Reliever Taylor Buchholz, who has dealt with anxiety and depression issues throughout his career, plans to skip the 2012 season, agent David Pasti told ESPN New York.
Buchholz signed with Mets last offseason and went on the DL on June 2 with what was announced as shoulder fatigue. But a month later both Buchholz and the Mets jointly announced that he was dealing with the emotional issues. He would miss the rest of the 2011 season.
The Mets granted him free agency even though he was still under team control after the season. Pasti said that if he does decide to play baseball again, it would be with the Mets because of how they handled the situation. “The Mets really cared about him”, the agent said.
Long-time Mets coach Ken Oberkfell, who was let go after spending 2011 as the team’s bench coach, has signed with the Newark Bears. Oberkfell will join the team’s coaching staff, the Can-Am team announced today.
Oberkfell spent a decade with the Mets organization, working his way up through several minor-league levels as a manager until he was named Terry Collins’ bench coach last season.
Andy Martino of the Daily News spoke to two team insiders who told him that the club is looking for a veteran lefthanded bat for the bench, and have Rick Ankiel, Kosuke Fukudome, Raul Ibanez and Johnny Damon in thier sights.
But Martino also adds that Ibanez and Damon are less likely options because they might not be able to get the playing time they are looking for with the Mets.
MLB Network’s Peter Gammons said via twitter that Ankiel would be a good match with the Mets.
