Atkins fits for many reasons...

Of course I want a big name, power hitting 1B and I'd be a fool to not want the report that Adrian Gonzalez has been left off the Padres brochure to mean that he's available with the Mets having a chance to get him.

But I'm also trying to be realistic, which is why I've taken to heart the reports that the Mets are going to look smaller at the position and go with a right handed platoon partner for Dan Murphy.

The name that seems to be a perfect fit, for that type of situation is Ryan Garko who has been rumored to be a non-tender candidate by the Giants, but Garko isn't the only player who would fit the bill.

Buster Olney in an ESPN insider report on the potential non-tender candidates discussed a guy who has been brought up before in regards to the Mets and is believed to be available, Garrett Atkins.

A classic example of this is a 29-year-old player who has had three seasons of 99 or more RBIs: Garrett Atkins, the Rockies third baseman who slumped badly in 2009, hitting .226 with a .650 OPS. He earned $7.05 million last season, and he could be in line to make $8 million to $10 million if the Rockies were to offer him arbitration. source ESPN

Ok, lets look at the negatives of acquiring Atkins who would basically be filling Fernando Tatis' spot on the roster as the back-up corner infielder. Along with whatever marginal prospects it cost in trade, he would cost somewhere around 8M for a player coming off a slump year in which he hit .229. That slump came at a hitter friendly park and his splits home/away have always favored Colorado. Why do I say trade instead waiting for him to be non-tendered, because your moving him from his primary position and there's always a risk that he wouldn't sign as a free agent for such an assignment.

I still say the reward out weighs the risk, aside from being younger ( 29 y/o), batting right handed and having experience at the position we need filled, here are some others things to think about...

1) Atkins despite being a 3B has 105 major league games at 1B immediately making him the most experienced player on our team at his secondary position. Originally a 1B in college he converted to 3B during his collegiate career. He has the defensive skills to be a starter but if it was a strict platoon he would be a late inning defensive replacement.

2) He has more positive offensive history then negative, he's been a starter for five years and in his first four full time seasons he hit .287 or better with 89 or more RBIs and for three of those seasons he hit 21 or more home runs. His career year came in 2006 when he ranked 15th on the MVP voting with a .329 BA, 29 Hrs and 120 RBIs.

3) Even in this lost offensive year where he hit only .226 with 48 RBIs and 9 HRs, he hit left handed pitching much better which as a platoon partner with Murphy would be all that was asked of him. Against LHP he hit .268 with a .428 Slg. pct., .363 OBP and .790 OPS ( 22 RBIs, 5 HRs, 5 doubles).

4) The Mets need to get smarter more fundamentally sound players, Atkins pedigree is impeccable, playing High school ball at University High School of Irvine and then becoming the first three time All-American at UCLA.

5) Entering his sixth year in the majors this is his last arbitration year, meaning that he is a short term solution at first base who will not be blocking Ike Davis in 2011 if he is ready for the majors.

6) The Mets lack legitimate depth behind David Wright at 3B, unless you consider Fernando Tatis a capable option if Wright goes down there isn't a prospect at the AAA level ready to fill-in at the spot. Not only does Atkins fill a hole we currently have at 1B but he also provides legitimate depth at a position were lacking depth at 3B.

7) Atkins could see the writing on the wall that Colorado was hoping Ian Stewart was ready to take his spot and part of the slump could be attributed to that situation making him a classic change of scenery player.

8) Omar should be familiar with the scouting report on Atkins as the Mets drafted him in 1997 out of high school when Omar was an assistant with the club but he opted for college.

Are the Mets good enough to Schmooze Torrealba

I know baseball is a business and money talks but are the Mets really good enough to schmooze things over with Yorvit Torrealba. Just early this month when discussing his pending grievance the catcher made it sound personal, that he felt he had a deal in place and that he was up set over Minaya speaking to his family raising their expectations only to pull the rug out from under them.

Torrealba filed a grievance against the Mets last year, one he said is still pending. The one bad taste he has left from the failed negotiations is from general manager Omar Minaya. He said the GM spoke with his wife and young son about coming to New York, raising their expectations before backing out of the deal. source NY Post

After the 2007 the catcher believed he had a three year deal in place with the Mets only to have them back out at the last minute, rumors are that the org. became concerned over medical reports about the catchers shoulder.

After re-signing with the Rockies his shoulder has held up, in 2008 he played in 70gms hitting .246 and in 64 gms this year he hit .291. Overall the 31 y/o right hander is a lifetime .255 hitter with a slg. pct. of .390 and an OBP .315.

The Rockies have five days after the World Series to pick-up his 4M option which is awful expensive for a back-up catcher in Colorado. It's believed they'll try to resign him but could go as low as 1M for a year.

Torrealba has a $4 million option for next season that must be picked up by five days after the World Series. The Rockies want to re-sign him for less since there's no guarantee he will start ahead of Chris Iannetta. source Denver Post

The catcher's name keeps coming up in regards to the Mets, who could easily out bid what the Rockies are willing to pay and he'd be a good fit, but how do they get past what happened last time. Marty Noble brought up Torrealba's name and now the Denver Post discusses what they would have to do to obtain the catcher under the current situation...

The Mets will have interest in catcher Yorvit Torrealba if the Rockies decline his $4 million option. It would require some fence-mending for Torrealba to end up with the Mets. He has a pending grievance against them for backing out of a three-year deal when he was a free agent after the 2007 season. Source Denver Post

More on Melvin

Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post has also heard Bob Melvin's name, Hubbuch believes that Melvin is waiting for the Nationals to decide on their next manager before he decides whether he's taking the Mets Bench coach position. In regards to the Nationals vacancy it's believed that interim manager Tracy Riggleman has the inside track.

Hubbach further tweets that Razor Shines may not stay with the major league club...

Ex-Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin is a candidate to be the Mets' bench coach but is waiting to hear on the Nationals' managerial job. source Bart Hubbach NY Post twitter

A Johnson/Ricco coup coming...

I'm not really sure why the Wilpon's decided to keep Omar Minaya, is it really his contract extension which equates to little more then what Alex Cora would make in a season or do they want a figure head who could easily become a sacrificial lamb if things go bad.

It makes sense from Omar's prospective to return, he has nothing to lose since his reputation is at an all time low, returning regardless of the situation affords him the opportunity to restore some of his credibility.

But it certainly looks like the contingency plan is in place, and while I wouldn't call it a purposeful set-up for failure, there definitely appears to be a short leash.

The first indicator that things were going south for Omar was the report by Peter Gammons that Jeff (Wilpon) was the GM.

Then there was the report that Omar had contacted two recently fired GM's ( Towers/ Ricciardi) to see if they were interested in an Asst. GM's position. While the idea was credited to Omar, it's an awful cavalier move for a guy on thin ice and sounds more like calls he was told to make.

Now it appears that Jerry is on his own thin ice as his close confidant Razor Shines is being left hanging while the team has been linked to former manger Bob Melvin for the bench coaches position and while Jerry wanted an in-house 3B coach but the team is definitely going out of the organization. Another former Arizona coach Chip Hale is reported to have accepted an offer from the Mets. According to Marty Noble long time 3B coach Steve Smith is stll in the running for the job as well ( source MLB.com), Smith was a long time Rangers coach.

While it doesn't appear that Towers or Ricciardi are interested in a job, according to Jon Heyman the Mets are still in search of an asst. GM. During that same radio segment Mike Francesca disclosed that the Mets thought last week that Scott Servais a Rangers player development guy was joining them in that capacity but he has since turned the position down.

