The 'Ropolitans

Here are some of the nicknames submitted in the comments section of this post:

• TARP Field (No, Doug, I don't get it.)
• Freddie Mac Field
• Pedro's Burial Grounds
• Metropolitan Field
• Gil Hodges' Field/Park/Grounds

And the best one I've heard...

• Meaningful September Field

Keep 'em coming!

Right now, a rally is going on at Shea Stadium as the final goodbye to the old ballpark.

I found it fitting to post this poll, asking whether or not you will miss Shea.

The choices are:

• Yes!
• Not really
• Shea...? Shea who?
• Citi Field, here I come!

Please visit the site and vote in the poll, which you can find on the right-hand sidebar.

You read that right.

Manny Ramirez was offered a two-year contract by...the Worcester Tornadoes.

Seriously. The Tornadoes sent Ramirez a two-year, $24,000 contract on Tuesday.

Here's the explanation via worcestertornadoes.com:

The Worcester Tornadoes Professional Baseball Team has offered a contract to free agent outfielder Manny Ramirez for two years worth $24,000. The deal would pay the 12-time Major League Baseball All-Star approximately $3,000 during each month of the Can-Am Baseball Season. Unlike Major League Baseball, the Can-Am League operates with a salary cap, and the deal for Ramirez would be on par with other veterans in the league.

“I feel Manny would really enjoy playing in Worcester and hitting in our ballpark. Although I would be concerned about the cars traveling on I-290 during his at bats, it’s a risk worth taking,” said General Manager, Jorg Bassiacos. Director of Player Personnel Brad Michals added, "Manny certaintly has the stats to be amongst the leaders of the league next season. Although issues regarding health have surrounded him in the past, I think he will find that the shorter schedule will boost his performance to a new level and serve as the ultimate showcase for his natural skill."

I love minor league baseball.

What would be really funny, is if he took the contract. I'm sure Scott Boras would just go cry in the corner.

Here's the latest round of politicians worrying about Citi Field and the naming rights.

Since the name seems to be so unpopular, I suggest we come up with a nickname for the new ballpark, statim.

Here are a few:

• $iti Field / ¢iti Field
• The Safe
• Shea II / Shea v2.0
• Jackie Robinson Field
• Queens Park
• The Park
• Maddoff Memorial
• Where The Mets Play

What are some of yours? (Keep 'em clean!)

John Maine and the Mets have avoided salary arbitration, agreeing on a one-year, $2.6 million dollar deal.

This is a $2.15 million dollar raise from his 2008 salary.

Three pitchers and an outfielder. (Sounds like a bad reality show on the MLB Network.)

Tony Armas Jr. will be returning to the Mets organization and Matt DeSalvo, Valerio de los Santos and Bobby Kielty will be the newcomers to the the team.

I like Armas Jr., as he's versatile to start or be the long-man if needed.

Nothing really important to note here, only that Kielty looks a heck of a lot like the bad guy from The Incredibles.

Everyone is touting the new food that will be available at Citi Field next season, but there is one item not on the menu that I'd like to see...It's called a "Bacon Explosion." It combines two pounds of bacon and two pounds of sausage. Roll it, paint it with BBQ sauce, grill it and eat it.

The NY Times:

He bought about $20 worth of bacon and Italian sausage from a local meat market. As it lay on the counter, he thought of weaving strips of raw bacon into a mat. The two spackled the bacon mat with a layer of sausage, covered that with a crunchy layer of cooked bacon, and rolled it up tight.

I want one...very badly.

Back on Jan. 20, I linked to this article from The Million Dollar Arm blog. It chronicles the journey of Rinku and Danesh, two Indian "pitchers" who won a reality show and have since signed to a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Last time, I quoted the blog when they said "Dinesh and I going Wedding festival Roberto. Roberto our catcher training. He sign contract Mets."

I posted a comment asking who this "Roberto" was, since after looking through the entire organizational roster, I came up empty.

They finally got back to me, via another comment. This person is...Roberto Persona.

I finally found him. (Thanks, Google!)

A catcher at UC Irivine (Go Anteaters!), has signed with the Mets in some shape or form. According to the admin of the blog, he'll start with an A-league team. Which one, I'm not sure.

Keep an eye out for Roberto Persona, he's already caught Rinku and Danesh. Who knows what's next!?

Terms like these are why I'd rather write all day than do one math problem:

The New York Mets completed financing for Citi Field on Wednesday by selling $82.28 million in tax-free 37-year bonds at what Citigroup said was an average interest rate of 6.45 percent.

The bonds from Queens Ballpark Co. were rated Baa3 by Moody’s and BBB by Standard and Poors. Three years ago, the Mets sold $613 million in 40-year notes at a last yield of 4.57 percent.

...Right...

Well, as long as it's paid for. How long until April 3?

For all the Aaron Heilman took while pitching for the Mets, he still had the kindness to do something like this.

From Steve Popper, relaying info from the BBWAA awards dinner:

On Page 39 among a few ads for David Wright winning the Joan Payson Award for charity work, Aaron took out an ad that read:

An Appreciation

Playing at Shea
before you folks
was an experience
I always will savor

Thank you for support

-- Aaron Heilman

Congratulations to all award winners this evening

Almost makes you feel bad for booing him every single day.

Also, while we're on the topic of Heilman, he's on the move again. He's the newest member of the Chicago Cubs.

Well, have I got the job for you!

Loading Dock Supervisor - New York Mets (Flushing, NY)

SUMMARY:

The Loading Dock Supervisor is the primary individual responsible for all incoming and outgoing deliveries. This person will be the liaison to all departments with regards to incoming deliveries. They will oversee the mail operation as well. They will be responsible for all operations at the loading dock including, dispersing of material once it is offloaded, contacting the recipient, ensuring proper storing and/or breakdown of such items.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Oversee incoming and outgoing packages.
  
• Operation of mail operated X-ray machine.
  
• Track deliveries and maintain log of both incoming and outgoing deliveries.
  
• Compliance with MLB guidelines in regards to logging of all Clubhouse packages.
  
• Mailroom coverage when needed.

You also have to be able to lift up to 25 lbs. The Mets don't hire weaklings.

Sorry, you won't be assistant to the GM. Or Mr. Met.

If you're interested, apply here.

If you're unfamiliar with Zeno's Paradoxes, one of them states that, "Before a moving object can travel a certain distance, it must travel half that distance. Before it can travel half the distance it must travel 1/4 the distance, etc. This sequence goes on forever."

That's how it seems the Mets are progressing with Oliver Perez.

Every time I hear a rumor, the Mets are "getting closer" or are "a bit closer" or "almost there."

With the market thinning, now with Jon Garland and Andy Pettitte off the market, it leaves really only Perez and Ben Sheets as viable options for the Mets.

They need a No. 2 or 3 starter, and though neither are a perfect fit, the Mets cannot enter the season and expect their current rotation to compete.

Look, Manny is a great player. He's a schlub in the clubhouse. He wants a lot of money, over a long period of time.

He wants this...He wants that...He'd be a good fit... I'm sick of it. I've had it up to here with all the Manny Ramirez and Mets rumors.

Mets Tailgate said it best:

If I read one more post by a Mets blogger about Manny Ramirez I'm going to scream.

Bingo. Enough speculation, enough projection. If they sign him, great. If not, well...too bad.

