Javier Vazquez?

Clubs expected to be hot after Vazquez include the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals. The right-hander has two years remaining on his contract worth $11.5 million in 2006 and $12.5 million in '07.

I know Omar is leaving no stone unturned and exploring all options even though some do not seem likely, but giving up anything to for a guy who I consider Kris Benson with more strikeouts, more homers allowed, and better curveball at this point in his career makes no sense. Maybe a straight up swap I would consider since the money just about evens out and Javy could be better, but this is far from a need that they need to pursue. Kevin Millwood is basically the same thing too and will not cost prospects.

Javy is not the Javy that was on the Expos. He is far too inconsistent these days to take an unnecessary risk to deplete a farm system that really cannot handle a big loss on something that is not a necessity. Deplete it further for Adam Dunn or Manny Ramirez? I can swallow that. However, Javier Vazquez, like Barry Zito, represent risks that do not need to be taken. I hope Omar is just doing his due diligence and not really serious about pursuing him. Vazquez will not come cheap and the Mets are more advised to look at Washburn, Burnett, or Millwood if they want to truly shake up the rotation.

* * *

Since everyone posted the top ten list of Mets prospects from Baseball America for those of you who are not subscribers, I will spare everyone from having to see it again. However, my thoughts on the list is that the Mets system, while not having a great system in comparison to some other teams, is not really that bad. You look at the top ten and you know that Mike Pelfrey will become a Met sometime in January and instantly be head and shoulders the best pitching prospect in a system that already has some good ones and you see plenty of intriguing prospects and some legit talent. One guy that got a lot of praise is Carlos Gomez and he has been a favorite of mine for while just by his age in relation to how he has handled playing for Hagerstown. Here is what BA had to say.

Background: Signed as a speedy but wiry 16-year-old, Gomez has grown into his body and some in the organization think his raw tools might be better than Milledge’s. Eight months younger than Milledge, Gomez isn’t nearly as polished.

Strengths:
Gomez excites scouts with his raw power, speed and arm strength. He can put on a show in batting practice, ranked second in the minors with 64 steals in 2005 and has the best outfield arm in the system. Though he always has been young for his league, he has had no trouble making consistent contact.

Weaknesses:
Still extremely raw, Gomez hasn’t shown much power in game situations because he doesn’t control the strike zone, tends to let his hands drift to the ball and often over strides. He’s also unrefined on the bases, getting caught stealing 24 times in 2005. He can be erratic as a center and right fielder as well.

The Future:
Gomez flashed enough upside potential in low Class A that he should begin 2006 in the Florida State League, a notably pitcher-friendly environment. If everything comes together, he’ll be New York’s right fielder of the future.

Tools better than Milledge? New York's right fielder of the future? The problem with unpolished five tool guys is that they obviously need work. Jose Guillen was always a guy who scouts drooled over because of this talent, but he never became a good player until he was 27 after making a solid Major League debut at the age of 21. His power developed faster than most and that contributed to him getting a shot early on, but he bounced around due to attitude and underperformance. The bottom line is Carlos Gomez may never get his stuff together, but the guy still managed to put up some solid numbers, though not much power, and walked 32 times, which is not great, but hot horrific for a kid his age. He will not be rushed and will be moving up one level at a time making him 23 when he gets to AAA if all goes according to plan. He can even spend an extra year there or anywhere else if he needs more seasoning, there is plenty of time for the Mets to see what he can do and who knows, he could get his stuff together and have a breakout year and push himself into an elite prospect standing.

The other thing that stuck out from the top ten, and this echoed what the Mets said early in the year, was that Fernando Martinez may start at full season Hagerstown to start his career at the ripe age of 17.

Background: In their first year under Omar Minaya, the majors’ lone Hispanic general manager, the Mets were extremely aggressive in mining Latin America. Their biggest splash was Martinez, who signed for $1.4 million. New York, which lacked second- and third-round picks in the draft, believes he matched up with any U.S. high school outfielder taken in the draft.

Strengths:
Martinez’ hitting approach is well beyond his years. He maintains his balance very well while keeping his hands back in his stance. His bat and power are both plus tools, and he’s a good athlete with solid speed and arm strength.

Weaknesses:
Though he’s very advanced for his age, Martinez still will need plenty of time to refine his game and is unproven against pro competition. Currently a center fielder, he projects as a right fielder and his bat will need to carry him if he’s to become a star at that position.

The Future:
Because of his precocious hitting skills, the Mets believe Martinez may be able to handle a full-season league in 2006. If they send him to Hagerstown, he’ll almost certainly be the youngest player in the South Atlantic League at 17.

No two guys are more intriguing out of the Mets system with Alay Soler a close third and their 2006 seasons are highly anticipated and will go a long way to seeing who is the real deal or not.

Rafael Furcal wants five years and the Cubs may not go over four. Omar, lay out the five years and sell him on the team and the positive direction and the cash flow that will coming in as a result of the network. He probably will not play second for the Mets, but Minaya needs to give it a shot. Furcal's agent thinks he can get five years, $50 million, but I think he is smoking crack. I love Furcal playing second base for the Mets, but that is too much money. It may take that to get him to switch over to second, but it seems steep for Rafael.