All indicators point to what Jon Heyman eluded to in his post reporting that Sandy Johnson (above photo on the right) would be returning. It's true that the super scout had been brought in to mentor Omar who he helped get started in the field in Texas but it's also true that Johnson was in part retiring because of his diminished influence in Omar's front office and that Jeff was the one who talked him into returning. It also appears that everyone the Mets interested in for the front office or coaching positions are either former Mets or have a connection to Johnson.

I was told that Johnson had become increasingly frustrated the last couple of seasons because of his inability to connect with Minaya on various issues. source NYBD

Backman, Tuefel, Mookie, and Ricciardi are all former Mets. Johnson actually signed Towers as a player in the early 80's, while Melvin and Hale were in Arizona when he was there. Servais and Smith worked for the Rangers where Johnson had his longest tenure and is still believed to have ties.

Johnson is a behind the scenes type of guy who is capable of being a GM if he ever chose to be he credited with the development of the Rangers offensive powerhouse teams of the 90's and the D-Backs World Series champions in 2001. Unless he decides to be a front man I could see him staying behind the scenes with either Ricco or the other asst. GM taking over if they let Omar go because the team struggles.

From player to minor league manager to scout to front-office decision-maker, he has risen to be among the elite scouting executives in the game, the most influential man in Latin America of his era, and someone who never forgot how he got his chance. That's why over the years he has tried to open doors to as many "broken down minor league players" as possible, discovering nearly as many future executives as future players. source Baseball America 2005

Mets interested in Hermida

There is speculation in Florida that they may need to move some players in their arbitration years to keep salary down, one of those players rumored to be available is Jeremy Hermida.

Hermida is entering his second year of arbitration and made 2.25M last year.

The former 2002 first round pick, hasn't lived up to expectation and some believe he needs a change of scenery.

The 25 y/o left handed hitting outfielder is a lifetime .265 hitter with a .425 Slg. pct. and a .344 OBP. He's been mainly a RF but has enough experience to be a serviceable serve left fielder.

Some teams believed to be interested in Hermida are the Mariners, Rays, Mets and Blue Jays. The Cubs also could have interest. source MLB blogs- The Fish Pond

Coaching staff not set...

Adam Rubin this morning confirmed that Chip Hale has been hired as the 3B coach but he also passed along another tidbit.

The Mets coaching staff may not be set, rem. when the season ended it was reported that the team may look at former managers to fill coaching vacancies.

But then it appeared that Shines would move to bench coach, Alomar to 1B and the newly hired Hale would complete the staff as the 3B coach, not leaving room for a former manager.

However, the Shines and Alomar positions have not been confirmed other then to say they will be back and not in the positions they served last year.

Apparently the Mets are still looking at former managers and even Bob Melvin's name has come up, if they hire one of them, it would probably mean that Shines doesn't become the bench coach. Either he would be asked to accept re-assignment or they would be creative with the extra coaches position which is usually used for the catchers coach.

A team insider suggested the Mets may be interested in former Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin as bench coach, although another source said "a bunch of names" are still being considered for a second external hire. source Daily news

Mets hire Chip Hale as 3B coach

According to Greg Hansen of the Arizona Daily Star the Mets have hired Chip Hale as their third base coach.

Hale played seven seasons (1989-1997) in the majors all with the Twins aside from his last year with the Dodgers. He was a lifetime .277 BA with an OBP of .346 and a Slg. Pct. .363. He was a member of the 1991 Minnesota Twins World Series Championship team. During his career he played approx. 60 games at 2B, 3B and DH, while playing 17 gms. at 1B, 4 gms. in RF and 1 gm. SS.

A graduate on the University of Arizona he returned to the state to begin his managerial career. Prior to becoming the D-Backs 3B coach he was very successful in Arizona's minor league system.

When Bob Melvin was let go early in the season, Hale was rumored to be in line for the position but when he was passed over by the end of the season he became the new scapegoat...

Hale is back in the bigs; he signed a contract with the New York Mets on Tuesday and will be their third base coach in 2010. He was dismissed from a similar position by the D’backs a month ago when the club chose to make him the figurative scapegoat for a 70-92 season.

Didn’t take long for another organization to understand what a skilled baseball man Hale is.

Hale won the Class AAA championship as manager of the Tucson Sidewinders in 2006. he also won minor-league championships while managing Class AA El Paso and Rookie League Missoula. source AZstarnet.com

The Royals catchers could interest us...

The Royals have some decisions to make behind the plate, they are said to be discussing shaking things up.

They currently have three catchers, who could all be available this off-season. Olivo has a club option while Pena and Buck are both non-tender candidates. Of course, the Royals will attempt to move them before they non-tender anyone.

Miguel Olivo is the veteran of the group, the 31 y/o right hander is a .243 hitter with a .423 Slg pct..

Not sure of Buck's defense as he plays a lot at DH ( 49 caught of 56 played), the 29 y/o missed a significant portion of the season with a herniated disk. The right hander is a lifetime .235 BA and a .403 Slg pct.

Branyan Pena doesn't seem to have convinced the Royals he's for real, despite hitting .273 in 64 games he is a non-tender candidate. Pena had spent four seasons with the Braves but only played in 74 games with a lifetime BA of .253...

Don't forget the Royals' two primary non-tender candidates: first baseman Mike Jacobs and catcher John Buck. Kaegel says the Royals intend to "re-cast" their catching situation, so Buck is probably destined for free agency. It doesn't make sense to tender a contract to Jacobs, who earned $3.25MM this year and hit just .228/.297/.401 in 478 plate appearances. Between Jacobs, Buck, and Olivo, the Royals had 1,096 plate appearances of sub-.300 OBP. source MLBTR

Trade Wright he can't handle Citi field

Ben Maller is at it again, according to his Twitter account his site for Fox Sports is the #1 news aggregator on the web. The Fox Sports radio host, has a great site for finding information from around the league but he seems to be a Mets hater. In May he called our corner outfield a bunch of scrubs when Omar didn't sign Manny; at the time the outfield consisted of Beltran, Church and Sheffield. Now in responding to an article from WEEI about Beltran not being traded, "Ben's Take" is that the Mets should trade Wright because he can't handle Citi Field...

For the record, I'm against trading any of the core and believe the team should build around them. Give me a left fielder, at least a platoon partner at 1B, a catcher and a #2 starter and I'll be fine with returning everyone else. Even discussing trading Wright sounds ridiculous to me...

A major-league source said that the Mets would not even entertain the idea of trading Carlos Beltran. The Mets are instead giving every indication that they will be active in adding pieces this offseason (New York is expected to get involved in the markets for Jason Bay and/or Matt Holliday). Given that likelihood, it would not make sense for the team to deal one of its best players. -- WEEI .....Ben's Take: Mets should consider trading David Wright. He's unlikely to get much better playing in the grand canyon of Queens. source Ben Maller

Three catchers on Mets radar...

Marty Noble responds to questions in regards to the Mets off-season plans. The Mets are going to be looking for a catcher and according to Noble there are three on their wish list.

Bengie Molina is a 35 y/o right handed catcher who is one of the top hitters at the position along with being well known for handling a young staff. The biggest problem with Molina is whether his knees can take the pounding. Lifetime .276 hitter with a .418 Slg. pct and .308 OBP.

Rod Barajas is a 34 y/o catcher with a lifetime BA .238 with a OBP .284 and Slg. pct. .304. I'm not sure what Barjas does better then Schneider since I'm not very familiar with him but by the numbers there isn't much showing.

Not sure how Omar would plan to mend this fence but according to Noble, Yorvit Torrealba is on the Mets list. Torrealba was suppose to sign a multi year deal with the Mets and after speaking with the catchers family Omar pulled out of the deal because of concerns over his shoulder. Torrealba went on to file a grievance and is still believe to be upset. The shoulder never became an issue and he's one of the better offensive catchers in the league. He is a lifetime .255 hitter with a .315 OBP and a .390 Slg. pct...

