2009 MotY: Orange Bracket

*Poll closed*

1. David Wright vs. 8. Jeremy Reed
and
3. Jeff Francoeur vs. 5. Bobby Parnell

Announcing the ‘2009 Met of the Year’ award

As another year comes to a close, it’s time to look back and “celebrate” this last season of Mets-dom. Though it fell far under expectations, there were (very) few bright spots along the way.

Now it’s up to you, the fans, to celebrate those bright spots.

Here is your chance to vote for your 2009 Met of the Year! As you can see, the 16-player field is broken down into four brackets in two divisions. Voting will go as follows…

• Orange Bracket: 10 a.m. 12/31 – 10 a.m. 1/1
• White Bracket: 10 a.m. 1/1 – 10 a.m. 1/2
• Black Bracket: 10 a.m. 1/2 – 10 a.m. 1/3
• Blue Bracket: 10 a.m. 1/3 – 10 a.m. 1/4

• Seaver Division, Field of 8: 10 a.m. 1/4 – 10 a.m. 1/5
• Piazza Division, Field of 8: 10 a.m. 1/5 – 10 a.m. 1/6

• Seaver Division, Final 4: 10 a.m. 1/6 – 10 a.m. 1/7
• Piazza Division, Final 4: 10 a.m. 1/7 – 10 a.m. 1/8

• Championship: 10 a.m. 1/8 – 10 a.m. 1/10

• Winner announced: 10 a.m. 1/11/10

Your vote can be cast for whichever player you want to win more. Be it statistics at the plate, prowess in the field, he signed an autograph for you once, you think he “plays the game right,” you think he’s cute, etc. etc.

Check back tomorrow for the first round of voting for the 2009 MotY award, coming from the Orange Bracket…

1. David Wright vs. 8. Jeremy Reed
and
3. Jeff Francoeur vs. 5. Bobby Parnell

Should this be Jason Bay’s home run song?

Er…maybe not.

The Jason Bay nickname thread

If you read this blog, you know I’m big on nicknames.  It’s fun (and hopefully funny) to come up with somewhat humorous nicknames that correspond with players.

As the Mets have recently signed Jason Bay, it’s time to give him a nickname duri ng his likely five-year stint in New York.

So, fine readers, what should be Bay’s nickname?  Hit the comments to discuss.

WFAN: Mets, Jason Bay agree [Updated]

Update – 3:12 p.m.: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnik believes with the fifth-year vesting option, the deal could be worth just north of $80 million.

Update – 3:05 p.m.: Joel Sherman has contract details.  Four-years, $66 million.  “Easy vest” for fifth year, meaning a vesting option which Bay will likely achieve.  Think of it as a five-year deal.

Update – 3:03 p.m.: Jon Heyman confirms the agreement.

Jason Bay has agreed to a deal with the New York Mets, according to WFAN.  Bay still has to pass a physical.

The terms of the contract were not readily available.  The Mets do have a four-year, $65 million contract offer extended to Bay.

The deal will be announced next week, according to WFAN.

Not that I think they’ll find anything to cancel the contract, but don’t think this is a done deal.  There may be an issue with Bay’s knees and they could alter the contact after the physical.

In short: They’ve agreed in principle, but it’s not done yet.

Ahem, I’m not alone.

Link: A new meaning for Flushing Bay

Can’t you just envision the marketing opportunity for this?

I can’t wait for the cheesy commercials…

“Come to Flushing Bay, it’s Jason Bay-approved!”

Happy Holidays

As you probably realize, I'm taking a few days vacation away from the blog. Between the holidays, the loss of my grandfather and decompressing after a hectic first half of senior year, I need a few days to myself to relax and reflect.

I wish you all a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. I'll pop in if anything important happens, but consider this blog on vacation for the next week or so. I'll be back in the new year with the 2010 Met of the Year award voting. Talk to you in a few days.

Report: Mets sign Kelvim Escobar [Update]

Update – 12 a.m.: Brian Costa tweets that it is a one-year, major-league deal.

Or as Google Translator says: Kelvim Escobar got his Christmas present: just come to an agreement with New York Mets. In brief details of the firm.

A good low-risk, possibly-high-reward signing for the Mets.

New York Mets songs [Video / Audio]

I won’t be around much today. If you follow my Twitter, you likely know why.

So here, on this cold December day, are as many New York Mets-related songs I could find on YouTube. Which is your favorite?

Some of these are just gold.

This is how Mets fans feel right now [Audio]

It’s been 10 days since offers were extended to Jason Bay and Bengie Molina.  In the interim, the Mets signed Ryota Igarashi for next year’s set-up man.

But still, as noted in my letter to Jason Bay, the waiting is the hardest part.

I’m pretty sure this song sums up many Mets fans feeling right now.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – The Waiting

I’m off to pick up some Christmas presents.  I’ll be back if anything breaks.

A letter to Jason Bay

Hey Jason Bay,

I know you want a lot of money and a nice big contract, probably the last “big” contract of your career, but if you ever want to be welcome in New York City if you sign with the Mets, you better hurry up and put some ink on paper.

Just letting you know it’s a rough world out there for Mets fans.  We’re reeling after three disappointing seasons and we just watched the Phillies and the Yankees win the last two World Series.  Not fun.

Mets fans are getting antsy, though.  The biggest move the team has made this offseason is signing Ryota Igarashi.  Yeah, exactly.

Though it might be a good signing, it’s done nothing to appease fans. 

They’re simply chomping at the bit to see their team improve on paper.  You signing would quell this bubbling anger.

You’ll be welcome by most fans here in New York.  Many fans want you here very badly.  So just a suggestion: If you want to play here and not be booed mercilessly through your first 150 at bats, I would get your John Hancock down quick.

And then apologize to fans for making them wait.  I know many are already quite angry.

Anyway, hope to see you in orange and blue fairly soon.  (But hopefully not for five more years)

Oh, and work on your defense a bit, would you?  Thanks.

Sincerely,
Andrew Vazzano

Mets MVP reception [Video]

Enjoy on this snowy Sunday.

Link: Mets should trade Johan Santana

Here’s an idea: Mets should trade Santana
By Bob Klapisch

I wholeheartedly disagree.  Have at it in the comments to explain your opinion.

