Have you come to grips with the fact the Mets will not make the post season? I have. I’m not happy about it but it is what it is, the Mets have a big fork sticking out their collective oblique muscle. So that’s why I have gone from being totally pissed off that a team that is in the throws of bankruptcy, the Texas Rangers, are wheelin’ and a dealin’ while the Mets front office is at Jeffey Skill Sets Hamptons beach house walking the shore line with metal detectors looking for loose change.

There isn’t a proposed deal mention about the Mets that makes any sense for Omar (or the Omar like figure running these things these days) to pull the trigger on.:

Octavio Dotel  for LHP Robert Carson. I would love to see Dotel in the Mets over worked and over used bullpen but not for Carson. Carson is just 22 years old and throws a fastball that cuts, slder and  a change up. His has the abilty to change speeds on his fastball from high 80’s to low-mid 90’s. Some scouting reports potray Carson a LOOGY in the bigs or if he continues to grow as a pitcher a back end starter. At this point, it’s a good thing for the Mets to hold on to Carson. If the Pirates would take Eddie Kunz then this would be a great deal for the Mets

Brett Myers for Josh Thole and Bobby Parnell. First off I want no part of Myers and his baggage not only that Ed Wade is out of his fuckng mind if he asked for Thole and Parnell for Myers after giving Lance Berkman to the Highlanders for nothing. If I were the Mets GM and Wade called me with that offer I’d slam the phone down on him.

Carlos Zambrano for Ollie Perez and Lusi Castillo. As per Jon Heyman, Jim Hendry won’t take Castillo in the deal. Even if the Cubs said yes to this it wouldn’t work out financially for the Mets. Z is owed about $55 mil for the next three years, OP and Looie have the Mets in an $18 mil hole for 2011. So as I’ve said many many times it cheaper to DFA both these slugs. If the Mets really wanted to get creative they should revist this deal in the winter and switch Castillo with Frankie Rodriguez and offer that to the Cubs. I guarantee Mets fans will be cursing the K-Rod deal (if they’re not already) starting next year.

I think where some Mets fans miss the point with Mets front office, it’s not that the Mets don’t spend money, they just don’t know how to spend it. That’s why the GM and Manager (because Omar has lost the right to sign another manager) need to be reassigned and younger, hipper more analytical baseball executive needs to be brought in. I would love to see Paul DePodesta brought in or someone like him to go with Omar in his new assignment as Senior of Scouting and Player Development.

Can someone with access to Jerry Manuel , please for the love of God, ask him why he plays Jeff Francoeur every day!

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Bizarre story about Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington testing positive for cocaine last season. First thing I’d like to know is who leaked this to Jon Heyman as it should have been confidential. It seems that since 2008 MLB managers, coaches and front office personnel are subject to drug testing. Before getting tested, Washington told the Commissioners office and the Rangers front office that there was a chance he’d come up dirty.

Washington claims this was a one time use of the drug but how many 57 year olds, snort lines for the first time in their lives ?

This story will take on a life of it’s own

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The Mets get hammered in this town for a multitude of offenses and in most instances, the bludgeoning is warranted but when it comes to the decision by J-Man to work Jose Reyes into the 3 spot of the lineup, the criticism is not only unwarranted but it’s also senseless.

In today’s NY Post, avid Mets hater Joel Sherman (there are lot’s of Mets haters in MSM, Jon Heyman, Bill Madden, Tom Verducci and of course their Emperor Mike Francesa) has a full page column today take the Met to task for batting Reyes third, even though he admits it’s out of necessity and just something Manuel pulled out of his ass:

 The shift is a reaction to Carlos Beltran’s knee surgery, which will cost him at least a month of the season. Without Beltran to hit third, Manuel fears the lineup lacks length if he simply has David Wright bat third and Jason Bay fourth. The order would dip precipitously at No. 5, likely with Daniel Murphy. In addition, Manuel wants to preserve Reyes’ legs and feels batting him third will translate to fewer steal attempts to limit the risk of having runners thrown out in front of your best RBI men, Wright and Bay.

