Mets Rumor: Freddy Garcia

Freddy Garcia has been drawing interest from the Mets for a while. As a free agent, coming off surgery and, well...right now.

The Mets have been in contact with his representatives, a baseball official confirmed. The righthander, who will be 32 on Opening Day, is a candidate to be signed by the Mets even if they sign one of the players ahead of him on the list. He could compete with recently signed Tim Redding for the No.5 spot.

He's another one of those low-risk, high-reward guys the Mets rarely sign. Stockpiling pitching should be the No. 2 priority right now, behind getting a front-line starter.

Go for it.

Papers abuzz with Ben Sheets and Andy Pettitte rumors

The Sunday papers are filled with column and articles making the case for the Mets and Ben Sheets (and Andy Pettitte too.)

John Harper thinks Sheets and the Mets should happen:

If they're going to try and win a championship with a pitching-dominant formula, then they need to think hard about signing Ben Sheets.
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The righthander, who turns 31 in July, was 13-8 with a 3.08 ERA last season, and was mostly injury-free until injuring a flexor tendon in his elbow in September that rendered him ineffective late in the season and sidelined him for the Brewers' playoff series with the Phillies.

Still, Sheets did throw 198 innings last season, four more than Perez, and consistently flashed the combination of mid-90s fastball and killer curve that make him one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy.

I agree with Harper. When healthy, he's one of the best. The Mets need to take a chance here and sign Sheets if they want to compete in 2009.

David Lennon confirms that Sheets is and Pettitte is not on the Mets radar:

Two of the most intriguing names still available are Ben Sheets and Andy Pettitte, with the Mets only recently showing interest in the former Brewers ace. A person familiar with the situation said yesterday that Sheets is now being discussed, but it's unclear what the parameters of such a deal would be.

The oft-injured Sheets is a calculated risk, and in this market, so late in the offseason, he could wind up being a relative bargain. As for Pettitte, a person familiar with the club's thinking said the Mets are not involved with the former Yankee.

At least Minaya remembers there are other pitchers besides Oliver Perez. I think I would actually prefer these two pitchers over Perez.

Finally, the reason to sign Sheets may not be to just get him on the Mets' staff, but rather to keep him out of the Phillies hands. From Boston.com:

2. 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.

Minaya, please sign Sheets, just so the Mets don't have to face him five times a year.

Too much talk, not enough doing. It's been a good off-season so far, but the Mets need to make a few more splashes before they're ready for 2009.

Three more years -- of Cole Hamels

Hate to say it, Mets fans, but get used to Cole Hamels in red and white.

According to Alden Gonzalez, the Phillies have inked Hamels to a three-year deal worth roughly $20.5 million. This deal takes him through his arbitration-eligible years, and runs right up to the beginning of when he can hit the free agent market.

Strangely, Hamels is only 1-3 against the Mets in six career starts. So maybe this is a good day for Mets fans!

He is undeniably one of the best young pitchers in the game, being only 25 years old and already notching up 38 wins. Last season, Hamels put up a 145 ERA+ (with 100 being average for the league), which is 45 percent better than the league average. In his career, he's posted a 1.136 WHIP. Not too shabby.

More Jon Garland and the Mets rumors

A-ha! Someone seems to be listening.

Peter Botte in the Daily News:

The Mets have maintained regular contact with the representatives for free agents Randy Wolf and Jon Garland as fallback options if they don't retain Perez.

Get one of them and either Oliver Perez or Ben Sheets, and I will be a very happy Mets fan.

Edgardo Alfonzo is greater than Luis Castillo

Via Ken Rosenthal:

Third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo, who last played in the majors in 2006, is intriguing clubs with his performance in the Venezuelan Winter League. Alfonzo, 35, has a batting average/on-base/slugging line of .322/.383/.483, with eight home runs and 42 RBIs in 60 games. He also lost weight, and could make a worthwhile investment on a minor-league deal, starting at Class AAA and working back to the majors.

I'm just saying...