Clint Everts signs major-league deal

Last week, I wrote that the Mets had signed former first-round pick Clint Everts.  Omar Minaya was the GM to draft Everts for the Montreal Expos back in ‘02.

Today, we learned (via Brian Costa), that it was a major-league deal and he has been added to the 40-man roster.

Jose Reyes interview on WFAN [Video]

I’m about to pack up and hit the road back to my home state of New Jersey.  Just  finished up the first half of my senior year at Quinnipiac University, so it’s winter break!  (Man, when did I get so old?!)

While waiting on Jason Bay and reveling in the signing of Ryota Igarashi, here are links to the videos from Jose Reyes’ interview on WFAN from Wednesday.

Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

Enjoy and if anything happens, in the next three hours, shoot me an e-mail (TheRopolitans@gmail.com) and I’ll pull the car over and post from the road.

Link: As the Mets go, so does SNY

In one of those articles where you scratch your head and wonder, was there nothing else to write?, Bob Raissman penned this.

The gist of the article is that when the Mets lost, less people watched Mets games, meaning SNY struggled with commercials and sponsors.

Thanks, Bob.  Couldn’t get that one on my own!

Mets (finally) sign Ryota Igarashi [Updated]

Update – 7:50 p.m.: According to Brian Costa, it’s a two-year deal worth $3 million.

$1.25 million in 2010, $1.75 million in 2011.  There are also $50,000 bonuses for each of 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65 appearances.

Original Post: The Mets have announced the signing of relief pitcher Ryota Igarashi.

The contract is a two-year deal, according to reports.  No money has been announced yet.

For the inside scoop on Igarashi, click here.

Here’s the release from the Mets…

The New York Mets today announced that they signed righthanded pitcher Ryota Igarashi to a two-year contract.

Igarashi, 30, was 47-29 with 54 saves and a 3.25 ERA in 507 games for the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Central League from 1999-2009. He recorded 630 strikeouts in 570 innings for an average of 9.95 strikeouts per nine innings.

"We've had an interest in Ryota for two years," said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. "He's got a power arm and an outstanding split-finger."

The 5-11, 190-pound hurler went 3-2 with three saves and a 3.19 ERA in 56 games last year. In 53.2 innings, he surrendered 42 hits, 19 runs, earned, with 20 walks and 44 strikeouts.

"I have known the Mets scout in Japan, Isao O'Jimi, since I was in high school," Igarashi said through an interpreter. "When I received the Mets offer there was no doubt in my mind that this was the team I wanted to go to and start my career in the United States. I am looking forward to playing in New York and pitching in the same bullpen as Francisco Rodriguez."

Igarashi rebounded from Tommy John surgery in 2007 to post a 3-2 record with a 2.47 ERA and three saves in 44 contests the following year. He recorded 42 strikeouts in 43.2 innings.

He established a career-best 37 saves in 2004 and won a career-high 11 games in 2000. Igarashi pitched in 60-or-more games from 2002-2004.

The Mets have had nine Japanese-born players appear in at least one game. The list includes: Takashi Kashiwada (1997), Hideo Nomo (1998), Masato Yoshii (1998-1999), Satoru Komiyama (2002), Tsuyoshi Shinjo (2001, 2003), Kazuhisa Ishii (2005), Shinjo Takatsu (2005), Kazuo Matsui (2004-2006) and Ken Takahashi (2009).

Twitter Poll: Should the Mets take a chance on Chapman?

With the waiting game for Jason Bay in full swing, I took to Twitter to ask about another possible free agent option.

Aroldis Chapman, the 21-year-old Cuban defector, threw for teams a few days ago.  According to reports, the Mets were in attendance.

So, as a fan, would you want to see the Mets take a chance and sign Chapman?  Here are some responses…

YES

NYSportzNut: No brainer as far as I am concerned.

MattRobbie: It would be a huge boost to our minors to help us build for the future.

chrisbirckhead: Yes 1,000 times yes. Easily the best talent left on the market.

Chuipi: Of course, only 21, lefty and a power arm.

DonCheech: YES

samtpage: YEA.

NO

blizzake: Not really, I think whatever team he goes to they are going to be way overpaying.

MrMustSeeTV: I'd rather have the Mets invest in Chapman than Piniero, Marquis or Garland. Chapman + Mejia would make a nice combo.

ON THE FENCE

nmigliore: Only at the right price... $20M max.

EliFromBrooklyn: If Chapman doesn't lick his hand, talk to himself and/or crave Mexican food at 2:00 am - sign him to a sensible contract.

CaughtLookin: As long as it doesn't curb other spending, I'd do it.

TheHappyRecap: I doubt they take a chance on him. From a PR standpoint they need sure things, even if the guys they get are assured to suck.

disgruntmetsfan: Only if they felt he was a viable option, and not a response to Halladay.

What’s your take?  Hit the comments to dish your opinion.

The Mets are not ‘Major League’

For the past few weeks, I’ve been listening to a lot of WFAN. I truly enjoy the station for it’s varying opinions and entertaining hosts. But as of late, Mets fans have been taking to the airwaves blasting the Wilpons and Omar Minaya for a slow start to the offseason.

But why? John Lackey was overpaid and Roy Halladay was never coming to the Mets. The Mets are still in on Jason Bay and are likely the leading team to land the free agent.

The more worrying comments I’ve heard on air is that:

1. The Wilpons are too cheap to put money into the team.
2. The Wilpons are content with losing.

Do you actually think the owners of the team don’t want to spend money on their team and don’t want to win?

This isn’t “Major League.”

If you’re unfamiliar with the 1989 movie, in it, a Las Vegas showgirl inherits the Cleveland Indians. She wants to move the team to Miami, but to do this, the Indians must draw less than 800,000 fans. She instructs the GM to field the worst team possible so no fans come and she can move the team, fire the whole team and start anew.

A few differences between the Mets and Major League…

• The Wilpons are not Las Vegas showgirls
• The Wilpons just built a brand new, very expensive stadium
• The Wilpons do not want the team to lose
• There is no Roger Dorn

But, there are a few similarities…

• Carlos Delgado is Pedro Cerrano
• Oliver Perez is Rick Vaughn
• Jose Reyes is Willie Mays Hayes

Anyway…

The Wilpons do not want to lose. To think that is downright insane. What owner in their right mind would actually go out of their way to, not save money, but cut costs so much that the team suffers?

