Mets 08 Bullpen

This is the projected Opening Day bullpen as of 11-30-07...

CL: B. Wagner 07': 2-2 2.63 ERA 34 SV
SU: A. Heilman 07': 7-7 3.03 ERA
SU: D. Sanchez 07': Did not play.
MR: S. Schowenweis 07': 0-2 5.03 ERA
MR: J. Sosa 07': 9-8 4.47 ERA
LOOGY: P. Feliciano 07': 2-2 3.09 ERA


ROOGY: J. Smith 07': 3-2 3.45 ERA

This bullpen should be much improved this year. The bullpen is already that much better with the subtraction of Guillimero Mota. I'm sure Omar will sign some dark horse canidates to fill out as the LR.. Maybe even a set-up guy. Eddie Kunz and Carlos Muniz are in house options.

Mets 08 Pitching Rotation

This list is the current starting pitching rotation, as of 2-4-08..

SP: Johan Santana '07: 15-13 3.33 ERA

SP: J. Maine 07': 15-10 3.91 ERA
SP: O. Perez 07': 15-10 3.56 ERA
SP: O. Hernandez 07': 9-5 3.72 ERA
SP: M. Pelfrey 07': 3-8 5.57 ERA

[11-30-07] This rotation is not "horrible" but it could use some improvement, weather it be from the development of Mike Pelfrey or Phillip Humber or by a free agent signing or trade.

[2-4-07] The addition of Johan Santana is very significant. When you have Oliver Perez and a prospect with a mid 90's heater and a former #1 draft pick as your #1 backup SP, you have a very solid rotation. Not to mention that none of our "projected SP" had an ERA over 4 last year. Wow.

Mets 08 Starting Lineup

Projected Opening Day lineup-- As of 11-30-07

SS: Jose Reyes 07': .280/12/57/78

2B: Luis Castillo 07': .301/1/38
3B: David Wright 07': .325/30/107

CF: Carlos Beltran 07': .276/33/112

1B Carlos Delgado 07': .258/24/87
LF: Moises Alou 07': .341/13/49
RF: Ryan Church 07': .272/15/70
C: Brian Schneider 07': .235/6/54

For some reason, I feel that the Mets offense will be much improved this year. Last year at times, it seemed like they struggled to score 3 runs... but with the addition of RF Ryan Church and the Subtraction of Shawn Green, I feel that the Mets offense can be at the top of the leader boards in offensive categories starting in April 2008. Jose Reyes and David Wright should also improve on their '07 performances.

Ryan Church

As I noted in my last post, Ryan Church will now be the starting RF for The Mets in 2008. Church was once projected by general manager Jim Bowden as another Jim Edmonds. That would be very nice but sorry, its not gonna happen.. In 2007, Ryan Church batted .272 with 15 HR and 70 RBI in 470 AB's but, he did bat .340 with 3 HR and 12 RBI in 19 games at Shea Stadium. According to Mlbtraderumors.com..

"The 29 year-old Church has a career OPS over .800, and may be a bit underrated. But he is 29 and not likely to get much better."

Hopefully he will develop a little more power and hit around 20-25 HR with 75-85 RBI.

Kazmir Part 2

Yep, I said it.. This WILL be another horrible trade in mets history. Today The Mets traded OF Lastings Milledge to the Nationals for OF Ryan Church and C Brian Schneider. In my opinion, this is a very bad trade. By giving up a stud prospect for two average major leaguers won't win you a world series championship unless either Church or Schneider have a breakout season next year. Capitol Punishment, a Nationals blog, (dcbb.blogspot.com) has a very good article on the trade.. As quoted by Capitol Punishment...

"Milledge? This is a guy who a season or two as an untouchable, a solid power bat who got a bad rep from the pyschotic NY press because 1) he has dreadlocks and 2) he released a rap album. Other than a minor thing (literally!) while he was in high school, he's been a decent citizen, one who's unfairly maligned because he doesn't fit the imagine.What he is, is is every bit as good as Ryan Church offensively RIGHT NOW, plus he's 6 years younger (will be 23) and he's got a boatload of potential!"

This sucks... Omar better not trade Gomez or F. Martinez now.. he might get assinated by some crazy NY fans.

#17 Prospect In MLB!