Brian Giles seems like a perfect fit for the St. Louis Cardinals, however Ken Rosenthal from FoxSports.com throws in his two cents.

"Think about it: The Cardinals' biggest position need is a corner outfielder, but the most attractive free agent, Brian Giles, turns 35 on Jan. 21. Rather than give Giles a deal for, say, three years and $30 million, the Cardinals could sign a cheaper alternative like Jacque Jones, take on Soriano for one year and devote a greater percentage of their resources to pitching."

Makes sense to me and if Giles is only costing three years $30 million, he should be a top priorty for Minaya. Old? yes. The guy is still in great shape and I have no problems thinking he can hit close 25 to 30 homers a year, hit .300, and get on base at a .410 clip for those three years.

From the Daily News:

In addition, Minaya said he was "planning to" make offers to three players on the first day teams could talk money with free agents: their top closer choice, Philadelphia's Billy Wagner; Baltimore closer B.J. Ryan and San Francisco lefty reliever Scott Eyre. Minaya also scheduled a visit with Ramon Hernandez, another free agent catcher who batted .290 with 12 homers and 58 RBI for the Padres this year.

Niiiiice. As long the Mets match Ryan's offer from the Yankees when it comes and offer him the closer's role while he is still in his prime, how in good conscience can he pass it up? The Mets are on the up and up and he could be a mega-star in New York no matter what team he plays for.

From the NYTimes:

The Yankees are said to make $150 million a year from their YES network, and while the Mets can't expect that sort of return initially, the revenue their network brings in will help fund a payroll that will easily exceed $100 million.

Cha-ching. Omar, make it happen. Make it all happen.

Also from the above link:

The Mets have talked to the Red Sox about Ramirez and are waiting for them to decide if and how they want to proceed. Their talks with the Texas Rangers about Alfonso Soriano, on the other hand, have cooled.

Also from the above link:

"Jojima has studied English since elementary school," Nero said. "He's got good comprehension of English; he needs to improve his speaking. He's caught more than 20 foreign pitchers, so I don't think it's an issue."

Nero recalled how Piazza, in his early years with the Dodgers, caught a United Nations staff of pitchers although he didn't speak their languages and they didn't speak his. And, Nero added, mentioning a Yankees battery this year, "I don't think Jorge Posada brushed up on his Chinese when Chien-Ming Wang stepped on the mound."

Nero has his own way of dealing with the language issue. Melvin Romon is the director of Latin American operations for C.S.M.G., Nero's company, and Mac Hayashi is head of Japanese operations.

"We speak five languages," Nero said. "The problem is, my second language is profanity."

Nero seems to be the anti-David Sloane.

Mike Cameron is going to prove to be a valuable chip.

Centerfield is a great need this off-season. The Red Sox, Cubs, Tigers, Royals, Angels, Padres, Mariners and Yankees are all in the market for centerfielders. Cameron spent 2005 as the Mets' rightfielder, moving to make room for Carlos Beltran, but he never hid the fact that he thinks of himself as a centerfielder.

If the Mets get Manny, I'm not sure Floyd should not be used as a valuable chip as well. He is cheap and only has one year left and no one really knows how hill pan out in right, though he looked pretty solid in left this year and should be decent there. Of course then the Mets will lose some offense, but Victor Diaz should be an adequate enough bat since Manny's offense far outweighs Cliffy's and Lastings might be ready after the All-Star break anyway. Between the glut of starting pitching, Mike Cameron, and possibly Cliff Floyd, Omar has a lot of ability to get very creative.

Huh?

Signing Molina away from the Angels would probably take a three-year deal worth $24 million. Hernandez and Jojima could come a bit cheaper.

Did I miss where Molina became the best catcher available? I think he is solid, but I'm not sure he is worth that cash or worth more than Hernandez of Jojima.

Jim Cawley lists out five reasons why the Red Sox should keep Manny.

1. Dynamic duo. Ramirez and David Ortiz provide the best 1-2 punch in baseball. No matter whom Boston gets in a trade, there will be a drop off in offensive production.

2. Consistency. Manny's got it -- big time. You can pretty much mark him down for a .300 batting average, 40 home runs and 120 RBI every season. You'd have to go back to 1997 to find the last time he didn't have at least 33 home runs and 107 RBI.

3. World Series MVP. Remember that? It was just last season.

4. Manny being Manny. Ramirez does the "I want to be traded" thing every year. He missed 10 games last season -- mostly because of his antics -- and still batted .292 with 45 homers and 144 RBI.

5. Character. He's an adventure in the outfield who can spice up the occasional boring game

Since he is writing for a Florida publication, I think he left out the part about it being game, set, match if the Mets get Manny and a closer.

Kenji Jojima may be on the verge of signing with the Seattle Mariners. The deal is said to be a two year, $8 million dollar deal, with a vesting option for a third year.

Burnett is seeking a five-year contract that could run near $50 million.

I like Lastings. It looks like he is coming into his own and I expect huge numbers at AA and quick jump to AAA.

Steve Phillips runs down his off-season predictions.