Putting a poor team on the field, as we saw last year, makes people stop going to games. Yes, last year’s team wasn’t very good. Chalk it up to injuries, lack of depth or whatever you like, but to think that the owners of the team were pleased with this in bonkers.

The Mets are getting torn apart in the papers and on the airwaves. Has the offseason been a success so far? No, not at all. But there have been barely any moves at all. Mets fans must be patient right now.

If, by March, the team is no better than it is today, there will be reason for concern. But that is not the case.

In “Major League,” Rachel Phelps wants her team to lose. She puts the worst possible team on the field. (Of course, they overcome the odds and make the playoffs. It wouldn’t be a Hollywood movie without that!)

The Wilpons, like every fan, player and employee of the team, want them to win.

The team had the second highest payroll in the major leagues last year. No, spending money does not automatically earn you wins. But it’s an indication that the Wilpons are willing to spend money, willing to pay lots of money out of pocket to put a quality team on the field.

If you actually think the Wilpons would much rather see the Mets lose, look terrible on the field and watch their multi-million dollar stadium stay half-empty, take all your Mets merchandise and donate it to a fan with a level head.

This is not a Hollywood movie. The Wilpons are not dastardly villians out to make baseball miserable for Mets fans. They want to win just as much as the fans do. They’d make more money if the Mets were better, so why wouldn’t they want that?

To think they want the team to lose just to save some money (of which, they have a lot), is nuts. They want to win, they want to bring in players to help them win and they want the fans to come out and support their team and cheer for the win.

To think otherwise is just flat-out wrong.

‘Mike and the Fast Latino Man’ [Image]

If Mike Francesa is still looking for a cohost, I think
Jose Reyes might be the perfect candidate.

Seriously though, I think Reyes did a fantastic job with the interview.  He was happy, energetic and from what he said, healthy.  Everything the Mets weren’t last year. 

He was smiling his usual smile and reminded every Mets fan watching or listening how much they missed him as a player and a member of the team last year.

Report: Mets have an agreement with Igarashi

According to tweets by Patrick Newman and Bart Hubbuch, the Mets have “an agreement” with Ryoto Igarashi.

Just another report in a long, long string of them. 

For more on Igarashi, click here to read the original report.

Four or five years for Bay?

The Mets are in “serious” talks for Jason Bay, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi.

The Mets are contemplating adding a fifth year to the original four-year, $65 million offer.  They may also sign him for four years but more money.

I’d much rather see the Mets dip into the pocket and get Bay to sign for more money and a shorter contract.  I think the Mets have the money to spend and would rather see the Mets on the hook for the 31-year-old Bay for a shorter amount of time.

But how do you feel?  Take the poll below…

Thanks to the tip from Nick Migliore on Twitter.

Link: The Mets and Latin players

This is an absolute must-read for Mets fans.

James Kannengieser from Amazin’ Avenue takes those that think the Mets “only sign Latin players” to task.

Please, for the love of all Mets fans’ sanity, read this and keep this in mind anytime someone else brings up this insane argument.

Thank you, James.  You’ve done quite a service to fans everywhere.

Ex-Mets: Broadway signs with Toronto

According to Shi Davidi, the Toronto Blue Jays have signed Lance Broadway to a minor-league deal.

Pair that with Ramon Castro also signing with the Jays, and the pair that was traded for each other could be in the same battery next season.

Live chat with Jeff Francoeur at 11 a.m.

Update – 12:09 p.m.: Here are some of my tweets, with updates from his chat…

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Original post: Head over to MLB.com (or enter the chat room right here) for a live chat with Jeff Francoeur at 11 a.m.

The Mets are really putting Francoeur in the spotlight.  First he’s Santa, now he’s chatting with fans.  They love them some Frenchy.

Thanks to Kerel Cooper for the link.

With no decision from Bay, Mets adjust offer

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Mets have tweaked the offer to Jason Bay.

“Minaya is thought to have offered a five-year deal (at slightly lower dollars per year than the original four-year offer for close to $65 million), but with Bay still believed to be seeking a six-year deal from them,” Heyman writes.

The deal for Bay might have to be worth $75 million over five years.

With Bay now looking like less of a bargain, the Mets might rethink getting in on the Matt Holliday discussion, according to Heyman.

(It should be noted, as it is very much so on Twitter, that Heyman and Holliday’s agent, Mr. Scott Boras, are quite close.  This could be an inside job to create a bigger market for Holliday.  No one else is reporting that the Mets are in talks with Boras for Holliday.)

Buster Olney of ESPN writes that the Mets are “monitoring the Matt Holliday negotiations, but are not actively involved.”

NYT: Mets closing in on two-year deal with Igarashi (Updated)

Update – 9:26 p.m.: A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press the Mets and Igarashi are closing in on a two-year deal.

My head is spinning.  Seriously, does anyone have a read on this?

Update – 9:00 p.m.: Head over to Fonzie Forever for a translation of the Japanese report that has the Red Sox in the lead for Igarashi.

Update – 6:40 p.m.: Adam Rubin talked to Igarashi’s agent, who said they “are in serious discussions” with the Mets.

Update – 6:33 p.m.: According to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker, a Japanese report has the Red Sox in the lead for Igarashi, as they are willing to offer a deal worth $2-3 million in total.

Original Post: According to David Waldstein in the New York Times, the Mets are close to signing a two-year deal with Japanese relief pitcher Ryoto Igarashi.

Igarashi, 30, has pitched in the Japanese Central League since 1999.  He holds the joint record for fastest pitch in the JCL at 98.75, which he threw in 2004.

He has gone under the knife for Tommy John surgery, missing all of 2007, according to NPB Tracker.

“Most of those scouts projected him as an effective late-inning reliever at the major league level,” Waldstein writes.

Last season, with the Yakult Swallows, Igarashi was 3-2 with and 3.19 ERA in 56 games. Over 53 2-3 innings, Igarashi struck out 44.