Take a chance, Omar! It can't get much worse.

(And I know he was primarily and third basemen, but he did play 549 games at second base. And don't jump down my throat, I'm 99 percent kidding.)

Buffalo Bisons unveil new uniforms

The newest Mets farm team, the Buffalo Bisons, have unveiled their new uniforms for the 2009 season.
The blacks uniforms are ugly, just like the parent club. The white ones are perfect. The grey one is great, with the lettering, but the giant interlocking NY on the bottom left of the uniform is just awkward.

Check out the Buffalo News website for a full video, complete with interview of Ed Kranepool.

Thanks, Howie!
James P. McCoy / Buffalo News

Happy Birthday, Marlon Anderson

Today is Marlon Anderson's 34th birthday. Happy Birthday!

Let's all hope you get back your pinch hitting prowess as a gift.

Are the Mets just an average team heading into 2009?

Take a step back from all the hype. Forget about the rumors and possibilities. Looking at the team, right now, are the 2009 New York Mets just going to be an average team?

Let's go through the team, position by position, and figure out if the Mets can compete in the NL East.

Starting Pitching

Johan Santana is the anchor. He's one of the top 3 pitchers in the game, and will go out and perform every time he is called upon. He's pretty darn good, and we all know it. He'll be just fine, even if he is coming off meniscus surgery.

Mike Pelfrey had a great season, finally blooming into the pitcher Mets fans hoped he would be. He topped 200 innings pitched in '08, which was a jump of almost 130 innings. As I've brought up time and time again, Tom Verducci of SI.com has shown that young pitchers who make such a large jump from season to season, generally struggle the next year. Knowing that past history doesn't always show future performance, this still leaves me with a lot of doubt for Pelfrey's 2009 campaign.

John Maine, coming off an injury-shortened season and still recovering from surgery, is another question mark in the Mets rotation. If he can come out and pitch like 2007, everything will be fine, but that's a big "if." Mets fans should expect a season like last years, with Maine struggling with high pitch counts and decreased velocity. Maybe Dan Warthen can get Maine to go for the throat when he's ahead on batters, instead of dancing around the plate and running up to a full count pretty much every time. Maine could have a bounce back year, but I highly doubt it.

Next, I guess I'll talk about Tim Redding. The Mets, hopefully, are not done constructing their roster, but as of now Redding likely projects as the #4 starter. That's just not a good sign to begin with. A 34-51 pitcher, with a 4.92 ERA and 1.501 WHIP in his career, Redding should be a 5th starter.

Behind him, the Mets have rookie Jon Niese. He started three games in 2008, going 1-1 with a 7.07 ERA. His lone win was in an absolute masterpiece, allowing six hits over eight innings against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 13. But with only 14 innings under his belt, he is unproven at the major league level.

Hate to say it, but the Mets have one solid starter and four giant question marks. Even if the Mets manage to sign Oliver Perez or Ben Sheets, neither of them are spectacular signings, with Perez struggling with inconsistency and Sheets battling the injury bug. The Mets rotation is very weak.

Closer

Can't get much better than Francisco Rodriguez. He was an excellent signing -- due to his talent and the money the Mets will be paying him. Unfortunately, the only way he's worthwhile is if the team hands him a lead. He could have an excellent season, especially in the "weaker" NL. Great player who should shine if given the chance.

Set-up Man

J.J. Putz is a proven major league closer. With over 100 saves under his belt, he should make a great closer. I say "should" because we've all seen how most closers do in a non-save situation. The same mentality just isn't there and the closers often fail to shut the door. Hopefully (there's that word again), Putz can just pretend he's saving games and bridge the gap to Rodriguez in the 9th.

Rest of the Bullpen

Duaner Sanchez, Pedro Feliciano, Sean Green, Brian Stokes and Carlos Muniz make up the bullpen. In order: not confident, specialist, OK, could be good, stinks. That's how I see them. Not very confident in this bullpen at all.

