Drafty, Draft, Draft. I Like The Draft: Part Dos / Fuck Yeah: Pedro Edition

I was praying for a little Eric Hosmer (#4 on K Law's list), but it appears as if the Royals are fed up with being losers and have decided that they are undeterred by the potential price tag of Hosmer. And methinks that if they go after him that early, they will have a pretty good idea if they can afford him.

I was also feeling greedy and was hoping that Gerrit Cole (#10 on K Law's list) would fall as well due to signability concerns and Mets would nab him at 22, but I have backed off of that desire and would prefer they pass on him if he is on the board and wait until 33 to see if he really falls. I like the arm, but there have been mixed reports on him and while his upside is sky high, he is far from a sure thing and there stands to be some pretty good talent on the board that I would rather see get drafted first.

There are few guys that have had the Mets associated with them for either the fact they are actually a good fit or there is legitimate interested in them. If there is no Yonder Alonso (#14 on K Law's list) falling down in the draft or Justin Smoak (#3 on K Law's list), then Brett Lawrie (#52 on K Law's list) is the guy I want at 18. The Mets could gamble and wait until 22 if they really, really want Castro and he is still on the board, but Lawrie reminds me a lot of Jay Bruce.

He is a very good high school bat who just keeps impressing and is hot riser close to the draft. According to MILB.com, he has plus, plus raw power and a he is recognized to have tremendous upside with the bat. He may drop a bit due to concerns about where he play, but that may be the break the Mets need to pick him and he will not be a guy that will cause them upset the commish with some outrageous contract.

For the Mets second pick, I am sure a lot of people may be down with Jason Castro (#20 on K Law's list), but I am bit unsure about that one. I would go Ike Davis here (#46 on K Law's list) because I believe in the bat more and any catcher would take longer to hit the bigs than a position player. It is not that I dislike Castro, but Jason is no stud behind the plate and if he has to move, his bat simply will not play as well as a guy like Davis'. Also, Ryan Babineau will be available in the later rounds as a guy who could really be the Schneider-esque backstop Omar likes so much and might be a better fit than Castro if the Mets can get some big time bats with their first two picks.

For the third pick, I am down with a gambling pick on an arm. Brett Hunter and Gerrit Cole would play perfectly here and it not unfathomable that one of them would be available here and would be a solid, solid pick. If Ike Davis is gone or the Mets choose to go with Jason Castro at 22 (or 18 for that matter and pass up on Ike Davis altogether), Allan Dykstra (#60 on K Law's list) would be a solid pick at 33.

A popular pick here would be Cutter Dykstra (out of the top 75 on K Law's list), but he would be a bit of an overdraft here to say the least. I would not mind him with a later pick if he is still around and having him shift to second, but the novelty of having a Lenny's son as a Met might be clouding my vision a bit.

As always, things change on draft day and it is impossible to predict who will be around at 18 much less 33. However, outside of the standard studs that we all know would be a gift at 18, I would love to see Brett Wallace (#9 on K Law's list) fall to the Mets because he can flat out rake. He is Ike Davis' teammate and the best hitter on the team which is pretty impressive because Davis can rake pretty well himself.

As for the 33rd pick, I would take Andrew Cashner if he fell, which I do not expect to happen. I just see too much offensive ability being available at 18 and 22 and I have become allergic to college relievers and even ones that that throw in the high 90s and look dominating (thank you Craig Hansen). I would also take Reese Havens at 33 if he falls out of the first round as a Dustin Pedoria type with a little bit more pop.

The reality is after all of my whining about the Mets needing to go over slot, they might not have to nor might they have the opportunity to. Just because a guy like Cole might be on the board at 18 or 22, does not mean he is the best investment. However, at 33 he would be a good risk to take on. I think the Mets should focus on offense unless a stud arm that falls in their lap with less questions because there could be some absolute mashers on the board.

