Here's a nice story for your Thanksgiving weekend

As we all work off the turkey and mashed potatoes, we should all try to remember what the holiday is all about.

Fernando Tatis came back to baseball for two reasons: 1. For the fun of the game and 2. To build a church.

Well after a spectacular comeback year, and fresh off a new contract with the New York Mets, Tatis put up the church in San Pedro de Macoris. Kevin Kernan has the story in the New York Post.

This was the Jerusalem First Church, a church Tatis quietly helped build, the church that inspired his amazing comeback.

"I don't have the words to explain it, it's unbelievable," Tatis said of his 2008 season and the new church that opened its doors last spring.

"I think it's a miracle."

Great story.

Tatis will likely split time with Daniel Murphy in left field next season, and hopefully they can put up some fine numbers at the plate. They'll struggle in the field, but combined they might be able to rake at the plate.

Good for Tatis. He really proved me wrong. I was against the signing and against his promotion, but he shined all season.

Mets Rumor Rundown: K-Rod to wait until after winter meetings

Patience is a virtue. Hopefully Mets fans are able to wait it out, if their holiday wish is Francisco Rodriguez.

K-Rod's agent, Paul Kinzer, has announced that his client will wait until after the Dec. 8-11 meetings to sign on the dotted line with whichever team suits him most.

Since K-Rod is waiting, it might be in the Mets best interest to try and sign a setup guy or compile a few arms in the bullpen between now and then. A strong bullpen must be one of the aspects the player (and his agent) look at, besides the $$ signs.

If I was a player, and Team A was offering me $10 million a year and Team B was offering $9 million a year, but Team B had a better bullpen, it's pretty much a no-brainer I'm signing with the latter.

The Mets could also make a move for Brian Fuentes in this time, either to land him as the closer, or make a play to drive down K-Rod's asking price.

Should be interesting to watch play out. At least we know we have another two weeks of K-Rod rumors, at the very least.

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a good one.

Enjoy your tryptophan-enduced sleep. I know I will.

Baby steps

Though this offseason seems to be moving as slow as molasses, thing are guaranteed to pick up soon as the Winter Meetings approach.

The Mets are taking their first steps toward a free agency signing, as they are planning to meet with the agents of Brian Fuentes and Francisco Rodriguez in the coming days. No money or years have been offered yet, but rumors have it that the Mets might be willing to dish out a four-year deal to land the closer they desire.

According to the running poll on the right, Mets fans are favoring Rodriguez by a nose, over Fuentes, Kerry Wood and Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks. Two votes were notched for "Other," likely Huston Street, who the Mets could have had.

I believe the CC Sabathia sweepstakes is the hitch between most teams and the free agents their pursuing. Whatever Sabathia signs for, agents around the league will compare that to the possible offers and use that as a jumping off point.

Keep on waiting, because it doesn't seem like anything is going to happen anytime soon. Eventually, deal will get done, but we'll probably be waiting until December for that to happen.

Somehow, this Citigroup thing is the Mets fault

Only Wallace Matthews could place blame on the Mets for the economic downturn.

In his latest column, Matthews writes:

The Mets should be embarrassed to emblazon their new park with the name of an outfit whose players performed even worse than the team did last year. They should be ashamed of using your money to advertise their (worthless) services. If they had any ethics, they would cancel the deal now and start looking for a sponsor that can actually pay its own bills.

But they don't, and they won't.

Right. Because it's the Mets fault Citigroup is laying off 52,000 and just got a check from the US gov't.

The Mets should just say, "You know what, take your $400 million, I'm sure with this economy, companies will be lining up around the corner!"

You're crazy, Matthews. If a team turned down $400 million right now, they'd be insane. This isn't the Mets fault, and don't try to pin it on them. Citigroup screwed up, and was lucky enough to get our money to save their butts. As I said yesterday, think of it as one giant commercial. They can do whatever they want with their commercials, why should we be able to say what they do with their naming rights.

Downright silly.

Mets could have had Street from Colorado for Heilman and Feliciano

According to Joel Sherman, the Mets contacted the Colorado Rockies after they acquired Huston Street. The Mets offered Aaron Heilman, but the Rockies wanted Pedro Feliciano included as well, and the Mets walked away.

Going by this, the Rockies need a left handed pitcher. Why not offer Heilman and Scott Schoeneweis? He's under contract and a lefty that they need. They'll dump Street, and keep Manny Corpas as their closer, and everyone is happy.

If somehow, they can include Luis Castillo in this deal, and get a bag of balls in return, that would be a miracle.

The Rockies are likely still listening to offers on Street, so hopefully Omar Minaya is racking up the phone bill with calls to Denver. If he can land Street and rid the team of Heilman and maybe Schoeneweis or Castillo (or both!) then I, and many other Mets fans, will be very happy. Street might not be the best option for closer, but he's damn well better than anything the team currently has.

If the No. 1 scapegoat for the last two seasons is off the team in the process of bringing in a young closer, then Minaya will have earned his extension in my eyes. At least until the next deal.

Citigroup and their naming rights

So far, this off-season is pretty boring.

The most exciting thing going on in Mets land right now is whether or not Citigroup should retain the naming rights to Citi Field after getting bailed out by the US government. Remember when baseball was an escape from everyday life, where you could focus on nothing but the game and the players and their passion for the game? Yeah, I can barely remember it either.

Citigroup is rumored to be laying off 52,000 employees, but will keep the $400 million deal to brandish their name on the Mets new ballpark, with American taxpayers money. Now, to them, it's just an advertisement. If they went about buying $200 million worth of commercials and billboards, no one would even bat an eye, but because it's naming rights to a stadium, people seem to be in an uproar.

I understand it's "America's money," but if you think about it in terms of commercials, we (American taxpayers) would have no say in how their commercials would look, sound or say. As frustrating and bizarre this might be, Citigroup has the right to do whatever they please with the name, because thanks to the US gov't and us, they now have some money to play with -- it's their money now.

Sorry to be brash, but it's the cold, hard truth.

But, if the naming deal does fall through, I've been a proponent of having it be MetLife Field. It only makes sense.

Mets Rumor Rundown: Rafael Furcal has an offer from the Mets

A few sources are citing an article in El Caribe quoting Rafael Furcal, who says he has an offer from the Mets. He's currently leaning toward a deal with the A's, but just the fact that the Mets made an offer is fairly telling.

And this is only days after Omar Minaya said he's ready to go into 2009 with Luis Castillo as his second baseman.

Furcal has a four-year, $48 million contract offer from the A's. The LA Times writes "Furcal said he has also received a substantial offer from the New York Mets, who want him as a second baseman."

That would free up the Mets to package Aaron Heilman and Luis Castillo to Kansas City for Jose Guillen or David DeJesus. Works for me!

I still think Castillo should start packing his stuff. I don't think he'll make it to spring training with this team. I'd like Furcal, who has also had his fair share of injuries. I hope Minaya doesn't sign an older, injury prone second baseman to another long-term contract.

Mets might miss out on free agent market -- move on to trading

It seems the Mets might have to raise their bids for some of their free agent pitching targets -- namely Derek Lowe -- or will have to turn to trades to fill their needs.

John Harper has a column in today's Daily News highlighting the Mets mistaken gauging of the free agent market. With the Yankees and Red Sox both bidding for Lowe, who wants five-years, $15 million per, and the Mets don't see themselves outbidding.