BJ Ryan:
Prediction: Mets.
Comment: Clubs love his youth and strength. He is a horse. Some clubs value him higher than Billy Wagner because they can think long-term with him. Everyone who likes Wagner will also keep an eye on Ryan.

Billy Wagner:
Prediction: Phillies.
Comment: He still has the most dominating stuff among all the closers on the market. Expect a bidding war because teams that feel they are close to competing for a playoff spot will value his experience immensely.

Brian Giles:
Prediction: Cubs.
Comment: He led the majors in walks (119) and was fourth overall in OBP (.423). His power numbers aren't what they once were. On the right team, he could log huge numbers; bat him second or third in front of a couple of big boppers and he may score 150 runs.

AJ Burnett:
Prediction: Blue Jays.
Comment: He has the stuff of an ace, but the record of a No. 4 starter (49-50 in his career). He has a history of health problems and an erratic personality. In the right situation, he could blossom. If everything isn't just right, then he could be a bust.

Rafael Furcal:
Prediction: Cubs.
Comment: His game has matured at just the right time ... when he reaches free agency. He cut down on his errors substantially in '05, and also developed the patience needed to be a premier leadoff man.

He is still an ass.

Some People Never Learn

Ok, so let's recap. Lee Mazzilli was laid off before he completed his second season as the Orioles coach because many people felt he was in over his head and did not possess the ability to coach a Major League team at this point. Enter in Willie Randolph. Though people are more than willing to chalk it up to Willie's growing pains, Randolph proved to be more in the mold of Lee Mazzilli than Joe Torre, which the Mets were hoping for, but not many of us since Joe is a bit overrated himself and more known for getting egos to mesh than his game calling abilities.

Enter in the latest protégé of the great swammi Joe Torre in Joe Giradi. Have the Marlins not been keeping an eye on these things? The brilliant strategist Joe Torre was exposed in the playoffs against the Red Sox in '04 and made some questionable calls earlier in the playoffs against the Twins leading me to believe he is not exactly on same level as a Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa, or even Mike Soscia. Coincidence that his long time bench mate Don Zimmer was gone to bounce ideas off of? Not sure, but I think this is good for the Mets that Girardi will be making the calls for a team in their division being that I do not think there is a good track record for Torre's disciples and that includes Willie. Yeah, yeah, he got the team to 83 wins and improved them by 12 wins, blah, blah, blah. He single handedly cost the Mets game and I am hoping that he learns from his egregious mistakes to become at least a league average to slightly above average manager. A lot of Willie's mistakes were more stupidity than inexperience.

What I cannot understand for the life of me, is why people keep hiring these jokers? Call me crazy, but I think Ken Oberkfell can out manage that bunch in his sleep for the simple reason (and this is a truly novel idea) that he actually managed before and proved he could do it. The Marlins were better off raiding the Mets coaches in the minors, and that includes Gary Carter, than hiring yet another guy who learned oh so much from Joe Torre. There is something to be said for at least one year of coaching experience. Learning on the job gets you fired midway into the your second year of coaching, and with the young staff that the Marlins will have and the possible departure of Carlos Delgado, I'm not seeing Giradi's job as an easy one.

While on the topic of ex-Yankee coaches, I have no idea what Rick Down contributed to the horrifying offensive production that helped prevent the Mets from making the playoffs, but he needed to go. Willie had his chance to hand pick his guy and his goon (along with himself actually) failed to do a semblance of a good job. Sure he worked with the young guys, but I'm not sure I saw a big difference in their two most raw and young hitters in Victor Diaz and Jose Reyes. Both remained a bit too streaky and really seemed to under perform most of the time. While they are still really, really young, we all just did not see their approach improve as much as it should have. Maybe Mr. Down was giving tremendous advice that they were having trouble implementing, but whatever the reason, a healthy dose of Howard Johnson might help the kids become what we hope they can become. It might not help and another year of maturity and experience could help more, but I have not seen ex-Yankee coaches excel after leaving Joe Torre's crew. Can Omar and everyone else just do us all a favor and keep people from the Bronx in the Bronx? When will people learn? Being an ex Yankee in some form does not mean you are smarter than everyone else and it does not mean that 'mystique' will rub off.

* * *

You cannot make this stuff up.

Sessions, who turned 18 on Sept. 22, ran as a write-in candidate because he was too young to get on the ballot in the spring. The young politician used $700 from a summer job to fund his door-to-door campaign in Hillsdale, Mich., a town of about 9,000.

Unofficial results show that Sessions got 732 votes, compared with 668 for Mayor Doug Ingles, 51.

John Mayers, who provides the winter stats for Metsgeek.com, had this to say about the other day’s AFL game.

Mike Jacobs committed his 4th error of the season in last nights Pastora/Cardenales game. It was the third game in a row in which he committed an error. He has 1 hit in 4 AB's. his Avg now sits at .261.

Cause for concern? Maybe not, but it is something to chew on. I still say he looked passable at first last season.

The SI MLB Scorecard has been looking like the Mets scorecard every time it comes out. Is Omar earning his keep or what?

"I don't know what's going to happen there, but I can't wait for that," Minaya said of Ramirez. "I've got to move now. I've got a gigantic fishing net in the water. At the end of the day, I'm going to pull it up and see if there's anything in it. I want to move quickly on all the things we want to do. I can't afford to sit around and wait for people to come to me."

