A Pitcher to Consider

After striking out on (or perhaps not even making an attempt to sign) John Lackey, Joel Pineiro, Randy Wolf, Ben Sheets, and a number of other free agent arms this offseason, the Mets are clearly running out of options to bolster their starting rotation.

The options left include John Smoltz, who is reportedly leaning towards the Cardinals; Erik Bedard, who will probably cost more than the Mets are willing to spend; Chien-Ming Wang, who wasn’t all that great when he was healthy; and Jarrod Washburn, who I believe has had exactly one good half in the past half decade.   Granted, these options may be better than Mets fifth starter in waiting, Fernando Nieve, but again, they’ll all probably force the Mets to dig deeper into their pockets than they’d like to.   I suppose the Mets could rekindle their relationship with Pedro Martinez, but I just don’t see that happening.

That leaves Sidney Ponson.

Oh, and Noah Lowry.

I know what you’re saying;  Lowry hasn’t pitched in the bigs in two years.   And you’re right.  But without getting into the details of thoracic outlet syndrome (circulatory issue) or the alleged misdiagnosis by the Giants organization that Lowry blames for missing an entire season (you can read about that all here), let’s discuss why Lowry would be a no-risk, high reward signing for the Mets.

1.) He’s just 29 years old; far from an aging veteran.  The lefty also hasn’t pitched a single inning in the last two years.  His arm should be fresh.

2.) When he’s been healthy, he’s pitched well.   The former first-round pick compiled a 3.79 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 7.40 K/9 in his first 303 innings as a big leaguer.   His production only suffered when injuries began to mount (2006 – missed time with oblique/elbow injuries; 2007 – cut short due to forearm injury; 2008 – missed entire season with same forearm injury; 2009 – missed entire season with thoracic outlet syndrome).

3.) Players have come back from thoracic outlet syndrome to play well.  Kenny Rogers and Hank Blalock are two names that come to mind.  And, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, Lowry feels healthy and has been throwing bullpen sessions three times a week.  He expects to enter spring training with no limitations.

4.) He’s low cost.  Because of his extensive injury history and time away from the game, he can probably be had on a one-year, incentive-laden deal.   That’s right up Freddy Coupon’s…um Wilpon’s alley, right?

5.) Not only was he once considered one of the top young arms in baseball (with one of the best changeups in the game), but he had earned a reputation as having one of the better bats among pitchers in the National League.

Lowry is expected to audition for a job in Phoenix next Tuesday.  Reportedly, more than a dozen teams will be in attendance, including the New York Mets.  Put simply, if the lefty looks good, the Mets need to jump on the opportunity.

Minaya, Manuel Receive Vote Of Confidence?

On the heels of the Mets second straight late-season collapse, Mets ownership gave general manager Omar Minaya a vote of confidence by rewarding him with a four-year contract extension with roughly a week or so left of the 2008 season.

Now, it’s 2009.

With another putrid season under his belt, despite obvious freak injuries, Minaya and Jerry Manuel both have received votes of confidence from ownership stating that they will be brought back again for the 2010 season now.

What else is new?

Now, whether or not you believe Fred Wilpon is one thing, but I honestly have to question this. Obviously, every owner wants to win, it’s just that simple, but I think that his close bond and relationship with Minaya is clouding his judgment to do what’s best for the organization.

I don’t see how you can have any confidence in a guy that has had an increasing payroll since winning the division in 2006, only to go nothing but downhill ever since.

Yes, it may just be August 23rd, and Wilpon could just be talking, but I would find it difficult myself to give a guy comfort that he is doing all the right things by publicly stating that they will return next year.

What has Minaya done this year to deserve that comfort? Granted a freak amount of injuries have hit this team, but offseason moves such as the signings of Tim Redding and Oliver Perez have done just as much bad for this team as injuries have, but for some reason, moves like this always seemed to get passed over because Minaya also signed Francisco Rodriguez.

Not to mention, the biggest trade of the offseason, in which the team acquired J.J. Putz, Sean Green and Jeremy Reed and gave up Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Joe Smith and four minor league prospects, hasn’t quite paid off.

