Omar Has a Pretty Big Christmas Wish List

"That's the guy they want," the executive said. "They're doing everything they can to get him. They're trying to put together a new offer."

The Mets are making a run for Carlos Delgado and they really want him. Although the Mets are nowhere near such a decision, one baseball executive said, "If the Mets come up with the money, they're going to get Delgado. Just watch.". But they still want Carlos Beltran. In fact, according to the NYPost:

And if push comes to shove, one industry insider actually believes the Mets have the resources to outbid the Yankees for the centerfielder.

According to Bob Klapisch:

It's a one-in-a-million chance, but some industry insiders say the Mets could have Beltran's ear by playing to their increasingly apparent strength - the Spanish-speaking clubhouse. Of course, the Wilpon family will have to make an extraordinary financial commitment to even enter the Beltran sweepstakes, but no team in baseball is as determined to make over the clubhouse demographic as the Mets.

According to ESPN News, the Mets are prepared to actually offer Carlos Beltran a contract as they have repoted several times yesterday. The countdown until January 8th is now 20 days. That is when the Astros lose the right to negotiate with him and that is when he is expected to make his decision by. Strangely enough, it looks like Wilpon has given him the OK to go significantly over their $105 million budget and we'll see how this one plays out as he has to have his eye on some advertising cash in 2006 for his shiny new network.

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According to Buster Olney, he thinks it is between the Astros and the Yankee dollars. He says the Yankees may be prepared to go 7 years and $120 million. With all the talk about the Mets being prepared to jump in, he loses credibility with me because he will not even acknowledge the fact that the Mets are in this, however slightly. He’s just another Yankee lovin’ reporter.

Omar's likes his wife’s steamed clams. Exciting I know, but for more Q&A with Omar, check out the NYPost.

The Daily News has the specifics of Pedro's contract.

Pedro Martinez's deal with the Mets includes a luxury box at Shea Stadium for each home game and a hotel suite for all road trips, according to an Associated Press report.

The perks are part of the four-year, $53 million contract Martinez signed last week, which also includes a $3.5 million signing bonus and salaries of $10 million in 2005, $14 million in 2006 and 2007 and $11.5 million in 2008. Four million dollars of his salary in both 2006 and 2007 will be deferred by the Mets, as well as $2 million in 2008.

Martinez gets a $500,000 bonus if he wins the Cy Young award as a Met (he's won three already), $1 million if he wins it twice, $1.5 million if he wins it a third time and $2 million if he wins it a fourth time. He'll get $400,000 if he finishes second in the voting and $300,000 for coming in third.

Martinez would also receive $50,000 for each All-Star appearance, $50,000 for each Gold Glove, $50,000 for winning the league championship series MVP award and $250,000 for winning the World Series MVP award.

The Randy Johnson deal will involve Shawn Green getting a contract extension from the D-Backs. He is looking for two years and the deal is expected to get finalized in the next few days. To me, giving Shawn Green an extension really does not let the D-Backs save money by moving Johnson. He's due the same amount of money this year, and is probably asking to be overpaid in those two years for the extension.

Billy Beane has lost his mind. He inexplicably dealt Mark Mulder with two years left on this contract. At this point, one has to wonder who is next?

According to ESPN Rumor Mill, the Dodgers are looking at JD Drew. The Mets have offered Moises Alou a contract that he is mulling over. They offered it around the winter meetings, but may be since sweetened it. The D-Rays may be shopping Aubrey Huff.