Whew. Five years for a 35-year-old is silly. He's good, but not that good. But again, this is a Scott Boras client, so the demands will be high but will eventually come down.

Harper also notes the possibility of a trade with the Rays. They're looking to move Edwin Jackson, and sort of fancy Aaron Heilman. Still, that wouldn't be enough to get the trade done, and Ryan Church might have to get involved. Which would mean the Mets would likely sign Raul Ibanez.

I don't like the sound of this. I really think Church could be a main-stay in right field for a while for the Mets, as long as he doesn't run into anyone else. I'd love to ship Heilman elsewhere, especially for a starting pitcher, a young one at that.

I doubt the Mets make a big splash this off-season. I'd rather see them build with great situational and under the radar type players. Build from the ground up.

Playing for Peanuts [ep. #2]

I'll be out most of the day, so please enjoy the second episode of "Playing for Peanuts." To order a DVD of the entire series, please check out the link below.

VIEW MORE EPISODES

VISIT PLAYING FOR PEANUTS - WEBSITE and BLOG

Castillo begged to stay with Mets

$18 million over the next three years. Luis Castillo. Second base. New York Mets.

While I don't like that sound of that, it seems us Mets fans better all get used to it.

According to Joel Sherman in an "exclusive" article, Castillo "requested an offseason meeting in which he implored Mets officials not to trade him and also pledged to re-dedicate himself to offseason training to assure he is in top condition next season."

That's all well and good, but he can train all off-season and he'll still be a slap hitter. He'll still run like someone just bashed his legs with a baseball bat, Tonya Harding / Nancy Kerrigan style. He'll still get hurt after making a routine play. He'll still need to miss a start because of his injuries at least once a week.

Castillo is the albatross of Omar Minaya's tenure. He was the face of fans anger and distrust of the team.

But, after this meeting, the Mets seem pleased with Castillo's fight and willingness to make amends. Sherman notes that Rey Ramirez, the Mets trainer, has been overseeing Castillo's workouts. Castillo will also play winter ball.

He has three years left on the contract, but I doubt he starts, or even plays all of them with the Mets. His knees are rebelling against him, and it's only a matter of time before the pain and recovery time are too much to handle. He's only 33, but injuries do that to a player. He's no longer the player he once was, even from the first day he came to the Mets.

I think the Mets will suffer through one more year of him, see how he does, and try to ship him elsewhere at the end of next season. Minaya will rue the day he signed him to the ridiculous contract unless some sort of miracle happens. I don't expect the fan distaste to dry up, even with a hot start to '09.

Good luck, Castillo. I hope you prove me wrong and become an integral part to this team over the next few years. But I doubt it.

Minor Update: Carp added to 40-man, Murphy has strained hammy

A few Mets minor league updates.

Mike Carp has been added to the Mets 40-man roster. It currently stands at 34 players, which it of note because today is the final day players can be added before the Rule V draft.

I think we finally might see Carp make it to the big leagues next season. It will be Carlos Delgado's final year with the Mets, so they might want to see what they're looking at with their best first baseman prospect. Carp was much more highly regarded a few years ago, but has had two down years.

Should be interesting if he can actually hit at the major league level.

On an injury note, Daniel Murphy has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which will keep him out of winter ball.

Murphy will skip winter ball to train for spring training. Murphy knows he has a great shot at making the club from Day 1, so he knows where to focus and work. He's definitely already a fan favorite. Hopefully he can put up similar numbers.

Heilman wants to start -- or get traded

Here we go again.

Aaron Heilman wants out of the Mets bullpen at all costs. According to his agent, Mark Rodgers, he wants to start or he wants out of New York.

I've harped on this in the past, but that was mostly in the middle of the season, when transitioning a pitcher used to relief work into a starter would take up lots of valuable time. According to Adam Rubin, there is a split in the organization about what to do about Heilman. Some would give him the chance to start, others want him in the bullpen.

Obviously, he's not working too well in the bullpen. He had a great 2006 season (until that fateful home run) and has gone downhill since. He shows flashes of greatness, but also long stretches of awfulness.

Right now, I'd have him conditioning to get a chance to start in spring training. The Mets only have three definite starters coming in for '09, how much can it hurt to give him a few reps at starting, evaluate what you have, and see if he can help. If not, a spring training trade is not out of the question, or he can begrudgingly go back to the Mets bullpen.

Jerry Manuel even mentioned he might use Heilman as a started at the end of July. This could have been a ploy to try and increase his trade value during the season, but Manuel did say Heilman could start.

Now that it's the off-season, and there is time to work on pitches and conditioning, why not give Heilman a start or two. He's under your control, could only help if he prospers, and if not, you at least show other teams that he's versatile.

KC Royals have a lot of outfielders

The Kansas City Royals traded for Coco Crisp from the Boston Red Sox. Another man in the Royals outfield? It was crowded before, but now someone will almost have to be traded.

The Royals have seven outfielders on their active roster now. Shane Costa, David DeJesus, Joey Gathright, Jose Guillen, Mitch Maier, Mark Teahen and now Crisp.

Before the trade deadline, Guillen was rumored to want out of KC, and the Mets showed interest. He's a bit of a hot head, but he would have helped, and still could. Guillen hit .264, hit 20 home runs and drove in 97 runs in 153 games in 2008 with the Royals. A career .273 hitter with a .323 OBP. He's a natural left fielder and shouldn't cost too much in terms of a trade.

The player that would be the best fit, I feel, is DeJesus. He's the best player on their team, in my opinion, so he's going to cost a bundle if he's even available. He's a Jersey boy who moved to Brooklyn and attended Rutgers, so he has roots in the area. A career .287/.360/.422 hitter, who can play anywhere in the outfield. He's 28, and had four seasons of MLB under his belt.

I would absolutely love to see DeJesus on this team. It may not be their top priority, but I'm worried Fernando Tatis won't put together anywhere near what he did last year and Daniel Murphy might still need some seasoning, or will be the starting second baseman if I had my wish. Pitching is the issue now, though, so I don't expect any position player talk to come up any time soon.

Are the Mets going to bring back the same rotation? Or close to it?

We already know 3/5 of the rotation is coming back. Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine will be leading the rotation. Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez are free agents, and there is a possibility one or both will come back in 2009.

Is this really the right play for the Mets?

The starting pitching was good last year. Santana had a Cy Young-caliber season, Pelfrey had a breakout season, finally pitching like we all knew he could and Maine was good, but lost most of his season to his shoulder injury.

Should the Mets forget about Perez and Pedro and look elsewhere? I'd like to see Derek Lowe on the Mets. He's not the youngest guy, but he knows how to play baseball and is a fighter (something this team needs). I'd LOVE to see A.J. Burnett or CC Sabathia, but I can't see that happening.

The Mets need to look to back-end starters, ones who know they're not the ace of the staff and don't wish to be paid like one. Jon Garland is another name I'd like to see the Mets sniff around a bit more.

I hope the Mets shy away from making this team look like last years and shift to a new, different approach with a handful of new players.

MetsLounge.com is back

After a few months offline, MetsLounge.com is back.

Mets Lounge, if you are unfamiliar, is a forum all about the New York Mets and baseball. Right now, there are three main contributors. We post a lot, so adding some more people would make it a lot more interesting.

So head over to MetsLounge.com to check it out, and hopefully you sign up and contribute to the conversation.

Poll: Be wary of Oliver Perez

The results are in!

