metirish

Castillo would really add to the bench Blanco/Santos - Cora , Pagan/Matthews Jr , Tatis....

The cap doesn't look painted on at all.

All that should be done by the next trading window.

Oh and get this from Rubin By Adam Rubin John Smoltz could choose not pitching over pitching for the Mets ... at least for now. But Smoltz isn't retiring yet. An insider tells the Daily News he believes the 42-year-old Smoltz could follow the route Pedro Martinez went last season -- wait and sign mid-season. That could give Smoltz a better opportunity to be at full strength late in the regular season and for any potential postseason activity.

SI had ranked the Top 50 and 10 of those players available. After Tuesday's flurry of signings, just 10 members of the Reiter 50 -- SI.com's ranking of the top 50 free agents on this winter's market -- remain available. On Tuesday clubs snapped up four players on the list: Ben Sheets (who got a one-year, $10 million deal from the A's); Jon Garland (one year, $5.3 million from the Padres); Xavier Nady (one year, $3.3 million from the Cubs); and Ronnie Belliard (who re-signed with the Dodgers for one year and $835,000). The 10 players left have a good deal in common. They are, generally, somewhat advanced in years (average opening day age: 34). Several of them are coming off years in which they suffered injuries, or are perceived to be injury risks. And all of them will likely end up disappointed by the result of their experience as free agents. There are not that many starting gigs left, and none of these players is likely to earn anything better than a one-year deal at discounted rate. With every team scheduled to hold its first full spring training workout in a month or less, this is the time of year when most (if not all) of the negotiating power rests in the hands of the clubs. Bobby Abreu, for instance, last season did not sign with the Angels until Feb. 11, and he could only extract $5 million from them, which proved to be a bargain indeed. There are, in other words, impactful players to be had among the top 10 free agents who remain on the market. Those players are: 1 - Felipe Lopez (original rank: 7) Age: 29 Position: 2B 2009 Stats: .310/.383/.427, 9 HR, 57 RBI, 6 SB Perhaps the greatest mystery of this year's market is why Lopez has not drawn much interest. He's one of the younger players out there, so clubs' fears of being saddled with a declining player don't seem to apply. He's a strong defender -- the fifth-best among second baseman last season, as measured by Ultimate Zone Rating -- so his case should, if anything, have been helped by the new obsession with fielding. And he ranked third at his position in batting average and 10th in OPS (.810), in a year he split between Arizona and Milwaukee. For whatever reason, he should at this point be available at a price that might be attractive to a team that a few weeks ago might have thought they could never afford him. The Cubs remain a possibility, but another is the Cardinals, for whom Lopez could play third (he has started 85 games there during his career), and for whom he would represent a significant upgrade over current projected starter David Freese. 2 - Erik Bedard (11) Age: 31 Position: SP 2009 Stats: 5-3, 2.82 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 9.8 K/9 Bedard is now far and away the leader in "upside" among available starting pitchers. His ceiling is as high as anyone's in the game -- much higher than, say, that of 42-year-old John Smoltz. His downside, though, is significant, as indicated by the fact that he pitched 81 and 83 innings in his two injury-plagued seasons as a Mariner, and that he hasn't reached 200 innings in any of his six big league seasons. A return to Baltimore, which is looking like a high-ceiling club even in the AL East and which could use a cheap, and potentially dominant, veteran starter, makes sense. 3 - Johnny Damon (13) Age: 36 Position: OF 2009 Stats: .282/.365/.489, 24 HR, 82 RBI, 12 SB I extensively examined the reasons behind Damon's ongoing availability on Monday, and not much has changed since then. The A's, though, have emerged as a favorite for his services, and even though they seem to have a full cache of outfielders (Rajai Davis, Coco Crisp and Ryan Sweeney), Damon would make a nice veteran addition, one who could split his time between left field and DH. And then if they're out of it at the trading deadline -- which, in the suddenly loaded AL West, they might well be -- the A's could deal him for a prospect or two. 4 - Orlando Hudson (14) Age: 32 Position: 2B 2009 Stats: .283/.357/.417, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 8 SB Poor O-Dog; free agency has never been kind to him. Not last year, when he was searching for a multi-year deal but was forced to settle for a one-year, $3.4 million offer from the Dodgers, and not this year, when he the same exact thing appears as if it's about to happen. The Mets would love to have him, but they're still hamstrung by the absurd 4-year, $25 million contract GM Omar Minaya gave to Luis Castillo in Nov. '07, rendering him completely untradeable. The beneficiaries of Hudson's ongoing predicament will likely be the Nationals. 