* * *

Pedro Martinez may not have struck out ten or threw a shut out, but for the love of Evangeline Lilly and all that is holy that was an amazing performance. Pedro was hitting 90 mph for most of the game and owned some pretty impressive secondary pitches. The party pooper might point out that the Giants have the 14th best offense in the NL, but to you I say may you be banished to a life in which you can only watch Yankee games and hear Michael Kay refer to Derek Jeter as Captain Jetes.

“It’s not over until the season is over,” Martinez said afterward. “But I would say I feel really, really good and really confident that I’m going to be healthy this time for a little while. So I’m going to pray to God that I stay that way and I just continue to do what I did today, give the team an opportunity to win and be here with the team especially – be here with the team. Have my presence out there every five days.”

What is even more impressive that since September 16th of 2005, he only threw 109 or more pitches once on June 22nd of 2006. I know it was not his arm that kept him on the sideline this time, but there were positives here and it was a good moment for the Mets. At least for a day, the Mets were a feel good story both for the fans and for the team.

It was a big shock to all of us," Ryan Church said. "Now it's a big shot in the arm for us that he's back. Everything he does, he just makes it fun and keeps everybody loose."

I am tempering my excitement right now in regards to the state of the Mets, but things do not feel as dreary as they did a week or so ago.

* * *

Willie quotes...

"I'm not worried at all," Schneider said. "It's not something I've ever thought about. ... I knew there was a chance coming in that I wouldn't get to play as consistently as I have in the past. Before anything like that happens I'm sure Willie will come talk about it."

One thing good about Willie is that he will sit his guys down and let them know what is happening like he did with Green last season. However, the only caveat here is that it is most likely a vet because rooks haven't earned the right, but that is another story.

"He's got to finish the year out," the Mets' manager said. "It's too early to say he's not going to have the year he had last year."

I think it is good that said that publicly, but I hope he is sitting down with Perez behind closed doors and really digging into it. Also, Willie issued a conflicting statement that did not instill much confidence.

Randolph described Oliver Perez's start Monday as both "horrible" and "terrible" but took it one step further when he did not completely dismiss a reporter's question about moving the lefthander to the bullpen. "We haven't got to that point yet," Randolph said

Barry Zito is a disaster. A big time disaster. Barry costs a lot of money and is giving them an ERA+ of 72. Last year he gave in a Glavine-esque 98 ERA+. If he can get back into the 113 / 116 range he was in during his last two years in San Francisco this thing will not look like the worst contract in the history of baseball, but it does not look promising for him. He never topped 4.48 in terms of ERA in the AL and posted a 4.53 in 2007 and has a 5.87 in 2008 so far.

Pop! Goes the Hamstring

How about this tidbit?

Santana is followed tonight by New York's former No. 1, Pedro Martinez, who is coming off of an abbreviated season in which he threw just 28 innings after coming back from shoulder surgery. The Marlins will therefore be facing, in back-to-back starts, arguably the best left-handed changeup and best right-handed changeups around. Martinez has used his change to strike out 10.2 per nine for his career, the third-highest rate of all pitchers in history (minimum 1000 IP), while Santana has relied on his for 9.5 K/9, the fifth-best rate all time.

That is my impressive my friends. Mighty impressive. Of course, things are not all that great right now as Pedro is all gimped up. While that is not good, let us not go too crazy about his injury and one rough start. Yes, it would have been really nice if he came out and smoked people, but he had a bad game and it just so happens it was his first start which was compounded by an injury.

The inevitable legions of negative nellies will get in line to suggest the sky is falling, but it is not. Things will be copacetic folks and you need to keep your heads up. This team is good enough to survive without him, but methinks he will give us what we expected this year and I think he will be very effective. Even if he goes on the DL, he can come back healthy and still give us what we all expected. 150 to 180 innings of solid well above average pitching. While he is gone, things should work out.

The Mets could revert to a four-man rotation for now, not needing a fifth starter until April 12 – two days before Orlando Hernandez is eligible to return from the disabled list. And if Hernandez isn't ready then the options become the likes of converted relievers, Nelson Figueroa or Brian Stokes, or starter Tony Armas Jr, a late arrival in camp due to visa issues.

Losing Pedro is always a big problem, but this is not going to have a major impact this on team just yet.