And I don’t mean it hasn’t paid off because Putz is on the DL, but Green has been less than great, and when faced with the opportunity to start because of an injury in the outfield, Reed crumbled. If anything, trading the majority of these players for Putz and a couple of mediocre players hurt the Mets.

With the injuries that have occurred this season, the Mets lacked the trade chips all year long to pursue help to compensate for their losses. And for that, you are now watching a team that constantly puts out a lineup that includes Cory Sullivan, Fernando Tatis, and Anderson Hernandez.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love to watch baseball and the Mets in general through their up’s and down’s, but this season, I have had trouble even putting the Mets game on anymore.

I have never thought that Minaya brought anything to the table that could not have been done by another baseball executive and I may be alone in this, but I will never understand the ridiculous love affair that upper management and ownership has with Omar Minaya.

A change needs to be made. It is that simple.

Wrap It Up, Boys.

As if the news couldn’t get any worse for the Mets this season, David Lennon of Newsday just posted on his Twitter account that shortstop Jose Reyes is flying back to New York to be examined for right leg discomfort.  It’s being surmised by him and Kevin Burkhardt on his Twitter that Reyes’ season is over.

Meanwhile, John Maine is still sidelined with “shoulder weakness,” a diagnosis confirmed by Dr. James Andrews per Katie Strang of Newsday, and Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran are taking mere baby steps to returning to the Mets’ lineup.  Of Beltran, Peter Botte of the Daily News relays that:

Beltran was encouraged that he felt pain “only twice” in his knee among the estimated 35 fly balls he fielded. “It wasn’t the same pain I felt (before) … so I think it’s progress, because I didn’t feel it all the time.”

Great, so now we’re supposed to feel encouraged by someone saying that they’re not quite in excruciating pain…

It’s a pretty safe bet that Reyes is done for the year, and with Delgado and Beltran taking so long to get back, at 85% for the latter, it’ll all be too little, too late.  Why would you possibly risk bringing back either of these guys too soon, if you might be hurting next season as well?

Granted, the team is dreadful right now, and these two guys would be an upgrade, but how much so?  They’re both coming back from pretty bad injuries, and surgery for Delgado, so who knows how effective they might be, having to be spelled every few days and being overall rusty.  The Mets of 2009 are basically dead in the water, so to try to bring guys back too soon that you definitely need (in the case of Beltran) and might need (in the case of Delgado) next year, would be to beat a dead horse.  I guess, that although the guys want to get back anyway, the Wilpons won’t do anything to stop them, if it means that more people will come out to Citi Field to watch the carcass rot.

It’s time to just wrap it up, boys, and start thinking about 2010.

Dog House Dweller of the Week: Omar Minaya

Sorry, Mets management, but it’s for your own good…

For the second straight week, it looks like a high-level Mets executive has to take a trip to the House.

I already spoke a little bit about Mets GM Omar Minaya’s just wonderful press conference announcing the firing of Tony Bernazard, but it somehow wasn’t the end of his recent stretch of poor decisions.

It was a good debate during the last week that Omar Minaya was either smart or stupid for not trading away multiple prospects for guys like Roy Halladay or Victor Martinez.  There were a few reports, that admittedly were challenged, that Omar had access to both of them if only he was willing to part with prospects like Fernando Martinez, Brad Holt, and Jonathan Niese, who’s been pitching much better of late, save for his pedestrian last outing.

If he had the opportunity to make those moves, and decided to pass them up, he made a mistake if you ask me.

My first point is a little tongue-in-cheek, but you’d have to think it’s at least slightly true.  Omar is basically a dead man walking.  I just can’t see how he can possibly keep his job going into 2010, so you would think that he would attempt to make a splash to impress the media, fans, and even the Wilpons in an attempt to save his neck.

My second point, I stick by.  F-Mart has been hurt so many times I’ve lost count, and because of it nobody really knows what he’s going to be.  I understand, he’s 20 years old, but if it were me, I’d always go with the can’t-miss veteran who still has many good years in front of him over the prospect who might turn out to be nothing.  How many of the prospects that went in the Johan Santana trade worked out to be good to very good major league players?  And where would the Mets have been the last couple of seasons without him?  Yes, they collapsed, but the fact that they even had a chance to was thanks to him.