5 - Orlando Cabrera (21) Age: 35 Position: SS 2009 Stats: .284/.316/.389, 9 HR, 77 RBI, 13 SB Cabrera's situation, in some ways, mirrors that of the slightly more highly rated Orlando. All he wants is a long-term home, but he's played for six different teams since 2004. He's played in the post-season, though, in five of those six seasons -- mostly due to luck, of course, but he's had something to do with it, hasn't he? The Reds just dumped a truckload of money on Aroldis Chapman, but Cabrera's price might be just low enough for them to bring him aboard too, as a nice veteran influence on a young club on the rise, and as an improvement on incumbent Paul Janish (.601 OPS in '09). 6 - Carlos Delgado (30) Age: 37 Position: 1B 2009 Stats: .298/.393/.521, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 0 SB I originally thought that the Braves might want to pick-up Delgado as a placeholder for Freddie Freeman, but they opted to sign a player who is perhaps an even bigger injury risk, Troy Glaus. It was just a year and a half ago that Mets fans were chanting "M-V-P!" every time Delgado strode to the plate, and a return engagement might work well for both parties. So he reportedly limps when he plays first base, a lingering effect of his hip surgery. So what? That will just make him a few million dollars cheaper, and even a one-legged Delgado is probably a better hitter than Daniel Murphy. 7 - Jermaine Dye (31) Age: 36 Position: 2B 2009 Stats: .250/.340/.453, 27 HR, 81 RBI, 0 SB If Damon does not re-sign with the Yankees -- and that looks extremely likely -- GM Brian Cashman will need to find an everyday left fielder, and he'd prefer him to be a right-handed hitter. Dye could nicely fit that bill, and would probably be a bargain for a player whose OPS ranked him between David Ortiz and Adam Jones last year. He's declining defensively -- his UZR as a right fielder with the White Sox in '09 was a terrible -20.0 -- but would constitute less of a liability in left than in right, and he could be spelled late in games by the defensively outstanding Brett Gardner. 8 - Russell Branyan (46) Age: 34 Position: 1B 2009 Stats: .251/.347/.520, 31 HR, 76 RBI, 2 SB Count Branyan as another player on this list who was looking for a multi-year deal -- the first of his career -- but hasn't gotten one, and won't. The Mariners tried to re-sign him for a single year in November, but he turned them down, and GM Jack Zduriencik subsequently continued his quest to assemble a team that allows no batted ball to fall to the earth by trading for Casey Kotchman in January. The White Sox, who once seemed to be composed entirely of first baseman/DH-types, could actually now use a first baseman/DH-type, and they might represent one of the last options for one of 2009's breakout players 9 - Jarrod Washburn (47) Age: 35 Position: SP 2009 Stats: 9-9, 3.78 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 5.1 K/9 Despite their terrific co-aces (Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee), the rest of the Mariners' rotation -- Ryan Rowland-Smith, Ian Snell, whoever -- doesn't look like that of the genuine contender that they (and many others) believe they are. Washburn's numbers don't look that good because of his miserable second-half stint in Detroit, but before that he was fantastic (8-6, 2.64 ERA) in the Mariners' big yard and pitching in front of their speedy fielders, and he wants to return. 10 - Yorvit Torrealba (50) Age: 31 Position: C 2009 Stats: .291/.351/.380 2 HR, 31 RBI, 1 SB Now that the Mets' rather inexplicable pursuit of Bengie Molina has borne no fruit (Molina re-signed with the Giants), they might turn to Torrealba, a player whom I (for one) considered to be a better option all along. Torrealba filed a grievance against the club after they backed out of a deal with him in '07, but we're now in the late-January free agent market, in which strange bedfellows often abound. Slim pickings for the Mets needs

Delgado has hardly played in the field down in PR......he's broken

Hard to see where this Carter lad is going to fit in.