According to NPB Tracker, control has been an issue for Igarashi.  In 517 1-3 innings in the JCL, he’s tossed 42 wild pitches and issued 221 walks.  He has struck out 586 in his career.

If signed, he could be a possible set-up man for Francisco Rodriguez.

Also, according to this site, his blood type is Type A.  No, seriously.

Here’s a video of him striking out the side last season…

Link: Francoeur as Santa [Video]

Go here to watch some video from today’s holiday party, hosted by the Mets.

Jeff Francoeur played Santa and Jon Niese (feeling much better), Jose Reyes (also feeling much better), Bobby Parnell and Angel Pagan played the elves.

I guess Reyes missed the striped shirt memo.

Francoeur is front a center.  The Mets really like this guy, don’t they?

Jeff Francoeur isn’t worried [Quotes]

“I’m sure they’ll put a good team on the field for us. There’s two months to go. I’m not panicked about that.”

-Jeff Francoeur on the Mets

Links: Pineiro, Chapman, Igarashi

-According to Buster Olney, via MLBTR, free agent Joel Pineiro is likely seeking a four-year deal. Pineiro is looking at Randy Wolf’s deal from the Brewers and believe he is worth more than that.

He probably is, but how much will he suffer when he’s not under the watchful eye of Dave Duncan in St. Louis? Teams should be wary, though I like him over Jason Marquis.

-Aroldis Chapman threw a side session for teams today, but the Mets were not in attendance.

-Jon Morosi tweeted that the Mets are showing “some interest in hard-throwing reliever Ryota Igarashi.”

Here’s Igarashi’s player profile from NPB Tracker.

Dear Santa [Image]

Does Boston know something the Mets don’t?

The Boston Red Sox and Mike Cameron look to be finishing up the details on a two-year contract.  That, along with yesterday’s signing of John Lackey, takes the out of the market for Jason Bay.

Bay, who turned down a four-year, $60 million offer from Boston, now only has one formal offer on the table.  That offer is from the New York Mets, worth $65 million over the same amount of time.

Most reports indicate that Bay really, really wants a fifth year, and the team that offer it to him may be able to snag him quickly.  With the top free agents quickly flying off the shelves, the Mets may have to spring and offer that extra year to land him.

But why didn’t the Red Sox offer another year?

Do they know something no other team does?  Is there an injury they know about, or at least some nagging pain? 

Do they just not like his defense?  (But they’re an AL team and could slot him into the DH spot if need be.)  Or did they just not want to go five years, like the Mets are hesitant to do.

I don’t have a definitive answer, just something to munch on this Tuesday morning.

Added – 10:23 a.m.: From the Boston Herald…

Reports early yesterday suggested the Red Sox had enough medical red flags to justify not going five years for the outfielder, who had shoulder surgery in 2003 and knee surgery in 2007. According to the source, those concerns have not been echoed by other teams that have examined Bay’s medical records.

Thanks to Ian from Sox and Dawgs for this link.

Hubbuch: Escobar offered minor-league deal with Mets [Update]

Update – 8:11 p.m.: Hubbuch has edited the post.  It now only says that Escobar was offered a deal, not that he signed one.

Original Post: According to Bart Hubbuch, Kelvim Escobar has signed a minor-league contract with the Mets.

Escobar missed all of 2008 and nearly all of ‘09 with shoulder injuries.  His last full season came in 2007 with the Angels.  He went posted a 3.40 ERA and 1.267 WHIP.  He struck out 160 and walked 66 in 195 2-3 innings.  He surrendered 11 home runs.

Escobar will likely work out of the bullpen due to his injuries.

Twitter Poll: Mets fans react to Halladay in Philly

With Roy Halladay-to-Philly looking more and more like a definite, I asked my Twitter followers for their reaction to the deal.

Here are some responses…

soxanddawgs (A Red Sox fan): very happy he's out of the AL East

JeffWilponNYM: When did this happen?

darknova306: It makes them slightly better, but they already had the NL East wrapped up before the trade. If they get a short extension…

darknova306 continued: for Halladay, then they've come out a little more ahead. Either way we wouldn't have gotten him, so meh.

gmo418: Phillies 2010 NL East champs (again) and citi will be fairly empty this year.

ncampione: I didn’t think we are gonna win the division anyway so this move just ensures that we will not win

TheRealHoov: upgrade from Lee, but is it minimal? could be great, but its risky to an extent

scratchbomb: seems worse than it is. the trading off of Lee in the same deal makes it a lateral move, in my opinion

YaGottaBKiddnMe: All the Phillies basically did was rename Cliff Lee. This season he'll be called Roy Halladay. So what...

dances_w_vowels: Over a single season, Halladay is probably more consistent but Lee can be a damn good pitcher. It's almost a wash.

Your thoughts?

Potentially bad day for the NL East [Image]

Ugh.

Bay’s decision coming soon

Both Ed Price and Ken Davidoff report that a decision from Jason Bay is expected sometime this week, possibly in the next few days.

If he agrees to a deal with the Mets, this gives them a lot of time to focus on the rest of the holes they need to fill.  If he declines or signs elsewhere, I guess that means they still have a lot of time, but with another hole.

Report: Mets make offer to Kelvim Escobar [Twitter]

Arangure went on to quote Kelvim Escobar as liking that Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez and Henry Blanco were all Mets and that he wants to play with fellow Venezuelans.

As a bullpen arm, Escobar could be a good low-risk, high-reward player, something the Mets will probably see a lot of in spring training.

Lackey to Boston? What it means for the Mets

As Ed Price first reported, John Lackey will be undergoing a physical with the Boston Red Sox.  This, as I’m sure you can deduce, means that they are close on a deal.

What does that mean for the Mets?

Obviously, this throws a wrench into the possibility of signing the top-tier pitcher for the Mets.

As I wrote today, the Mets shouldn’t be counted out of Lackey and Jason Bay, so it should be the same for the Red Sox.  Though they could so it, they probably won’t.

This leaves the Mets as the top suitor for Bay.  A mystery team has supposedly offered a five-year deal to Bay.  Some say it’s the Mariners.

If Bay is being bid on by only two teams, that might mean it won’t cost a bidding war over Bay and he might be able to sign for a “bargain.”

