Mets Today

With the roster expanding to 40, the Mets added the following players to their roster:

RHP Carlos Muniz
LHP Richardo Rincon
RHP Bobby Parnell
LHP Jonathan Niese
RHP Al Reyes
C Gustavo Molina
2B Argenis Reyes
INF Ramon Martinez
INF/OF Marlon Anderson

Obviously, the Mets welcome any and all arms to their pitching staff. The question, however, is whether Jerry Manuel will trust any of the “new” arms in key situations. If he doesn’t, there isn’t much point of their presence.

Personally, I think Ricardo Rincon will be a key guy from the left side. I don’t expect Rincon to be a closer, nor do I expect him to be a multiple-inning guy. However, I believe he’ll be effective as a LOOGY. Hopefully he can give Scho and Pedro Lite a rest.

Jonathan Niese will start on Wednesday against the Brewers, which will be a tough assignment considering they are a righty-heavy lineup. However they are also a wild-swinging bunch, which can play into Niese’s favor.

We kept hearing that Bobby Parnell was an “untouchable” … from what I saw in spring training, Steven Register was a better pitcher — by a wide margin — and Register was returned to the Rockies by the end of March. Perhaps Parnell made tremendous strides since then and will prove to be an impact arm. The Mets certainly can use another reliever.

The promotion of Ramon Martinez makes zero sense, and I’m guessing this is more about somebody owing somebody a favor. Nothing against him, he’s a solid utilityman, but this is a team filled with utility players. It’s on par with the Mets adding Gerald “Ice” Williams to their roster a few years back.

The Gustavo Molina promotion is a little bit strange, only because Robinson Cancel is a better-hitting version and Raul Casanova was left behind. I did like Molina’s defense when he was up with the Mets, but his hitting is atrocious. In contrast, Casanova’s glovework is acceptable at best, but he is a switch-hitter with some pop. I guess the Mets feel a defensive-minded catcher is more important than a switch-hitter off the bench. It’s still early though, so Casanova could still be added.

Al Reyes had some arm issues this season, but if he’s healthy he could pitch meaningful innings. The Mets gave up nothing for him, and had nothing in AAA better than him, so his presence makes plenty of sense.

Since the New Orleans Zephyrs have ended their season, it’s curious as to why some other players weren’t immediately promoted — though we’ll likely see more promotions over the next week. For example, where is Valentino Pascucci? Certainly there were reasons not to bring him up earlier in the year, but with the roster expanded to 40 and flexibility on the roster due to players on the 60-day DL, what more did Val need to do to earn a September callup? Other than Pascucci, I’m guessing we’ll see Claudio Vargas make a reappearance — though like Pascucci would need to kick someone off the current 40-man (though I don’t get putting Ramon Martinez ahead of either of them). Those who are on the 40-man and may receive callups in the coming days include Ruddy Lugo, Adam Bostick, Eddie Kunz, and Willie Collazo. If Amby Burgos is healthy, he could also get a promotion.

Since we haven’t heard hide nor hair of Matt Wise, Trot Nixon, or Jason Vargas, your guess is as good as mine as to whether we’ll see them in September. I’m guessing no on Vargas, in which case he should be transferred to the 60-day DL to open up a roster spot (same goes for El Duque, whose season is already officially over). Nixon and Wise, if healthy, could be contributors down the stretch, but no one knows anything about their status.

Finally, we might see Fernando Martinez and Mike Carp come up for a cup of coffee once their season with the B-Mets ends. Their last game is September 1st and they did not make the playoffs.

If you have a life and therefore missed hearing me on “Live From Mickey Mantle’s” on Friday night, then be sure to download the show and listen to it at your leisure. For example, offload it to your iPod and listen to it as background noise while on the treadmill, or during a long car ride.

You can listen or download the shows (there are two episodes, we covered the Mets / NL East in episode 1) by going here or by clicking the Blog Talk Radio button to the right.

