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According to ESPN.com, the New York Mets and star pitcher Johan Santana still remain far apart on a contract extension. 

The Mets have until 5 p.m. ET on Friday to complete a deal for the star pitcher, but reports have said that the Mets and Santana differ on the dollars as well as the length of a deal. 

It has also been reported the there is also a possibility that the talks could collapse without an agreement, though the odds of that appear to be slim.

The Mets have to give Santana what he wants.  After finally making the trade to bring him to the Big Apple, the Mets have to complete the last step and sign him to a contract extension.

I'm sure the Mets will end up giving him what he wants, but in my opinion, Santana does seem to be very greedy, but that's something that the Mets should have expected.

Posted by Tommy V at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Well, it finally happened. Johan Santana is (tentatively) a New York Met. I can’t speak for everyone but all of a sudden the grass is greener and the sky is bluer than it was a couple of days ago. All that stands in the way is a contract extension and all of the players passing their physicals, which shouldn’t be a problem. Neither the Mets nor Twins would try to bargain with players they knew weren’t healthy and the Mets certainly would not have traded for a guy they KNEW was going to command the money Johan will. I look for a press conference to be announced shortly and Johan to be holding up his new home whites flanked by Omar and Jeff Wilpon sometime Thursday or Friday. It will be a day that will be seared into Mets fans consciousnesses for a long time.

Can somebody tell me what Billy Wagner’s problem is? Okay, I realize the Mets choked last season and up until a day or so ago the Mets might not have been better than a 3rd place team. Tell me though; what does Omar have to do for our own closer to believe in the team? In my humble opinion, getting the best pitcher this decade is a pretty big deal. Maybe Billy is like that kid who lashes out because his best friends (LoDuca and Glavine) moved away. Baseball is a business like it or not so he needs to just support his team and earn that insane contract Omar handed to him a few winters ago. I can tell you that as good as Billy is, if he is going to be a cancer, I would happily welcome Chad Cordero, Huston Street, or Joe Nathan in his place.

It’s been a roller coaster of emotion these past couple of days as a Mets fan with the magnitude of this trade. It fits right in there with the Gary Carter and Mike Piazza trades that led to two pennants and a World Series championship. The fact of the matter is the Mets finally have a difference maker. There are no other pitchers in MLB that come to my mind who could transform a team like Johan Santana will. Omar has served notice to the whole National League that the Mets are coming out with guns blazing. John Donavan wrote on SI.com concerning the trade:

“With Santana in tow, there's no question that the Mets, incredibly to many, are again the class of the East. And of the league, too. Snicker at that.”

Yes indeed, Braves, Phillies, Marlins and Nats… snicker at THAT!

Posted by Adam Baker at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Just one day after acquiring star pitcher Johan Santana in a trade with the Twins, the Mets remained active today by claiming righty Ruddy Lugo off waivers from the Oakland A's, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Lugo, 27, split time last season between the A's and Tampa Bay Rays and went 6-0 with a 5.40 ERA. 

I'm not sure if Lugo will win a spot on the 2008 team, but he's definitely worth a look. 

The Mets could always use reliable arms out of the pen, but thanks to the trade of Santana, the Mets might not need as many as they once did. 

Posted by Tommy V at 06:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The day after this brilliant trade by Omar was announced, we want to know what everyone is saying. It's understandable that some people are leery until the deal is sealed, but I, for one, am a very proud Mets fan!

Here are some quotes from around the league: 

Braves GM Frank Wren - "Johan Santana is one of the best pitchers in the game so clearly you hope that a pitcher like that doesn't end up in your division with a division rival. But we feel like we've improved our club as well this year and I think it's going to be a very good division race."

Billy Wagner - "I think the Phillies are still ahead of us. I think their offense and what they're capable of doing - their whole organization right now has gotten a lot better and they've gotten a little taste of what playoff baseball is. They've got two MVPs. They've got a serious threat in their bullpen with Brad Lidge. They're putting Brett Myers back into the rotation. I honestly think it's really tight at the top. I'm not going to put us ahead of them because we don't deserve to be there until we achieve something."

David Wright - "We're going to welcome him with open arms. When I think of an ace, I think of a guy who can get you a win every five days. There's only a handful of those guys out there - there's not many - and Johan is one of those guys. You know that every fifth day he's going to eat up innings, he's going to win. And to have one of those handful that I'd consider an ace is obviously pretty special." 

Philadelphia Inquirer - "The sound that came out of the executive offices at Citizens Bank Park was something closer to a deflating groan. The old “You sank my battleship!” commercial comes to mind here. One day after feeling pretty good about upgrading their third-base position with the signing of Pedro Feliz, the Phils were completely one-upped by their closest National League East rival. The Mets added baseball’s most precious commodity - a true No. 1 ace - while giving up nothing that figured to significantly impact their 2008 roster … So now, Johan Santana is headed to Queens. He will make the Mets better - and the Phillies’ quest for back-to-back NL East titles a little more difficult."

Let the critics talk but one thing's for certain, once this deal goes through, they will have to find something else to complain about because the Mets will finally have a pair of aces and a rotation to be proud of! Is it spring yet?

Posted by Kelly Horn at 01:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)

After thousands of rumors, posts, blogs and articles, the Mets have trumped the Yankees and Red Sox won the Johan Santana sweepstakes! Baseball's best pitcher is now a New York Met... 

It was long time in developing, with most analysts and sportscasters giving the Mets little chance of getting Santana from the Twins. We have had to endure countless articles that said the Mets farm system was inadequate and their prospects were sub par. However, in the end the Mets had exactly what the Twins were looking for and the topper is that they keep their best prospect Fernando Martinez, the teenage wonder.

In the end the deal costs the Mets Kevin Mulvey, Phil Humber, Carlos Gomez and Deolis Guerra. Each of them have potential but they each came with with their own baggage as well. Gomez was a speed burner who has yet to prove he can hit. Humber has talent but is not projected to be more than a bottom of the rotation starter. Mulvey is probably the most polished in the group, but has yet to do anything at the major league level, and Guerra has not pitched above A ball.

This deal was a major coup and a huge feather in Omar Minaya's hat. For months, Omar has endured harsh criticism from many Mets fans for not doing something sooner. Even Billy Wagner voiced his displeasure twice to the media. I hope that those same people in the media like Steve Phillips of ESPN and Wallace Mathews of Newsday, now eat their words and give Omar the respect and recognition he deserves.

The only thing left for Omar to do is sign Johan Santana to a long term deal, and both sides are set to meet on Wednesday. Of course Santana will hold out for a 7-year deal, but considering he turns 29 in March, I wouldn't be too worried about signing him to a deal like that.

The important thing is that with this deal, the Mets are now considered the odds on favorite to win the NL East and may even be the best team in the National League.

It's a great day to be a Mets fan!

Posted by Joe D. at 06:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (35)

Bob Nightengale, of USA Today, reports the Minnesota Twins have agreed to send two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana to the Mets for four prospects. The prospects include Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey. The biggest part of this deal has to be Fernando Martinez. Not only do we get Santana, we keep Martinez.

..it's over! and we prevail! Fernando Martinez was a big chip if we added him in the deal. Lucky for us, we get to keep him.

With Santana on the Mets, the starting rotation is projected to look like this:

1. Johan Santana
2. Pedro Martinez
3. John Maine
4. Oliver Perez
5. Orlando Hernandez

..the Mets now have 72-hours to reach a contract agreement with Johan. This is a must-do for the Mets, in my opinion, only because a tease to the fans won't go over well. I'm fine with a 6-year deal, just make it reasonable Omar.

5:15 PM Update by Joe D. - The Mets or Twins have yet to confirm this officially. Sources from both teams are confirming the deal is done and the Mets are working with a 72-hour window to sign Santana. Johan Santana is looking for a six year deal sources tell us. We will continue to monitor the situation throughout the day and night.

