Nov. 20 -- IBANEZ TO METS? OR PHILS?

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Over the past few weeks, Ruben Amaro Jr. and his Mets counterpart, Omar Minaya, have said that they're prioritizing pitching over everything else this winter. Yet there's a report in Newsday indicating that both the Phils and Mets have interest in left fielder Raul Ibanez.

Makes sense.

There's a good chance the Phillies will have to replace Pat Burrell, who, as we've talked about before, likely will get a three- or four-year offer from an AL team looking to make him a DH. The Phils aren't expected to guarantee more than two years for Burrell, so it seems he'll have to take a hometown discount if he wants to stay with the only team he's ever known. The Mets, meanwhile, are facing the possibility of a Daniel Murphy/Fernando Tatis platoon in left field unless they make a trade or sign a free agent. So, clearly, left field is an area that both teams would like to address.

We'll leave the discussion of how Ibanez might fit the Mets' lineup to the folks in New York. Ibanez, 36, is a left-handed hitter, so it would appear that he's not a fit for the Phillies. Charlie Manuel wants another right-handed bat to balance a lineup that already features heavy-hitting lefties Chase Utley and Ryan Howard and switch-hitting Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino. Ibanez did hit .305 against lefties last season, but that likely was an aberration. Throughout his career, he's a .268 hitter against left-handed pitchers, compared to .293 against righties.

Regardless, the Phillies undoubtedly have intimate knowledge of Ibanez's ability. Although he played only one season for Pat Gillick in Seattle (2000), he has spent 10 of his 13 major-league seasons with the Mariners, giving him a long history with new assistant GM Benny Looper. Of course, he is a Type A free agent, which means the Phillies would forfeit a first-round draft pick if they sign Ibanez, who has batted .291 and averaged 25 homers and 112 RBIs over the past three seasons. But, assuming they offer arbitration to Burrell, they will receive a first-round pick from whichever team signs him. Burrell, also a Type A free agent, has averaged .262, 31 homers and 98 RBIs over the past four seasons.

Ibanez made $5.5 million last season, so he's both older and less expensive than the 31-year-old Burrell. He doesn't walk as often as Burrell (thus, his on-base percentage usually is lower than Burrell's), but he strikes out far less. And in a lineup that piles up the whiffs, it would be nice to have a player who has fanned 100 times in a season only twice. But Ibanez wouldn't be much of an upgrade over Burrell defensively or on the bases, and if the Phillies are trying to get younger and faster in left field, he probably isn't the answer.

So, what do you think?