MLB Payroll 101

Adam Rubin of Surfing the Mets, points out the MLB salary cap stands at $162 million this season, with virtually zero chance of the Mets exceeding the luxury-tax threshold. The total Mets payroll should be in the neighborhood of $143M, if his calculations are correct, and I see nothing that looks too far out of line. On second thought, Ollie at $14M is a bit excessive. I’m thinking, hoping and praying Ollie averages out to $11M per season. For arguments sake, let’s just knock down the Amazins payroll to say, $140M on the books for 2009. That's a lot of Benjamins!!!

Let me think about this for a second…that leaves roughly $22M in cap room. Is there a free agent out on the market just waiting to be plucked from the ranks of unemployment in that $20M-$22M range the Met Nation has been clamoring for; perhaps a guy that goes by the name Manny?

Here’s Adam’s logic? The Mets had four major contracts, totaling $31 million, coming off the books: from Pedro Martinez, Moises Alou, Orlando Hernandez and Perez. But, right away, raises for Johan Santana, David Wright and Jose Reyes ate away $5 million of that sum.

Add in the contracts for Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz totaling $14 million in 2009, and you're roughly left with $12 million to sign Perez and be at last year's payroll.

Of course, it's not quite that simple. Aaron Heilman and Endy Chavez's contracts are off, while John Maine gets a $2 million raise and Tim Redding is on board with a major-league deal. Scott Schoeneweis will make $3.6 million as a Diamondback, but the Mets are paying a portion, which isn't reflected below. Then there's a variable like Freddy Garcia, who can earn anywhere from zero to $8 million. Mike Pelfrey's salary isn't simple to figure out, either, since his original signing bonus is contingent upon how much major-league duty he logs.

Regardless, the payroll computation for luxury-tax purposes is different than actual '09 expenditures. For luxury-tax purposes, the average value of a contract is used. So if a player has a two-year, $10 million deal, making $3 million and then $7 million, the club is still charged $5 million each year for the luxury-tax computation. Or, for instance, K-Rod makes $8.5 million this year. But because it's a three-year, $37 million deal, the luxury-tax number is the average value: $12.33 million

Head over to Surfing the Mets to see Adam’s estimate of 2009 Mets salaries in millions:

Union Boss Already Chirping...COLLUSION???

Apparently Donald Fehr and his cronies are unaware of the ongoing global recession. I find it a little more than amusing, how the union heads believe baseball should be immune from current market conditions. Remember, this is the same crowd that believes the players should share in the rewards; however the converse should never apply when all is not well.

As reported by Ken Rosenthal, FOX SPORTS.com: Donald Fehr, head of the players' union, is not ready to conclude that owners are conspiring to hold down free-agent salaries.

But Fehr admitted Friday to "heightened" concern about the state of the market, citing the large number of free agents who remain unemployed.

Pitchers and catchers begin reporting to spring training in two weeks, yet nearly 90 free agents are still looking for jobs.

The union examines trends in every free-agent market, but will not decide whether to file a collusion grievance until the signing period is complete.

"Obviously, we've looked at it every year since the mid-1980s," Fehr told FOXSports.com. "That concern becomes heightened when you go late into the period of time when players should be signed and many fewer players have signed and spring training is nearer."

While club executives cite the faltering economy as the reason for the sluggish market, some agents say privately that the owners are working in concert to avoid competitive bidding for free agents.

Arbitrators ruled that owners violated the collective-bargaining agreement in such fashion in 1985, '86 and '87, leading to a settlement in which the owners paid the players $280 million in damages.

The union, before filing a grievance, would need to decide whether the agents are merely speaking out of frustration or whether facts support their claims.

The economy clearly is responsible for the plummeting values of many free agents. The union likely would take exception, however, if clubs deemed some of those free agents to have little or no value.

"No matter what the general climate is, we're certain clubs want to put the best possible teams on the field," Fehr said.

"There are certainly a significant number of quality players available that can help a lot of teams. I'm hoping the situation will rectify itself."

Manny Ramirez March comes to SNY Studios

Man-ny! Man-ny! Man-ny! Will the chants of 40+ Met die-hard fans be enough to bring Manny to the Mets? Will the Wilpons acquiesce to the cries of a demoralized Met Nation, who have been made to endure the indignity of successive September historic collapses? The short answer, it couldn't hurt, but it's still highly unlikely.

I know this without fear of contradiction, Manny would have been the difference maker in each of the last two Septembers.

Let Manny be Manny in the house the tax payers built!!!

Check out this article by Matt Gange.

Is Orlando Hudson willing to sit out?

Here's an interesting read by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.com.

Middle infielders such as Orlando Hudson or Orlando Cabrera also could gain leverage if injuries leave certain clubs with holes, or if the Mets, Cardinals, White Sox and other clubs with infield questions finally decide to upgrade.

He continues, the further Hudson is removed from wrist surgery, the more attractive clubs might find him.

Here's something many folks are unaware of; Sheets, Hudson and Cabrera all are Type A free agents; as it stands, any team that signs them would forfeit a high draft pick. But, as first reported by ESPN's Buster Olney, draft-pick compensation vanishes after the June draft — all the more reason for certain Type As to hold firm.

John Maine Signed, Sealed and now it's time to Deliver!

Johnny Maine has got a reason to smile.

By John Maine signing and avoiding arbitration, that leaves Pedro Feliciano as the Mets final holdout.

Feliciano made $1,040,000 last season; he's asking for $1,95,000; the Mets offered $1,350,000.

