‘I will always be a Phillie’ [Quote]

“I will always be a Phillie.”
-Chris Coste after signing with the Mets

What was that saying about getting off on the right foot?

(Via Brian Costa)

Mets add ex-Reds GM Krivsky to front office

Update: According to Ken Davidoff, Krivsky will attend roughly one homestand a month.Is this a sign of shoring up the front office
or a death knell for Omar Minaya?

Mets sign Chris Coste, add him to 40-man roster

According to a report out from The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, the Mets have signed 36-year-old catcher Chris Coste.

Coste, who played in 88 games last year split between Philadelphia and Houston, has been added to the 40-man roster.  The Mets were the only team to offer him a guaranteed spot on the roster, according to The Forum.

Last season, Coste hit .224 / .301 / .317 in 205 at bats.  He hit two home runs and drove in 18.  In his career, Coste has hit .272 / .329 / .416 with 23 home runs and 108 RBI over 437 at bats.

Looks like the Mets will be stockpiling catchers this off-season.

Cora contract details

As reported earlier, Alex Cora and the Mets have agreed to a $2 million dear, pending a physical.

Here are the contract details from Ken Rosenthal…

Cora can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses: $250,000 each for 80, 90, 100 and 110 starts. There is a $2 million option for 2011 that becomes guaranteed if he has about 80 starts next season.

No chance Cora makes 80 starts (again) for the Mets in 2010.  Unless 2009 happens all over again.  But that’s not possible.

…Right?

Essentially, this is a one-year deal for $2 million for Cora.  I like him back, but it’s still too much money.

Thanks, Nick!

Rosenthal: Mets talking to Blanco

The Mets and free-agent catcher Henry Blanco have been talking, according to Ken Rosenthal (via Amazin’ Avenue).

Rosenthal points out that Blanco would likely serve as a backup as the Mets are targeting Bengie Molina as their catcher for 2010 and beyond.

I don’t like this. 

1) Blanco, who is mediocre at best, had been with seven organizations in 12 years.  He’s a decent player off the bench, but isn’t that what Omir Santos is? 

And 2) Molina is going to cost so much money and his OBP is awful.

Then again, the catching market out there is terrible and these might be the Mets best options. 

If Blanco is just an insurance plan for if/when Santos “falls back to earth” (as if his sub-.300 OBP was so special anyway), I can understand.  But the Molina thing…Oy!

Unless you’d be content with Santos/Josh Thole platoon?

Report: Alex Cora returning to Mets for $2 million [Updated]

Update – 2:48 p.m.: Bart Hubbuch confirms Cora is coming back for $2 million, pending a physical.

Original Post: According to a report out of WEEI, the Mets and Alex Cora are closing in on a deal worth $2 million, relays Adam Rubin.

The contract would also contain a vesting option for 2011.

He appeared in 82 games for the Mets last year, hitting .251 / .320 / .310 with one home run and 18 RBI.  His season ended when he decided to have surgery on the ligaments he had torn in both his thumbs.

Cora made the same amount of money last season.

Back as the underdogs

As a Mets fan, we’re used to the idea that we’re usually not the best.  Sure, I’ve only been alive for 21 years, but for most of that short time, the Mets have rarely been considered the best team in their division.

The Braves, before 2006, had won the division 11 straight years.  In ‘06, the Mets won the division as the favored team.

Since then, due to signings and tradings, the Mets have been projected for the last few years to contened for the NL, or last year by many Sports Illustrated writers, to win the World Series.

But now, barring signings of Matt Holliday and John Lackey, among others, the Mets will roll into 2010 as underdogs.  The experts will likely favor the defending NL champions Philadelphia Phillies, with Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels leading their rotation. 

Playing second fiddle will be the Atlanta Braves, with a young, very talented pitching staff and a solid team.

After the Braves, the Marlins will probably slot in third in predictions.  If they keep Josh Johnson (as I expect they will), they must be considered a viable threat to the others in the NL East, even with their miniscule payroll.

So where does that leave the Mets?  Predictions will (hopefully) place them above the Washington Nationals, but still 4th out of 5 teams in the East.

That means the Mets will once again be underdogs.  A team that has some semblance of talent, but will take some luck, some streaks and good coaching to steer their way to being a winner.

I like the Mets as underdogs.  It tears away all the preconceived notions of winning.  It may go so far to take pressure off the players, but that can never be fully evaluated.  I like the team as loveable losers who I hope will surprise me.

Being the class of the division is fun sometimes, but I like my team to come out of nowhere, surprise everyone, while all along we fans knew they had it in them.  It’s more fun, more exciting and more entertaining.

I want them to win, and so do you, but isn’t it better when they shock everyone else in the process?  If teams want to take the Mets for granted, I hope that somehow, someway, the team responds and makes a statement.

Once again, the Mets are underdogs.  And I like it that way.

Who makes the Hall in 2010?

Here is the list of eligible players for the Hall of Fame next year, via Mark Feinsand.

(* indicates first time on ballot, italics indicated played as a Met)

Roberto Alomar*
Kevin Appier*
Harold Baines
Bert Blyleven
Ellis Burks*
Andre Dawson
Andres Galarraga*
Pat Hentgen*
Mike Jackson*
Eric Karros*
Ray Lankford*
Barry Larkin*
Edgar Martinez*
Don Mattingly
Fred McGriff*
Mark McGwire
Jack Morris
Dale Murphy
Dave Parker
Tim Raines
Shane Reynolds*
David Segui*
Lee Smith
Alan Trammell
Robin Ventura*
Todd Zeile*

Of the 26 players eligible, five served some time with the Mets.

• Alomar: 222
• Appier: 33 games
• Segui: 33 games
• Ventura: 444 games
• Zeile: 441 games

None of the five have any reason whatsoever to go into the HoF, if chosen, as a Met.  So you’re safe for another year, Tom Seaver.

Who do you think makes the Hall of Fame next year?

Poll Results: If you could sign just one free agent…

In my last poll, I asked my readers to pick a free agent to sign if they could have only one of them.  The options: Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, John Lackey, Joel Pineiro, Orlando Hudson and Chone Figgins.

Here are the results…Holliday and Lackey were far and away the leaders in this poll, as you can see.

If you voted (or even if you didn’t), what was your reasoning for your pick?

Next Poll: Do you trust Omar Minaya?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you to everyone who has visited and read this site in the past year.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

And don’t forget to list your three former or current Mets you’d like to have at Thanksgiving dinner!