I remember him saying how he always wanted to be a Mets player......he did say that right?

Headlines Tomorrow Cashman signs Winn, Minaya no one again

Benjamin Grimm wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: So say all of us. (I'm guessing.) We say that NOW, but may feel differently when the Mets end up signing somebody worse. If at any point in the season I'm missing Redding then I fear things are worse than I suspect.

Ollie was a pretty good student with Peterson.

A quick google search reveals his agent spoke openly about it. Nov.19th 2008 Aaron Heilman doesn't necessarily want out of New York. He just wants out of the bullpen. But if the Mets insist he remain a reliever, Heilman wants to be traded. "The object the entire time has never been to get out of New York," Heilman's agent Mark Rodgers told the Daily News. "The object is to get out of the bullpen. The most success he's ever had as a pitcher has been as a starting pitcher. He was drafted by the Mets as a starting pitcher." A source with knowledge of the Mets' internal discussions suggested there's an organizational split about Heilman - with chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon wanting him to remain and other key front-office personnel favoring a trade. There isn't a shortage of teams that want Heilman as a starter, with the Rockies believed to be among at least six teams intrigued. The Mets have remained adamant that Heilman, who turned 30 last week, will not be considered for a rotation spot. A Met official Wednesday reiterated that the organization is giving no consideration to using Heilman as a starter in '09. That's the case even with Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine the only established starters under the team's control. Heilman made 25 starts for the Mets between 2003 and '05. He went 5-13 with a 5.93 ERA. Those statistics include the very beginning of his major-league career, when he struggled before lowering his arm angle. The Mets, fairly or unfairly, have viewed Heilman as primarily a fastball-changeup pitcher, which makes him better suited for relief work. The last time the Mets even allowed for the possibility of Heilman moving back to the rotation came during spring training in 2006. Before that, he had spent the offseason participating in winter ball in the Dominican Republic in an attempt to regain a starting role. He dominated in the Grapefruit League that year, with a 1.29 ERA and 11 strikeouts and no walks in 14 innings. The Mets instead awarded Brian Bannister that fifth starter's role, albeit after the rookie posted a 0.95 ERA in the spring. Heilman came to believe that the battle was heavily weighted against him, and that the Mets had let him go to winter ball to prepare for a starting role only to appease him. The righthander did go on to excel in a relief role in '06, combining with Duaner Sanchez and then Guillermo Mota to serve as a bridge to Billy Wagner. That was until, of course, Heilman served up that homer to Yadier Molina in Game 7 of the NLCS. Heilman's starting resume includes an April 15, 2005 one-hit shutout against the Marlins, in which Luis Castillo's fourth-inning infield single was the lone hit. Heilman has four years, 123 days of major-league service time. He is arbitration eligible, and can't be a free agent until after the 2010 season - his six-year service time threshold. Although Heilman often gets flak on talk radio because of his desire to return to starting, he is never disruptive in the clubhouse and addresses the subject only when asked. "The objective is not to be traded," Rodgers said. "The objective is to get out of the bullpen." Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2008/11/19/2008-11-19_aaron_heilman_wants_starting_role_with_m.html#ixzz0dqRlrQ8u

That likely leaves only the Mets as a landing spot for Smoltz , can Omar get it done. Does he have other things on his "to do list" that need his attention? SC = 11

Pat Misch, despite Omar Minaya mentioning him as a lefty bullpen candidate, is almost exclusively being looked at as a starting pitcher. Manuel believes that because Misch has a Tom Glavine-like style, it's not conducive to relief work. It's a small thing but lets have the manager and GM on the same page , the whole crew are down there.

yeah of course , Dawson should take a cue from Carter on how not to alienate your favored team .

