Peter Gammons of ESPN has reported that the Mets don’t currently have the trading chips to acquire one of the Athletics pitchers, Dan Haren or Joe Blanton. They were also denied a trade for Erik Bedard late last week. With that said, it may be time for the Mets to look elsewhere. Here is a list of potential targets and what they are valued at.

LHP Dontrelle Willis (Florida Marlins) - The Marlins have stated that they are willing to listen to offers for Willis, though they are expected to retain him for the 2008 season, or at least until the July 31st trading deadline. Willis is coming off his worst season of his career, going 10-15 with a 5.17 ERA. Throughout the past three seasons, Willis’ strikeout to walk ratio has decreased each season. In 2005, Willis struck out 170 while walking 55. The following season in 2006, he notched 160 strike outs while walking 83. Finally, last season, he struck out 146 and walked 86.

Potential Suitors: Mets, Reds, Mariners, and Diamondbacks

Cost: Two young players

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Bartolo Colon (Free Agent) - Colon could definitely be a high-reward/high-risk signing for any team that picks him up. He has played only 28 starts due to his battle with shoulder and elbow problems since the beginning of the 2006 season. Omar once traded prospects Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips in a deal for Colon when he was general manager for the Expos.

Potential Suitors: Mets, Padres, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Mariners, Nationals

Cost: One-year, $9 million deal or two-year, $16 million

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Carlos Silva (Free Agent) - The 28-year old Silva currently leads a very thin market of starting pitchers. He went 13-14 with a 4.19 ERA for the Twins last season and figures to cash in at around $10 million a season with another team. Plenty of teams remain interested in him, though most of them plan to use him as a fall back option and prefer to look to the trade market before committing a large contract to him.

Potential Suitors: Mets, Royals, Cardinals, Tigers, Phillies

Cost: 4-Years, $40 million

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Livan Hernandez (Free Agent) - Hernandez is an innings eater. He has not pitched less than 200 innings in any season since 1999. He went 11-11 with a 4.93 ERA for the Diamondbacks last season. The Mets lost a 200 inning pitcher in Glavine to the Braves via free agency and they need to find a way to fill those lost innings. The team have made it known that Livan is more likely a Plan C or D. The fact that his half-brother El Duque is on this team and his history with Omar in Montreal makes him a strong candidate to be a Met in 2008.

Potential Suitors: Mets, Astros, Cardinals

Cost: Three-years, $21 million

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Hiroki Kuroda (Free Agent) - The 33-year old right hander went 12-8 in 26 starts with a 3.56 ERA for the Hiroshima Carp last season in Japan. Scouts project him to become a middle of the rotation starter in the MLB. Conflicting reports have come out recently that the Mariners have have offered him a contract. One report says that it was for three-years, $30 million. The other states that they offered him four-year, $44 million.

Potential Suitors: Mets, Mariners, Dodgers, Royals, Phillies, Cubs, Rangers

Cost: Four-year deal, $45 million

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Two sources confirm that both the Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals have been discussing a deal that will send OF Elijah Dukes to Washington. The St. Petersburg Times has more on the story.

There is only circumstantial evidence, including word that Nationals GM Jim Bowden was overheard on his cell phone yesterday at the airport talking to someone named “Elijah.” And both teams have scheduled announcements at 5 p.m. Plus, the deal would explain why Dukes, the troubled outfielder, hasn’t played since his latest eruption after being ejected from a Dominican League game on Thursday night.

UPDATE 2:18pm EST : Dave Sheinin at The Washington Post confirms that the Nats have acquired Dukes.

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The veteran committee has sent five people to Cooperstown today.

Dick Williams (manager), Billy Southworth (manager), Barney Dreyfuss (executive), Bowie Kuhn (executive) and Walter O’Malley (executive) will be inducted in Juiy. Williams is the only new Hall of Famer still living.

O’Malley is best known within New York City as the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers and was responsible for moving his team to the west coast following the 1957 baseball season.

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Here’s a rundown of Hot Stove news this morning…

First, Ken Rosenthal has the latest information up from the hot stove. To lead off the report, Rosenthal has a bit on Omar Minaya, whose job security coming off an epic pennant race collapse is not as safe as it was a year ago. The value of the Mets prospects aren’t currently as enticing as other teams and this could make for a hard time for Omar if he cannot find a trade for a top pitcher.The San Diego Padres may sign C Mike Piazza if Michael Barrett rejects their offer of arbitration. Barrett is drawing interest from the Marlins, Rays and Orioles.

