Mets make Pedro an offer
Will Pedro Martinez be a Met?On Sunday, the Mets and general manager Omar Minaya offered the right-hander a three-year guaranteed contract worth $38 million with a vesting option for a fourth year, surpassing the Red Sox's proposal of a two-year deal worth $25.5 million with a third-year option, the Times said.
Last month, Martinez helped the Boston Red Sox win their first World Series title since 1918.
Martinez has gone 117-37 for Boston from 1998-2004, winning the AL Cy Young Award in 1999 and 2000. After beating St. Louis in Game 3 of the World Series, he acknowledged it could have been his final appearance for Boston.
Martinez is 182-76 with a 2.76 ERA in 13 seasons with Los Angeles, Montreal and Boston.
Last season, Boston general manager Theo Epstein had Thanksgiving dinner at Curt Schilling’s home outside Phoenix while trying to persuade the pitcher to accept a trade to the ReSox.
Sexson still interested in Mets
November 23, 2004 - While the Mets haven't spoken to Richie Sexson or his agent recently, the slugger and his representative remain open to the idea of him playing first base in Queens in 2005.
Mets, Leiter talks at standstill
November 23, 2004 - Negotiations between the Mets and Al Leiter haven't broken down. But they have stalled to a point where both sides will walk away from the bargaining table in an effort to explore other options.
Mets name 2005 coaching staff
November 23, 2004 - A rookie manager, Willie Randolph isn't about to leave much to chance. So when the Mets' skipper announced on Tuesday who would be on his coaching staff in 2005, it was no surprise to find that he's surrounded himself with a great deal of experience. Randolph reached back into his past, calling on Sandy Alomar Sr. -- a former teammate and mentor from his playing days with the Yankees -- to be his bench coach. Manny Acta, who served as third base coach in Montreal for the last three seasons under general manager Omar Minaya, will fill the same role in New York.
Guy Conti will serve as the bullpen coach and, in what can be termed a surprise move, former White Sox skipper Jerry Manuel was named first base and outfield coach. Former Met Mookie Wilson had been considered for that spot.
The only position Randolph didn't name was hitting coach, and that role is expected to be filled by Rick Down, who formerly held the job with the Yankees. Down is still under contract to the Bombers, and the Mets, though they have asked, have yet to receive permission to speak with him. Down's contract with the Yanks runs out at the end of the year, at which time he is free to sign with whomever he likes.
"We're waiting for permission," said Minaya. "Hopefully, [George] Steinbrenner will give permission. That's what we're waiting for now."
Pitching coach Rick Peterson remains the lone holdover from Art Howe's staff.
Mets, Benson make deal official
November 22, 2004 - The first free agent the Mets acquire will probably come from within their roster.
The Mets felt compelled to sign Benson because they acquired him from Pittsburgh for Ty Wigginton and two prospects on July 30, one day before the trading deadline.One club official said that the two sides were nearing an agreement and that a contract could be completed this week. The deal is believed to be for three years, with an option for a fourth year, and would pay $7 million to $8 million a season.
The Mets felt compelled to sign Benson because they acquired him from Pittsburgh for Ty Wigginton and two prospects on July 30, one day before the trading deadline.
At the time, Benson said he wanted to remain with the Mets, but negotiations stalled through October and picked up only in the past week.
By not signing Benson earlier, and by not exercising the option on Al Leiter's contract, the Mets have risked losing two members of a starting rotation that looked set in the second half of last season.
Although Benson is free to receive offers from other teams, he appears committed to the Mets. He initially wanted to re-sign because he was flattered that the Mets had pursued him, because he enjoyed working with the pitching coach Rick Peterson and because his wife, Anna, had acting opportunities in New York.
Benson, the No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft, might have had his best season in 2004. He was a modest 12-12 with a 4.31 earned run average, but the Mets believed he had a breakthrough late in the season, when he gave up two runs or less in four of his last five starts. Benson, whose fastball speed reaches the mid-90's, has enough potential for the Mets to believe he can become a top-tier starter.
Sosa expects to stay in Chicago
November 15, 2004 - Despite rumors and speculation swirling about where he will be playing next season, Sammy Sosa, according to his agent Adam Katz, expects to remain with the Cubs and that his relationship with Dusty Baker is "manageable."
Mets choose Randolph to be new manager
November 4, 2004 - In the end, pedigree proved to be just as important as experience.
It was Willie Randolph's pedigree and his willingness to form a partnership with Omar Minaya that led the Mets general manager to choose him as the club's new manager late Wednesday night.
Willie Randolph will be formally introduced as the Mets' manager.Randolph, 50, will be introduced at a Thursday afternoon press conference at Shea Stadium. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is believed to be a three-year pact worth nearly $2 million.
That Randolph, a Brooklyn native, won a pair of World Series rings with the Yankees as a player and earned four more as one of Joe Torre's coaches proved to be too much for Minaya to overlook, though he was equally impressed with Jaramillo, a long-time friend. Randolph, who served as Torre's bench coach this season, becomes the 18th manager in club history and first African-American to hold that position in New York City baseball history, joining the game's only Hispanic general manager.
Olerud 'open' to return
November 3, 2004 - Mike Cameron was serious on Tuesday when he said he wanted John Olerud to play first base for the Mets next season.
Olerud laughed when he heard about the grass roots campaign his former teammate was waging to get him back to Queens, saying he had fun with Cameron when the two played together in Seattle. What Olerud didn't do was rule out the possibility of playing in New York again in 2005 on either side of the East River.
John Olerud back in 1999."I really enjoyed being back in New York," Olerud said of his time with the Yankees. "I really enjoyed myself. As far as making hypothetical calls about coming back to a situation, it's hard to make those calls. It's hard to say one way or another until I know which teams are interested.
"I'm open to the possibility, that's for sure. I don't want to get into a situation 'if this happens or if that happens,' but I'm definitely open to it."
No team, including the Mets, has contacted Olerud yet. But New York has set a precedent for loyalty and bringing back favorite sons. Look no further than Todd Zeile's place on the 2004 club as proof. Olerud hit .315 (524-for-1,662) in three seasons with the Mets from 1997-99.
Olerud, who hit .280 with four homers and 26 RBIs in 49 games with the Yankees, said that having some players on the club that he knows would definitely make for an easy transition. And the fact that Willie Randolph might wind up as New York's skipper wouldn't hurt either. But, he's still weighing his options.
Leyland bows out of Mets manager job
November 2, 2004 - The Mets' brief flirtation with Jim Leyland ended Tuesday. Leyland, who is considered a favorite for the managerial opening in Philadelphia, spoke with New York general manager Omar Minaya in the morning and the two came to an understanding that now was not the right time to pursue a working relationship. That leaves Minaya with the three finalists he named on Monday as the remaining candidates for the managerial vacancy in Queens.
Yankees bench coach Willie Randolph, Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo and Dodgers minor league coordinator Terry Collins will be in New York on Wednesday for second interviews, while Leyland awaits word from Philly general manager Ed Wade about his candidacy with the Phils.
Minaya wouldn't completely rule out any other candidates but said that he's "most likely moving forward with these three." Bobby Valentine was also officially scratched off the list as well after Minaya revealed that he received an e-mail from the former New York skipper's agent last week saying that Chiba Lotte, the Japanese League team Valentine manages, wasn't going to give the Mets permission to speak with him.
If everything goes according to plan on Wednesday, Minaya said he hopes to have a new manager in place by the end of the week or early next week at the latest.