5:35 PM Update by Joe D. - Both SI.com and USA Today are reporting that they have confirmed that the Mets have acquired Johan Santana and the only thing that stands in the way is the Mets reluctance to go beyond a five year contract. 

Posted by Ryan Punzalan at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)

Billy Wagner continues to make light of the Mets lackluster off season with some strongly worded comments about where the mets rank in the their division. In his opinion not only do the the Phillies rank ahead of the Mets, but the Atlanta Braves as well.

The comments were made during SNY's broadcast of Mets Hot Stove with Kevin Burkhardt, and was first reported by Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog.

Billy Wagner got himself into same hot water back in November when he criticized Omar Minaya for what he perceived as no sense of urgency and an unwillingness to make the necessary improvements on the team. Minaya immediately addressed those concerns in private with Billy Wagner and supposedly everything was straightened out according to Omar back then.

It's too bad Wagner can't apply some of his closing skills to his own mouth, and spare the team the unneeded negative attention and embarrassment.

It's a sad situation when one of your key players goes on the record and basically says the Mets will not go into the post season in 2008. Rather than exhibiting some enthusiasm for the upcoming season, he instead chose to shoot down our hopes. Even if Billy Wagner is right, shouldn't he have kept it to himself?

Is Billy Wagner becoming more trouble than he is worth?

We gave him a landmark contract when the Mets signed him, making him the highest paid closer in the National League at that time. I think he owes the Mets a little more respect than he has given them.

Posted by Joe D. at 05:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

It looks like the Baltimore Orioles have traded right handed, starting pitcher Erik Bedard to the Seattle Mariners according to several sources including the Seattle Times and the Baltimore Sun.

Apparently the Orioles will get back super-prospect Adam Jones who has been called back from Venezuela to undergo a physical.

When reached for comment today, Adam Jones said...

"I received a call from Seattle saying that there is no more playing for me and I can't do anything about that,'' Jones said. "I leave tomorrow morning... It sucks. I want to play. This is Game 4 of the finals and I really want to be there for my team, but it's something that all the guys understand. I really want to play, but I can't."

Although Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has said the deal is completed, both teams have suggested that it is yet to be finalized, but confirmed something is imminent.

*** This was the second of the big three pitchers to slip through the hands of the New York Mets, with the other being Dan Haren. That leaves Johan Santana as the last viable option for a top of the rotation starter that is still available.

I find it interesting that Erik Bedard can be had for what amounts to one big outfield prospect and yet the Mets couldn't pry him away with a bundle of four prospects. I actually felt that Bedard was a better option for the Mets because he has two years until free agency.

Last season Bedard went 13-5 with an ERA of 3.16, and he struck out 221 batters in 182 innings. He is only 28 years old and has improved significantly each of his four years in the majors.

Johan Santana is officially the last big pitcher standing. Reports this weekend say that he will be traded within the next ten days. The Yankees, Red Sox and Mets are all said to be in the mix. Other rumors reported that if the Mets have truly taken Fernando Martinez off the table as has been reported, any discussions with the Mets are over. The Mets have now moved on to "Plan L", Livan Hernandez. As soon as the Mets get the official call from the Twins saying "NO DEAL", Hernandez will join his brother El Duque in the middle of the Mets rotation.

Posted by Joe D. at 09:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

We are not alone Mets fans...

I think the Mets' beat writers are getting as anxious about a Johan Santana trade then we are. Some of them have even changed their positions on the matter. A couple have gone from reporting any rumors on the matter, to actually urging Omar Minaya to pull the trigger already. Yikes!

Bob Klapisch - There are many fine individual components here - Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Billy Wagner - but the sum of these parts somehow feels less than the whole. The Mets can thank the Phillies for that: they go into '08 believing Randolph's team, while cosmetically impressive, is soft.

The Phillies have every reason to feel that way, of course. The Mets need a drastic, sea-change event to reverse their slide, both in the standings and in their rivals' perception of them. Santana is the antidote. Without him, those ghosts could be a problem again this summer.

*** I must agree with Bob in that no matter how impressive we look on paper, when your opponent isn't scared of you, it don't matter how good you look. Last season, the mets were not scaring anyone...

Steve Popper - I know what I'm hoping. I hope that we never hear another rumor, never read another story – after this one – about Santana coming to (fill in the blank). And the only way that will happen is if Santana goes somewhere, anywhere. So Mets, get it done. Give up four prospects. Give up five. Give up Fernando Martinez. Get it done. The Mets can get by this season without him, and they still might be the favorites to win the East. But the reason they should go for Santana is the one that critics would tell them not to make the deal for -- the future.

Martinez may turn out to be a star. Deolis Guerra could turn out to be an ace. Or maybe they won't. But in Santana, arm health permitting, the Mets would ensure the future of their pitching rotation, something that they are desperately in need of beyond this season.

*** Obviously the only sure thing among all the players in this deal, is Johan Santana. The others could end up like most prospects and never become the players they are hyped up to be. While usually only 1 out of 5 prospects ever make it in the majors, the Mets' odds are actually much worse than that. Only 1 out of 12 of their first round picks ever have a career longer than 5 years. Ouch!

David Lennon - It would be awfully tough for Smith to trade Santana and not have any of the players in that deal make an impact for the Twins next season. I'm not saying that Carlos Gomez won't make the roster, but he could use some more experience before stepping into a full-time role. As for Philip Humber or Kevin Mulvey, they have potential, but that's about it at this stage.

The Mets are under the impression that Smith is still figuring out which way to go, as reported today in Newsday. They're definitely in the mix, but if the Twins want a difference-maker for next season, the Yankees and Red Sox seem better equipped to provide that. If not, and Smith goes for the mother lode of prospects, then the Mets could be the ones to close the blockbuster deal.

*** The mother lode? Reminds me of the mother lode the Mets received when they traded a stud ace of the rotation pitcher by the name of Tom Seaver... It didn't work out to well for the Mets for the next gazillion years... If I'm the Twins I would want the deal that offers the best major league ready player, and that means a big fat no to the Mets offer. Luckily for the twins, they don't really seem to have a genius running the operation these days, so it bodes well for the Mets.

Posted by Joe D. at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

According to a Friday report from MLB.com, the Mets are closing in on signing rubber armed 32 year old pitcher Livan Hernandez. The brother of current Met Orlando Hernandez, Livan went 11-11 for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, with an inflated ERA of 4.93 and 90 strikeouts in 204.1 innings pitched. Hernandez's value is the amount of innings he can pitch in a season. He's pitched at least 200 innings in each season since 1998, except for 1999 in which he pitched 199.2 innings. If the signing were to go through, the Mets would be Livan's 6th career organization.

At first I was opposed to the idea of Livan Hernandez being on the Mets, but he's a reliable Major League pitcher with 12 years of Big League experience. If Omar Minaya were unable to complete a deal for Johan Santana, Livan would be able to provide stability in the back end of the rotation. The Mets haven't yet found a replacement for Tom Glavine, who pitched 200.3 innings for the Amazins last season. Hernandez threw 204.3 innings last season, so he would be an upgrade from Glavine in that respect. The signing could also inspire Phil Humber and Mike Pelfrey to work harder to earn a place on the big league roster in 2008.

Livan has long wanted to pitch with his brother Orlando. In August of 2007, Livan said, "It’s something I want to do before he (El Duque) retires, I’m going to try to play eight, 10 more years.” 

Is Livan Hernandez the flashiest pitcher in the game? No. But he's got big league stuff, and is still only 32 years old. Omar Minaya should still chase Erik Bedard, Joe Blanton and Johan Santana, but this signing would ease the pain if Omar isn't able to acquire any of those 3.

Posted by Milo Taibi at 04:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

There have been many misconceived notions regarding how to conduct a productive balanced lineup. In what spots are player’s specific skills most suitable for the team? What spot will his strength be magnified and his weakness less exposed? Many fans or those in the industry have different various opinions regarding this topic. Lineups are not just thrown together, each spot has a different mind set and different responsibilities even one misplaced spot can unravel the lineup and thus prevent the team from producing at their best.