I like it a lot , Dawson for what it's worth wanted to wear a Cubs cap. "The Hall clearly stated their major concern is the history of the game, and that's what really played into their decision," Dawson said. "I'm disappointed. I can probably say that, because Chicago was my preference. .

Klapisch has Smoltz leaning towards going back to St. Louis. The Klap

Jim Street who is Seattle's version of Marty Noble answers the mail. What ever happened to Erik Bedard? You would think the Mariners would try keeping him if they could. When healthy, he is one of the best. Did the Mariners even try to talk to Bedard? Thanks. -- Lloyd K., Port Orchard, Wash. Quite a few people tried to talk to Bedard the past two seasons, but he's not the talkative type. Nor, apparently, has he been healthy, spending more time on the disabled list than he did on the mound. As investments go, the Mariners took one on the chin with Bedard, paying him nearly $15 million (and five players, including All-Stars George Sherrill and Adam Jones) for 30 starts. My guess is that the only way Bedard, a free agent, returns to Seattle is with a visiting team. I keep hearing the Orioles, who traded him to the Mariners, might bring him back. I don't see the Mariners in his future, especially coming off shoulder surgery in back-to-back seasons. It's probably best for both sides to just turn the page and move on.

Well they're wankers aren't they? Carter and Murphy in 2010....

From a Hot Stove report in the Seattle times Of course, there's Erik Bedard, who said at the end of last year he was interested in returning to Seattle. But he's coming off shoulder surgeries in each of the past two seasons, so it's a risk. And I still wonder if Bedard, from his point of view, wouldn't be better off in a place where he's not forever looked upon as the guy who came to Seattle in the worst deal in the history of mankind (or something like that). From a few days ago Orioles GM Andy MacPhail believes Erik Bedard is not close to a decision on where to pitch in 2010. "[bedard] sort of told us from the get-go that this wouldn't be an early decision, that this was something that probably would move closer to the reporting date in spring training," said MacPhail. The 30 year old was 5-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 15 games for the Mariners this past year while battling injuries. The Orioles and Royals are thought to be the top contenders for his services.

Video http://www2.wsav.com/sav/sports/local/article/mets_outfielder_jeff_francoeur_visits_savannah/90947/

Fernando Nieve in the Bronx......pitched into the 7th but more than that I remember he showed some big balls that night. http://www.leaptoad.com/mets/gamedetail.php?gameno=7616 I went to the next game with my head held high , then Santana got hammered.

Trying to read between the lines here and Bob Feller might well get a call. Fernando Nieve could take the fifth spot in rotation for New York Mets PORT ST. LUCIE - At this rate, Fernando Nieve may really be the front-runner for the final slot in the Mets' rotation, with Jon Niese and a couple of players brought in on minor-league contracts competing. Free agent Ben Sheets signed with Oakland for one year at $10 million Tuesday. Then, hours later, the Padres reportedly reached an agreement with Jon Garland. The best remaining free-agent option appears to be John Smoltz. Asked if Sheets and Garland coming off the board meant something imminently would happen with the Mets, too, a team official replied: "No. Not now." "We're going to have to probably take some chances on some guys on minor-league offers that maybe come in and compete for the club - whether it's that fifth spot or whatever you want to call it," Omar Minaya said. The GM added: "I think Nieve is pretty much ahead of Niese right now because Nieve has pitched already this winter. We're not going to rush Jonathon" from his hamstring injury. ... As to whether Pedro Feliciano gets any lefty help out of the pen, Minaya acknowledged it's an open question. The Mets claimed Jay Marshall off waivers from the A's this winter. Minaya also identified Pat Misch and minor-leaguer Eric Niesen as candidates....The Mets will be among the teams watching lefthander Noah Lowry throw next week, ESPN.com reported. The former Giant has missed the last two seasons because of elbow/forearm injuries. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2010/01/27/2010-01-27_nieve_could_be_the_one_to_take_the_fifth.html

From Newsday The Mets, aware of the going rates for Sheets and Garland, never made an official offer to either pitcher

Come on man , that's just silly. Ben Sheets for $10 million...no thanks.......