Victor Martinez is a great bat who’s already played first base as well, by the way, and let’s face it, folks:  Omir Santos and Brian Schneider are both backups.  Either one of the stars that I mentioned should’ve been no-brainer moves.  I guess they’re not, since old “No-Brain” Minaya didn’t pull the trigger on either.

Sorry, Omar.  You’re the Dog House Dweller of the Week.  Too bad it’s going to get a lot worse for you before 2010, unless the Wilpons would like to stay in the House sometime.

Omar Minaya and Adam Rubin Square Off At Bernazard Press Conference

It has been one of the most disastrous seasons for the New York Mets in recent memory, and it just got monumentally worse for the people calling the shots. At a press conference to announce the firing of their vice president of player development, Tony Bernazard, who took his shirt off and challenged the Mets minor league affiliate to a fist fight, the Mets General Manager Omar Minaya dropped a serious accusation. The reporter who originally reported the story of Bernazard’s wild antics was Adam Rubin, Mets beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Rubin wouldn’t be the first reporter to be critical of Bernazard, last year MLB.com’s Marty Noble wondered if Bernazard was an undermining factor on the team.

The room full of reporters were aghast when Minaya said he was hesitant to fire Bernazard because Rubin had been lobbying the team for a job in the team’s player development department.

Rubin’s face dropped and he confronted Minaya right there at the dramatic press conference.

“Are you alleging that I tore Tony down so I could take his job?”

“You have told me and other people in the front office that you would like to work in the front office,” Minaya countered.

“That is despicable you would say that.” Rubin responded

Rubin would have a serious conflict of interest if he were lobbying the same team he was covering for the Daily News, especially if he did a hit piece on the same executive whose job he was looking to take.

Rubin told reporters after the press conference that he had asked members of the team how someone could get involved in baseball positions but didn’t specifically ask about a job with the team. He also said Mets owner Fred Wilpon had invited him to his office to talk about it but he never took him up on the offer.

What is even stranger is that the general manager of the Mets would make such an accusation at the press conference, which was supposed to diffuse a bad situation for the Mets having a hot head executive on the payroll. Instead of diffusing the situation he just lit a match on an even bigger one, which is likely to have long legs.

The Mets are a disaster on the field this year, devastated by injuries mostly out of their control. This is a situation they could have controlled and will now have already bloodthirsty tabloid reporters covering the team salivating at what they might be able to dig up on the Mets general manager, already on shaky ground.

Update, 7:50 PM ET: In a hastily thrown together press conference, the second of the day, Omar Minaya said he stood by what he said at the press conference regarding Adam Rubin, but it was the wrong venue to discuss it. Mets owner Fred Wilpon defended Adam Rubin

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” Wilpon said. “I believe Adam was just doing what anybody else does. I probably get a call a week from someone asking for career advice.”

Omar doesn’t seem to understand public relations very well. Your job is to diffuse these situations so fans focus on baseball. It doesn’t really matter to anyone what your opinion of Adam Rubin is, and holding a second press conference to say you meant what you said does nothing but make a bad situation worse. If you have the goods on Rubin you better produce it or you job seems to be in as much if not as much jeopardy as Rubin’s

Ron Darling, during the Mets pregame, said he no longer knows if what he discusses with Minaya is on or off the record.

Minaya has lost credibility with the highest profile public faces to the fans of the team. I think Can’t Stop the Bleeding said it best…

“Here’s a list of things the Wilpons and Minaya don’t understand : 1) public relations, 2) journalism, 3) ponzi schemes, 4) baseball.”

Here is a transcript of the press conference and Rubin’s statement to media after the conference, courtesy of Amazin Avenue.

Omar Minaya: Once the reports came out, you know, of course we had to expedite more the investigation. Early in the process, early in the process, when the reports came out, I had to kind of tell myself, “Wow, these things are coming out.” And I say this because coming from Adam Rubin, okay, and Adam, you gotta understand this, Adam, for the past couple of years, has lobby for a player development position. He has lobby myself, he has lobby Tony. So when these things came out I was kind of a little bit, I had to think about it. And I was a little bit, you know, somewhat, kind of, we gotta find out about this. We really have to do a thorough investigation of this.