According to Joel Sherman, the Mets New York Mets have reached agreement with John Maine John Maine on a $2.6 million contract, avoiding arbitration, the Post has learned.

Maine also can earn $25,000 by pitching 200 innings.

Maine is coming off of surgery to remove spurs from his right shoulder. But the Mets remain hopeful that he will slot back into the rotation in 2009.

Jerry Manuel on SNY.tv - Daily News Live

Much is made about Jerry Manuel's comments about Manny Ramirez, and rightfully so. In case you missed it here are a couple of quotes from Manuel.

• "I would have no problem with people who produce in the form and fashion that Manny Ramirez produces"
• "I would love the opportunity to watch Manny hit every day"

It's clear Jerry Manuel is no fool. The Mets went 55-38 after Manuel took over for Willie Randolph. Randolph will earn $2.25 million not to manage in 2009. I guess you can say bringing Manny aboard will go a long way in getting Manuel a lucrative contract and an extension, as Randolph's pathetic contract comes off the books at the end of the 09 campaign.

Now, what I find most interesting is Manuel's lukewarm answer to a question regarding Castillo's ability to comeback after knee troubles and being the object of Met fans scorn. Manuel responded by saying, "couldn't say one way or another, what he's (Castillo) gonna do." He goes on to say, "we'll have to do something to put out the best team ." Now I ask you, why aren't the Mets making a move on the O-Dog, as baseball's version of a double coupon sale is going on this off season?

Aaron Heilman on his way to Wrigley

Well, on the bright side Heilman didn't wear out his welcome this time.

PA SPORTSTICKER reports: Less than two months after acquiring Heilman from the New York Mets, the Mariners traded the righthander to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday for infielder Ronny Cedeno and pitcher Garrett Olson.

Heilman struggled mightily as a reliever this past season, going 3-8 with a 5.21 ERA in 78 games while blowing five of eight save opportunities.

It appears as if Heilman will be given an opportunity to earn the 5th starters slot with the Cubbies. Throughout his career with the Mets, Heilman on many occasions vented his frustrations about the lack of good fortune to be in the starting rotation. Truth be told, he has pitched poorly as a starting pitcher, posting an ERA of 5.93 as a starter for 2003, 2004 and the beginning of 2005. Not exactly a record that he should defend.

Unfortuneatly, Heilman will always be remembered by Met fans as the guy who surrendered a tie breaking, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals, putting St. Louis ahead 3-1. St. Louis would hold on to the lead to win the National League pennant, while Heilman suffered the loss for the Mets.

I believe Sheryl Crow said it best, "A change would do you good."

50 games in the sin-bin for Cyclones, Kyle Suire

Adam Rubin of Surfing the Mets, is reporting Mets farmhand Kyle Suire, who most recently played for the Brooklyn Cyclones, has been suspended for 50 games, according to MLB. Suire tested positive for metabolites of the performance-enhancing drug Stanozolol, baseball officials indicated.

When will they learn?

Will there be a return engagement for Pedro?

Mets general manager Omar Minaya says the club is interested in signing pitcher Pedro Martinez to a new contract.
The Mets' four-year, $53 million deal with Martinez expired after last season. During his days in New York, Martinez's performance suffered from a range of injuries.
But Minaya said Martinez and his agent have been told the Mets are still interested in bringing back the three-time Cy Young award winner.
The 37-year-old Martinez went 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA last season. He had a 32-23 record in his four years with the Mets.
Martinez said over the weekend he had not received offers from any Major League teams, but he said he was training hard for the 2009 season.

Garland and Diamondbacks Agree to 1 yr +option

The Arizona Republic is reporting the signing of Garland to a one year contract with an option for 2010.

The specifics of the deal are not known, but Garland's guaranteed money is believed to be in the $6 million to $8 million range.

The deal is pending a physical.

Given that, his decision to decline arbitration from the Angels was viewed as a surprise in the industry. In arbitration, he only would have received a one-year contract, but it would have been worth more than the $12 million he made in 2008.

It's crunch time for the Mets front office. How long will they allow Boras and Perez to drag out negotiations in hopes a mystery time steps forward? If there is not a time certain date on the Mets last offer to Ollie, they're asking for trouble. Garland is the first domino to fall, how long before Randy Wolf decides he's had enough of waiting around in hopes that Ollie's negotiations fall through?

Now, I've been a humongous supporter of bringing in Ben Sheets to a one year incentive laden contract with a club option for a second year, assuming his physical checks out. However any leverage the Mets had will be quickly fading as each SP option comes off the board. In addition, I believe Ben Sheets needs to throw a bullpen session to elevate any linger doubts the Mets might have.

Omar, please take the initiative in negotiations with Boras and let him know in no uncertain terms, the last offer was a take it or leave it offer. Oh, and btw, you have till Thursday evening to give us an answer. Most people believe the Mets are bidding against themselves for Ollie's services. In fact, Matt Cerrone reported the General Manager of the Brewers, Doug Melvin has shown virtually no interest.

It's time to move on!

Mets report season ticket sales have been brisk

Associated Press reports, the Mets have sold nearly 25,000 seats per game for Citi Field's Inaugural season. In fact, only one to two percent of people who placed deposits for season tickets at Citi Field failed to follow through with their purchase. Based on my back of the envelope calculation, just south of 60% of seats per game have been devoured. Cha-Ching! That ought to be enough to bring in Dunn, O-Dog and Sheets.

