Hidalgo Trade

Richard Hildago has been on the trading block for a long, long time and now he has finally been moved. The Mets will get Hidalgo and $4 million - meaning that the Mets will only be paying Hidalgo $6 million for the rest of his contract, unless....

Hidalgo has a $15 million option for 2005. Given the way things work out for the Mets - can't you see Hidalgo getting hot over the final 2/3 of the season and putting the Mets into a situation where there is pressure to take the option? Here's the scenerio - Hidalgo gets hot, the Mets can't sign Carlos Beltran or Maglio Ordonez and the front office cannot come up empty handed so they exercise the 2005 option. Hidalgo then puts on 400 pounds.

The Astros got David Weathers in return from the Mets. This works good for the Astros because they got a needed set-up man, they save about $4 million, they rid themselves of a clubhouse dark cloud in Hidalgo and they send a message to Jimy Williams about who really is in charge in the organization.