Mets Who Continue With Lesser Teams, 2009

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Looper. Brewers. One year. $5 mills.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

So... Milwaukee's rebuilding, then?

[smg58]

It's a good deal for a guy who had a better year last year than Ollie did.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Fair enough. After 2005 and 2006 (the rumored loud locker-room gloating post-NLCS), I can't resist a cheap shot at that humongous, Sausage-racer-worthy chin.

(See?)

[Guest attgig]

Jon Adkins is a member of the Lotte Giants, in South Korea.

[Fman99]

Miguel Cairo, minor league deal with Philly. Hard to imagine him getting onto a major league roster, though I would have said that each of the last 6-7 years.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

That's no benevolent breeze you feel whistling behind your head-- that's Shawn Estes wending his way into Dodgertown West as a NRI. (Considering the shape of their pitching staff these days, that's a pretty good lottery ticket to have for an aging lefty.)

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Goggled catcher Jason Phillips to the Mariners on a minor-league deal. (Although considering they've got Jeff Clement and Johjima, it would probably take quite the act of God for him to make it north to anywhere but AAA Peoria.)

[batmagadanleadoff]

Miguel Cairo, minor league deal with Philly. Hard to imagine him getting onto a major league roster, though I would have said that each of the last 6-7 years.[/quote:17w3cv04]

Unless Willie Randolph's the misManager. Then, not only does Cairo land a gig (with a team in a pennant race all season long, no less), but he gets to bat second.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Willie Randolph was criticized extensively for not playing Cairo more.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Willie Randolph was criticized extensively for not playing Cairo more.[/quote:1s0ue2pf]

You can't please everybody. Who was doing the criticizing: Cairo's mother?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mooks. Booing Matsui and chanting "CAI-RO! CAI-RO!" in the first weeks of the season.

When Matsui went down, and never fully got back, Willie had little choice but to run Cairo out there, though he could have (1) gone with more Marlon Anderson, (2) kept Cairo out of the two-hole, and (3) spared the world Cairo's six starts at first and one in right.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

4) Lobbied Omar to trade for Ray Durham and watched the 05 Mets make the playoffs

[Guest Edgy DC]

There's that.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Mooks. Booing Matsui and chanting "CAI-RO! CAI-RO!" in the first weeks of the season.

When Matsui went down, and never fully got back, Willie had little choice but to run Cairo out there, though....[/quote:xeexftrc]

though he didn't have to bat Cairo second.

OE -- You said that. I can see clearly now.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Anna Benson, minor league deal with Texas.

[MFS62]

Just saw in the BaseballAmerica Almanac that in 2008, Craig Brazell went .238-16-58 for the Seibu Lions of the Japanese Pacific League. Don't know where he will be playing in 2009.

Later

[Fman99]

Isringhausen, minor league deal with Tampa. Wonder if he has anything in the tank.

[MFS62]

Craig Brazell played first base for the O's against the Mets today.

Later

[Fman99]

Doesn't get much lesser than this... Mike Piazza as hitting coach for WBC Italy.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Doesn't get much lesser than this... Mike Piazza as hitting coach for WBC Italy.[/quote:2d64cbxa]

Where he'll be coaching Blastings Thrilledge poster boy Val Pasucci, among others.

[Guest attgig]

Justin Huber - minor league contract with Twins

[Met Hunter]

Here's one even more insignificant: Bruce Chen, minor league deal with KC.

[Guest themetfairy]

Heath Bell is shamed into shape by the Wii Fit.

The Dugout had some fun with that.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Aaron Heilman beaten out for 5th starter slot, set for long relief.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Cubs seem to be a team that still uses the "mopup reliever/spot starter" role effectively, rather than shuttling guys up from AAA for spot starts --- at least they've had some success in recent years with Sean Marshall, Angel Guzman, and Glendon Rusch.

[Fman99]

Aaron Heilman beaten out for 5th starter slot, set for long relief.[/quote:3u7odapr]

He dorked us time and again last year (and in 2007!), and yet I feel for the guy because he's still not getting his chance to start. Seattle I think would've handed him a rotation spot had they not shipped him out.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Aaron Heilman beaten out for 5th starter slot, set for long relief.[/quote:2w15lccx]

He dorked us time and again last year (and in 2007!), and yet I feel for the guy because he's still not getting his chance to start. Seattle I think would've handed him a rotation spot had they not shipped him out.[/quote:2w15lccx]

He'd be an interesting option if WE hadn't shipped him out, no?

[Fman99]

Aaron Heilman beaten out for 5th starter slot, set for long relief.[/quote:1n55ydfu]

He dorked us time and again last year (and in 2007!), and yet I feel for the guy because he's still not getting his chance to start. Seattle I think would've handed him a rotation spot had they not shipped him out.[/quote:1n55ydfu]

He'd be an interesting option if WE hadn't shipped him out, no?[/quote:1n55ydfu]

Seriously. With the quantity of live arms we've got in our own pen this year I think we could have spared him.

OTOH, I still like the idea of the purging of anyone associated with the 2007-2008 bullpen. I still rankle when Feliciano comes in, and he's the only one left at this point. If he's pitching to a lot of righties in '09 I will eat my hat, blue button and all.

(I know, Stokes was here in 2008 but he mostly pitched well for the Mets so it's not the same stank.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Chip Ambres, frozen in time with his lone hit a game-winner, gets cut late in spring by Boston.