While the Mets have sold all 49 luxury suites that were available -- reserving two for individual-game sales -- Howard said some inventory remains among the 10,000 premium seats, which include club level. Single-game tickets for the 42,000-seat ballpark will not go on sale until early March.

Slideshow of Citi Field and Shea Stadium Demo

Many thanx to islandxtreme26 of Baseball-Fever.com, for this updated slide show of both Citi Field construction and Shea Stadium demolition. Obviously islandxtreme26 knows somebody, as he was privileged to take a tour and make this available to all Met fans. To that end, we offer a collective thanx.

Citi Field is looking great! I love the uniform seat color vs. the obnoxious multi colored bright seats, what a huge improvement. The restaurant located in left field is a nice touch as well. The pod in straight away center field is waiting the arrival of the new and improved, 19' diameter Home Run Apple. About the only thing that I saw and was not thrilled with is the turf surrounding the Home Run Apple, perhaps landscaping would have fit in with the retro design of Citi Field.

Shea Stadium is being dismantled rapidly, and one can only hope the memory of the last two Septembers will vanish with the debris field. BTW, Yankee stadium will not be demolished till 2010.

Enjoy...Citi Field opening day is just 75 days away.

Citi Field Work and Shea Demo 1-27-09

Does Jose Reyes Have a Chance at 4,000 Hits?

Head over to NY Sports Dog and check out Dave's thought provoking post.

I truly believe there's a small amount of Met fans that don't really fully appreciate what we have in Jose Reyes. There is little doubt when Reyes is clicking on all cylinders, which is the norm and not an exception, he is the most electrifying player in the game.

For a brief comparison of my own, I'll take a look at Jose Reyes vs. Derek "candy arm, no range, envious teammate who refuses to move for a superior SS and constantly ranks the most over-rated player in baseball by his peers" Jeter's hit total at the tender age of 26. To be fair, Jeter has been a hit machine, if nothing else.

Utilizing Dave's projection, I'll go with Reyes reaching the 1,000 hit plateau on his 26th birthday. Jeter had 887 career hits; only two Yankees had more hits before age 26 (mickey mantle, 1080, and joe dimaggio, 970). I thought you might recognized those two names from the past.

Imagine had Reyes stayed healthy when he was just a pup, no doubt 1,000 would be in his rear-view mirror!

Oliver Perez Met deal done by Saturday?

Mack of Mack's Mets had this to say about OP's pending contract situation.

BTW, who is Mack and why does he matter? MLB Hub fills in the blanks on Mack's background; Mack brings years of experience as a beat writer especially with the minor leaguers, inside scoop and a unique perspective to his site.

Mack states, "sources tell me the deal will be done by Saturday night, Sunday the latest. 4 years + a 5th year team option. No amount of monies have been disclosed as of yet."

OMG...Four years with a fifth year team option is CRAZY! I'm hoping Mack's sources were off by a year or two.

Yanks, Mets feel the economic downturn

Bob Klapisch wonders if "anyone is really safe in this doomsday climate?" Oh by the way, so are the Mets and Yankees.

Both teams are confident in 2009 attendance figures, due in part to the opening of their pristine baseball palaces, as well as their star-studded rosters. How long that novelty will last is anybodies guess. Suddenly, the Mets decisions to limit seating capacity at Citi Field is looking a bit better. Not that I believe it was intended as a consequence of the economic slow down. On the other hand, The Yankees recently hired a real estate brokerage to help move their luxury boxes and premium seats, a quarter of which are still available.

Here are a couple of excerpts from Klapisch's insightful article:

The Mets are facing similar challenges, as some plan holders are pulling back. One official believes the Mets’ could suffer a 10 percent drop in ’09, as a number of fans are trading in their full-season packages to more modest half- and quarter-season commitments.

“One thing we’re seeing is people are shopping price a little bit, they’re assessing their options,” said Dave Howard, the Mets’ executive VP of business operations. “But I’d be more concerned if we were still selling Shea Stadium.”

Indeed, Citi’s Citi Field’s “wow” factor, as Howard described it, has helped the Mets keep full-season tickets ticket sales ahead of last year’s pace. But they waited until December to make partial season ticket tickets available, and have yet to start selling single-game tickets, as have the Yankees. That could be the truest test of all of New York’s baseball economy.

Braves Worried About O-Dog's Defense?

While O-Dog's defense has slipped slightly, to think that Kelly Johnson is as good as Hudson is just INSANE and LAUGHABLE!!! If reports are true and the Braves are not interested in O-Dog, it's a tremendous relief for this Met fan.
As reported by Mark Bowman, MLB.com: There was a time the Braves were talking about signing Gold Glove second baseman Orlando Hudson with the intention of moving Kelly Johnson back to left field. But because of concerns about Hudson's recent defensive decline, those discussions died more than a month ago.
Hudson, who won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 2005-07, posted a career-worst .982 fielding percentage this past season. More alarming is the fact that the 31-year-old veteran's range factor has annually decreased over the past four seasons. The career-worst 4.61 mark he posted this past season was trumped by Johnson's mark of 4.77.

Kirk Radomski talks to ESPN about Roger Clemens & HGH

Is Ben Sheets This Year's Biggest Bargain?

Buster Olney of ESPN Magazine, makes a forceful case for Ben Sheets being this year's biggest bargain. And I tend to agree with him.

Olney is quick to point out several contracts in the not so distant past, or as he puts it, "days of economic bliss", which might leave Sheets green with envy.