Yup, thats right. The Mets have the #17 prospect in the game, and his name is Fernando Martinez. In case you didnt know, Fernando is 18 years old and was the youngest player to play in AA this year. Martinez is ranked higher than Nick Adenhart, Branden Wood, Austin Jackson, and Ian Kennedy... just to name a few. According to the Article..

"Despite playing less than half a Minor League season, Martinez is still highly regarded by scouts around baseball. The Mets sent him to the Arizona Fall League in 2006, where he became the youngest player ever to participate there, and continued to push him aggressively by making the 18-year-old the youngest player in the Double-A Eastern League in 2007. A hand injury hampered him for much of the year and eventually ended his season in July.
When healthy, Martinez has tremendous potential with the bat. He should eventually hit for both average and power from a corner outfield spot. He has the ability to play decent defense and isn't a bad runner, but all his skills are still on the raw side. Assuming he's healthy in 2008, Martinez should be able to continue his quick ascent to New York. Starting the year back in Double-A might be the way to go, but even if he begins there, it's unlikely he'll finish the season at the same level."

Fernando Martinez was signed out of the Dominican Republic on July 11, 2005. Look for Martinez to be a super-star for The Mets in the not-to-distant future.

Mets Priorities

The mlb stove is very hot right now. With Johan Santana rumors flying about along with Dan Haren, Joe Blanton, Miguel Cabrera.. The only problem is, The Mets don't seem like they will aquire the front line starter that they covent, even though omar has stated that that is hie #1 priority.. im getting the sense that The Mets would have to part with Jose Reyes to acquire Johan Santana and thats just stupid. Dan Haren or Joe Blanton might cost our starting RF - Lasting Milledge and our #1 setup man Aaron Heilman.. Plus, there are reports that state that The Athletics GM- Billy Beane- is not as high on Milledge and Heilman as he once was. Omar Minaya has alot to do this off-season and he has'nt really done anything yet. Though, I trust in Omar, he must acquire a #1,#2, 0r #3 pitcher or develop Mike Pelfrey or Phillip Humber into a capable starter at the major league level if he wants fans to keep believing in him.

Mets Top Priorities

1. Acquire a Top-of-the-Line Starting Pitcher... aka Johan Santana, Dan Haren, Erik Bedard, Joe Blanton, or Dontrelle Willis.
2. Don't trade the wrong prospects. Aka don't make a deal that will cost us in the end ala Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano.
   
3. Develop minor league prospects into serviceable major leaguers. Eddie Kunz could play a role in 08 with the bullpen. Phillip Humber and Mike Pelfrey could battle for a spot in the rotation if #1 does'nt pan out.
   
4. Acquire a dark horse canidate to be a breakout player.. ala Carlos Pena... Suggestions.. Sign Bartolo Colon, or trade for Mark Prior or AJ Burnett.
   
5. Stabilize Bullpen and Bench. Mike Piazza could be a good option if hes willing to catch 1-2 times a week and pinch hit. Just ask Kevin Towers of the Padres how to build a good bullpen.. FROM YOUR MINOR LEAGUES AND TRADES. NOT FREE-AGENCY!!
   
6. Make us a contender again in 08!

In Omar I Trust.. How about you?

Trade Rumors

mlbtraderumors.com has recently came out with a few new rumors..

• Troy Percival to sign with The Rays?
• The Twins are discussing a trade that would send SP Matt Garza to The Rays for OF Delmon Young.
• The Diamondbacks are interested in SP Dan Haren and Joe Blanton.
• The Rangers are interested in Mets OF Fernando Martinez and Carlos Gomez.
• According to multiple news sources, The Mets seem to be falling out of contention to land The Twins SP Johan Santana. The Yankees, right now, seen to be the front runners to land the former Cy-Young award winner.

Head over to Mets Prospectus for a great interview with Mets Prospect Guru-Mack- is the former owner of macksmets.com.

Santana Deal

Jon Heyman at SI.com, states that The Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers and Angels all have the prospects to get the deal done with Minnesota.

• The Dodgers would have to part with SP Chad Billingsley and OF Matt Kemp.
• The Red Sox might have to offer SP Clay Buchholz or SP Jon Lester plus CF Coco Crisp.
• The Yankees would have to part with SP Phil Hughes or at least SP Ian Kennedy plus CF Melky Cabrera.
• The Mets could package Mike Pelfrey with one of three outfielders, Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez or Fernando Martinez.