What's not to like about this guy? He is the perfect big market GM. He is not afraid to make a move. Take note Dan O'Brien you stand still punk.

Javier Vazquez wants to come back East, but I don't see him making too much sense for the Mets. He is only costing about eight million since the Yankees are footing some of the bill, but the only guy I'd like to see a Met in terms of starting pitching is AJ Burnett if Omar could make room for him. Below .500 record be damned, the guy has some of the nastiest stuff around. Other than that, Omar needs to stand still.

Just an aside, with the Yankees peddling Pavano after one year after they traded Vazquez after one year, who would actually go there?

The Yankees are looking at Brian Giles for center and according to his agent, he does not mind coming East. Note to Omar: Trade Cammy for prospects, sign Giles. Period end.

What true baseball fan does NOT like the rumor mill?

One AL executive told the Post on Wednesday that he heard the Mets' offer to Wagner could exceed $10 million annually for three years.

Nice. I have a very, very good feeling about this.

The Mets remain interested in Tampa 2B Julio Lugo and closer Danys Baez, another AL executive said, and the teams talked on Wednesday night. The Mets also like C Toby Hall and 1B Aubrey Huff, and had talks about a potential three-team deal with the Rangers and Devil Rays in which the Mets would get Adrian Gonzalez and Gerald Laird from Texas and send them to Tampa, though nothing is believed to be imminent.

Huh? What? Baez setting up for Wagner, Huff in right, A-Gone at first, Lugo at second...

Omar likes the newest Japanese import and is interested in Molina. But we all knew that.

Let's all laugh again....

The team has told other clubs it is willing to listen to offers for at least half its everyday lineup and has had conversations with at least two organizations that centered on first baseman Carlos Delgado, center fielder Juan Pierre and catcher Paul Lo Duca.,

Suck it Delgado...suck it. I honestly hope you stay in Florida and finish below the Mets for the rest of your contract.

The Mets are close to finalizing a minor-league deal for left-handed reliever Matt Perisho that would include an invitation to spring training. The 30-year-old has been with five teams since 1997.

I like it.

Bob likes Gary.

How's It Taste?

We have all made decisions in life that we end up regretting for a long time. Whether it was not taking that job you were offered, not ordering the Arch Deluxe more while it was still around at McDonalds, passing up Stephen Drew, or not finding out that hooker was actually a transsexual before you gave shim the cash, it happens to the best of us. However, I am taking a lot of enjoyment out of this certain situation.

From a recent SI scorecard, I found this tidbit pretty funny.

Yankees right-hander Carl Pavano and Marlins first baseman Carlos Delgado -- could be available.
-- Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Of course ESPN Insider had a bit information to the contrary the other day...

First Fish
Nov 3 - David Sloane, Carlos Delgado's agent, expects the first baseman to remain a Marlin and not be available to the Mets via trade, the New York Daily News reports. Sloane is relying on assurances from owner Jeffrey Loria to his client in September, and also cited Delgado's ability to demand a trade after one season if he is dealt.

Delgado, who selected the Marlins over the Mets last winter, will earn $13.5 million next season. That sum would jump by more than $1 million in 2006 if he is traded to the Mets because of a kicker in Delgado's contract that increases pay to account for New York's state income tax.

But it is all irrelevant. What's true, what's not...who cares? The fact is Carlos Delgado picked a team that he claimed was closer to winning it seems like they are in disarray and have virtually no shot to win next season in my opinion with that young staff and there are seeds of doubt in his mind.

"I want to be in Miami," Delgado said. "I want to be in Florida and have a chance to win. I don't know what's going on in their end. ... I was hoping I didn't have to deal with this and unfortunately I am. ... We like to have an idea what's going on. I'm getting married and going away for a while. The more I think about it, the more of a distraction it is. I'd like to know where I'm going for spring training."

Not to be outdone, super-agent David Sloane did not miss an opportunity to get into the fray.

"I said, 'Look, Larry, if you guys are going to field a team of Dontrelle (Willis), (Miguel) Cabrera and the seven dwarves, let us know if that's the case and that would obviously change our feelings,' " agent David Sloane said.

"Larry told me they had received a 'partial budget' from Jeffrey but he was not prepared to make any statement."

Sloane said he called Beinfest earlier in the day to ask about persistent rumors the team was trying to trade Delgado, who is owed $13.5 million in 2006.

"For weeks now we've been hearing all these rumors, and there's been really nothing done to counteract them. It really would not take a tremendous amount of effort to prevent this from happening," Sloane said.

At least the Marlins management is doing some damage control.

"No comment," said Beinfest, who was clearly caught off-guard by Delgado's decision to take his displeasure public. "No comment on specific players."

....and...

"We've got a business to run. We're not going to respond to every stunt an agent decides to pull off," Marlins Vice President P.J. Loyello said Wednesday.

That doesn't strike up much confidence that they are going to keep him or at the very least, not shopping him. They are sending a good message to big stars they may attempt to sign in the future too.