The team needs pitching more than it needs another left fielder. I give up.

It seems baseball will always be an "escape."

The Mets have announced they have already sold around 25,000 seats per game, for the entire season of home games, according to the Associated Press. The team has also sold all 49 luxury boxes, save for two they save for single game purchases.

If anyone has a box, want to invite me?

Here is the second part of the interview with Joe Janish of Mets Today, posted by Mike Steffanos of Mike's Mets

The Mets have announced the signings of two pitchers that will be joining them in spring training. No, they're names are not Sheets or Perez.

Righty Kyle Snyder and lefty Jon Switzer were brought on board, likely to serve as bullpen fodder at triple-A. Both ex-Red Sox, they've seen significant time in the minor leagues last season, and will look for a hot spring to possibly land them on a major league roster.

If not, I'm sure we'll see one, or both, at some time due to injuries.

Anthony DiComo also lists all the non-roster invites for spring training.

They are:
Nelson Figueroa, Michael Antonini, Dillon Gee and Tobi Stoner, left-handed pitchers Adam Bostick, Casey Fossum and Tom Martin, catchers Rene Rivera, Omir Santos and Josh Thole, infielders Andy Green, Michel Abreu and Jose Coronado, and outfielder Fernando Martinez.

18 days! 18 days!

Update: Deal is done.

Via Peter Abraham:

It’s a $5.5 million deal that could balloon to as much as $12 million based on innings pitched and roster time.

Andy Pettitte looks like he will remain a Yankee, according to Ken Davidoff and Arthur Staple over at Newsday.

The deal is supposedly worth $6 million for a base salary, with incentives that could earn Pettitte up to $12 million.

The market is slimming, Omar Minaya. Hop to it.

Marty Noble and Keith Hernandez team up to attempt to debunk the "17" curse. Interesting, to say the least. Click here to read the article.

Mike Steffanos over at Mike's Mets conducts an in-depth interview of Joe Janish from Mets Today. A great read. Click here to read the article.

Occasionally, I'll post something here and I won't catch a spelling error or calling Rob Mackowiak "Rod." Hey, it happens and people make mistakes. Thankfully I have a few close friends and die-hard readers who look out for me and let me know if I slipped up.

I am also one of the copy editors for my school newspaper. Scanning over every article with a fine toothed comb is something I find both extremely necessary and somewhat enjoyable.

But for these two flubs, it looks like everyone that had a hand in it made one giant "Uh-oh!"

First up, the case of mistaken identity. This was scanned and sent in by Corey Mansfield. He said he was scanning a fantasy baseball magazine ("Fanball - Fantasy Baseball, Annual Guide 2009" to be exact) and came across this box for Carlos Beltran.

But...that's not a photo of Beltran...What I find really hilarious though, is that Fernando Tatis (the player pictured, if you couldn't tell) has his number very clearly visible. Whoops!

Next up is something sent in by Ryan Punzalan of Retire31.com.

This one is a must-have for the avid baseball card collector. It just sold for $305 on eBay, so hopefully another one pops up.

As if there wasn't a bigger jinx ever created, I present you this -- the Topps Johan Santana No-Hitter card...I wonder what went through the Topps people's heads when they found out there was no no-no.

"What do you mean he didn't throw a no-hitter?! Really? Are you sure? 100 percent? Awww...shucks..."

A life lesson learned: If you're going to make something, make sure you check it over a few times before you hit "send to printer."

UPDATE: Here's a story about the "fake" cards (like Santana's) that Topps PURPOSELY printed up. Not very funny, guys.

Thanks, Ryan and Corey! And Buzz!

The Mets have previously offered Oliver Perez a three-year, $30 million contract. That was too cheap for Scott Boras and his client. The Mets have now upped the offer, according to reports.

Andrew Marchand of ESPN 1050 reports that the Mets are willing to give Perez a contract for four years, likely worth $10 million per.

That is way too expensive. I wouldn't mind Perez back in orange and blue, but for that much, over that long of a contract just isn't worth it. He's honestly not that great of a pitcher to command that much money.

But thanks to an over-eager pitching market, other pitchers got more than they deserved, so Perez will as well. (Thanks, Atlanta!)

The Mets are better off signing Perez for two-years and giving him more per season. I don't think Perez is a reliable enough pitcher to sign for that length of time.

Update: I just wrote this in a reply to a comment...

I don't think there are any other teams! If there were, Boras would be parading them around like circus elephants trying to drive up Perez's price. But if that's not happening, I'm pretty sure no other team if willing to offer this much money to him -- and rightly so.

This is one of my favorite stand-up routines.

Enjoy.

The Mets have added yet another left handed bat to the spring training roster. Rob Mackowiak has caught on with the Mets, according to Joel Sherman of the NY Post.

It's a minor league deal that could be worth up to $800,000 if he makes the Mets and surpasses a certain number of plate appearances.

Last season, Mackowiak hit -- brace yourself -- a cool .132 in 53 at-bat's for the Washington Nationals.

He's a career .259 hitter, with a .332 OBP and .405 slugging over 856 games. His best full season came in 2005 with the Pirates, where he his .272/.337/.389 in 142 games (463 at-bat's).

I guess the Bisons will be decent this year.

Here is the third edition of my weekly web show, The State of the Mets.

Topics covered: Freddy Garcia, Ben Sheets vs. Oliver Perez and The Mets and the Yankees.

Joining my for the Yankee segment was Andrew Fletcher of Scott Proctor's Arm, and during the goodbyes was Jeremy Schilling of JSchil.Wordpress.com.

The great Metstradamus has a hilarious post up dealing with Jon Miller, Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips. Sadly, he's not very far off. Click here to read the article.

Go get him, Philadelphia. He's guaranteed to let you down in 20 games or less!

As the Phillies search for bench players to fill in their team, they've turned to Nomar Garciaparra and Moises Alou as possible options, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

For some mysterious reason, Alou still thinks he can play baseball on an everyday basis and wants a lot of playing time. I highly doubt any NL team is stupid enough to promise him more than pinch-hitting and a handful of games in the field. American League is a different story, and I think if he's primarily the designated hitter, he may be able to stay healthy, for at least half a season.

Go ahead, Philly. Spend a couple million on him. You'll enjoy him while he lasts, I think.

The Mets have signed Freddy Garcia to a minor-league deal.

According to Adam Rubin, if Garcia makes the majors and surpasses the incentives in his contract, he can earn up to $9 million.

Woah. I'm glad the Mets landed Garcia, as I think he'll be beneficial in the long run. Still, that's a lot of dough.

If they're willing to pay Garcia $9 million for one season, I don't understand why they're unwilling to pay more for a better pitcher for a few years.

Update -- 9:17 p.m.: It's back. Breathe easier?

Update -- 9:15 p.m.: The page is gone, but it's still viewable on the Surfing the Mets homepage. I'm not sure if that means the deal is not there or if there are just server problems.

My good friend Joe Janish has a long post about the Mets and their money. Click here to read the article on Mets Today.

Yesterday, it was reported that Steve Phillips will join the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. As if Jon Miller and Joe Morgan weren't bad enough.

There was a bit of a hubbub about having to listen these three discussing any game, especially the Mets. Well, I have your solution.