Looking at the New Orleans Zephyrs roster, there isn’t much to call on for help. The Mets might benefit from stocking the team with a few veterans and “let’s hope to catch lightning in a bottle” guys.

Suggestions:

- Esteban Yan, who hasn’t pitched in MLB since 2006 and was released by the Orioles after posting a 5.7) ERA at AAA Norfolk. Yan, however, still throws gas and struck out 55 in 47 innings, walking only 15.

- Alex Escobar, who was recently released by the Nationals. I’m sure that MetsToday loyalist Micalpalyn supports this suggestion.

- Chris Resop, a hard-throwing outfielder-turned-pitcher who the Braves just released. He’s had control problems, but can reach 98 MPH. Maybe all he needs is a tweak to get him on track.

- Marcos Carvajal, another flamethrower who can’t find the plate. I cried and moaned when the Mets dropped him from the 40-man last year, and now he’s available again after getting lit up in the hitter-friendly PCL. Yes, he has been with six organizations in as many years, but the kid is still only 23 years old and approaches triple digits on the gun. TRIPLE DIGITS. Remember, the Mets traded Brian Bannister for a very similar biological oddity (Ambiorix Burgos). Get the kid back into the system … if not AAA then AA.

Again, I don’t believe any of the above players are guaranteed to help the Mets this year. But you never know, and though each of these individuals were tossed aside for one reason or another, each also has something of value — some potential. Remember that many players are released by one organization, only to flourish in another (for example, Carlos Pena and Jorge Cantu).

BTW, both of the players traded to the Cubs for Angel Pagan — Corey Coles and Ryan Meyers — have been released. I’m not sure that the Mets have any interest in re-obtaining either of them.

Anyone else out there? Please post your suggestions below.

What’s that saying? One man’s junk is another’s treasure?

The Mets are desperate for arms — for both the bullpen and the starting rotation. The relievers are out of gas and ineffective, and the Mets will have to plan for absences by John Maine and Pedro Martinez. I hope I’m wrong, but my gut tells me that Pedro will be back on the DL shortly, and that Maine will have problems with his shoulder for the rest of the season.

So let’s take a look at the scrap heap.

Freddy Garcia
He’s a free agent and scheduled to be auditioning on August 5th. If I’m the Mets, I don’t wait — I roll the dice, sign him today, sight unseen, send him to the minors, and hope for the best. I’d give him two years, in fact, so there’s backup depth for ‘09.

Livan Hernandez
Livan was DFA’d by the Twins yesterday after posting a 5.48 ERA. You know what? He’s leaving the Twins with a 10-8 record. How many Mets have 10 wins? Um, none. Yes, he was hit hard in the AL, but he is fine as a #5 in the NL. Pick him up, put him in AAA, and have him ready when Pedro or Maine goes down. At worst, you have someone as a backup in case Jon Niese isn’t the Sandy Koufax the Mets keep telling us that he is.

Matt Clement
The Cardinals finally gave up on Clement, who decided he wasn’t progressing quickly enough. Chances are, he won’t help this year, but you never know. Sign him to a contract through 2009, send him to Port St. Lucie, and tell him to take all the time he needs. If he can’t make it back to MLB this year, you have a possibility for ‘09 (see Freddy Garcia). Who knows, he might get back just enough velocity and endurance to be a middle reliever in September.

By the way, the Red Sox just signed Joe Borowski to a minor league deal. I suggested that the Mets pick up the Bayonne Bullet and put him in AAA a month ago, so send that idea to the circular file.

Oh, and don’t get me wrong — the Mets should, and will have to, give the kids a shot now. Jon Niese, Eddie Kunz, Bobby Parnell (a.k.a., “The Untouchables”), and anyone else down on the farm should be promoted, pronto. My suggestion is to promote the youth and pick up these junky veterans to take their places in the minors — this way there’s a backup plan in case the rooks aren’t quite ready. It’s always a good idea to hedge your bets. Plus, I’m of the belief that a big league bullpen, in this day and age, requires a minimum of 10 pitchers who appear in at least 10 games to get through a season (see bullpen articles ONE and TWO. The Mets have only 8 relievers who have appeared in at least 10 games to this point.

