagree. I mean, I think it's a good move, but everyone tells me that his defense has gone down big time since their WS season. Just about every Angels fan will tell you that they think his brother (their new starting catcher of the Angels) is flat out better in all categories. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It's a shame that Jose will be hitting .239 for them. The catcher that the Angels are looking to replace Bengie down the line is former 1st round pick Jeff Mathis, not 30 year old Jose Molina. He's a career backup. Edited February 6, 2006 by SSH2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 01:17 PM) I disagree. I mean, I think it's a good move, but everyone tells me that his defense has gone down big time since their WS season. Just about every Angels fan will tell you that they think his brother (their new starting catcher of the Angels) is flat out better in all categories. Jose might have a better arm but that is it imo. The most important thing a catcher can do is handle a pitching staff and nobody does that better then Bengie. His offense is just an added bonus and it's a huge bonus at that. The guy can play, he's still a very solid catcher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitetrain8601 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 01:22 PM) It's a shame that Jose will be hitting .239 for them. The catcher that the Angels are looking to replace Bengie down the line is former 1st round pick Jeff Mathis, not 30 year old Jose Molina. He's a career backup. There's a reason why they didn't resign Bengie until Mathis is ready. That is because they believe Jose could get it done. Everyone in the organization feels he's better than Bengie, so that's why they're going with him. I do agree Rowand44, he's one of the best guys to handle a pitching staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 02:10 PM) There's a reason why they didn't resign Bengie until Mathis is ready. That is because they believe Jose could get it done. Everyone in the organization feels he's better than Bengie, so that's why they're going with him. And imo this is one of the reasons the Angels are going to fall back big time this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkman delivers Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 02:08 PM) By the way, how dumb does Molina look now for turning down a 3-year, $18 million contract offer from the Mets? Stupid. Doesn't look that stupid. Now he doesn't have to play for the Mets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwerty Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 01:17 PM) I disagree. I mean, I think it's a good move, but everyone tells me that his defense has gone down big time since their WS season. Just about every Angels fan will tell you that they think his brother (their new starting catcher of the Angels) is flat out better in all categories. Bulls***... and well bulls***. His defense is top still top notch and most pitchers that have pitched to him will tell he is the best or one of the best to throw to. He still has at least two if not three good years left in him. You just do not start losing defense at the age of what 28-29 ( you said their world series). Angels fans think his brother is better out in all categories? Look around more and you will see how they dread the lost of bengie and are stuck with jose. The two are not comparable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwerty Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 02:10 PM) There's a reason why they didn't resign Bengie until Mathis is ready. That is because they believe Jose could get it done. Everyone in the organization feels he's better than Bengie, so that's why they're going with him. I do agree Rowand44, he's one of the best guys to handle a pitching staff. Who is everybody? Where is all this? As jabroni said he is a career back-up... nice one at that. But not starter material. If the angels truly feel that way ( which i do not believe even if they say it) they have another thing coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkman delivers Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(q\/\/3r+y @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 03:25 PM) Bulls***... and well bulls***. His defense is top still top notch and most pitchers that have pitched to him will tell he is the best or one of the best to throw to. He still has at least two if not three good years left in him. You just do not start losing defense at the age of what 28-29 ( you said their world series). Angels fans think his brother is better out in all categories? Look around more and you will see how they dread the lost of bengie and are stuck with jose. The two are not comparable. Chisoxfn has been beating that point into the ground all offseason. It seems nobody out there is happy that Jose will be taking Bengie's place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSH2005 Posted February 6, 2006 Author Share Posted February 6, 2006 There's a reason why they didn't resign Bengie until Mathis is ready. That is because they believe Jose could get it done. Everyone in the organization feels he's better than Bengie, so that's why they're going with him. I do agree Rowand44, he's one of the best guys to handle a pitching staff. