The New York Mets came back from a three run deficit in the ninth to beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 after a dramatic walk-off three run blast by Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Things didn’t start off so good for the Mets as poor Jeremy Hefner was once again the victim of shoddy defense (2 errors) and no run support – a recurring theme now for the 27-year-old righthander. Hefner allowed just one earned run in the first [...]

In a recent interview with Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog, ESPN’s Buster Olney talked about the free agent market, specifically how the Mets will have to approach the offseason in order to land some of the best players on the market: For example, take Shin-Soo Choo, who is a free agent this fall. I think the Mets will have to do what the Mariners had had to do, in recent years with position players, and overpay [...]

As Sandy Alderson and the Mets continue to wait and see how cheaply they can sign free agents, other teams are signing players at a brisk pace. I understand they couldn’t realistically be buyers for Cliff Lee or Carl Crawford, and without a doubt the Mets were right not to even come close to offering Jason Werth the kind of contract he signed with the Nationals. I also understand that the Wilpons refuse to pay a [...]

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets have shown some interest in acquiring left-handed pitcher Tom Gorzelanny from the Chicago Cubs. Alderson is believed to have inquired about the Cubs’ Tom Gorzelanny, who made $800,000 last season and wouldn’t break the Mets’ shoestring budget even if he were to double that number in arbitration. According to reports, the Cubs have been aggressively shopping the lefty, who went 7-9 with a 4.09 ERA [...]

Whether you see the 2011 Mets as team that is in rebuild mode or one only a few changes away from a playoff contender, one thing remains absolutely certain and that is the need to bolster the rotation with an effective and reliable starting pitcher. With the odds of landing Cliff Lee or Zach Grienke fading fast, and a barren free agent crop this hot stove season, our new GM Sandy Alderson will have to [...]

This is a bittersweet moment for me, as this is my last column on MetsMerized, at least as it stands now.  I’m moving on to pursue another opportunity that includes covering the Mets, so I’ll still be involved in the scene.  But I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Joe, the other staff writers and all of you readers who made the last 15 months or so an absolute pleasure for me. I know [...]