On December 21^st in part 1, I broke down three studies that show protection is a myth. The notion that a batter will receive better pitches to hit if there is a batter with equal or better hitting skills batting behind is false, in fact studies have shown it may actually hurt a batters production.

Just to summarize some of the results of these studies,

Batters with better protection batted 4-5 points lower as apposed to when they had little to no protection.

While the total amount of singles increased when a batter had protection, doubles triples and homerun totals showed a drastic drop off.

Pitchers velocity and breaking action increased when they faced a batter who had protection behind him. In other words pitches where harder to hit not easier.

So why has this myth been passed down for decades yet has no statistical backing? The truth is this is one of several assumptions that where never proven, yet where passed down from generation to generation as fact just because it seemed to make sense. In fact this idea of protection is among the two biggest misconceived theories in the history of the sport. So if protection is a myth, in what situations do batters actually receive better pitches to hit? In fact the protection theory is the exact opposite of reality. Batters are more productive when runners are on base, especially if those runners have speed. Take for example a power pitcher with Reyes on 1B. A power pitcher loses velocity when he has to pitch from the stretch as apposed to the windup, coupled with the fact that he is more likely to throw a fastball to give his catcher a better opportunity to throw out the runner on a steal attempt, thus a batter will then receive fat pitches to hit.

I would love to hear all of your opinions. Here is my take.

#1 – In a leadoff hitter I look for two things, speed and his ability to get on base. I do not want my leadoff hitter to hit for any power whatsoever because then he is taking away from the overall offensive attack of the batters behind him.

#2 – In the two spot I’m looking for someone who can handle the bat and work deep counts. A solid contact hitter, good hit and run option and good bunter. High OBP and speed would be an added bonus but are not majorly important.

#3 – In a three hitter I want a line drive hitter who will bat .300 + with solid contact and high OBP. Your 3^rd best power hitter after the 4^th and 5^th batters. Homerun totals from your 3 hitter are not majorly important, racking up the doubles, getting on base and putting the ball in play are vital for a solid #3 hitter. David Wright minus the k’s is a typical #3 hitter, Keith Hernandez and John Olerud where exactly what you look for in a #3 hitter.

#4 – The cleanup hitter is just what the name says, he cleans up, he is your team’s best power hitter, 40+ HR potential, 100+ RBI’s.

#5 – Your 2^nd best power hitter, good for 30+ HR and 85+ RBI’s.

#6 – A 6^th hitter will vary greatly from team to team, manager to manager and fan to fan. In most cases a #6 hitter fits the Mike Cameron type player, power, low average and high k’s. However IMO I look for someone who can make good contact. In many cases your 5^th hitter or even your 4^th hitter will be in scoring position when your 6^th hitter comes up. If you 6^th hitter is prone to a low average and high strikeout numbers your team will often end up stranding the runners. Thus I want a hitter who can put the ball in play, especially if there are less then 2 outs. Brian Schneider would be a much better fit in this spot then batting 8^th, since he is a solid contact hitter. This spot is ideal for a Paul Loduca or Frank Catalanotto type hitter.

#7 – My opinion in this spot is drastically different then most people. Many feel the teams worst hitter should bat 8^th, which is my opinion is a major mistake. For the 7^th spot I go one of two ways. If your 6^th hitter fits the Mike Cameron type then I want my #7 hitter to be basically a 2^nd leadoff hitter, someone with speed and a high OBP. If your worst hitter aka a Cameron type hits 6^th then in many occasions the bases will be empty when the 7^th spot comes up, thus the best way to try to manufacture a run. If your number 6 hitter fits the mold of a LoDuca or Catalanotto then I put my worst offensive player in this spot.

#8 – Almost everyone believes that the worst hitter should bat 8^th, which is a vital mistake, in fact IMO it’s the single biggest strategical error any manager can make. Your 8^th hitter plays a major role that can have a significant affect on the outcome of game. In 2006 many with Valentin hitting 8^th many people thought sure he bats around .230 - .240 but about once every 16-20 AB’s he’ll get a hold of one and heck any occasional HR by your 8^th hitter is a bonus right, WRONG! Valentin was and is one of the worst situational hitters in the game. That solo HR he will hit once a week or so does not make up for the many times he fails to do the little things. The number of times he struck out or popped up with men on base was astronomical. Take for a example a #2 hitter, a hitter who can work deep counts, can get on base and can handle the bat well such as bunting, going to opposite way and so on. Now take these situations…

Situation 1 – It’s the 5^th inning the game is tied at 1 with two outs and your 8^th hitter is up. What is the single most important thing he must do? Do whatever it takes to get on base in order to clear the pitchers spot. In many occasions the opposition will walk to 8^th hitter which to be honest is a huge favor they are giving you. Who would you trust more to get on base in this situation, a typical #2 hitter or someone like Valentin? Obviously a typical #2 hitter. Now if the pitcher can manage to get on base you have two men on for your leadoff hitter and a potential opportunity to score a run, a situation that a hitter like Valentin cost us time and time and time again.

Situation 2 – You have a runner on 1^st and less then two outs with your 8^th hitter up. Would you be willing to try an hit and run with Valentin or someone like him who is often known to strike out or pop up often? Of course not, a batter like him would greatly decrease the likelihood of scoring in that inning and gives the manager less options to consider. However with a typical #2 type hitter you would be more confident in attempting a hit and run and more likely of succeeding in doing so. The with runners on the corners the pitcher can but the 8^th hitter to 2^nd of even consider a squeeze play.

Situation 3 – It’s the 8^th inning, your down by 2 runs. You have runners on 1^st and 2^nd with less then 2 outs. Your 8^th hitter comes up and your top pinch hitter is on deck. Would you trust Valentin or someone like him to get a bunt down, I don’t think so.

So what would your ideal lineup be? What type of skills are you looking for in each spot? Opinions pleas, fire away…..

Posted by Christian (MetsMan) at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Well, happy almost end of the week to everybody! Once again, an uneventful week in the world of major league baseball.  I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m getting pretty sick of hearing about who the front runner for Johan Santana is.

I think SI.com has an article at least 3 times a week about it. I just want to tell the Twins to make up their minds already. They have to do something in my opinion because he has made it clear that he won’t stay for what they’re offering... We ALL know the Twins aren’t going to pony up the dough to have a shot so they better do something quick.

The only bright side to this whole mess, is it got me interested in seeing what all the fuss over this guy is about. I know all about the awards and stuff, but admittedly had not seen him pitch outside of the ESPN Sports Center highlights.. After watching this 17 strikeout video of him against Texas, I’m sold.

The guy has nasty stuff! Plus the video is set to “Crazy Train”, so that never hurts on the cool scale. I can’t help but picture him in orange and blue…

The other plus is it looks like the Mets aren’t going to try and force another slogan down our throats this season. If I have to hear “Amazin’ Again!” or “The Magic Is Back!” one more time I might be sick. We really just want to see the team play ball and do it competitively. True blue fans don’t need gimmicks, we’re already hooked. You know we are die- hard when after all the years of disappointment, we’re still around. Kind of like Red Sox fans, only with a few decades less heartache. Instead, we’ll be bombarded with reminders of Shea waiting for the wrecking ball. Thanks for the reminder that our childhood “ Graceland ”(for lack of a better word) is on death row. Nice. Real nice.

I realize that stories in MLB are limited this off season, minus the whole steroid thing. So I just really want Spring Training to start ASAP! We really need something better to write about besides Barroid and Roidger. Anyone else broken out their glove or swung a bat yet? This may sound stupid to most but I have already been making sure my batting gloves fit again and taken a few swings on the hit-a-way outside. Although stupid may be too strong a word to use, more like obsessed! Stupid in my estimation, is reminiscent of a situation Batman and Robin once got themselves in after leaving the Batmobile parked outside of Yankee Stadium…

Robin: “BATMAN!”

