Mets baseball blog

Maine signs one year deal with Mets

The Mets have avoided arbitration with pitcher John Maine, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2.6 million, the team confirmed Friday.

The two parties met halfway between the $3 million Maine sought and the $2.2 million the club initially offered. The new contract also contains a provision in which Maine can earn an additional $25,000 if he pitches at least 200 innings this season. Continue

Manuel is willing to squeeze Manny into lineup

David Wright issued his endorsement last week. Jerry Manuel similarly indicated he gladly would welcome Manny Ramirez into the fold if Omar Minaya andJeff Wilpon reverse course and pursue the free-agent slugger before spring training opens next month.

"A righthanded hitter such as him is a big bonus for any team. It's rare that you get that type of talent, boom, right in the middle of the lineup, that type of guy, and being righthanded, for us that would be a big bonus," Manuel said Tuesday after delivering food on behalf of City Harvest to Holy Apostles Church's soup kitchen in Manhatten. "But that's Omar and the Wilpons, that's their thing. I'm just like you guys are, like the fans are. 'Hey, if you got it, cool.' Continue

Radomski: I took 2 tests for Doc Gooden

Convicted steroids dealer Kirk Radomski, the Long Island man who was one of the central witnesses in baseball's Mitchell Report, told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" yesterday that he twice took urine tests in place of Dwight Gooden when he was a clubhouse boy for the Mets.

Radomski, 39, of Manorville, has written a tell-all book called "Bases Loaded" that is to be released tomorrow. He was a Mets clubhouse boy from 1986-95 and says he directly or indirectly sold steroids or human growth hormone to "maybe two, three hundred" former or current baseball players, including Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, David Justice and Miguel Tejada. Continue

Mets up offer to Oliver Perez

The Mets reportedly have upped their offer to Perez with either an additional year or more dollars above the three-year, $30 million contract they've had on the table for several weeks. The team also has signed veterans Tim Redding and Freddy Garcia (minor-league deal) this winter to compete with prospects Jon Niese and Bobby Parnell for the fifth starter spot. (Daily News)

Omar Minaya never mentions Manny Ramirez, insists Jeff Wilpon

Omar Minaya has long been enamored of Manny Ramirez, but with the outfielder still available as a free agent, the Mets' GM has never presented the troubled slugger to his boss as a possibility for left field at Citi Field.

Therefore, the Mets' chief operating officer says he believes his baseball bigwigs don't want Ramirez.

"Omar and the baseball staff aren't interested," Jeff Wilpon told Bloomberg news Thursday. Continue

Mets, Garcia reach deal

The Mets have one more veteran pitcher to consider for the fifth spot in their starting rotation. According to industry sources, right-hander Freddy Garcia has reached agreement with the team on a minor-league deal.

The 33-year-old Garcia, who made three starts for the Tigers last season after undergoing shoulder surgery the previous year, likely will compete for a starting job in spring training with veteran Tim Redding and rookie Jon Niese. Continue

Church, Mets OK $2.8m deal

Two more down, two to go.

Ryan Church and Angel Pagan yesterday became the latest Mets to forego arbitration, agreeing to one-year contracts with the team.

Church will receive $2.8 million in 2009, after making $2 million last year. Pagan, who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum, will get $575,000 after making $401,500 in 2008. Continue

Mets should fill gap in starting rotation with Ben Sheets

If the Mets are going to continue to ignore Manny Ramirez's availability and take a lineup that has significant question marks into the 2009 season, then they need to think boldly about filling the final spot in their starting rotation.

In other words, 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.

The idea is to win a championship, right? And not just field a competitive team now that they have their shiny new ballpark that ensures big crowds on a nightly basis.

I'm not saying they should do anything stupid. Sheets' history of injuries, which includes six stints on the disabled list, makes the idea of a long-term contract too risky, which is why he's still unsigned this deep into the offseason. Continue

Mets' offseason foundering as the Braves swipe veteran

The Mets aimed Lowe, bid low and missed, leaving them little choice but to scroll lower on the free-agent depth chart.

One step forward for GM Omar Minaya with Francisco Rodriguez's addition to the bullpen last month, one step backward yesterday, when the NL East rival Braves stuck it to the Mets by landing right-handed starter Derek Lowe for $60 million over four years. Continue

Mets GM Omar Minaya rates chance of more pitchers at 50-50

On the same day the Mets introduced their new starting pitcher, Tim Redding, GM Omar Minaya described his confidence level at adding another, bigger-name free agent pitcher as "50-50."

"You're never too confident," Minaya said on a conference call. "You never know. The bottom line is, you're in negotiations. Clubs all need pitching. I'd say it's 50-50."

Ideally, the Mets would like to sign either Derek Lowe or Oliver Perez, and Minaya acknowledged, "We do have some offers out there." Randy Wolf is a fallback option and Pedro Martinez is "one of the guys still under consideration. Right now, we're dealing with some other guys. Is (Martinez) an option? He's in the pool. Continue