In my latest poll, I asked if you think the Mets should sign Oliver Perez. Here are the results...

Yes, but be careful -- 56%
No, too inconsistent -- 28%
Yes, pay him what he wants -- 8%
No, too expen$ive -- 7%

I voted "Yes, but be careful." He's a Scott Boras client, a lefty and fairly young with a proven MLB record. All of that means he's going to demand the big bucks. He is pretty inconsistent, and it's been maddening over the last few years to watch a guy with such talent struggle against teams like the Washington Nationals.

I'd like to see him back. I love the hop-skip over the first base line, along with his pitching prowess. I think he started to blossom under Dan Warthen, which was something I did not expect.

If the Mets could lock him up for four years, I'd be happy to see that. They need to fill two holes in their rotation, and plugging it with a talented lefty can't hurt.

Next poll: K-Rod, Fuentes, Jenks, Wood or Other??

Rumor Rundown: Pedro, K-Rod and Fuentes

It's looking more and more like Pedro Martinez will return to baseball in 2009. The question now is if the Mets are willing to re-sign him, they might want to hurry up.

According to Pedro's agent, Fernando Cuza, "he's definitely coming back...It'll be fun to see the old Pedro again." Yeah, that would be nice, but don't count on it.

Pedro is what he is, an aging, Hall of Fame-bound pitcher, who when he's having a good day can give you six or seven innings. He's a number five starter now, nothing more. If the Mets can keep him in New York with a one-year deal, it would provide some back of the rotation security if guys like Jon Niese and Bobby Parnell don't shine in spring training.

Bring back Pedro!

** * **

The Mets are yet to receive the medical reports for Francisco Rodriguez or Brian Fuentes. This means the possibility of proposed deals will have to wait, as the team will want to look at the medical report before making any contract offers.

So even with the news that they're set to make offers this week, I think it will be a while before Omar Minaya gets any traction under his tires.

Sit back, relax and enjoy November. Things will start to pick up next month.

Mets garner votes for NL MVP

Congratulations to Albert Pujols for winning the National League MVP. This is his second MVP win, his other coming in 2005.

A few Mets garnered votes for their 2008 campaigns. David Wright finished in seventh, and Carlos Delgado finished in ninth.

Other Mets receiving votes: Johan Santana finished in 14th, Carlos Beltran tied for 21st and Jose Reyes landed in a tie for 24th.

Not a bad showing for the Mets. If I ever hear that Beltran is over-rated again, I'm gonna flip.

Mets set to make pitch to pitchers

The off-season will quickly take shape, as Omar Minaya is apparently set to show the number to the few free agent pitchers he has been courting.

This all makes perfect sense, especially since I shaved my beard last night. And for those of you who are just joining The 'Ropolitans, my beard has had a long history connected to the Mets.

David Lennon in Newsday cites an anonymous source who indicates Minaya will show the money to Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes, and possibly Derek Lowe. Lennon points out the Mets are more worried about the amount of years on the contract, opposed to how many bucks they'll be forking over.

Three, thankfully, seems to be the Mets limit. Minaya is fearful of anything more than that, as he's learned his lesson with some long-term contracts with aging or injured players.

Lennon also presents a side to the story I never really thought about:

The Mets already have suggested that K-Rod, despite the best resume among the candidates, is not a slam-dunk to anchor their bullpen. But it's difficult to determine if their reservations about Rodriguez - floated publicly as concerns - are legit or merely a negotiating ploy to get him at their price.

How true and how smart.

I've heard a bit of a rallying cry against K-Rod, due to his "arm problems" and "decreased velocity." Are these people just buying into some falsified rumor? I don't think so, because his numbers are there to prove something is up, but maybe the rumor was made to fit the numbers.

Before I get all conspiracy theorist here, let's remember that we we're almost universally worried about Johan Santana and his decreased velocity. He seemed to have lost a few miles per hour off his stuff at times, but look at the season he put together. Could this have been another ploy to land the pitcher for cheaper? Oh, here we go again.

Either way, the Mets seem poised to make the first move of the 2008-2009 off-season as they build around the core for the '09 campaign. The waiting game is quickly nearing it's end.

K-Rod in NY, close to contract with Mets? [Updated: Or not]

"Yes, it's true. Francisco traveled to New York to get a medical checkup. That's all I needed to give effect to its contract with the Mets," confessed a source linked to stellar closing Venezuelan, who comes to impose a record for Major League, with 62 rescues that conquered during the regular harvest."
-Translated page from El Universal (via Mets Blog), noting Francisco Rodriguez traveled to New York.

If you want to believe this article, K-Rod is getting very close to signing a contract with the Mets, if he's getting checked out by Mets doctors.

A lot of people have taken note of his decreased velocity, so having his arm checked out is something of high importance for whatever team decides to pay him what he wants.

Take this article with a HUGE grain of salt. I don't trust this "source" at all.

Still, I'm nervous.

UPDATE: According to Bart Hubbuch in the Post, this story is completely false. He even quotes K-Rod's agent, Paul Kinzer, who said it was "total BS."

Well, there goes that. For now.

Rumor Rundown: Closers

There are three big names the Mets have been linked to: free agents Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes and Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks.

According to John Harper in the Daily News, the Mets have contacted the agents of both Rodriguez and Fuentes. On the other hand, he notes "a person familiar with the Mets strategy" the team would rather go the free agent route.

How confusing.

As I said the other day, I'd prefer a free agent over a trade. It would make more sense for the Mets current situation. Harper notes that the Omar Minaya is reluctant to hand out a long-term, pricey contract to a high profile closer.

I suggest a three-year deal for Fuentes. It's nothing over the top, and he'd be paid well. Maybe if they don't overpay, he could transition to set-up man if Eddie Kunz or Bobby Parnell pans out within the next few years. Or he could just be a very expensive 8th inning guy.

Ken Davidoff links the Mets closed to a Jenks trade. He cites a few interesting stats, including his strikeout numbers, walks and velocity. He's an interesting pitcher, and I wouldn't mind having him on the Mets, I'm just wary of what they'd have to give up for him.

The Mets have options, which may help them not overpay or sign to too long of a contract. Should be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few months.

Mets about face on CC

Yesterday, the baseball world was buzzing with the rumor that the Mets would make a run for CC Sabathia. Today, it's a completely different story.

From Marty Noble:

The Mets learned Friday they have more than a passing interest in signing CC Sabathia. They were delighted by the very prospect of a Johan Santana-Sabathia tandem. If they could have pulled off the deal for Roy Oswalt a few summers ago, it could have been Santana-Oswalt-Sabathia -- SOS for their opponents. And why not dream?

Turns out it is a dream, two-thirds of it, anyway. Oswalt never made it to Queens, and from what folks in the Mets hierarchy said Friday, Sabathia won't either; not because the club doesn't want him, but because it has no intention of making a run at him. A published report said the Mets would.

Not surprised. Rumors get blown out of the water, just from one person saying "Yeah, we'd like a guy like him," it turns into a full on "METS PURSUING CC!!!!!"

Just another reason to take every rumor you hear with a big grain of salt.

Mets name Alicea first base coach

Now the coaching staff in complete.

From the press release:

Manager Jerry Manuel completed the New York Mets' coaching staff today by naming Luis Alicea the team's first base coach.