There is a lot of nonsense being “reported” in the last 24-48 hours before the trading deadline. All the “buzz” you hear about this player generally comes from “team officials” or “a source close to the team”, etc. Part of what those “moles” are doing is purposely leaking information for any of several reasons. Let’s go through a few of the smoke screens set up by the moles and how they should be interpreted.

The “Insane Package Request”

Selling team “leaks out” that they want (more…)

The rumors of Raul Ibanez coming to Queens continue to abound.

Let’s get one thing crystal clear:

=

For those who are more literary than visionary, Raul Ibanez is Shawn Green. In other words, a guy who once was a strong all-around player with a slugging lefthanded bat, who has declined drastically in all phases of the game in the past few years due to age. Bat speed - gone. Power - gone. Fielding ability - gone. Baserunning - gone. Yet the Mariners want two prospects for Ibanez, and are supposedly holding out for Jonathan Niese. My answer to the Ms is “NFW”.

Don’t get me wrong — I was a HUGE Shawn Green fan, and enjoyed every moment he played in the orange and blue. But his skills were diminished, and he was nowhere near the player he was in his glory days — that’s why the Mets were able to snatch him away from Arizona for suspect Evan MacLane.

Similarly, if the Mariners ask for something reasonable in return for Raul — say, Adam Bostick or Tobi Stoner — then OK, do the dea. If not, hang up the phone and call Shawn Green instead. He’s the same player, and will come much more cheaply.

The Mets need an outfielder, a reliever, and possibly a starting pitcher, in that order. All agreed? They need to obtain these pieces without flushing the farm system. I have some ideas.

Baltimore Orioles: Chad Bradford and one of: Jay Payton, Aubrey Huff, or Kevin Millar.
ChadBrad is exactly what the Mets need right now, and won’t command a top prospect to pry away. Similarly Payton and Millar are over 35 but are perfect for filling in at one of the outfield corners. Huff has also lost value in recent years, but would be a nice platoon partner for Fernando Tatis and/or keep right field warm for Ryan Church. A deal to bring in all three could certainly be done without giving up any of the Mets’ top young talents. Heck, I’d invite the O’s to throw Ramon Hernandez into the deal if they seek salary relief.

Mariners: Jose Vidro and either Jarrod Washburn or Carlos Silva

Vidro has zero value, and could be released. The Ms are so ticked at the Yankees over Washburn, they might consider taking a lesser package from the Mets to send him to New York. If not, maybe they’d like the idea of having Silva and his fat contract off their hands. Yeah, he’s stunk this year but maybe a move to the NL could help him. The Mets only need him as a fifth starter, not an ace. Considering this deal would be about a salary dump, it shouldn’t cost much in prospects. And please, Seattle, you can KEEP Raul Ibanez. If the Mets really want a former lefty-hitting slugger-turned singles hitter who can’t play the field, they’ll ask Shawn Green to come out of retirement.

Indians: Rafael Betancourt, David Dellucci, John Halama

Betancourt is having a terrible season and at age 33 is not getting any younger. But, he has good stuff. A move to the NL and to a winning team could be exactly what he needs to recapture the magic that made him a lights-out setup man — think: Guillermo Mota 2006. Dellucci could be a nice LH bat while we wait for Church and/or a platoon partner for Tatis. Halama has been out of MLB for a while but is 7-3 with a 4.12 ERA in AAA, averaging close to 7 innings per start. He’d be a nice backup plan if something is up with John Maine; or he could be a LOOGY / long man in the pen. The Indians also have Anthony Reyes and Brendan Donnelly tucked away on the Buffalo Bisons roster. Any of these men could be easily pried away for a song, I’m sure.

