The Mets refinanced anywhere between $450 and $700 million in existing debt, depending on which source you trust, which means the Wilpons will be sticking around.

Joy.

This also means the team will be paying off this debt for years, which may result in more offseasons like this one, where even teams like the Kansas City Royals outspend the Mets.  Some would say the Wilpons are holding our team hostage.  Well, it’s either them or their creditors.

Here is some additional detail about the loan.

While the Wilpons are sticking around, Ted Berg, one of my favorite Mets bloggers, is leaving SNY.  Sounds like Ted is semi-retiring from his blog as well.  Godspeed and best of luck to Ted in all of his endeavors, including trips to Taco Bell and the local deli.

Meanwhile, the Mets are looking for a warm body to fill R.A. Dickey‘s spot in the rotation.  And they’re looking at Chris Young.  Again.  The only similarity between Dickey and Young is that they both top out at about 83 MPH.  Of course, that’s the speed of Young’s fastball.

The Mets still need outfield help as well, and Mack has been scouring the rosters of other teams to find a potential target.  The Mets are also looking to Anthony Recker to add some catching depth.  The 29 year-old Recker showed some pop in the Athletics and Cubs minor league system, but has put up Nickeas-like numbers in his limited action in the majors.

At least third base is secure for a while.  Here’s an interesting blogger roundtable about the future of David Wright.

That’s what’s going on in the blogosphere.  Keep checking out Mets Today for more on the maneuverings of the offseason.

Stop the presses! The Mets have signed a righthanded-hitting outfielder. Finally, Ted Berg gets his man.

Ted Berg, senior editorial producer of SNY, was nice enough to answer some questions for us at Mets Today. Ted is a modern-day renaissance man with a broad cultural interest, ranging from baseball to buffalo wings to sandwiches, which you can read all about on his blog, TedQuarters.

Matt Himelfarb: Mets fans are mindless sheeple brainwashed by Nazi-esque propagandists such as yourself and Matt Cerrone. How are you so good at hiding the truth?

Ted Berg: It’s not easy, and it requires Andy Kaufman-esque dedication to staying in character. My career would be ruined if they found out I’m a secret Phillies fan and just doing this for the paycheck. WAIT, ARE YOU PUBLISHING THIS?

MH: Take us through how you got the SNY gig

We may have to start a Ryota Igarashi series to chronicle all the plans, activities, and goals developed by the Mets’ newest free agent signee.

Check out this tidbit that was posted earlier this month on our new favorite Japanese blog, YakyuBaka.com:

Ryota Igarashi still doesn’t have an MLB home, but that hasn’t stopped him from thinking about singing “God Bless America” during his press conference (whenever and with whomever it might be with).

“I’m going to sing a song. God Bless America would be nice. Everyone in the US knows it and it’s a really famous song. I think it’ll show people how much I love the US,” said Igarashi.

I’m posting this item today because “God Bless America” seems to be a hot topic. Thomas Boswell recently suggested 10 ways to speed up baseball, which included removal of the playing of the song at games. Boswell’s list was subsequently analyzed by Rob Neyer, and Neyer agreed with Boswell’s recommendation regarding “God Bless America”. And as the world wide web turns, Ted Berg also supports the idea.

Whatever happens with “God Bless America” during ballgames is up to Bud Selig, but I’ll go on a limb and guess that Igarashi’s rendition won’t be heard after his press conference — if it’s heard at all.

At MetsFansForever, Will Sommer asks several bloggers which “big” free agent will be signed by the Mets

Andrew Vazzano unearths a slice of good news from the winter meetings – that David Wright and Daniel Murphy were working out with Howard Johnson, and Jeff Francoeur may be with HoJo later in the winter.

Ted Berg wrote an uncharacteristically long post poo-poohing the concept of a #2 starter and arguing that the Mets should pass on John Lackey.

Bob Klapisch says the Mets are pretenders

We’re only a day and a half into the winter meetings, but Brooklyn Met Fan is already tired of the rumors.

Kerel Cooper responds to yesterday’s question, “Would You Want Pat Burrell?” :

David Wright is leading the National League in strikeouts and hitting only .271. However, I see no reason for concern, since this is Wright’s M.O. for April. He is a notoriously slow starter, and we’ve come to expect subpar numbers from him in the first month of the season.

But don’t listen to me, check the stats — his career batting average in April/March is .283, a full 25 points below his career average overall. Strangely enough, he has walked more times (74) in the initial month than in any other (covering 114 games total).

Ted Berg of MetsBlog astutely noted:

Wright is now hitting .270 with a .370 on-base percentage, .371 slugging and 23 strikeouts. After 18 games in 2007, Wright was hitting .261 with a .363 OBP, .333 SLG and 20 Ks.

Last year, Wright started off hot, then cooled off quickly — he was hitting only .262 after 32 games.

In both 2007 and 2008, Wright eventually got going, and finished strong — he batted .364 in the second half of 2007 and .330 in the second half of 2008.