Friday, January 30, 2009
Armas, Kielty reach minor league deals
Four players coming off poor seasons agreed Thursday to minor league contracts with the New York Mets: outfielder Bobby Kielty, right-handers Tony Armas Jr. and Matt DeSalvo, and left-hander Valerio de los Santos.
Tony Armas Jr.That was the only at-bat of the Series for Kielty. The 32-year-old spent last year in the minors with the Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, hitting a combined .233 with five homers and 32 RBIs in 49 games and 163 at-bats with four teams.
Armas Jr. was 1-0 with a 7.56 ERA in three appearances with the Mets last year and the 30-year-old won his only start, July 1 at St. Louis. He was 5-7 with a 2.54 ERA in 17 starts at Triple-A New Orleans.
DeSalvo, 28, had a 31.50 ERA in two relief appearances for Atlanta last season, allowing seven runs and 11 hits in two innings. He was 2-11 with a 4.87 ERA in eight starts and 26 relief appearances at Triple-A Richmond.
De los Santos was 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in two starts for Colorado last year, when he went 4-5 with a 5.63 ERA in eight starts and 15 relief appearances for Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Minaya, Mets may want to bring Martinez back
A report out of the Dominican Republic on Wednesday says New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya has expressed interest in re-signing Pedro Martinez. The report by The Associated Press cites no source and seems to represent a complete change of heart by the Mets, who had indicated repeatedly re-siging Martinez was unlikely.
Pedro MartinezRe-signing Martinez, that person said, remained "a long shot," but he also indicated that the club intends to begin the season certain it will have sufficient starting pitching depth "so we have five competitive pitchers available all year."
With less than three weeks before the begining of training camp, the Mets still have a vacancy in their rotation. They still are pursuing Oliver Perez — like Martinez, a free agent. And they have stayed in contact with left-handed veteran Randy Wolf, also a free agent.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Manuel would welcome Manny
With or without Manny Ramirez, manager Jerry Manuel thinks his New York Mets are good enough to win next season. He’d love to put Ramirez in the middle of that lineup, though.
A .314 career hitter with 527 home runs and 1,725 RBIs, Ramirez led the Los Angeles Dodgers to the NL championship series last season after arriving from Boston in a July 31 trade. He batted .396 with 17 homers, 53 RBIs and a whopping .743 slugging percentage in 53 games with Los Angeles.
Still, agent Scott Boras has yet to find a new home for Ramirez, who turns 37 in May. The enigmatic left fielder had a rocky relationship with the Red Sox and his final days in Boston were bitter, with some saying he quit on his teammates.
That might be one reason Mets general manager Omar Minaya has focused elsewhere. New York has spent the offseason in pursuit of pitching, and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said recently that Minaya and the team’s baseball operations staff are not interested in Ramirez.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Mets, Mackowiak finalize minor league deal
Versatile outfielder Rob Mackowiak and the New York Mets finalized a minor league contract Monday.
Rob MackowiakMackowiak is a .259 career hitter with 64 homers and 286 RBIs in eight major league seasons with Pittsburgh, the Chicago White Sox, San Diego and Washington. He appeared in 38 games for the Nationals last season, batting .132 with a homer and four RBIs in 53 at-bats.
A left-handed hitter, Mackowiak has played all three outfield positions during his career, in addition to third, second and first base. He gets $600,000 if he makes the major league roster with a chance to earn more in performance bonuses based on plate appearances.
Snyder, drafted seventh overall by Kansas City in 1999, pitched in two games for Boston last season. In 2007, he went 2-3 with a 3.81 ERA in a career-high 46 relief appearances for the Red Sox and was on their World Series roster. He is 8-17 with a 5.57 ERA in five major league seasons.
Switzer hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2007 with Tampa Bay. He is 2-4 with a 6.11 ERA in 68 career appearances, all in relief.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Minaya hasn't talked to ownership about Manny
Omar Minaya has long been enamored of Manny Ramirez, but with the outfielder still available as a free agent, the Mets' GM has never presented the troubled slugger to his boss as a possibility for left field at Citi Field.