I think The Mets have the upper hand on the sweepstakes for Santana because Omar has said that he is trying hard to get a 'frontline starting pitcher'. Not to mention that The Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers all seem to have reservations on trading their younger players.

Prospect "Grades"

Over at Minorleagueball.com, Jon Sickels provides a list of Met's Prospects along with a grade. Sickels top ten is as follows:

1. Fernando Martinez, OF, Grade B+
2. Deolis Guerra, RHP, Grade B+
3. Carlos Gomez, OF, Grade B
4. Kevin Mulvey, RHP, Grade B
5. Jon Niese, LHP, Grade B
6. Eddie Kunz, RHP, Grade B
7. Phil Humber, RHP, Grade B-
8. Brant Rustich, RHP, Grade B-
9. Joe Smith, RHP, Grade B-
10. Nick Evans, 1B, Grade C+

John Sickels said:

“There is some nice pitching in this system, but depth in position players is very weak. Overall the system is better than it looks at first, but lack of hitting depth is a problem, and I hate the way they rush some of their prospects.”

The Mets have good prospects, only 4-5 of them are in the upper-ranks of the minor league system, but with the draft picks we have this year, along with the international signings, we should have a good if not great system within the next 2-3 years.

Shea Stadium 1964-2008

Today, The Mets unveiled the ‘commemorative logo’ celebrating the 45-season history of Shea Stadium. Throughout all next season, The Mets will wear this logo as a patch on the right sleeve of their uniforms during all 2008 home games. Later on this year, The Mets will announce plans for a season-long "Salute to Shea" that will include a series of special events and promotions.

Shea Facts:

• Opened in 1964 as home to both the Mets and New York Jets.
• Shea Stadium was named after William A. Shea.
• Shea was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1983.
  

Many great memories took place inside of Shea Stadium. Its sad to see the place go, but i'm also excited for a Citi Field.

Writers Wanted!!!

Mets4life.blogspot.com is a blog that I started to keep myself and others informed of what goes on with The Mets organization. I'm looking for someone who is willing to work with me and keep this site up-to-date. If you were to be added to the Mets4life staff, you would have the ability to write your opinions and post anything that you feel Mets fans would find interesting. Please contact me if you are interested. =D

Bengie?

Its ironic, two offseasons ago, The Mets had interest in Catchers Ramon Hernandez and Bengie Molina. As we all know, The Mets found a cheaper option in Paul Lo Duca who has since worn out his wecome. This off-season The Mets have been linked to those very same catchers. According to Ken Rosenthal, The Mets inquired about the Giants' Molina at the general managers' meetings, and they could attempt to revive the talks by offering newly acquired Johnny Estrada and perhaps another player. I say do it. Mr Bengie Molina had a good offensive season last year and would be another threat in our lineup. Estrada and Humber for Bengie Molina?

Gomez, Milledge or Martinez?

Which Outfield Prospect do you like better?

A) Lastings Milledge
B) Carlos Gomez
C) Fernando Martinez

I tend to like Gomez better because of his potiential for power (he is 6′ 4″ and hasn’t bulked up yet) and speed (as fast as or faster than Reyes). Fernando Martinez projects to be a DH because of his poor defense, but his power potential is enormous.

Players on the move

Since my last post, I have added about 10 pounds of turkey,mashed potatoes and cranberry sause to my body. Thanksgiving is the only time of year that im able to do that haha. Since that last post, many players have agreed to deals and off-season speculation continues..

• Center Fielder Torii Hunter has agreed to a 5-year $90 million deal with The Los Angeles Angels. Who saw that coming?
• Closer Fransisco Cordero has since agreed to a 4-year deal with The Cincinati Reds. Expect them to be a dark horse canidate in the National League in 08.
• The Daily News reports that The Mets have Interest in Freddy Garcia. The Injured Starting Pitcher was 1-5 with a 5.90 ERA last year with The Phillies. The only deal i can see being made here, is a incentive laden deal. I think we should also offer Bartolo Colon something incentive laden.
• Twins Starting Pitcher Johan Santana has been talked about heavily over the past few days. Omar has been pushing hard for an ace and it looks like he's working on getting it before Dec 25 so that he can put it under Mets fans christmas trees.=D
• After acquiring OF Torii Hunter, The Twins don't seem to be done christmas shopping. Miguel Cabrera and Miguel Tejeda are high on their wish lists. Mlbtraderumors.com suggests that The Angels are willing to give up Reggie Willits, Howie Kendrick, and a catcher, but The Marlins are insisting on the inclusion of top pitching prospect Nick Adenhart.