For the last two years, Alicea was the first base coach for the Boston Red Sox. Luis also was a manager in the Red Sox Minor League system for three seasons. He directed Lowell (A) of the New York-Penn League from 2004-2005, Greenville (A) of the South Atlantic League in 2006 and Peoria of the Arizona (A) Fall League, also in 2006

The weirdest part about this is when I was walking back from class, not five minutes ago, I was wondering when they would name the first base coach. With Lee Mazilli out at SNY, I was pondering his chances at returning to coaching. Guess not.

I can't criticize this move at all. He's the first base coach. Yay.

Subway Series: Mets want in on CC Sabathia

If you thought the Subway Series were heated, or even last season's pursuit of Johan Santana, if the Mets are really in on CC Sabathia, things between the two teams are about to get crazy.

Four different writers in the Daily News note that the Mets look like they're going to be players in the bidding war for the portly Sabathia.

Bill Madden / Anthony McCarron / Adam Rubin:

A high-placed Yankee source Thursday reacted to the development by saying: "The Mets are in it? Great. Bring it on."
---
Such a deal with the Mets likely would require backloading some of Sabathia's salary, at least until Carlos Delgado's $12 million and Billy Wagner's $10.5 million salaries for 2009 are cleared.

I don't like the sound of that at all.

John Harper:

And the Mets are going to slug it out with them? I'll have to see it unfold to believe it, partly because they don't have the resources to go dollar for dollar with the Yankees, and partly because they have never shown much of an appetite for this kind of fight for fear of being embarrassed.

All of which makes it all the more fascinating, of course, if the Wilpons truly are willing to go to war with the Steinbrenners over Sabathia.

Me too, Harper. Me too.

The Mets have to focus their money and attitude toward fixing the bullpen. Santana is the ace of the staff, and he can tell you all about how a poor bullpen will ruin games. Santana could have easily been the Cy Young Award winner, if only his bullpen could have converted those six blown games.

A great starting pitcher can only do so much. I hope whatever team signs Sabathia doesn't expect him to repeat his complete game performances from last season -- notching 10 last season, and seven in 17 games for Milwaukee.

It's not that I don't want Sabathia on the Mets. I'd love to see his stomach stretching those blue pinstripes on the mound at Citi Field. The team needs to remember where their problems came from the last two seasons, and figure out how to fix it. I know they have two holes in their rotation, but they have about eight holes in their bullpen.

Bullpen first, (cheaper) starting pitchers later.

Link: BP breaks down the NL East

Check out this article from Baseball Prospectus, on SI.com, breaking down the National League East.

Good ideas all around, I guess. Should be interesting if they nail any of these on the head.

Wright wins Silver Slugger

He's going to have a very crowded mantle as his career progresses.

David Wright was awarded a Silver Slugger award for his 2008 campaign at the plate.

This is Wright's second straight year winning a Silver Slugger. To many, many more Wright.

Craig Carton is hilarious

Just got this from WFAN:

WFAN’S CRAIG CARTON TO LEAD A FREE AGENT RALLY FROM CITI FIELD

New York, NY – Craig Carton, co-host of the Boomer and Carton show on Sports Radio 66, WFAN is taking Hot Stove Baseball to the streets as he leads a free agent rally live from the New York Mets new home, Citi Field.

The Rally will begin at 11am this Friday, November 14th in front of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Carton is not new to rallies as this past summer he blitzed the Jets training camp at Hofstra with a bullhorn leading a “Let’s get Brett” chant, in hopes of swaying Jets brass to sign hall of fame Quarterback Brett Favre.

This time Carton hopes to encourage the Mets to be very active in the 2008 Major league Baseball free agent pool and look to sign some of the top free agents available beginning this Saturday. Among the players he hopes to convince Mets management to go after are: Francisco Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, and slugger Manny Ramirez.

I love Craig Carton. What a character. Oh, and he prefers it to be "CC," without the periods.

If anyone attends, please take pictures.

Kevin Gregg traded to Cubs

The Marlins fire sale continues.

The Marlins traded Kevin Gregg to the Chicago Cubs, which signifies another closer will be on the market. With Gregg now on the team, it's highly unlikely that the Cubs will re-sign Kerry Wood, another closing pitcher the Mets can take a look at.

I almost feel bad for Marlins fans, then I remember they have just as many World Series championships as the Mets do.

Phillies considering Jim Duquette for Asst. GM

Please hire this man, Phillies. Mets fans know what he can do, and I can only wish he does the same to your team.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies are looking to round out their front office, and Jim Duquette is one of the "finalists."

Former Mets and Orioles G.M. Jim Duquette and Reds G.M. Wayne Krivsky are under consideration, major-league sources say, along with Muzzy Jackson, the Royals' former assistant G.M., and Scott Proefrock, the Orioles' director of baseball administration.

I predict the Phillies would trade away Cole Hamels for Carl Pavano, if Duquette is hired.

Braves closing in on Jake Peavy

As a Mets fan, I am not pleased by this news.

Scott Miller of CBSSports.com, is reporting the Atlanta Braves have offered a four-player package to the San Diego Padres, who will ask Jake Peavy to waive his no-trade clause for the deal to go through.

According to Miller:

Under terms of the deal discussed by the Braves and Padres, San Diego would receive shortstop Yunel Escobar, Class A outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, one of two starting pitchers -- Charlie Morton or Jo-Jo Reyes -- and either reliever Blaine Boyer or one of two minor-league left-handers (one of which is believed to be Jeff Locke).

The Braves want an answer by Friday, so the Padres are hard pressed to get Peavy to waive his no-trade clause.

I, obviously, really don't want to see this deal go through. The Braves have a deep enough farm system that this deal will crimp their minor leagues a little, but not put a dent in them like the Johan Santana trade for the Mets.

The Mets, in their endless pursuit to get in on every trade rumor out there, have been cited as inquiring on Peavy, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports:

Others have inserted themselves as well, including the Boston Red Sox and pitching-thin New York Mets.

I can't see it happening, so don't get your hopes up. It'd be great to have a 1-2 punch of Santana and Peavy, but I think the Mets have bigger fish to fry over landing another ace starter.

Would be nice though.

I'd prefer a free agent over a trade

The latest and greatest rumor about the Mets right now is that they're looking into Bobby Jenks of the Chicago White Sox. Though Jenks is not really "available," the team thinks they might be able to pry him away from the Pale Hose with a decent package.

Why the Mets are looking to give up more players from their farm system is beyond me. There is a big enough market for free agent closers out there, I'd rather dish out the dough for one of them instead of trading away talent.

Ken Davidoff takes a look at Jenks or Francisco Rodriguez on his Baseball Insider blog:

I think I'd vote for a Jenks trade. Remember, in the Santana trade, the Mets gave up top chips for really just one year of Santana. After that, the Mets had to treat Santana like a free agent.

But Jenks is a proven commodity, and if he somehow flops, he won't drain the payroll and roster flexibility as would K-Rod (who, interestingly, is younger than Jenks, despite having three more years of service time compiled).

(This argument is made only for Jenks versus K-Rod. Brian Fuentes or Kerry Wood or even Trevor Hoffman were not figured into this article.)

I understand his point in choosing Jenks here, as last year K-Rod struggled a bit with allowing runners, but seems to be able to work out of it time and time again. Was it luck? Was it skill? Omar Minaya might not want to take the chance, especially with a fanbase of fragile, skeptical Queens faithful due to the inept bullpen over the last two seasons.