I hope he rots in the basement with whatever team he is on for the rest of his career. Of course he'll have about 12,000,000 things a year that will console him, but at least he won't have all those things and a World Series ring. He is due 13.5M in 2006, 14.4M in 2007, and 16M in 2008, and a team option for 2009 worth 12M or a 4M buyout. Raise your hand if you think the Marlins can afford that without their new stadium and fill other needs that will arise. No one? Not one of you?

For fun, let's rewind back to January 26th, 2005.

"I feel Florida offers me a real opportunity to win a championship, which is what I'm looking for at this stage of my career," Delgado told a Puerto Rican newspaper, El Vocero. "This is a very talented team, very aggressive at the plate. They have a good combination of speed and power."

...and...

"From day one, we have told everyone that Carlos would make his choice based on where he felt he had the best chance to win a World Series," wrote his agent, David Sloane, in an e-mail. "I'm proud to say that is exactly why he made the choice he made."

To recap, the Mets finished tied with the Marlins in wins and six games out of the playoffs without Carlos Delgado and getting a terrible performance of historical proportions out of first base. I wonder if he wants a mulligan?

Oh, and If you were wondering, I am slightly bitter. To me, he was the difference between the Mets slipping in the playoffs and not making it. You can shove your win shares and tell me he would have equaled three wins or whatever, but that is what I feel in my bones. Delgado on the Mets = 2005 trip to the playoffs because he makes the people hitting in front of him better and is on a lot for the guys behind him.

* * *

Like I said before, the entire World Cup of Baseball is a great idea if they do it right and get all the best players. Well, it turns out, it can't be done right. The pitchers are on a 75 pitch pitch count at least get to finish the batter if they hit that ceiling, which is really surprising giving all the paranoia. Also, Mike Piazza, Frank Catalonotto, and Doug Mirabelli are playing for Italy, which is strange, since they were all born here. I understand the team they would be putting on the field could not compete with high A-ball All-Stars, but it just does not taste right. I wonder if I get on the Italian team since I'm sure they are looking for some able bodies that have Italian descent.

The jittery GMs are worried about their prized horses getting injured in something that is insignificant to them.

GMs were told that the regular-season salaries of all players injured in the WBC will be covered by insurance. "But that won't replace my asset," one GM said.

But Omar is on board.

"We support it," Mets GM Omar Minaya said. "We all want to grow the game. The pressure to play, for some guys, like Petey, is very strong [and is] coming from their home countries. When the president of your country wants you to play, that's pretty strong."

If you are not doing it right, don't do it. Imagine Pedro is in the championship game pitching against the US and has to be pulled after the sixth at 75 pitches of a 2-0 game with the DR winning only to see the US team pull it out after a five run seventh? People got pissed about the All-Star game tie and this is much, much, much more important. More important in theory at least, but get ready for more crappy exhibition games. It seems like to me the most interesting thing about this is going see the ridiculous teams that will be assembled and seeing some ridiculous stars on the same team without having to see Yankee fans voting in their undeserving players.

Spring cleaning came a bit early. I cleared out any links from Mets blogs that have not been updated since the summer. Some hurt to take off like the Shea Hot Corner and Simply Amazins, but some did not hurt at all and those shall remain unnamed. Some where only there as a shrine to past glory like Sabermets, but the author has moved on while the extra links were making my OCD work overtime.

If you are still actually doing one and I deleted it, email me and I'll be more than glad to add it back.

The White Sox laid it out for four years and $52 million for Konerko, but he is expected to see what free agency has to offer. This is one guy there has not been much connection between in terms of the Mets and I think it should be that way.

Soriano, Ramirez, Lugo, Baez, Wagner, Burnett, Delgado, the Pope, Old Mother Hubbard, that guy you saw at Starbucks the other day, and Huff.....Ben Shpigel has it covered.

Delgado is NOT coming here. The Marlins are not helping out the Mets by making them the one of the best teams in the NL.

Billy is ticked. Want to get back at the Phillies? Sign with the Mets.

Athletics general manager Billy Beane is gauging the market for ace Barry Zito.

Before anyone thinks this makes sense for the Mets, it really doesn't. It would cost too many prospects to fill a void that is not there.

While SportsNet NY made it official yesterday that Gary Cohen is the new TV voice of the Mets, sources have told The Post that Fran Healy will not be part of Met broadcasts any longer and will remain at MSG Network.

Let that soak in...ok, one more time.

sources have told The Post that Fran Healy will not be part of Met broadcasts any longer

Music to my ears.....but one more time for posterity.

sources have told The Post that Fran Healy will not be part of Met broadcasts any longer

Alright, one more.

sources have told The Post that Fran Healy will not be part of Met broadcasts any longer

Ding dong the witch is dead. Just when you thought life could not get better...

Furcal to play center for the Yankees? Nothing is out the question at this point. He could end up being the most coveted guy just because he is available for three positions. He is licking his chops and it is clear now, the Mets will pay through the nose to get this guy.

Also from the above link:

The Rangers are interested in trading for Padres right-hander Adam Eaton, who is a free agent after next season, and the Padres like Rangers center fielder Laynce Nix and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. The Rangers asked for first baseman Xavier Nady in a larger deal, but the Padres balked at the Rangers' attempts to include Soriano.