MLB Awards

I have not been up to date with the awards so I'll put them all up at once.. here we go..

Prestegious Awards

American League Manager of The Year: Indians Mgr Eric Wedge

National League Manager of The Year: D-Backs Bob Melvin

American League ROY: Red Sox Dustin Pedroia

National League ROY: Brewers 3B Ryan Braun

American League Cy Young: Indians SP C.C. Sabathia

National League Cy Young: Padres SP Jake Peavy

American League MVP: Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez

National League MVP: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins

The National League Silver Sluggers:

C: Russell Martin LAD

1B: Prince Fielder MIL

2B: Chase Utley PHI

3B: David Wright NYM

SS: Jimmy Rollins PHI

OF: Carlos Beltran NYM

OF: Carlos Lee HOU

OF: Matt Holliday COL

P: Micah Owings ARI

American League Silver Sluggers:

C: Jorge Posada NYY

1B: Carlos Pena TB

2B: Placido Polanco DET

3B: Alex Rodriguez NYY

SS: Derek Jeter NYY

OF: Magglio Ordonez DET

OF: Vlad Guerrero LAA

OF: Ichiro Suzuki SEA

DH: David Ortiz BOS

National League Gold Glove Award Winners:

C: Russell Martin LA

1B: Derrek Lee CHC

2B: Orlando Hudson ARI

3B: David Wright NYM

SS: Jimmy Rollins PHI

OF: Aaron Rowand PHI

OF: Andruw Jones ATL

OF: Carlos Beltran NYM

OF: Jeff Francoeur ATL

American League Gold Glove Winners:

C: Ivan Rodriguez DET

1B: Kevin Youkilis BOS

2B: Placido Polanco DET

3B: Adrian Beltre SEA

SS: Orlando Cabrera LAA

OF: Torii Hunter MIN

OF: Grady Sizemore CLE

OF: Ichiro Suzuki SEA

P: Johan Santana MIN

Estrada Acquired

Today, The Mets made an awesome trade.The Mets happily sent off RHP Guillermo Mota to the Brewers in exchange for C Johnny Estrada. Last year, Estrada batted .278 with 10 homers and 54 RBI in 120 games. Omar found a starting catcher (who’s above average) and a former all-star and didn’t give up any premier trading chips..basically nothing. Very nice trade Omar.. VERY NICE

Washed up Reliever for a Starting Catcher? I'd take that deal any day of the year.

Project Prospect: Top 5 Mets Prospects

The cause of our depleted farm system: An improved major-league team has cost your farm system. Is the future looking up for us? Yes, we have the 18th and 22nd picks of the 2008 Draft now that Type-A Free Agent Tom Glavine is heading back to Atlanta. My Top 5 would be:

1. Fernando Martinez
2. Kevin Mulvey
3. Carlos Gomez
4. Deolis Guerra
5. Phillip Humber

Those two first round picks, plus supplemental rounds, will really help re-juvinate our farm system. Omar should draft the best player available at every pick.. we need talent, not specific types of players. Head over to Projectprospect.com to read the article.

Weekly MLB Off-season Report

This weekly report will be for the week of November 13-19, 2007.

• The Minnesota Twins acquired OF Craig Monroe from the Cubs for a player to be named.


• The Detroit Tigers Re-signed CP Todd Jones to a 1-year deal.


• The Tampa Bay Rays exercised the option on RHP Al Reyes for 2008.


• The Milwaukee Brewers signed LHP Randy Choate to a one-year contract.


• The San Diego Padres signed RHP Adam Bass and OF Chip Ambres (former Met) to Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring Training.


• The Pittsburgh Pirates declined 2008 option for SS Cesar Izturis.


• The New York Yankees signed RHP Scott Patterson as a free agent.


• The New York Mets Re-signed C Ramon Castro to a two-year contract.


• The Atlanta Braves acquired OF Josh Anderson from the Houston Astros in exchange for RHP Oscar Villarreal.


• The Toronto Blue Jays acquired INF Marco Scutaro from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for RHP Graham Godfrey and RHP Kristian Bell.


