Jose Bautista and Matt Kemp Win Hank Aaron Award.

Both Kemp and Bautista were honored this past week with the Hank Aaron Award. This award was first given to players in 1999 to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of Aaron breaking Ruth’s career home run mark and is intended for the player in each league with the most impressive offensive performance. The MLB-sanctioned award is voted on by the fans and select Hall of Famers. Bautista was awarded with this honor for the second year in a row. He had an impressive year with a career-best .302 average, 43 home runs, and 103 RBI. He is the first American Leaguer since Babe Ruth in 1930 to hit 40 home runs, walk 130 times, and steal nine bags. Matt Kemp had a career year for the Dodgers, hitting .324 with 39 home runs, and 126 RBI. Kemp competed for the Triple Crown, finishing third in the batting race, and leading the league in home runs, RBI, runs scored, and total bases. He also finished in the top-ten in seven other offensive categories.

Oswalt and Lidge Get 2012 Options Declined By Philadelphia.

The two former teammates for the Houston Astros both had their 2012 options declined by the Philadelphia Phillies, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has stated that the organization will think about resigning both of the pitchers. Instead of paying a combined $28.5 million for their services next season, the front office spent $3.5 million total on their buyout clauses. Since being acquired from the Astros on July 29, 2010, Oswalt has racked up 16 wins and a 2.96 ERA with the Phillies, but he had an uneven year at best, going 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA in 23 starts. Lidge has been struggling since he was perfect during Philadelphia’s run to the 2008 World Series, going 0-2 with one save and a 1.40 ERA in only 25 appearances this year. I will be interested to see what Philly does with these two players as they try and bounce back from their early exit in the playoffs this year. For Mets fans, there has been a nice trend since the Phillies have taken ownership of the NL East; as the organization spends more money, their exit in the playoffs become sooner and sooner. So, we’ll see what happens in 2012.

Scott Boras Makes the Yankees Sweat.

Already with GM Brian Cashman and the Yankees wanting to make sure that they will be able to keep CC Sabathia as the ace of their rotation for years to come, they had to deal with Scott Boras making “jokes” about getting a contract extension for 2^nd baseman Robinson Cano. By far the best hitter in the New York line-up, Cano has two options left in his contract, next year’s for $14 million and a $15 million option in 2013. With Boras trying to see if New York would be willing to drop the options in favor of an extension, it just proves once again that he is greedy and why MLB organizations hate dealing with him every off-season. Brian Cashman is making the smart move right now to keep Cano’s contract the way it is because he’s starting to see that handing out big money and a lot of years doesn’t pay off in the end (i.e. Alex Rodriguez).

Cardinals Come Back From 3-2 Series Deficit To Win 11^th Title.

Well, the team of destiny now has their championship. Going back to St. Louis down 3-2 to the Rangers, the Cardinals stared adversity right in the eyes and won their 11^th World Championship, second in the last five years. After one of the most exciting games ever played in Game 6, the first Game 7 since 2002 was back and forth for the first half, but Chris Carpenter gave a gutsy performance on three days’ rest and St. Louis pulled away to celebrate their championship at home. The series clincher was the most watched MLB game since the Red Sox ended their curse against the Cardinals in 2004. St. Louis 3^rd baseman David Freese received MVP honors, hitting .348, with one home run, seven RBI, and some of the biggest hits in World Series history. Congratulations to the Cardinals, and bring on the Hot Stove!

Free Agent Frenzy To Commence.

Now that the World Series has come to a close and the offseason is officially upon us, the frenzy to sign free agents for 2012 and beyond will soon begin. Some analysts have said that the market is thin this year in certain positions, but it doesn’t lack big names; with names like CJ Wilson, Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Francisco Rodriguez, Joe Nathan, Jose Reyes, maybe CC Sabathia, and others, it proves to be an interesting winter. Here’s to hoping that it goes quickly and Valentine’s Day comes so pitchers and catchers can report!

You may have noticed our stream of daily hot stove updates have subsided despite the ongoing rumors, mutterings, and what ever else you want to call it at this point. It feels like noise now. It doesn’t even make sense anymore.

Four days ago it was reported that Hisanori Takahashi rejected the Mets offer and that he was going to the west coast. Today the Mets are the frontrunner. I guess that Sunday’s earthquake scared him back east. Both reports came from Japan news outlets which proves that conflicting reports is not exclusive to Fox Sports, ESPN and SI.com.

The Mets have been interested in (and not interested in) Chris Snyder for three months now. Jarrod Washburn has been on the table and off the table so many times he has splinters on his ass. Presently, the latest news is that the Mets are not enthused, but that can change in the next 30 minutes so stay tuned.

Yesterday I posted my interview with Bryan Hoch and I was struck by something he said when asked about his job as a reporter for MLB.com and Twitter.