Rangers: Eddie Guardado and Nelson Cruz

I’m not sure why the Rangers are so hell-bent on holding on to “Everyday Eddie” when he’s 37 years old and they’re 11.5 games out of first. I read it as a feeble attempt to raise Guardado’s value. Nelson Cruz is tearing it up at a hitter’s park in a hitter’s league, but even still should be at least as good as Marcus Thames. The Rangers might be interested in a young first baseman — how about a package centered around Mike Carp?

There are a number of other players out there who could a) come cheaply and b) help the Mets. These trade partners above, though, seem to have players who can address several of the Mets’ needs at once. We’ll see what transpires in the coming days.

Please, don’t tease me.

Adam Rubin wrote in his pregame blog yesterday:

Manuel plans to stay away from Aaron Heilman for a second straight game today, after Heilman tossed three innings Saturday. Told he could now use Heilman as a starter, Manuel said he told Heilman the very same thing.

Then, in Rubin’s postgame he wrote:

Jerry Manuel said Aaron Heilman would have pitched the eighth, rather than Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis, who combined to allow five runs. But Heilman was unavailable after tossing three innings Saturday. (By the way, we noted before the game that Manuel did tell Heilman he?s now stretched out to be a starter. But there?s zero chance of that actually happening.)

Here at MetsToday we’ve been waiting three years for Heilman to get another shot at starting. In fact, part of the impetus of this blog was to voice support for Aaron in a starting role. So if this is just hot air from Rubin, I’ll find a way to get credentialed to a game and put salt in Rubin’s coffee in the press box. That’s not a threat, but a PROMISE!

Seriously though, if John Maine’s shoulder turns out to be an issue (it will), now is as good a time as any to give Heilman a shot at starting. Of course, the Mets would need to find a late-inning reliever to fill Aaron’s role in the bullpen. Hasn’t Matt Wise faked an injury long enough?

The odds are long, particularly since Jon Niese was promoted to AAA New Orleans. That is a sure sign that 1) Niese won’t be traded; and 2) the Mets plan to promote him to the bigs if necessary.

There is a possibility that Niese, who has been pitching well in AA, could suffer a temporary setback by facing better hitters at the AAA level. If the Mets were serious about trading him, they wouldn’t have moved him to a higher level, where his weaknesses might be exposed. Or, maybe they’re banking on Niese surprising AAA hitters who haven’t seen him before and hope to get a lights-out start before the July 31 deadline to raise his value (his first AAA start will be today). Hard to tell, but my guess is that if Maine’s MRI shows anything of concern, Niese really will be untouchable.

Who knows though … maybe the Mets will pull off a deal for an outfielder and a reliever, and are serious about moving Heilman to the rotation — a role that better suits his personality, in my humble opinion.

This morning on XM’s MLB Home Plate, Phillies GM Pat Gillick admitted that he is still heavily involved in discussions to further improve his team. In other words, the Joe Blanton acquisition was the beginning, rather than the end, of his dealing.

Somewhat surprising, since the Phils don’t have much to offer from their farm system, but Gillick let the cat out of the bag, mentioning that Philadelphia has two of the brightest backstop prospects in all of baseball — Lou Marson and Jason Jaramillo. The guy he didn’t mention was a third catcher named Travis D’Arnaud, a 2007 first-rounder who is currently buried in Rookie ball and hitting .330. And while the Phillies may not have any exciting blue chippers to offer, how many other teams have young, talented catchers to deal?

Gillick specifically identified pitching and an outfielder as targets. Could he possibly pull off a deal to pry away Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes from Colorado? Jason Bay and Damaso Marte from Pittsburgh? If a main chip is a catcher, I’d think the Orioles are out of the running — they’re looking to move Ramon Hernandez to make room for phenom Matt Wieters.