[...]

Adam Rubin: Is what you’re alleging that I tried to tear Tony down so I could take his job? Is that what you’re saying?

Omar Minaya: No, no, I’m not saying that. All I’m saying was, that I know that when you wrote the reports, but I am saying, that in the past, you have, have lobby for a player, for a for a job…

Adam Rubin: If I were interested in working in player development somewhere in the major leagues at some point in my life, how did that impact this situation at all?

Omar Minaya: I said, because, when the reports came out a lot of these things were cross… I said “Who’s writing these reports?” and I said well okay who’s writing the reports and in the back of my mind, Adam, you have told me you have told other people in the front office that you want to work for player development in the front office.

Adam Rubin: So what you’re alleging is that.. the only conclusion I can draw from that is that you’re trying to allege that I tried to tear everyone down so that I could take their position. Is that what you’re saying?

Omar Minaya: Adam…

Adam Rubin: It seems pretty despicable to say that.

Post conference comments by Rubin, you can also watch the video here.

Adam Rubin: “Just like Omar would, if you were curious about journalism, would say, “How do you get into journalism?” I would ask people, because I’ve been around the minor leagues a long time, I covered the minor leagues back in the ’90s, the Birmingham Barons, the White Sox double-A team, actually when Jerry was the White Sox skipper — so I would ask them, probe them, about how do you get jobs in baseball. If you ever kind of hear about anything in baseball that might be suitable, how do you go about pursuing a job like that? But that was the extent of it. And it’s so deplorable that he would dredge that up like that. I’ve never seen anything like that. It has nothing to do with the issue. I don’t understand how they can say I would tear someone down. I asked him point-blank, you heard. Are you alleging that I’m tearing him down, Tony down, to try and take his job. I mean, that’s ludicrous. Just absolutely ludicrous.”

Asked how he felt about the accusations…

Devasted, to be honest, because I need to cover this team. I don’t know. I hope it’s still possible, but I don’t know. I can’t cover it until they switch GMs, obviously.

Updated: Dog House Dweller of the Week: Tony Bernazard

Update at 2:44 PM…

It’s being reported on WFAN that Tony Bernazard has indeed been moved from my Dog House to the umployment line. A press conference is scheduled for 3:30 this afternoon.

Music to my ears.  This is the first step in the right direction.

Original post…

This is all too easy…

It’s pretty safe to say that Tony Bernazard is public enemy #1 to Mets fans everywhere.  Reports came out all week like this one for the Daily News by Adam Rubin that Bernazard removed his shirt before going on a tirade on the Binghamton Mets, even going so far as to challenge them to a fight.  Then, more started to come out about how he got into altercations with both Francisco Rodriguez and Johan Santana.  And the most shocking part of this whole story?  That he’s still employed.  By the Mets.  What’s even more disconcerting about all of this is that it’s pretty widely understood that his relationship with the Wilpons is better than that between Omar Minaya and the owners.

I’m utterly confused here.  How in the world can someone who’s doing his best to damage the image of the Mets’ front office still be a member of it?  I think the answer is pretty simple.

The man is the real life version of Svengali.  For the uninitiated, Svengali is a fictional character from the novel Trilby.  The stereotype that character created is one of an evil hypnotist, who has an overwhelming power over someone else and manipulates them to act in ways they otherwise wouldn’t.

Thanks to Wikipedia for the fine details…

See where I’m going with this?  Bernazard is clearly Svengali, who probably has a supernatural power over the Wilpons.  Let’s just say that Minaya is…Queen Elizabeth.  Work for you?  If you’d like, Bernazard can also be Grigori Rasputin, but I’ll stick with Svengali for our purposes.

The only other theory I can come up with is that the Wilpons are keeping him around because they’re hiding a debilitating knee injury to Omar from the public, and Bernazard’s filling in.

His influence is too strong, as well all know that he’s a major reason behind the firing of Willie Randolph as well.  Nobody who goes around, surreptitiously planting opinions about certain members of the Mets organization, deserves to be Vice President of Player Development.