But if Bay goes elsewhere, and Lackey signs in Boston, where does that leave the Mets?

Pelfrey, the head case?

A few people are calling for a psychiatrist to take a look into Mike Pelfrey’s cranium.

But this isn’t news.  If you may remember in early September…

"I was so upset, I had to get outside," Pelfrey said Wednesday afternoon. "I had to get some fresh air. I had to breathe."

Once he found himself standing in the middle of the parking lot, Pelfrey began running laps, each about 13 blocks long, as his teammates struggled through the late innings of an 8-3 loss to Colorado.
---
"If you had talked to me in the sixth inning," Pelfrey said, "I would have done something I would have regretted."

Am I worried?  No, not at all. 

Are you?

Bay and Lackey?

As you likely know, the Mets have extended a four-year, $65 million deal to free agent Jason Bay.

I don’t love the deal and I really hope the Mets are not the rumored team that have offered Bay five years.  (Is that you, Seattle?)  But, with the offered deal, the Mets might be able to swing another free agent on the market.

Not that I’m condoning it, but with the money the Mets save on the deal (by going for Bay over Scott Boras-client Matt Holliday), it is in the realm of possibility they could also sign John Lackey.

Yes, the Mets want to stay within a reasonable distance of their payroll from 2009.  Yes, adding Lackey and Bay would probably be silly, devoting so much of the payroll to these two players (and add in Johan Santana for an even bigger chunk).

Likely? No. Plausible? Slightly. Going to happen? Doubt it.

But as JP said in Angels in the Outfield, “It could happen!”

Link: Johan’s home

Head over to The New York Times to read a fascinating story about Johan Santana’s annual pilgrimage back to his hometown in Venezuela.

SNY was on hand to tape the events, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing it at a later date.

I love Johan more and more each day.

Poll Results: Do you trust Omar Minaya?

My latest poll shows that fans don’t trust Omar Minaya much at all.  But are you really surprised?

Next poll: What ticket plan will you get next season?

Mets non-tenders [Twitter]

From Newsday’s David Lennon…

Sounds about right

Where’s Everth Cabrera when we need him?

Alex Cora leaves winter-ball game with back discomfort

According to Beisbol Invernal, via MetsBlog, Alex Cora was forced to leave a game for Criollos de Caguas with apparent back pain.

Reads Google Translator…

The Creoles also seen leaving the pitch with back discomfort alleged in the second inning for his valuable 'infielder', Alex Cora, who started last night in defending the run. He was replaced by Danny Gonzalez.

I love that ‘infielder’ is in quotes, as if he’s some sort of imposter.

But he’s worth $2 million with a vesting option for another $2 million, right Omar?

Mets re-sign Elmer Dessens

In a long-rumored deal, the Mets have re-signed Elmer Dessens to a minor-league deal.

Dessens, 39, signed a split contract that would earn him $700K in the majors and $90K in the minors.  There are also bonuses worth up to $150K with $30,000 paid out for each of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 relief appearances.

Stickin’ to them like glue, eh Dessens?

Why do some fans want to trade Jose Reyes?

Yesterday, while listening to WFAN, a caller proposed a trade idea to Mike Francesa.  If you follow my Twitter feed, you may know what I’m talking about.

The caller came on the line and immediately said, “Reyes for Hallday? I’d do that in a second!”

Um…why?

Throwing the trade idea out the window and using it simply as a jumping off point, why are so many fans so ready to trade away Jose Reyes?  What has he done, outside of missing most of 2009, since he became an established player to make you want to move him?

Is it the “lack of effort”? The dancing? The injury?  What is it?

If you’re one of the fans that wants to trade Reyes, please post your reasoning in the comments.  Or e-mail me.  Something, anything – I just want to know what your thinking is.

Ex-Mets: White Sox sign Putz for $3 mil [Updated]

The Chicago White Sox have signed reliever J.J. Putz to a one-year, $3 million deal.

Good luck with that elbow, Chicago.

Update – 2:27 p.m.: $3 million base salary, $250K on appearance bonuses and another $3 million in games finished bonuses, according to Ken Rosenthal.

Twitter Poll: Do you support the Jason Bay offer?

With the Mets extending a four-year, $65 million offer to Jason Bay yesterday, Mets fans are seemingly split on the matter.  Do you support this move or no?

I took to Twitter and asked that very question.  Here are the responses…

djshort: Only if it's four years or less.

joewhitmarsh: Yes.

DanReilly11: I'd prefer Holliday or Lackey, but I'm fine with Bay at 4 years.

kramtelak: Mets need an OF with power period Bay Holliday whoever If it takes 65-70 then that's what it takes. Do we want to win Jeff?

dances_w_vowels: I support the offer, Bay would be a good offensive addition, but I can't see him putting up .280/35/110 in Citi.

cutiepie0319k: i like it. at this point i just want someone new that can hit and can make a difference.

With Matt Holliday still on the market, where do you stand?

Heyman: 4 years, $65 million for Bay

Jon Heyman believes the initial offer to Jason Bay is for four years and worth $65 million, give or take.

He went on to say, “They’d probably have to bump it up to five years to get him.”

I’d prefer they spend more than give him another year, unless it’s based on some extravagant vesting option.

Nightengale: Mets sign Clint Everets [Twitter]

Clint Everets pitched with Advaced-A, Double-A and Triple-A in the Washington Nationals organization. Last season, he went 8-1 over 60 innings, all in relief. He posted a 1.65 ERA and 1.250 WHIP while tallying a 3.9 BB/9 and 10.2 SO/9.

WFAN: Mets making offers to Molina and Bay [Updated]

Update – 2:06 p.m.: Ben Shpigel and David Lennon both confirm that offers are going out to Bay and Molina.

Original Post: As Steve Popper tweeted earlier, the Mets were planning on making offers to two players before leaving the meetings.  According to Mike Francesa on WFAN, the Mets will make offers to Jason Bay and Bengie Molina.

“I know these deals are going out today,” Francesa said on WFAN, citing his sources.

We all knew Molina was coming.  Bay is the surprising one, especially with Matt Holliday still on the market.

For Bay, is this negotiating with intent to sign him, leverage for Holliday, a play for another team to chase Bay now?  It could be any of those or many more.

