Mets Rumor: Courting Chad Cordero?

Chad Cordero has long been an Omar Minaya favorite. The free agent, coming off of surgery on a torn labrum, will likely not be ready for the beginning of the season.

The Mets, Cardinals, Rangers, Tigers and Diamondbacks are five of the clubs Cordero plans to talk to. The Nationals, the team Cordero played for the last six years, are no longer in the mix.

According to the source, Cordero and his agent, Larry Reynolds, are planning to meet with Mets general manager Omar Minaya on Wednesday. The source didn't know when the other meetings were scheduled.

I have a feeling Omar will try his very best to sign him for roughly two years, if his arm is indeed all right.

Cordero could be the set up man the Mets are looking for, considering he also has a ton of closing experience and could be used in such situation if need be. Corder has notched 128 saves for the Expos/Nationals franchise since 2003.

Dan Graziano to leave The Star-Ledger

The leading baseball writer for my home paper is apparently leaving his post in a few weeks. Dan Graziano revealed in a recent online column that he will leave The Star-Ledger when 2008 expires.

If you're a subscriber to or follower of The Star-Ledger, you know things haven't been good there or anywhere else in the newspaper industry. You may or may not know or care that I'm leaving the paper at the end of the 2008 calendar year. (Yes, that's right. three weeks to go.) I have no idea what I'm doing next, but I'm hoping I won't disappear completely from your view or consciousness.

I've always read and enjoyed Graziano's work. He sometimes had a Yankees slant, but he was usually very objective and thorough. He was one of the first writers that got me into reading and following baseball at a somewhat obsessive level.

I will miss his work. Hopefully he starts up a blog or something.

The newspaper industry is tanking. I sure picked the right major.

My thoughts on the Francisco Rodriguez signing

Though this soap opera didn't take nearly as long as the Johan Santana courting of 2007-2008, the Mets and Francisco Rodriguez agreed to a three-year contract on Tuesday, much to the relief (get it?) of Mets fans.

My first thought: Well done, Omar Minaya.

Paul Kinzer, K-Rod's agent, had originally set the bar at five-years, $75 million. To get possibly the games best closer for three-years and $37 million (with a vesting option for a fourth year, worth $14 million) is a great job by Minaya & Co.

That makes it two years in a row he has gone out and landed his No. 1 free agent. Now if only the Mets could make the darn playoffs.

My second thought: The decreased velocity thing was overhyped.

How would you expect to sign a man coming off a year where he set the single season saves records for a lot less than he originally demanded? Make up stories about his arm.

Sure, it's a documented fact that he has lost a mile per hour or two off his fastball. Yes, he isn't throwing his slider as much as some may like. But he can still throw in the mid-90's consistently and has developed a changeup, which Torii Hunter called "The Equalizer."

If the Angels, or any other team for that matter, had wanted to sign K-Rod, they could leak a story about his arm and his velocity in a hope his price would come down and they could make a play for him. The Mets should find out today if everything is in working order, as Rodriguez is supposedly in New York (or en route) for his team physical before the signing is announced.

My third thought: Bring on the celebrations!

K-Rod is exciteable, there is no doubt about that. If you've never seen him celebrate a save, just wait until you see what he does after making that final out. There's screaming, fist pumping and great facial expressions, all while usually in the crouch position.

If you have a problem with Jose Reyes' celebrationg (I'm looking at you, Philadelphia) then prepare for a whole other level of anger. K-Rod is one of the more brash, in-your-face type players in the MLB. When he beats you, he'll let you know about it. I'm just glad this guy is pitching for my team.

Finally: Great signing.

Even though he's yet to throw a pitch for the Mets (and will likely be hurt by June with this teams luck) this is a great signing. Minaya filled his biggest hole with the biggest free agent in that market. And he really didn't overpay, no matter what anyone tells you.

Minaya is slowly putting together what could be the right team to make a run at the World Series. There are still a few screws missing from this current team, but he's getting around to it all. Eventually.

What's next for the Mets?