• Carlos Silva a four-year, $48 million deal
• Miguel Batista got $25 million over three years
• Jeff Suppan signed a four-year, $42 million contract
• Jarrod Washburn received a four-year, $37.5 million deal.

Wow! Suppan's contract must be a tough one for Sheets to swallow. Let's see, Sheets was the Ace of that staff, right? By most estimates, Sheets won't be getting an offer for half of Suppan's.

Here's what Olney had to say:

Over the past five seasons, the 30-year-old Sheets has an ERA of 3.24; his ERA has never been higher than 3.82 in any season, and was as low as 2.70 in 2004. His strikeout-walk ratio has never been worse than 2.87-1. Hitters have never had an OPS against him, in any season, higher than .705. When he has pitched, he's been significantly better than Silva, Batista and Suppan.

Think about that: In 2008, Sheets made 31 starts, threw 198 1/3 innings, posted an ERA of 3.09 while pitching in Milwaukee's bandbox, held opposing hitters to a .390 slugging percentage, started for the National League in the All-Star Game, struck out 158 while walking just 47 -- and in an industry that provided a $48 million deal for an innings-eater like Silva just 13 months ago, Sheets might be looking at a deal for less than half of that.

Omar, wake up and smell the Bostello Cafe!!!

Down Goes Shea, Down Goes Shea Demo Video

Special thanx to Dave of NY Sports Dog for pointing out this awesome video.

It's amazing how when the dust settles, Citi Field comes into view...Pump up the volume!!!

Utley To Be Ready By Opening Day

GRRRReat!!! What ever happened to Utley being out till the end of May?

The Associated Press reports, Chase Utley says his rehab from hip surgery is on schedule, and the Philadelphia Phillies second baseman expects to be ready by Opening Day.

Utley, who underwent right hip surgery Nov. 24, said Saturday he is just weeks away from starting to swing a bat.
"In two to three weeks -- that would be nice," Utley said. "If everything goes as planned, that's what we want to do. And right now, we're on schedule."

Say It Isn't So...O-Dog On Braves Radar

Images of Reyes and O-Dog making up perhaps the best double-play combination in MLB, are quickly fading. It's bad enough the Mets are not actively trying to acquire the O-Dog, however to have to face him 18 times a season is just unacceptable.

According to Dave O'Brien of the AJC, Orlando Hudson is on the Braves radar. And frankly, he makes more sense than Brian Roberts, who would require a package of prospects to get via trade, and who’d be a free agent at the end of the year. Why not just sign Hudson, especially since the price for the free agent isn’t going to be as high as suspected because the market for him isn’t nearly what he’d hoped it’d be.

In case you missed my piece on Orlando Hudson earlier this month, I have attached it below.

Mr. Wilpon, I'm asking you to take advantage of MLB's double coupon days.

Step one... Bring the O-Dog to town, right quick, fast and in a hurry!!!

Ken Rosenthal, of FOX Sports, puts it this way. Hudson is a switch-hitter. His effervescent personality would be perfect for a Mets team that has collapsed in each of the past two Septembers. And the high-energy, slick-fielding double-play combination of Hudson and Jose Reyes would be a fan's delight.

Can you think of a more suitable representative than O-Dog? He fits the quintessential profile of what Team Wilpon is looking for and can flat out play ball. I believe he will thrive in the limelight of NY sports and take pressure off D-Wright, being the lone soldier answering questions at the end of a game. O-Dog is active in the charitable works arena, specifically with his passion to fight autism. Did I mention he wants to play for the Mets?

To learn more about the C.A.T.C.H Foundation (Curing Autism Through Change and Hope), please visit http://orlandohudson1.com/catch.html

• Here's what he will bring to the ballpark every day:
  08 Season - O-Dog .305 BA/ .367 OBP/ .450 SL/ .817 OPS


• CASTILLO - .245 BA/ .355 OBP/ .305 SL/ .660 OPS

Oh, and just for craps and giggles, O-Dog's OPS 1.171 at Shea, eclipses the greatest all time career mark set by the Babe, 1.164. Believe me I'm not comparing him to the Babe!!! BTW, his second best OPS was Turner Field, 1.020. Yes, I'm aware of the sampling size.

SHEA- .400 BA/ .438 OBP/ .733 SL/ 1.171 OPS

• NL Gold Glove winner 2006 and 2007

Maine Throwing Pain-Free & Ready To Go

The Mets and their fans have to be excited about John Maine coming back healthy,with a fire burning down deep in his belly. Maine is throwing pain free, since returning from season-ending surgery in September to shave a large bone spur in his right shoulder socket. I can still remember watching him take the mound knowing he was in pain, yet refusing to give in. Maine is a BULL DOG!!!

Maine had a little bit of chirping aimed towards the Phillies in Kevin Kernan's article in the NY Post:

There is something else Maine wants you to know. He is not just that happy-go-lucky, crossword-solving right-hander that he has so often been portrayed as.

"I'm a little meaner than people think," Maine said. "And I'm not as naive as people think. As clichéd as it is, I can't stand losing. It drives me crazy. I hate losing more than I like winning. It really aggravates me when things don't go all that great."

Yes, it's been a tough two years for Maine. After two straight nightmare finishes and his Mets being labeled choke artists by Phillies ace Cole Hamels, Maine offered this: "They won the World Series and I say, "Congratulations.' Let them celebrate it, but just don't worry about what's going on in New York. We'll take care of it. And if I can remember; we beat them head-on last year, didn't we?"