Batman: “Yes Robin?!”

Robin: “Didn’t we park the car…here?”

Hope he had a GPS on that utility belt...

Anyway, hope y’all have a great day! Don’t work too hard...

Posted by Adam Baker at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The Mets are now looked at as the clear favorites in the Johan Santana sweepstakes by more than just a few credible sources. Yesterday alone Jon Heyman of SI.com and the Boston Globe hinted as much.

There is absolutely no escaping these rumors. Every morning I make my usual treks to my favorite Mets sites, starting with Matt's MetsBlog and then I move onto ESPN Insider, AOL Fanhouse, and finally Fox Sports. Lately it's always Santana, Santana, Santana... 

My question is this though, is being the front runner a good thing? I am beginning to feel like the only reason why the Mets are now leading this fruitless marathon, is because we are the only organization foolish enough to still be willing to think about an offer that amounts to suicide for our minor league system.

The latest version of the rumor now has the Mets including newly acquired outfielder Ryan Church, and while I'm not in the least bit beholden to Church, I think it makes the deal even worse than when we were including both Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez.

Apparently, many Mets fans think the deal is much more palatable by replacing Fernando Martinez with Church. Martinez has yet to do anything at the major league level and is the most hyped Mets outfielder since Alex Ochoa. At least we know Church can fill a need as a corner outfielder for the Mets right now. Martinez and even Carlos Gomez will not be major league ready for at least two more years.

How is the inclusion of Church more palatable? Didn't we give up Lastings Milledge for this guy?

Two questions that have fallen through the cracks yet further illustrates the sheer madness of the entire situation. Just last week, Willie Randolph himself cringed at the suggestion of five of the Mets best prospects for Johan Santana. So now we are going to hand over four prospects plus a a young proven major leaguer?

Preposterous!

If this deal does go through, and I'm quite sure that it wont... All I can say is...

Omar! You are the weakest link, good bye.

Posted by Joe D. at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

According to SI today the Mets are the front runners to aquire Santana. SI claims that the Twins would perfer Gomez over Fernando Martinez because Gomez is ready to play centerfield. The trade would include the following:

OF Carlos Gomez, Pitchers Deolis Guerra, Phil Humber and Kevin Mulvey.

 - This is nothing new, the same we have been hearing for awhile

But here is a new rumor reported by the Boston Globe...

Michael Silverman of The Boston Herald reports that Ryan Church could be included in a deal for Johan Santana.

Silverman indicates that Church would be paired with Fernando Martinez and at least two other prospects. The Mets are apparently offering Church as a replacement for Carlos Gomez, who wouldn't be included in the deal. Church could be used in center field instead of the Twins moving Michael Cuddyer over, but he's more suited to patrol a corner.

 - Interesting but we would need to find an RF to replace Church if this does happen, unless Gomez would be given the RF job, which is a stretch.

Posted by Christian (MetsMan) at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The time of the year that we all have been waiting for since the final out of the debacle in 2007 is only a few weeks away!

To me, the beginning of the baseball season beats any sporting event in the world: the Super Bowl, the NCAA Tournament, the NBA Finals, etc. There is nothing like that the thought that the summer is coming. The nights where you sit under the bright lights at Shea Stadium rooting for the Mets to come through. Mets fans are like no other fans in baseball. We all could have very well thrown our hats and jerseys away during the winter because of the way the season ended for us. Now that the calendar has turned to 2008, not only are we hungrier for a big season this year, but hopefully the team is as well.

Last year’s Mets squad lacked the urgency needed to get them by the final two weeks of the season. The Phillies and their fans could say that they beat us to win the NL East, but the reality is that the Mets players beat themselves. The 2006 season might have gotten into their heads figuring that they could just get by the regular season and then once the playoffs begin they will turn it on. If this was the case, then obviously it had backfired. “You live what you learn.” I hope to see a meaner Mets team this year. A team that won’t feel any remorse for any opponent. They will play consistent ball whether they are playing the Phillies or whether they are playing teams like the Marlins and Giants. Last year, it seemed as if the team did not play at their level but played down or up to the teams they were playing. Willie Randolph has to do a really good job in getting these guys to play motivated, consistent baseball for 162 games.

Throughout the winter, we all have been hearing about rumors of Minnesota’s ace Johan Santana being traded to the Mets for five prospects. Some fans like the trade and others are weary of giving up the farm system. I do agree with the point that giving up your five best farm players for a pitcher that you also have to pay $120 million for is a lot, but maybe having Johan Santana is what the team needs in order to totally move on from last season’s disappointment. Not only that, having Johan and Pedro as the team’s 1-2 punch in the rotation should make them the favorites in the National League yet again. Will the trade even happen before spring training? Right now it is looking bleaker and bleaker by the day but it is not like the Mets are not going to be solid without Santana on the roster.

There are positives to this current Mets roster for 2008. Pedro will be ready to play right away unlike last year. John Maine and Oliver Perez will look to build on their solid year’s this season. El Duque ALWAYS seems to get hurt during the season, but hopefully this time it won’t be near the end of the season when the team will need his experience the most. To round out the rotation we have Mike Pelfrey. He is looking to impress the Mets nation this season. His stuff certainly impressed me last September when he went 3-1. Pelfrey proved that he does have a chance at being successful in the majors.

I am looking forward to seeing how the bullpen performs in spring training. Everyone’s eyes will be on Duaner Sanchez. He is the key to the bullpen’s success this year, so we all have to hope that he is in shape this time around and is ready to get back to the form he had in 2006. Juan Padilla is another guy that everyone should keep their eyes on. He was solid for the short time he was around in 2005 and could very well be a huge addition to a team that needs effective arms in the pen. Billy Wagner had a fine year until the end of the season when he was hurting. Hopefully there won’t be as much pressure on him to pitch as there was last year. Scott Schoeneweis showed signs of effectiveness at the end of the season. He had a nagging leg injury that probably was the reason for his big struggles, and he will definitely want to prove that last year was an aberration.

For the position players, the team has both a new catcher and a new right fielder. Many fans did not like trading Lastings Milledge for both Brian Schneider and Ryan Church, but I actually liked it. Schneider is a defensive catcher who is a couple of years younger than Paul Lo Duca so now the team could avoid having every opponent run the base paths on them. Since he is coming from the Washington Nationals, Schneider can help the pitching staff with feedback in what he and his teammates with the Nationals had trouble with and what pitches they were looking for to hit. It will take a little time for Schneider and his new pitchers to get acclimated with each other, but it should all work out. As for Ryan Church, the guy is also a solid defensive player but he can hit too. He is a doubles machine who will hit in the .270-.280 range. His numbers potentially can be better than Lastings' numbers this year but it’s debatable in the long run. Lastings will be a good player in this league but he just wasn’t well suited for New York. Did we get equal value for him? Only time will tell.

The re-signings of Moises Alou and Luis Castillo were both key as long as they could stay on the field. Alou was an integral part of the offense when he played. Without him, the team was not able to score runs on a consistent basis. It is key for him to stay on the field as much as possible. If he can’t, then the re-signing of Endy Chavez will ensure that we have a capable back up behind him. Castillo will be playing his first full season as a Met after signing a four-year deal in the off season. I personally would have liked to have seen David Eckstein play second base but he was asking for too much money and he has not play second base since 2001 anyway.

Shortstop Jose Reyes took a lot of the heat for the collapse because of his giant slump during the end of the season. Rickey Henderson was said to have influenced what caused Reyes to change his game. Henderson will not be the first base coach this season, so we should see if it was really Henderson’s fault or not.  Reyes will be on the cover of this year's MLB 2K8, so his popularity has really grown over the past couple of seasons.