The only caveat I have about Twitter is that there seems to be such an emphasis on being first with breaking news, you get a lot of erroneous reports as accuracy suffers. Maybe you’re tweeting a one-source item instead of the multiple confirmations you’d need to publish a full article. But that information is attributed to your name, and to me, tweeting something is the same as reporting it. I’d rather be second and correct than first and wrong. 

Wow, what a concept. Imagine how much greater the Hot Stove season would be if all the journalists and reporters followed that rule of thumb. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rumor mill as much as the next baseball fan, but it definitely needs some revamping. Twitter makes it too easy to just throw something out there that you normally wouldn’t go to press with.

Lately, I read some of the latest Mets rumors and I just can’t bring myself to posting all of them. I read all the tips we get each day in our chat room, and I appreciate the fact that so many of our readers post them. In fact I think it’s freaking awesome. Sach, 224, Bayonne, Maniac, Benji, Brooklyn and all the other regulars, you all rock! Me or my co-writers may not always go to press with everything, but we appreciate your contributions to our MMO community.

I think the fun in blogging comes from analyzing and commenting on Mets news rather than reporting it. We’ll always give you all the Mets moves, trades and signings, but we usually take a pass on reporting many of the rumors you see out there. There’s two great sites that have the rumor mill fully covered in MetsBlog and MLBTR if you want the total experience. 

Where the Mets are concerned, I think it’s time for us to unload all those big sacks of rocks we’re still carrying. It’s time to drop those heavy loads of disappointment, resentment and cynicism. Don’t worry about the possibility of the Mets front office getting a free pass, the media and some sports blogs will never allow that to happen. But with spring training reporting day only a week away, let’s get pumped up for the players… all of them.

I bet Johan Santana, David Wright and Jose Reyes are as disappointed as we are that the Mets failed to upgrade the rotation, but regardless they will put on a happy face and go out and bust their tails for us. They deserve a fan base that will embrace all of them. How can we expect them to play like a team when the fans are openly railing against them even before the season starts?

I remember when Scott Schoeneweis was booed when he took the mound in relief on Opening Day in 2008. It was embarrassing to say the least, but Mets fans saved their worst for Aaron Heilman who came out to a hail of boos and jeers with the Mets up 7-2 in the ninth. He pitched a perfect ninth and struck out two batters. It was sad to see an opening day win ruined by that eight and ninth inning.

Lets not have that happen again. Lets stand behind out team. That’s different than standing behind ownership and management, I would never suggest that. In the next eight weeks, about 50 players will begin to compete for 25 roster spots. Lets watch what happens and let the the best performers win those still to be determined roster spots.

Forget all the players we could have had. It is what it is. If by chance we get a new catcher or starter or second baseman between now and opening day, great. If not, that’s okay too.

The Hot Stove season is thankfully coming to an end. Lets not carry all that excess baggage to Port St. Lucie. Instead, lets just play some baseball and lets see what happens. If there’s one fan base that is an authority on miracles, it’s ours. Lets not forget that.

Pineiro reportedly received a much similar offer from the Washington Nationals earlier this off-season, but he may be leaning toward signing with a contender like the Mets.

Last year the 31 year old right hander was 15-12 with an ERA of 3.49 in 32 starts. Pineiro also has a ground ball rate of 60.2% which led the major leagues.

I really hope Omar is looking closely at Pineiro, especially his ground ball rate which will only help him at Citi Field. The Mets could really use another arm in the starting rotation and there are few healthy options left out there.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are also engaged with Pineiro, but it is not known what the length of contract is being discussed.

We shall see where this latest development will takes us.

The 32 year old Baez missed all of the 2008 season due to tightness in the elbow which required Tommy John surgery, yet he returned in 2009 and went 4-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 59 appearances last season with the Baltimore Orioles. Baez has 114 career saves including a career-high 41 saves for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2005.

The Phillies have been desperate for bullpen help ever since the 2009 season came to an end. With both Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero recovering from elbow surgeries, Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said there is a chance that the two pitchers might not be able to start the season.

Baez’s arrival means that skipper Charlie Manuel has another ninth inning option just in case Lidge isn’t ready. His arrival also means that free agent right hander Chan Ho Park will not be back next season. If everybody remains healthy to kick off the 2010 season, the bullpen would include Lidge, Madson, Romero, Baez and Durbin with two other pitching jobs open.

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For the second straight off-season the Cubs have signed another outfielder from the Texas Rangers this time free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd for three years and $15 million. Byrd will be paid $3 million in 2010, $5.5 million in 2011 and $6.5 million in 2012 in a backloaded deal.

Last season with the Rangers Byrd, 32, batted .283 and set personal highs with 20 homers and 89 RBIs.

Kosuke Fukudome had switched from right to center to make room for Milton Bradley, but he will now return to right field since Bradley has been traded to the Seattle Mariners after a chaotic year in Chicago, which ended with a 15-game suspension.

With the signing of Byrd the Cubs become very right handed, but Cubs management pointed out that in 2007 they won 97 games and the National League Central with the same set up.