It's called "Delay Play" and it's a device that will delay the radio broadcast so it will sync up with the images on your television. Most digital broadcasts (HD or otherwise) are usually much slower than the radio feed.

This product came out of the same frustration we now encounter. It syncs to your radio, and allows you to delay it long enough so that what you see and what you hear are together.

Unfortunately, the device is out of stock at the moment. If you e-mail them, you can get on their mailing list for when the device is again available.

Delay Play, the answer to all our prayers.

Oh, yippee.

Freddy Garcia is reportedly down to choosing between the Yankees and the Mets for his team in 2009.

Via Ken Rosenthal:

Garcia would prefer a major-league contract, which would guarantee him termination pay if he were released in March, but might need to accept a minor-league deal.

---

The Mets are trying to sign a free-agent starter from a group consisting of left-hander Oliver Perez, right-hander Ben Sheet [sic] and lefty Randy Wolf.

Rosenthal also notes that the Mets and Yanks don't see Garcia as a definite addition to their rotations, making them less likely to offer him a major league contract.

I've complained in many posts on this blog about how much I hate the Jon Miller / Joe Morgan broadcasting team on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.

Now, I wish it was only those two we had to listen to.

Neil Best is reporting that Steve Phillips will join Miller and Morgan in the booth and help call SNB games.

Back in June, I commented on when Phillips was in the booth for a Mets game. Hopefully (though I know this won't happen), the Mets will get rained out in any game that would usually be aired on ESPN on Sunday night.

With deals signed by Ryan Church, Angel Pagan, Jeremy Reed and Duaner Sanchez, the Mets only have two players left to come to terms with before going to an arbitration hearing.

John Maine and Pedro Feliciano remain in limbo.

Maine is seeking $3 million, while the Mets have offered $2.2 million. His deal would be an increase of over $2.5 million from his 2008 salary.

Feliciano is asking for $1.95 million, but the Mets have offered $1.35 million. Feliciano's proposal is $91,000 more than last season.

The Mets and these two players aren't off by a whole lot, so I think the Mets will come to terms with both before they get to hearings.

The Mets and Angel Pagan agreed on a one-year, $575,000 contract (at the major league level.)

This is a $174,000 increase over his 2008 salary.

Adam Rubin also has all of the non-40-man roster invites will be at camp.

The Mets and Ryan Church agreed to a one-year deal, worth $2.8 million, avoiding arbitration.

This is an $800,000 pay raise from his '08 salary.

The Mets have made a signing. A catcher named "Roberto."

I only know this from reading The Million Dollar Arm Blog, "written" by Rinku and Danesh, the two Indian pitchers that have signed with the Pirates.

Here's what they have to say about their catcher, Roberto, and his wedding:

Dinesh and I going Wedding festival Roberto.

Roberto our catcher training. He sign contract Mets.

He very good catcher. We going his wedding in the boat. we never going boat before, but we liking this thing. Boat very big and having window to see all outside. we seeing sunset and many boats.

We wearing the formal dress. All peoples saying we looking good, but we feeling different. JB Sir giving us Jacket, button shirt, neck rope. He showing us how make knot on neck rope. Dinesh getting it good, but I not getting.

The Wedding festival in America like India little. Man and wife not ride horse or elephant in America. they walking to priest.

After marriage, big party on boat. many foods we liking. Lady bring food to people and I taking all the time. They having shrimp very good. Then many dancing.

We liking the wedding festival and we liking Roberto. We glad we going to this.

Who is this mysterious "Roberto"?

The Mets have signed free agent outfielder Cory Sullivan to one-year major league deal.

The contract is worth $600,000 with $300,000 more available through incentives.

I don't get this. As if the Mets needed another outfielder at the major league level. A major league deal just makes no sense to me. Hmm...maybe something is stirring?

Sullivan has played his entire career with the Rockies organization. In 355 games over four seasons, Sullivan is a career .279 batter, with a .330 OBP and .391 SLG. He's hit eight career home runs.

Defensively, though, it's a different story. Sporting a career .992 fielding percentage at all three outfield positions.

Still very odd.

Freddy Garcia will be able to take the pick of the litter. While the litter only contains three teams (White Sox, Rangers and Mets), it's still a nice position to be in.

According to the Daily Herald, Garcia will make a decision sometime this week. The Mets could be looking to Garcia to compete with Tim Redding for the fifth spot in the rotation, or possibly more.

I don't care where he fits into their plans right now, they should sign him anyway. We know all too well that pitchers are going to get hurt and land of the disabled list. The more pitchers you have waiting in the wings, the better.

The Mets and Jeremy Reed agreed on a one-year, $925,000 contract, according to Marty Noble.

This is an increase of $520,000 from his 2008 salary.

According to Baseball America, the Mets have signed a few players to the minor league team.

Signed: LHP Casey Fossum, LHP Tom Martin, C Salvador Paniagua, 2B Argenis Reyes, OF Jason Cooper

Fossum and Cooper we already heard about.

Lefty Martin has been with seven teams in 11 years. He appeared in 14 games with the Mets back in 2001, registering a miserable 10.06 ERA in 17 innings.

Paniagua and Reyes are both re-signings, as they were both with the club in some capacity in 2008.

Thanks, Susi!

There are a ton of Mets participating in the World Baseball Classic. Here's the list:

Major League Players
Jose Reyes -- Dominican Republic
Pedro Feliciano -- Puerto Rico
Carlos Delgado -- Puerto Rico
Carlos Beltran -- Puerto Rico
J.J. Putz -- USA
David Wright -- USA
Brian Schneider -- USA
Francisco Rodriguez -- Venezuela
Johan Santana -- Venezuela

Minor League Players
Stefan Welch -- Australia
Shawn Bowman -- Canada
Angel Antonio Cuan -- Panama
Ruben Tejada -- Panama
Jesus Feliciano -- Puerto Rico

Santana still may bow out, due to either the Mets asking or his knee barking.

Duaner Sanchez will make $1,687,500 in 2009, avoiding an arbitration hearing with the Mets.

This nearly doubles Sanchez's $850,000 salary from 2008.

Jerry Manuel, the Mets "gangster" manager, already has a pretty large following in New York, even though he's only been at the helm for 93 games. He has a pretty decent track record as a coach, guiding the 2000 White Sox to a 95-67 record en route to the AL Central title. Unfortunately, they got bounced from the playoffs in three games, but Manuel still won Manager of the Year.

In his 93 games with the Mets, Manuel took a team that looked like they were destined for spoilers, led them to the top of the division before they faded and missed the playoffs by one game.

So we've established that Manuel is a pretty decent manager. As a player though, not so much.

Manuel started his playing career in 1972 after being selected in the first round (20th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in the amateur draft. He started his playing days at AA, with Bristol at the tender age of 18. In 67 games, Manuel hit a cool .240/.303/.395.

The next season, Manuel started at A+ ball with the Lakeland Tigers. His .252 batting average was enough to get him promoted all the way up to Toledo, the AAA affiliate. He spent the next two seasons in triple-A before getting called up to the Tigers in September of 1975.

Manuel made his debut in the major leagues on Sept. 18, against the Cleveland Indians. Batting ninth, Manuel went 0-3, striking out twice. It took four games before Manuel registered his first hit, a single, on Sept. 27 against the Montreal Expos. He ended the season going 1-18 for a .056 average. He also struggled in the field, committing two errors.