I’m fairly amazed that the guy is still with the organization, since there really is no excuse for him to remain at his post.  Since it seems like he won’t be shown the door before the year’s over for one reason or another, I can’t envision a winter during which he’s not kicked to the curb, alongside Omar who clearly doesn’t have full autonomy, Jerry Manuel, Dan Warthen, and every last bat boy.  It’s time to shift the philosophy of the entire organization, and I believe it has to start with getting rid of old Tony Bernazard, the walking symbol of just about everything that’s wrong with the New York Mets.

Tony Bernazard, for cashing fat checks while making a complete mockery of my favorite baseball team… welcome to the Dog House.

Ignoring Manny Is A Disgrace

I don’t understand it and I can’t find anyone who does. The one thing that some could point to is the way in which Manny Ramirez disgracefully forced his way out of Boston. But are the Mets an organization with such high standards that they can’t make an exception for one of the best right handed hitters in baseball history? Are we to believe that? Well, I am sure most don’t.

I hear the Mets fans calling out to Mets management, whether it be via sports talk radio or blogs or comment sections and it’s pretty universal ALL Mets fans want Manny to be in a Mets uniform the day they open their new ball park Citi Field. Ah, Citi Field now there’s a contradiction to say the least. If this whole “ignore Manny” thing is about standards and not about money, like the Wilpon’s claim, wouldn’t they do something about that tarnished name?

Chief operating officer, Jeff Wilpon of the Mets actually said yesterday to Bloomberg News that GM Omar Minaya “hasn’t brought it [Manny] to me as an option”, so therefore the reports that Mets ownership don’t want to pay Manny are untrue? The full quote:

“I know the perception out there again is that ownership said no,” Wilpon said today in an interview at Citi Field. “I don’t have the opportunity to say no because Omar hasn’t brought it to me as an option. Omar and the baseball staff aren’t interested.”

So, they haven’t discussed it? Is that the impression he’s trying to give? Jeff and his father Fred are hands on guys, they love baseball. They’ve fashioned Citi Field to resemble old Ebbets Field, the park the Dodgers used to play in when they were in Brooklyn. Fred Wilpon grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. He has Sandy Koufax come to spring training every year and we are suppose to believe because Omar hasn’t “presented it” to them? They haven’t had any discussions about, arguably, the best hitter in baseball? Nonsense!

It’s obvious fellow Mets fans, with our crosstown rivals doing everything they can to put a championship team on the field, we have to settle for less. Mind you I am not discounting the acquisitions of K-Rod and J.J. Putz. Those are major moves and they were needed big time. But the Mets did not have to break the bank for either. We are talking about a major market team with its own network and brand new park that was heavily subsidised with tax-payer money.

Mets fans have a right to be mad about this. I love the way Daniel Murphy played in the second half of last season but for the Mets to have an opening day outfield with Ryan Church in right and a combo of Fernando Tatis/Daniel Murphy in left while ignoring Manny Ramirez is a disgrace.

Liquor Mogul Offers to Buy Mets

According to the Daily News, Long Island liquor mogul Martin Silver’s offered to buy the Mets from Fred Wilpon, who’s recently been victimized by a $50 billion fraud case.

“If Mr. Wilpon is in so much trouble. … It’s like real estate, it comes down in value,” said Silver, who in June sent Wilpon five whole chickens to express his displeasure over the firing of manager Willie Randolph.

Liquor.  Is there any problem it can’t cause/be the cause of?  It is a recession-proof industry, after all.  A funny little story, but I’m glad that’s all it is because he may have wanted to keep Willie around, which already proves he clearly enjoys his product during and after work.

Wilpon May Be Protected From Madoff Scheme

John Slattery of CBS News reports that investors who were duped by Bernard Madoff may be protected under the Securities Investor Protection Act. New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon was one of the many investors who were victims of a ponzi-scheme with total losses of up to 50 billon.

Wilpon’s losses are not yet known but are believed to be close to $300 million.

Congress created the SIPC in 1970 to protect investors when a brokerage firm fails and cash and securities are missing from accounts. Funds can be used to satisfy the remaining claims of each customer up to a maximum of $500,000. The figure includes a maximum of up to $100,000 on claims for cash.