* * *

Mr. Billy Wags likes Heilman. I do too. He would be a welcome as the future closer of my favorite team.

Churchy may hate Jewish people, but he is no platoon player. Why must I keep repeating myself?

It looks like Rocco Baldelli will be a free agent after this season.

The Duque news...

Orlando Hernandez, who will miss at least two starts while on the disabled list, expects to start high-A St. Lucie's Florida State League opener Thursday against Vero Beach. El Duque (bunion) has been working out with the Mets at Dolphin Stadium. He ran in the outfield the past two days, and threw in the bullpen Monday.
"Every time it's better," Hernandez said.

Also from the above link...

Randolph said he could foresee Aaron Heilman as the Mets' closer some day, but not in the rotation. "Not with us," the manager said. ". . . He's going to be a free agent some day. Who knows?" Heilman is under the Mets' control through 2010.

Why so dismissive?

Perez vs. Miller should be fun pitching match-up to watch.

Misguided and Uninformed

The other day I tossed out there that Johan Santana was the best left-hander of our generation. Of course, I was being a tad overzealous there as Ossy had pointed out to me. Without actually looking at the facts, I mistakenly rushed to judgment and insisted I was right despite not actually having any sort of evidence to support my outlandish claim. And yes, it was outlandish. We could debate what exactly is our 'generation', but I am for the most part speaking of 1990 and after. 1994 and after if you really need some type of event to use as a starting point.

Randy Johnson is a strange character in many ways. Looks, attitude, etc. However, one thing in particular is simply the age that he came into his own. Part of the reason I blindly chose Johan is because he started being effective at such a younger age, but who cares when Randy started dominating? In 1993 at 29, Randy ran off a string of seasons with an ERA+ of 136, 154, 192, 135, 196, 135, 186, 181, 188, 197, 110, and 177. His 1999 season featured 271.7 innings pitched while allowing 207 hits, striking out 364 batters, and laying a 2.48 ERA and 1.02 WHIP down. For good measure he racked up twelve complete games. In fact, it could argued that Randy put up six seasons better than Johan's best season and another comparable to his best at age 40.

Since 2004, Johan has been a full time starter. If you take Randy's best four year period and stack them up side by side, they look pretty good on paper.

     Randy   Johan
G      140     134
CG      31       6
SHO     11       4
IN    1030   912.1
HR      98     103
ERA   2.48    2.89
K/9  12.38    9.70
K/BB  4.92    4.96
H/9   6.88    6.95
BB/9  2.52    1.95

Those those four years look comparable. However, Randy Johnson put up an ERA+ of 186, 181, 188, and 197 during that span against Johan's 182, 155, 161, and 130. Both are spectacular pitchers, but Randy gets the edge there. Randy has been so good for so long that Johan's accomplishments pale in comparison. Of course Johan has plenty of time to change our minds and pile up some numbers, but right here right now, Randy Johnson is the best left handed pitcher of our time and has been insanely good.

That being said, there have been two guys better than Randy Johnson and it is not all that close for me. While Randy's best season of ERA+ stands 37th on the all time list, Pedro checks in at 32, 27, 18, 9, and 2. Pedro's #2 season is really #1 of all-time as Tim Keefe, who occupies the #1 spot, did it in 1880 in slightly over 100 innings. In 2000 when Pedro dropped that incredible season that might be the best of all-time, he put up the 2nd best ERA+ with 291. He tossed out a 0.74 WHIP, 1.74 ERA, and tossed four shut outs in the AL East in a hitter's park. From 1997 to 2003, Pedro had arguably the best run of any pitcher of all-time and had a stretch of ERA+ of 291, 163, 243, 291, 189, 202, and 210.

A close second behind Pedro is Greg Maddux who put up two of the top five seasons of ERA+ in back to back seasons with 271 and 262 in 1994 and 1995. During those two seasons he posted ridiculous K/BB of 5.03 and 7.87. In fact in 1995, the entire league hit .197/.224/.258 against him. What is interesting about that is he was better at the plate than the rest of the league against him with a .222/.234/.254 line. I shit you not. From 1992 to 1998, Maddux had an ERA+ of 166, 171, 271, 262, 162, 189, and 197.