As the 1976 season began, Manuel was back at Evansville, the new triple-A affiliate, for only 11 games before rejoining the Tigers. In his first start on April 20, Manuel, batting ninth, went 1-3 with a double and a walk. His average was .250 for the season, after going 0-1 in a pinch hitting opportunity four days prior.

The next day, Manuel picked up a single, going 1-4, and driving in two runs in a win over Oakland. His average stayed at .250 for another day, but it was only downhill from there.

From April 23 through the end of May, Manuel had 23 plate appearances. He went 3-18, with two walks and four strikeouts. His batting average sunk as low as .143 over that span.

From June 1 through the rest of the season, Manuel served mainly as a 8th or 9th inning replacement. He only stepped into the batters box 17 more times, registering only one hit. He ended 1976 with splits of .140/.213/.163. As a fielder though, Manuel also struggled, making eight errors in 47 games played at second base.

When the 1977 season began, Manuel was back at triple-A. The '78 and '79 season saw him stick in Evansville, never batting above .272 for the season. On March 15, 1980, Manuel was traded to the Montreal Expos for Duffy Dyer. (Dyer played in seven season with the New York Mets, and was a member of the 1969 World Championship team. He even had an at-bat in the World Series, pinch hitting in the sixth inning of game one. He did not get on base.)

Again in 1980, Manuel started the season at the top of the minors. Now with the Denver Bears, he played a full season at triple-A before making his first appearance with the Expos on Sept. 13. He did not make it to the plate though, serving as a late inning defensive replacement. He had six at-bats in 1980, failing to get a hit in all six attempts.

In 1981, Manuel started the season with the Expos. Again serving as a late game sub, Manuel didn't get his first start of the season until April 25 against the New York Mets. He went 0-2 with two walks in the first game. He started the final two of the series, and ended up going 4-10 with two doubles, a home run (the first of his MLB career), three runs scored and four RBI's. His batting average ballooned up to .333, the highest of his major league career.

From what I can gather, Manuel suffered an injury and missed most of the season. From May 1 until Sept. 2, there is no game data for him at any level of play. An injury is the most likely cause. Manuel finished out the season, with four games against the Mets. Between two series, Manuel went 3-11 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI's.

The '81 Expos went 60-48 in 1981, good enough for second in the East Division. They made the playoffs and were set to play the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. Manuel was the Expos starting second baseman for the series.

In five games, in which the Expos bested the Phillies 3-2, Manuel had 16 plate appearances. He went 1-14, walking twice. In the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Manuel was replaced as starting second baseman, and appeared in only the fifth game, as a pinch runner in the ninth inning. Manuel pinch ran for Gary Carter, who walked with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning with his team down by one. Manuel was moved over to second as Larry Parish walked behind him, but made it no further as Bob Welch entered for the Dodgers and got Jerry White to ground out to end the threat and the Expos' season.

Manuel started the '82 season back at triple-A with the Expos organization. On May 22, 1982, Manuel was traded to the San Diego Padres for Kim Seaman. (Seaman was drafted by the Mets in 1976. He also made his debut against the Mets, throwing two shutout innings on Sept. 28, 1979 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.)

Manuel was brought right up to the Padres, playing in his first game on May 24 with his new club. It was a short run, as he went 1-5 with a triple (the only of his career), walk and RBI in only two games.

On June 8, 1982, Manuel was traded back to the Montreal Expos for a player to be named later. (That player was eventually Mike Griffin.) He played the remainder of the season with the Wichita Aeros, the new triple-A affiliate of the Expos.

On Feb. 7, 1983, Manuel became a member of the Chicago Cubs organization, as he was traded for Butch Benton. (Another tie to the Mets, as Benton was the sixth overall pick in the 1975 draft by the Mets. He appeared in only 14 games, picking up only three hits, before he was traded to the Cubs in 1981 as part of a conditional deal.)

1983 saw Manuel play with the Iowa Cubs, hitting .265 in 85 games.

In 1984, at the age of 30, Manuel played with the Denver Zephyrs, the Chicago White Sox affiliate. This was hit best statistical season as a batter, as he finished .293/.358/.388 after 109 games and 335 at-bats. At this point of his career, his glove had started to slip, and he made 18 errors between second base and shortstop.

There are no statistics for 1985, and this article in The Baltimore Sun claims he ended his playing career in 1984. But, according to the website The Baseball Cube, Manuel played 22 games with the Indianapolis Indians, the newest triple-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos. In 41 at-bats, he hit .390, with two doubles, a triple and nine RBI's.

His major league career spanned five different seasons and three teams. After 127 at-bats through 96 games, Manuel finished with a .150 batting average. His career splits are .150/.214/.283. He has a career .951 fielding percentage. He hit three home runs, drove in 13 runs and swiped one base.

He had a long, tough road shuttling back and forth between the majors. He tasted "the show" and accomplished more than many other players who play the game. Though his numbers may not show it, Manuel learned the game through all his struggles, which no doubt has helped him work his way up through the ranks of coaching, currently landing him with the New York Mets organization.

I must say I am very confident in Manuel and his style of managing and can't wait to see what he can do with a full season at the helm.

Thanks to Baseball-Reference, The Baseball Cube and this site (for the photo).

You know what's funny: This article, with the new uniforms that I linked to previously, contained this information. I must have either been too lazy or just missed it.

Or they updated a three day old story, which is weird.

Anyway...

The Mets have signed Casey Fossum to a minor league deal.

Wogan also announced the Mets have signed veteran pitcher Casey Fossum to a minor-league deal. He was 3-1 with a 5.66 ERA last year in 31 games for the Detroit Tigers and has big-league time with Boston, Arizona and Tampa Bay.

Stockpiling has begun.

Freddy Garcia has been drawing interest from the Mets for a while. As a free agent, coming off surgery and, well...right now.

The Mets have been in contact with his representatives, a baseball official confirmed. The righthander, who will be 32 on Opening Day, is a candidate to be signed by the Mets even if they sign one of the players ahead of him on the list. He could compete with recently signed Tim Redding for the No.5 spot.

He's another one of those low-risk, high-reward guys the Mets rarely sign. Stockpiling pitching should be the No. 2 priority right now, behind getting a front-line starter.

Go for it.

The Sunday papers are filled with column and articles making the case for the Mets and Ben Sheets (and Andy Pettitte too.)

John Harper thinks Sheets and the Mets should happen:

If they're going to try and win a championship with a pitching-dominant formula, then they need to think hard about signing Ben Sheets.
---
The righthander, who turns 31 in July, was 13-8 with a 3.08 ERA last season, and was mostly injury-free until injuring a flexor tendon in his elbow in September that rendered him ineffective late in the season and sidelined him for the Brewers' playoff series with the Phillies.

Still, Sheets did throw 198 innings last season, four more than Perez, and consistently flashed the combination of mid-90s fastball and killer curve that make him one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy.

I agree with Harper. When healthy, he's one of the best. The Mets need to take a chance here and sign Sheets if they want to compete in 2009.

David Lennon confirms that Sheets is and Pettitte is not on the Mets radar:

Two of the most intriguing names still available are Ben Sheets and Andy Pettitte, with the Mets only recently showing interest in the former Brewers ace. A person familiar with the situation said yesterday that Sheets is now being discussed, but it's unclear what the parameters of such a deal would be.