Your thoughts?  Hit the comments.

Francoeur surgery more complicated than it need to be

From Adam Rubin…

Jeff Francoeur's surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb turned out to be more complex than originally expected, although the outfielder still expects to be ready for spring training. Because Francoeur played with the injury for the final month of the season, the thumb ligament wore down and shriveled, necessitating a transplant from his wrist.

Remember when everyone said, “Oh, it won’t be a problem.  He’s just gritty and plays the game right.  Let him play!”

Oy vey.

Popper: Mets to make two offers [Twitter]

Could it be John Lackey?

Henry Blanco deal actually worth $750K, plus incentives

During the physical, the Mets had concerns over Henry Blanco’s right shoulder.  For that, they restructured the deal, which now has a base salary of $750,000, according to Ken Davidoff.

The deal, with new incentives, could be worth as much as $2,225,000.

Davidoff notes that he can quickly earn an additional $700K from “roster bonuses” (read: staying healthy).  Breaking it down even further, he earns $5,000 each day on the roster up to 80 days, $4,500 for days 81-135 and $3,500 for days 136-150.

The rest of the incentives vary from $50,000 for winning the Most Valuable Player award to $50,000 for World Series MVP to $25,000 for winning a Gold Glove.  For the full list, use your one Newsday click to read Davidoff’s blog.

Rule 5: Mets select Carlos Monasterios from Philly [Updated: Traded to Dodgers]

Update – 10 a.m.: The Mets have traded Monasterios to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations, according to Brian Costa and Anthony DiComo.

Original Post: With the 7th pick in the Rule 5 Draft, the Mets selected RHP Carlos Monasterios, 23-years-old from the Phillies Triple-A roster.

Monasterios went to the Phillies from the Yankees in the Bobby Abreu trade.

He made eight starts last year, seven with Clearwater (Advanced-A) and one with Reading (Double-A).  He appeared in 37 games total last season.

In 89 1-3 innings, Monasterios put up a 3.73 ERA and a 1.209 WHIP.  He allowed 4 home runs last season.

In his career, he’s pitched 384 2-3 innings, posting a 4.49 ERA, 1.318 WHIP, a 2.9 BB/9 and 6.8 SO/9.

According to the broadcast on MLB.com, Monasterios has been throwing very well in the Venezuelan winter league.

Rule 5: Mets roundup from the draft

As covered earlier, the Mets selected Carlos Monasterios (Update: He’s been traded) and John Lujan in the earlier rounds of the draft. After that the Mets selected…

-Mets selected 1B Thomas Hubbard from Seattle.

Marshall hit .271 / .380 / .434 with 14 home runs and 70 RBI with the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jax last season.

-Mets selected RHP Rolando Valdez from San Diego.

Between Double-A and Triple-A last season, Valdez posted a 5.40 ERA in 33 1-3 innings. He posted a 1.680 WHIP, allowing five home runs.

-Mets selected LHP Orlando Lara from San Diego.

Lara spent 2009 with the Mexico City Reds, pitching in 18 games, starting seven. He posted a 5.03 ERA and 1.676 WHIP. He allowed three home runs in 48 1-3 innings.

-Mets selected RHP Johan Figuereo from Washington.

Figuereo is a converted infielder who threw his first inning in 2007. In ‘08 he tossed 37 2-3 innings, putting up a 4.20 ERA and 1.274 WHIP. Last year, he tossed 24 2-3 innings with a 2.92 ERA and 1.216 WHIP. In only 23 innings, he allowed eight home runs.

The Mets did lose a player from the Gulf Coast League team. I’m trying to track down that name.

Thanks to Chris Birckhead on Twitter, we know the Mets lost RHP Hayden Beard, from Australia, from Gulf Coast Rookie League.

Beard went 5-2 with a 5.34 ERA and 1.385 WHIP last season.

Rule 5: Mets select John Lujan from Chicago White Sox

In the minor-league round of the Rule 5 Draft, the Mets selected RHP John Lujan, 25-years-old, from the Chicago White Sox Triple-A team.

Lujan, 6-foot-1, a reliever who pitched 58 2-3 innings last season with the Birmingham Barons.  He pitched to the tune of a 4.45 ERA, 1.347 WHIP, 4.3 BB/9 and 7.8 SO/9.

He struck out 51 and allowed only one home run.

Hey, Omar! [Twitter]

You hearing this too, Minaya?  Get on it.

Mets to Molina: 2-years, $12 million…or not [Updated]

Update 12:12 p.m.: According to Steve Popper, citing a baseball official(?), the Mets have not offered Molina a two-year deal.  “Interested, but hoping for 1,” he writes.

Original Post: According to a blog post by David Lennon from Newsday (pay site), if Bengie Molina accepts a two-year, $12 million deal, he will be the newest Met.

Lennon writes that if Molina refuses the two-year deal, the Mets could look at alternatives, such as Yorvit Torrealbla, who is available for one year, just to play in New York.

You might remember that Torrealba was almost a Met a few years ago, but the deal fell through.  Torrealba was not quiet about the matter, so it’s a little strange that he’s so willing to come to NY.

Still, here’s to hoping that Molina sticks to his demands of three years.  $12 million is a lot of money.

Wanted [Image]

Imagine if Omar Minaya was actually a Sheriff??

Lennon: Mets discussing numbers on pitchers [Twitter]

Mets fans say: “FINALLY!”

Manuel’s Musing

“Probably ‘til the end of spring training. Then the Mets will take over.”

-Jerry Manuel on how long the Phillies will dominate the NL East

Bob Melvin joins Mets staff as scout

Bob Melvin, who was being considered for the bench coach position, has been hired as a major league scout with the team, according to Joel Sherman.

Mevlin’s last job had him as manager of the Arizona Diamonbacks, where he steered them to a 677-337 over four plus years.

Mets sign Mike Hessman

According to Adam Rubin, the Mets have signed career minor-leaguer Mike Hessman to a minor-league deal.

He’s 31-years-old, hit .217 / .324 / .442 with 23 home runs and 77 RBI last year with the Detroit Tiger’s Triple-A team.  Hessman last played in the majors in 2008 with the Tigers, hitting .296 / .387 / .889 in 12 games with the Tigers.