This is an extremely positive move for the Cubs who have finally signed a free agent outfielder who will play the game it should be played, and bring drama-less talent as well. Look for the Cubs to be contenders this year.

The 33 year-old right hander has pitched for two teams throughout his big league career; first with the Toronto Blue Jays and most recently with the Los Angeles Angels.

During his career, Escobar has amassed a win/loss record of 101-91 and compiled an ERA of 4.15.

His best season came in 2007 when he made 30 starts and compiled a record of 18-7 and maintained an ERA of 3.40.

Strangely this deal is not a minor league contract, as was suggested a couple of days ago, instead it will be a major league one.

As Newsday’s Ken Davidoff points out, the fact that the Mets handed him a major league contract ” shows how enamored the Mets (and others) are by the guy’s arm, when healthy”.

Another interesting note to point out is that according to the NY Post’s Joel Sherman, the team intends to use Escobar as a setup man for Francisco Rodriguez.

This is rather confusing as mutliple reports suggested that newly signed, Ryota Igarashi, was to be the new eighth inning pitcher.

All in all, I really like this deal for the Mets and I think it is one of the few things Omar has done right this season, despite the fact that Escobar has only logged five innings since 2007.

Provided Minaya did not guarantee a ridiculous amount of money to the veteran pitcher, this signing could turn out to be a beneficial one for the team.

Lastly, Merry Christmas to everyone, who celebrates the holiday. For those who do not celebrate, take today as an opportunity to enjoy a good movie and perhaps some Chinese food.

UPDATE: According to the terms of the deal. Escobar will be used exclusively as reliever so as to preserve his arm strength. This was done at the request of Kelvim.

Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun are reporting that the Orioles have inked former Colorado Rockie, Garrett Atkins, to a one year deal.

Atkins, who was non-tendered by the Rockies last week, is coming off the worst full season performance of his big league career. He hit only .226 with 9 home runs and 48 RBIs with on OBP of .308.

These numbers are down significantly from the year prior where he hit to the tune of .286 to compliment 21 home runs and 99 RBIs and an OBP of .328..

However, with Atkins’s track record I think he would have been a solid pickup for the Mets to possibly platoon at first base.

For what it’s worth, Bill James predicts that he will rebound in 2010 and hit roughly .285 while slugging somewhere in the ball park of 15 home runs and 70 RBIs.

That was not Andy Macphail’s only acquisition of the day. He also signed free agent reliever, Mike Gonzalez, to a lucrative two year contract worth somewhere between $12 and $16 million.

Last year Gonzalez was rock solid, posting an ERA of 2.42 in 74.1 innings pitched. Additionally he struck out 90 batters, while only walking 33.

With such impressive numbers, Gonzalez projects to be the team’s closer heading into next year.

However, I’m not as high on this acquisition as I was about Atkins. While Gonzalez is lights out when healthy, his ability to stay healthy is questionable.

Although if Gonzalez can prove me wrong than the Os will have made two very significant, in my opinion, acquisitions that will help turn this club into a winning team.

On paper, it looks as if the Phillies improved themselves drastically by adding arguably the best American League pitcher of the past few years.  However, while I was focusing on the Phillies/Blue Jays part of the Halladay trade, my one-track, fourth-place mind failed to realize that to make this deal, the Phillies had to deal Cliff Lee to Seattle.  Lee is a younger lefty who not only had playoff experience (unlike Halladay) but excelled in the postseason (4-0, 1.56 ERA in the 2009 playoffs).  In addition to losing Lee, the Phillies also parted ways with Kyle Drabek, who was supposed to be a major part of their future.

I’m trying to envision the Phillies’ rotation for the 2010 season and I see Roy Halladay leading the staff, followed by the following pitchers:

Cole Hamels:  Hamels has question marks after last season’s inconsistent performance.  He has been overworked at a young age due to extended postseasons.

Joe Blanton:  Blanton gave up more hits than innings pitched last year and was one of only four pitchers who gave up at least 30 HR in 2009.  However, every other pitcher who gave up 30 HR made at least 33 starts.  Blanton only made 31.

J.A. Happ:  Happ is a good young pitcher, but faltered down the stretch and in the postseason.  After his last start in August, he made five more regular season starts.  In those starts, his ERA was 4.84, his WHIP was 1.66 and opposing batters hit .344 against him.  It got worse in the playoffs, where his ERA was 5.68 and his WHIP was an ungodly 2.21.  There are clearly some durability issues here.

Jamie Moyer:  The man is so old, he got misty eyed when the Phillies played the Yankees in the World Series because it brought back childhood memories of the 1950 Phils-Yanks World Series matchup.  His 2009 ERA was just south of 5.00 and his 25 starts were his fewest since 1996, when Todd Hundley was setting catcher home run records for the Mets.

The Phillies can also turn to Kyle Kendrick and Antonio Bastardo, who are ready to step in whenever Moyer needs to take a nap.