The Mets are looking for a catcher, and Bengie Molina, Rod Barajas and Yorvit Torrealba (if he becomes a free agent) are on their list. But I don't think you'll get your wish about Perez -- too much money and too much potential win out over too many walks. He'll be afforded another opportunity. source MLB.com

Bay heading west ?

I said earlier this month that I wasn't sure if Jason Bay would be enough, Bay has a UZR -13.9 and a RngR -15.3 ( source Fangraph) while only hitting around .280. of course his 30 homers would be a welcome addition and if Matt Holliday goes elsewhere I wouldn't scoff at a Bay signing.

Bay's agent, who's not Scott Boras defended Bay's defense to WEEI.

“I think the only defensive statistic that I know for sure that is easily measurable is outfield assists and errors committed, and Jason is just the third outfielder in major league history to lead the league in outfield assists while not creating an error all season, the last guy being Carl Yastrzemski,” the agent said. “It used to be that those statistics were enough. In baseball we all need a better evaluation of defensive ability but the defensive metrics we have out there are so debatable, and in most cases proprietary, that it is hard to quantify a player’s ability to play defense. source WEEI

Ben Maller posts a rumor mill for Fox Sports, finding articles daily throughout the Nation on rumors about teams and players. On some of the articles Ben will comment, it was in one of his "Ben's take" that I first heard that Bay maybe looking to head west. In response to an article about Seattle being interested in Bay, Ben had the following to say...

Buzz says Jason Bay wants to play on the West Coast, so why not Seattle. source Ben Maller

They were wrong on Vlad before don't be wrong again...

In 2004 the Mets were considered the front runners to sign Vladimir Guerrero but ended up low balling the slugger, who signed a five year deal with the Angels. The Mets said they obtained a report that Vlad had a bad back and wouldn't be worth a big contract. Many fans felt that the back was an excuse for not spending money, while Vlad side believed the information was leaked to lower his value...

The players association has asked Major League Baseball to begin an investigation into the amount and source of the medical information on Vladimir Guerrero that the Mets used as their reasoning for not extending him a longer, more lucrative contract offer. source NY Times 1/16/04

Whatever the Mets reasoning they were wrong, Guerrero provided four exceptional years and even in his one down year it was much more then most players could provide. For the first four years of the deal he played over 140 games in which he hit 27 or more home runs, 91 or more RBIs, and hit over .300. As I said even in an off year where he only played 100 games he hit .295, had 15 home runs and 50 RBIs.

The problem is that his down year came this season and it truly looks like he's on the decline. Vlad hasn't played the outfield since early in the season, but according to a report wants to prove he still can. It sounds like Vlad wants to stay on the West coast but unless the Angels re-sign him I don't really see a match, except maybe if he gives the A's a huge discount so he can stay close to home.

The decision isn't entirely his, of course. Guerrero will turn 35 in February and is coming off a season in which he hit only 15 homers and drove in 50 runs -- his lowest totals since 1997. He also said it was "very important" to show he could play in the outfield again after his injuries limited him to designated hitter for all but two games. source LA Times

If Vlad expands the parameters of where he will play, I could see the Mets being tempted. The Mets have tried this before with other outfielders, both Moises Alou and Gary Sheffield were close to signing with the Mets earlier in their careers but ended up going elsewhere. Later in their careers the Mets got them at as discount because of their ages but instead of providing the power they were looking for they ended up being inconsistent due to injuries and defensive liabilities.

Five years ago the Mets made a huge mistake by passing on Vlad but signing him this off-season would not fix that mistake, instead it would compound the issue...

Aside from that obvious point, Guerrero is nothing more than a aging, declining, free swinging, injury prone, defensive liability at this point. Sure Guerrero is a big name, but he belongs nowhere near any National League roster unless he magically becomes 100% healthy. source Jorge Says No

Padres will need to move Adrian Gonzalez ?

I don't know what to make of this, the Gonzalez information comes in the same article in which Bill Madden said Jason Bay's agent is Scott Boras which simply isn't true ( go here for Bay's actual agent comments on WEEI). It wasn't just that he named Boras but insinuated that one of the reasons he may not re-sign with Boston could be in part due to the agent's relationship with the organization.

But the information in regards to Adrian Gonzalez is quoted by former Padres GM Kevin Towers. According to Towers the Padres simply can't afford to keep Gonzalez. The All-Star 1B would cost a lot normally but a new GM is going to look to fleece a team and make a name for himself, so that he isn't ushered out of town by the fan base for selling the face of the franchise as his first move.

Of course I would love to have Gonzalez but I'm not sure I could stomach what he would cost, I'm glad I wouldn't be making those phone calls.

Just a reminder, Gonzalez is a 27 y/o left handed 1B is a lifetime .281 BA with a .506 Slg. pct. and a .362 OBP in which he averages 30 HRs and 100 RBIs per season. He's owed 4.75M for 2009 and there is a club option worth 5.75 in 2010 with no buyout.

Revenue-sharing money simply isn't enough right now in their market, where a bad local TV package reaps only about $2million and they have $18 million a year in stadium debt. In addition, nobody knows how much it's costing new owner Jeff Moorad to complete his buyout of John Moores. "They're going to have a $40 million payroll for the foreseeable future," said recently fired Padres GM Kevin Towers, "and there's just no way they can devote half of that to one player. It's just a matter of when they decide to trade (Gonzalez)." source Daily News

Red Sox to keep an eye on Beltran ?

The Red Sox will be looking to upgrade the offense and the outfield, if Jason Bay isn't part of that equation they maybe calling Omar to inquire about Carlos Beltran.

It seems like at least once an off-season we hear a Beltran to Boston rumor, this is nothing more then speculation by the Boston Herald and I don't put much into it but I'm sure it's not the last time Beltran's name is brought up in Bean town.

I've said before the Mets should be willing to listen to offers for Carlos Beltran, but there's no way they will be offered a package that is worth what he provides for this team, making him untouchable...

One situation that bears close monitoring is Carlos Beltran with the New York Mets.

The Big Apple’s other team has descended back into the depths of mediocrity the past two years. There has not been a word about the team going into rebuilding mode, but Beltran, arguably the best defensive center fielder in the game the last few years, has $18.5 million left on each of his remaining two years in 2010 and ’11. He also has a full no-trade clause.

Beltran’s salary is about $1-2.5 million more than what Bay is likely to end up commanding per year, not that big a difference at all, plus Beltran plays the premium position and is considered the better all-around player.

Ellsbury is likely to stick in center field, but if you are looking at contingency plans in case the Sox do not re-sign Bay, this one qualifies as the kind of creative thinking Epstein and Co. have displayed regularly. If Hanley Ramirez was worth calling about last winter, Beltran certainly is as well. source Boston Herald

Are the Cards trying to use McGwire to keep Holliday

The Cards have had a history of finding ways to get guys to stay despite they're being more money elsewhere. Whether it's the city, baseball fans, chance of winning or the coaching staff, somehow; the mid-market Cardinals seem to be an appealing place to play ball.

The Cardinals have signed Mark McGwire as their hitting coach (source MLBTR) , the signing is significant because McGwire is Matt Holliday's personal hitting coach.

McGwire was just as enthused as he discussed the collaboration. “It was really cool that Matt called and said, ‘Let’s work together,’ ” McGwire said of Holliday. “Next thing you know we’re working with Bobby and Skip, too.”souce NY Times -March 2009

Just last week it was speculated that Holliday's top four perspective teams were the Yankees, Dodgers, Angels and the Mets. Both the Dodgers and Angels appeared to have very crowded and expensive outfields without an addition. So it seemed like there was a legitimate chance that it could become a NY bidding war.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com the Mets will spend their big money on a left fielder and while Boras clients generally go to the highest bidder but you have to wonder if McGwire will have an influence over Holliday's decision.

