Marquis the rabbit foot..

As I've said before I don't believe any of the big three free agents will land with the Mets, call it a gut feeling or the way they acted last winter and their posturing so far this off-season, I hope they prove me wrong.

Even if we don't sign any of those top tier players, I still think we'll be a competitive team next year and I believe we're only a few lucky breaks away from at least the wild card hunt if not the division...

So if Lackey doesn't sign with us that leaves us with a group of pitchers on about the same talent level; Joel Pineiro, Randy Wolf, Jon Garland and Jason Marquis.

Of the group of so called second tier pitchers I'm leaning towards Jason Marquis, the main reason is that Marquis wants to play with the Mets, we need players with the desire to play here and not just the pay check to be here. Marquis has also been on winning teams his entire career and while his numbers aren't the prettiest, he is consistent and knows how to at least get to the playoffs.

Ben Shpigel has a great article on Marquis in today's NY Times...

His teams have reached the playoffs in every season of his decade-long career — Atlanta (2000-3), St. Louis (2004-6), Chicago Cubs (2007-8) and Colorado (2009) — and, as a free agent, Marquis can choose which club next gets to rub his rabbit’s foot. Pitching in New York, he said, would be the ultimate, and it just so happens that there is a team in Queens that could use a little good luck. The one in the Bronx seems to be doing all right. source NY Times