The Phillies’ rotation doesn’t look too different from the staff the Mets currently employ.  We have a bonafide #1 starter in Johan Santana, followed by Question Mark (Mike Pelfrey), Question Mark (John Maine) and Off The Mark (Oliver Perez).

The glaring difference between the Mets and the Phillies is very clear.  It’s all about each team’s offense. The Phillies slugged their way to the World Series by hitting a league-leading 224 home runs in 2009, including more home runs with men on base (96) than the Mets had home runs (95).

Fine, so the Mets didn’t get an ace pitcher who could complement Santana in the rotation.  But their rotation is still comparable to the Phillies’ starters, even more so if they can add Jason Marquis or Joel Piñeiro.  If they want to have a chance in the National League East, they’ll need to sign a big bat or two and hope for a return to form by the injured hitters.

Sadly, there may not be enough big bats left out there other than Matt Holliday and Jason Bay and both of them play the same position.  If Daniel Murphy leads the Mets in home runs again, it won’t matter what our pitching staff looks like. It’ll be another postseason where we root for certain teams to lose instead of rooting for the Mets to win.

Jeff Francoeur added that the offseason is not over and that the Mets “need three or four different pieces to make [the Mets] a playoff team.”

Recently the Mets have been linked to Jason Bay, Fernando Rodney, Ryota Igarashi, Matt Capps, and Yorvit Torrealba.

Speaking of Ryota Igarashi; the Mets are close to signing Japanese pitcher Ryota Igarashi to a two-year deal, according to David Waldstein of the New York Times. The 30-year-old righty attracted interest from a number of teams, including those buying crazy Boston Red Sox who are willing to offer him $2-3MM in total. But if Igarashi signs with the Mets he’ll have the chance to set up Francisco Rodriguez, now that J.J. Putz has signed with the White Sox.

Igarashi is a “slightly wild power reliever” who will throw 93-96 mph. He recovered from Tommy John surgery to take on a regular workload last season.

Also, the Blue Jays signed righty Lance Broadway to a minor league deal, tweets Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press.  Broadway had been non-tendered by the Mets on Saturday night.  The 26-year-old posted a 5.87 ERA, 5.3 K/9, and 4.4 BB/9 in 30.6 innings for the Mets and White Sox this year, plus 100.6 innings of 6.17 ball at the Triple A level. No update on the length or amount the contract was for.

Newly non-tendered corner infielder Garrett Atkins has offers from “at least three unidentified clubs,” reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.  Atkins’ agent, Jeff Blank, told Crasnick his client is open to first or third base. First base would be great for the Mets.

Crasnick speculates on the Orioles, Twins, Mariners, Giants, and Rangers as possible fits for Atkins. (No Mets?)  Talking to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, Blank admitted he spoke to the Orioles.  He said Atkins “is just looking for an opportunity to be a starter.” Mets will give him that opportunity.

What would be an appropriate offer for Atkins – perhaps $3-4MM a year?

The Mets offered a minor league deal to pitcher Kelvim Escobar, reports Efrain Zavarce for Venezuelan newspaper, El Nacional.

The Mets offer to catcher Benji Molina may be ending if the Mets don’t offer him a third year. The rumor is a 2-year, $12MM contract.

Mets have re-signed reliever Elmer Dessens to a one-year, minor-league contract.  Under the terms of the split deal, Dessens would earn $700K if makes New York’s 40-man roster, and $90K if he pitches in the minors.  He can earn an extra 30K if he makes 20 major league appearances, with an extra $30K then added for every additional 10 appearances.

Dessens, 38, signed with the Mets last February and compiled a 3.31 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 28 relief outings in 2009.  Re-signing in New York prevents Dessens from taking on yet another new address, as the veteran right-hander has pitched for nine teams in his 13-year big league career.

Yorvit Torrealba‘s pending grievance hearing against the Mets will take place Wednesday, writes Jon Heyman of SI.com.

In Jason Bay news: Red Sox told Jeremy Hermida they’d trade him if they re-signed Jason Bay.

In Phillies news: The Phillies have agreed to sign Ross Gload to a two-year deal, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. He leaves the Marlins behind and joins Ben Francisco, Brian Schneider, Greg Dobbs and Juan Castro on Philly’s bench. The 33-year-old led the league in pinch hits last year and can sub in at first and in left or right. He hit .261/.329/.400, appearing in over 100 games for the third straight season.

Also, the Cliff Lee-Roy Halladay trade is finalized.

In Red Sox news: After just signing John Lackey and former Met, Mike Cameron, the Red Sox now have flexibility to trade Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury.

In related news, the Mets have announced the signing of Jack Squat.  Squat hasn’t done much in the past and might go unnoticed in the Mets clubhouse, but that is due to the fact that no one ever knows he’s there.  Since he wasn’t a Type A or Type B free agent, the Mets pounced on Squat since they knew he would sign for next to nothing.

I have to joke about this because if I didn’t, I’d be crying.  The Mets are just twiddling their thumbs watching players they should have acquired not only sign with other teams, but get traded to teams that will have a great impact on where the Mets will finish in 2010 and beyond.