The oft-injured Sheets is a calculated risk, and in this market, so late in the offseason, he could wind up being a relative bargain. As for Pettitte, a person familiar with the club's thinking said the Mets are not involved with the former Yankee.

At least Minaya remembers there are other pitchers besides Oliver Perez. I think I would actually prefer these two pitchers over Perez.

Finally, the reason to sign Sheets may not be to just get him on the Mets' staff, but rather to keep him out of the Phillies hands. From Boston.com:

2. Ben Sheets, RHP, free agent: While Texas appears to be considering Sheets, don't be shocked if Philadelphia has interest as well. The Phillies have been arbitration-strapped, with a huge outlay likely headed Ryan Howard's way. The Phillies are trying to find a way to get someone of Sheets's caliber on their staff.

Minaya, please sign Sheets, just so the Mets don't have to face him five times a year.

Too much talk, not enough doing. It's been a good off-season so far, but the Mets need to make a few more splashes before they're ready for 2009.

Hate to say it, Mets fans, but get used to Cole Hamels in red and white.

According to Alden Gonzalez, the Phillies have inked Hamels to a three-year deal worth roughly $20.5 million. This deal takes him through his arbitration-eligible years, and runs right up to the beginning of when he can hit the free agent market.

Strangely, Hamels is only 1-3 against the Mets in six career starts. So maybe this is a good day for Mets fans!

He is undeniably one of the best young pitchers in the game, being only 25 years old and already notching up 38 wins. Last season, Hamels put up a 145 ERA+ (with 100 being average for the league), which is 45 percent better than the league average. In his career, he's posted a 1.136 WHIP. Not too shabby.

A-ha! Someone seems to be listening.

Peter Botte in the Daily News:

The Mets have maintained regular contact with the representatives for free agents Randy Wolf and Jon Garland as fallback options if they don't retain Perez.

Get one of them and either Oliver Perez or Ben Sheets, and I will be a very happy Mets fan.

Via Ken Rosenthal:

Third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo, who last played in the majors in 2006, is intriguing clubs with his performance in the Venezuelan Winter League. Alfonzo, 35, has a batting average/on-base/slugging line of .322/.383/.483, with eight home runs and 42 RBIs in 60 games. He also lost weight, and could make a worthwhile investment on a minor-league deal, starting at Class AAA and working back to the majors.

I'm just saying...

Take a chance, Omar! It can't get much worse.

(And I know he was primarily and third basemen, but he did play 549 games at second base. And don't jump down my throat, I'm 99 percent kidding.)

The newest Mets farm team, the Buffalo Bisons, have unveiled their new uniforms for the 2009 season.
The blacks uniforms are ugly, just like the parent club. The white ones are perfect. The grey one is great, with the lettering, but the giant interlocking NY on the bottom left of the uniform is just awkward.

Check out the Buffalo News website for a full video, complete with interview of Ed Kranepool.

Thanks, Howie!
James P. McCoy / Buffalo News

Today is Marlon Anderson's 34th birthday. Happy Birthday!

Let's all hope you get back your pinch hitting prowess as a gift.

Take a step back from all the hype. Forget about the rumors and possibilities. Looking at the team, right now, are the 2009 New York Mets just going to be an average team?

Let's go through the team, position by position, and figure out if the Mets can compete in the NL East.

Starting Pitching

Johan Santana is the anchor. He's one of the top 3 pitchers in the game, and will go out and perform every time he is called upon. He's pretty darn good, and we all know it. He'll be just fine, even if he is coming off meniscus surgery.

Mike Pelfrey had a great season, finally blooming into the pitcher Mets fans hoped he would be. He topped 200 innings pitched in '08, which was a jump of almost 130 innings. As I've brought up time and time again, Tom Verducci of SI.com has shown that young pitchers who make such a large jump from season to season, generally struggle the next year. Knowing that past history doesn't always show future performance, this still leaves me with a lot of doubt for Pelfrey's 2009 campaign.

John Maine, coming off an injury-shortened season and still recovering from surgery, is another question mark in the Mets rotation. If he can come out and pitch like 2007, everything will be fine, but that's a big "if." Mets fans should expect a season like last years, with Maine struggling with high pitch counts and decreased velocity. Maybe Dan Warthen can get Maine to go for the throat when he's ahead on batters, instead of dancing around the plate and running up to a full count pretty much every time. Maine could have a bounce back year, but I highly doubt it.

Next, I guess I'll talk about Tim Redding. The Mets, hopefully, are not done constructing their roster, but as of now Redding likely projects as the #4 starter. That's just not a good sign to begin with. A 34-51 pitcher, with a 4.92 ERA and 1.501 WHIP in his career, Redding should be a 5th starter.

Behind him, the Mets have rookie Jon Niese. He started three games in 2008, going 1-1 with a 7.07 ERA. His lone win was in an absolute masterpiece, allowing six hits over eight innings against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 13. But with only 14 innings under his belt, he is unproven at the major league level.

Hate to say it, but the Mets have one solid starter and four giant question marks. Even if the Mets manage to sign Oliver Perez or Ben Sheets, neither of them are spectacular signings, with Perez struggling with inconsistency and Sheets battling the injury bug. The Mets rotation is very weak.

Closer

Can't get much better than Francisco Rodriguez. He was an excellent signing -- due to his talent and the money the Mets will be paying him. Unfortunately, the only way he's worthwhile is if the team hands him a lead. He could have an excellent season, especially in the "weaker" NL. Great player who should shine if given the chance.

Set-up Man

J.J. Putz is a proven major league closer. With over 100 saves under his belt, he should make a great closer. I say "should" because we've all seen how most closers do in a non-save situation. The same mentality just isn't there and the closers often fail to shut the door. Hopefully (there's that word again), Putz can just pretend he's saving games and bridge the gap to Rodriguez in the 9th.

Rest of the Bullpen

Duaner Sanchez, Pedro Feliciano, Sean Green, Brian Stokes and Carlos Muniz make up the bullpen. In order: not confident, specialist, OK, could be good, stinks. That's how I see them. Not very confident in this bullpen at all.

Catcher

I have no problem with Brian Schneider. Some pitchers may prefer Ramon Castro, and I'd like to see him get more time if healthy. Between the two, I think the Mets have some very well called games and decent production at the plate.

First Base

The second-half of 2008 for Carlos Delgado was in a word: Magical. It made most fans forget about his horrendous end of 2007 and beginning of '08. Will he be able to recreate June of '08 on? Probably not. Will he stink it up like the first half of the year? More likely. I expect something in between. Nothing earth-shattering, but nothing miserable. I'd like to see Daniel Murphy get groomed for this position, if he has the glove to stick there.

Second Base

Luis Castillo is pretty bad. With the slap hitting, the gimpy running and the injuries (not to mention the $18 million he's owed), he's a major hindrance to the team. I predict Alex Cora will start 40 games at second this season. Hopefully Murphy has improved his fielding and can play there.

Shortstop

Jose Reyes is the most exciting player in the game. Expect that to continue for years to come. Not worried about this position at all.

Third Base

David Wright will be fine. MVP in 2009?