Those guys were pretty good outside of their peak seasons as well and are truly three of the best pitchers we have ever seen. While Johan is not really in the discussion when it comes to matching up with those guys at their peak, he still has time. Greg Maddux was 28 in 1994, Pedro was 28 in 2000, and we know how old Randy was when broke into pitching's elite. Johan could be in the right place at the right time to start his own historic run and put up some ridiculously gaudy numbers up in Queens. Hopefully he does break into the conversation of who is the best of our generation so I will be more prophetic than just misguided.

* * *

This is an oldie but a goodie. Go to Google and type 'find chuck norris' and then hit 'I'm Feeling Lucky'.

The real story on who was in and who was out in regards to the Johan Santana trade scenarios. This one actually makes sense as opposed to the other ridiculousness bandied about.

The Tigers bought out Curtis Granderson's arbitration years and tacked on a few more. Personally, I would have waited until after the 2008 season. His .203/.266/.368 line in 291 at-bats against lefties over the last three years is ugly. However, that looks sparkling compared to his .160/.225/.269 line last year against lefties.

I am not saying that would give me pause to do this contract, but I want to be damn sure his numbers against righties are legit. He really needs to be great against righties to accept an OPS+ of 52 against lefties for his career and an OPS+ of 11 in 2007. I mean, that has to be the worst out of any starter, right?

Mary Noble had a tidbit that is likely to rain on the El Duque to the bullpen parade.

I can't disagree with your thinking, though I can't embrace your solution. Livan wouldn't come cheap, and he might not come at all with the chance to pitch regularly hardly assured. I like the idea of El Duque in the 'pen, but when I brought it up to one of the Mets' people on Saturday night, the response was, "El Duque was our best pitcher last year." And he was.

It seems as though the rotation is set at this point despite what Omar says.

Looking Good....Feeling Good

The big news in Met-land is Pedro. If you are going to tell me I am a bit late on that one, I would agree with you, but I would be remiss not to discuss the triumphant return of our fearless leader. He started off the game with an 82 mph and gave up two runs in the first inning. It certainly did not seem like a storybook game was going to take place, but Pedro settled down and put forth one encouraging start.

"If I'm sitting in [the Mets'] dugout, I'm more than pleased with what I saw today," Brantley said. "His changeup was around 74-75 mph, but he had six pitches that were 88-89. I can tell you right now, if Pedro can throw 88-89, he's going to be highly competitive for the times that he goes out there."

He then struck out Aaron Harang in the second inning for his 3,000th strikeout and cruised through the rest of the game without command or feel of his curveball. With Pedro limited to 75 pitches, it was going to be difficult for him to win a game in which he was expected to be rusty, but he did. He went five innings and got the win and everyone rightfully has reason to be really excited and Jeff Brantley is 100% on point.

The Mets are fielding an excellent rotation right now when you include The Duque and things are finally settling in. He still has a ways to go as do the Mets, but these are certainly positive signs and certainly something that should energize a Met team that has been all to lethargic at times. In the midst of a season in which the Mets were sometimes too complacent, Pedro could serve as a shining example of why you simply can never get complacent no matter how far in first you are or how much better than the other team you think you are.

"I had to just think about some of the people who never stood a chance, who never had the opportunity [to come back]," Martinez said. "I see my family and all the people who have hope that I'm going to come back and have me as a role model ...

"A lot of people don't understand. The better you are, the bigger your responsibility is."

The Mets are on pace for 91 wins and have the fourth best overall record in the Major Leagues. They are 28-25 within the NL East for a .528 winning %, 17-18 against the NL West for a .486 winning %, 8-7 against the AL for .533 winning % and 25-11 against the NL central for a .694 winning %. Obviously they have been feasting against the Central and thankfully so. Against everyone not in the NL Central, they own a .515 winning # in 103 games.