• The St. Louis Cardinals signed C Jason LaRue to a one-year contract; Signed RHP Dewon Brazelton and RHP John Wasdin to Minor League contracts.


• The Texas Rangers signed RHP Warner Madrigal to a one-year contract.


• The Atlanta Braves signed LHP Tom Glavine to a one-year contract.


• The Los Angeles Angels acquired RHP Jon Garland from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for SS Orlando Cabrera and cash.


• The New York Mets Re-signed 2B Luis Castillo to a 4-year deal.

Many contracts and deals were agreed apoun during this last past week. Not to mention that The Mets have broke off talks with C Yorvit Torrealba...

Marc Kroon - 100 MPH Pitcher

One Japaneese pitcher,Marc Kroon, is considering coming to america to pitch in MLB. He didn't catch on in MLB but has been doing well for Yokohama the past few years. Kroon holds the record for the fastest pitch ever thrown in a Japanese game (161 km/h, which is about 100 mph). You can see that in this video. Kroon could be a good bullpen guy if he has decent control and 100MPH heat.
Hint, Hint Omar....

Four-year, $25 million contract for Castillo?

The Mets and 2B Luis Castillo have reportedly agreed to a Four-year, $25 million contract. That would keep him in Queens til 2011, I doubt he'll last that long. I hope that all the rumors about Castillos negative affect on Jose Reyes is not true and he will be a good top of the order hitter for the boys' in queens. The other options that were available were, Ruben Gotay, Orlando Hudson, and David Eckstein. Eckstein probley would have cost us 34-40 millon, and Hudson could have demanded a Aaron Heilman type player. Overall, I think this is a smart move besides the length of the contract. Athough, I would prefer O-Dog.

Glavine Offically Signs with Braves

The Braves and former Mets starting pitcher, Tom Glavine, have agreed to a 1-year deal worth 8-million dollars.I think we all knew that Glavine’s heart was always in Atlanta, even after his time in NY. Glavine did win some big games for us, but the way the season ended and his loyalty to The Atlanta Braves, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. As fellow blogger, Matt Ceronne said:

"i once went out with a girl, who, after we broke up, went back to her ex-boyfriend, with whom she had dated for five years or so before i met her…while together, we had a fun, but awkward relationship, and it never really felt right…this triangle with the Mets, Braves and glavine feels like the same thing"

That was perfectly written. Nobody could have said it better.Basically what The Mets did was trade an aging #5 starter, and received 2 nice draft picks, #18 overall and a sandwich pick, along with dumping 13 million in salary. Good Trade Omar, now its up to you to replace his 13 wins and 200+ IP.

By the way, I hope Glavine gets injured in Spring Training, and has to retire. =D

Tid Bits

• It looks like Glavine will pitch for The Braves in 08.. If and when he signs, we will recieve the 18th overall pick in the june draft along with a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds. His Contract is rumored to be worth 7-9 Million a year.. Thats a Hometown Discount...
• According to Marty Noble at MLB.com, free agent David Eckstein — not Luis Castillo — appears to be The Mets’ primary target for second base.
• Paul Lo Duca has told the Daily News that The Mets never once made an attempt to re-sign his client, which is a bummer because he will be greatly missed by the fans and mostly - David Wright.
• Cesar Izturis was released by The Pirates.. another 2B option?
• The Mets 2008 Catcher... Yormon Torreastro. hahaha!
• According to the New York Times, The Mets have interest in free-agent RP Octavio Dotel..
• Man in The Mirror- by Michael Jackson is a good song haha.

Second Base

• 
  With the Catching situation cleared up with Castro and Torrealba platooning, The Mets still have holes to fill. The Rotation, Bullpen, and Second Base are all areas of need. David Eckestein, Orlando Hudson, and Luis Castillo all have been named as possibilities. Eckestein and Castillio will only cost money, but Orlando Hudson will potentially cost a "High-end Prospect". Either option would be fine with me as long as we could lock up Hudson Long-term.
  
  
  
  

  Comparison:
• Orlando Hudson 2007 Stats: .294 AVG/10 HR/63 RBI/139 Games
• David Eckstein 2007 Stats: .309 AVG/3 HR/31 RBI/117 Games
• Luis Castillo 2007 Stats: .301 AVG/1 HR/38 RBI/ 135 Games
• Ruben Gotay 2007 Stats: .295 AVG/4 HR/24 RBI/98 Games

Which one would you want as your starting 2B?