Bay not staying in Boston...

According to Bill Madden of the Daily News the Red Sox have decided not to try and re-sign Jason Bay.

The second left fielder in the free agent market is often an after thought to Matt Holliday, but Bay is a solid pick-up in his own right.

The 31 y/o right handed hitting outfielder is a lifetime .280 hitter with a .519 Slg. pct. and a .364 OBP. The knocks on Bay are his lower batting average and poor defense.

Initially I expected Bay to remain in Boston but if they're not interested in keeping him, then anyone has a chance at signing him...

The Red Sox are going to be looking to upgrade their offense this winter and have apparently decided not to try to re-sign Jason Bay- whose rep, Scott (Avenging Agent) Boras, has had a long, acrimonious history with them, most recently on display during last winter's Mark Teixeira negotiations. source Daily News

How good is John Lackey...

The Mets need a top of the rotation starter, a solid #2 to slide in behind Johan Santana. Whether they'll admit it or not, the rotation behind Santana even when it was healthy had too many variables to be considered a pitcher oriented club.

Many want the Mets to sign John Lackey regardless of the cost, the 31 y/o free agent is the top pitcher on the market this season. The right hander is a one time All-Star and World Champion with a lifetime ERA of 3.82 and a record of 100-70.

The last two seasons he has not made 33 starts ( 24/27) and his ERA has steadily increased ( 3.75/3.83). Some believe Lackey is nothing more then a glorified #2 starter or at best a small market ace, who will get ace money off a good playoff run and a weak starters market.

Aaron Gleeman takes a look at Lackey using xFIP which makes him a mid-level #1 starter.

As you can see Lackey has posted fairly consistent xFIPs over the past five years, with marks ranging from 3.75 to 4.33. Listed next to his yearly xFIP is his rank among AL pitchers who qualified for the ERA title, and those are pretty consistent as well. He was an elite starter in 2005, but has otherwise been in the 10-15 range. Given that there are 14 teams in the league, that basically makes him a mid-level No. 1 starter. Source NBC Sports

Carter more comfortable in OF

Ike Davis had only one hit today, but that hit happened to be a solo home run. Davis' performance is becoming hard to over look and I'm sure if he keeps it up, there will be those who start to clamour for him to be the Mets 1B next year. Don't get me wrong I'm extremely impressed ( BA .414 / Slg. pct. .724) with Davis but still feel he needs seasoning in AAA especially since most of his power hits are off fastballs.

Quietly behind Davis, Chris Carter has been putting up some of his own solid numbers. In nine winter league games Carter is hitting .353 with a .559 Slg. pct. and .450 OBP. In 34 AB he has 12 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 3 RBIs, 6 walks and only two strike outs.

I had asked earlier this month why the Mets were listing Carter as an outfielder instead of a 1B. Carter has a much more extensive back round in the minors at 1B then OF, 320 gms at 1B compared to 150 in the outfield.

Apparently Carter is much more comfortable in the outfield then he is at 1B, this is rare since the Mets have several players who have attempted left field and never look comfortable out of the infield ( Tatis, Anderson, Evans, Murphy, Easley).

For two straight years (2006-2007) Carter was the last cut in camp for the D-Backs, in his first season with the Red Sox he came up for a brief cup of coffee and in his first spring with them he made the team out of camp.

Not only is Carter know for his bat but also his clubhouse personality, he sounds like Murphy heavy ( power wise ) but more for the outfield then 1B.

For the third straight spring training Carter was close to making the team ( he actually made the team but only lasted 4 games) here what was said about him at the end of spring training before the decisions were made...

It would be every bit as big to the 26-year-old Carter, who initially came to the Red Sox as the player to be named in the Wily Mo Pena deal with the Nationals in August 2007. Carter has a career Minor League average of .308 over 610 games.

"It's coming down to the wire," Carter said. "There's nothing I want more. It really could be there for me, and that's exciting."

Carter got a nine-game taste of the Major Leagues for Boston last year' hitting .333 with three RBIs.

While Bailey is laid back, Carter is the fiery type. He has been maniacal about his work all spring, dragging coaches with him to the backfield just about every morning so that he can work on his defense. In particular, Carter has tried to improve at first base.

[First-base coach Tim Bogar] and I have worked every day for at least an hour," Carter said. "I don't want it to be anything where I could have worked harder or done more. I don't want that to be an issue. When it's all said and done, I want it to be, 'Hey, I worked as hard as I could."'

Just as the outfield comes more naturally than first base for Carter, the opposite is true for Bailey. source MLB.com

Fonzie's cousin...

Under the adage that the Mets can always use another Alfonzo, on a slow day here's a profile of Fonzie second cousin who would be a decent back-up plan stowed away in AAA.

While checking in on the winter leagues this morning I came across this blurb;

Eliezer Alfonzo plated two runs, including a go-ahead homer in the 10th inning, as Anzoategui got by the Cardenales. The free agent first baseman, who reached Triple-A in the Padres system during the regular season, teed off on his second homer of Winter Ball. source MLB.com

Which raised my interested for several reasons; free agent, 1B, 2 home runs and the last name.

So here's what I came up with...

Eliézer Jesús Alfonzo is a 30 y/o free agent who has appeared in 155 major league games, over four years and two teams since 2006.

Alfonzo was originally signed by the Cardinals all the way back in 1997 as a third baseman. He was converted to catcher where he has played the bulk of his career, from 1997 till 2006 he was a career minor leaguer spending time in the St. Louis, Florida, Milwaukee, Chicago Cubs and San Fransisco systems.

He has a lifetime .291 BA with .466 Slg. pct. and a .333 OBP, in five AAA seasons he has a .288 BA with a .515 Slg. pct.

His major league numbers aren't as impressive but most of his time has been as a third catcher or injury call-up.

In 2006 Mike Methany went down with concussion syndrome symptoms and Alfonzo spent his longest stint in the majors. As a catcher he appeared in 87 games ( 309 AB) where he hit .266 with a .465 slg. and .302 OBP. Most notably his first major league hit was a two run homer off the Mets on June 3, 2006 but he also caught Jason Schmidt's 16 SO game ( source Wikipedia). 12 homeruns, 17 doubles, 39 RBIs and a .266 BA from a back-up catcher wouldn't be bad but the rest of his career hasn't been as successful.

In 2007 he played in 22 games for the Giants hitting .250, in 2008 he tested positive for PED in which he was suspended for 50 games and only appeared in 5 major league games.

Last year he signed with the Padres, after spending the year in AAA as a catcher in which he hit .309 with a Slg. pct. of .556, he was called up at the end of the season and caught 22 games but only hit .175.

In all, he has never played any other position then catcher in the majors ( 133 games) but in the minors he has 618 games caught, 47 at 1B and 1 at 3B (but that was his original position).

Mets meet with Chapman

The Mets don't appear to have much interest in Aroldis Chapman, in fact their meeting on Friday has more the feel of a courtesy call then anything else.

It was originally reported that the Mets weren't one of the teams who would visit with the young Cuban defector but that was rebutted and they sat down with him and his agent yesterday.

Still there doesn't appear to be much interest, sure a 100mph left hander sounds appealing and I'm sure if he goes on to win 15 games next year some Mets fans will be screaming about how we let this one go.

But we have no idea what this guy will be like in the majors and in the situation the Mets are in, I just can't see them taking a risk like this. Is Omar going to put his career on the line with a 21 y/o untested pitcher with no major league experience, I don't think so...