Meantime, Omar Minaya as usual kept his cards close to his vest in an interview yesterday on 1050 ESPN Radio, giving the old “we’re always looking to improve our team” line, but also saying that he had complete confidence in Fernando Tatis keeping up his hot hitting.

As mentioned earlier this week, I think the outcome of this series could affect what the Mets do before the trading deadline. If the Mets win one or two, they’ll continue to go after someone like Casey Blake or a Billy Hall type. But if they get swept, a panic move could be made that brings in a Jason Bay, Huston Street, or Matt Holliday - level player. Such a high-impact trade would become more realistic if the Phillies sweep AND make another major deal.

Time will tell.

Fresh off the heels of two highly impactful trades pulled off in the NL Central â?? the acquisition of C.C. Sabathia by the Brewers and Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin by the Cubs â?? Mets fans no doubt are thinking, “what kind of deal will Omar Minaya pull off?”

Unfortunately, there is almost no way the Mets pull off a trade to get that kind of an impact player. They simply do not have ANY trading chips to offer. Teams that are in “selling mode” generally want young prospects who are not far away (read: one year or less) from being MLB-ready, and/or young players already in the big leagues.

Yes, I read the story where Cleveland Indians GM Mark Shapiro told Minaya the Mets had “enough talent to get it done” in regard to a trade for Sabathia. We don’t know what talent Shapiro was referring to â?? it most definitely included Fernando Martinez, and could have included people such as John Maine, Ryan Church, or Joe Smith, for example. As we know, F-Mart is “untouchable”, and the Mets are not in a position to give up key personnel from the 25-man roster. Oh, I’m sure Aaron Heilman is being dangled, and possibly Scott Schoeneweis, but even packaged together I doubt those two are going to bring back what the Mets need desperately â?? which is a power-hitting starting outfielder (no thanks on Marcus Thames). Of course, I could be wrong (usually am, in fact).

So, looking down on the farm, New Orleans is completely devoid of any usable personnel, and at AA Binghamton there are fringe prospects whose strongest value is to the Mets. Yes, we are hanging our hopes on Jonathan Niese, Eddie Kunz, Bobby Parnell, Nick Evans, Mike Carp, and Dan Murphy, but, in reality, those players are not highly sought-after by other clubs. As one scout quipped: “Niese? Carp? we have about ten guys like that in our organization.” And while we Mets fans have similar high hopes for recent draft picks such as Brant Rustich, Nathan Vineyard, and others, these youngsters are still too incomplete and projectable to be valuable enough for anything other than throw-in material. And unfortunately, the likes of Dillon Gee, Brandon Nall, and Caleb Stewart are unlikely to bring back an impact Major Leaguer.

Of course, it’s not impossible. One must only look to last year, when the Mets obtained Luis Castillo for Drew Butera and Dustin Martin â?? two similarly fringe prospects. But a player like Castillo is the CEILING for what the Mets might be able to acquire. In other words, an aging veteran on the downside of his career, in the last year of an expensive contract, not highly coveted, and on a team that has thrown in the towel. How many players fit that bill right now?

You have to start backward, and find, in this order:

1. A team that has thrown in the towel (i.e., “sellers”)
2. A player not highly coveted
3. who is in the last year of his contract â?? or in the midst of an overvalued, multiyear deal
4. and whose best years are behind him

Naturally, the player need not meet ALL those requirements â?? but it’s a fair description of the reality the Mets face.

Starting with #1, you have the Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians, and the San Diego Padres; probably the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and Houston Astros; maybe the Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals; possibly the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. Ironically, a few teams on that list have a better or similar record to the Mets, but are stuck in a more competitive division than the NL East.

So let’s go from team to team on that theoretical list of “sellers”, and see who might be available.