Sherman goes on in the article to give his hypothesis on why this is bad idea, but gives no solution, which of course there isn’t any. If Carlos Beltran were of sound mind and knee, this would not even be an issue but as we know the best laid plans of mice and Mets never go as planed and so they have this situation to make the best of the lineup until Beltran gets back.

Sherman lays out the answer to the why part of Reyes hitting third when he mentions Daniel Murphy hitting fifth. Murphy is not a #5 hitter. He’s a perfect #2 but the problem is Luis Castillo is also a perfect #2. And there is the problem; the Mets have two #2 and two #1 in Reyes and Angel Pagan.

From the rumbling’s from St. Lonesome, Beltran is progressing nicely and should just miss just the first month of the season (I know, I know you’ll believe it when you see it) so when he comes back Reyes moves back to the #1 spot and Beltran back to #3 and the team will live happily ever after. I hope.

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 7 days until pitcher and catchers

The Mets off season reminds me of the old TV show Green Acres. Remember, Mr. Haney the guy who sold a lot junk to the residents of Hootersville? Well that seems to be who Omar Minaya has morphed into a purveyor of useless pieces.

The latest move that makes no sense is the signing of Mike Jacobs. Jacobs was cut loose by the KC Royals because for over $3 mil a year the Royals got a player who can’t hit lefties, has an aversion to getting on base, and plays defense like Edward Scissorhands. Brilliant let’s sign him up. Think about this, in 7 days you’ll have so many players lining up at first base it will look like an Italian bakery on Christmas Eve, get there early and take a number.

Great story on Johan Santana by John Harper who donned the tools of ignorance to catch Santana down in Florida. This is what, the third or fourth story on Santana this winter and each one Johan is sending a message to Mets fans that the season won’t be the disaster most of us think it will be. From your mouth to Tug McGraw’s ears, Johan.

As per Jon Heyman, the Mets are taking a Pasadena on Rod Barajas but have signed John Harper to a one year deal.

No PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL tonight but we should have a show next week to welcome in Spring Training.

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according to Jon Heyman, the Mets have traded for Gary Mathews Jr. Still waiting to hear who the Mets gave up, but if it’s more than two Shake Shack burgers then we wuz robbed.

Listening to Jon Heyman on WFAN he says the Angels will pick up close to $20 mil of the $23 mil owed to Mathews but Luis Castillo is NOT part of the deal. 

The only thing that sucks more than Mathews Jr coming here is that Castillo is not going to Anaheim.

Much a fucking do about nothing.

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Sorry, I’m just standing here wondering what all the hubbub is over Mark McGwire’ admission on his steroid use last night. The best part of the evening was watching the sanctimonious Tom Verducci and Ken Rosenthal not accepting McGwire’s mea culpa. I love how Verducci, Rosenthal and Jon Heyman are now all over McGwire and the rest of the Steroid Sluggers but never confronted them or did any investigative reporting during that era but now they’ve all become holier than thou. Th eonly reporter who spoke up at that time was Steve Wilstein of AP who asked about the bottle of Andro in McGwire’s locker. Too bad MLBN didn’t have him on.  

By the way I still have a few questions for Big Mac than Bob Costas failed to hit on. “Who got you the dope”? “Did it occur to you that this was a Federal crime having illegal narcotics “? Were you willing to pay any price to succeed in the game even if it meant getting arrested and going to jail”? “Who instructed you on how to administer the PED’s”?

I love how the panel on MLB Network was up in arms by McGwire saying he didn’t think the drugs made him better, he said he took them for the sole purpose of helping recover from a string if injuries he suffered from. Sure you can call bullshit on that statement but like Rick Peterson says “In God we trust, all others bring data” in other words, It’s all opinion on how much affect the drugs had on his home run total. That’s not to say I don’t agree with those who feel the PED’s didn’t help him jack up his HR total, it’s just that I can’t prove it.