With so many other needs this offseason, the Mets might stay on the periphery for Chapman, who some have speculated is shooting for a contract in the range of $40 million to $60 million. That's too big a gamble for the Mets source Newsday

Kikuchi press conference tomorrow..

Teenage Japanese pitching phenom Yusei Kikuchi has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow to announce his attentions. Kikuchi just completed a tour of American teams that are interested in his services, which included the Mets and is now making his decision just four days prior to the Japanese draft.

According to the Japanese papers he is learning towards remaining in Japan but those papers tend to see what they want to. I do believe he will remain in his homeland, it's traditional for players to start their careers in Japan and then make the move to the US, for a kid allowing his parents to make decisions for him, I can't see him breaking tradition.

The most recent reports out of Japan suggest that Kikuchi is going to start his professional career in Japan, but we’ve seen a pattern of Japanese media outlets hearing what they want to hear with regards to the highly-regarded lefty. But Nikkan Sports is usually pretty reliable, and they too have just published a report saying that Kikuchi is staying in Japan. So we’ll see what happens. source NPB Tracker

Roster moves...

According to the Mets official transaction page they have outrighted Argenis Reyes, Carlos Muniz, Wilson Valdez and Robinson Cancel to AAA Buffalo. None come as a real surprise, the players now have the option of accepting assignment or filling for free agency. Of the group Valdez was the only one I saw as having the potential of making the team next year as a bench player, but if they go in another direction I won't lose any sleep.

I'm a little more surprised that LHP Arturo Lopez and INF Andy Green are still holding spots on the roster.

The roster is currently showing 35 spots but that's with Carlos Delgado already removed ( I'm sure it's an error), so they really they have 4 roster spots along with 6 players going into free agency ( Dessens, Figgy, Schneider, Tatis , Sheffield, Delgado) and at least four players who are on the bubble of being non-tendered/not offered arby (Misch, Redding, Reed, Sullivan).

By the end of the month, the roster will be cleaned of all the dead wood and they will have plenty of room (could be as low as 26 players) for rule five candidates, along with free agents and trades.

Bradley grumblings

I guess it's my turn to once again weigh in on the Milton Bradley rumors. Ken Rosenthal without naming teams reported today that numerous teams are in contact with the Cubs over troubled outfielder Milton Bradley.

Multiple teams are in contact the Cubs about outfielder Milton Bradley, with one source saying, "You would be shocked at the level of interest."source Fox Sports

With the Mets having a glaring hole in left field and a power shortage, it's easy to understand why speculation would surround the two sides. When you then include the idea that the Mets could unload a bad contract such as Oliver Perez or Luis Castillo the idea might be tempting.

After all, there have been fans clamouring for a edgy "bad boy" type player for several years and Bradley certainly fits that category.

But this is hardly a perfect fit for any team, in a career year in 2008 with the Rangers Bradley was a first time All-Star with a .321 BA, .436 OBP and .563 SLg., it's been reported Texas doesn't want him back.

Bradley has played for seven teams in 10 years and only made it past his second year in Cleveland. He has had battles with small market medias in San Diego and Texas, in mid-market Chicago his battles with the fans and the media became a complete distraction in the season and that was on a team with strong leadership.

I could see him coming to NY and making Bobby Bonilla jealous with his media distractions, but in the media Mecca of the world the pressure would be oppressive no matter how thick skinned he is.

Couple that with the fact that you have to pay him 20M for two seasons, he only hit .257 last year, is an injury risk, along with the Mets pale in comparison to the Cubs in leadership which couldn't keep him in check and you have a recipe for disaster.

Cammy back to NY...

Mike Cameron was the Mets center fielder from 2002-2004 and the right fielder for 2005 after the Beltran signing.

Cameron was a gold glover caliber fielder with a solid bat and decent speed, who was taken back by the acquisition of Carlos Beltran.

Some believe that the one time All-Star and lifetime .250 hitter requested a trade after the 2005 season, at 33 y/o he still had several years left in his legs in center.

After the now infamous collision others believed that Shea was too small for two center fielders and the Mets moved him to avoid another catastrophe.

Of course it could have simply been a cost cutting measure, Cammy was owed 18M over three years (2007 - 7M but a 500k buyout).

Not only is Cammy a solid fielder with decent on base speed but he averages 20 HRs a year and is considered a great clubhouse guy. Last year he signed a one year deal worth 7M and is a free agent this year.

Marty Noble in answering questions about next year's roster said he liked the idea of Cammy in LF and then added so did the Mets. Could the Mets be looking to bring him back and at 36 y/o would he now be willing to play the corner full-time...

I like the idea of Cameron, and so do the Mets. He would provide reliable and comprehensive defense in left field and might hit 15-20 home runs at Citi Field if he played 120 games. source MLB.com

Francoeur's value...

At the end of the season there was a report that Jeff Francoeur would seek a three year deal and that the Mets were actually entertaining the idea. This would forgo his last two years of arbitration and his first year of free agency.

The answer as to why Francoeur would do this is easy, job security but for the Mets it's not so clear. There are two ways the Mets could be looking at it:

1) They could see him as the real deal and pay him slightly over arbitration value with a reasonable price in his first year of free agency. The savings comes in not surrendering him a big pay out in his first year of free agency.

2) If the Mets are financially struggling then they could back load the deal, essentially taking a loan out from their own player. Getting him at a discount for the next two years and then a size able increase in the third year...

It seems like a no brainer to offer Frenchy arbitration but his true long term value is still in question. Sabernomics tries to value Frenchy if only for the short term...

In 2009—including his awful time with the Braves, and his good stint with the Mets—I estimate that he was worth $6.8 million. Arbitration-eligible position players tend to earn approximately 74% less than their MRP estimates; thus, in arbitration Francoeur might expect to receive around$1.8 million. That’s $1.6 million less that his 2009 salary. Even if the Mets are able to successfully convince an arbitrator that Francoeur is worth $1.8 million, the Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the salary reduction to 20%: $2.7 million. But, that’s not relevant to the Mets. Sure, they wish he hadn’t been signed to a bigger deal. The question is: is he worth $2.7 million? Source Sabernomics

Towers to pick around winter meetings

Regardless of who's in his entourage it's important that Omar has a full staff entering the winter, since this off-season is going to be extremely busy and some of the moves are going to be very creative.

One of the guys he has been looking to join his staff is former San Diego Padres GM Kevin Towers. Just after the season Towers was quoted as saying he didn't want to take a position where he was at a desk or the heir apparent to the present GM.

You would think the Mets would be ruled out, due to Omar tenuous hold on his position. If Towers can be brought in, it's a good thing, he's very good at trades and roster depth. According to Newsday Towers is looking to decide by the winter meetings.

Didn't have time to post this last night, but Kevin Towers attended the game, and he said he'll be looking to take on a new job sometime around the winter meetings in December. The Yankees, Mets and Red Sox all have expressed interest in utilizing his services. source Newsday

Takahashi released but why now...

Forty year old rookie Ken Takahashi has been let go, in another odd move the Mets have released the veteran Japanese pitcher.

Omar and Co. have been long portrayed as the Herman Edwards of roster management, and the timing of the Takahashi release is another head scratcher.

Despite being 40 y/o he is a first year player, meaning that the team has full options and control over him for the next five years. So for a pitcher who's left handed, was reasonably successful as a long reliever, middle reliever and can start, why would you release him. Even if he's not in your plans, tuck him away in Buffalo.

What makes it more perplexing is that Omar targeted Takahashi last off season, despite his age and scouting reports that indicated he was a left handed pitcher who did better against righties. The Blue Jays were the only team to give Taki a major league contract but when they released him Omar quickly scooped him up.