Eaton for A-Gone? Can't the Mets work something like that out?

More on Johjima

Thanks to Benny for pointing out this awesome read. It just gives you another perspective outside of the negative ones you have probably been reading around the net. I am still intrigued by this guy (and one of the few aparently) who does not look like he is breaking the bank in any way and will cost significantly less than Ramon Hernandez with a chance to be better than him as well.

Maybe, just maybe, if Kazuo is still around it helps him out also.

Que?

One of the burning questions this off season is should Mike Jacobs be given the opportunity at first base or should the Mets take a stab at Paul Konerko or make a trade to fill the void. People that should be smarter than me have attacked this question....

But the Mets still must wonder, why was he at 24 years old playing at Class AA Binghamton, hardly the place for a top prospect? In a trade market that could include Lyle Overbay or Sean Casey, do the Mets keep the faith in Jacobs?

I like Steve Popper, but what the hell is he saying right now? (Bear with me...I have not read anything related to the Mets outside of Metsgeek.com and Metstradamus in about a month and a half so you may see outdated links.....)

Overall, it's a good read, but why would the Mets be wondering why Jacobs is 24 and playing in AA? That's like punching yourself in the face and asking why you have a black and blue eye ten minutes later. The answer of course to both questions because you put him/it there. Jacbos killed AA at 22, which is about right for a guy who may not be considered a tremendous can't miss prospect. 22 in AA is a very logical progression and he is still at the right age. At 23 he got injured and was inexplicably demoted at 24 despite not being given a chance to fail at AAA. So, after ripping up AA yet again, he failed to get a promotion to AAA again! He did of course excel on the big stage, though he was almost not given the chance too.

The basic argument with him is that the Mets would be taking on a considerable risk by placing an unknown quantity at first when they need to add some more relative knowns to the equation. With the need for offense, they cannot have one more underperforming offensive player on the field. However, at what point does your track record dictate that you are somewhat of a more known quantity? How many countless other top prospects has he outperformed in his last two full seasons of baseball? When a player gets tabbed as a guy without a position, it is the kiss of death when it comes to your prospect status. You are automatically tabbed for the bench in the future much like Victor Diaz is. However, if a guy as touted Lastings Millege put up the numbers that Jacobs put up at AA in 2003 and 2005, he would be given the RF job next season if the Mets could move Cameron. However, for some reason, it is perceived that Jacobs is still an unknown quantity.

I am not naive enough to say that he does not present any risk, but I do think he is much less of a risk offensively than many people peg him. His glove seems to be slightly below average, but he is no Mike Piazza at first either and has not exactly worked exclusively there. With the current options via free agency and trade and when you compound that with dollar figures and the team's other voids, Mike Jacobs actually seems like a logical choice at this point. Let us not forget that Brett Harper could represent some sort of an option later in the year for a possible platoon or should Jacobs fall on his face and assist whatever veteran presence they get as an insurance policy for Jacobs should they choose to go in that direction. We know the Mets and their reluctance to trust young guys, but you do not win championships by not taking risks and this is a risk that seems a bit more calculated and less risky than others. Besides, if Wright, Reyes, Heilman, and Seo have taught the Mets anything this year, it is that older is not always better.

* * *

Remember what I said about outdated links?

What's with NBC breaking in during my second favorite show The Office with Chuck Scarborough's ugly face (sorry to any relatives reading this) just to tell me what I already knew in that John Corizine was going win? There are not many things in this world that please me and interrupting once of those things makes Michael a dull boy....and that is never good.

No whammy, no whammy, no whammy....NO WHAMMY!!! At least one spot is gone that Fran Healy can not occupy. Much to Met fans delight and some people's dismay that he'll be off the radio, Gary Cohen will be calling the games for the new Mets network. The Mets are also looking at Al Leiter, Keith Hernandez, and David Cone in what could be the foundation to a very, very solid broadcaster corps. Just please, no Fran Healy. If you want credibility in any fashion, you must stay away from him.

The Mets are not surprisingly interested in every free agent closer out there. I think they'll fill this void adequately enough for a playoff push next year, I am not sweating it at all despite the rumors of the Phillies desire to retain Wagner's services. They'll get someone worlds better than Looper and isn't that all that matters?

Also mentioned on the article is the Mets interest in every free agent catcher. At least they are being thorough.

The Mets remain intrigued by Kenji Jojima and I must admit, I am too. I know people do not want to touch him with a ten foot pole, but if the guy has been taking English lessons as published and plays excellent defense (I know Kaz was supposed to as well), then can he really be worse than other guys out there? I understand the need for communication as a catcher with the rest of the team, but it is not entirely impossible for him to get a good grasp on the English language and I'm sure that had crossed his mind at some point. I'm sure the guy is intelligent enough to understand he needs to be able to speak English, very, very well and we are not the only ones to think of this revelation as casual fans.

Cam's agent on Cammy:

"He hasn't expressed any displeasure with playing right field," the agent said. "It wasn't even a topic that was discussed."

I think he knows what we all know. He won't be in Shea come opening day. The Mets just have too many other needs.

