Chew On This

Go ahead, chew on this. It's delectable. Savor it.

If I were to ask you who played more games in 2004 and 2005 combined, who would you choose?

A) Mike Piazza
B) Bengie Molina
C) Ramon Hernandez

I think you know where I'm going with this....

    Piazza Hernandez Molina
2004  113     111       97
2005  129      99      119
total 242     210      216

Thanks to Will for pointing out the painfully obvious and this is something I totally missed. I hope a lot of you missed it too or else I'll feel like the idiot with the booger hanging out of his nose and nobody has the cojones to tell him. I was always intrigued by Kenji Jojima and now that he appears to be going to Seattle, I'm not happy with either of the two 'top' targets. In fact, he would have been much cheaper and could be better (yes, I know he might not be) and could be available to play more. Then I read this:

For a guy who embarrassed himself by twice failing to block home plate in crucial situations, free-agent catcher Ramon Hernandez is getting a lot of attention.

The Diamondbacks and New York Mets are wooing Hernandez, who apparently wore out his welcome with San Diego Padres manager Bruce Bochy in Game 2 of the National League Division Series when he chose to use the sweep tag instead of blocking the plate on two close plays at home.

That's not a rousing statement about him. Playoff time and not laying it all on the line? I'm not going to pretend I watched it or even know if the plays were as bad as this guy is saying, but it doesn't sound good.

Explore all options Omar . The two 'top' catching targets are looking more over priced every day and I’m starting to agree with Eric.

* * *

Impressive. Most Impressive.

The Blue Jays appear to be making a pre-emptive strike in a bid to land free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett.

Sources told The Toronto Sun yesterday that the Jays have offered a five-year, $50-million US contract to the 28-year-old right-hander

We all heard the Blue Jays have cash and throwing out Halladay and Burnett on back to back days is pretty impressive. As much as I would like Burnett a Met, I know that is not happening.

Good Omar. Good boy.

"He wants him, but he isn't going to wait around," an American League official said of Minaya's lust for Ramirez. "He doesn't want to get caught putting all his eggs in one basket."

Also in the above link Cammy shows he is a professional and why he was one of everyone's favorite.

Klap hits the nail on the head about any possible Manny deal.

The Mets are still eyeing Delgado, but one has to wonder about the deal if it goes through. He will be booed unmercifully at the start and though Delgado will probably say he can care less, it could cause major problems. He could request a trade after one year and the Mets could have given up a lot to get him. Word on the street is that Yusmeiro Petit would need to be included in the deal so the Marlins can add him to their ridiculous pitching rich system. I have no problems with dealing away Petit for Delgado, but how long will he be around and how much animosity will the fans show him? Of course another year like last year could butter us all up, but it could be a rocky relationship. Personally, the Marlins seem desperate and all the articles support that.

"Fifty [million] is their absolute point of pain," the source said. "They are in dire straits."

Can we rape someone else for a change? Who else can absorb every dollar?

Note to Omar: Just call Giles' agent. It's a lot more simple.

Nine days ago, Towers told Giles' agent, Joe Bick, that the Padres were close to obtaining another outfielder (Cameron) and that the deal would probably entail taking on additional payroll.

Bick says he was told such a move would not preclude the Padres from signing Giles – and Towers confirmed that characterization yesterday – but the bargaining gap is still significant and the competition (notably, the New York Yankees) is financially fierce.

"That doesn't mean he's off our radar," Towers said. "But it may be a little more difficult.

The door is open, but the Yankees might be shutting it soon with a large $33 million contract for three years. It seems like a lot. I would have said $10 million per year for three years with an option is a nice start point for the Mets, so upping it by a million does not seem crazy. The Mets needed to overpay to get his attention. At least throw it out there. I'm sure he would rather play right at this point in his aging career.

Just and aside, Lupica used the world 'swell' in the article. Who the fuck still uses that word?

One and done. Pavano wants out.

The Cubs signed Scott Eyre.

Chipper is a team player. Not much else to say. The guy wants to win and put his money where his mouth is.

From the Daily News:

The Mets appear prepared to ratchet up negotiations with Scott Boras regarding pitcher Mike Pelfrey, one of two unsigned first-round picks

Who was more upset? Floyd when Cammy left or Wright when McEwing left?

During the past two off seasons, Seattle had guys that wanted to play for them? They sucked. They have sucked for a while no with no end in sight. The Mets? They cannot pay people enough to come here. It is a last resort. Do we all have cooties in the tri-state area? The Mets were good last year and stand to be very good in the coming years. What's a guy gotta do?