Chone Figgins To Mets Trade Could Work

If Omar Minaya was smart, he would contact the Mariners’ Jack Zduriencik about trading bad contracts before the non-waiver trading deadline. I have to imagine that the Mariners would love to dump Chone Figgins after the fight in the dugout on Friday with manager Don Wakamatsu. Obviously, the Mets would love to unload their own bad contracts, i.e. Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo.

The funny thing is that the money is pretty even. Castillo and Perez are owed a combined approximately $25 million over the next year and a half. Figgins is owed about $29 million through 2013 plus he has a vesting option for 2014 for $9 million if he gets 600 plate appearances in 2013. The money is fairly close.

The Mets would appear to be getting the better player in the deal but they’d be absorbing more money and potentially more risk if Figgins continues to be a problem. He’s also 32 years-old and his offensive numbers have fallen off a cliff this year. There’s the added risk that he’s in a severe performance decline and the Mets are stuck with a long-term contract for him.

I think it’s a nice “change of scenery” deal for both teams that the Mets had luck with last season when they moved Ryan Church for Jeff Francoeur. I don’t think it would be as easy as the deal with the Braves. But the Mets would probably have to throw in a prospect to make it work.

The deal would get rid of a major headache for the Mariners with a long-term contract. For the Mets it would unload two players that have been a thorn in our sides for too long.

Take a look at Figgins’ career numbers below and let me know what you think.