Lo Duca Out, Castro and Torrealba In?

Today, there have been multiple reports stating the interest in Yorvit Torrealba. Mets.com and Metsblog.com are two of those sources. During the 2007 season, Torrealba batted .255 with 8 hrs and 47 rbi's. Yorvit batted considerably better at Coors Field. He batted .296 there and .212 elsewhere. I think this move will come back to bite Omar Minaya and The Mets management in the ass. Come on, .212 on the road.. are you serious? Shea Stadium is one of the most spacious parks in the league! If this move does become official.. I dont know how Mets fans would react.. all I know is that Torrealba is Garbage..

By the way, the deal is rumored to be for 2-3 years and 10-15 Million. Castros deal is rumored to be for 2 years and 4 Million.

Catching situation cleared up

According to Cbsportsline.com, The Mets are "close" to a 2-year deal.Speculation says that The Mets don't plan to start Castro, but to remain the understudy to Paul Lo Duca as he has been for the past two years. If and when this deal is finilized, it will be another smart move by Omar Minaya. Castro was such a run producer while he was in the lineup. Castro batted .285 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI. Pretty good for a second string player i'd say...


Today, Jorge Posada signed a mind blowing deal to remain with the New York Yankees. The deal was for four-years and $52.4 million to be exact. Man I am happy that The Mets didn't even get the chance to negotiate with Posada. He had a career year at the right time and If The Mets signed him, they would be stuck with a 53 million dollar investment and he would have to be a catcher because there is no DH in the National League. This is a blessing in disguise from god....

Oh, by the way, Posada WILL NOT hit over .300 next year.. You heard it hear first..

Mitchell Report

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Roger Clemens, his good pal Andy Pettitte, and Miguel Tejada were among those accused of using performance-enhancers in the Jason Grimsley affidavit. Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons, too. So much for Clemens getting through his career without ever being officially linked to performance-enhancers. It will be interesting to see who really did sterioids come January when the Mitchell report becomes public. I suspect that Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, and Jose Gullien will be on the report too.

Free Agency to begin at midnight

At Midnight, Major League teams will be able to talk to free agents and talk to them without any limitations. Now starts the Sweepstakes for Alex Rodriguez, Tori Hunter and Andruw Jones.

Can you believe that Andruw Jones is looking for 20 Million Dollars a year annually? Even after a .222/26/94 season...

Mets Catching Situation

Reports suggest that Jorge Posada and The Yankees are "close" on a new contract for the 36 yr old catcher. This means that The Mets are likely to fall back to Paul Lo Duca as the Starting Catcher in 08. Posada was quoted saying..

"My first priority is the Yankees..I would like to stay with the Yankees. My heart is with the Yankees, so hopefully we can get something done."

In 2007, Posada hit .338 with 20 home runs and 90 RBIs. The Mets should Definately pass up on Posada.. there is no way in hell that Posada will duplicate his 07 stat line. The best bet for The Mets is to re-sign Lo Duca because of his emotional leadership and quite frankly, there aren't any better options. Plus, Lo Duca hit .309/4/ 21 in September.

Reports: Braves "Optimistic" about signing Glavine

According to Jim Molony on MLB.com, Tom Glavine will "wait about a week and then announce he'll pitch for the Braves in '08." According to Molony, the deal will be worth about $8-9MM for '08 with a mutual option for '09.

Hey, im just happy we can get younger by receiving The Braves 18th overall pick in the draft as Compensation.. Possibly even another pick as well.. The only thing is, we have to replace his 13 wins and 200.1 IP. A trade for A.J. Burnett, Johan Santana, Joe Blanton or a signing of Carlos Silva and/or Bartolo Colon would help that cause.. not to mention Mike Pelfrey if he isn't inserted into the bullpen.

Players we Should've Drafted...

Sitting around procrastonating about The Mets like usual, I wondered how many good players that The Mets have passed up on in the draft.. so ill let you know..

In 05 alone, The Mets passed up on:

• Cameron Maybin
• Andrew McCutchen
• Jay Bruce
• Jacoby Ellsbury
• Matt Garza
• Craig Hansen
• Colby Rasmus
• Luke Hochevar
• Clay Buchholz (threw a no-hitter in September)
• Micah Owings

Would be nice to have any of those players on this team now..