On the surface there's no real reason for the Mets to release him now; free agency hasn't started, trades generally aren't taking place and there will be plenty of roster room once players file for free agency. Unless of course Taki requested his release to seek a deal back in Japan who I believe are into the free agency stage, Kenji Johjima was just granted his release to return to Japan.

The only other thing that might have occurred is with the team meeting Yusei Kikuchi this may have been a cultural issue. While in America teams would have players from the same state call a player in Japan the opposite might be true. Last off season Dice-K was reportedly up-set with Boston because they signed Junichi Tazawa. Apparently according to their customs players should play in Japan prior to coming to America.

In 27.1 innings, all as a reliever he had an ERA of 2.96 and a WHIP of 1.35

Davis a runner-up player of week in AFL

Ike Davis continues to make a name for himself, while I'd like the Mets to sign or trade for a player who would completely block Davis for next year ( Adam LaRoche), so that they wouldn't be tempted to bring him up, I think they'll do the exact opposite.

I think the Mets will bring in a marginal player or re-sign Tatis. As I said yesterday if this is the route they take, my choice would be Ryan Garko. They'll hope for a productive year out of the player, while keeping a close eye on Davis' progress in Buffalo. If the player they bring in flops, I can see Davis coming up by mid-season.

When we finally have a potential impact player coming out of the farm, why would I want to block him ?

I'm only talking about next year, I believe strongly that this organization has rushed it's players to the majors which has resulted in set backs, confidence issues, bad compensatory habits and poor fundamentals.

Call it airing on the side of caution, I would like to see Davis get a full year of seasoning in AAA. Of course, I'll probably be clamouring for him to come up if he's destroying the International league, what can I say I'm a fan...

This week Davis received consideration for AFL player of the week, Keith Law of ESPN also praised him ( Insider only/subscription required), see Laws comments in a thread at NYFS.

Other players receiving player-of-the-week consideration were Surprise Rafters first baseman Ike Davis (NYM) source MLB.com

Ryan Garko would be my pick...

If Adam Rubin's information is accurate and I have no reason to believe it's not, since he always appears to be spot on in my book, then the Mets are looking for a right handed platoon partner for Murphy at first base...

I've felt that one of Omar's biggest failures since after the 2006 season is his inability to make in-season adjust specifically by making smaller role player moves in-season. Look at a transaction sheet for two years straight (2007-2008) any team in contention was making moves while the Mets were one of the most stagnant teams. I'm not talking about the Hail Mary 6 for 1 deals, I'm talking about the two marginal prospects to strengthen the bench type of deals. In my opinion, it's no coincidence that in a season known as a long grind, we as one of the only teams not to make moves to bolster our roster ran out of gas in September and fell short.

This season was much different but I am still troubled by the tread of inactivity in-season. Jeff Francoeur was a very good move and a perfect example of the type of deals we should have been making in-season. Trading for players with minimal impact on the farm, who could create a buzz to sell tickets ( we need that income for the off-season) and help in the future.

Ryan Garko was a perfect example of the type of move I expected the Mets to make, he ended up costing the Giants their #12 prospect ( the equivalent of our Dillion Gee). Garko is a 28 y/o right handed player with a lifetime .280 BA and adept at platooning. He is controllable with two more years of arbitration. In the playoff's with the Indians he had a .314 BA in nine playoff games. His original position was catcher ( 4 minor league seasons 141 games) which he hasn't played in three years but still could be considered for emergency situation which gives the mgr. more flexibility with late inning pinch hitting and he has played a few games in LF.

The Mets chose to pass on many reasonable deals at the deadline but Garko maybe available again and they shouldn't make the same mistake twice. Once traded to the Giants it just didn't seem like a good fit or to work out for either side, Garko went from hitting .285 to .235 and now the Giants may look to non-tender him while opting to go after Nick Johnson. Johnson would be an upgrade defensively and in OBP but the Mets aren't believed to be willing to take on an injury risk. Garko seems to be a perfect fit on many different levels and whether it's working out a deal with SF or signing him after he's non-tendered he would be my first pick as Murphy's platoon partner...

Look at the market for free agent 1B, and realize that Ryan Garko's poor performance after the trade from Cleveland works in our favor at the negotiation table. Garko is arbitration eligible, and his 2 homers and .235 batting average in 115 at bats with the Giants would suggest that he's looking at a pay cut. For the season, Garko hit 13 homers between San Francisco and Cleveland, with 51 RBI and a .268 batting average. If no big bats are offered in trade, the Giants could do far worse at 1B than a platoon of Garko and Ishikawa. I would expect the platoon to be responsible for 20+ homers, 80+ RBI, solid pinch hitting from either side of the plate, and Ishikawa provides a very good late inning defensive replacement in games he doesn't start. source Sporting News

Holliday likes NY...

According to an inside source, Ken Davidoff of Newsday is reporting that Matt Holliday wants to play in NY. The Yankees are his first choice with the Mets coming in second.

While the Yankees may not want to spend on a big dollar signing, they have 40M coming off the books and four outfielders ( 201M-2009/ 166M-2010 with Matsui, Damon, Nady and Hairston gone) so there's room on the field and financially.

Holliday struggled in his half season in the America league but it also sounds like the size of Citi Field. I can see the Yankees once again winning a bidding war for the prize free agent.

Of course, this could all be a ploy to get the large markets involved and drive the price up...

Holliday's primary reservation about joining the Mets? Yup, hitting at Citi Field. Maybe they can alter the dimensions? Jerry Manuel hinted near the end of the season that wasn't impossible. source Newsday

Ohman a free agent...

Many including myself, wanted the Mets to pick-up Will Ohman for several years. Ohman was seen as a solid lefty who could pitch multiple innings.

When the market dropped out, it appeared that the Dodgers had stole the lefty reliever signing him to a one year 1.35M minor league deal with a 2.2M club option for 2010. Ohman made the team out of spring training but only appeared in 22 games before being sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Ohman blamed the original injury on only having a week of spring training but while rehabbing the shoulder suffered a set back and required surgery in Sept. He is expected to be ready for spring training but at 32 y/o and an injury risk I'd take my chances with Misch.

The Dodgers made the first decision of an offseason that hasn't even started yet on Friday by declining the $2.2 million 2010 option on left-handed reliever Will Ohman and instead paying a $200,000 buyout that makes him a free agent. source MLB.com

Struggling fly ball pitchers...

Joel Sherman of the NY Post explores some alternative starters the Mets could go after. Sherman takes a look at three American league starters, who are considered fly ball pitchers and struggled this past off-season. The concept being by low on a guy with potential who would benefit from a league change and an expansive park. I like the idea but the guys he's talking about wouldn't be the complete answer, you would need to sign another guy at the same level. If the Mets decide to not sign an expensive #2 or get involved in a big trade, then signing a reasonable starter and trading for one of these guys would make sense...

Santana, Meche, Ollie, Pelfrey, Marquis......Maine to the pen

Look at the greater success pitchers with good stuff have had jumping from the AL to the NL (think Vicente Padilla and Joel Pineiro). Why flyball pitchers? Because while most teams crave groundball types, the Mets could find bargains going the other way to capitalize on their huge stadium. Why high-end stuff coming off low-end years? Because you are looking to find value by buying low (protecting your system) and projecting what better-than-average stuff could mean in a big NL ballpark. source NY Post

Mejia is good maybe very good...

Prior to becoming an analyst Keith Law was a highly regarded scout/player development guy so when he reviews a prospect I listen. I have to be honest, I was a little disappointed with the pitching line on Jenrry Mejia in his first AFL appearance but reading Law's review of him, even in that poor outing, has me excited that we may have a future top of the rotation starter in our farm. Mejia wants to make the majors this year, even if it's only in the pen. That maybe a stretch but I think we have someone to look forward to in 2011...