The Washington Nationals have asked the Milwaukee Brewers for 2B Rickie Weeks in return for closer Chad Cordero due to their pressing need for a closer. The Brewers have made Weeks close to untouchable.

Both the Mets and Yankees are showing interest in free-agent reliever Octavio Dotel.

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The Providence Journal is reporting that Johan Santana has told the Twins that he is willing to waive his no-trade clause only for the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees. He has made it clear that he also will not accept an in-season trade. The report also states that yesterday, indications surfaced that the Sox have also had discussions with the Milwaukee Brewers regarding Ben Sheets. The Sox also see Dan Haren as an alternative if they fail to trade for Johan Santana.

The Washington Post reports that Orioles LHP Erik Bedard has informed the team that he has no interest in signing an extension to stay in Baltimore beyond 2009. The Mets and Dodgers have engaged in serious discussions with the 28-year old ace. Last week, the Mets offer of Lastings Milledge, Aaron Heilman and Philip Humber was rejected. The Orioles will likely require Matt Kemp from the Dodgers if they make any run at Bedard.

Despite a previous report, the Pittsburgh Pirates have denied that they have considered non-tendering Xavier Nady if they cannot trade him.

After trading starting catcher Brian Schneider to the Mets on Friday, the Washington Nationals failed to name Jesus Flores as the starting catcher. In fact, he may start the season in Triple-A. The Nationals are currently in the market for a starting catcher, likely for a one-year deal. They seem to expect Flores to become their full-time starting catcher by the 2009 season.

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Pittsburgh Pirates could look to trade former Mets outfielder Xavier Nady during the winter meetings. If the team cannot find a taker for Nady, they are considering non-tendering him before the Dec. 12 deadline to offer salary arbitration. That would allow him to become a free agent.

Nady, 29, hit .278 with 20 HRs and 78 RBIs for the Pirates last season playing the majority of time in right field. In 94 games in right field, Nady didn’t commit a single error and made four assists from the position. Nady’s lone error in the outfield came when he was forced to play centerfield due to an injury from another player.

The only scenario that could envision him returning to the Mets at all is a platoon in right field with Ryan Church. Nady is a career .320 hitter against lefties in 465 at-bats. Church is a career .275 hitter against right-handed hitters, compared to his .254 average against lefties. If there is any chance that he returns to Flushing, it would likely be as the starting RF against left-handed pitchers. The Padres are also reportedly in bringing him back to San Diego.

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Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports that baseball insiders are whispering that the Pirates and Indians have had discussions about a multi-player deal that would include Cleveland’s backup catcher Kelly Shoppach and Pirates outfielder Jason Bay.

Bay, 28, had a down year, hitting .247 with 21 HRs and 84 RBIs. He is currently signed for the next two seasons at $5.75 million next season and $7.5 million in 2009.

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Casey Stern talked with the newest Met player, OF Ryan Church yesterday on MLB Radio’s afternoon show, Bottom Line. Here is a recap of the interview.

On the reaction of hearing about the trade…
Church: Jim Bowden called me. He said, “This is a difficult phone call to make, but you do know you’ve been traded to the Mets.” He told me all the details about who’s going with me and who I was being traded for. He just wanted to thank me for my time in Washington and I told him the same thing. “Thank you for having me there, thank you for giving me the opportunity to play. We’re going to cross path’s a lot this year, upcoming years, and I’m looking forward to it.”

On how excited he is going to New York City and from the Nationals to a perennial playoff contender…
Church: I just think it’s a great opportunity for myself and for Schneider. We’ve been through a lot, but I have the utmost respect for the Nationals organization. We have had great times over there. I’m going to miss the fans and miss the opportunity of going into that great new stadium, but the Mets have one coming a year from now. Just having the opportunity to play for a contender, that’s our biggest dream as ballplayers, winning the whole thing and I think that now, I’m in a situation to have the opportunity to day in, day out have our team be able to win and I think that it’s on a consistent basis and that they strive for excellence. If they don’t get a ring, they are disappointed, so I want to be part of that. I’ve never been in that situation and I can’t be any happier to say that I’m a Met and have the opportunity to play with them.

On if he knows any of the players on the Mets personally from playing in the minors or together with other teams…
Church: The only one really is Marlon Anderson (who played for the Nationals for a brief time in 2006). He’s the only one I have played with. We build relationships as ballplayers, but I don’t have anyone on the personal level or the teammate level that I’ve gotten accustomed with all the guys in DC, but I’m looking forward to building relationships with them and going in there with an open mind and don’t step on anybody’s toes and just basically absorb it, suck everything in and hopefully be a part of something special.