Weekly MLB Off-Season Report

I will start to write all the transaction that transpired within the last week. I will write every Monday about that past week. Starting today.

Here we go:

• Mets sent OF David Newhan and LHP Dave Williams outright to Triple-A New Orleans. They refused the assignments and are free agents.


• Red Sox Re-Signed RHP Curt Schilling to a one-year contract with incentives.


• Phillies acquired RHP Brad Lidge and INF Eric Bruntlett from the Astros in exchange for OF Michael Bourn, 3B Michael Costanzo and RHP Geoff Geary.


• White Sox Re-Signed SS Juan Uribe to a one-year contract.


• Dodgers signed RHP Chan Ho Park to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training


• Philles signed LHP J.C. Romero to a three-year extension, with a club option for a fourth year.


• Tigers acquired OF Jacque Jones from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for INF Omar Infante.

Man, The Phillies had a busy week..

Braun and Pedroia..ROY

Today, Ryan Braun and Dustin Pedroia both won the Rookie Of The Year Award. Braun for the National League and Pedroia for the American League. Come to think of it, I Picked Alex Gordon and Mike Pelfrey to win the awards before the season...

Potential Trades; Free Agent Signings

So far this Off-Season ive heard alot of potential Trades and signings. Here is a list of the ones I think are actually possible.

Trades:

1. OF Carlos Gomez For Twins SP Matt Garza
2. OF Lastings Milledge For Athletics SP Joe Blanton
3. OF Carlos Gomez and SP Mike Pelfrey For Nationals CL Chad Cordero
4. SP Mike Pelfrey, SU Aaron Heilman and Lastings Milledge For Brewers SP Ben Sheets
5. 1B Carlos Delgado For Tigers 2B Placido Polanco
6. SP Phillip Humber and OF Ben Johnson for Blue Jays SP A.J. Burnett
7. SP Kevin Mulvey, SP Mike Pelfrey, and OF Carlos Gomez For Orioles SP Erik Bedard

Free Agent Signings:

1. Alex Rodriguez 3B
2. Eric Gagne CL/SU
3. Carlos Silva SP
4. Tom Glavine SP
5. Jorge Posada C
6. Paul Lo Duca C
7. Yorvit Torrealba C
8. Kosuke Fukudome RF
9. Jason Jennings SP

Which Trade sounds best to you? I Personally like the A.J. Burnett trade. Even though it might cost more than just Humber and Johnson. How about we throw in Mike Carp? Also, Which Free Agent would you like The Mets to sign? I think Gagne might not be a bad option comin out of the pen'.

If only we did'nt trade Bay, Kazmir

As many of you know,in the past, The Mets have let many good players slip right through their fingers. Jason Bay and Scott Kazmir are good examples of this. Not to mention Nolan Ryan.

In late September, MLB Traderumors.com posted an article stating the availability of the ex-met. Also, Scott Kazmir has been dangled at this years GM meetings in Orlando. Imagine how well off our team would be right now if our management had paid some attention to the trades they made. If we didnt trade Jason Bay or Scott Kazmir, our lineup and pitching rotation would look something like this...

Lineup:

• SS Jose Reyes
• 2B Luis Castillo
• CF Carlos Beltran
• 3B David Wright
• LF Jason Bay
• RF Moises Alou
• 1B Carlos Delgado
• C Paul Lo Duca
  Pitchers Spot

Rotation:

• Pedro Martinez
• Scott Kazmir
• John Maine
• Oliver Perez
• Mike Pelfrey/ Orlando Hernandez/Aaron Heilman

That would be pretty satisfying come april 2008. Carlos Delgado batting 7th? Wow that would be sweet.

Baseball Americas Top 10

Baseball America has released its Top 10 Mets Prospects for the 07 season.. here it goes..

1. Fernando Martinez OF

2. Deolis Guerra, RHP

3. Carlos Gomez, OF

4. Kevin Mulvey, RHP

5. Eddie Kunz, RHP

6. Brant Rustich, RHP

7. Philip Humber, RHP

8. Jon Niese, LHP

9. Nathan Vineyard, LHP

10. Robert Parnell, RHP

The way i translate this ranking, Phillip Humber is Garbage and wont ever make it big and The Mets farm system is weak. Even though Mike Pelfrey and Lastings Milledge technically arent "Prospects", they still have loads of potential and will help this team in 08. I’m not so sure if it’s a good sign or not that Kunz, Rustich, and Vineyard are already in our Top 10 when they were just drafted 5 months ago.