Not only are the top pitchers being signed and/or traded to other teams, but now the Mets might have to overpay for pitchers such as Jason Marquis and Joel Piñeiro so that they don’t sign with other teams.  I have nothing against either pitcher, but what if Santana gets hurt again like he did at the end of the 2009 season?  Neither Marquis nor Piñeiro is good enough to be the ace of a staff the way Halladay and Lackey were with the Blue Jays and Angels, respectively.

The 2010 Mets with a staff of Santana, Marquis/Piñeiro, Pelfrey, Maine and some $36 million pitcher looks a lot like the 2009 staff, meaning mediocre at best.  Of course, on the bright side, the Red Sox might not be able to afford Jason Bay now that Lackey will be getting a couple of bucks from them.  Unfortunately, Jason Bay can’t pitch and now that Halladay and Lackey appear to be off the radar, there is a dearth of ace-type starters for the Mets to consider.

The Citi Field press conference room is resembling a ghost town.

Let’s just put it this way.  The way the Mets have gone about this offseason, it looks like they’re taking the “let’s take our time and see how this all plays out” approach.  What might have worked in the past is not working this time around.  Omar Minaya can’t let other teams, especially his main rivals, scoop up player after player while he waits intently in the Citi Field press conference room for the player introduction that’s not going to happen.

While teams like the Phillies and Red Sox are giving their fans awesome stocking stuffers, Mets fans are just getting lumps of coal in their stockings.  At least we’ll be able to use that coal to heat up our stoves because it sure looks like the Mets’ hot stove isn’t using it.

Joel Sherman reported via Twitter that the Mets are one of several teams that are looking at Kelvim Escobar who might pitch in Venezuela later this month to prove he is healthy. Escobar had labrum surgery in August of 2008.

Jon Morosi tweeted that there are currently four unknown teams interested in Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit. Ventures a guess that it could be the Giants, Blue Jays and Mariners, but as long as we are venturing guesses would it be okay if I were to speculate, or better yet hope, that the Mets are one of those four teams?

Jerry Crasnick tweeted that Elmer Dessens could still re-sign with the Mets, though the pitcher has talked to the Dodgers and Padres.Apparently the Mets like Dessens because he could be a great influence on Oliver Perez and could help Ollie elevate his game. Wow, what a reach.

You may have heard that rising star Edwin Jackson of the Detroit Tigers, was a a New York Met for about one two minutes today as a comment overheard in the hotel lobby went viral. It wasn’t long until it was officially ruled dead and buried. Now it seems the Yankees could be in on him and Curtis Granderson too for that matter. Bob Nightengale of USA Today said the Tigers are very close to a deal.

According to another tweet from Jayson Stark, the Mets are in a group of seven teams that are all kicking the tires on first baseman Nick Johnson, 31, who is seeking a two-year deal. I believe Johnson is the last thing the Mets need right now, especially coming off a season in which their players logged a record number of days on the Disabled List.  

It looks like the St. Louis Cardinals are on the verge of signing pitcher Brad Penny and that only a scheduled physical stands in the way.

Here is a recap of some of the things Mets GM Omar Minaya had to say to reporters this afternoon in Indianapolis.

Brian Costa – Minaya said he believes Mets have trade chips, but, “You don’t always want to trade your prospects to fill your major-league needs.” The Mets plan to check in on Roy Halladay, but that’s kind of like me planning to check in with my local Porsche dealer. Fun to look, but… Ya gotta love Brian who does a bang up job!

Bart Hubbuch – Omar Minaya told reporters in Indy that he will meet with representatives of Pineiro and Wolf tonight. Interest in Marquis, too. Additionally, Minaya says he has “advanced” in trade talks but obviously wouldn’t specify. Doubtful it’s a blockbuster, though. Hubbuch is another great resource to follow on Twitter.

Regarding Twitter, it’s an excellent resource for quick information that can be turned over quickly, but because of it’s 140 character limitation, much of the information is usually choppy and not as detailed as one would like. Still, I love it and would be lost without it.

Don’t forget to tune into SNY’s Mets Hot Stove Tonight at 7 PM where Kevin Burkhardt will provide a full recap of today’s activity at the Baseball Winter Meetings.

To obtain the questions I scoured the forums, as well as the chat room here at Mets Merized to try to come up with the best and most frequently asked questions regarding the team’s future.

I’m confident that this interview will give you, the fans, valuable insight on the team’s plans for the 2010 season. Enjoy!

PH: It seems that the Mets are making an effort to stock up on catchers this off-season. They have already signed Chris Coste and are rumored to be looking into Henry Blanco and Bengie Molina. That being said, where does this leave Omir Santos, who showed the potential of being a solid backup behind the plate? Could he be used as a piece in a trade to fill one of the team’s other needs?