Last word on this whole situation, I have never been a fan of Tony LaRussa but I will say this for TLR, he is one loyal son of a bitch. He has had McGwire’ pock marked back all these years and still has it.

I’ll take this as good news. Seven Train to Shea quotes a Twitter feed from Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse saying that Carlos Delgado is not moving to well around first base. If the move was strictly Omar’s, Delgado would have been re-signed by the Mets already but it looks like Omar has doesn’t have final say on personnel matters anymore. This off season has not been a typical Omar Minaya off season. The Mets are much more patient, to the point of Mets fans screaming in panic (me included) I guess that’s we are used to, the Omar Way. Let’s face it, if Omar had full autonomy Bengi Moilina would be sitting with a 3yr guaranteed contract right now.

Also on Ed Price’ Twiiter feed he claims Mets are talking 2yr/$15 mil contract for Joel Piniero

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I’m still numb from reading this last night via Jon Heyman:

 

Toronto’s request of the Mets for star pitcher Roy Halladay was for top outfield prospect Fernando Martinez, young pitchers Bobby Parnell and Jon Niese and shortstop prospect Ruben Tejada, sources tell SI.com.

 

The Mets responded with a resounding no.

 

 I don’t know what is more stunning that J.P. Ricciardi would take a player plagued by so many injuries he has a handicap plate on his two wheeler, a dime a dozen reliever, a LHP who could be a back end starter maybe, and a teenager for one of the premier starting pitchers in all of baseball or that the Omar Minaya TURNED THIS DEAL DOWN!!!! Well Omar turning down the deal is not stunning in fact (that’s scary) but Ricciardi even offering that to the Mets? Does he hate being with the Blue Jays that much? Is there a secret pact with Minaya to hire Ricciardi as Tony B’s seat filler at $iti Field next year?

 

Ricciardi didn’t even ask for the best prospects the Mets own in Brad Holt, Wilmer Flores, or Jenrry Mejja. 

 

Then after the reports of Minaya turning down this offer Omar holds a news conference during last night’s game that he and J-Man are safe and sound in their jobs.

 

I will now douse myself in gasoline and light my sorry ass on fire.

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If we are to believe Jon Heyman the signing of Oliver Perez back to the Mets is eminent. If Omar goes over anything more than a 4yr/$42mil deal for OP he’s out of his mind. At this point I’d rather take a chance with Ben Sheets with a 2yr/$20 mil deal with incentives than give a big deal to OP, but it does seem like it’s Ollie to the Mets and that makes the rotation look like this:

 

Santana

Maine

Perez

Pelfrey

Garcia/Redding/Neise/Petey?

 

Take a look at this post by Dan Graziano’ on his NY Baseball Hack site as he lays out the question marks that make up this starting rotation. The only three that are durable are Santana, OP, and Tim Redding. Maine coming off surgery to remove a cyst on his shoulder tends to get fatigued and Big Pelf is still a blooming pitcher that for some reason, even though he is a big strapping young fellow Mets followers treat him like Grandmas Wedgworth china. I listed the Chief first in the 5th starters spot because I’m a big Freddy Garcia fan and I’ll be rooting my ass off for him this spring to make the big club. Redding could be the missing Darren Oliver link that hasn’t been discussed as much as it should have been and John Neise will be on the Buffalo/Flushing shuttle. That leaves Petey and there is a remote possibility that the Mets bring him back. 

 

Am I a little more optimistic than I was on Thursday night about the Mets chances? Maybe a little but those Marlins are still dancing in my head as the team that will give the Mets and Phillies fits all season.

 

As someone who is left handed, I always say you can never be to thin, to rich or to lefty and it seems Omar Minaya feel the same way  as he has signed Rob Mackowiak to a minor league deal. I love this signing by the Mets as Mackowiak is the definition of a super-sub as he plays just about every position on the field except pitcher. Think Super Joe McEwing but with talent.

