Mets Merized Online

The New York Mets have confirmed that they reached an agreement with right-hander Kiko Calero on a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. The Mets announced the move in a statement this afternoon.

The 35-year-old Calero pitched for the Florida Marlins last season, going 2-2 with a 1.95 ERA in 67 relief appearances. He allowed 36 hits with 30 walks and 69 strikeouts in 60 innings, leading the Marlins’ bullpen in ERA.

Calero is 14-12 with seven saves and a 3.24 ERA in 313 career games. In 302 2/3 innings, he has surrendered 236 hits with 126 walks and 324 strikeouts.

According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post, Calero is guaranteed $850,000 if he makes the team, and can earn an additional $650,000 in performance incentives.

Anyway you cut it, this is a solid pickup for the Mets. There is no doubt he will be in the bullpen and be a solid late innings reliver as long as his shoulder holds up.

According to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News, Angel Pagan and the Mets avoided arbitration and have agreed to a one year contract that will pay the center fielder $1.45 million.

Pagan had originally requested $1.8 million whereas the team filed for $1.275 million. Therefore, they are paying him a little bit under the arbitrary midpoint.

Last season, Angel had a fine season despite suffering an injury that sidelined him for a couple of weeks. In 88 games, the 28 year old hit .306 and six home runs along with eleven triples.

In other news ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick is reporting that the team is close to an agreement with Mike Jacobs. The deal would be a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Back in October I had suggested that the Mets pursue Jacobs this off-season to platoon with Daniel Murphy at first base. He may not be ideal, but he did hit 32 home runs in 2008 and 19 in 2009, which is more than any member of last year’s team hit.

Unfortunately, he is horrendous against left-handed pitching. Nonetheless I am intrigued to see how he will perform this spring and whether or not he will make the team.

The Mets have re-signed free-agent Val Pascucci to a minor-league contract, according to Baseball America.

The 31–year-old Pascucci, hit .248 with a .348 OBP, 19 HR, 25 doubles and 77 RBI in 126 games for Triple-A Portland and Albuquerque.

In 2008, “Scooch” played for the Mets ‘Triple-A club and hit .290 with 27 HRs, 81 RBIs while in New Orleans.

He can play both first base and in the outfield, but does neither particularly well.

He is just seven home runs shy of 200 as a minor leaguer, and should help fill some seats while playing in Buffalo.

The Mets have signed veteran utilityman Frank Catalanotto to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

The 35-year-old Catalanotto hit .278 with a homer and nine RBIs in 77 games last season for the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s a career .292 hitter over 13 big league seasons that included stops in Detroit, Texas and Toronto.

Catalanotto has played first, second and third base, as well as both corner outfield spots during his career. That versatility could come in handy for a Mets club that was decimated by injuries last season.

Catalanotto, a left-handed hitter, is still very effective against RHP and has a career line of .297/.361/.458 against them.

He could prove to be more useful than Jeremy Reed or Argenis Reyes last season.

The Mets have signed 33 year old relief pitcher Josh Fogg to a minor league deal, according to Troy Renck of  Denver Post.

Fogg had a 3.74 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 45.6 relief innings for the Rockies last season.

He also spent some time as a starter in the minors where he had a 5.80 ERA and 16/17 K/BB ratio in eight starts for AAA-Colorado Springs.

He’ll most likely compete for the fifth starters spot or bullpen job in the spring. That can’t be good.

He has been terrible as a starter and yet he chose the Mets because they told him he could compete for a rotation spot.

“The Mets’ rotation is pretty much up in the air, so it’s a good spot to compete for a job.”

His nickname is the “Dragon Slayer”.

I’m not sure if this ends the Mets pursuit of John Smoltz.

Update 4:55 PM – According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, Fernando Tatis is in fact re-signing with the Mets.

“Fernando Tatis will be rejoining the Mets, so Carlos Delgado will have to sign elsewhere. Scouts see him only as a DH.”

This isn’t as bad as some may think. Tatis hit .282 in 340 at bats for the Mets last season, with eight HR and 21 doubles. The 13 double plays was a fluke. 

Tatis could be a good compliment to Daniel Murphy at first base, and between the two of them we might get a season that looks like: .278 – 20 HR – 85 RBI – 80 RS 

That’s not so bad, and if we get the power upgrade from Bay in leftfield and a return to form by Wright, we still have a very productive lineup.

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According to Mike Puma of the NY Post, the Mets are close to re-signing utility player Fernando Tatis.

Omar Minaya is deep into negotiations with Fernando Tatis for a return engagement, and could have a deal complete within a matter of days, according to a baseball source. That development would seem to eliminate the possibility of Carlos Delgado returning to the Mets next season, because Tatis has been told by Minaya that he is wanted as part of a first-base platoon with Murphy.

Tatis made $1.7 million last season and I’m curious if the Mets are going to overpay him more. I guess we’ll see.

So basically, Alex Cora, Omir Santos, Angel Pagan and Fernando Tatis will once again man the bench in 2010.

