ESPN.com - Mets get Vaughn from Angels; Gonzalez next?

ESPN.com: Baseball

Friday, December 28, 2001
Updated: December 31, 2:04 PM ET
Mets get Vaughn from Angels; Gonzalez next?

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Mo Vaughn arrived at Shea Stadium on Friday, some of his contract deferred, none of his enthusiasm diminished.


	Appier


	Vaughn

Almost a week after the Mets agreed to trade pitcher Kevin Appier to Anaheim in exchange for Vaughn, the first baseman explained why he was willing to restructure the balance of his contract to make the deal work.

"I'm lucky to have my finances straight," he said. "I don't have any debt that causes me to need something right away. I wanted to be here. I wanted this to happen and they did, too. If it helps the club, even better, I felt. It's all worth it. Look where you are now."

General manager Steve Phillips and agent Jeff Moorad labored to finalize the deal. Vaughn was owed $50 million in salary and bonuses for the next three years, what's left of an original $80 million package. Under the new structure, the Angels will pay the remaining $8 million of Vaughn's signing bonus, and some of Vaughn's salary will be deferred each of the next three years.

The union, which had to sign off on the deal, estimates it will cost Vaughn about $500,000 in present-day value.

"Mo deferred a big chunk of money," Phillips said. "He invested in this deal getting done."

	ESPN.com predicts
	With the addition of Mo Vaughn here is the Mets' new-look lineup for 2002: Roger Cedeno, RF Edgardo Alfonzo, 3B Roberto Alomar, 2B Mike Piazza, C Mo Vaughn, 1B Benny Agbayani, LF Jay Payton, CF Rey Ordonez, SS

Vaughn has some ideas on how Phillips can use the leftover money. He summed it up in two words -- Juan Gonzalez.

The free-agent outfielder also is Moorad's client and has said he wants to play for the Mets. Vaughn would be delighted to have him.

"I know Steve doesn't want to talk about it, but there's another piece out there," Vaughn said. "I'm not the GM. My guy is Jeff, who's Juan's guy. Juan wants to be here. Anything's possible. I don't think it's done yet."

And it won't be unless Phillips creates some room in the Mets $95 million payroll budget. Appier is due to make $9 million next season plus $1 million of his signing bonus. Vaughn's salary for 2002 is $10 million, so the deal is a wash from the Mets' cash flow standpoint.

What the deal does is change the look of the Mets lineup, giving manager Bobby Valentine a left-handed power hitter behind Mike Piazza.

"We've changed our team dramatically," Valentine said. "We have the same kind of payroll but a much different, much better team."

After going to the World Series in 2000, the Mets went 82-80 this past year. They particularly struggled to get production from first baseman Todd Zeile. New York's 13 homers from its first basemen were last in the majors and the 70 RBI were second worst.

Zeile, who underwent elbow surgery last month, is set to make $6 million in the final year of his contract, and the Mets would like to deal him.

Vaughn was one of baseball's biggest sluggers before a torn bicep tendon cost him all of last season. With 299 career home runs and a .298 career batting average, he adds credibility to the Mets' attack

Vaughn has been working out since September and pronounced himself fit.

Definitely not first
How Mets first basemen performed and ranked among other first basemen in 2001:
	Total	Rank
HR	13	30th
RBI	70	29th
Slg. pct.	.377	29th
Runs	74	T-25th

"This is an unbelievable time for me," he said. "I never thought this could happen at this time. I think I'll be better than when I left. When I'm healthy, I can play this game pretty well."

Phillips knows Gonzalez is on Vaughn's wish list.

"He's a player whose name everybody else throws out there," Phillips said. "I work in the confines of a budget. Nothing's changed in our position on the budget. To get a premier free agent, we've got to gain financial flexibility. We're in position to be more aggressive in the trade market."

That means he may have more moves to make.

Phillips has reshaped his team in the offseason, adding outfielder Roger Cedeno, second baseman Roberto Alomar and now Vaughn to an offense that was last in runs scored with 642 last season. He also acquired left-hander Shawn Estes to replace Appier in the pitching rotation.

Phillips said he was comfortable with the Mets' starting staff of Al Leiter, Estes, Steve Trachsel, Glendon Rusch and Bruce Chen. Trachsel is the lone right-hander in that group.

"We're going to look at the corner outfield position," he said. "We're going to address that. That's the one obvious position we have not addressed."

Gonzalez happens to be a right fielder.

So when might Phillips talk to Moorad again, perhaps about a corner outfielder?

"Not today," the GM said. "Today, I think I'll catch my breath."

Vaughn, from nearby Norwalk, Conn., was unhappy in Anaheim and expressed a desire to return to the East Coast. He began his career with Boston, where he won the 1995 AL MVP award.

"There's a certain mentality and attitude that goes along with playing on the East Coast," he said. "That fit me as a player."

Before their dealings were done Friday, the Mets announced that they have reached agreement on a minor-league deal with veteran reliever John Frascatore. The 32-year-old right-hander was 1-0 with a 2.20 ERA in 12 games with the Blue Jays last season.

Appier is the second addition to Anaheim's rotation in the past two days. On Wednesday, the Angels signed Aaron Sele to a $24 million, three-year deal.

Appier and Sele join Ramon Ortiz, Jarrod Washburn and Scott Schoeneweis on a pitching staff that was fourth in the AL in ERA last season.

"We now have two more starting pitchers on the staff that are formidable pitchers without losing a player who was on the field last year," Angels GM Bill Stoneman said. "We've taken a giant step forward."

Appier went 11-10 with a 3.57 ERA in his only season with the Mets. He signed a $42 million, four-year deal with New York last offseason.

"When you sign a four-year deal, you know it's possible to get traded after one year but you don't anticipate it," Appier said. "But if I was going to get traded, this is a favorable situation."