Manny RamirezTherefore, the New York Mets' chief operating officer says he believes his baseball bigwigs don't want Ramirez, according to the New York Daily News.
"Omar and the baseball staff aren't interested," Jeff Wilpon told Bloomberg News Thursday.
Wilpon said he thought there was a perception that the team's ownership "said no." But, Wilpon pointed out, "I don't have the opportunity to say no because Omar hasn't brought it to me as an option."
Asked about Ramirez Thursday, Minaya stuck to his winter mantra, that he is pursuing free agents to fill a rotation spot and other pitchers to offer starting depth. Minaya already added relievers Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz, as well as starters Tim Redding and Freddy Garcia, who agreed to a minor-league deal Thursday, according to a major league source.
"We're focused on pitching right now," Minaya told the Daily News. "I have to invest my dollars in pitching."
Mets officials have said repeatedly this winter that they want to keep their payroll near the $143 million it was last season. They have at least $10 million or so to spend on another starter, such as Ben Sheets or Oliver Perez, their two top targets
Friday, January 23, 2009
Mets sign Fat Freddy to minor league contract
With less than a month to go before pitchers and catchers report to Port St. Lucie for the first days of training camp, the New York Mets still have a void in their starting rotation. At the same time, however, the line of candidates hoping to fill that void is growing longer. The Mets have agreed to a contract with veteran right-handed starter Freddy Garcia.
Freddy GarciaGarcia, 34 in June, has pitched in merely 14 games — all starts — since winning 17 games with the White Sox in 2006. He produced a 1-5 record in 11 starts with the Phillies in '07 and a 1-1 record in three starts with the Tigers last season after recovering from surgery on his right shoulder that was performed in the summer of '07.
The Mets have expressed interest in him since the months following the '06 season. Garcia and his agent, Peter Greenberg, visited the Mets' Spring Training camp last February. But at that point, doubts about his ability to pitch again persisted. The Yankees recently had expressed a degree of interest in him as well.
His signing, even to a Minor League contract, tightens the squeeze on free agent Oliver Perez. He is the remaining free agent the Mets covet most — Ben Sheets and Randy Wolf rank behind him — but the club remains determined not to exceed its own assessed value for Perez. The Mets have a sense that the victory total Perez is likely to amass isn't significantly greater than what Sheets or Wolf might produce. And neither would be so expensive.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Former Met Jeff Kent to announces retirement
Jeff Kent plans to announce his retirement from baseball on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Kent spent 17 years in the major leagues and leaves as the career home-run leader among second basemen with 351, 74 more than Ryne Sandberg.
Jeff Kent sucked while with the Mets.He spent the last four seasons with the Dodgers, hitting .291 with 122 doubles, 75 homers and 311 RBIs. Los Angeles issued a statement Wednesday announcing the news conference.
A five-time All-Star and the 2000 NL MVP, Kent hit .253 during the first half of last season, improved to .353 in August, then injured his knee on Aug. 29 and had surgery four days later. He returned to make the postseason roster, but was relegated to a bench role. He went a combined 0-for-9 with four strikeouts during the two playoff series and became a free agent in November.
Kent had a .290 career batting average, 377 homers, 1,518 RBIs and a .500 slugging percentage. He was drafted by Toronto in 1989 and also played for the New York Mets, Cleveland, San Francisco and Houston.
His greatest success came with the Giants, where he played with Barry Bonds. The two players had some famous run-ins, and Kent later tangled with Milton Bradley in Los Angeles. Kent was known for his intense approach to the game and he criticized players who used performance-enhancing drugs while endorsing improved testing.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Mets agree with OFs Church, Pagan on one-year deals
The New York Mets on Tuesday agreed to terms with outfielders Ryan Church and Angel Pagan on one-year contracts, avoiding an arbitration hearing with the two players who are coming off injury-plagued seasons.