Catcher

I have no problem with Brian Schneider. Some pitchers may prefer Ramon Castro, and I'd like to see him get more time if healthy. Between the two, I think the Mets have some very well called games and decent production at the plate.

First Base

The second-half of 2008 for Carlos Delgado was in a word: Magical. It made most fans forget about his horrendous end of 2007 and beginning of '08. Will he be able to recreate June of '08 on? Probably not. Will he stink it up like the first half of the year? More likely. I expect something in between. Nothing earth-shattering, but nothing miserable. I'd like to see Daniel Murphy get groomed for this position, if he has the glove to stick there.

Second Base

Luis Castillo is pretty bad. With the slap hitting, the gimpy running and the injuries (not to mention the $18 million he's owed), he's a major hindrance to the team. I predict Alex Cora will start 40 games at second this season. Hopefully Murphy has improved his fielding and can play there.

Shortstop

Jose Reyes is the most exciting player in the game. Expect that to continue for years to come. Not worried about this position at all.

Third Base

David Wright will be fine. MVP in 2009?

Left Field

Platooning worries me. With Fernando Tatis and Murphy slated to split time in left, I'm not too confident in LF. Tatis is not going to have the same season again. That was a fluke. He'll be OK, but nothing like '08. Murphy might be on the brink of becoming the Mets young spark. The team needs to find a place for him, but wherever he plays, I hope he hits.

Center Field

Carlos Beltran is one of the most underrated players in the game. No, he won't hit for average, but he's one of the top 5 center fielders in the game. Mets fans should feel lucky to have him.

Right Field

Oh, concussions. Ryan Church, when healthy (beginning of the year) was excellent. Running down balls I didn't think he'd get to, hitting much better than expected and all around looking like a steal. Then the concussion in Atlanta happened and he wasn't the same player again. If he can play like he did pre-concussion, the Mets will be set in right. If not, there will be trouble.

Bench

Jeremy Reed, Marlon Anderson, Cora and Tatis or Murphy (depending on who is in LF) make up the Mets bench. I don't see Angel Pagan or Nick Evans making the team, but those two guys will be perfect to have waiting in the wings. Reed is the new Endy Chavez, as he is capable of playing any OF position. Anderson will likely see time at first base and will resume his pinch hitting duties. Cora will serve as the backup middle infielder. Tatis will likely play some first base and third base, along with his LF duties. Murphy might see time at second, depending on his spring training, but will likely see the majority of games in LF.

Overall

The Mets weakness is their pitching. The rotation simply is not that strong and the Mets are going to suffer. They focused on the end of games, but that will be a moot point if the team isn't getting a lead to the set-up man and closer.

I'm not overly impressed by the Mets right now. I think they're over-projecting Maine and Pelfrey in 2009. Redding and Niese at the back-end of the rotation is sickening. The offense shouldn't be a problem, with the core players carrying most of the weight. The rest should do their part, but not blow down the doors.

In conclusion, the Mets could finish anywhere from fourth to first (the Nationals are very bad) in the NL East. A run at first place would take a few mini-miracles and going relatively injury free through the season. It will be an uphill climb, no doubt.

Sign Jon Garland, please

I present you with the best fact I've found on why the Mets should sign Jon Garland. He may not be a spectacular pitcher, but this Stat of the Day shows why he's so durable and enticing.

Stat of the Day:

Today, I was wondering, from 2002 through 2008, how many big league pitchers younger than age 29 have posted four or more seasons where they made at least 32 starts, threw at least 190 innings, and won at least 10 games?

Here is the list.

Look who is at the top.

Six file for arbitration

Six players have filed for salary arbitration.

Duaner Sanchez, Pedro Feliciano, Ryan Church, Jeremy Reed, John Maine and Angel Pagan all filed for arbitration. David Lennon has the players service time and 2008 salaries up.

Last off-season, Oliver Perez was the first Met player to make it to a hearing since David Cone in 1992. Five bucks says they'll have another hearing this year. Clearing six players before the deadline is going to be a tough task, especially with Omar Minaya's attention elsewhere.