Left Field

Platooning worries me. With Fernando Tatis and Murphy slated to split time in left, I'm not too confident in LF. Tatis is not going to have the same season again. That was a fluke. He'll be OK, but nothing like '08. Murphy might be on the brink of becoming the Mets young spark. The team needs to find a place for him, but wherever he plays, I hope he hits.

Center Field

Carlos Beltran is one of the most underrated players in the game. No, he won't hit for average, but he's one of the top 5 center fielders in the game. Mets fans should feel lucky to have him.

Right Field

Oh, concussions. Ryan Church, when healthy (beginning of the year) was excellent. Running down balls I didn't think he'd get to, hitting much better than expected and all around looking like a steal. Then the concussion in Atlanta happened and he wasn't the same player again. If he can play like he did pre-concussion, the Mets will be set in right. If not, there will be trouble.

Bench

Jeremy Reed, Marlon Anderson, Cora and Tatis or Murphy (depending on who is in LF) make up the Mets bench. I don't see Angel Pagan or Nick Evans making the team, but those two guys will be perfect to have waiting in the wings. Reed is the new Endy Chavez, as he is capable of playing any OF position. Anderson will likely see time at first base and will resume his pinch hitting duties. Cora will serve as the backup middle infielder. Tatis will likely play some first base and third base, along with his LF duties. Murphy might see time at second, depending on his spring training, but will likely see the majority of games in LF.

Overall

The Mets weakness is their pitching. The rotation simply is not that strong and the Mets are going to suffer. They focused on the end of games, but that will be a moot point if the team isn't getting a lead to the set-up man and closer.

I'm not overly impressed by the Mets right now. I think they're over-projecting Maine and Pelfrey in 2009. Redding and Niese at the back-end of the rotation is sickening. The offense shouldn't be a problem, with the core players carrying most of the weight. The rest should do their part, but not blow down the doors.

In conclusion, the Mets could finish anywhere from fourth to first (the Nationals are very bad) in the NL East. A run at first place would take a few mini-miracles and going relatively injury free through the season. It will be an uphill climb, no doubt.

I present you with the best fact I've found on why the Mets should sign Jon Garland. He may not be a spectacular pitcher, but this Stat of the Day shows why he's so durable and enticing.

Stat of the Day:

Today, I was wondering, from 2002 through 2008, how many big league pitchers younger than age 29 have posted four or more seasons where they made at least 32 starts, threw at least 190 innings, and won at least 10 games?

Here is the list.

Look who is at the top.

Six players have filed for salary arbitration.

Duaner Sanchez, Pedro Feliciano, Ryan Church, Jeremy Reed, John Maine and Angel Pagan all filed for arbitration. David Lennon has the players service time and 2008 salaries up.

Last off-season, Oliver Perez was the first Met player to make it to a hearing since David Cone in 1992. Five bucks says they'll have another hearing this year. Clearing six players before the deadline is going to be a tough task, especially with Omar Minaya's attention elsewhere.

Via MetsTweets on Twitter.
Amazing.

Here is the second edition of The State of the Mets.

I cover Derek Lowe, Ben Sheets, Oliver Perez and Alex Cora.

Enjoy.

(Ed. note: I'm slowly improving this. Soon, you won't have to stare at my ugly mug the whole time.)

Another great article from Christian Red in the Daily News, this time focusing on Carlos Beltran. Click here to read the story.

One month ago (to the day), I wrote this:

According to Jon Heyman, an unnamed team supposedly has a three-year, $36 million offer on the table for Pettitte.

Hopefully, that team is not the Mets.

I would take Pettitte on a one year contract worth $8 million, though he likely won't sign for that. How about a two year deal worth $14 million? It's a bit off from this suggested $12 million a year he's supposedly getting from Team Anonymous (which I suspect doesn't exist). Pettitte also supposedly turned down a one-year, $10 million offer from the Yankees.
---
The Mets need at least one more starter, and it could be Pettitte.

Today, Wallace Matthews writes:

But for whatever reason, the Yankees - either scared off by his poor second half, emboldened by their relatively painless jettisoning of Bernie Williams a couple of years ago or warming up for their inevitable discarding of Jeter and Mariano Rivera a couple of years hence - have decided that unless Pettitte wants to work for the Yankee equivalent of clubhouse-boy wages, he no longer fits into their plans.
---
It doesn't appear to me that any of those guys is a better fit for the Mets' rotation than Pettitte. Unlike Perez, you absolutely know what you're getting: 30 to 35 starts a year, 200-plus innings, a minimum 14 wins. If you make it to October, you have a starter guaranteed not to rattle under pressure, and almost always guaranteed to put you in a position to win.

I'd prefer others, but Pettitte could work for the Mets.

Dear Mets,

I'm writing you on behalf of Mets fans everywhere. I am imploring you to keep Johan Santana out of the World Baseball Classic.

As it stands right now, Santana is the only pitcher I trust in the team's rotation. With Mike Pelfrey coming off a season in which he threw a ton more innings, John Maine recovering from surgery, Tim Redding not being all that great to begin with and Jon Niese being almost completely unproven, Santana is all we've got.

Not to mention that he's also coming off surgery from October.

You might hurt the mans feeling a bit, and maybe you should send a fruit basket to Hugo Chavez, but this is what's better for the team. Tell him he's just not ready to pitch. Tell him he looks like he's coming down with a cold. Tell him something, anything, to keep him from putting excess wear and tear on his arm.

Protect your $137 million investment -- JUST SAY NO.

Sincerely,
Andrew Vazzano
TheRopolitans.com

Baseball-Reference is an amazing site. I use it daily to check stats and numbers on any player that I want. Even if he only played one season in the minor leagues in 1980, B-R is pretty much guaranteed to have his stats.

On each players page, B-R allows fans or websites to "sponsor" the page. It helps them wrangle with server costs and whatnot.

Well Johan Santana's page has a bit of "internet graffiti" on it.
Ugh.

With Derek Lowe becoming the newest enemy, the Mets are forced to look down the list of free agent pitchers to fill the hole in their rotation.

Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets both appear on that list. We've heard a few rumors lately about Perez, but really nothing has been brought up about Sheets.

Ben Shpigel stops all that, with this: "They are also weighing a run at Ben Sheets, but are wary of his injury history."

Finally.

Sheets, when healthy, is an excellent pitcher. Too bad that is a very big "if."

Also in the article, Shpigel points out that the Mets have been unwilling to offer four years to a starting pitcher this season, and only granted one to Francisco Rodriguez in the form of a vesting option.

If the Mets were to sign anyone for four years, I'd prefer it to be Perez, simply due to his age (27). Sheets is too risky to sign for that long, but a one- or two-year deal would be fine with me. Laden it with incentives that he can earn if healthy to keep him pitching and motivated and you'd pretty much have a steal if he can start 25 games.

According to WEEI in Boston, Alex Cora and the Mets have agreed to a one-year contract worth $2 million.

From WEEI:

Former Red Sox infielder Alex Cora has agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with the New York Mets. The 33-year-old Cora played with Boston from July 7, 2005 — when he was traded from Cleveland for infielder Ramon Vazquez — through last season.

I like it.

Last season with the Boston Red Sox (whom he played for since partway through 2005), Cora hit .270 / .371 /.349 in 75 games. He played shortstop the majority of those games (69), while also seeing some time at second base.

He's the new Damion Easley, except he's been to the playoffs.