Carlos Delgado is coming off the worst season of his career. He continuously swung and missed at the same pitch countless times during the season. He did not adjust to anything. Not only that, he broke his hand on the final day of the season when he was hit by a Dontrelle Willis pitch. Delgado will be ready to go for spring training. For the offense’s sake, Delgado can not repeat what he did last year. It is understandable that he will not be the player he used to be, but he can not ruin rallies the way he did last season. This would be a big dent in the lineup.

David Wright and Carlos Beltran both had productive numbers last season. Wright was an MVP candidate and Beltran was the anchor of the outfield. Beltran’s numbers dropped from the 2006 season, but he still was a stud in the lineup as he got healthier. If the team loses either of these two for a long amount of time, it would mean trouble. It won’t be shocking to see Beltran sit out for a couple games during the year because he always seems to get banged up due to his amazing defense.

This 2008 Mets team does have more questions than answers going into the season, but that is what makes things interesting. Every team has questions. The Mets have the potential of getting back to the top of the NL East, the players are just going to have to want it more than anyone else.

Last year, the Phillies apparently wanted it more. The Phils will unfortunately be the favorites for many critics to be the odds on favorites in the division. It will be up to the Mets duty to silence the critics. The Phillies lost Aaron Rowand in free agency. That's one reason to think that the Phils won’t be as good this year. The Braves lost Edgar Renteria and Andruw Jones so they’re going to take a step back too. The pieces are in place for the Mets - now it’s time for them to get the prize.

Posted by Brian Nemchin at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

According to Yahoo! Sports, the Mets have signed left-handed reliever Ricardo Rincon to a minor league contract and have invited him to spring training.

Rincon, 37, has compiled a 21-24 with a 3.58 ERA and 21 saves in 557 games in the majors over a 10-year career.

He last pitched in the bigs in 2006 with the St. Louis Cardinals appearing in five games before having season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his left shoulder.

Last season, Rincon began the year in Triple-A Fresno and appeared in only seven games before a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee ended his season in May.

I guess Rincon is worth taking a look at.  If he could stay healthy, maybe he could become a lefty specialist out of the pen for the 2008 Mets, but of course staying healthy for the soon to be 38-year-old reliever would be a big "if". 

Posted by Tommy V at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

A special three-part series on the history of the Mets #1 Draft Picks.

1965 - Les Rohr. Never developed. Best minor league year was 1969 in the Texas League. By then, the Mets already had a talented young pitching staff and Rohr was already out of the picture. Ray Fosse was available, but overall there weren't many good first round picks.

1966 - Steve Chilcott. Passed up Reggie Jackson. Enough said.

1967 - Jon Matlack. Excellent choice with fourth pick in draft as he turned out considerably better than the three players taken before him.

1968 - Tim Foli. Became a decent major league player, but not what you'd expect from an overall number one. Thurman Munson, Bobby Valentine and Greg Luzinski were available.

1969 - Randy Sterling. Had a cup of coffee with the Mets, but never really dominated in the Minors. Another bad year for the draft. Next choice was Alan Bannister by the Angels who was projected as a power-hitting shortstop, but wound up as a utility man. Don Gullett, chosen 10 picks later was the gem, especially with his quick rise to the big leagues.

1970 - George Ambrow. A high school SS who never signed, went to USC and was an 18th round pick by the Angels 4 years later. Obviously, his stock had fallen considerably and didn't figure to have helped even if he had signed. World Champs had low pick that year. No one chosen in the second round turned out very well, so Mets get a bye here.

1971 - Rich Puig. Awful pick considering the next selection was Jim Rice. Previous pick was Frank Tanana. The rest of that year's first round was terrible.

1972 - Rich Bengston. Another poor pick. Another bad first round overall. The likes of Chet Lemon, Jamie Quirk, and (current Mets' coach) Jerry Manuel were chosen later in the first round, but really no one to be upset about.

1973 - Lee Mazzilli. An outstanding choice with the 14th overall selection. John Stearns, Dave Winfield, and Robin Yount were taken early in the first round, but there were a bunch of never-to-be's chosen between Winfield and Mazzilli, and a lot of bad choices after Maz, so even if Mazzilli didn't turn out to be a superstar, this was a great pick. And don't forget Mazzilli eventually turned into Ron Darling and Howard Johnson.

1974 - Cliff Speck. Right handed pitcher who labored in the minors for a long, long time. Willie Wilson was chosen with the next pick, and Rick Sutcliffe a few picks later, so the Mets could have done better.

1975 - Butch Benton. He never made it, but this was another downer draft. The best of the first round choices were probably Rick Cerone, Clint Hurdle and Dale Berra.

1976 - Tom Thurberg. Who ??? Not a great first round, although future major leaguers like Bruce Hurst, Mike Scioscia, Leon Durham, and Pat Tabler were all taken later in the first round, so the Mets could have fared better.

1977 - Wally Backman. Took him awhile to develop, but it's hard to fault this selection, as there were a bunch of guys taken before him who never amounted to much.

1978 - Hubie Brooks. Very solid selection with #3 choice in draft. Was close to major league ready when chosen. Had some pretty good years with the Mets before going to Montreal in the Gary Carter deal. Had a decent career. Kirk Gibson was taken 9 picks later, but hard to fault this selection.

1979 - Tim Leary. Second overall pick looked like he was going to be a great one. Leary made the Mets in 1981, only to be injured in his first start on a cold April day at Wrigley Field, then missed all of 1982 with an injured nerve. He moved to Milwaukee in a six-player, four-team trade in 1985 and was 12-12 for the Brewers in 1986 before being traded to Los Angeles with Tim Crews for slugger Greg Brock. Leary started and lost Game Six of the 1988 LCS for the Dodgers, but he pitched well out of the bullpen in the World Series. After the season he received the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award. He was traded to the Reds in mid-1989.

So, among the Mets' 15 first-round picks, there were some real good ones, some terrible ones, and some okay, but could have done better types. Not quite as bad as I would have thought. Of course, Chilcott over Jackson was the worst choice ever and Puig over Rice was a close second.

Originally published in June 2007...

Tomorrow - The next 15 years, starting with Darryl Strawberry in 1980.

Please visit me at Metscentric

Posted by Barry Duchan at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Here is the second part of the WFAN interview with Willie randolph by Chris Carlin and Kim Jones. The first part was posted earlier today.

Carlos Delgado - He is not the fiery type or a boisterous leader, but he leads by example and you have to let people be who they are. He knows exactly what he needs to do without me having to tell him. He is remorseful and he's looking to come back strong. He's starting to hit already which is something he has never done this early and he is hell-bent on getting back and doing what he's capable of.

Jose Reyes - When you have 50,000 people screaming "Jose, Jose, Jose" it's easy to get caught up in it and become full of yourself. I think what happened to Jose was more a case of timing than anything else. He went into a slump and like most young players he didn't know how to deal with it and get going again. The timing of his slump was wrong. As far as me having to take him out for those two games, listen... you have to play hard and hustle for me everyday. He understood that and a couple of times I had to call him on a few things, but for the most part Jose Reyes hustled and played as hard as anyone else on the team. He at times got a little bit down on himself and some of his immaturity surfaced and I had to call him into my office, but let me just say that he's a great kid and I focused so much on him because he is such a big part of our offense and he makes us go. When your energy is not there it starts to look like your not doing certain things. But like I said, he got into a funk, it happened at the worst time of the season, and he never had to deal with a slump before. It's a good lesson for him, but a tough lesson to learn at the wrong time.

Luis Castillo - He's a veteran guy and he was preoccupied with his health and his pending free agency and he was very hard on himself. He could have been more of a mentor for Jose Reyes and he tried to be one at times, but he had many issues on his mind. I spoke to him about that and this year he'll be better. He's going to be with us for a few years now and he knows what I expect from him.  

John Maine - When you get to a certain level you can't regress. I need to get more from him and I think he's going to give us more innings and a better year overall.

Duaner Sanchez - He is the biggest key for us in the bullpen and we need him to be the dominant setup guy he was for us a couple of years ago. He's pitching and he's looking great.

