In the Weeds

Multiple baseball people, both inside and outside the Mets organization, believe the team will be a serious player for the 27-year-old center fielder whose auction has yet to really begin.

Omar, hop on the first plane to Puerto Rico. Omar can really make my Christmas with that signing. As much as I think the Mets are a long shot, I think Omar is going to make a good run at it and give it chance. Anyone think the Johnson deal precludes the Yankees from snagging Beltran? They will have to give him a two year extension for the same $16 mill per year most likely for him to waive his no trade clause and then the Yankees still have to buyout Jason Giambi and replace him with a lower cost option. Not only that, from what I understand they have to foot some of Javier Vazquez's bill. I know they have deep pockets, but adding another $15 to $16 million would be nuts. Steinbrenner and Boras have scheduled a face to face sit down next week and we all know where Boras wants his client to go. Steinbrenner has done him favors in the past like signing Travis Lee when no one else wanted him. Unfortunately the most greedy agent and the owner with the deepest pockets have a good relationship.

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Some interesting Pedro quotes from this SI article.

"I told [Henry], 'You want to sign me, get it done. Please force them to get it done. I'm willing to stay here. Negotiate with them. I just don't want to be under Schilling," Martinez said.

"Schilling is 38, I'm only 33," he said. "The fact that I had an off-year doesn't mean that I can be below Schilling. Still, with an off-year, I'm way over Schilling as a pitcher and I've pitched pretty much like Schilling the last few years, if you're going to talk about durability."

I hope he is gone," Martinez said of Varitek. "I hope 'Tek is on my team."

Asked whether that meant he wanted to get rid of current Mets catcher Mike Piazza, Martinez said, "I do want Piazza, too. Piazza is a good hitter. We can move him to first or somewhere. ... I want 'Tek. 'Tek is a good player, a good catcher."

"Theo got really arrogant on Fernando and I didn't appreciate it," Martinez said. "Theo believed that he had me and wasn't the nicest man communicating with Fernando."

He said Red Sox manager Terry Francona played a small role in managing the team, taking his cues from the team's front office.

"Francona is subject to what they decide," Martinez said. "Francona had no say, like he didn't have any say in managing the team. He was manipulated from upstairs."

Asked for evidence to back that assertion, he said, "I was in the clubhouse, that's how I know."

Some interesting trade options for Sammy Sosa are thrown out by Phil Rogers. I do not think any of the deals but the first have been truly on the table, but Baltimore and Kansas City have been rumored to be interested and Baltimore seems to be heating up on the idea of bringing in Sosa.

Sosa to the Mets for Cliff Floyd
Heard about this one a million times and I still do not like it.

Sosa to Baltimore for Jay Gibbons and Jorge Julio

Sosa to the Yankees for Kevin Brown
I hope this goes down because it means the Spanks did not get Beltran.

Sosa to Kansas City in a three-way deal that sends Mike Sweeney to the Mets and Floyd to the Cubs
I've always been a Mike Sweeney fan and he's a career .305 hitter with a good OBP%, but for a little more money you can get a healthier Carlos Delgado who is only a year older. Not only that, due to injuries and lack of a great glove at first, he's racked up 522 at-bats as a DH to 748 at bats as a first baseman. They get rid up one injury riddled player for another one. Sweeney is also one guy that has played less game than Cliff Floyd over the past three years and that is a scary thought.

Clement is due to ink with the Red Sox for a three year $25.5 million dollar contract. That price seems about right to me and did Clement ever pick a tough park and tough division to join. He's got some big shoes to fill but I think he can have some success there.

The Randy Johnson deal is now includes Shawn Green, Brad Penny, Yhency Brazoban and prospect Brandon Weeden going from L.A. to Arizona; Javier Vazquez and two Yankee prospects (Dioner Navarro and Eric Duncan) going from the Bronx to the Dodgers; and the Big Unit along with L.A. lefthander Kaz Ishii coming to New York. Can someone tell me how Kaz Ishii was just thrown in here? The deal was done before he was tossed in for shits and giggles. What is going on in LA? They now lose three pitchers and get one back and deal their left handed power stick. Are they going to rebuild at this point? That is the only thing I can think of. This trade makes little sense for them as they have less offense and less pitching than they had last year. Between Green and Beltre they are losing a little less than 80 homers and about 200 RBIs. Throw into the mix Finley is not coming back and LoDucca was already dumped. Jeff Kent must be really happy with this one. Unless the plan to make a run at Delgado, Drew, Sosa, Milton, etc. they will be sunk.

Ishii is due $3.2M in 2005, with a team option $3.3M or $1.1M buyout in 2006 and a team option $4.0M or $1.1M buyout in 2007. Ishii had a 4.71 ERA last season and had a horrible Leiter-like 1.01 K/BB ratio. He also likes to give up the long ball and has never pitched over 172.0 innings in a season. I guess the Yankees are set to move Kevin Brown or they are set to move Ishii along.