Church, 30, who agreed to a $2.8 million contract, was limited to 90 games last season - his first in New York - due to a concussion suffered during a collision at second base in a game at Atlanta on May 20.
For most of the rest of the season, Church experienced migraine headaches and dizziness associated with the concussion, the second of his career. He finished the year with a .276 average, 12 home runs and 49 RBI.
Pagan, who is still recovering from surgery to repair his torn left labrum, agreed to a $575,000 deal.
The 27-year-old outfielder hit .275 with no homers and 13 RBI in 31 games with the Mets prior to injuring his shoulder on May 7 at Los Angeles.
In other moves Tuesday, the Mets agreed to terms with lefthanders Tom Martin and Casey Fossum and catcher Omir Santos on minor league contracts. All three were invited to spring training next month.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Reliever Sanchez gets big raise from Mets
Reliever Duaner Sanchez and the New York Mets have agreed to a one-year contract worth $1,687,500, a big raise from the $950,000 he made last year.
Sanchez was 5-1 with a 4.32 ERA in 66 relief appearances in 2008. He was part of a Mets bullpen that blew 29 of 72 save chances and he faded down the stretch, compiling an 8.64 ERA from Aug. 15 while allowing eight runs and 13 hits in 8 1-3 innings and letting opposing hitters bat .342.
Sanchez had surgery on his right shoulder in April 2007.
"I hope to be even stronger this year than I was last year," he said. "I'm in Florida already getting ready for the season and I can't wait for spring training to start."
Five Mets remained in arbitration and were set to exchange proposed figures with the team on Tuesday: right-hander John Maine, outfielder Ryan Church, reliever Pedro Feliciano and outfielders Jeremy Reed and Angel Pagan.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Mets need to take a chance on Ben Sheets?
If the New York Mets are going to continue to ignore Manny Ramirez's availability and take a lineup that has significant question marks into the 2009 season, then they need to think boldly about filling the final spot in their starting rotation, according to New York Daily News MLB columnist John Harper.
In other words, if they're going to try and win a championship with a pitching-dominant formula, then they need to think hard about signing Ben Sheets.
The idea is to win a championship, right? And not just field a competitive team now that they have their shiny new ballpark that ensures big crowds on a nightly basis.
Sheets' history of injuries, which includes six stints on the disabled list, makes the idea of a long-term contract too risky, which is why he's still unsigned this deep into the offseason. Indeed, baseball people say there has been so little interest shown in Sheets that they believe he could be signed to a two-year deal that would include incentives based on his staying healthy.
It's not as if there wouldn't be any risk in re-signing the inconsistent Oliver Perez, who seems to be the Mets' top choice after Derek Lowe signed with the Braves last week. As for other possibilities, the Mets also have interest in Randy Wolf, and perhaps Jon Garland, but there are indications that since losing out on Lowe they have begun to take a more serious look at Sheets.
The righthander, who turns 31 in July, was 13-8 with a 3.08 ERA last season, and was mostly injury-free until injuring a flexor tendon in his elbow in September that rendered him ineffective late in the season and sidelined him for the Brewers' playoff series with the Phillies.
Still, Sheets did throw 198 innings last season, four more than Perez, and consistently flashed the combination of mid-90s fastball and killer curve that make him one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Mets LHP Santana: WBC will hinge on knee
Johan Santana said the condition of his surgically repaired left knee will determine if he participates in the World Baseball Classic in March. The New York Mets’ lefthander underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee on October 1, which could jeopardize his chances of playing for his native Venezuela in the WBC.
“I’d love to represent my country,” Santana said. “But I’m not going to do anything crazy. We’ll see how everything is with my knee. I’m hoping the doctors will give me the OK.”
Santana acknowledged the Mets will have the final say on his participation. The two-time Cy Young Award winner will be examined by team doctors next week.