BC: The signing of Blanco is bad news for Santos, who now appears unlikely to make the Opening Day roster. Santos would be a viable backup, but Blanco will be a better one. If the Mets pursue a trade with a team that could use an extra catcher, sure, it’s conceivable they could throw in Santos. But he would be a very small piece of any significant trade.

PH: Many have criticized Mets GM Omar Minaya over the years for unnecessarily overpaying on veteran players, such as Julio Franco and Marlon Anderson. Recently, he re-signed utility infielder, Alex Cora, to a one year deal worth $2 million dollars with a vesting option for 2011. In your opinion, for a team that is rumored to be cutting back why would Minaya commit so much money to a reserve position that could have been filled at a cheaper price?

BC: I know why the Mets wanted to re-sign Cora, but I don’t know how they arrived at $2 million, other than that’s what his base salary was last year. I agree, it’s a lot of money for a utility infielder. But I don’t think it’s going to have any bearing on whether or not they sign Matt Holliday or John Lackey or anyone else.

PH: It seems as if there are two different schools of thought amongst sports writers on how to “fix” the Mets. One theory seems to be that the team is a couple of free agent signings away from a return to the post-season, whereas the other theory feels that the team needs to rebuild entirely. What is your take on this? Do the Mets need to rebuild entirely or will one or two big-name free agents be enough for a playoff run?

BC: No, I don’t think they need to rebuild entirely. And no, I don’t think a big-name free agent or two is all this team needs. Long-term, I think they need to invest more in their farm system — the draft in particular — because that will be the foundation of whatever success they have in the next decade, especially with other teams increasingly locking up young talent early with long-term deals, which leads to weaker and older free-agent markets. But that doesn’t mean they have to give up on next year. If they address their needs in the offseason and stay reasonably healthy (remember Jose Reyes?) — all major ifs — it’s not crazy to think they could contend for a playoff spot.

PH: Roy Halladay, Matt Holliday, John Lackey, Jason Bay and Adrian Gonzalez are all names that have been thrown around a countless number of times on the Mets blogosphere. Based on your knowledge, which one of these five players do the Mets have the best chance of landing this off-season?

BC: I’m not sure they’ll land any of them, but Holliday and Lackey seem like the most realistic targets at this point.

PH: The Mets have been linked to a number of second tier pitching free agents this year, mainly Joel Pineiro, Randy Wolf and Jason Marquis. Of these three pitchers, who is the best fit for the Mets rotation?

BC: In terms of pure ability, probably Wolf, with Pineiro a close second. But a lot of it depends on how much all three are asking for. Marquis might be a better overall value than the other two, especially since he’s a local guy who would love to pitch for the Mets.

PH: Even with a solid 2009 campaign, Luis Castillo still has about $12 million left on his contract, which is turn off for many of the teams interested in acquiring him. In your opinion, will Omar Minaya be able to move the 34 year-old this winter to clear the way for someone else to take over at second base or should do you think Castillo should return?

BC: They can move him. It’s just a matter of what they’ll be able to get in return, and whether that’ll make it worth doing. It’s good when the other GM says, “Sure, we’ll take Castillo.” Not so good when he continues, “if you’ll take Milton Bradley.” My guess is they’ll find a way to move him and sign Hudson.

PH: Around this time last off-season, the Mets acquired J.J. Putz. Clearly things did not work out the way the team would have liked with him last year. Have you heard if the Mets are keeping in contact with the pitcher’s agent or will the team look elsewhere to fill the setup role?

BC: The Mets haven’t talked to his agent lately, and I expect Putz to sign elsewhere. The bullpen isn’t a priority for the Mets right now. They’ll address their other needs first. Plus, Putz would prefer to be a closer — and if not, then to sign for more money than the Mets are likely to offer.

PH: This isn’t really a hot stove question, but pitcher Dillon Gee turned heads last Spring and had a decent year in Buffalo before being shut down with an injury. Do you have an update on his health and whether or not he will be ready to go for Spring Training this year?

BC: Gee, as you know, is rehabbing from labrum surgery. He is expected to be ready for spring training.

Once again thank you to Brian Costa, who took time out of his busy schedule to answer a number of questions for me. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend checking out his blog on NJ.com, as well as following him on Twitter.

Placido Polanco 2B – Much chatter surrounding the Phillies signing of Polanco to a 3-year deal at the ripe old age of 34. But as one of our readers pointed out it’s the conditioning you have to take into consideration. It looks like Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. cited Polanco’s conditioning as the reason he’s not worried about the 3 year deal who’s $6 million annual salary he considers a bargain rate. It makes sense. The Mets gave $24 million to a younger Castillo who was out of shape and two months removed from multiple surgeries on both knees. Plus Polanco can hit the ball past second base unlike Castillo. The new Phillies second baseman had 47 extra base hits in 09 compared to (gulp) 16 for Castillo, and he had a career high 72 RBI last season matching Mets team leader David Wright.