What’s that saying? Oh yes, I got it. If you keep doing the same things, you’ll keep getting the same results.

Tatis batted .282 with eight homers and 48 RBIs last season, and led the team by hitting into 13 double plays.

This pretty much locks in Murphy/Tatis as our first base tandem this season.

The Mets tied some loose ends yesterday by agreeing to one-year deals with arbitration eligibles Jeff Francoeur, Pedro Feliciano and Sean Green.

Francoeur will get $5 million dollars which is far less than some of the outrageous figures being tossed around this off season by his antagonists. Frenchy had a solid debut with the Mets despite playing the final six weeks with torn ligaments in his thumb. The just turned 26-year old, has already amassed 251 extra-base hits and 400 RBIs in his career and should be entering his peak years.

Pedro Feliciano will earn $2.9 million dollars which is on par with other relievers of his caliber. Feliciano has been a workhorse for the Mets and has logged the most appearances in the game over the last three seasons. He is a lethal weapon against left handed hitters and as consistent as they come.

Sean Green gets $975,000 which is kind of a head scratcher to me. I don’t begrudge the guy his money, but it seems a high price to pay for a below average reliever who they could have non-tendered and re-signed for much less.

The only player that the Mets have remaining in arbitration is outfielder Angel Pagan who is asking for $1.8 million dollars. The Mets are only offering $1,275,000, but when you consider the fact they paid utility infielder Alex Cora $2 million dollars, you have to wonder why the Mets would even haggle with Pagan.

Also, considering that Pagan will be the Mets Opening Day centerfielder and will have to be counted on heavily this season, why risk having a disgruntled player? The video clip explains how I feel about the situation…

Anthony DiComo of Mets.com, is reporting that the Mets have agreed to a new contract with John Maine tonight, thus avoiding arbitration with the right-hander.

According to the Associated Press the deal is worth $3.3 million guaranteed and Maine can earn an additional $225,000 in performance bonuses based on games started.

Maine, 28, went 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA last season, spending much of it on the disabled list after offseason surgery to remove a bone spur from his right shoulder. He enters the 2010 season as the club’s No. 3 starter.

At a recent charity event, Maine told reporters that he is feeling great and that his shoulder is doing fine.

“Last year was just unfortunate. Hopefully, it was an oddity. I feel fine. I’ve never been hurt other than what’s happened recently. I’m just doing what I do normally and a little more rehab. I feel fine. I’ll be ready, and that’s the bottom line.”

A return to form by John Maine would provide a huge boost to a Mets rotation that is still struggling to find a number two starter to pair with Johan Santana.

I’m expecting a solid season from Maine in 2010. Aside from Johan, Maine is the only current member of the rotation I have any confidence in.

On a side note, Pedro Feliciano, Jeff Francoeur, Sean Green and Angel Pagan all filed for arbitration today and remain without contracts for next season. They will exchange figures with the Mets on Tuesday and will have hearings scheduled in February.

According to Yahoo! Sports Troy Glaus and the Atlanta Braves have both agreed to a $1.75 million, one year contract Tuesday that will allow Glaus to earn an additional $2.25 million in roster bonuses and performance.

After missing most of the 2009 season with the St. Louis Cardinals following right shoulder surgery, Glaus says that he is now ready to return to the field and move from third base to first for Atlanta.

“I have no concerns about being able to go out there and play, I’ve been able to get myself this winter in the quality of shape I wasn’t able to the winter before. I foresee continuing on where I left off.”

Glaus is a four-time All-Star and the 2002 World Series MVP with the Anaheim Angels. The soon to be 34-year-old Glaus has played third base for most of his career. He said he placed a higher priority on signing with a competitive team than finding one that would keep him at third base.

“I think this affords me an opportunity to play on a team I think is very, very close to going back to the playoffs.” “I’ve been a fan of the organization for a long, long time.”

Glaus hit 27 homers with 99 RBIs for St. Louis in 2008 and had 30 or more homers in five of seven seasons from 2000 to 2006 with the Angels, Arizona and Toronto. He currently has 304 career homers.

The Braves are very eager to see Glaus provide at the plate in which he will add much needed power behind third baseman Chipper Jones and catcher Brian McCann. Last year the Atlanta Braves ranked 22nd in the major leagues with 149 homeruns.

Glaus has played at least 149 games in a season seven times in his career and in those seven seasons he averaged 36 homers, 100 RBIs and 94 runs.

With the Braves, Glaus is expected to replace first baseman Adam La Roche who became a free agent this off-season.

The Braves might view Glaus as a short term answer at first base while another talked about prospect, Freddie Freeman, progresses through the minor leagues.

The Atlanta Braves are really turning into a team that you can count on seeing in the post season. With the signing of Melky Cabrera earlier in the off-season, the Braves outfield is definitely up there.

General manager Frank Wren said that he doesn’t expect any more major moves this off season, which is good for the Mets because it looks like the Braves are snagging semi key free agents. I wouldn’t say that Troy Glaus is the answer to the Braves woes, but it could shape them as a powerful defensive and offensive team for the 2010 season.