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yeah, money. Bengie Molina turned down a 3-year, $18 million offer from the Mets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 (edited) QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 01:26 PM) Jose might have a better arm but that is it imo. The most important thing a catcher can do is handle a pitching staff and nobody does that better then Bengie. His offense is just an added bonus and it's a huge bonus at that. The guy can play, he's still a very solid catcher. AJ Pierzynski hates you. But I mean, is it seriously mere coincidence that all the Sox playoff starters*, and almost the entire bullpen had the best years of their career the first year AJP was here? I'm not sure it is. Garland went from being Jon to Judy, Contreras is no longer labeled a headcase and is now labeled as an ace in some parts, Hermanson looked secksi and pitched well too for a change...I find it hard that those are all coincidental. If anything...AJP is a top 3 handler, if you will, in the game. In Minnesota, San Francisco, and Chicago...but moreso in Minnesota and Chicago...he helped pitchers have great years. If it's happened pretty much his entire career, coincidence halts and it becomes more rule than coincidence. should edit this...FG didn't, but he pitched pretty well all-around, and he pitched much better than he did after the Sox acquired him in 04. Edited February 6, 2006 by witesoxfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkman delivers Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 03:36 PM) AJ Pierzynski hates you. But I mean, is it seriously mere coincidence that all the Sox playoff starters*, and almost the entire bullpen had the best years of their career the first year AJP was here? I'm not sure it is. Garland went from being Jon to Judy, Contreras is no longer labeled a headcase and is now labeled as an ace in some parts, Hermanson looked secksi and pitched well too for a change...I find it hard that those are all coincidental. If anything...AJP is a top 3 handler, if you will, in the game. In Minnesota, San Francisco, and Chicago...but moreso in Minnesota and Chicago...he helped pitchers have great years. If it's happened pretty much his entire career, coincidence halts and it becomes more rule than coincidence. should edit this...FG didn't, but he pitched pretty well all-around, and he pitched much better than he did after the Sox acquired him in 04. I agree, but who would you say are the other two? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 02:36 PM) AJ Pierzynski hates you. But I mean, is it seriously mere coincidence that all the Sox playoff starters*, and almost the entire bullpen had the best years of their career the first year AJP was here? I'm not sure it is. Garland went from being Jon to Judy, Contreras is no longer labeled a headcase and is now labeled as an ace in some parts, Hermanson looked secksi and pitched well too for a change...I find it hard that those are all coincidental. If anything...AJP is a top 3 handler, if you will, in the game. In Minnesota, San Francisco, and Chicago...but moreso in Minnesota and Chicago...he helped pitchers have great years. If it's happened pretty much his entire career, coincidence halts and it becomes more rule than coincidence. should edit this...FG didn't, but he pitched pretty well all-around, and he pitched much better than he did after the Sox acquired him in 04. I absolutely love aj and I said nobody does it better then Bengie, didn't say there wasn't catchers who did it just as good. AJ is right up there with Bengie as 2 of the best in baseball, no doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 12:39 PM) I agree, but who would you say are the other two? Well, that's a bit of an odd question IMO, because what do you do in placed like LAA for example, where you have a guy in the dugout who may in many cases actually call some of the pitches? Or in places where some pitchers shake off a lot of pitches and call some of their own games? If I had to come up with another one, I'd say IRod may be up on that list - the Marlins were certainly a lot better throwing to him than without him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Feb 6, 2006 -> 02:39 PM) I agree, but who would you say are the other two? Molina's right up there as well...those are probably the top 2 in my mind. The 3rd, in my mind, is probably anyone's guess. You can probably make arguments for Posada, Varitek, IRod, LoDuca, Matheny, Ausmus, and Miller...I'm going to personally go with Damian Miller on this one. So I will say 1t) AJP 1t) Bengie Molina 3) Damian Miller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Molina's not too happy with the Angels it seems. Link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 9, 2006 -> 01:38 PM) Molina's not too happy with the Angels it seems. Link. But I thought Frank was the only guy that got upset about things like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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