The yearly courting of Alfonso Soriano is here again. On top of that, similar trades as suggested by many of us will get it done and you better believe neither Milledge nor Petit will be heading their way as when Hart was trying to rip the Mets off at the trade deadline last season. Chalk this idiot up as the dumbest GM now that Chuck LaMar is gone because he could have been saving some money and helping his team as it was dying in the playoff race last season with half a rotation and a prospect or two.

Manny wants out, but we already knew that.

"He has made it clear that he would like us to consider a trade," Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox' president and chief executive, said yesterday.

Pudge for Kaz? That I would have to think long and hard about.

The Mets are looking for a catcher and could turn to Rodriguez if they fail to sign Bengie Molina or Ramon Hernandez as a free agent. The Tigers would ask for pitching in return or, perhaps, for infielder Kazuo Matsui, who would help them reshuffle their infield should Brandon Inge return to catcher. Matsui's $8 million salary in 2006 also would approach the $10 million Rodriguez is scheduled to receive in 2006.

Yes, yes, I know about Pudge's offensive disappearance now that he is off steroids and the fact that he walked less than Jose Reyes, but color me intrigued. Is intrigued a color? He was never a big walker and still hit 14 homers in the spacious Comerica Park (though he hit better at home) and has 33 steals against vs. 35 caught steals for a tidy .515%. If it gets rid of Kaz's salary, who cares? He's on the books for 2007 as well, but unless you like Vance Wilson, the choices for what catchers are available next free agent period are not quite exciting.

Is Plan B, better than Plan A?

Tough call, financially, yes. Danys Baez and Aubrey Huff, who played the majority of his games in right field last season, would cost a tick more than Wagner's salary alone freeing up cash for the Mets to upgrade in other areas and possibly even bring in Soriano if they can pull the trade for Pudge. That's a mouthful, but interesting nonetheless.

Other people do this, so why can't I?

Reyes
Beltran
Wright
Huff
Soriano
Floyd
Jacobs
Pudge

My fantasy lineup from fantasy land certainly looks good enough.

Kris Benson and Steve Trachsel are for sale. Why would Steve agree to go now that he is a 10-5 guy?

"Steve, our apologies, but circumstances being when you got injured we were forced to go in another direction and we decided to stick with youth. We would love to retain your services out of the bullpen, but we can also offer you a chance to start with another team because we do respect you enough to give you you that opportunity."

Classy? Maybe not, but aren't they trying to win games?

It has been brought to my attention that the delightful pictures over the past few days are offensive to some of the loyal readers out there, specifically one person and her boyfriend.

If you want to be taken seriously as a sports blogger then get rid of the 13 year old humor and nekkid women pix.

First off, the last thing I'm trying to do is be taken seriously. Secondly, I do this for fun and no other reason. If I wanted to be serious, not swear, or post pictures, I’d write exclusively on Metsgeek.com, which I also thoroughly enjoy despite having no time to do it.

There are plenty of people who blog about the Mets that manage to do so without being a pig.

Probably, but are they really as fun? But I also would not classify myself as a pig either. Then she goes on to call me moronic and whatnot, but the fact is, I think most of us here do not take things too seriously. If anyone was offended, then you probably get offended way to easily and probably have not appreciated my dedication to the Brazilian volleyball team.

So, the bottom line is, if you were offended by pictures of women that are covered up and not in fact 'nekkid', then I can’t help you and you should probably not let small things like this get to you. If you don’t want to read my site, then you are free not too, but nothing is going to change here until someone wants to pay me. Any offers?

In A Heartbeat....

Sign me up if it means Manny as a Met.

The centerpiece of the deal, coming from the Mets’ side, would be center fielder Mike Cameron and two of the following three prospects: outfielder Lastings Milledge and right-handers Aaron Heilman and Yusmeiro Petit.

Keep Lastings, trade the rest. You have to give up something to get something and as good as I think Heilman can be out of the pen, Soler getting into the states, Bartolome Fortunato being healthy, and a relatively solid relief free agency crop means the Mets should jump at this if in fact the parts are true, which there are conflicting reports on whether the Red Sox even want to move Manny. Of course, I would wait until the deal for a solid closer is done because if the Mets cannot upgrade their pen, then they need to keep every bullpen arm they have or else offense will not matter. I believe they can upgrade the offense a number of other ways, though not as massively as Manny.

Would Manny on the Mets be a bad thing? After all, his Manny being Manny routine is something that may wear thing on a struggling team if they do not do well, but wasn't that the same billing Pedro had? He was an eccentric guy that would wear thin on the Mets and their fans? I do know that Pedro is a competitor as is Manny. It is quite conceivable that both had grown tired with their old surroundings and town and a new challenge like taking the city back from the Yankees and bringing the Mets to the top could be something that drives these two for their time with the Mets. I'm not worried about Manny being Manny if he comes here and I would welcome the best offensive player that ever stepped on the field in a Mets uniform in a heartbeat. Manny could be the missing link to the Mets taking the division after the bullpen situation is more settled and the early rumblings have been positive in terms of the Mets courting Wagner. Another interesting off season for Minaya and the Mets is upon us.