Hessman has played every position at the minor league level, with the majority of his time coming at third base.

Heyman: Mets still working on Wolf, Maine-for-Hart [Winter Meetings]

Randy Wolf: I wouldn’t hate the signing of Randy Wolf.  The Mets simply cannot go over three years on his deal, though.  He’s far from a perfect addition to the rotation, but he’s suitable and a Top 5 free agent pitcher on the market.

The Mets might be able to swing this one, but they might have to pay a bit more.  Everyone knows the Mets desperately need rotation help, so all free agents have the upper hand.

This also could just be a ploy by Wolf’s agent to get Milwaukee to pony up a few million more or possibly an extra year.

John Maine for Corey Hart: Two things come into play here…

1. Rick Peterson is the pitching coach in Milwaukee.  John Maine and Peterson back together could rekindle some magic.

If I was another team, I’d have to be seriously concerned about Maine’s health, pitching guru or not.  I just don’t think he has the build to be a starter anymore.

2. Corey Hart in LF, Jeff Francoeur in RF.  Um, yikes.

Wright, Murphy bunking at HoJo’s (Not the hotel chain)

Buried at the bottom of a Winter Meetings article, is a good tidbit that should brighten up some Mets fans mornings.

David Wright and Daniel Murphy each spent a week living at hitting coach Howard Johnson’s house and training at the Mets facility in Port St. Lucie.  Jeff Francoeur was supposed to join them, but he isn’t fully healed from his surgery yet, according to Adam Rubin.

Wright is focusing on increasing his power stroke for next year, according to the article.

I like these kind of stories.  Just reaffirms the fact that you know these guys want to be at their best.

Sherman: Mets talking to Brewers, Rangers [Twit Pic]

Interesting.  Glad the Mets are spreading their interest around, even if nothing pans out.  I hate when they lock in on targets and put their blinders on.

Mets will meet with…

• John Lackey’s agent
• Bengie Molina’s agent
• Joel Pineiro’s agent
• Randy Wolf’s agent
• Jason Marquis’ agent

And probably every other decent free agent’s agent that is in Indianapolis this week.

Link: David Wright’s path to the pros

Take a break from Winter Meetings rumors and read this profile of David Wright’s  path from the minor leagues to being the All-Star third baseman of the New York Mets.

Best quote…

"I thought he was going to be real good. I thought he would be an All-Star, an impact player at the MLB level. And that's what he became," said Ken Oberkfell, who first worked with Wright in 2003 as manager of Class A Advanced St. Lucie. "He just stood out, he was a very good player."

Sherman: Mets targeting Willingham and Rivera [Winter Meetings]

With Jason Bay and Matt Holliday on the free-agent market and fairly free to set their own demands, the Mets may look to trade for a player to fill their hole in leftfield.

Josh Willingham from the Nationals and Juan Rivera from the Angels are two players they have interest in, according to Joel Sherman.

River has two years left on his contract, worth a combined $9.5 million.  Willingham is still under control by the Nationals, and earned $2.95 million last season.  He is a free agent following the 2011 season.

I think the Mets should take a look at both of these players, though I prefer dipping into the free-agent class first.  Both would be decent additions to the club.

I like Rivera.

NL East: Bruney traded to Nats

Two things…

1. How many times do Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Bruney argue/fight/whine in 2010?

2. Are only NL East teams making moves?  That’s what it seems like so far.

Update: PhillyBurbs.com: Pat Burrell traded to Mets [Winter Meetings]

Updated – 12:39 p.m.: 610 AM is talking about socks.  Steve Popper cites two Mets sources as saying it’s false.  David Lennon says, “not in 3-way, not in any way.”  This one’s dead.  Let’s move on.

Updated – 12:19 p.m.: Tim Haines, on PhillyBurbs.com, now attributes the report to WIP-AM 610, a Philly radio station.  But nothing is on WIP-AM’s Web page.  I’m tuning in to the station to see what’s up.

Updated – 12:12 p.m.: Sweeny Murti on WFAN spoke to a Mets official who vehemetly denied the rumor.

Congrats, PhillyBurbs.  You just had you 15 minutes of fame.

Original Post: Here’s a short, quick blurb from PhillyBurbs.com (a conglomeration of a few Philly-area papers) that claims the Rays have traded Pat Burrell to the Cubs who then traded him to the Mets (via Retire31).

Former Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell has reportedly been swapped twice this morning, eventually landing with Phils division rival the New York Mets.

The Tampa Bay Rays traded the slugging left fielder to the Chicago Cubs then the Cubs dealt Burrell to the Mets. Names of other players involved in the deals were not immediately available.

Aside from the validity of the report, if the Mets end up with Burrell and consider him their guy for leftfield, something is seriously, seriously wrong.

But let’s be real about this.  There is no story here.  Not even an anonymous source.  Come on, really?  Even the best out there can make up a source.

This is the only story on this, anywhere and coming from a fairly unknown source.  Take with a big grain of salt.  Like, Citi Field big.

Welcome the the Winter Meetings.

Mets considering lowering outfield walls

According to a blurb in the Daily News today, the Mets have looked into the possibility of lowering a portion of the walls in Citi Field (via The Mets Police).

Here’s what Adam Rubin wrote…

Daniel Murphy had the most homers of anybody in a Mets uniform with 12 last season. That actually has prompted team brass to revisit the issue of Citi Field's dimensions - or at least the wall heights. Mets officials are considering removing the second level of padding in center field to make the wall eight feet in the area Carlos Beltran patrols. They had maintained late in the season that the stadium would remain identical in 2010.

Taking a look back at some of my photos from Citi Field last year, I happened upon this photo…It seems the Mets would lower the walls out there to stop at the top of the Nikon sign, instead of the addition second level of padding.  If that’s the case, what happens to the apple?

It seems the Mets would have to seriously adjust the “house” for the apple, or have it more than partially exposed as it sits in waiting, which would be a little odd.

I truly believe Citi Field is getting a bad wrap due to a sub-par Mets team in 2009.  Too many people believe that the poor team performance by the team last season reflects the face that Citi Field is where home runs go to die, which is simply not true.