John Maine says, "he's throwing five, six times a week" , promising he will show up for spring training early and ready to go. Ah, music to my ears.

Francesa's Take On Manny & The Mets

Every once in a while even Fatcesa makes a couple of good points. He does a pretty decent job till about half way through when he starts chin-wagging about the Yankee Dynasty. News flash, the Yankees have spent over a billion dollar$ in the past five years, with squat to show for it. Sometimes I wish Mikey would just pull his lips over his head and swallow!

Here are some of his observations:

• The Mets never go the extra Mile
• The idea that Omar never asked the Wilpons about Manny is insulting
• The Wilpons are not being fair to Omar
  

Mets Extend Offer To Ollie - Sheets New Medical Records

John Heyman of SI.com, reports on two fronts Met fans are interested in.

First, the Mets are believed to have increased their original offer of 3 yrs and $30M to Oliver Perez. Not much is known about the details of the new offer, however I find it curious as to the timing. The word on the street this afternoon was the Mets are now willing to go to four years for Ollie's services.

Just say no!

However, Ben Sheets just became more marketable.

Secondly, Heyman reports on Ben Sheets. Teams interested in free agent right-hander Ben Sheets have a new medical report to examine, according to MLB executives, and it is this new information that may have sparked some renewed interest in the talented pitcher.

Sheets has made available to several baseball executives updated medical information. You can bet all teams vying for his services are doing their due diligence, while combing through his reports with their medical staffs.

Mets Willing To Go 4 Yrs With Ollie

Andrew Marchand of ESPN Radio reports, the Mets may be willing to go four yrs for Oliver Perez.

Here are the Highlights as reported by Andrew Marchand:

A source tells 1050 ESPN New York that the Mets will eventually be willing to go to four years for Oliver Perez. Meanwhile, the Mets have growing interest in Ben Sheets. A source says that the Mets don't think Sheets' arm is perfect, but it is not terrible either.
The source says he didn't think the Perez negotiations will be completed too soon. A red flag on Sheets, according to the source, is that he started more than 30 games last season, but hadn't done that before since 2004.

To my way of thinking, Sheets for two yrs and and option for a third is a much more prudent utilization of their resources. Ben Sheets will slot in as 1A in the Mets rotation. Imagine Johan and Sheets at the top of the rotation...SCARY!!!

Alou In Talks With Phillies - I Can't Make This Up

The Phillies are going hard after Alou, as they continue to wait and see if Nomar Garciparra wants to continue his playing career. Needing a righty bat with some pop off the bench is a weakness they're trying to address. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. confirmed interest in the 42-year-old Alou but did not sound as if a deal was imminent.

Apparently, Alou is expecting more playing time than the Phillies are looking for in a reserve, situational hitter. Ruben Amaro states, "this is a limited playing role."

Do not be deceived, Alou can still rake! It's always been about staying in the line up with him. I just can't help to think, Alou would some how stay healthy enough to do damage to the Mets at some point in the season.

Garcia Chooses The Amazins

According to Doug Miller of MLB.com, Freddy Garcia has agreed with the Mets on a minor league contract. Garcia could earn between $8 million and $9 million with incentives in 2009 if he makes the club in Spring Training, the report said.

From my earlier post:

I believe based on Garcia's past performance, he would make for an admirable insurance policy for the back end of the rotation. In short, bring on an incentive laden, minor league contract.

Now let's go out and sign Sheets or Ollie (Sheets is my preference), and move aggressively towards adding lightning to go with our mediocre lineup after the five spot. Can you say Adam Dunn? I know you can.

F-Mart Cracks Keith Law's Top 100 Prospects #16

When Keith Law speaks, all of baseball listens!

Let not your heart be troubled, no if ands or buts about it, Fernando Martinez is an elite MLB prospect. The Mets are extremely fortunate to have F-Mart as part of their organization. Please keep in mind he's only 20 yrs old and still growing physically and in baseball awareness. Keith points out, F-Marts inability to stay on the field/healthy is his biggest issue.

There was a time when another young Met phenom shared the same fate, where the injury bug would constantly find him...His name is Jose Reyes. My have times changed.

Here's Keith Law's evaluation of F-Mart: To view the top 25 prospects click on link to the left.

Martinez's big issue is staying healthy; he has yet to reach 400 plate appearances or play in 100 games during any of his pro seasons, excluding winter ball. This is a shame, because Martinez has a special bat and the injuries plus some aggressive promotions have obscured it. Martinez offers huge power potential, putting on a display in BP, but it has only briefly started to emerge in games. He has very quick and strong wrists, letting the ball travel on him before exploding quickly and making solid, hard contact. In the field, he's looking more likely to end up in right field; the Mets have one of the game's best center fielders in the big leagues and don't need to groom Martinez for that position. His pitch recognition, while good for his age, hasn't progressed over the last two years, and the more he's pushed up the system the less likely it is that the skill will develop. Martinez has now played the equivalent of a full season in Double-A before his 20th birthday, and the Mets are faced with the difficult decision of whether to promote him to Triple-A because he has "graduated" from the lower level or return him to the Eastern League for the third consecutive year so he can work on his plate discipline and, maybe, catch his breath.

Is Garcia in a New York State of Mind?

FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal is reporting, the Mets and Yankees have emerged as the leading contenders for free-agent right-hander Freddy Garcia, according to a major-league source.

