Kris Benson - Ty Wigginton skepticism

The daily news sites for fantasy players are abuzz with the word that a Benson for Wigginton deal is "alive" or "imminent." Know that the Mets and Yankees get far more news coverage than, say, the Twins, and know that there also seems to be an unusually speculative and/or sensational edge to some of the sports reporting in the Big Apple. This doesn't diminish the overall quality of the sports writing, but you have to have the saltshaker handy when you sit down to consume some of the breathless whispers they'll report as news over there.

The article making the buzz appears to be David Waldstein's "off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush" work for the Star-Ledger. Take a look:

PHILADELPHIA -- Although they may not even be aware of it yet, the Mets have moved a step closer to acquiring pitcher Kris Benson.

The Mets had offered Ty Wigginton in recent weeks but were rebuffed. However, a baseball official who has spoken with Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield in the past few days said Littlefield has been asking about Wigginton and is starting to show serious interest.

The official said that if the Mets are willing to trade Wigginton to get Benson, which they are, the deal could happen very soon. Besides Wigginton, the Mets have also offered the Pirates Jason Phillips and minor-league slugger Craig Brazell in an effort to get the right-hander, who will be a free agent after the season.

A Mets official said there had not been talks in several days and that as far as he knew the Pirates were still holding out for top prospect David Wright, which won't happen. The Mets have said they might be willing to part with Wigginton for Benson, but the Pirates didn't show much interest.

. . .

The Mets would probably be willing to trade Wigginton and a marginal minor-leaguer for Benson. If that doesn't work out, they can turn back to Ramon Ortiz. The Orioles have made Sidney Ponson available, but the Mets have very little interest in the contract he just signed.

Waldstein here reports a bit of gossip that he heard. Stop the presses: David Littlefield sought opinions of Ty Wigginton! No self-respecting GM would get off the couch to ask questions about a player unless he was this close to acquring him. So, Waldstein appears to reason, Littlefield's inquiries can be fairly interpreted as him "starting to show serious interest."

The Mets official says they haven't heard anything from Littlefield. As far as he or she knows, the talks between the teams are dead since the Pirates haven't moved off their interest in acquiring David Wright.

Waldstein then reports that the Mets said "they might be willing" to part with Wigginton for Benson. Yeah, right. In my fantasy league, I "might be willing" to trade Tony Alvarez for Bobby Abreu. That's not exactly fair to Wigginton, who does have value. But he's got enough major-league experience that his salary won't be so cheap, and his skill set reminds me of a lot of the Pirates we already have. Anyone following Jim Duquette's rantings about Littlefield's insanity for not taking Wigginton and liking the deal knows that a Wigginton-for-Benson trade would be the best-case scenario for the Mets, who dream of the day they can promote Scott Rolen to the big leagues.

In defense of Waldstein, he covets Benson for his Mets, and I can't blame a guy for trying to wish it true. If Waldstein can get people all over the country thinking that Littlefield is ready to take Wigginton, then that might push other GMs into playing tough with Littlefield out of embarrassment ("Well, if he'll take Wigginton, I don't know why we were thinking about parting with Grady Sizemore").

One more thing about Ty Wigginton's recent tear. Wigginton goes on a tear every time he nearly loses his job. Last year they brought in Jay Bell to compete with him and he performed real well in the first half of the season. Then Bell retired or the threat of him went away and Ty wore down was a marginal big-leaguer in the second half. This year, they handed him the job and he was no good. They hid him on the DL for awhile - maybe he was really hurt, I don't know - and when they brought him back, only the news of Wright's imminent promotion lit a fire under his ass. Maybe it's coincidence. Maybe not. Maybe Ty Wigginton will go on and have a very productive and slugging career that dispels the reputation he has for being Shea Hillenbrand Lite. Or maybe not.

If I'm playing it safe and investing conservatively, I regard Wigginton as a Rob Mackowiak-type super utility player at best. He's a good guy to have on the roster if he's cheap and if he's on the bench three nights a week. The thing is, the Pirates already have Mackowiak and his protege, Bobby Hill, is not part of the problem but part of the solution. We need someone who can step in and start for a few years. We need someone who is not eligible for arbitration next year. We'll have enough trouble keeping the good players we already have without adding one will cost more than the minimum in 2005.

I wouldn't recognize David Littlefield if he stepped into the elevator with me. I don't have any information beyond what I've gathered following the team and the players and the news, but I wouldn't read this Waldstein report out of New York as a sign that the Pirates are any closer to acquiring Ty Wigginton than they were a week ago.