Thanks to Ian from SOX & Dawgs.

This is just too cool.

Things featured: Francisco Rodriguez's name featured on scoreboard, pitching against Ryan Howard. (He just threw a 96 mph strike), Luis Castillo(?) playing in the shift, the Home Run Apple, tucked away, K-Rod pitching to Howard, Carlos Beltran making a shoe-string catch on Howard's hit ball.

Johan Santana pitching (first to Jayson Werth (name on scoreboard) and then striking out Pedro Feliz), Castillo slapping a hit through the hole at 2B, Carlos Delgado sliding into third, David Wright smashing a home run off the second tier in left field, the Home Run Apple coming out in celebration.

The stats showed that Wright is a .301 hitter with 33 home runs, 124 RBI, 42 doubles, 115 runs, 15 stolen bases and a .533 slugging.

Fletcher has the video for the new Yankee Stadium.

According to Braves Blast and the AJC, the Atlanta Braves and Derek Lowe have agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal.

Lowe still needs to pass a physical, but that will likely happen within the next few days.

OK, Mets fans, Lowe is off the table. Time for Omar Minaya to focus all his efforts on Oliver Perez (or Ben Sheets!). No chance that Minaya signs Perez for only three-years, $30 million as reported. He's going to command a lot more than that.

As I said before, I think the offer has to be for five years even to get Perez to the table. If Lowe is going to get $15 million a year, there is no reason that Perez can't get the same.

I'm sure by now you've all seen the absolutely miserable design (if you can even call it that) on the Mets inaugural patch for Citi Field in 2009.

Well, combining my lack of anything truly productive to do and my semi-decent Photoshop skills, I decided to take a stab at designing a better patch. I came up with three. Two of them are takes on the current design and the third goes in a different, somewhat better direction.

First, for reference, here is the patch that will be worn in 2009:
Patch 1 -- Original:
Now here are my takes on it.
Patch 2 -- "Arches":
Patch 3 -- "Backdrop":
Patch 4 -- "Oval":Which one tickles your fancy?

Cast your vote!

From Jon Heyman:

The Braves are trying hard to finalize a deal that would solidify their rotation. The deal for Lowe is believed to be for close to $60 million over four years.

For that much, you can have him Atlanta.

I would have been OK with three-years, $45 million or four-years, $50 million. But four-years, $60 million is a little rich for my taste.

Update: The deal is apparently for three-years and an unknown amount of money. Sorry Mets, that's just not going to get it done. I think they'll have to go for a five year minimum to even get him to the table.

Thanks to Brian Decina for shooting me an e-mail about Oliver Perez.

Decina writes that he was watching the MLB Network and Jon Heyman noted that the Mets have made an offer to Perez. The numbers are unknown as of right now, but I'm guessing it will be for a long-term deal.

Perez, 27, has been the second choice all for the Mets all off-season, behind Derek Lowe.
I'm out and about right now, so again, thanks to Brian for the e-mail.

Regardless of political affiliation, this is a tad bit extreme.

According to NJ.com, "The New York Mets' Single A farm team will be renamed the Baracklyn Cyclones for its June 23 game in Brooklyn."

There's already a website up and running, along with an insane YouTube video.

I almost have no words for this. Thankfully this is only for one night.

Here's what you can get, if you attend:

* Alternate red, white, and blue jerseys adorned with the team’s new name
* FREE Barack Obama bobbleheads to the first 2,500 fans in attendance, featuring the President in a Baracklyn Cyclones Jersey
* The Economic Stimulus Package: From 10am on January 20th – Inauguration Day – to midnight on January 23rd, ticket prices for the June 23rd game will be “rolled back” to the Cyclones’ inaugural 2001 season rates: $10 Field Box Seats, $8 Box Seats, $5 Bleacher Seats. Beginning January 24th, tickets will be priced at the regular 2009 rates ($15, $12, $8)
* Universal Health Care: Free Band-Aids to the first 1,000 fans
* Naming Rights: Anyone named Barack gets in for free (Bring your ID on the night of the game)
* Joe the Plumber special: any plumber named Joe gets two free tickets – one for himself, and one to “spread the wealth” with a friend (Bring your ID and a business card or proof of employment on the night of the game)
* Bi-Partisan Consolation Prize: anyone named McCain or Palin will get a free Bleacher Seat (Bring your ID on the night of the game)
* A clear-cut Exit Strategy: fans will receive American Flags and discount coupons as they leave the ballpark

You have got to love the minor leagues and their wacky promotions. And to top it all off, tickets will go on sale Jan. 20, at 10 am. So fitting and very, very clever.

It's Obama-mania!

Here's a nugget from Ken Rosenthal:

Free agent Dennys Reyes is attracting interest from the A's and Mets as well as the Dodgers and other clubs.

They have Jose, and he's not going anywhere. They had Argenis and Al last season, though Al never made it to the big club. Dennys is next. Also out there, Anthony and Jo-Jo.

Good luck with that.

The Mets are sorely lacking southpaws on their pitching staff.

As the depth chart stands right now (sans Tim Redding), the Mets only have three lefties between their rotation and the bullpen. Johan Santana and Jon Niese on the starting staff and only Pedro Feliciano in the bullpen comprise the lefties on the team.

To be successful, the Mets need to sign or trade for some more.

The team has focused on two free agent starters to fill the void in the rotation. Derek Lowe, a righty, and Oliver Perez, a lefty, seem to be atop the Mets wish list, in that order. With Redding now a New York Met, and likely becoming the fifth man in the rotation (or at the least the long man and spot starter), should the Mets look to Perez first and Lowe second?

Friend and fellow blogger Josh Levitt brings up this point on his blog Jorge Says No!:

I think that Omar Minaya should back off his pursuit of Derek Lowe. With rumors swirling that the Braves are going all in on Lowe, now would be a good time for the Mets to step aside and focus their efforts on Oliver Perez, who is only 27 and great against lefties. Lowe would be a wonderful addition to the Mets rotation, but at this point I'm skeptical about giving him a fourth year or another $10-$15 million more than the Mets original offer (3 years/$36 million).

Levitt absolutely hits the nail on the head here.

Though I'd love Lowe on the Mets, I think the smarter play here if for Perez, at least given their current situation. Perez has shown his ability to win in big games (even if he couples that with loses against sub-.500 teams) and would provide the Mets with another lefty arm on the staff.

With guys like Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley all batting left handed, the Mets need another southpaw. (Yes, I realize these are all Phillies, but the rest of the teams in the NL East don't really have any feared left-handed hitters. Plus, these are three of the biggest boppers the Mets will face in any division, so it just makes sense.)

The Mets should shift focus to signing Perez. Lowe would be nice, but Perez seems like the better fit right now.

From The Post:

Spanking-new, $850 million Citi Field is already beginning to rust.

A Post reporter spotted brown water from a rusty beam creeping down the wall of the front entrance of Citi Field's main gate in Flushing, Queens, on 126th Street.

Obviously, this would only warrant it's own story, or a mention at all, in the New York Post. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I'm just saying...

I find it hard to believe that the steel they are using is already rusting. I'm no architect (though I'd rather be an architect than a city planner), but if something is rusting a mere two years after you put it up, that can't be a good sign.

Still, I doubt that this was rust.