The most impressive arm so far has been Jenrry Mejia of the New York Mets, who was on a short pitch count but showed two above-average pitches and a chance for a third. Mejia's fastball sat from 93-96 mph and touched 98, he also threw a plus changeup that looked more like a two-seamer at 85-87. It should be noted, though: the latter pitch was a little inconsistent. His curveball was even less consistent, but he threw one very sharp one for a called third strike at 78 mph, with good depth and clear two-plane break. He comes from a slot just below 3/4 and needs to focus on staying on top of the ball. He missed a chunk of the second half with a strained finger, which could impact how he grips the ball even now. He has a strong, thick build. The velocity comes easily, and if his command is better than what he showed on Wednesday and he can snap off that good curveball more frequently, he's a potential No. 1 or No. 2 starter. source ESPN

Platoon at 1B new LF...

According to Adam Rubin his sources believe that the Mets will look to fill the power void with a left fielder through free agency while trading for a right handed 1B to platoon with Murphy.

This appears to be a result of the market along with the emergence of Ike Davis. The market has several quality left fielders, lead by Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, who if your willing to pay would be a great addition to any team.

In addition to not wanting to block Davis for the 2011 season the 1B market is thin and the rumored 1B available for trade will cost a lot ( Fielder / Gonzalez).

However, right handed first baseman aren't easy to find;

Ryan Garko maybe a non-tender candidate, the Giants are said to be interested in Nick Johnson and after coming over in a trade, Garko struggled at the plate. The 28 y/o right hander who has been a platoon player most of his career would top my list, he's a lifetime .280 hitter and was hitting .285 in Cleveland, after the trade in limited action he hit .235.

Connor Jackson maybe available if your willing to risk that he recovers from Valley Fever and Kevin Kouzmanoff maybe a solid pickup but only has 6 minor league games at the position. A low budget stop gap free agent would be Xavier Nady, otherwise there isn't much out there.

It's still risky to go into the season with Murphy at first even in a more limited role, I would prefer a better firstbase option such as LaRoche...

While the Mets know they need to get an upgrade in power in left field or first base, I get the sense it will be in the outfield. There's little sense blocking prospect Ike Davis by signing a first baseman to a multi-year deal. I'm told the Mets likely will trade for a righty-hitting first baseman with a short-term commitment to pair with Daniel Murphy in 2010. source Daily News

Saito would be solid as a set-up man..

Takashi Saito's situation is very similar to J.J. Putz; both are former closers, who enjoyed their new teams as a set-up man and may now be squeezed out due to economics.

The Red Sox have the luxury of replacing Saito with younger and cheaper pitchers. The once dominant Dodgers closer had to settle for a set-up role in Boston after 2008, when some felt he was an injury risk ( only 46 gms in 2008 due to shoulder trouble) while others felt he was a gimmick pitcher the league would figure out..

Since coming to America in 2006 he has saved 83 games in 95 opportunities and posted a lifetime ERA of 2.05 in 236 innings, while striking out 297 and walking 77.

Despite concerns about his effectiveness, this season Saito appeared in 56 gms, posting an ERA of 2.43 with 52 SO and 25 walks.

If Boston picks up his option it's worth 6M plus incentives, for a 40 y/o with a history of shoulder injuries and on the decline that's just too expensive. While I don't expect him to get a closers job or get another big payday, he is still good enough to be a solid set-up man.

According to his contract Boston has to either pick-up his option or release him, however; for them to re-negotiate with him they have to outright him . There was a report today that the Sox had outrighted Saito but that seemed to be premature. It still appears that they will not pick up his option and he will become a free agent, the Mets should take a long hard look at him if they're really not bringing back Putz...

That said, it would not come as a surprise if the Sox were to outright Saito in the coming days. Assuming that such an assignment was rejected — as it surely would be — the pitcher would be subject to 48-hour release waivers and then, assuming he was not claimed by another club, become an unconditional free agent, eligible to re-sign with any of the 30 MLB teams, including the Red Sox. source WEEI

Beltran's twittering & web site...

The other day I noticed that someone had forwarded a post I made in regards to Carlos Beltran's wish list for this off-season. The twitter account was carlosbeltran15 which linked to a very cool Beltran web site. Apparently Beltran's staff has opened a twitter account and Beltran will be posting on it from time to time...

Guys we want to let you know Carlos's staff runs this Twitter account. But soon Carlos will start to update personally. source carlosbeltran15 twitter account

I hadn't heard of Beltran's web site prior to the tweet but it has some very cool graphics. Beltran is the second Met that I'm aware of with a twitter account, carlosdelgado21 also has an account, Delgado does a ton of charity work with students that is tweeted about on his account, very classy stuff...

Marquis goal to be a Met

It was reported towards the end of the season that Jeff Francoeur had spoke to his friend and former teammate, Jason Marquis about coming to the Mets. Francoeur stated that he spoke to Marquis who expressed interest in playing for his hometown team and Frenchy supported the idea. At the time the season was still going on and Marquis down played the idea, saying that he hoped many teams were interested in his services.

Now that the season is over Tracy Ringolsby is reporting that Marquis has told his Colorado teammates that his goal is to be a Met.

RHP Jason Marquis $9.875 million: Has told former teammates his goal is signing with the Mets. source Inside the Rockies

Here's my concern with Marquis, on his own he's too similar to what we already have. If Marquis is our only addition we will still have a rotation of Johan and then a bunch of #4s. However, if Marquis is acquired along with a solid #2 and the depth he brings allows them to do other things then I'm all for it. For example, if Marquis allows them to trade Ollie in a swap of bad contracts or Maine can be moved to the set-up role then it would make sense.

Johan, Marquis, Ollie, Pelfrey, Maine- isn't a strong enough rotation

Johan, Lackey, Marquis, Pelfrey and one of Maine or Ollie - would be pretty strong

For more on Marquis take a look at this post...

Up date: I was speaking with someone ( just another fan) and may have misinterpreted Ringolsby's article. Since Marquis most recent former teammates are Rockies and the stance seemed so much stronger, I assumed he had told his teammates at the end of the season that his goal was to be a Met. However, Ringolsby is much vaguer than that and this may just be a regurgitation of Francoeur's comments in a much stronger context ( they were teammates in Alt.)....

J.J. open to return...

I'm in the minority on this one, I think it would be smart for the Mets to retain J.J. Putz. Based on his comments he has enjoyed playing in NY and doesn't seem to mind being in a set-up role. Basically J.J. has said the ball is in the Mets court.

Here's the thing for me, there was a reason we acquired Putz in the first place, after signing K-Rod. If the 2008 season taught us anything it was that the 8th inning was as important as the 9th inning and when your closer goes down, you better have a back-up plan.

This year is no different then that one, the Mets don't have a clear cut set-up man and they certainly don't have a back-up closer. Omar has a history of fixing one problem at a time, hopefully he won't forget the lessons learned in 2008 and only fix the 2009 problems while re-exposing those old holes.

The talent pool on the free agent market isn't much better then what we have in-house, meaning the bottom line is a healthy J.J. is our best option and all indications are that he will be 100% come spring.

At the end of the World Series the Mets will have ten exclusive days to decide what course to take with Putz. There is a club option for almost 9M with a 1M buyout, the Mets could approach J.J. with a re-structured deal where he could earn that much through incentives ( 1M buyout+ 3M base + 4.7 in obtainable incentives= 8.7).

Maybe, he's one of those guys who feels he owes something to a team that traded a lot for him and he didn't live up to expectations, while auditioning for a big contract in 2011. After all, his value is at a low point after missing almost the entire season.