With Francisco Rodriguez in the fold, Omar Minaya has cleared the first hurdle this off-season. The next question is, what does he do next?

I would hope that his next signing or transaction would be for a starting pitcher. I'm more worried about the two gaping holes at the back of the Mets rotation as opposed to who is manning left field when we already have people that can do a semi-decent job out there.

Everyone keeps talking about Jon Garland being a fallback plan for the Mets. Why? He's not going to be the ace of your staff, so you can live with his ERA over 4.00 every year. Plus, he eats innings, logging 190 IP or more every year since 2002. The Mets may need to pay him a little more than they wish, but they can. Garland is actually near the top of my wish list for starting pitchers for the team to acquire.

Minaya seems infatuated with Raul Ibanez, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being the next New York Met. I don't necesarily hate Ibanez, but in no way would I get excited about him playing in left next year. Yes, that would move Fernando Tatis back to the bench, but that would also force Daniel Murphy either to the bench as well, or back to the minors where he can at least get regular playing time.

The Mets continue to pursue Huston Street, though it seems that Aaron Heilman may not be included in a possible deal for the ex-A's closer. The team wants a set-up man who can also fill in at closer if need be. Street would be an excellent addition to the team, but it's unknown what the Mets would have to give up.

They had offered Heilman and Pedro Feliciano, but when the Rockies called back, Minaya had changed his mind. The Rox just signed lefty Alan Embree, so their need for Feliciano is probably diminished.

Back to the starting pitching market, I keep hearing conflicting reports about Derek Lowe. First the team is courting him, then he's too expensive and then back to "the Mets are considering Lowe." I think he's too expensive for the type of pitcher he is, and looking at what the Mets need, he may not be the best option.

Ken Davidoff believes the Mets should sign Oliver Perez. I wouldn't mind that. We know what he's capable of, but Scott Boras is going to demand the bank and more for his client and I think the Mets are unwilling to pay that much for the inconsistency of Perez.

Pedro Martinez's name continues to be brought up, but as I wrote last night, I believe the team is attempting to drum up buzz about it as an act of good faith.

Oh, and don't count on Manny Ramirez coming to the Mets, as I hinted at in Minaya's notebook. I give it about a 2 percent chance of happening.

Gag me! Luis Castillo to hit leadoff?

Read: Castillo to hit leadoff?

I would vomit all over my television every time if I have to watch Luis Castillo hit leadoff for the New York Mets in 2009.

Sorry for the vulgarity of that, but Castillo slapping his way into an out is not the way I want to see the Mets start the game or set up for the heart of the order.

Jerry Manuel is no fan of Castillo, Bart Hubbuch notes. I beg of anyone to find me more than 10 Mets fans who actually like seeing "the gimpy one" in blue and orange.

Two tidbits: Raul Ibanez and Pedro Martinez

Two little nuggets to much on as you process the Mets deal with Francisco Rodriguez.

The Mets brass in Las Vegas apparently dined with Raul Ibanez's agent at the Bellagio, reports Ken Rosenthal.

The Mets are looking into Ibanez to fill left field, which is currently being manned by a tandem of Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy.

He's a little too old for my liking, especially for the seemingly cursed left field of the New York Mets. Omar Minaya has been after him since July, so now that he's a free agent and within his grasp, I think if Omar can get a grasp on him, he'll snag him for his team.

Minaya also mentioned that the Mets remain interested in Pedro Martinez.

I have a feeling this is a good act on behalf of the Mets toward Pedro. He meant a lot to this club, even if his wins didn't show it. His signing ushered in a new era of the team. They are likely doing this to drum up some rumors and buzz about him as he tries to sign elsewhere.

I think the Mets should sign him, cheaply, to compete with Jon Niese and Bobby Parnell for a spot in the rotation. If he beats them out of spring training, but gets hurt a few weeks into the season, then the team can turn to Niese. That's instead of just handing Niese the job as it stands now. What if he falters? Then what?