Is that cause for concern? It probably is since they really failed to excel in what was a weak National League this year. Overall, the Mets have only been firing on all cylinders for a few weeks at a time. Every time they look like they are going to run away with it or are in a commanding position, they seem to fall back down to earth.

Of course they look comfortable right now, but we have been here before haven't we? Twenty three games and five games out is seemingly insurmountable as long as the Mets play above .500 ball, but I am reluctant to declare anything at this point.

* * *

Amy K. Nelsom from ESPN wrote a nice piece on Pedro.

The Duque is going to miss his start this week and there is certainly no need to push him. Mike Pelfrey earned himself another start for the first time all year and we shall see if he can build off of his extremely encouraging performance. Also, going against Houston in Queens should certainly helps things a bit. But needless to say, if he can build upon that performance he could certainly be a force out of the bullpen for the Mets down the stretch with the ability to locate his fastball better, his improved slider, and the balls to attack hitters.

Wright's MVP candacy is gaining momentum daily.

Jose Reyes seemed to be anointed early as the Mets' designated MVP candidate. But we think Wright has passed his favorite shortstop, with a season that gets better as it rolls along. Sheez, this man has a .477 on-base percentage (best in the big leagues) and .366 batting average since the All-Star break, with 44 runs scored (second only to Jimmy Rollins) and a .593 slugging percentage (better than A-Rod, Magglio or Prince Fielder). Wright also has a shot to be a 30-homer, 30-steal, 100-run, 100-RBI, .300-hitting on-base machine. And Baseball Prospectus ranks him atop every player on an NL contender (and behind only Hanley Ramirez) in VORP. So as much fun as Reyes can be on any given trip around the bases, it's the guy playing next to him who is really the Mets' MVP.

Utley's name has been the sexy name the last few months despite the time spent on the disabled list, but the same thing that perhaps hampered Beltran last year will play a role in Wright getting it this year. With Howard and Rollins set to get a good number of votes, they could actually steal some from Utley. In fact, Reyes' recent struggles down the stretch after such a great start actually put the focus on Wright as the MVP of this Met team and perhaps the entire league. It sure does not hurt to play in New York City and man the hot corner while batting third as well.

From Rob Neyer:

As David O'Brien notes today, in their last 250 games, the Braves are 122-128. And while they've played pretty well this season, it's worth noting that their best pitcher is 40 and their best hitter is 35. Well, I suppose their best hitter is actually Mark Teixeira, who's only 27. But you look at this team, about to lose their best fielder to free agency, with two starting pitchers better than average, and you wonder how they're going to compete with the Mets over the next few years.

I don't have to wonder. They have golden boy Jeff Franceour. How can they not compete?

Joel Sherman is rather sick of Clemens' act. Anyone else really happy the Yankees plunked down the equivalent of one third Kiribati's GDP to watch Clemens be a Princess?

Just an aside....the Astros are in big trouble. Any shot that they make another play for Clemens for simply a PR move? Maybe they will let Roger pitch in home games only?

By way of Rob Neyer's blog, a must read.

Johnny Baseball continues to pitch himself out of the playoff rotation and could just be flat out gassed. His is very close to the most innings he has ever logged and while that is a nice little excuse wrapped up with a swelltastic bow, we are not sure if anything else is going on. Whatever the reason for his second half struggles are, his pitching woes march on.

With the B-team going, it was tough to really expect a sweep anyway. Willie gave some of the elders a bit of rest since it was a day game after a night game. However, after not playing an entire game on Tuesday, Delgado injured, having an off day anyway following the game, and being on fire over the last week, his exclusion of Alou is curious. Seems like Alou should have enough gas in the tank to play a day game after a night game with a day off following, but I'm not going to complain if it got Milledge a rare start these days.

Collazo and Humber came in and ate up some innings and did an admirable job not letting the Reds pile on some runs.

In Jim Callis' chat he said he'd take Ian Kennedy over Mike Pelfrey. That's Joba, Hughes, and Kennedy over Pelfrey for those of you keeping score at home. Just one man's opinion, but worth noting.

It is a good thing I only use my tires as lawn ornaments.