Players Urgency - We always come out of the chute with urgency. It's so important to get out of the division with a good start because everyone is so tough in our division. We need play well and not get ourselves in a hole. There's no doubt the players learned something, I know and feel in my heart that these guys are going to bounce back and that they realized they wasted a golden opportunity.

Johan Santana - Pitchers the caliber of Johan Santana are few and far between and of course any manager would love to have him on their team. To me you have to be smart when you make a trade like this because it's going to impact you financially. I love young players and when you have a nice nucleus of prospects it's okay to let a few of them go, but you have to be careful not to give up four or five of them in one shot. That being said, if Mr. Minaya and Mr. Wilpon want to that, hey I'll take him, but my baseball mind tells me that's a lot to give up. I think we have some good young prospects in Martinez and Gomez and pitchers too. I think this kid Mulvey looks like a good pitcher and of course Pelfrey and Humber need to step up.

The Off Season - We have gotten better but we still haven't addressed the pitching issue. Let's face it there's not much out there to get excited about in free agents in terms of quality. I know the fans and the media want something to happen but you can't have a knee jerk reaction type of move that can backfire on you. You have to trust your young players sometimes, just look at all the kids on the Marlins and the Yankees.

*** One of the highlights of the interview came when a youngster asked Willie how he would make sure the Mets won't lose their motivation again. Willie's reply... "I'm gonna whip them". 

Posted by Joe D. at 06:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A lot of Mets fans are torn between who their favorite player is, David Wright or Jose Reyes. First, you have to make a pro and con list for each of them. Then, you have to come up with some sort of point system for each item on the list because some things like Wright’s appearance on Celebrity Apprentice has to take away more points than Reyes not running out a grounder. It just gets complicated. Why go through all that trouble when I can simulate them going head to head for your status of “Favorite Met” on American Gladiators?

Welcome to American Gladiators. This week’s contestants: Jose Reyes and David Wright. Fans in the audience hold signs that say, “David’s Got The Right Stuff, Damn, I Was Supposed to Put Wright Not Right” and “Jose Reyes, More Like Jose Greatest Player Ever to Play Sports.” The signs get worse every episode. First, they will compete in Assault. Manning the tennis ball cannon will be Militia. Wright’s up first. Wright runs to the first station and fires the slingshot wide of the target. He gets ready to move to the rotating turret. Militia is patient. Wright jukes but Militia anticipates it and hits Wright in the leg. He gets one point. Reyes is up next. He slides head first into the first station, fires the slingshot way off. He bounces back and forth between the first and second station trying to get Militia to balk. Since there’s no such thing in American Gladiators, Militia is content to let Reyes keep running back and forth between the first 2 stations until time expires. After one round, we are tied at 1 point each.

Up next is Joust and the gladiator hoping to knock the Mets off the pedestal is Titan. Reyes goes first this time. The referee blows the whistle. Titan swings and Reyes ducks under the pugile stick. Titan swings again and Reyes jumps over the top. Now, Reyes is dancing. Titan can’t keep up with the speed and agility of Reyes. Titan gets tired just looking at him and fruitlessly calls him a “girl” as time expires. Five points for Reyes. Wright gets up on the pedestal. (Fan holds up sign: “Wright will Loosen Titan!!” Not bad.) The referee blows the signal. Titan goes to swing but Wright pulls out a mirror and holds it up. Wright, using his mental acuity, finds Titan’s weakness. Not willing to look away from the beautiful reflection he sees, Titan is a sitting duck. Wright uses his free hand to knock Titan off the pedestal and attain 10 points. Titan, missing his gorgeous visage, cries at the side of the pool while Hulk Hogan tells Wright that his performance was “Awesome!” In a sign of humanity, Wright tosses the mirror to Titan. He catches it, giggles like a school girl, and runs off to the Gladiator stables to be with himself. (His reflection, you sick weirdos.)

According to Mets.com, the Mets and Endy Chavez have agreed on a two-year contract worth $3.85 million. 

Chavez, 29, will make $1.8 million in 2008 and $2.05 million in 2009. 

Last season Endy batted .287 with one homer and 27 RBIs in 150 at-bats.  He batted .306 with four homers and 42 RBIs in 2006 and grabbed a place in history with "The Catch" in the 2006 NLCS. 

I'm glad to see Chavez coming back for 2008 and 2009, after being limited to only 71 games last season.  He will always play an important part on the Mets and he will definitely be needed as long as the oft-injured Moises Alou remains in left field. 

Posted by Tommy V at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chris Carlin and Kim Jones of WFAN had Willie Randolph on as a guest yesterday, and he had a lot to say about a lot of things. After spending a good deal of time talking about the New York Giants, the conversation eventually moved on to the Mets. I transcribed it for you and will post it in two parts with the rest of the interview going up later today.

Attitude - People wanted me to get fired up and show them I was upset at the way things were going. They wanted me to pick up and throw the water cooler, and in fact I did only never in public. Every once in a while you get fired up and you want the guys to know that you are upset at the way things are going.

The Collapse - I still never got it out of my system. You have to learn to let it go a little bit, but for me it was during the quiet times when I am alone and think back to all those games in May or June, they just jump out at you and you end up wondering about all of the little things we should have done right. Sometimes I'm sitting on my couch and I have flashbacks about all those games we should have won.

The 2008 Season - Going into the new year I feel real good about things because I think we all learned a lot of things. I've been talking to all of the guys and I think they feel good too. Everyone that I've talked to can't wait to get back at it. They know that they wasted a golden opportunity and can't wait to redeem themselves. I've talked to most of the guys more this off-season than I have in the past because of the way the season ended. It was so sudden and such a shock that I had to check in with the younger guys to see where their heads were at.

Tom Glavine, Paul Lo Duca, Leadership - I think if Moises Alou stays healthy, and I know that's a big if, he could be one of those guys. Last year he admitted that he never was really comfortable interjecting. I told him that most of these guys respect what he has done in his career and really look up to him, and he should not be afraid to voice his opinions. I am a firm believer that people don't have to lead the way they (Glavine, Lo Duca) did. As long as you're on the field everyday and producing, people will look up to you and listen to what you have to say. Paulie did his own thing and he was fiery and emotional, and of course Tommy was the guy who would speak up at our meetings and they both contributed that way, but sometimes that kind of leadership is a little overrated. This year the Mets will get most of their leadership from the coaching staff and their manager.

Moises Alou - He is very important because he's the kind of guy that will lead by example. He loves to be in a big spot and his confidence exudes when he is on the field and I think that can become contagious for us. He is going to play a lot, but not every day as I expect some other guys to pick him up for about 60 games or so, because my key for him is to keep him healthy.

*** I really love Willie... he is an eternal optimist and the Mets will need that optimisim more than ever in 2008. As a manager I thought he regressed some last season and I questioned many of his head-scratching decisions. However, managers are like players and you need to let them mature and grow. Willie is the perfect manager for this team right now. That being said, I believe he will be on the hot-seat this season and will need a great start before he can move past that kind of talk. His immediate future is certainly tied to the teams performance in 2008.

In the second part of his interview, Willie discusses Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, Carlos Delgado and Johan Santana. 

Posted by Joe D. at 09:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

After the disappointing end to the 2007 season, many Mets fans were forced to start thinking of the 2008 season even before the calendar changed. Morale is a big concern of mine.

As a player, I would be thinking, hey, there were no major moves to change the make-up of this team, which means that we have to do so much more with what we already have. And any changes we did make, involve a lot of “getting to know you,” as in the case with Brian Schneider and the pitching staff. Is it possible that not seeing any major moves could bring down the morale of this team?

There are two things the Mets must do right off the bat (no punt intended) to increase morale. They must have a healthy and successful Spring Training, with no injuries and a winning pre-season record, and they must start the regular season on a positive note, winning Opening Day and at least seven of their first ten games. This will build confidence and character, and reinforce the fundamentals needed to win.