Cheaply, I wouldn't mind him. Now that K-Rod is all but locked up, Minaya will begin to look elsewhere. What his first move will be in unknown. Stay tuned!

Mets sign Francisco Rodriguez -- pending physical

According to a the Associated Press, the Mets and free agent Francisco Rodriguez have agreed to a three-year deal, with a vesting option for a fourth year.

The deal is supposedly worth $37 million, plus incentives.

The vesting option would likely be triggered by innings pitched or saves converted and is worth $14 million.

Update - 3:44 pm: News on the vesting option, via Ken Rosenthal.

That vesting option is within reach as long as Rodriguez pitches his normal number of innings as a closer, either in the third year of the deal or in a combination of years two and three. "Basically, he's just got to be healthy," one source said.

Joel Sherman claims that K-Rod may be in New York as early as Wednesday for his physical with the team.

Again, that is three-year, $37 million deal with a $14 million vesting option for a fourth year.

Let's make sure all the parts work the same before we begin to sing his praises as a member of the Mets. Don't want to be the party-pooper here, but let the Mets doctors get their hands on him to see if all is in working order.

Update - 4:06 pm: The Mets have the 25th pick in the first-round of the First Year Player Draft, which will be heading into the Angels hands with this signing. They will also receive a supplemental pick.

If the Mets happen to sign another Type A player who was offered arbitration, the picks are divvied out to the appropriate teams by the caliber of the players signed.

The equalizer

With the Mets very close to signing Francisco Rodriguez for at least the next three years, Joel Sherman asks Torii Hunter and Mike Scioscia how K-Rod will handle New York.

Among the questions, Sherman asks about K-Rod's supposed diminishing velocity, and got this response from Hunter:

His velocity was down in parts of the season but in August I looked up at the scoreboard and saw 93, 94 mph. Plus he developed that changeup and on our team we called it 'the equalizer.'

Seems the Mets will have another nasty changeup in their arsenal if/when K-Rod comes aboard. The ace of the starting rotation has a pretty good one too, if you don't remember.

I like this already. So he's down from 97 mph to 94 mph? He's not even 27-years-old? Three miles per hour may not seem like a lot, but I think he can get by with 94 mph. Especially if he now has a changeup to counter his fastball.

I think I can live with that.

Ken Davidoff out of a job?

Update - 2:19 pm: Davidoff is safe. Whew!

Say it ain't so!

Taking a step away from the insanity in Las Vegas, it looks like one of my favorite writers may be soon joining the independent blogging ranks.

According to the New York Post (via River Ave. Blues), Newsday is laying off 100 staffers, including Ken Davidoff.

Three sports columnists' jobs are being eliminated. They are Sean Powell, Johnette Howard and Ken Davidoff.

Insiders said that some of the staffers might be allowed to reapply for lower-paid editorial positions. Davidoff's name was expected to be among that group.

Davidoff is easily one of the best writers in the New York area and he will be sorely missed if he is indeed gone for good. The Post reports that he may be offered a lower-paying job with the paper.

Good luck, Davidoff. If you ever need to know how to start your own blog, give me a call.

Update - 12:35 pm: The man is apparently unphased. Davidoff is running a live blog chat right now.

Manners?! We don't need no stinkin' manners!

If the Mets sign Francisco Rodriguez (I'm still using "if" until this thing is official. Remember Yorvit Torrealba?) prepare for more angry Phillies fans.

We always hear about how excitable and immature the Mets are, especially with Jose Reyes and his dancing. Well, K-Rod is probably one of the most over-the-top players in the league. Have you seen him celebrate a save?

It seems the Mets are sliding away from David Wright's pretty-boy image, and more toward the rough and tumble competitive side we've seen in all players at some time.

And I celebrate this.

The Mets have tried to stay "classy" for years, trying to show the upper hand in all of this. Meanwhile, the grittier Phillies have, well, you know.

It's time this team got some attitude, some spunk. Let's sign K-Rod and let's start celebrating victories with some screaming, fist pumping and even some dancing.