Takashi Saito RP - The Braves bolstered their bullpen big time as the follow up the Billy Wagner signing with Saito who agreed to a $3.2 million dollar deal for the 2010 season. Saito had a tremendous year for the Red Sox last season posting a 2.43 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP and a 52/25 K/BB ratio in 55 2/3 innings pitched. He’ll most likely take over as the setup man and bridge to closer Billy Wagner. Speaking of Wags, I think all the chirping from disgruntled Mets fans regarding Wags betraying the Mets is absolute nonsense and needs to come to an end. Your anger should be directed at Omar. Refocus.

Carlos Delgado 1B – Don’t bury your Delgado jerseys in the attic just yet, according to Jon Heyman the Mets are keeping close tabs on him in Puerto Rico where he continues to rehab and get back into baseball shape. We may not have seen the last of Dos Carlos. The Mets also have zero interest in Nick Johnson and won’t sign Adam La Roche who wants a multi year deal. I hope those Double-A stats Ike Davis piled up translate well in the Major Leagues, because that’s where the Mets are hoping he’ll be in 2011.

Final Tweet – I find it interesting to see how Mets fans react to players when an NL East rival acquires them as compared to those players that the Mets get.

Billy Wagner – He’s washed up. He’ll probably blow his elbow out again. He’ll be blowing saves for the Braves now. He’ll betray them too. I’d rather have Carter and Lora than the two 1st round picks. The Braves bullpen still sucks.

Takashi Saito – He’s as old as a fossil. He’s a fluke. Didn’t we have this guy last year? He don’t have the makeup to be a setup man. He’s an injury risk. We don’t fare well with Japanese players anyway. Who the hell is Saito?

Placido Polanco – The Phillies got burned. He’s on the wrong side of 30. He can’t play third. That contract was terrible. His numbers are declining. He’s an AL type hitter, watch him tank in the NL. Gold Gloves mean nothing he’s overrated defensively.

Benny Blanco from the Bronx - I love his game calling ability. He has a shotgun for an arm. He’s ten times better than Schneider. Who cares if we doubled his 2009 salary, it’s not our money. This was Johan’s call, they are close friends.

Ya gotta love Twitter.

Rich Harden SP – Several reports today suggest that Rich Harden is drawing heavy interest from the Red Sox and the Mariners. Harden was not offered arbitration and the 28-year old righthander has become much more desirable in the eyes of many. Of the second tiered free agent starters after John Lackey, I consider harden to be the best and most talented of the group.

Roy Halladay SP – According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Yankees and Blue Jays have discussed a deal and Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Jesus Montero and Austin Jackson were all mentioned. The Angels are also interested and are considered a dark horse. At this point I’m convinced the Mets will not get Halladay, so the only thing I hope for now is that he doesn’t end up with the Phillies or Yankees.

Jermaine Dye OF - According to the Sun-Times, several teams are interested in free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye including the Yankees who requested medical reports. It sounds like posturing to me. The Rangers, Red Sox, Cardinals and Giants are also interested. I’d rather stick with Pagan than to sign Dye to a multi year deal myself.

Orlando Hudson 2B – The Mets are not alone in their interest in the 2009 Gold Glove second baseman. Add the Mariners to the list of teams that will pursue Hudson. If the Mets want in, they better make a move with Castillo fast. I like Hudson a lot, but I like Polanco a whole lot better.

Jason Bay OF – Gordon Edes said that the Red Sox still prefer Bay to Matt Holliday. That’s not stopping the Red Sox from looking at other options. Bay’s agent said he will not wait for Holliday to sign before securing a deal for Bay. It’s shocking how little Jason Bay’s name appears in Mets rumors. You would think he’d be very high on the Mets wish list. Defense aside, he fits the mold of what the Mets need as a cleanup hitter, and his glove isn’t exactly gonna kill you.

Ryan Doumit C – Lots of buzz surrounding catchers this week, and Fox reports that the Blue Jays are interested in dealing for the young Pirates catcher. Doumit slipped a little in 2009, but he has plenty of upside and would be under a teams control for two more years at a very reasonable contract. I sure wish the Mets would take a look.

Bengie Molina C – Finally some Mets news… Jon Heyman says that the Mets are the “heavy favorite” to sign free agent catcher Bengie Molina this offseason. The Giants did not offer Molina salary arbitration, which means the Mets don’t lose a draft pick. The 35-year old Molina is looking for a 2-3 year deal. If that’s what he wants, I’d pass. At some point we have to stop overpaying players past their prime right? We need to start getting value like the Phillies and Braves.

J.J. Putz RP – Don’t look now, but the Philadelphia Phillies are hot on the trail of the former Mets setup man. The Mets paid dearly to land Putz last season, but the Phillies will not have to give up anything for him, and they’ll pay him less too. Like I always say, it’s all about the value.

Milton Bradley OF – According to Joel Sherman, the Rays and Cubs are discussing a swap of Milton Bradley and Pat Burrell. Please God, let this happen so that I no longer have to hear the ridiculous rumors that have the Mets interested in either of these slugs.