I don't mean to downplay Jenks' contribution to the White Sox. He's tallied 117 saves in three plus seasons, closing the book on 41, 40 and 30 games respectively since 2006. He's under team control until 2011, but is arbitration elegible. His price will go up, but it's still miniscule compared to what K-Rod is asking. (Jenks made $550,000 in 2008.)

Still, with a new stadium, a flourishing TV network and a half-decent team bringing in money, I'd much rather see the team sign a slightly bloated paycheck over draining the farm system anymore than it already has been. Sign over trade.

Manuel gets a few votes for Manager of the Year

Congratulations to Joe Maddon and Lou Pinella for winning Manager of the Year in their respective leagues. Mets manager Jerry Manuel garnered 10 votes, coming in sixth.

The NL list went as follows:
Lou Pinella -- 103
Charlie Manuel -- 67
Fredi Sanchez -- 48
Joe Torre -- 45
Tony La Russa -- 11
Manuel -- 10
Cecil Cooper -- 3
Dale Sveum -- 1

Sveum? Really? He managed 12 (twelve!) games after taking over for Ned Yost. He managed the team to a 7-5 record in the regular season, and a 1-3 record in the postseason.

Did he really deserve a vote, even if it was for third place?

Maybe Manuel will win it next season after guiding the 2009 Mets to a World Series title. Wouldn't that be nice?

Could Obama speed up the free agency process?

With President-Elect Barack Obama set to take office on Jan. 20th, 2009, some big baseball deals may want to hurry the process along to see as much of that money as possible.

I don't want to get political here, so just stick with me. Feel free to post your love / hate for politics in the comments.

Obama has planned to raise the federal income tax rate from it's current 35 percent up to 39.6 percent. This may not affect you and me, but for the multi-million dollar deals that go down in Major League Baseball, this is a big issue.

From the AP:

Next year's major league minimum is $400,000. Agent Scott Boras, negotiating eight- and possibly nine-figure deals for free agents Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeira, already has thought about the possibility of asking for larger signing bonuses payable this year in some of his contracts.

"There's some consideration to be had with the impact of the election," he said.

Free agents can't start negotiating money with all teams until Nov. 14. Only a relatively small percentage of contracts are finalized before Jan. 1.

Still, for a big-money free agent earning $10 million in 2009, Obama's plan could increase his federal tax by more than $400,000.

I never really thought about how the election affects baseball and it's players, mostly because they earn enough money as it is. Still, it should be interesting to see if any players jump right in to save a chunk of change on their new contract.

Piazza putting pen to paper

Mike Piazza is currently writing a memoir on his time in the league.

It's already on my wish list for next Christmas, as the book is due out in 2010. It is currently untitled.

Topics being covered:

He will also talk about the personalities and players from his days with the Mets, including Bobby Valentine, Pedro Martinez, and Rickey Henderson and many others," according to Simon & Schuster. "In the book, Piazza will describe how he matured as a ballplayer and a man over the last decade.

Oh boy, Henderson will be in it? I cannot wait.

Why I like Jerry Manuel

The New York Times has a pretty humorous article about Jerry Manuel and his latest golf outing. You could probably say I sip the Kool Aid when it comes to Manuel, but I like the way he handles himself, and how he's able to just laugh things off in front of the media, instead of saying mum and scurrying away.

Manuel was chatting casually with Frank Robinson as they waited to tee off at a charity golf tournament Monday, when he was greeted by a middle-aged Mets fan. They had barely shaken hands when the man asked Manuel a question that was apparently foremost in the minds of Mets fans no matter on which coast they lived.

What are you going to do about the pitching?

Manuel, nodded toward a group of long-retired major leaguers that included Al Downing, Joe Moeller and Darrell Jackson, and said with a chuckle, “There might be some old guys out here who can help us.”

No many managers will crack a joke about the one area of their team that hindered them the past two seasons. Compared to the media, answering a fans question, a fan who was most likely armed with a golf club, with humor and poise shows me how cool this man is.

Sure, he may have overworked the bullpen just like Willie Randolph did by bringing in a seemingly endless stream of players to get a handful of outs. But when Manuel makes a move, it just feels like he knows what he's doing and if he fails, he'll be willing to talk about it. He's the kind of manager that will take the loss on his own back, saying he made the wrong move, not the pitcher.

I like that.

I'm confident in Manuel as he gets the reigns for the start of 2009, and hopefully he's still around at the end. I'd like to see if last year was a just a fluke or if he actually has the poise, humor and sense of the game and his team to parlay them into the playoffs.

Hoffman or Street could help the Mets

Two closers can be had, both are at very different point in their career, and both could help the Mets.

On one hand, we have a 41-year-old who has notched 554 saves in his career, all but two coming for one team. He's a six time All Star, with a career 2.78 ERA.

On the other hand, there's a 25-year-old former Rookie of the Year. He's notched 94 saves in four years, but is coming off of two sub-par years in which he's lost his closing duties. He sports a 2.88 career ERA.

Player one is Trevor Hoffman. The San Diego Padres and Hoffman have been negotiating on a contract for their old closer, but Buster Olney is reporting the Pads have pulled their offer and will not bring Hoffman back.

San Diego was offering Hoffman $4 million, plus incentives for the 2009 season. If the Mets match that, just for one year, I'd be willing to see how much he has left in the tank. I know he's not going to blow people away, but he has the mental mettle to pitch in the 9th inning. He's definitely worth at least a look.

Player two is Huston Street. As part of the Matt Holliday to Oakland trade, Huston is now the property of the Colorado Rockies. A hefty trade would be in order, but I've heard the Rockies linked to Aaron Heilman before, and maybe throwing in Nick Evans (since he had some great games against them) and another player would be enough to get it done.

He's much younger than Hoffman, but has struggled lately, with 16 and 18 saves the last two seasons. We know he can handle the pressure of closing, but something may be wrong with his mechanics. I haven't seen him throw enough to gauge what may be wrong, but with the coaching staff the Mets have in place, especially with Dan Warthen being used to teaching young players, I think the Mets should take a shot at bringing him over and locking him up for a few years.

Of all the holes the Mets need to fill in the bullpen, closer is their No. 1 priority. These are two very different players, as Hoffman would be more of a one-year stopgap, while Street, if traded for, could be a Met for years to come.

Olsen, Willingham traded to Nats

In an odd in-division trade, the Florida Marlins have traded pitcher Scott Olsen and outfielder Josh Willingham to the Washington Nationals. The Marlins will get infielder Emilio Bonifacio and a package of minor leaguers, reports Ken Rosenthal.

The Nats are make a huge push to improve this off-season, as they're of the top teams to land free agent Mark Teixeira as well.

Willingham has been somewhat of a thorn in the Mets side. He's hit .285 against the Mets, but has hit 10 home runs and driven in 34 RBI in 50 games. Olsen has struggled against when playing New York. In 13 games, he holds a 1-5 record and a 4.74 ERA.

Bonifacio has only played in six games against the Mets, and holds a .190 batting average. Ex-Met Anderson Hernandez may take over the void left by Bonifacio at second base.

Strange trade. Still have to tango with all the players in 2009.

Matt Holliday traded to Oakland

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Oakland A's are set to acquire Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies.

That's right everyone, the prospect loving Billy Beane just traded for a big bat.

For Mets fans, this is great news, as the Phillies were rumored to be in on landing Holliday for their left field vacancy. I couldn't imagine replacing Pat Burrell with Holliday, so a big thank you goes out to Beane for pulling this one off.