Mariners: Richie Sexson, Jose Vidro, Raul Ibanez, Adrian Beltre, Jarrod Washburn

With Carlos Delgado surging toward .240 and hitting homeruns, it doesn’t make much sense to go after Sexson, who is essentially the same player from the right side â?? only much taller, better in the field, and more miserable in personality. The Mets don’t have enough to bring back Beltre, and Ibanez might be out of range as well. Washburn is not needed assuming Oliver Perez stays on course. Vidro is a realistic possibility, as he can play 1B and 2B and hit from the right side, and could be had for a bag of balls. You can’t discount the fact Vidro played for Minaya going back to their Montreal days. But isn’t he redundant to Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis?

Nationals: Ronny Belliard, Johnny Estrada, Aaron Boone, Paul LoDuca, Dmitri Young

With Luis Castillo on the DL, the Mets might look at Belliard, who is very obtainable. No thanks. Neither LoDuca nor Estrada will be returning to the organization â?? it’s just not happening. Young is a righthanded hitter who can be placed near 1B or in LF, but I’m not all that excited about having another baseclogger on the team â?? and the Nats probably overvalue him. Boone is intriguing as a RH bat off the bench, and can play multiple positions. But he’s redundant to Fernando Tatis, so no point in making a deal for him.

Indians: Joe Borowski, Casey Blake, Jamey Carroll, David Dellucci, Travis Hafner, Paul Byrd, Rafael Betancourt

Borowski has already been DFA’d, and likely will be a free agent in a few days (if he isn’t already). Carroll has ties to Minaya, but I’d rather stick with Easley and Argenis Reyes at this point. No thanks on Dellucci. Hafner may be out for the year. I like Betancourt, but at what cost? Also, he’s no spring chicken at 33. No need to overpay for Byrd right now, but that could change if Mr. Hyde starts taking Ollie Perez’s place on the mound. Blake is the only player who might make sense, but, like Betancourt, at what cost? Does it make sense for the Mets to send Heilman, Niese, and, say, Nick Evans for Blake and Betancourt? Probably not.

Padres: Greg Maddux, Tony Clark, Brian Giles, Tad Iguchi

Mad Dog won’t be coming to Shea, no worries (my best guess: St. Louis). Clark is intriguing, for both his power and professionalism. Couldn’t we sign Reggie Sanders for nothing, though? Giles has a no-trade clause, and would be overvalued. Iguchi is on the DL. Note: Chip Ambres is on the Padres’ 25-man … how about we bring him back for late-inning heroics?

Giants: Ray Durham, Rich Aurilia, Randy Winn, Omar Vizquel, Jack Taschner, Tyler Walker

Again, with Castillo on the DL, the Mets could kick the tires on Durham and Aurilia. But would either play any better than Damion Easley â?? in the field or at bat? I don’t see the Mets trading away A or AA talent to acquire someone who might not be an upgrade. I’d love to see Vizquel come in and show Jose Reyes a few things, but he’s not really a fit. Taschner is a younger version of Scott Schoeneweis; he’d be a good fit if the Mets packaged Scho in a separate deal to a contender. Walker is an older, more expensive version of Aaron Heilman â?? like Taschner, could be helpful if Heilman is dealt.

Reds: Ken Griffey, Jr., David Weathers, Jeremy Affeldt, Ryan Freel, Adam Dunn

Junior Griffey is one of my favorite all-time players, and I’d love to see him in a Mets uniform â?? but I don’t see it happening, because it wouldn’t make sense to dump what’s left on the prospect list for him. Weathers could be helpful, but will be overvalued in this market â?? I’d prefer to take my chances with Heilman. Affeldt: see Taschner. Pundits love to talk about bringing Freel to NY, but I really don’t see how he’d be so helpful to this team â?? much like I scratch my head when people suggest the Mets sign Kenny Lofton. Why in the world would the Mets need a speedy outfielder with no power when they already have Endy Chavez (who is better, and younger, than both)? Adam Dunn doesn’t look to be a fit, but more to the point, the Mets don’t have the necessary pieces to obtain him.

