T1B

Piazza agrees to one-year, $2M deal with PadresAssociated Press


SAN DIEGO -- All-Star catcher Mike Piazza agreed Sunday to a $2 million, one-year free agent contract with the San Diego Padres, giving the defending NL West champions a marquee player they think can still contribute.

Mike Piazza
Catcher
New York Mets

Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM HR RBI R OBP AVG
113 19 62 41 .326 .251


Piazza, 37, had considered joining an AL team as a designated hitter, but instead will return to the West Coast for the first time since the Los Angeles Dodgers traded him to Florida in 1998.

The 12-time All-Star holds the major league record for most career home runs by a catcher (374). He has 397 homers overall, and is a career .311 hitter.

The deal is expected to be announced on Monday. It includes a mutual option for 2007 at $8 million.

"The Padres told Mike that he could pretty much catch as much as he wanted to," said Piazza's agent, Dan Lozano.

Piazza is hoping to catch about 90-100 games this season, along with playing some first base and being the DH in interleague games.

Pizza's 19 homers last season would have led the power-poor Padres. Ryan Klesko hit 18 for San Diego, which struggled to the division title before being swept out of the playoffs by the Cardinals.

Piazza became a free agent after last season, when he hit .251 with 19 homers and 62 RBI in 113 games for the New York Mets. It was his lowest batting average since he hit .232 in 69 at-bats with the Dodgers in 1992, his first season in the big leagues.

Still, his 19 homers would have led the power-poor Padres. Ryan Klesko hit 18 for San Diego, which struggled to the division title before being swept out of the playoffs by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Padres got into the Piazza mix in December, around the time of the winter meetings. They held off making a firm offer because there was talk Piazza might have been headed for the New York Yankees, who have Bernie Williams and other players as possible DHs.


The Padres made the offer Saturday night and Piazza accepted on Sunday.

Piazza reportedly had also considered playing for the Phillies. He grew up near Philadelphia.

Padres general manager Kevin Towers wasn't available for comment Sunday.


Speaking last Friday, Towers said Piazza wanted to play "with a competitive team in a desirable city. I think that his experience when he was with L.A. was a good one. He's very popular out here and is familiar with the area. We'd like to think San Diego is a desirable city and that we're a competitive ballclub."

Piazza was slowed by injuries the past three years and has long had trouble throwing.

He was acquired by the Mets in a trade with Florida in May 1998, eight days after he was shipped from the Dodgers to the Marlins in a blockbuster deal that also included Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson and Todd Zeile.

Piazza led the Mets to the 2000 World Series, which they lost to the crosstown rival Yankees.

The Padres will have to move a player off their 40-man roster before signing Piazza.

San Diego obtained catcher Doug Mirabelli from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for second baseman Mark Loretta in December.





Does he even have anything left? He should have gone to the AL and been a DH. questionable move by the Pads

Doug Mirabelli deserves a chance. He is a good player and a good clubhouse guy.

The guy can hit and field.

as far as Piazza... He should have become a DH!

Piazza has never been the same since Roger Clemens Punked him!!

Jack wrote:Doug Mirabelli deserves a chance. He is a good player and a good clubhouse guy.

The guy can hit and field.

as far as Piazza... He should have become a DH!

Piazza has never been the same since Roger Clemens Punked him!!

'



Clemens is a pussy.

The Assassin wrote:Piazza became a free agent after last season, when he hit .251 with 19 homers and 62 RBI in 113 games for the New York Mets. It was his lowest batting average since he hit .232 in 69 at-bats with the Dodgers in 1992, his first season in the big leagues.

Still, his 19 homers would have led the power-poor Padres. Ryan Klesko hit 18 for San Diego, which struggled to the division title before being swept out of the playoffs by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Think San Diego, like DC, should consider moving the fences in?
Seems like a good idea to me. :P

Cicero wrote:Clemens is a pussy.

and Piazza was whipped by said pussy.. which makes him....

_____ _______!

Helluva risk to put him behind the plate...I would've understood if he was going to play first if he was going to stay in the NL. It's a no-brainer that he'd be a DH if he signed with an AL club. The A's would've been a good place for him before they signed Thomas.

I don't like it. For that matter i'm not too sure about alot of the moves the Padres have made this offseason.

Bringing in Vinny Castilla, trading Loretta straight up for Mirabelli, signing Mark Bellhorn? I don't get it?

Cicero wrote:Clemens is a pussy.

rack

atomicdad wrote:I don't like it. For that matter i'm not too sure about alot of the moves the Padres have made this offseason.

Bringing in Vinny Castilla, trading Loretta straight up for Mirabelli, signing Mark Bellhorn? I don't get it?

What about trading Brian Lawrence to the Rangers? Other than being able to keep Giles, I'm not too big on the Padres' offseason either. I think the Giants and the Dodgers may have passed them in the division based on their offseasons.

Lawrence went to the Nationals as part of the Castilla trade. Lawrence was not spectacular, mid-rotation to end of the rotation type of guy. I've always liked him.

It was Eaton and Akinori that went to Texas, but I don't mind that trade. They got a couple of young position players that have solid potential in Termel Sledge and Adrian Gonzalez, and a young pitcher in Chris Young who is like 6-5 or something like that. I don't mind seing Eaton go, he has been a chronic underachiever ever since he has been here. As for Aki, I think the league was starting to get him figured out last year. From the all-star break on last year I hated seeing that guy come in because you just never knew what you would get.

I do like that they brought in Cameron to play center. That allows them to move Roberts to left and put Klesko back at first. Damn, watching him play left field the last few years was just plain comical. Good thing Klesko is back in the infield otherwise it was just going to be a matter of time before he would've pulled a Canseco and have ball bounce for a HR off his dome.

I do agree, on paper the Dodgers and Giants look to have had the better offseason.

So shoalzie, the son of the girlfriend of my moms boyfriend scored some choice tickets for opening day, should I go to the game with him?

~~~~
edit, they are bringing a portion of the fence in. The deep right center corner is coming in about 15'. I don't see it changing much, more like rounding out the sharp corner that was way the fuck out there.

atomicdad wrote:So shoalzie, the son of the girlfriend of my moms boyfriend scored some choice tickets for opening day, should I go to the game with him?

Yes, but don't put out on your first date...you don't want him to think you're easy. :wink:

With my brother? You are a sick puppy. :D

Piazza agrees to one-year, $2M deal with Padres

*yawn*


The NL West is still an unwatchable shitbomb of a division.



Congrats on playing for the distinct honor of being St. Louis's swept bitch when it matters.

Raydah James wrote:distinct honor of being St. Louis's swept bitch .

Sadly, Bodeistan can't carry that into the next round. God Bless the Stros for sneaking in the playoffs two years straight and guaranteeing we play the NL WEST.

The Assassin wrote:The Padres told Mike that he could pretty much catch as much as he wanted to

I gotta call bullsit here.


I'm sure he wanted to catch all of those balls that got by him and went to the backstop, so the veracity of this statement is dubious at best.



This is a great signing for the Padres.

Sin,
The Runner On First