Garza?

Some reports today cited that the Twins would consider a deal for SP Matt Garza if the deal included one of The Mets top prospects, OF Carlos Gomez. To me I dont know if I would do this deal.. it seems to me that every time we deal a prospect for someone, it backfires in our faces and the prospect that we traded, turns into a star. I would like to avoid putting our team into that kind of situation.

Would you do this deal?

News: Lidge to Philly in 5-Player Deal

Earlier this evening, The Philedelphia Phillies acquired reliever Brad Lidge from the Houston Astros in a five-player trade, a source told ESPN.com.The Phillies sent outfielder Michael Bourn, pitcher Geoff Geary, and minor leaguer Mike Costanzo to Houston, and received infielder Eric Bruntlett in addition to Lidge.

This sucks, I hope The Mets will make some good moves this off-season too. Ever since Albert Pujols pulverized a Brad Lige slider in the 05 postseason, Lidge hasnt been the same. Hopefully this will continue to be th case and Citizens Bank Park wont be good to him.

By the way, why do The Phillies always seem to acquire former Astros closers?

Cabrera in RF?

Omar Minaya always has something up his sleave. The Flordia Marlins are known to want "three significant young players" in return for him. The 24 year old and 4 time all-star hit .320/34/119. Earlier today on wfan radio in NY, Mike Francesca said this

“I know the Mets love him. I know Omar is in love with him. But, again, it’s gonna be hard for the Mets to put together a package…Plus, the Mets need pitching, and the Mets don’t have any pitching to give up…I think Cabrera will be on the Yankees, the Mets or Red Sox. I think he’ll be a north-eastern player, this year, on one of those teams.."

Francesca also stated that Omar does not want Cabrera for 3B but for RF. So, to get Miguel Cabrera on this team, it might cost something like Lastings Milledge, Fernando Martinez, Mike Pelfrey, and possibly others? I wouldnt mind having Cabrera on this team but idk how good he can play the outfield anymore.. hes not exactly "slim." I think I would test my chances on Miguel Cabrera over Alex Rodriguez.. if we trade for him, all we give up is 3 top prospects but then we have an infield of Cabrera, Wright and Reyes for 10+ years...

Wright, Beltran recieve Honors

Today at 4PM, Mets 3B David Wright and CF Carlos Beltran each won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award at their respective positions. This is Wrights' first time recieving the award while this is Beltrans' Second year in a row that he has recieved this honor. This is really kind of ironic. Now David has a case for Omar when he asks him to move over to 2B or 1B. I still wouldnt mind having Wright at first. As some scouts believe that Wright could transition to 1B quite well.

A-Rod Sweepstakes begin...

Alex Rodriguez WILL cash in this winter. The thing is, who will give him insane amounts of money and how much will it cost? 350 million over 10-12 years? Thats a huge comittment and a uncomprehendible amount of money. Even though I love the idea of having Rodriguez on The Mets, there will be some good competition for him during this up coming off-season. The Angels, Giants, Red Sox, and Dodgers. It seems as if The Dodgers already have a leg up on the hydrant with Torre as their manager. I still think that The Amazins have a legitimate shot at landing him if Wright or Reyes is willing to change positions and if the Wilpons want to shell out all that cash for 1 player...

Silva should be a NO-NO!

According to multiple sources, Carlos Silva will be one of the most saught after starting pitcher on the free agent market. Personally I think hes garbage. For some reason he has always gotten considerable attention. He isnt very consistant and i dont think he would be a good fit for the mets.. If we are desperate for starting pitching, (which i dont think we are) we should see what Humber and Pelfrey could do.. unless we end up trading either of those we should look for a player like Bartolo Colon.. sign him to an incentive laden 2-year contract. What do you think?

Anderson to Re-Sign

The Mets are ready to make a smart move. They will re-sign Marlon Anderson for the 2008 season. Last year Anderson Batted .295 AVG/3 HRS/27 RBIS. He accomplished this in only 95 At-Bats with the Dodgers and Mets.

Marlon Anderson is a big part of this teams bench and chemistry. He knows most of the players very well and his timely pinch-hitting is so remarkable. This is a step in the right direction for The Mets heading into the off season.