Names that are heading to Colorado are still filtering in, but right now Heyman is reporting that outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, and pitchers Greg Smith and Huston Street may be in on the deal. This would also affect the Mets, as it was being said that Street could be had, possibly by the Mets for the back end of their bullpen.

Street, if he's in on the deal, would replace Brian Fuentes as closer. Fuentes, a free agent, is another name the Mets have been linked to as well.

Big trade by Beane, and a very surprising one if you follow baseball at all.

Funniest baseball trade of all time

During my insatiable journey through the internet for the weird and wild, I happened upon the article "Six of baseball's strangest trades."

The trade ranking in at No. 1 on the list involved the New York Mets, so I figured I'd pass it along.

Harry Chiti for Harry Chiti
You always see those mysterious “players to be named later” spring up in trades. There are usually restrictions on what players can be traded depending on how each team does. The best player named later, though, was Harry Chiti. At the beginning of the 1962 season, the Cleveland Indians dealt catcher Chiti to the New York Mets for cash and a player to be named later. In June, the two teams decided on the player: Harry Chiti, Essentially, Chiti was traded for himself and cash, making him the literal rent-a-player.

Could you imagine being traded...for yourself? Too funny.

2008 all over again

During the GM Meetings in California last week, news was flying left and right and rumors were swirling that seemingly everyone was on the trading block. Now that those meetings are over, I haven't read anything worthwhile dealing with baseball in days.

That leaves Andrew without baseball related material to write about.

That got me thinking about 2008 (again). What if the Mets made the playoffs and got bounced in the first round? Would that have pleased the fans, just because they actually made the playoffs?

Obviously, we want the team to win the World Series. Too bad that can't happen every year. With the Mets missing the playoffs, in grand fashion in 2007, if the Mets slipped into the playoffs somehow in 2008 I doubt fans would have been all right with just a brief appearance.

The Mets may have alienated some of their fan base with the '07-'08 campaigns. They're going to have to do a lot to re-solidify their trust.

So if the Mets somehow made it into the playoffs in 2008, and got swept out in the first round, would you have been happy?

Willie Randolph finds work

The Milwaukee Brewers have hired ex-Mets manager Willie Randolph as their new bench coach.

Randolph was a possibility for the managerial job for the Brewers, and was also offered a job on the Washington Nationals staff, but declined. Reports were also swirling that Randolph could have a shot at the Mariners top spot.

I'm guessing the Mets are off the hook for the money owed on the rest of Randolph's contract? I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think the Mets are up a few million because of this.

Good luck, Willie. Hope you enjoy beer and brats.

Persistence pays off

Gary Carter has been hired as the new manager of the Long Island Ducks. No word on if he contacted the team before the previous manager was fired.

The New York Times notes that the Mets offered Carter the managerial job for their Double-A franchise in 2007, but he turned it down saying "that a Hall of Famer should not have to go to Class AA to prove himself."

I had no problem with what Carter did before Willie Randolph was fired, but a lot of other people did. Should willingness to take the job be considered bad? I don't think so. I think it got blown way out of proportion.

Either way, if you want to see Carter in action, you now know where to find him.

Rumor Rundown: All the names the Mets are linked to

As the GM Meetings come to a close in Dana Point, Calif., the market and buzz will likely slow down until early December, when the winter meetings kick off in Las Vegas.

Here are some of the latest rumors involving the Mets...

Adam Rubin has an article in the Daily News where he explains that even though Omar Minaya came away empty handed (as did every other GM), "Minaya believes he has laid the groundwork for future deals."

From Rubin we got the usual two closing names with Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes. He also mentions Kerry Wood, who started all of last year for the Chicago Cubs and Chad Cordero, who we first hear rumors for yesterday. Cordero is still recovering from shoulder surgery, and a Met official told Rubin that he probably won't be ready for opening day and should expect a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training if the team decides to pursue.

** * **

As always, the Mets bullpen needs an overhaul, and the team is currently shopping Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis, and Pedro Feliciano.

According to Ken Davidoff:

There definitely will be takers for Heilman and Feliciano; among the teams that like Heilman at some level, are Oakland, Tampa Bay and Texas, and Feliciano has value to any club looking for a left-hander.

The Mets would be willing to pay some of the $3.6 million owed to Schoeneweis in 2009. They feel that Schoeneweis could have appeal to other clubs because of his strong numbers against lefty hitters (.520 OPS in 2008).

I think it's going to be pretty easy to unload these guys, if the Mets contact the right team. Heilman, who we all know has struggled, still garners interest due to his age and foreseeable talent.

Feliciano will be a target of a lot of teams due to which arm he uses to deliver pitches. Being a lefty never looked so good. And Schoeneweis caught some attention before the Aug. 31 trade deadling during the season, so if those teams (Tigers were the more interested) are still looking, I'd ship him out as soon as possible.

** * **

Davidoff also breaks down what the Mets Plan A, Plan B and Plan C look like for this off-season.

Plan A entails signing K-Rod or Fuentes, Derek Lowe, and a "low-cost, high-ceiling pitcher (Freddy Garcia, for instance) to compete for the fifth starter's job with Jonathon Niese." Then, trade Heilman and Schoeneweis for some decent bullpen arms, pick up Raul Ibanez, trade Luis Castillo and sign Orlando Hudson.

Well, that'd be nice. That's definitely my Plan A as well, but I just don't think they have the payroll to add all those guys.

Check out the article for Plan B and C. (I like Plan B a lot as well.)

** * **

Seems that looking in-house for a closer is the last resort for the Mets.

Davidoff (yes, again!) quotes Minaya in another article:

Asked yesterday if the Mets could turn within the organization for their closer - a youngster such as Eddie Kunz or Bobby Parnell, for instance - Minaya said, "That is not Plan One."

Smart man, I just hope he doesn't disregard them altogether.

Four-years, $44 mil for Fuentes?

According to the Rocky Mountain News, the agents for free agent Brian Fuentes have put a deal on the table for the New York Mets.

The deal is supposedly worth four-years, $44 million. The Rocky Mountain News also notes that the other teams looking into Fuentes were only interested in a one-year or two-year deal.

I'm for this. I'd sign on the dotted line, if I were Omar Minaya. A very good closer for $11 million per season works for me. He's younger than Billy Wagner, and that's only $1 million more than what they will be paying him to get surgery and rehab his arm in 2009.

This move would solidify the back-end of the bullpen, and fill a much needed hole.

Fernando Martinez takes the next step toward MLB

The top prospect is inching his way to the big leagues.

Fernando Martinez, who was signed by the Mets at the mere age of 16, will be just one step away from making it to the parent club this season, as Omar Minaya noted that the five-tool outfielder will begin the season at Triple-A Buffalo.

Martinez, who is only 19-years-old, will be entering his fourth year of professional baseball. He's seen time at everything from rookie ball to Double-A, but has never reached beyond that -- until 2009.

Good for F-Mart, as he's known to fans. I know a lot of people are excited to watch him prosper and grow and to see what he can do on the major league level. Count me among them.

Rumor Rundown: Why, yes! Pitching! (and other things, too)

Hopefully the Mets rehab staff isn't too tired from all the injuries last year, because it looks like they may be spending their time trying to get Chad Cordero back into shape.

According to Adam Rubin in the NY Daily News, Omar Minaya met with Cordero's agent on Wednesday.