Let me know if you enjoy these Hot Stove recaps, and I’ll continue posting them through the end of the Winter Meetings at which point I’ll go from a daily format to a weekly format each Friday. I think it’s a good way to catch up on anything you might have missed, and it could serve as a thread for some interesting Hot Stove debate.

By the way, thanks to all of our fans on Twitter for helping us surpass 1,800 followers. You guys are the best!

The Yankees just won the World Series after they went hard after free agents CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira.  They filled two voids by signing those three players.  By adding Sabathia and Burnett, they replaced the retired Mike Mussina and did not have to depend on the likes of Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner anymore.  Teixeira replaced Jason Giambi at first base and instantly brought a fearsome bat to the hot corner that Giambi stopped being a few years ago.

Coincidentally, the Mets are now looking for a few starting pitchers and a first baseman.  Of course, they might also be shopping for a left fielder as well.  Unfortunately, this year the free agent class isn’t as deep in the starting pitching and first base department as it was last year when the Steinbrenners maxed out their credit cards in order to buy their championship.

There is no under-30 superstar first baseman to be had, a la Mark Teixeira.  The best available players at the position include Adam LaRoche and Hank Blalock, neither of which can produce the across the board numbers Teixeira did even if they played half of their games in a Little League field as opposed to Citi Field.

Recently, I suggested that the Mets should go hard after Adrian Gonzalez if the Padres decide to trade him.  However, with the emergence of Ike Davis, I’m not so sure about Gonzalez anymore.  Sure, Gonzalez would give the Mets the power they got when they traded for Carlos Delgado in 2006 at a much younger age than Delgado was, but Davis would keep the payroll lower for a longer period of time, enabling the Mets to go after pricier free agents in the future, especially starting pitchers.  If the Mets don’t feel that Davis will be ready for the majors until 2011, then they’d be better off signing a stopgap first baseman to a one-year deal, like a Russell Branyan.  LaRoche and Blalock would be good one-year signings, but it is unlikely either player would accept a one-year deal at this stage of their careers, as they’re both younger than Branyan.

As far as starting pitchers go, I think I’ve made it clear in past blogs that I want John Lackey on the Mets.  He is a fierce competitor who would complement Johan Santana perfectly.  Imagine a lefty-righty combo of Santana and Lackey.  They would be firing up the team on and off the field with their win-at-all-costs attitude and determination.  Obviously, the 2009 Mets lacked good health.  But one other thing they lacked was the fire good teams need to succeed.  Lackey would add a few logs to that fire.

There has been talk around the hot stove that Lackey would prefer pitching in his home state of Texas.  Isn’t that the same talk that was revolving around CC Sabathia last year?  Wasn’t he supposed to go to a California team so he could be back home?  Instead, he left Milwaukee and went in the opposite direction and found himself a World Series ring under his pillow.  Why can’t the Mets do the same for Lackey?

Having Santana and Lackey ahead of John Maine and Mike Pelfrey (I’m intentionally leaving Oliver Perez out of the mix) would allay fears of who the Mets can count on after every fifth day that Santana trots out to the mound.  With only Santana, the Mets would have to rely on Oliver Perez too much.  Even Maine and Pelfrey are question marks for the 2010 season, with Maine’s injury concerns and Pelfrey’s regression to his pre-2008 form.  These question marks might require the Mets to look for another starting pitcher even if they do sign Lackey.

What about left field?  I personally love Angel Pagan, but I know he might be best suited as a fourth outfielder.  His bat is without question his strength, but his fundamentals still need a little work.  If he hadn’t confused aggressive baserunning with reckless baserunning so much in 2009, perhaps a Pagan/Beltran/Francoeur outfield would have been the ideal situation for the Mets.  However, because he did not prove that he can be a heady ballpayer just yet, the Mets might need a different player to patrol left field.

Ideally, the Mets would need to have a power hitter at first base so that the need for power in left field would not be as great.  Outfielders, especially in spacious Citi Field, need more speed than a first baseman requires.  Therefore, if the power at first is addressed quickly, then the Mets can turn their attention to someone like Carl Crawford.  There’s no question he has the speed, as he’s an annual threat to win the stolen base title.  His defense is another facet of his game that is above average.  I would trust him chasing after fly balls more than I would trust Angel Pagan.  If the Rays feel that they cannot afford to keep Crawford, then the Mets should do what it takes to bring him to Citi Field.

Some of the moves I have suggested are free agent acquisitions while some would involve trades.  It’s much easier for me to write about these moves than it is to actually make them.  That’s where Omar Minaya has to come in.  He is very much in danger of losing his job if the Mets can’t compete in 2010.  He has to make this hot stove season burn brightly.  I’m sure he noticed what the Yankees did last year during the winter and look what it did for them this season.  If the Wilpons want to make sure there aren’t as many empty seats at Citi Field as there were during the last month of 2009, they have to supply Omar with the funds to put together the best possible team he can.  Otherwise, the hot stove will only serve to burn the fans instead of lighting the way to the promised land.