Chinese-made products have been under scrutiny recently after several high-profile recalls including toys made with lead paint, pet food that contained dangerous additives and tires that could allegedly come apart under use.

Notes:

Triple-A New Orleans clinched a Pacific Coast League playoff spot with a 10-2 win against Round Rock on Sunday night. Kevin Mulvey, the Mets' top pick in the '06 draft, threw six scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut. Joe Smith, who had dealt with biceps tendinitis, made his first relief appearance in two weeks with a scoreless frame. Smith is not expected to be immediately promoted, although he should rejoin the Mets this month. New Orleans opens a best-of-5 series against Nashville tomorrow.

1) Good for the Zephyrs.
2) Good for Mulvey.
3) Good news on Smitty.

Joe Sheehan pens a sniffle worthy piece on Pedro.

I’m kidding, of course. Pedro Martinez’s return to the mound Monday afternoon in Cincinnati was a terrific baseball moment. No matter who your team is, you have to enjoy watching one of the all-time greats on the mound. At his peak, Martinez wasn’t just a fantastic pitcher, he was an entertaining one. He dominated games with power and precision—no member of the 3,000-strikeout club has fewer career walks allowed and just one a better K/BB. He was a showman as well, firing up crowds by wearing his heart on his sleeve, by being openly competitive, and by showing as much love for the game as the people in the seats. Watching Pedro Martinez pitch is a treat in a different way than watching his peers in greatness, Roger Clemens or Greg Maddux, is.

Go ahead....cry. You know you want to. He also lays some rare love from the media on the Mets rotation.

What is going to be interesting is seeing how the Mets use him, not so much in September—you can always go to a six-man rotation—but in October. As big a concern as the Mets’ rotation was at the start of the season, it has been an absolute strength in 2007, arguably the reason this team has the best record in the NL, a five-game lead in the NL East and a 98 percent shot at making the playoffs, which is just two percent shy of the random strike zone’s chance of appearing in October.

I for one feel just fine about the Met starting pitching.

Tough Decisions On The Horizon

Peterson is never at a loss for an analogy and this article really brings up some interesting questions.

Fitting him into the September rotation is easy. Assuming the Mets make the playoffs, then does Martinez automatically get a first-round start? And if so, what does the rotation look like for the Division Series, when the Mets really only need three starters?

Based strictly on performance, Orlando Hernandez deserves to pitch Game 1 - the Mets haven't lost since July 4 with him on the mound - and Glavine would likely go in Game 2. That leaves the difficult decision of choosing between Martinez and two starters who helped get the Mets to the playoffs in John Maine and Oliver Perez. Both have cooled down in the second half. Maine has a 6.31 ERA after the All-Star break, Perez a 4.33, and Martinez could make it easier simply by outperforming them. If the competition is close, however, should Martinez definitely get the nod?

Glavine's 2nd half ERA is 3.89 and he obviously has the most extensive track record out of everyone. However, he is also the only starting pitcher who has pitched below league average this summer that would be considered for a playoff rotation spot. He also profiles least as a reliever which means he would basically have to be included in the post season rotation since he would not have value elsewhere.

It would be impossible to predict whether or not Pedro will have any impact, but you would have to believe that if he shows anything at all he will be included into the rotation. Quite the quandary indeed. Who is in and who is out? How could you possibly take a guy out of the post-season rotation who has been one of the best pitchers in the league in 2007? I'm not sure, but it has a strong chance of happening.

The likelihood of Pedro heading into the bullpen is slim for the simple fact that he probably would not have any part of that. It is really not something to get all worked up about yet since Pedro is still a pretty good ways away from making his '07 big league debut and he will not have many chances to prove he is back and healthy.

Personally, I would have a hard time putting Pedro in the rotation given the circumstances and I certainly believe he could be pretty tight out of the pen. You would not have to worry about stretching him out and he has pinpoint control so you would not have to worry about him walking many people, if any at all.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Let us hope a decision is made with sound reasoning rather than some logic revolving around and idealistic scenario that simply is not playing out in reality.

* * *

I'm not sure if I linked to this before, but if you have not seen it, enjoy.