This year, I want to see a tougher Willie Randolph. No more excuses, no more accepting mediocrity. I know it’s not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. But let’s face it - for the Mets and Mets fans alike, it is whether you win or lose. We can accept losing a game, but not a season.

Posted by MetsWrighter at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Finding something to blog about every day in the off season is not as easy as it may sound. That's why every now and then you have to put up with my mindless ramblings and senseless outpourings...

Today is one of those days as I decided to look at each National League team's top two pitchers, and see where they ranked against each other. I didn't think the Mets would rank anywhere in the top, but I never thought they would rank as low as they did. I had to take a few things into consideration as I compiled my list and they included injury, age, experience, inexperience, upside and decline.

Here's what I came up with...

1. San Diego: J. Peavy - C. Young - Easily the best 1-2 punch in the National League...

2. Atlanta: J. Smoltz - T. Hudson - Smoltz is still the guy you want in a big game...

3. Arizona: B. Webb - D. Haren - Could easily be the best by the All Star Break...

4. Philadelphia: C. Hamels - B. Myers - Hamels has stuff that makes scouts drool...

5. Houston: R. Oswalt - W. Rodriguez - Oswalt has enough bravado for both of them...

6. Los Angeles: B. Penny - D. Lowe - Two competitors who can pitch a gem on any given day...

7. Chicago: C. Zambrano - T. Lily - A couple of nut jobs, but oh can they pitch... 

8. St. Louis: A. Wainright - B. Looper - Who knew Looper was starting pitcher material...

9. San Francisco: B. Zito - N. Lowry - With some run support both would have won 17 games... 

10. New York: P. Martinez - J. Maine - Can Maine improve, will Pedro make 30 starts?

11. Milwaukee: B. Sheets - J. Suppan - Could have easily edged Mets out of top ten...

12. Colorado: J. Francis - A. Cook - I'm not buying it, let them do it again in 2008...

13. Cincinnati: A. Harang - B. Arroyo - They won't get too far with these two...

14. Pittsburgh: I. Snell - T. Gorzelanny - Lots of talent + zero run support = a long summer...

15. Florida: S. Mitre - S. Olsen - The Marlins can only go up from here...

16. Washington: J. Patterson - S. Hill - Make Mets 1-2 look like Cy Young and Walter Johnson...

I hope you enjoy...

Posted by Joe D. at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

Posted by MetsGal at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

After this season, not only will Pedro Martinez be a free agent, but Orlando Hernandez and Oliver Perez as well. It's no secret that Oliver Perez wants to play for San Diego so he can be closer to home. On Friday, the Mets exchanged arbitration figures with Perez and the two parties were $2 million dollars apart. That's a huge chasm even in today's inflated market.

While the Mets have unsuccessfully scrambled to add a top of the rotation starter all off season long, their bigger problem really emerges next off season.

When you consider that neither Phil Humber or Mike Pelfrey are projected to be no better than number 3 or 4 starters, you have to wonder how the Mets allowed themselves to get into this precarious position.

As of today, here is a glimpse of what the Mets rotation would like in 2009 when we open Citi Field...

1. John Maine
2. Mike Pelfrey
3. Phil Humber
4. (fill in the blank)
5. (fill in the blank)

Here are the leading pitchers who MIGHT be available next off season...

1. Mike Mussina
2. Andy Pettitte
3. C.C. Sabathia
4. Ben Sheets
5. Derek Lowe
6. Mark Mulder

It makes you wonder how their hasn't been an even greater urgency to secure a talent like Johan Santana or Erik Bedard, especially when you consider their is no help on the farm.

If Oliver Perez, who has Scott Boras as his agent, has his mind set on playing on the West Coast, not signing a top of the rotation starter this off season will haunt the organization for years and years to come.

Top of the rotation starters hardly ever make it to free agency. They usually become available when a team can no longer afford to pay them, or are in decline and have huge contracts. Sometimes you have a very rare occurrence when a true ace becomes available who is younger than 30 years old and left handed. It's times like these when a team should pounce.

If Omar thinks things are tough now, wait until next year...

Posted by Joe D. at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)

Posted by Christian (MetsMan) at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

According to Mets.com, the Mets have avoided arbitration with Aaron Heilman by signing the relief pitcher to a one-year contract worth $1.2 million. 

Heilman, a first round pick in 2001, went 7-7 with a 3.03 ERA and one save in 81 relief appearances last season, when he made $453,000. 

In related news, the Mets exchanged figures with five other players.

Here is the breakdown:

Oliver Perez asked for $6.5 million, the Mets offered $4,725,000.

Jorge Sosa requested $2.75 million and the Mets countered at $1.7 million.

Pedro Feliciano is seeking $1.2 million, with the club proposing $880,000.

Endy Chavez wants $2,075,000, while New York offered $1,725,000.

Ryan Church asked for $2.45 million and the team submitted $1.75 million.

UPDATE : The Mets and Jose Valentin finalized a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training,

"Jose is progressing well from his surgery and already is rehabbing for his return," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said in a statement. "We hope he can bounce back and help us in a variety of ways."

Posted by Tommy V at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Happy Friday everybody! I hope everyone has had a productive and exciting week! Forgive my excitement folks, being a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting makes me do it.  I’m almost as jumpy as Robin Williams after 12 lattes, thinking about it. The fresh air, green grass, sound of bats cracking and leather popping, the taste of $6.00 Hot Dogs and knishes and sweltering heat all bring back the days of my youth. Not a moment too soon either... The start of Spring Training brings with it a sense of newness, even more so to the baseball fan. Winter quickly becomes stagnant when baseball is your passion.

Has anyone else noticed how defeated and sad Bud Selig and Donald Fehr looked before that congressional committee? I just wish they would have done something when they were aware of the problem instead of lining their pockets and THEN vilifying the ones who used. Really the only satisfaction I get out of the whole mess is seeing Roger Clemens squirm and suggesting the 2000 World Series Championship Trophy should have a huge asterisk on it…

Congratulations to Mr. Met for being named # 3 in the "Worlds Most Popular Mascot" survey, as seen on ESPN yesterday morning.  He should have been number one, but the Philly Phanatic was obviously using that weird snout of his to “green nose” his way to the top. I believe those weird cannibalistic bratwurst things were in the top ten too. In case you aren’t familiar, check out this old SportsCenter commercial. 

Being away from NY has shown me how unappreciative of its’ winter weather people in Alabama are. I woke up to a nurse screaming that it was sleeting outside only to find that the roads were wet. Apparently this sort of thing closes schools and causes a milk and bread shortage, as well as wide spread panic. “If they only knew..” , is all I can say to that. I look forward to coming home to REAL pizza, thick subs and most of all my beloved Mets.

Looks like the roster is pretty much set for this year too.  I think Omar has pulled out all of the stops to try and land a front line starter. It isn’t his fault the Twins and Orioles wanted to pillage the farm system. Who knows? Things can certainly change in a month. Somebody could cave, but it’s unlikely in my estimation. Until then I think I might grab a long winter’s nap! Have a great day everyone!

Posted by Adam Baker at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

According to the NY Post, the Mets are close to signing second basemen Jose Valentin to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Valentin, 38, was held to only 51 games last season after breaking his right shin on June 21.  He began the season as the Mets starting second basemen and batted .241 with 3 home runs in only 166 at-bats. 

After starting the 2006 season as a bench player, Valentin worked his way into the starting lineup and batted .271 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs.

Valentin, who is currently rehabbing his ACL, won't be able to start baseball activities until mid- March.  If he makes it back to the majors he will be earn $1 million.

I was a big fan of Valentin for what he did for the Mets in 2006.  I just wonder if there is a spot for him with Luis Castillo, Damion Easley, Ruben Gotay, and Anderson Hernandez all being second base options for the 2008 Mets.   