On playing on the right side of an outfield that consists of one of the best players of this generation in Carlos Beltran and Moises Alou one of the best run producers from the right side in the history of the game…
Church: It hasn’t really sank in. Just the thought of that, being in a lineup with those guys on a daily basis, the sky’s the limit. I’ve never been in that situation and I really can’t wait to finally be a part of that and I’m just looking forward to stepping on that field with Reyes, Wright, Delgado, Beltran and all those guys. I’ve never had that experience before. I’m looking forward to it.

On if he has spoken to Brian Schneider since the deal was made…
Church: We had a brief thing. I just congratulated him and he congratulated me and we just talked briefly right before the conference call with the media. He’s out on the west coast right now, so when he gets back in Florida, I’m sure I’ll talk to him and start making plans about what we’re gonna do as far as working out and all that stuff.

On the city as a whole in general, the different breed between New York fans and DC fans and the feeling of walking out into the stadium in front of a packed house in a Yankees/Mets or Mets/Braves game…
Church: Gives me goosebumps just talking about that. That’s what you dream of, going out there, sellout crowds. Not taking anything away from the fans in DC because they are great and loyal, but New York is the greatest stage of all sports and I think that just being able to be part of that is something that I’ll always be able to remember and it’s just the opportunity to be put into a great position to help out a team and get to a championship.

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According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the San Diego Padres and SP Randy Wolf have reached an agreement on a one-year deal pending a physical.

Wolf, 31, went 9-6 with a 4.73 ERA in 18 starts for the Dodgers last season before straining his shoulder that ended his season after requiring surgery.

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Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald reports that the Houston Astros have come to terms with free agent 2B Kaz Matsui on a three-year, $15 million contract.

Matsui, 32, played for the National League-champion Colorado Rockies this year, batting .288 with 4 home runs, 37 RBIs, 84 Runs and swiped 32 bases.

In 213 at-bats outside of Coors Field, Matsui hit .249 with 0 home runs and 12 RBIs.

Good luck with all that.

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Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News reported yesterday afternoon, though unconfirmed, that the Mets acquired minor-league catcher Ralph Henriguez of the Houston Astros. The Mets sent LHP Josh Appell to the Astros in return.

Henriguez, 20, was selected by the Houston Astros in the 2nd round of the 2005 MLB Amateur Entry Draft (72nd Overall). In his 2006 at Greeneville, hit .231 with five homers and 37 RBIs in 238 at-bats and finished fifth in the Appalachian League with 56 strikeouts. Last season, he hit .185 with seven homers and 36 RBIs in 372 at-bats.

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Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News reports that the Rockies are close to re-signing veteran LHP Mark Redman and are trying to finalize a deal for veteran RHP Steve Trachsel.

Redman, 33, signed on with the Rockies last season in August after starting the season with Atlanta and spending time in both the Rangers and Blue Jays minor league systems. In 5 games (3 starts), Redman went 2-0 with a 3.19 ERA for the Rockies in September.

Trachsel, 37, signed with the Orioles after former Mets teammate Kris Benson went down with rotator cuff surgery. He was traded to the Cubs on August 31st for two minor leaguers. Trachsel went 6-8 with a 4.48 ERA for the Orioles, however did not fare well with the Cubs as he went 1-3 with an 8.31 ERA in just 4 starts for Chicago. In 9 starts at Coors Field, Trachsel is 4-1 lifetime with a 6.44 ERA.

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Jupiter police released the March 22nd video of St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa’s DUI arrest.

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Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Mets most recent offer made for SP Dan Haren was considered more suitable for SP Joe Blanton.

Ken also notes that the A’s are no longer as interested in Mets OF Lastings Milledge and RHP Aaron Heilman as they were when they tried to acquire them for LHP Barry Zito in 2006. The A’s have found solutions for starters in the corner outfield spots and are looking for a long-term answer in centerfield. The A’s consider Milledge more of a corner outfielder. Carlos Gomez seems to be the more attractive option.

Milledge appeared in 14 games in centerfield last season in relief of Beltran who was injured, committing just one error and two assists in 120 innings.

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Steve King of the Philadelphia Daily News reports that the Phillies may look to trade for Orioles 3B Melvin Mora after failing to sign Mike Lowell via free agency. The Baltimore Sun reports that Mora is unhappy with the current direction of the Orioles and would be willing to drop his no-trade clause to join a contender on the east coast.

Mora, 35, hit .274 with 14 homers and 58 RBI last season. He signed a 3-year contract extension in May 2006. He is due to make $8 million in each of the next two seasons. In 2010, he is due a club option worth $8 million or a $1 million buyout.

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