Cordero is on his way back from shoulder surgery in July, and may not be ready for opening day. Sounds like Duaner Sanchez syndrome.

From the Daily News, a quote from Cordero's agent Larry Reynolds:

"All I can tell you is he's way ahead of schedule right now physically, and the doctors have said nothing but great stuff as far as how he's progressing," Reynolds said. "We're just going to make sure we take our time, because I don't think it's wise to jump into anything too quick when you have a guy who might have a 10- or 12-year career ahead of him."

If he can bounce back and throw like he once did, that would be great. Ease him back into the closers roll with a few innings in middle relief, then set-up man, then back to doing what he used to do best. Cordero is only 26-years-old, and could be had for a bargain, due to his injury.

Do it, Omar. Do it.

** * **

Nick Cafardo in the Boston Globe dishes two tidbits towards the Queens-faithful.

On Pedro Martinez:

Minaya said he hasn't ruled out Pedro Martínez pitching for the Mets next season, and it's his understanding that Martínez "can and wants to pitch somewhere next year."

On Julio Lugo and Javier Vazquez:

[Red Sox GM Theo] Epstein said Lugo is 100 percent recovered from his quadriceps tear and likely will play winter ball in the Dominican. There has been talk that the Mets and White Sox have interest in Lugo. The White Sox appear willing to move Vazquez. The Mets and White Sox were huddling yesterday afternoon

Again, I am not against bringing Pedro back. It may not be the best move for the Mets, but given the situation, it might be something they have to do.

A big NO THANK YOU to Julio Lugo. And I am very worried the Mets are going to give up too much for Vazquez. Tread carefully.

** * **

Oh, Manny Ramirez. He will easily be the "Johan Santana" of the 2008-2009 off-season.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers have offered Ramirez a ridiculous contract, likely ranking as the second-highest salary in MLB.

Rosenthal speculates that the deal may be worth two-years and upwards of $50 million. He also notes that there may be a team option for a third year.

Minaya on Manny, as quoted by Peter Abraham:

He’s an offensive player. He’s been a very good player. But for us, where we are right now, where is it we’re going to invest? Our priority right now is we have to address our pitching.

It makes me very happy to see Minaya have his priorities in order. Pitching wins championships.

** * **

In a separate article, Abraham also point out three pitchers that the Mets and the Yankees may be vying for, and the cross-town brethren will probably be bidding on a few of the same players.

Abraham notes that both teams will probably make a play for Derek Lowe. He also mentions Oliver Perez and A.J. Burnett as targets.

I'd take any of the three. Burnett has had some issues with his previous team (Toronto Blue Jays), so he's probably third on my list. Lowe will only require a two- or three-year deal, which would definitely be the cheapest, as Perez will be commanding a longer contract.

Wright and Beltran field Gold Glove awards

David Wright and Carlos Beltran earned Gold Gloves for their 2008 campaign.

This is Beltran's third straight Gold Glove and Wright's second.

And people still criticize Beltran's prowess in the field? Wright's throws to first still need to improve, but I guess that part of the play does not involve the glove.

Lowe or Dempster to close?

Rumors are starting to swirl that the Mets may be linked to Derek Lowe or Ryan Dempster, who have both put up good numbers as both starters and closers.

According to Adam Rubin, if either of these pitchers were to come to the Mets, Omar Minaya said they would definitely appear in the pitching rotation.

From the Daily News:

"You have to consider that. If a guy is a starter and has relieved in the past, you think about that," Minaya said. "But I couldn't tell you that we're looking at guys right now that are starters and are saying to ourselves, 'Let's get him as a reliever.' We're looking at him at him as a starter."

Both players would probably want front-line money, so using them for only one inning would be silly. (Not that the asking prices for Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes are anything to laugh at.)

Dempster has had a strange career. He threw 140 more innings in 2008 than he did in 2007. Something like that cannot be good. Before last season, the last time he threw over 200 innings was back in '02. In that span, he registered 85 saves for the Chicago Cubs, never breaking the 100 inning mark.

Both would be something to look at, and could fill in nicely as a 4th started the Mets so desperately need.

Rumor Rundown: More pitching

The Mets may have found a taker for Aaron Heilman, and they might be able to land a young starter in return. Hold on, let me check my pulse. I may have died and gone to heaven.

Joel Sherman is reporting that the Mets and Tampa Bay Rays have had preliminary discussions about Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson. The Rays seem to fancy Heilman (but would need more than just him to complete the trade).

Sherman:

But Tampa is blessed with depth in Sonnanstine (13-9, 4.38) and Jackson (14-11, 4.42), plus Jason Hammel, Jeff Niemann and Mitch Talbot. They have let the Mets know there might be a potential for a deal among that group.

Tampa continues to have interest in Aaron Heilman Aaron Heilman , but not to the extent it had in the past, in part because the Rays' belief that Heilman can be transitioned to the rotation has dwindled. Thus, the Mets would have to surrender more to complete a deal.

Have any use for Luis Castillo?

** * **

The Mets are not on the list of teams that Jake Peavy and his agent are dealing with. Too bad.

** * **

Seems the youth movement may be a forced hand in 2009.

VP Tony Bernazard has stated that if the team cannot land a closer via free agency or a trade, they are willing to go with youth.

From the Daily News:

Bernazard said if the Mets strike out through free agency or trade, they're prepared to potentially use Bobby Parnell or Eddie Kunz in the closing role.

"Why not? What's wrong with that?" Bernazard asked. "You can't sign one of those guys, what are you going to do - not play?"

It must be noted that in 10 2-3 innings pitched in the Arizona Fall League, Kunz has posted a 8.44 ERA. He has picked up two saves, while allowing 15 hits and 10 earned runs to score. He's walked seven and struck out eight.

Parnell, on the other hand, has thrown 9 1-3 innings, allowed three earned runs on seven hits, for a 2.89 ERA. He's walked seven and struck out 11 batters for Peoria Saguaros.

** * **

Scott Boras wants a lot of money. No surprise here.

Ken Rosenthal notes that the Mets are willing to pay up to $12 million for Oliver Perez, but Boras will likely want more, thanks to Carlos Silva's ridiculous contract.

El Duque wants to close

Seriously.

Orlando Hernandez is a free agent, hasn't appeared in a major league game since Sept. 30, 2007, but he wants to keep pitching in 2009. And not only does he want to pitch, he wants to close.

You read that right. El Duque, the closer. He'll blow that 55 mph pitch right on by you in the 9th inning!

From Ken Davidoff:

Meanwhile, Genske said that another client of his, Orlando Hernandez, wants to keep pitching, after missing the entire season with the Mets. El Duque underwent surgery on his right foot in September and is rehabilitating.

Said Genske: "He wants to be a closer. He's ready to go." Closing might be a stretch, but certainly there are teams out there that would try him as a reliever. Shoot, the Mets should consider it. They should just pay him $600,000 (with incentives) instead of $6 million.

I have no words.

The Mets do need a closer, though...

Just kidding!

This Year in Baseball Awards: What Mets are up for the vote?

If you're unfamiliar with the This Year in Baseball Awards, they are a fan-selected group of players, separated into their respective categories.

A few Mets are up for the awards in different categories, here's how the shake out:

Hitter: Carlos Delgado. Delgado had a miserable first half of the season, but busted out in a big way and put together a very good campaign in 2008.