* * *

Cameron wants to play center and I have no doubt he will before Spring Training ends. It is in the Mets best interest to find a home for him and slugger for the outfield.

A sad day for baseball is upon us. The Pirates are not for sale.

"I haven't seen the story, but, obviously, it's out there,'' McClatchy said Monday. "We sort of went through this dance in July, with the reports about Cuban buying the Pirates. What I said in July is the same as today. The team is not for sale, and I think (Cuban) confirmed that. Nothing has changed."

Perhaps no one benefited more from the internet boom than Mark Cuban and his desire to buy a baseball team was rather well known. He was an owner that could have taken on Steinbrenner head on for the national headlines and would have injected life into a franchise that is in horrible shape. Maybe Frank McCourt will admit he has no idea how to run a baseball team and sell his team to Cuban.

The Pirates are "a franchise that needs a hands-on owner at this point," he said. "McClatchy, he's just kind of never really put them in the right direction."

I think she dropped her contact or something....

NEW GAME!!! Name that person's ass. I'll try and keep this as regulary occuring as possible and there are no prizes per se, but you'll feel better about yourself.

Power Outage

Hello. As a peace offering of my aloofness, I offer you this SuFi-licious picture of a young lady. If you don't know what SuFi means, I cannot help you and may already be too far gone to help.



In between nearly getting arrested and trying to date porn stars, I found some time to look at something that has been bugging a lot of Met fans and really has not concerned me as much. Yes, Lastings has found a bit of his power stroke lately in the Arizona Fall League and his time with Team USA and hit seven homers in 124 at-bats, but we are going to throw that out the window for now. Lastings has been such a highly touted prospect and has been moving pretty fast for a kid who is still just 20 years old and unable to actually drink legally that fans sometimes forget that things take time. Milledge, who will not turn 21 until April 5th, 2006, has had a very solid first full two years in pro ball and has not disappointed many.

Sure, he has some knocks on his game like the inability to draw many walks, which he has improved on slightly, his erratic baserunning, which does take time to learn how to use your speed, and for some, his lack of power, which does take time to develop as the body fills out. To put things a bit more in perspective, I took some of today's better outfielders and a few of various ilks to draw a comparison between Lastings and the rest. I compared him too Carlos Beltran, Bobby Abreu, Mike Cameron, Brian Giles, and Carlos Lee. We are strictly talking about power here and not plate discipline, the ability to hit for average, etc. If Lastings turns out to have the pop that any of these players have and Mike Cameron being the low end, it is fair to say that no one will be disappointed with Milledge especially since his offensive upside is bigger all around than Cameron's was, but once again, we are just focusing on the power.

Player   Age Level(s)      Year  AB  2B AB/2B HR AB/HR
Lastings: 19 Low A/High A  2004  342 28  12.2 15  22.8
          20 High A/AA     2005  425 32  13.3 8   53.1
                           total 767 60  12.8 23  33.4

Beltran:  19 Low A         1996  257 10  25.7  7  36.7
          20 High A        1997  419 15  27.9 11  38.1
                           total 676 25  27.0 18  37.6

Abreu:    19 High A        1993  474 21  22.6  5  94.8
          20 AA            1994  400 25  16.0 16  25.0
                           total 874 46  19.0 21  41.2

Cameron:  19 Short A/Low A 1992  201  9  22.3  3  67.0
          20 Low A         1993  411 14  29.4  0   n/a
                           total 612 23  26.6  3   204

Giles:    19 Short A       1990  246 15  16.4  1   246
          20 High A        1991  394 14  28.1  4  98.5
                           total 640 29  22.1  5   128

Lee:      19 Appy/Low A    1995  487 26  18.7 11  44.3
          20 Low A         1996  480 23  20.9  8  60.0
                           total 967 49  19.7 19  50.9

These guys were chose at random along with two other players who I got rid of. I did omit Vald Guerrero who was initially on it because it seems unfair to compare him to a future Hall of Famer and Jose Guillen, who developed his power uncharacteristically at an early age. However all the rest were chose at random as some of the better players of today. What really struck me was the fact that in his 19 and 20 year old seasons, Lastings showed more homerun pop and more double pop than any of the players that made the final cut of the list. Yes, I could go through countless more players that outperformed him and make another example of why we should be scared, but when you take out no glove all pop outfielders, you find a similar trend amongst the remaining guys. Power does develop later and Milledge, although disappointing in terms of his homerun swing so far, is not too far off where many, many players were at his age and that includes some of the game’s best.

When you take kids and their developing physiques and throw them into pro ball with lofty expectations you often lose sight of the fact that things take time. We all want Petit, Milledge, Reyes, and Wright to be on the Mets at some point this year, but it is just more complicated than that. If you take a look at what Lastings has done in a measly two years in pro ball and look at the tools and the upside that he has, there is no reason to thing that the Mets have something very special given the time to develop. The fact that he is right there with so many of today's stars tells me that if Omar is going to make a move this off season and use Lastings as a trading chip, it better be for no one less than a true impact player and one of the top players in the league who will be on the Mets and contributing for a while. Milledge will hit plenty of homers in his future. It is just a question of when they will start coming and as we have seen in the AZF and Team USA, it could be happening sooner rather than later.