Astros: Mark Loretta, Darin Erstad, Brian Moehler, Chad Paronto

I like Loretta, but what can he do that Easley doesn’t? I love Erstad, too, but at this point in his career I’m not sure he’d be much help. No thanks on the many useless pitchers the ’stros have to offer.

Pirates:Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte, Doug Mientkiewicz

I’m sooooo tired of hearing rumors from Mets pundits that Bay and Nady are available. So what? The Pirates will want a king’s ransom for either, and the Mets are in no position to overpay for overvalued outfielders on the verge of 30. Marte is a nice lefty, but redundant to Schoeneweis and Pedro Feliciano. I think we’re all in agreement that Dave Kingman will suit up again in the orange and blue before Mientkiewicz.

Rockies: Brian Fuentes, Luis Vizcaino, Scott Podsednik, Glendon Rusch, Matt Herges, Todd Helton

Helton’s on the DL, and likely not coming to Shea in any way, shape or form. Same thing with Matt Holliday, despite outrageous, unfounded rumors to the contrary â?? unless you’re OK with trading away what’s left of the Mets’ minor league system PLUS someone on the big league roster (i.e., Ryan Church). Personally, I don’t think Holliday is THAT good. He is a very good hitter, but Coors Field bloats his stats exponentially. Plus, he’s terrible in the field. Given the choice, I’d rather get Garrett Atkins and move David Wright to left field â?? but that’s not happening, either.

Fuentes has been rumored to be coming to Flushing in a deal for Heilman for over a year. As you know I like Heilman too much to give up on him, but the Mets are the ones making the decision, not me. No one else on this list makes my heart go pitter-patter.

Royals: Mark Grudzielanek, Jose Guillen, Ron Mahay

I still like Easley as my second baseman right now, so no thanks on Grudzielanek. Guillen is intriguing, but, like Bay and Nady, will be too costly â?? and Guillen is on the wrong side of 30.

Orioles: Chad Bradford, Melvin Mora, Jay Payton, Ramon Hernandez, Kevin Millar, Aubrey Huff

Here we have some intriguing names who could genuinely help the Mets, but is there a match? Considering what the O’s were asking for (and received) in return for Erik Bedard, it might be easier to deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Still, they’re close to throwing in the towel, and those are some expensive contracts to dump. I’d take any or all of these in a heartbeat â?? but I’m not dealing away any of the Mets top youngsters. The O’s likely overvalue Mora and Huff, and maybe ChadBrad as well. Hernandez, though, could come easily since he still has two years and $9M on his contract, and is blocking phenom Mark Wieters. I could see the Mets putting together a package including Ramon Castro for him, which may not seem to make much sense until you consider that Hernandez can play 1B (he plays there every winter).

Blue Jays: A.J. Burnett, Matt Stairs, David Eckstein, Scott Rolen, Lyle Overbay

The Mets will wait for Burnett to hit the free agent market this winter. My guess is if the Cardinals don’t get Maddux, they may make the move for A.J. Matt Stairs is too old. Eckstein is an outside possibility, but once again, I’m happy with Easley. I’d love to see Rolen come in and tick off everyone in the clubhouse, but he’s not a fit and would cost too much in prospects. Overbay’s LH bat at 1B isn’t helpful with Delgado around, and he’d cost too much.

Free Agents: Freddy Garcia, Kenny Lofton, Barry Bonds, Joe Borowski

Garcia was a realistic possibility when Ollie was imploding. I still think he’s worth a look, even with the starters pitching well and El Duque supposedly on the way back, for two reasons. First, Perez can slip right back into his Mr. Hyde routine as quickly as he came out of it. Second, injuries happen, and can’t be predicted. Remember last year, when Jorge Sosa and Perez were both lost for a few starts?

As previously mentioned, Lofton is not useful to this club. The Wilpons will not sign Bonds, ever. Borowski would be a no-risk signing to add depth in AAA.