Wilpon’s Firm Was Client Of Bad iBank

New York Times Dealbook reports that  Sterling Equities, the investment firm led by Fred Wilpon that owns the New York Mets baseball team, said Friday that it had accounts at Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities and was “shocked” by his fraud confession.

“Among our various investments, we have accounts managed by Madoff Securities,” Sterling Equities said in a statement, Bloomberg reports. “We are shocked by recent events and, like all investors, will continue to monitor the situation.”

Sterling may have had close to $300 million invested with Madoff Securities. Read more at the NYT Dealbook.

TheDeal.com wonders if the financial loss by the Mets owner could be significant enough for it to force him to sell his stake in the team.

CNBC reports that Madoff and Wilpon have been doing business for 20 years, but the extent of possible losses for the Mets owner is unknown at this time. The unknown is likely what’s making many, including some baseball officials, nervous. After all, the Mets have the second-highest payroll in baseball at $137 million per year, according to ESPN, and should Wilpon have trouble paying the tab, maybe the worst-case scenario would be selling a stake in the team to meet payroll. And in this economy, finding a qualified buyer could take time — just ask Sam Zell’s Tribune Co., which is trying to sell the Chicago Cubs.

Hat tip to the Humble Toe for the news.

Wilpons Buying Team In New Football League?

Peter King of SI.com reports that Mets owner Fred Wilpon will own a professional football team in the new United Football League, which is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2009. The report notes that the franchise will be located in New York and will play at Citi Field next season.

The UFL will have six teams located in the following cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Orlando, New York and Hartford. There is the potential for the league to expand to eight teams prior to the start of the season. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will be one of the owners and the latest rumor has him owning the Los Angeles franchise. The Hartford franchise will play at the UConn football stadium.

Like King said, I can’t wait to see the chewed up grass during August and September at Citi Field in the middle of a playoff race. This is shaping up to be an awful location and disaster in the making.

Someone Likes Tony Bernazard

With Mets VP Tony Bernazard taking a beating in the local media of late he seems to have plenty of allies in the Mets organization. Adam Rubin of the Daily News is reporting that ‘insiders’ are telling him that Bernazard could actually replace Omar Minaya if things don’t turn around.

VP Tony Bernazard is in prime position to assume the GM responsibilities if Minaya is ousted, insiders tell the Daily News.

Rubin goes on to write that Bernazard has the trust and respect of Jeff Wilpon. Jeff especially likes Bernazard emphasis on homegrown players.

The reports that Bernazard is a bad guy are abundant but the ones that I’ve read aren’t very specific. Eddie Coleman of WFAN the other day told a story of Bernazard sitting in the dugout with Jerry Manuel while Willie Randolph was throwing batting practice. Chris Russo and Mike Francesa agreed with Eddie that there was something wrong with that. Now, I don’t claim to know or understand the correct etiquette but some of this stuff should be explained further. If someone is a bad guy and a backstabber then specific incidents should be easy to sight. Seems like the media may have focused on a fall guy here and it might be a bit unfair.

Willie: ‘Leave Jeff In The Stuck Elevator’

Hat tip to The Final Score for the video.

Pelfrey Making Case For Fifth Starter

Bart Hubbich at the New York Post relays word that Mike Pelfrey has been impressive early in camp. Orlando Hernandez and his struggles to stay healthy may give the young right hander a leg up on the fifth starter role.

With the way Mike Pelfrey is throwing so far (terrific, by all accounts, with good movement his fastball), don’t be surprised if Pelfrey – not El Duque – comes out of spring training as the Mets’ No. 5 starter.

Pelfrey was praised by Mets owner Fred Wilpon during a bullpen session recently who told him he looked more confident and was hitting his spots better than usual.

Pelfrey will make his first Spring Training start against Detroit on Wednesday.

Considering Duque’s durability issues, he might be better off in the bullpen to start the season, while giving Pelfrey the fifth spot. The Mets don’t see Pelfrey as a reliever and if he was to fail to make the rotation, he’d be better off pitching full games in the minors anyway.