Posted by Tommy V at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

It's been a long time, but I've been trying to calm myself down. You see I know how this book ends already.

If you turn to the very last page of the proverbial book, you'll see the words "Johan Santana traded to the Yankees." A Met fan knows when a top player isn't coming to the team. It's a gut feeling, and I'd bet on Livan Hernandez or Kyle Lohse pitching for the Mets over Johan, Bedard, or Goose Gossage. This has been arguably the worst off-season the Mets have ever had. Don't believe me? Let's break this winter of discontent down:

Mets blow first place and miss the playoffs.
Mets resign Alou.
Mets treat Lo Duca like Brett Saberhagen after fireworks.
Mets trade Lastings Milledge for two players that couldn't net a mediocre prospect from a different team.
Mets raise tickets by 20 percent.
Mets trade Reyes? No, but we had to deal with those stupid rumors. We still do.
Mets, we learn, hyped up Pelfrey, Humber and their entire farm system.
Mets toy with fans by entering Santana sweepstakes.

Look, the bottom line is the Mets will get somebody to pitch whether it's Livan or another schlub They won't get an ace, and let's be honest, they don't need to in their eyes.

They're getting so much revenue from inflated ticket prices, SportsNet, and Citi Field, that it doesn't matter if it's a super winning product on the field. I wish the team would go out of Shea with a blaze of glory, but I'm so pessimistic of that. I know what's going to happen next - and I don't like it.

The late 1990s Mets turned into the early 1990s Mets pretty quickly - and to think, Frank Cashen had nothing to do with it.

Posted by Jon Chattman at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

Here's the the final part of the interview I did with Steve Popper of the Bergen Record. 

JD - Should the Mets get off to a slow start in 2008, and find themselves hovering around .500 and in third place at the All Star Break, should either Willie Randolph or Omar Minaya be worried about their job security?

SP: I think Willie Randolph might want to worry this time around if he starts 0-1. Clearly, he was dangling at the end of this season and the pressure is on him now. While some people think now that Minaya and Randolph are tied together, I disagree. I think that Randolph is on the hot seat, whether it's deserved or not. And I think if things don't go right, he could be gone quickly. He hasn't made many friends in the organization during his time here. But, he also guided the best team in the National League through the 2006 season before Beltran looked at that third strike in Game 7 of the NLCS and then was 7 games up with 17 to play last year. So he's done something right.

JD - I've never seen a team make so much out of their first base coaching position as the Mets have this decade. Now that Tom Nieto has earned the job, at least for the time being, are we supposed to consider this an upgrade or get as excited as Omar and Willie seem to be about this change? Am I missing something, or is there more to this position than meets the eye?

SP: No, you're not missing a thing. The main job of a first base coach is to pat a player on the butt, take his elbow pad and then point him toward second base. Well, maybe it's not that simple, but if Rickey Henderson could do it last season, I think it's not brain surgery either. Nieto is well-respected in the Mets' clubhouse and will do just fine there.

JD - Who will cover first base should Carlos Delgado not be ready to start the season, or if he has another extended stay on the disabled list? I thought Shawn Green did a fine job covering for the Mets last season, but as  I glance at the Mets roster now, all I see is Mike Carp in the minors who doesn't seem to be ready yet, and then you have reserve players Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley who have played less than 15 games combined at first base in the last two years. What are your thoughts?

SP: Maybe this should be a bigger concern than the fifth starter spot. Delgado insists he'll be ready and 100 percent healthy after rehabbing the broken hand. But will he be better than last year? He'd better be or the Mets are in trouble.

Shawn Green actually was a very good alternative last year, hitting better than Delgado much of the year and despite having not played there in years, was a better fielder, too. I think for now the thought will be to rely on veterans like Anderson and Easley.

Some baseball officials think that Fernando Martinez may eventually wind up at first base, but he's still a little bit away from the major leagues.

One last question for you...

JD - Where do the Mets currently rank in the NL East and do you believe they have enough talent and depth to win the division? 

SP: Despite all the criticism, I think that the Mets are still the class of the NL East. I think that the Braves are going to take a step backwards. Losing Renteria and Andruw Jones will be a huge blow to their lineup and even though I think that Jones was slipping, he still was among the best defensive centerfielders in the game. There are questions in the starting rotation and the bullpen.

As for the Phillies, let's remember a few things. The Mets were coasting most of the year before that September collapse and give the Phillies credit - they took advantage by winning almost every day. But I think that the move of Myers to the starting rotation takes him from the role that he seemed to flourish in. And if Brad Lidge had troubles handling the mental toll in Houston, wait until he gets a load of facing the Phillies fans while pitching in that launching pad.

I think the Mets have some holes to fill - they need to either pull the trigger on a deal or get a growing-up performance from Pelfrey and Delgado better be back to normal -- but I still think that they should be the favorite going in. Last year the Mets predicted internally that it would be a fight to the finish and they were right. I think you can expect the same this season - a close race with Philadelphia - and I think that the Mets might have them by a nose right now.

Thanks again for taking some time out of your day to answer a few questions for Mets Merized Online.

You can check out more from Steve Popper everyday at his blog Amazin' Stories!

Posted by Joe D. at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Yesterday, Steve Popper of the Bergen Record was nice enough to answer a few questions for us. Steve covers the New York Mets for the Record and also has a great blog, Amazin' Stories which I love to check out each day. Okay, here goes...

JD - Before I throw some Mets related questions at you, I've noticed that you have been keeping a watchful eye on the latest round of steroids hearings on your blog. It seems like most of the players, coaches, agents, and executives could learn a great deal from your 7-year old son, Colin who said, "Don't they know that getting bigger and stronger doesn't make you a good player? The only way to get better is to practice."

My question is this, why isn't there more pressure put on baseball to follow an anti-doping policy like they use in the Olympics where they hold blood and urine samples indefinitely even to be tested at later times when better drug tests are discovered, especially for stimulants and HGH? Even their strict punishments are handed down swiftly and without prejudice. Despite the showmanship of late, I still have the feeling that Major League baseball still doesn't get it.

SP: Despite what my seven-year-old son thinks, I'm still not certain what I think about the steroid issue - and I'm not sure baseball does either. I think that the primary concern of Major League Baseball right now is shielding itself from what might come next. There are still investigations going on now and with each player that comes forward and confesses, the investigators find themselves another willing witness. This could get much bigger and uglier because everything we hear is that the numbers that came out in the Mitchell Report are just the tip of the iceberg.

I think one thing that came out of the Mitchell Report was the revelation that pitchers are just as prone to juice as batters. So a part of me thinks, 'The hitters juiced. The pitchers juiced. The parks are small. The ball is juiced. Let's just move on.' The dangers of steroids are there and that is another issue, but I have a hard time getting worked up on the effects of steroids on the game. And as far as the kids, like Charles Barkley once said, to paraphrase, raise your own children and don't rely on athletes to set the example.

Okay on to some Mets questions...

JD - I guess you could say that the Mets' most significant move this off-season so far, was the trade of Lastings Milledge to the Nationals for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. What was your take on this trade and do you think it helped the Mets in the long and short term?

SP: I think sometimes I'm the only one that feels this way, but I am not a believer in this deal at all. I know that in the Mets' organization there is a confidence that they got two solid pieces who are ready to help right now.

But I'm not so sure about that and I have bigger problems with the deal. First, I think it's because I believe that Milledge is drastically undervalued in the deal. Look, we never know exactly what deals could be made until both sides agree, but Milledge was discussed in deals for Manny Ramirez a few years back, Roy Oswalt two years ago and Barry Zito last year. I think the Mets were ready to pull the trigger on Oswalt, but on the whole, they protected Milledge.

Now, they get a catcher who some people who scout him tell me has drastically declined defensively and offers nothing at the plate. In Church, they get a guy who had a solid season last year, but it took him a long time to get there.

Where might Lastings Milledge be when he's Church's age? I think we're going to find out because he's going to get a chance in Wash