It's my hope that the report of a minor league contract is correct. In no way should Garcia be given a job in the starting rotation or major league roster, without first proving himself in spring training. According to Rosenthal, Garcia would prefer a major-league contract, which would guarantee him termination pay if he were released in March, but might need to accept a minor-league deal.

I would prefer to see Omar go out and get Sheets or Ollie, in that order. Then and only then, I believe based on Garcia's past performance, he would make for an admirable insurance policy for the back end of the rotation. In short, bring on an incentive laden, minor league contract.

Career Stats:

• 118 Wins vs. 77 Loses; that's a healthy 41 games over .500.
• .407 ERA; not bad considering his tenure in the American League
• Starting pitcher in the championship clinching game four of the 2005 World Series. Garcia went a sparkling seven innings, allowing no earned runs.
  

Imported Minnesotan Home Run Apple - All the Rage

That's right, not Washington state...Minnesota. Thanks to the efforts of two MN companies. Courtesy of FOX 12 Mankato.

With the apple in bad shape, that tradition was in jeopardy...Eric Saretsky, Director of Mets Construction says, "Its frame was so rotted that it's now going to sit as like a memorial in our Hall of Fame."

I guess you can say it was rotten to the core...Forgive me, I cant help myself.

The new Apple is four times the size of the original Home Run Apple, at 19ft in diameter and weighs in at 6,000 pounds. This Apple shoots up in the air in three seconds flat.

Jose Reyes is Dominican's Leading Man

Jose...Jose...Jose...Jose...Batting first...Playing SS, Jose Reyes! Reyes has beat out all bat and no glove Marlin, Hanley Ramirez at SS. Wow, Jose will be the straw that stirs the drink for A-Rod, Pujols and Ortiz. Now that I think about it, I'm not so sure about Ortiz. The Dominican Republic will be an offensive juggernaut, to be sure.

NY Mets In the World Baseball Classic

Adam Rubin, of Surfing The Mets, compiles a list of Mets participating in the 2009 WBC. He points out that at least 10 of names mentioned will be on the opening day roster. Dang, that's 40%. Santana's participation is still contingent upon his left knee's health.

United States - RHP JJ Putz, C Brian Schneider, 3B David Wright
Australia - IF Stefan Welch
Canada - 3B Shawn Bowman
Dominican Republic - SS Jose Reyes
Panama - LHP Angel Antonio Cuan, IF Ruben Tejada
Puerto Rico - OF Carlos Beltran, IF Alex Cora, 1B Carlos Delgado, OF Jesus Feliciano, RHP Pedro Feliciano, RHP Nelson Figueroa
Venezuela - RHP Francisco Rodriguez, LHP Johan Santana

O-Dog, Sheets, and Dunn Equals WS Title

Let me start off by saying, I don't think Omar has the payroll flexibility/juice to get this premium combo package signed, sealed and delivered. I pride myself on not pretending to know the financial situations of others, but in Team Wilpons case I'm willing to make the rare exception. The Madoff Ponzi Scheme has been all over the news, the blogoshpere and of course talk radio, it's time to acknowledge the 800 pound gorilla in the room.

According to Josh Alper, Wilpon's company, Sterling Equities, invested hundreds of millions of dollars with Madoff. I've heard loose estimates from $200M to $400M.

Alper, sums it up this way:

The mets have a new park and their own cable channel, which should provide enough revenue to keep the team running even as Wilpon rushes from criminal to criminal in attempts to increase his fortune. If things get tight enough, however, he may need to sell off a portion of the team and that could impact the way the Mets are run.

Team Wilpon, now is the time to give your loyal fans the championship they so richly deserve. Here's the beauty of it all. You can do so by spending a fraction of what your crosstown rivals, the Yankees spent this off-season. Who knows, you may even pop up on the back page of the local fish-wrap again.

In short, Mr. Wilpon, I'm asking you to take advantage of MLB's double coupon days.

Step one... Bring the O-Dog to town, right quick, fast and in a hurry!!!

Ken Rosenthal, of FOX Sports, puts it this way. Hudson is a switch-hitter. His effervescent personality would be perfect for a Mets team that has collapsed in each of the past two Septembers. And the high-energy, slick-fielding double-play combination of Hudson and Jose Reyes would be a fan's delight.


Can you think of a more suitable representative than O-Dog? He fits the quintessential profile of what Team Wilpon is looking for and can flat out play ball. I believe he will thrive in the limelight of NY sports and take pressure off D-Wright, being the lone soldier answering questions at the end of a game. O-Dog is active in the charitable works arena, specifically with his passion to fight autism. Did I mention he wants to play for the Mets?

To learn more about the C.A.T.C.H Foundation (Curing Autism Through Change and Hope), please visit http://orlandohudson1.com/catch.html

Here's what he will bring to the ballpark every day:

• 08 Season - O-Dog .305 BA/ .367 OBP/ .450 SL/ .817 OPS

CASTILLO - .245 BA/ .355 OBP/ .305 SL/ .660 OPS

• Oh, and just for craps and giggles, O-Dog's OPS 1.171 at Shea, eclipses the greatest all time career mark set by the Babe, 1.164. Believe me I'm not comparing him to the Babe!!! BTW, his second best OPS was Turner Field, 1.020. Yes, I'm aware of the sampling size.
  

SHEA- .400 BA/ .438 OBP/ .733 SL/ 1.171 OPS

• NL Gold Glove winner 2006 and 2007.

Step Two... Ben Sheets- Make Ollie a take it or leave it offer of 3 yrs/ $27-30M. If as I suspect, he does not accept, it's time to move on to Ben Sheets.