“The team will have to approve (it). It’s a medical decision,” Santana said. “The reality is I haven’t pitched or played in a game since September. They’re going to keep an eye on me. I’m going to go one step at a time.”
The Mets will have several players participating in the WBC, which general manager Omar Minaya said is encouraged by the club.
“However, we have to take it case by case, and Johan had surgery last October,” Minaya said. “Once we get to spring training, we will consult with our medical staff and decide whether he is physically able to represent his country.”
Santana went 16-7 with a league-leading 2.53 ERA in his first season with the Mets following his acquisition from the Minnesota Twins in an offseason trade.
The lefthander lived up to his six-year, $137.5 million contract, logging 206 strikeouts and limiting opponents to a .232 batting average in 234 1/3 innings. Santana did not lose a game over the final three months, allowing more than three runs just once in his last 18 starts.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Mets agree with IF Cora
The New York Mets have apparently obtained some infield insurance.
According to WEEI.com, the Mets on Tuesday reached an agreement with former Boston Red Sox infielder Alex Cora on a one-year, $2 million deal.
Cora hit .270 with a .371 on-base percentage in 75 games for the Red Sox in 2008, logging most of his time at shortstop.
The 33-year-old is a career .245 hitter with 34 home runs in parts of 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and Boston.
Cora, who has also logged time at second base and third base, will serve as a utility infielder in New York, backing up Jose Reyes, David Wright and Luis Castillo.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Mets' pizza patch the laughingstock of baseball uniforms
If you're the type of person who doesn't spend much time thinking about sleeve patches on uniforms, don't worry. Neither do the Mets.
The team recently unveiled the logo to celebrate their upcoming first season in Citi Field and to say that it's being mocked worse than an oblivious American Idol contestant would be an understatement.
Order a pizza? Mike Piazza will deliver it.At its best, it's being said to resemble the logo of a certain pizza company that once featured the 'Noid. At its worst, it's being categorized as the biggest affront to Mets fans since John Rocker's sermon in SI.
Here's what UniWatch's Paul Lukas, a lifelong Mets fan, had to say:
"Compare (anything) to this, and the Mets' effort comes off looking like amateur hour. Or maybe amateur minute. It looks like one of those cheapo generic marks you see in commercials or movies when the producers couldn't afford the licensing fees for the real logos."
Yankees destroy Mets again, now with their logo design.Luckily, if the Mets decide to answer the outcry by taking another stab at the design, they won't have to look far for a few pointers. Here's the patch the Yankees will be wearing for their inaugural season at new Yankee Stadium this year:
Finally, The Sports Hernia has a good look at the logos that didn't make the Mets' first cut.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Rickey being Rickey
Rickey Henderson already has a foot in Cooperstown, sort of. The Hall has 16 items documenting his career, including spikes, caps, balls and a pair of sunglasses.
Oh, and the stories. Standing naked in front of the clubhouse mirror, repeating over and over "Rickey's the best." He always referred to himself in the third person, that was his thing.
Henderson, baseball's career leader in runs scored and stolen bases, became the 44th player elected in his first year of eligibility.
Henderson, the 1990 AL MVP, was a 10-time All-Star who swiped 1,406 bases, one shy of 50 percent more than Lou Brock, who is in second place with 938. Henderson batted .279 with 297 homers, 1,115 RBI, 2,190 walks and 2,295 runs. He owns the modern-day season record with 130 steals in 1982, and the career mark with 81 leadoff homers. He played for Oakland, the Yankees, Toronto, San Diego, Anaheim, the Mets, Seattle, Boston and the Dodgers.
Former Mets David Cone received 21 votes, Mo Vaughn received six votes, Jay Bell two votes and Jesse Orosco one vote.
Marlins not interested in Pedro Martinez
Pedro won't smell like fish.On Saturday night, a report on ESPNdeportes.com, stated the Marlins had discussions with agent Fernando Cuza regarding Martinez. The report added Florida may have begun preliminary contract talks, and that the two sides were expected to continue talking this week.