As I’ve stated before, Citi Field surrendered the 12th most home runs per game of all stadiums last season, to the tune of 1.057/game.

Added from the comments, by dances_w_vowels:

The actual number of HRs given up by Citi Field is 130, 6th from the bottom in MLB, partially because of the Mets' ineptitude, partially because the park IS huge. It also gave up 42 triples, tied for 4th in the ML. To that, the Park Factor in your link shows that 20% more triples were hit in games played at Citi over games the Mets played on the road. That, more than the HR stat, shows the park plays really big.

Park factors on ESPN have the park listen at .943. (Anything below 1.000 favors the pitcher.)

In that case, why aren’t pitchers lining up to pitch half their games in Citi Field?

Meche and the Mets? [Winter Meetings]

Could Gil Meche be a target for the Mets as they move forward in the off-season?

Meche, 31, has two years left on his contract and is owed $24 million.  According to Joel Sherman, the Kansas City Royals will listen for deals on their pitcher and the Mets may be interested.

But is Meche worth dealing for?

With four question marks already behind Johan Santana in the rotation, would Meche compound an already very-apparent problem?

In 2007 and 2008, Meche started 34 games.  Last season, he started only 23.  In the last three seasons, he started 91 games, throwing 555 innings.  He posted a 4.12 ERA, 109 ERA+ and a 1.367 WHIP.

As Nick Migliore points out on Twitter, Meche has a full no-trade clause for 2009.  That would have to waived before any trade, obviously.

Would you make a deal for Meche?  Hit the comments to vote and comment.

Link: Omar interview in Indy

Head over to Surfing the Mets to read the transcript of a quick interview with Omar Minaya in Indianapolis for the start of the winter meetings.

Best part…

Is there pressure on you to pull the trigger on something and satisfy the fans?

There’s no doubt because of last year—I don’t want to say you feel pressure to do something—but there’s no doubt we have to find a way to improve our club if possible. -snip- But as far as the pressure, I don’t feel like I have to do something.

Is this good or bad for the Mets? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Bloomberg’s player-evaluations a match for the Mets? [Quote]

Bloomberg L.P. will be entering the player-evaluation market for baseball on Monday.  And guess who’s interested…

For Jeff Wilpon, the chief operating officer of the Mets, the value in the software will be in evaluating free agents.

“If you take X player on another team who’s around a great cast of players,” he said, “we want to look at him in our ballpark with different players around him to see how he will fit in.”

This makes me happy.

Can they have the software shipped to Indianapolis for the start of the winter meetings tomorrow?  I’ll personally install whatever needs to be installed onto Omar Minaya’s computer.

(H/T Jeremy Schilling)

How to follow and interact with The ‘Ropolitans

With the winter meetings about to kick off tomorrow, signaling one of the busiest times of the year for baseball, I thought it would be a good time for a friendly reminder about all the way to follow and interact with The ‘Ropolitans.

(Side note: Rumors-for-the-sake-of-rumors anger me.  If I post a rumor, I’ll try my best to analyze it as a hypothetical for the team.)

Site: Obviously, there is the old-fashioned way of simply clicking into your browser, typing in theropolitans.com and hitting enter.

Comments: Every post has it’s own dedicated comment section.  If you click “Join the discussion!” you will be taken to the comments.  You can log in with your IntenseDebate account, Twitter name or just your name and e-mail.

Chat: There is always a chat box in the sidebar to talk Mets, no matter what topic you’d like to discuss.

RSS: Add the blog to your favorite RSS reader (mine is Google Reader) to have the feed of The ‘Ropolitans aggregated for any new content.

Twitter: If you use Twitter, follow me here.  Not only does every post go onto my Twitter, but I also post a lot of other stuff that doesn’t make it onto the blog.  It’s a great way to converse with me and other Mets fans.  I also post Twitter polls, that I feature on the blog, so you can contribute to those.  Be warned: I post a lot on Twitter.

YouTube: I have a YouTube account where I mostly post the audio from The ‘Ropolitans Radio.  I also have videos from when I attend games and The State of the Mets videos.

Tumblr: If you tumbl (I guess that’s the verb?), you can follow The ‘Ropolitans Tumblr right here.

E-mail: If you have any tips, questions or suggestions, never hesitate to e-mail me.  TheRopolitans@gmail.com

I hope you use whatever you feel most comfortable with and continue to visit and interact with this site.  Thank you to all my readers.  This site wouldn’t be anything without you.

UPDATED: ‘They’re only interested in signing low-budget Latin players’ [Quote]

Update – 3:30 p.m.: It seems the Daily News has edited this Madden column. It now reads…

They won't spend the money for Holliday, Bay or Lackey and apparently, they're only interested in signing low-budget players, having shown little or no interest in Byrd, Figgins, DeRosa, Wolf or even Staten Island's Jason Marquis, while waiting for their markets to come to them.

Very, very interesting.

Original post: From Bill Madden in today’s Daily News…

Mets? Did somebody say the Mets? They won't spend the money for Holliday, Bay or Lackey and apparently, they're only interested in signing low-budget Latin players, having shown little or no interest in Byrd, Figgins, DeRosa, Wolf or even Staten Island's Jason Marquis, while waiting for their markets to come to them. At the same time, the Phillie sand Braves wasted no time in addressing their needs. Sad.

Emphasis mine.

I know columnists are paid to be controversial, but this is a bit much.

Also, did Madden miss the Chris Coste signing?

Mets have interest in Willingham? [Twitter]

Here’s Ladson’s article on the Mets interest in Josh Willingham.

But here’s a pull from a Ladson article from two days ago…

LF Josh Willingham: The Braves are one team that has shown interest, but it seems doubtful the Nationals will trade him. He provided the power Washington needed last year and he was an excellent clubhouse presence.

(Ed. note: Over the course of the Winter Meetings, and likely for the rest of time on this site that Twitter is a relevant means of communication (hint: a while), you’ll see more posts like these.)

‘69 Mets contribute to Habitat for Humanity [Video]

Here’s a neat little video with the 1969 Mets as they contributed to Habitat for Humanity this summer.

Enjoy on your crappy Saturday.

Omar’s plan for catchers [Image]

I just Tweeted this…