• Much is made of Sheets' injury problems, however he did manage to pitch 198 innings in 31 games last season.
• Highlights for 2008: Top Ten NL 3.09 ERA (5), Complete Games 5 (2), and WHIP 1.15 (7)
• Three time All-Star
• Double Digit victories in all but one of eight seasons

Step Three... Adam Dunn - Plz don't bring out the strikeouts. Dunn's OBP more than makes up for it.

• Last year's stats; .236 BA/ .386 OBP/ .513 SP/ .898 OPS. To put his numbers in proper perspective, Dunn would be second to D-Wright in OBP, SLG and OPS, had he been with the Mets last year. D-Wright's stats were .302 BA/ .390 OBP/ .534 SL/ .924 OPS. Dave, plz continue to spoil us!!!
• Highlights for 2008; First in NL with 122 walks, Second in NL with 40 tape measuring BOMBS and Top Ten in OBP and OPS.
• Rumor has it the ball is carrying in Citi Field... Watch out Pepsi Porch! I believe LGA air traffic control may have to utilize alternate flight plans when Dunn is in town.
• Dunn will patrol left this season, however next year Delgado comes off the books and he can slide over to first base.
  

Nelson Figueroa Loses No-Hitter In the 10TH

GETTING FIGGY WITH IT!!!

So close, but yet so far away. There are those who call it the curse of Nolan Ryan. Something about being property of the Mets and not being able to get the elusive no-hitter; it makes little difference that he wasn't even wearing the blue and orange of the Mets.

Congratulations Figgy!!! In a playoff appearance for the Cardinales, of the Venezuelan Caribbean league, Figgy came up huge. Outstanding job of nine inning no hit ball. Figgy went nine plus innings in route to picking up the win, while allowing just one hit and one walk.

Mr. Met Part 2 - Old School Commercial

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

Spring training is around the corner, as pitchers and catchers will be reporting within a month. How long are the Mets willing to wait on Ollie?

We all know Omar has an itch that can only be scratched by Oliver Perez. Here's the problem...If the Mets wait too long, in hopes that the available pitchers on the market price continue to free-fall, there's a real risk of being left standing when the music stops.

Scott Boras is in no rush, in fact, he's punching up digits and talking to however will listen about Ollie. Boras always seems to have a mystery team in waiting and is not likely to accept bargain basement prices.

David Lennon of Newsday, maps out the Mets wish list hierarchy. Perez remains the top priority, Sheets appears to be a wild card, and Randy Wolf and Jon Garland are next in line. The Mets also are among four teams in the hunt for Freddy Garcia, who could pick one this week, according to a person familiar with the situation. The other three are the Yankees, Rangers and White Sox.

Here's what the Boston Globe is reporting:

Ben Sheets, RHP, free agent: While Texas appears to be considering Sheets, don't be shocked if Philadelphia has interest as well. The Phillies have been arbitration-strapped, with a huge outlay likely headed Ryan Howard's way. The Phillies are trying to find a way to get someone of Sheets's caliber on their staff.

I'm not sure if the Met faithful can take another free agent being gobbled up by a competitor in our division...Certainly, not one with the talent of a healthy Ben Sheets.

Leiter B-lieves Mets Need Manny

Bill Price reports on the Al Leiter interview heard on the FAN, with Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts. Price, as well as Benigno and Leiter, are in agreement that the Mets should make an attempt to bring Manny aboard for the 2009 season. The idea of a one yr deal with an optionis has been floated around, yet again. While he concedes there is a likelihood that Manny can "be a headache for Jerry Manuel or the Mets PR", the pitchers would love to have a bat like Manny's in the lineup. In addition, Manny is well liked by his teammates.
This may be wishful thinking; he makes the point that Omar "would do it in a second, but we also know the Wilpons haven’t exactly given Minaya a blank check to work with this year." In his opinion, there are less than a handful of teams that can afford Manny. You got it, the usually suspects - Mets, Yanks and Dodgers.
I believe after the Yankees spent like drunken sailors this winter, they're not a player. Furthermore, they're actively trying to move Nady and/or Swisher, depending who you get your Hot Stove scoop from. To me, it looks like Manny's the Dodgers to lose. Now, should the Wilpons wake to an epiphany and open their checkbook, I believe it will take two years with an option for a third to bring Manny to Citi Field.
Price shares more about Leiter: He discussed his days with the Mets and then discussed the fact that he was booed during the Shea Goodbye ceremony on the last day of the season. I know his time with the Mets ended badly, but I would argue he is the best Mets starting pitcher since Doc Gooden and David Cone left town. I hope Johan Santana will make that statement false by the end of this year, but if you look at Leiter’s time with the Mets, it’s hard to argue.

Ahh, Al's a bit sensitive!

Where Are They Now - Dwight Gooden

Happy, healthy Doc optimistic for future

Click on the link above to read Marty Noble's piece on MLB.com. It's a good article that chronicles the good, the bad and the ugly in Doc's colorful life/career.

For now, let us reminisce about the glorious early days of his career.

Watching the 19 yr. old phenom was an event unparalleled in NY sports, back in 1984. Shea was filled to capacity and there was electricity in the air, he certainly put cheeks in the seats. The question was never would Dr. K win, it was about how dominate he would be on any given night. Doc was the 1984 NL Rookie of the Year, compiling mind-numbing stats. He was 17-9 with a minuscule 2.60 ERA, in 218 innings...Wait there's more! Seven complete games (more than the entire 2008 Mets pitching staff combined) and three shutouts...Just for good measure, Doc tallied 276 strikeouts, hence the name Doctor K.