They could offer arbitration, J.J. made 5M this year and arbitration is based on the last two years so he would make a decent salary, if he accepted it. If he didn't, they would receive a sandwich pick since he's a type B free agent.

Of course, the Mets could negotiate with him as a free agent and hope to lure him back but I think someone will make him a closer.

But if J.J. is not interested in re-negotiating his contract I wouldn't be so quick to just dismiss him as too expensive, not only does it create a huge impact hole in the pen but we also gave up an awful lot to get him. For the difference between what we want to spend on him and what he's going to get ( if the option is picked up), were talking about very much in the grand scheme of things....

"I'll just wait to see how it hits me when [the Mets] decide," Putz said. "I guess I'd be open to pretty much anything. I liked being there. I enjoyed the guys, not the season." source MLB.com

Ollie is determined...

Last year I would be more skeptical then I am this season, thanks to Luis Castillo. Yes, I was one of those who wanted Castillo gone no matter what and didn't believe he could make a comeback that would convince me otherwise. Castillo did prove me wrong and even though he could be moved this off-season, I would have no problem with him returning.

After signing a three year 36M contract Oliver Perez had the worst year of his career. He only made 14 starts ( 65 innings ) with a record 3-4 with an ERA of 6.82.

First Ollie's ineffectiveness was blamed on conditioning at the WBC and then a knee injury was revealed. Now, maybe he actually had an injury but it's hard to believe when Ollie had a hard time identifying which leg was injured when asked by reporters.

If there was an actual injury, it would be the first of his career which would be encouraging for his chances to return at 100%. My bigger concern is that Ollie's issues are more in his head than his knee and while I would have never signed him, Castillo's example gives me hope that he can turn it around. Jon Heyman is reporting that Ollie may have moved to Arizona to rededicate himself to baseball...

I'm hearing Ollie Perez is moving to Arizona to rededicate himself to baseball. cant hurt. #mets source SI_JonHeyman twitter

Who's the real GM, Omar or Jeff...

I thought by this time of the off-season Omar would have already assumed a new title, something fancy like President of baseball operations. Title aside it would basically mean that John Ricco or some former GM would be in front of the mics and making personnel decisions.

But according to Jon Heyman of SI.com Omar was saved by his new contract extension, an extension that is the equivalent of a bench players salary. The Wilpon's are going to have a hard time convincing people that they aren't financially struggling when they won't cut a 3.3M salary.

According to Peter Gammon, Omar may only be a figure head anyway, there to take the heat for the Wilpon's decisions. Why would Omar take such a role if it's true, he needs to repair his damaged image before he can go anywhere.

Gammons, as heard on the Michael Kay Show on 1050 ESPN New York, was asked why the Mets had not hired a particular coach. Gammons replied, “Ask the general manager, Jeff Wilpon.”

Asked why Minaya wasn’t interested, Gammons replied, “He’s not the general manager. Omar’s the one out there to take the heat.” source NY Post

Doubleday, despite sounding bitter, may have been pretty accurate in his comments about the Wilpon's buying him out back in July of 2003...

"Mr. Jeff Wilpon has decided that he's going to learn how to run a baseball team and take over at the end of the year," Doubleday told the newspaper. "Run for the hills, boys. I think probably all those baseball people will bail." source ESPN

The legend of Ike Davis grows...

Lets try to keep this prospective, Dan Murphy hit over .300 in 49 games in the major leagues in 2008, then went to the Arizona fall league, that very same year and hit .397.

Whether in those two short stints Murphy's bat convinced the organization that he was major league ready or his hitting helped justify filling a position with a low budget alternative due to the Madoff scandal, is a matter of semantics. The fact of the matter is that the Mets convinced themselves that Murphy was a major league ready starter and while I believe Murphy will be a major leaguer, in my opinion he still needs minor league seasoning or is a role/bench player.

Ike Davis has had a tremendous year and I'm very excited for our future at 1B, Davis appears to be the real deal, who will be a lock down 1B for many years to come. But that doesn't mean, based on 309 AB in AA in which he hit .309 that I'm convinced he should come straight up to the majors.

No one at this point is discussing Davis coming to the majors, but the kid is racking it in the AFL with Omar and Jerry in the stands. In the first two games he's hitting over .600 with two doubles and a grand slam, in six at bats he has six RBIs. With each power hit, I can see Omar talking himself into the idea that he's found his 1B for 2010.

I believe Davis is our 1B in 2011 and all we need is a stop gap for next year, but I also believe in the developmental system and that one of the biggest flaws in our system is the fact that we rush our players leading to set backs and poor fundamentals...

Mejia to the pen in 2010...

Jennry Mejia is 20 y/o top pitching prospect who is on the fast track for Flushing. The hard throwing righty spent half the season in AA, and the highly competitive youngster injured a finger on his pitching hand trying to push himself.

Mejia is in the Arizona fall leagues, his first appearance, today; was attended by Omar, Jerry and most of the Mets organizational staff.

The outing didn't go very well, as he walked three and gave up a hit while three runs scored in one inning of work.

The staff is in Arizona trying to evaluate whether Mejia will be ready to help in the pen this up coming year...

Manager Jerry Manuel traveled Tuesday from his home in Sacramento., Calif., to gauge whether Mejia may be able to help the Mets in the bullpen in early 2010, as well as to evaluate first-base prospect Ike Davis. GM Omar Minaya is also in attendance. Mejia projects as a No.1 or No.2 starter in the majors eventually. source Daily News

Expect to hear Varitek's name...

The Mets need a veteran catcher who can handle delicate young pitchers and take control of a game. For this very reason the Mets were reported to be interested in Varitek until he re-signed with the Red Sox's last year.

This off-season, the Sox have a solid full time catcher ( Victor Martinez) and Varitek is an expensive extra piece. The two sides have a mutual option that if the club picks it up will be worth 5M and if they decline, with the catcher accepting the option it's worth 3M.

The Boston Herald is already reporting that Vartitek may not take his option, instead looking to find a full time job elsewhere. While I think it's important for this team to find a solid veteran catcher, I think they need to find someone who hits better then Varitek. His bat at 37 y/o has been on the decline for four years, he hasn't hit better then .255 since 2005.

The Red Sox hold a $5 million option for Varitek’s services for next season. If they decline it, Varitek then will decide if he wants to stick with the Red Sox for another year for $3 million or go to free agency and seek a full-time catching job somewhere else. source Boston Herald

Jaramillo available

Hitting guru Rudy Jaramillo has rejected a one year deal from the Texas Rangers and is now a free agent coach.




Jaramillo is believed to have been the runner-up for the Mets managing job in 2004 and it's been speculated that the only reason he was passed by was because the Wilpon's/Omar wanted to go with a NY guy ( Willie Randolph).


It was also rumored that the last time his contract was up the Mets considered bringing him in as a coach but they eventually decided against it because they didn't want Manuel looking over his shoulder.

However, this off-season the team has already said they will consider bringing in high profile coaches and are beyond concerns about any ones feelings.

Jaramillo worked with Francoeur this past off-season and is known as one of the best hitting instructors in the game today. But Jaramillo has managing aspirations and might not want to be pigeon holed into another hitting coach job.

Would having Jaramillo as a base or bench coach cause too much friction for both Hojo and Manuel to be worth what he could bring to the club.

While Jaramillo has a great reputation, it isn't impeccable as it's been said the Rangers weren't happy with their situational hitting.

Jaramillo is viewed by many as the best hitting coach in the game, and he is the highest paid. The Rangers' offense didn't perform as expected in 2009, and Ryan, Daniels and manager Ron Washington all said last week that the Rangers' approach needed to be revamped to include a better understanding of situational hitting. source Star-Telegraph