Lets hope Pelf has turned the corner. He had an outstanding game in Atlanta last year, thats the kind of performance he needs to display with more frequency.

Mets, Alou Discussing 2-Year Deal; Milledge On Way Out?

Ken Rosenthal is at it again. He is reporting that the Mets and OF Moises Alou are discussing a 2-year deal, not the one-year, $8 million deal reported earlier this morning.

Rosenthal notes that this would also mean that if Alou signs with the Mets, OF Lastings Milledge is all but gone by Opening Day 2007.

I've made up my mind and I think I'd rather have the platoon. We have enough offense and we need some defense in the outfield. Alou can't run anything down and Shawn Green can't field anything hit away from him while Milledge and Endy Chavez are both good outfielders (I know what you are thinking, but he had a bad series aganist Boston).

Now, about the 2-year deal. I get it on only one condition. They let Green walk after this season and they start either Milledge or Carlos Gomez in 2008. If thats not the case, then its a bad move signing him to the second season.

Alou To Mets?

Dominican newspaper Listin Diario is reporting that a friend of OF Moises Alou told the paper that he is close to signing a 1-year deal worth $8 million with the M.E.T.S. New York Mets of New York Town.

Here is a translation of the article (note, the translator is off on some words, but you get the picture):

“The Mets of new York are just about to sign al Dominican Moses Alou
by a total reckoned in eight million dollars for the season of the
2007, according to it expressed a close source al gardener.

The
agreement is almost sure that be concluded this weekend and the
assembly will proceed to the confirmation and presentation of the
veteran, who will become a Hispanic one more than passes to form rows
of the subways.

Last night was reported that the player was outside of the Capital city, but people close to were echoed him of the movement.

The
virtual firm of Moses with the Mets would become the gardener the left
of that assembly, being joining with Carlos Beltrán and Shawn Green.
Cliff Floyd, who has performed that position in the last three years,
is an agent free and do not it is expected that the club sign it again.

To be specified the pact with Moses, would join with José Kings,
Pedro Martínez, July Franco, Guillermo Dot, Duaner Sánchez and Anderson
Hernández, as the Dominican ballplayers that act for the assembly that
has as general manager al native Omar Minaya.

Alou would
fortify exceedingly the house to be able of the Metro, that already
counts on Beltrán, the own Green, as well as Carlos Thin and David
Wright.”

I don't have a clue if I like this signing or not. The guy can hit the cover off the ball, but he is just about as injury-plaiged as OF Cliff Floyd. Our defense is sure to be horrible though. I'm sure a platoon of Lastings Milledge and Endy Chavez would be just as good, but I guess Omar Minaya likes Endy coming off the bench more.

Its a one-year deal, so I assume they would let him walk and play OF Carlos Gomez in 2008.

Around The Majors

The Yankees are showing interest in 1B-3B Shea Hillenbrand.

Yankees P Scott Proctor might be moved to the rotation for 2007.

The A’s have promoted bench coach Bob Geren to be the clubs next manager.

The Red Sox are showing interest in former Expos and Brewers P Tomo Ohka, who was a former prospect in the Red Sox organization.

SS Alex Gonzalez has been offered a 3-year, $15 million contract from either the White Sox or Reds.

A’s owner Lewis Wolff said the club will consider bringing in OF Barry Bonds to replace the all-but departed DH Frank Thomas.

The Orioles could persue either Mariners 1B Richie Sexson or Reds OF Adam Dunn this winter.

The Cubs are open to trading C Michael Barrett for some pitching help.

The Astros and Rockies have discussed a trade that would bring P Jason Jennings to Houston while sending either OF/2B Chris Burke or P Brad Lidge to Colorado.

The Mets are showing interest in P Adam Eaton, but his agent says he believes the Mets have Eaton as a “backup choice”.

SNY had former Met Lee Mazelli in their headquarters for an interview yesterday. It is believed he would work during Mets broadcasts.

The Red Sox could try to convince P Roger Clemens to return to Boston to be the teams closer.

Matthews : Phillips Did Mets A Favor

Wallace Matthews in Newsday, suggest that Steve Phillips did the Mets a favor by passing on Alex Rodriguez back in 2000.

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