Yeah, I’m still pretty sick. But this might hold you over until I’m better.
From the Mets…
The New York Mets today announced that they signed infielder/outfielder Jolbert Cabrera, infielder Luis Hernandez and lefthanded pitchers Bobby Livingston and Travis Blackley to minor league contracts and invited all four to major league Spring Training camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla. later this month. Additionally, the team extended major league Spring Training invites to righthanded pitchers Jenrry Mejia and Carlos Muniz, lefthanded pitcher Eric Niesen, catcher Francisco Peña, infielders Ike Davis and Ruben Tejada and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
Cabrera, 37, spent last season in Baltimore's system, appearing in 78 games for Norfolk (AAA) of the International League. A .257 career hitter, Cabrera spent time with Cleveland, Los Angeles (NL), Seattle and Cincinnati over parts of eight major league seasons. He played with Fukuoka of the Japanese League for two seasons (2005, 2006).
Hernandez, 25, split last season between Kansas City and Omaha (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, hitting .205 (15-73) in 37 games with the Royals. Hernandez's other major league action came with Baltimore in 2007 and 2008.
Livingston, 27, pitched in three different organizations' minor league system last season-Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh-and combined to go 10-2 with a 4.02 ERA (80 earned runs/179.0 innings) in 31 games, 29 starts. Livingston is 3-3 lifetime with a 6.31 ERA after pitching with Seattle and Cincinnati.
Blackley, 27, pitched last season with Reno (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, finishing the year 4-7 with a 4.85 ERA for the Aces. For his career, the lefthander is 1-3 with a 9.35 ERA in eight games combined for Seattle and San Francisco.
Mejia, 20, combined to go 4-5 in 19 starts for St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League and Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League last season. He has struck out 205 in 210.0 career minor league innings.
Muniz, 28, pitched with the Mets in 2007 and 2008, going 1-1 in 20 games out of the bullpen. The righthander spent 2009 with Buffalo (AAA) of the International League.
Niesen, 24, made 27 starts between St. Lucie and Binghamton last season, going a combined 7-11 with a 4.09 ERA.
Peña, 20, caught 100 games for St. Lucie in his third season in the Mets' farm system. He is the son of former Kansas City Royals manager and current Yankees bench coach Tony Peña.
Davis, 22, won the 2009 Sterling Player of the Year Award, given annually to the top player in the Mets' minor league system. The first baseman hit .298 (128-429) with 20 home runs and 71 RBI in 114 games between St. Lucie and Binghamton last season.
Tejada, 20, hit .289 for Binghamton while Nieuwenhuis, 22, won St. Lucie's Sterling Award, emblematic of the team MVP. Nieuwehnhuis ranked 10th in all of the minor leagues with 99 runs scored last season. He added 16 home runs and 71 RBI with St. Lucie.