Ken Davidoff:

The Mets remain confident that they'll eventually land one of their top two choices to upgrade the starting rotation - either Derek Lowe or Oliver Perez.

He then goes on to look around baseball for teams that were searching for starters this year, and brings up quotes and signings that show the market for these two isn't very good.

Still, I'm yet to hear any Ben Sheets rumors for the Mets. Obviously, no team would sign this guy long term, due to his knack for getting hurt, but a two-year deal may make sense for a few, the Mets being one of them.

When Sheets is healthy, he's a top-notch pitcher, but that is a big "if." Still, a two-year deal, worth, say $8 million per year. He made $11 in 2007, but his injuries should limit the amount of money he gets paid.

Lowe, Perez and Sheets are still on the market, and the Mets absolutely need another starting pitcher. As of right now, Lowe is far and away the most popular choice in the current poll, garnering 43 percent of the overall votes. Sheets is in second with 25 percent and Perez has picked up 18 percent.

I'll take any of them.

Now that the Mets have Tim Redding in the fold, the possibility for Pedro Martinez returning to the Mets is slim to none. (With the smart bet on the latter.)

Pedro has turned his sights elsewhere, and if this lead pans out, the Mets may be seeing him fairly often.

According to sources, Martinez is in talks with Florida and is "in the beginning stages of negotiating a contract with the Marlins."

All this comes a day after The Post ran this story: Pedro Lobbies For Mets Return.

In an exclusive interview with The Post, Martinez said he's open to pitching just about anywhere in 2009, but the Mets are far and away his first choice.
---
"I went over to the Mets with something in mind, to win a World Series in the National League, and I haven't achieved that," said Martinez, who just completed a four-year, $53 million contract.
---
"I just pray that [Fred Wilpon] bounces back and we can give him the World Series that he deserves."

He's such a likable guy, but his illustrious career is definitely in the fading stages. Enjoy Florida, or wherever you end up.

UPDATE: Not so, according to the Miami Herald.

"Multiple sources tell us nothing is afoot on that front, that either the Marlins aren't interested in the 37-year-old pitcher or they don't feel they can afford him."

Here is a By The Numbers look at the Mets newest acquisition, Tim Redding.

30: Age.

34: Career wins.

51: Career losses.

4.92: Career ERA.

3.64: Season best ERA. (2007 with the Nationals in 15 games)

476: Career strikeouts.

182: Most innings pitched in a season. (2008)

767: Hits surrendered.

96: Home runs allowed.

20: Intentional walks issued.

2: Balks.

.148: Career batting average.

5: Career doubles.

.938: Career fielding percentage.

13: Sacrifice hits in 2008. (4th in the NL)

10: Wild pitches in 2008. (6th in the NL)

100: Earned runs allowed in 2008. (4th in the NL)

20: Round Houston Astros selected Redding in 1997 MLB Draft.

1: Season with more wins than losses. (3-1 with Houston in 2001)

Thanks to Baseball-Reference for some of these stats.

The deal is official. Tim Redding the your newest New York Met.

Jon Heyman was right, as the deal was worth $2.25 million, but Redding has the chance to earn up to $3 million, according to Adam Rubin.

Redding went 10-11 with the lowly Nationals last season. Against the Braves, Phillies and Marlins, he posted a 6-5 record. 3-1 against Philadelphia, 1-1 against Atlanta and 2-3 against Florida.

The Mets won two and lost one to Redding.

Jon Niese may not even factor into the rotation now, but he'll be the perfect guy to come up if a pitcher gets injured. You never know, though, with a strong spring training, anything is possible.

According to sources, the New York Mets and free agent Tim Redding are closing in a one-year deal.

Jon Heyman believes the deal to be worth $2.25 million. Ken Davidoff has it costing the Mets another $250,000.

Smart move, Mets. Maybe this isn't the exact order you'd like to sign your free agent pitchers, but it's better than nothing.

I like it. Now where is my Honeymooners-Redding post...

From the Daily News...

Yes, the Mets also want some $80 million in additional funding for their new Citi Field, but there are some big differences.

The City Council authorized the Mets to use that money, but the team never borrowed the full amount. The cost of Citi Field, including parking facilities, has increased by only about 15% above original projections - to a total of $700 million.

Yankee Stadium, on the other hand, has zoomed from an original price tag of $800 million in 2005 to $1.3 billion today.

And that's not counting the Yankee parking garages, which are being built by a separate nonprofit. They also have jumped in price to more than $340million.

The Mets are in the same town and are using the same unionized labor force. Yet Yankee Stadium will end up costing about twice as much as Citi Field.

(Emphasis is mine.)

I don't hate the Yankees or anything, but that's pretty ridiculous.

Via Big League Stew...

Slightly NSFW due to the use of the s-word in the intro.

Honestly, this song is terrible. If you need to cleanse your ears with the classic, click here.

Jeff Passan takes a look at the Mets off season moves and gives them a bit of a reality check. Read the article here.

After catching the short end of the John Smoltz stick, the Atlanta Braves are looking to make a splash and add to their weak rotation.

Derek Lowe and the Braves brass met at Turner Field down in Hot-lanta in an effort to woo the free agent sinkerballer.

Here's the report from the AJC:

“We had a nice talk, went pretty good,” [Bobby] Cox said. “Derek’s in great shape, ready to go. Who knows? Hopefully we can get close with him.”
---
Cox has known Lowe since managing an all-star team that toured Japan eight years ago. Lowe was on it, and Cox left quite an impression with him. Boras said Sunday that the pitcher had great respect for the manager and was sincere in his interest in the Braves.

On Wednesday [Frank] Wren arranged the meeting with Lowe, a Florida resident, and Cox. Hours later, Wren was notified that Smoltz would sign with the Red Sox. Chipper Jones called Lowe on Wednesday to make a recruiting pitch, shortly before Smoltz called Jones to tell him he was leaving the Braves.

Great, so now if the Mets lose out on Lowe, they'll likely be forced to face him at least five times a year. Figures that would happen...

The Mets need to make a move, and quick. No more waiting around for something to happen. Blitzkrieg Boras and Lowe with another $2 million per and a fourth year. Let's get this over with, Omar Minaya & Co. There are still more holes to fill.

This will be a sporadic video blog featuring me (and occasionally a few other people) talking about all things Mets. Today's episode features talk of Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez, Tim Redding, Randy Wolf, Luis Castillo and the utility role.

Enjoy.

Ed. note -- This was recorded early this morning, before the Braves came out as a strong suitor for Lowe.

Oh, and possibly the greatest screen grab ever right before you click play.

To compliment the fact that Shea Stadium had a fairly large feral cat population, a stray dog was found Citi Field yesterday.

A stray dog led animal control officers on a rainy romp through the stadium Wednesday after construction workers said she spent several days sniffing around the Mets' new digs.

The nimble pooch was finally snagged near the Jackie Robinson Rotunda after running the bases and racing up and down the aisles. Her rescuers have dubbed her Jackie.

Oh, very clever.

I say the Mets should bring this dog back, complete with one of these, one of these and of course one of these. Mr. Met and family could use a new member of the family.

I smell a marketing gimmick!

REDDING MULLS OFFER FROM METS

"[Minaya's] thinking is he would like to bring in six or seven starters this spring because of what happened last year," the source said.

Yay.