Sophomore jinx, I don't think so! Check out this WIKI entry.

In 1985, Gooden pitched one of the most statistically dominating single seasons in baseball history. He led the league with 24 wins, 268 strikeouts and a 1.53 ERA earned Gooden his league's Triple Crown. He led the NL in complete games (16) and innings pitched (276 2/3). From his second start onward, Gooden's ERA never rose above 2.00. No surprise here, he was the youngest recipient of the Cy Young Reward.

Half a Dozen Mets File for Salary Arbitration

Marty Noble of MLB.com, gives a list of the sextuplets filing for Salary arbitration.

The club faces possible hearings with Ryan Church, Pedro Feliciano, John Maine, Angel Pagan and Duaner Sanchez, and Jeremy Reed. But chances are most of the six will settle and avoid hearings, as is the case with most clubs.

Al Leiter was the last Met to actually go to a hearing back in 1992. Since then the Mets have done a fantastic job avoiding arbitration hearings over the last 17 yrs. Oliver Perez broke the streak of 17 yrs when he not only filed, but was victorious in his case against the Mets last year. Perez, no doubt benefited from having the incomparable, Scott Boras plead his case, armed with his legendary stat books and golden tongue.

DUBYA NOT INTERESTED IN MLB POST

George Bush says he won't pursue Bud Selig's commissioner job

As reported by 'Duk of Big League Stew, a Yahoo sports blog:

Baseball overlord Bud Selig says he plans to retire after his contract runs out after the 2012 season, but we can already eliminate one potential successor if Selig actually goes through with it this time.
President Bush denied that he would have any interest in the baseball's commissioner job while appearing on Larry King Live Tuesday night.
The former Texas Rangers owner also said he wouldn't look to get back into any ownership roles once he resumes life as a normal citizen, preferring instead to get his baseball fix through Extra Innings and what one would assume are some pretty sweet ticket hookups.
From CNN transcripts:
KING: If Bud Selig retires, which he probably will pretty soon, would you be commissioner? G. BUSH: No, no. KING: Would you get back into the game? G. BUSH: No. I'm going to be a fan. I'll keep knowledgeable so I can hang in there with you when it comes time to talk modern, current baseball.
No word on if Bush plans to petition Barack Obama for an appointment to be either the nation's official first pitch hurler, t-ball game host, World Series jersey accepter or some job that would be a combination of all three.

Johan a Sports Psychologist, Too...

OUR SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST CAN PITCH BETTER THAN YOURS

The contribution made by sport psychologists: Helping athletes, through psychological treatment methods, to achieve optimum mental health and therefore enhance sporting performance (often involving techniques such as visualisation and relaxation)

ANTHONY McCARRON, DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER , has an interesting article today involving Johan Santana, throwing his support to a Mets re-signing of Oliver Perez. Aside form Johans view that Ollie has matured, he also touches base on pitching for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic in March. Have a look at focal points from the article or click on Anthony McCarron for the complete article:

Santana believes the Mets are familiar with a pitcher suitable to fill the gap in their starting five - Oliver Perez. In a conference call Wednesday, Santana made a pitch for GM Omar Minaya to re-sign the 27-year-old lefthander, who went 10-7 with a 4.22 ERA last season.

"He's a guy, a pitcher I think has learned a lot from last year," the Mets' ace said. "I had a great time with him and hopefully Omar will be able to keep him. He matured.

"He learned every game is important. I told him from the beginning, it doesn't matter what you do tomorrow, you have to learn from today. Sometimes he lets his emotions take over, so he could be more mature this year. Hopefully, Omar and his agent will find a way to keep him in New York.

"He's not just a great guy, but a good pitcher, too. He's going to be a good one."

Santana also reiterated what he said last week in an interview with SNY - his surgically repaired left knee is recovering and he believes he'll be fit enough to pitch for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic in March.

"I feel that I will play, my mind is set to play," Santana said. "At this point I don't know what's going to happen with the medical staff and the team. There's a lot of things in place here that they have to protect. If they don't want me to play then I won't play. I would love to represent my country and be part of the WBC. My mind is set for that, I'm going to be ready for that, but it's up to the team and Omar."

Santana has been riding a bike and working on strength and conditioning. He realizes he has to "worry about my knee." He added that he might report to Port St. Lucie a week early and said he's going to meet with team trainers in a week.

FERNANDO MARTINEZ - A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Do not be discouraged grasshoppers!

Adam Rubin post on F-Mart: Fernando Martinez's winter ball season is over. After hitting .314 with six homers and 26 RBI in 153 at-bats for Escogido in the Dominican Republic, the Mets' top prospect moved to Venezuela for Caracas' postseason. However, Martinez hit just 4-for-25 with seven strikeouts and was replaced on the roster by Armando Rios.

Adam Rubin does a fine job in giving a balanced look at F-Mart's body of work for the entire winter. I'll take a sampling size of 153 at-bats over 25 at-bats any day.

Meanwhile, Matt Cerrone takes a more direct approach that ends with praise being heaped on F-Mart by Leones President:

According to El Universal, Fernando Martinez has been let go from Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League.

“Martinez is a great player,” Leones President Luis Avila told the newspaper, “but unfortunately he couldn't hit as we hoped. We informed him of our decision yesterday and he took it in a very professional way.”