Starter: Johan Santana. The bullpen blew at least six wins for him, and if they could have converted those, he would be making a lot of noise in the Cy Young award chatter. He was a great pick-up, and performed well beyond my expectations in his first year.

Play: Carlos Beltran. He's up for Play of the Year for his over-the-wall grab of Ryan Ludwick's home run on July 27. I remember that play, especially the bird flying out of the way just in time. Great grab. This is one of the reasons why he's the best CF in the league, in my eyes.

Oddity: Johan Santana. Remember when his broken bat hit the ball twice against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 23? I had never seen anything like that, and it definitely belongs in the "oddity" category.

Those are the Mets that can win. Go here to see the rest of the nominees and make your vote.

Mets want Beimel

Add another name to the long list of players the Mets "want."

According to Ken Rosenthal:

Add left-hander Joe Beimel to the list of free-agent relievers on the Mets' wish list. The team also is expected to investigate free-agent closers Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes and Kerry Wood, and will examine trades and internal solutions while reconstructing its bullpen.

Most Mets fan probably remember Beimel as the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who missed the 2006 NLDS after he cut his hand on a glass at a bar while in New York and told the team he cut it in his hotel room.

Here are Beimel's career numbers. Last year was Beimel's best year, as he posted a 2.02 ERA in 49 IP.

Worth a look, I guess.

Rumor Rundown: Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

Every morning I will scan the web for the newest Mets rumors, and dish them to you. Enjoy your tasty tidbits of baseball gossip.

The New York Times relays info from a quick meeting Omar Minaya held with reporters at the GM Meetings in Cali. Minaya pitched the need for pitching over offense. "I have no problem with our offense, and that was even with [Luis] Castillo not having a good year, and he is a lifetime .300 hitter, if I am not mistaken," Minaya told the Times. "Those things I am not worried about."

When asked if he would look at the pricier closer Francisco Rodriguez, Minaya said "We have to look at everybody."

Minaya also noted that since the Mets only have three starters on the board for next year, he will entertain the idea of re-signing Pedro Martinez. Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell and Jason Vargas will all have a shot at those final two spots. No mention of Oliver Perez.

** * **

Javier Vazquez has piqued the Mets interest.

Vazquez, who is owed $23 million over the next two years by the Chicago White Sox, will not be too expensive, as long as the Mets are willing to pay.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Vazquez, who has a no-trade clause to West Coast teams, was fourth in the American League in strikeouts, but his only winning season in the last four was 2007, when he finished 15-8. He also had winning records in Montreal in the early 2000s when current Mets GM Omar Minaya worked there.

I don't like this, but the Mets do need pitching. Too expensive, too inconsistent.

** * **

Back to K-Rod. Ken Davidoff reminds us of a similar situation from a few years ago.

Newsday:

Though the Mets are reluctant to meet Rodriguez's public asking price of $75 million over five years, they'll engage with him just in case the price drops. As Minaya noted yesterday, Carlos Beltran's original asking price was $200 million before it came down to the $119 million the Mets paid him.

No one was going to spend $200 mil. for Beltran. Unfortunately, I think the closers market is so dry, teams will spend as much as possible to try and land the new single-season save leader.

I'd be more than happy landing the cheaper, and equally good Brian Fuentes.

Platoon

No, not the movie.

According to Marty Noble, the Mets current plan is to use Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy as a platoon in left field in 2009.

That is, unless they can sign a regular left fielder, but I doubt that will happen. If the Mets are already planning to use Tatis and Murphy in left, neither have another true spot on the team.

Tatis and Endy Chavez would compete for the fourth outfielder, and there's no need for that. Murphy, who is seeing time at second base in the Arizona Fall League, would probably not serve as a backup. No way the Mets want young talent just sitting on the bench.

The Mets have been linked to Raul Ibanez already, but he's going to be pricey and I don't think they want to be on the hook for that much money for a player of that caliber.

Using Tatis and Murphy is just fine with me. Both players served the team at the plate, but lacked in the fielding category. They can also be a plus-bat off the bench on days they are not starting. Their pinch-hitting was a key down the stretch, even if they fell short.

The question now is, where does that leave Nick Evans? Evans, who split time with Murphy and Tatis in left, is pretty much left without a position. This moves him right up to the top trading chip.

If the Mets can swap a package of Evans and Aaron Heilman for a starter or bullpen arm, that would be a plus.

Murphy and Tatis in left, Evans and Heilman somewhere else, and a few key arms on the staff. I like how I think.

Brian Fuentes is a free agent

Let the (cheaper) bidding war begin.

Brian Fuentes' agent Rick Thurman told the Denver Post that the only team not showing interest in the closer is the Rockies.

The Mets are among many teams who are actively pursuing Fuentes for their closer duties. The Mets seem to be against spending the big bucks for Francisco Rodriguez, and Fuentes looks like he'll cost a few million cheaper, per year.

According to the Denver Post:

Major League team executives predict that Fuentes won't receive less than $36 million over three years. However, given the number of interested parties, the term of the contract could swell to four years.

I'm fine with the Mets spending that much, for that many years, on a guy like Fuentes. He's consistent, not too old (33) and has been a closer before. Yes, he lost his job during the latter part of 2008, but he still performed well enough to convert 30 of 34 saves.

Poll Results: To Manny or not to Manny?

Before the playoffs ended, I posed the question to you, the reader, if the Mets should sign Manny Ramirez.

Though the rumors linking the Mets and Manny have died down, you never know what Omar Minaya might do for one of his favorite players. Here are the results:

No -- 39%
Yes, with limits -- 35%
Yes -- 24%

I'm assuming the people that voted for just the "Yes" would pay through the nose for Ramirez. While I'm willing to heave over a big chunk of change for the left fielder, there is no way I'd give him six years like he's asking.

I don't think they'll end up making a deal, though it was fun while it lasted.

Next question: Do you want the Mets to sign Oliver Perez?

New York Mets rumors

Due to the popularity of rumors (though I tend to tire of them quickly) I have created a new category specifically for Mets rumors for the 2008-2009 off-season.

All news on Mets rumors can be found under the label "Mets Rumors 08-09."

There will also be another category for rumors throughout baseball not dealing with the Mets, "MLB Rumors 08-09."

Stay tuned for a very crazy off-season, all starting today with the GM Meetings in California. Things will probably heat up more over the next few weeks, but the GM Meetings are usually a big stepping off point for deals that will get done later in the year.

El Duque files for FA

Old man, bunion-sufferer, and man with the giant leg kick -- Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez -- has declared his free agency, effectively ending his Mets tenure and possibly his baseball career.

No way he comes back. If a team signs him, they are out of their minds. He's the walking wounded.

Six Mets file for FA

The old guys want out.

The Mets that filed for free agency: Moises Alou (42), Pedro Martinez (37), Tony Armas, Jr. (30), Luis Ayala (30), Ramon Martinez (36) and Ricardo Rincon (38).

These six players ages add up to 213 years, for a mean age of 35.5.

No way Alou comes back. No chance. He can still hit, but he can't stay healthy at all. R. Martinez and Rincon are as good as gone, too.

I took a long look at Pedro and don't expect him to come back, but he might. It's a toss-up. (There are some great comments on that article. Worth a look.)

Ayala could return, but I doubt it. I think the Mets would rather shed the old bullpen and bring in new players instead of re-signing the players that made it terrible. Armas could end up in AAA with a minor league deal, as he wasn't half bad when the Mets needed him.

Don't be surprised when none of these players return in 2009.