Don't get Willie angry. You won't like Willie when he gets angry.

"Everything," Randolph said. "It was just a horrible game. The pitching didn't come through. Terrible situational hitting. It's a giveaway game and it can't happen. These guys play us tough here, but there's no excuse for it. To get a lead like that and not be able to put them away. Give them credit for battling back. I tip my hat to them. But there's no way we should lose a game like that."

It's good to see Willie get fired up a bit because it's a close race and it's midway through August. Every game is important at this point and you simply cannot give games away. And you cannot give them away especially when you factor into things the fragility of this team. A cushion is paramount for this to have in order to gain some level of comfort.

Interesting blurb which relates to my last post:

It's a shocker, consider Maybin has only been in double-A for a little over a week. But Jim Leyland is one manager who can make this work. He's a big believer in talent over experience. And Maybin is the most talented outfielder in that whole organization, with the possible exception of Curtis Granderson. They were looking for life and for energy, and this guy gives them those ingredients. I don't know if he's "ready," but I give the Tigers a lot of credit for having the guts to find out at a time like this - at the expense of a safe option like Monroe.

There is a guy who is not afraid to dive into the pool with a cell phone and some cold cuts (aka lunch meat to you non-tri-state area people) in his pockets. Trust the kids! You might actually get rewarded.

The Mets are #3 and the Yankees are #2 on BP's Hit List.

The dynamic duo of Perez and Maine need to step it up though and get back on track.

Marc Raimondi questions Willie's logic. Of course if they were still babying Pedro and were not interested in pushing him, I could understand why it worked out the way it did. But if they were past the babying stage and he was ready for full action, it was a mistake. I guess we'll never know...

Five years and $91.5 million. I think we all knew it was going to happen but were secretly hoping it didn't. With no other ace on the market and Curt Schilling not an exciting option, the Mets look like they will be going to battle with Perez, Maine, Pedro, The Duque, and Humber/Pelfrey.

Not that it is a horrible thing, but they might be a little thin in that area. Not that I think Omar won't be out there looking under every rock for a pitcher, but it's hard to envision him being able to snare someone that makes any sort of difference outside of being a warm body.

The Yankees are playing hard ball with A-Rod so far. If A-Rod opts out, Cashman said he's gone. I do not see how the Yankees could lose him because he is the sole reason they have any sort of shot at all this year. Hunter will not come close to replacing him and with Melky, I am not entirely sure they need to break the bank on him. If they do lose him (and I am hopeing they do), I would not be shocked if there were not playoffs for a few years.

Omar certainly should have the extra cash to make a big international signing and it looks like he just might do that.

When the international signing frenzy opened on July 2, no one thought there would be a $2 million man.

And then a Scott Boras client showed up in the Dominican Republic.

The Boras Corporation represents 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo and is currently being courted by several clubs, with the Mets, Mariners and Yankees considered the frontrunners.

Negotiations for the 6-foot-2, 180-pound shortstop only began on July 30, when he turned 16 years old. According to several sources, Salcedo was seeking a signing bonus in the $4-5 million range, though he was expected to receive half that amount.

I'm shocked Boras took so long to jump into the fray.

“He projects to be the complete package,” said one international scouting director from a National League club. “He’s got plus range, arm strength and great hands at the position. He might have to move to third base at some point eventually, but he’s going to hit for average and power.”

If the Yankees reel him in, they would have had quite the haul between the draft and the international arena.

John Manuel weighs in on the Mets current draft trends:

Q: Greg from CT asks:

Why do the Mets have to be so cheap when it comes to over slotting? Second straight year they let a top talent go just because they were afraid of the commisioner’s office

A: John Manuel: I'm surprised the Mets have been so compliant. They also keep drafting relievers. It's an odd, surprising trend, no doubt. Just because the Yankees and Red Sox and Tigers spent doesn't mean the Mets should spend, but for me, teams should spend what THEY want to spend. Who should decide the value of a player--your scouts and talent evaluators, or the commissioner's office? If I owned a club, I would want the people I pay to make those determinations, not the commissioner's office.