Cutnpaste: - Pedro to Philly?, Matlack Trade, John Olerud, Al Jackson, and Carlos Beltran

Pedro to Philly?

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has locked down his dream rotation for 2011, but is there room to add another ex-Phillie who happens to also be a multiple Cy Young Award winner? Before Lee upended the baseball world late Monday night - spurning the Yankees and Rangers to return to Philadelphia - Amaro inquired about righthander Pedro Martinez's availability next year during the winter meetings, according to a source. Martinez, 39, was teammates with Lee during the Phillies' 2009 World Series run, and started Games 2 and 6 against the Yanks, both losses

 - NYDN  

Matlack Trade:

Traded: Jon Matlack and John Milner - Received: Ben Grieve, Ken Henderson, Willie Montanez - Expectations: Power. The Mets finished last in the majors in home runs in 1977 with just 88 home runs. Production: Montanez was an entertaining player but hit just 17 homers and had a .392 slugging percentage in his only full season with the club. Grieve batted .208 with a .297 slugging mark in his only season with the club. Henderson battled injury problems then put up a .455 slugging mark but was traded after seven games for reliever Dale Murray. Net Results: Negative. In return for Matlack, a pitcher who averaged 15 wins over a five-year stretch, the Mets got a decrease in production from first base in Montanez than they received from Milner the year before. And they didn’t get much else - mets360  

John Olerud:

He didn’t retire with at least a .300 batting average. (It was .295.) He didn’t finish with 500 home runs. (He finished with 255). He didn’t accumulate 3,000 hits (he had 2,239), or 1,500 RBI (he had 1,230). Although a fundamentally flawless first baseman whose ability to scoop throws out of the dirt was unrivaled by his peers, he contributed all that stellar defense at, well, first base – during an era when first basemen were primarily valued for their power. Perhaps that’s why Olerud was named to but two All-Star Games, and received MVP consideration only twice: With the Blue Jays in 1993, when he was third, and with the Mets in 1998, when he was 12th - thenewstribune.  

Al Jackson:

Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates - If Aspromonte was the best young position player available in the draft, Jackson was the best young pitcher, at least in the regular phase. The Pirates had never given the little control-artist southpaw a decent major league opportunity, but he’d spent three consecutive years performing wonderfully in Triple-A, and he wasn’t yet 26 years old. Our Mets won’t wait until later in the draft to take him. - hardballtimes.  





michael g. baron

 Carlos Beltran:

Carlos Beltran heard mumblings from members of his family last week. His loved ones kept him apprised of rumors involving a potential trade. But as his name swirled during the winter meetings, Beltran said he heard neither from his agent, Scott Boras, nor the Mets about a deal. His contract contains a no-trade clause. “So I don’t worry about it,” he said. “The only thing I have to worry about is putting myself in the position where I can go to spring training and help this team.” - .nj.com