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Well, so much for the quiet off season, as word comes via Scott Boras’ House Organ,- the Zelig like Jon Heyman, that the Braves have made a 4yr/$60 mil offer to the Boras/Lowe tag team. WHOA!!! I’ve been on board the Lowe bandwagon but if this offer is legit well for Lowe/Boras it’s too legit to quit.

 

How does Omar top that with a 4yr/$64 mil deal? Har-har-hardee-har-har would be the response out of Flushing.

 

The Braves are desperate after the defection of John Smoltz to the Olde Towne Team and the rumbling of the fan base that Frank Wren is a do nothing GM.  Also a factor here as it pertains to the Mets and Lowe, it seems Omar is the lone Lowe supporter among the decision makers in the organization with the rest of the brain trust clearly pro-Ollie Perez.

 

It could also be the old dirt and scandal from Lowe’ past is being brought back to the surface and the murmur of Lowe still in the grip of evil spirits.

 

So as it this story heats up it now looks like Ollie Perez will be the odd man in for the Mets as no way in the Mets up the ante in years or money to Lowe/Boras.

 

I still prefer Derek Lowe over OP as Lowe is a much more established and proven arm but at $15 mil a year for four years is too rich for my blood and a real overpayment for a guy who is not an ace.

 

What this does though is make OP the object of Omar’s affection but at what price? It’s reported (again by Zelig Heyman) that the Mets have met with OP and put a 3yr/$30 mil offer on the table, I’m sure Boras will counter with at least 5yr/$50 so figure OP will be back in the Flushing fold at 4yr/$40+mil with incentives and the like.

 

Hopefully there will be some kind of Mets news the next couple of day as we ready for our next installment of Pro Baseball Central this Thursday night (Jan 15^th) at 9PM EST on Blogtalk Radio. So join us Thursday at 9 and call in and give us your opinions at (646) 595-4462.

 

(UPDATE: The AJC is reporting that Derek Lowe has signed the 4yr/$60mil deal with the Braves. Panic in Peachtree!)

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Well, so much for the quiet off season, as word comes via Scott Boras’ House Organ,- the Zelig like Jon Heyman, that the Braves have made a 4yr/$60 mil offer to the Boras/Lowe tag team. WHOA!!! I’ve been on board the Lowe bandwagon but if this offer is legit well for Lowe/Boras it’s too legit to quit.

 

How does Omar top that with a 4yr/$64 mil deal? Har-har-hardee-har-har would be the response out of Flushing.

 

The Braves are desperate after the defection of John Smoltz to the Olde Towne Team and the rumbling of the fan base that Frank Wren is a do nothing GM.  Also a factor here as it pertains to the Mets and Lowe, it seems Omar is the lone Lowe supporter among the decision makers in the organization with the rest of the brain trust clearly pro-Ollie Perez.

 

It could also be the old dirt and scandal from Lowe’ past is being brought back to the surface and the murmur of Lowe still in the grip of evil spirits.

 

So as it this story heats up it now looks like Ollie Perez will be the odd man in for the Mets as no way in the Mets up the ante in years or money to Lowe/Boras.

 

I still prefer Derek Lowe over OP as Lowe is a much more established and proven arm but at $15 mil a year for four years is too rich for my blood and a real overpayment for a guy who is not an ace.

 

What this does though is make OP the object of Omar’s affection but at what price? It’s reported (again by Zelig Heyman) that the Mets have met with OP and put a 3yr/$30 mil offer on the table, I’m sure Boras will counter with at least 5yr/$50 so figure OP will be back in the Flushing fold at 4yr/$40+mil with incentives and the like.

 

Hopefully there will be some kind of Mets news the next couple of day as we ready for our next installment of Pro Baseball Central this Thursday night (Jan 15^th) at 9PM EST on Blogtalk Radio. So join us Thursday at 9 and call in and give us your opinions at (646) 595-4462.

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