While Omar Minaya, and Mets fans too, ponder the question of which free agent pitcher the Mets should sign, manager Jerry Manuel has his own thoughts on the matter.

“I like Oliver Perez,” Manuel told reporters at the K-Rod press conference on Wednesday.

“I think Perez is a guy that matured in our presence. I think he showed some consistency. I like the fact that when things got tough, he was very good for us. From a manager’s point of view, I would like to have Oliver Perez back. Whether that’s economically possible or not – that’s not my department.”

One of the things I love about Manuel is that you never have to guess what he’s thinking. Unlike Randolph, who you never knew what he was thinking.