As of late Sunday afternoon, the Marlins were not considered a possible fit.
Martinez has a home in Miami, and he has expressed privately a desire to pitch for the Marlins. On Monday, Cuza is expected to have discussions with the New York Mets about a possible return to New York. The right-hander also is expected to test the free agent market.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Sources: Mets, Redding agree on deal
The New York Mets have agreed to a one-year, $2.25 million contract Friday with free-agent starter Tim Redding, a baseball official told 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand.
Tim ReddingRedding, 30, posted a 10-11 record with a 4.95 ERA in 182 innings covering 33 starts with Washington last season. The right-hander has a career record of 34-51 in seven seasons with Houston, San Diego, the Yankees and Nationals.
Redding became a free agent when the Nationals non-tendered him in December.
The Mets, who already have Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine at the front of their rotation, plan to slide Redding into the No. 5 spot. Lefty prospect Jonathan Niese will also vie for the fifth spot.
The team is still pursuing free agent Derek Lowe and possibly Oliver Perez. The Mets could also still sign Pedro Martinez and Randy Wolf to add to their pitching staff..
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Mets to meet with Boras about Lowe, Perez
Still looking to fill out the rotation, the New York Mets are ready to make their push for a proven starting pitcher.
Mets executives set up a face-to-face meeting Wednesday with agent Scott Boras to talk about two of his free-agent clients: right-hander Derek Lowe and lefty Oliver Perez. The team is interested in both pitchers, and Boras was in the Big Apple for Mark Teixeira’s news conference Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
The Mets have offered Lowe a contract worth about $36 million over three years. The club also has had discussions with Boras on the parameters of a potential deal for Perez, who spent the past two seasons in New York’s rotation.
“In my discussions with teams, I don’t really talk about offers that I have received and not received,” Boras said at Yankee Stadium. “I read about these things, but I don’t really acknowledge them.”
Lowe and Perez aren’t the only free-agent starters that interest the Mets. New York extended an offer to Tim Redding and is close to making an offer to Randy Wolf, according to a person familiar with the talks.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because discussions were ongoing.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Mets will not sweeten offer for Derek Lowe
Derek LoweInstead, they will keep their three-year, $36 million contract on the table, according to a Monday report on Newsday's web site, perhaps holding out hope that such an offer will be enough.
Lowe remains the Mets' top target, though the team is also pursuing left-handers Oliver Perez and Randy Wolf. General manager Omar Minaya has said that negotiations with Lowe could last well into January.
The Braves, Phillies and Red Sox are all also reportedly interested in Lowe, though none of them have expressed as much public interest as the Mets.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Mets will not break bank to add starting pitching
The New York Mets' three-year offer to Derek Lowe for slightly more than $36 million makes it clear the 35-year-old righty is their top free agent choice. But that doesn't mean another new starter won't join Lowe in the Mets rotation, too, according to the New York Daily News.
A baseball official with knowledge of the Mets' thinking said Wednesday that signing more than one free agent for the rotation is a possibility, but it depends on the price. The Mets would like to keep their payroll around the $143 million it was last season, so if they sign Lowe, they probably wouldn't add another expensive starter such as Oliver Perez or Randy Wolf.
Both pitchers are options if the Mets fail to sign Lowe and Jon Garland might be, too. Pedro Martinez apparently has not been ruled out by the Mets, either. He was suggested by the official as another possibility "out there" for the Mets, though it seems he is behind other options right now.
Realistically, if the Mets ink Lowe, they will likely bring in a back-of-the-rotation type free agent later this month to compete with Jon Niese or Bobby Parnell for the final starting slot and provide rotation depth.
Lowe, though, is the focus. The Mets don't expect a quick resolution to Lowe's status, in part because his agent is Scott Boras and because Lowe's current market is unclear. The Daily News reported Tuesday that Lowe recently told a friend that the Red Sox never showed serious interest in him. The Phillies, though, have publicly expressed interest in Lowe.