Matt Holliday, March 2009, More Un-Omar, Gawd, more un-Omar, Jon Niese... and Mike Pelfrey

Matt Holliday:
For weeks now, we've heard the rumors connecting the Mets and Jason Bay, leaving many to wonder why the Mets seem reluctant to make a more concerted effort to pursue Matt Holliday as well. Howard Goldin reports that general manager Omar Minaya answered that question himself when he was the guest speaker at the "21 Days of Clemente" benefit in New York:

"We are pursuing Matt Holliday. It seems to be easier to make a deal for Jason Bay." - yardbarker 

March 2009:

Before the World Baseball Classic was completed, 16 Mets, Santana not among them, had left camp to participate in it. When Perez returned, he was seen as out of condition. Santana, once thought to be in question for the Opening Day start, made progress. Duaner Sanchez didn't and was released. More Met-ical stuff: Angel Pagan underwent elbow surgery, and Pelfrey strained a muscle in his lower left leg that would undermine his progress. Redding's poor performances led to him beginning the season on the disabled list, Pedro Martinez repeatedly reminded news outlets of his availability and Brian Schneider's right knee developed a problem that bothered him most of the year. The thinned crowd in the Port St. Lucie, Fla., clubhouse reveled in Wright's game-winning hit against Puerto Rico in the Classic. Most of the Puerto Rican Mets were at the tournament. -  mlb 

More Un-Omar:

There's still plenty of time for things to get worse. There isn't a Metsfan alive who wants Benjie Molina's fat ass to don the Orange and Blue, and there are a few dead who don't want Omar to go to two years on the contract. Even if the Mets land Bay, widely seen as the suboptimal choice, they will probably end up bidding against themselves since all of the big players seem to have moved on.

But hey, Kelvim Escobar!!  -  itsmetsforme. 

Gawd, more un-Omar:

What has happened over the course of the last few years is the Mets have become a punchline. A joke. Nobody in their right mind wants to play for the Mets. The G.M. quite frankly is incompetent. When was the last time Omar made a major in season trade? Never? Even when given slam dunks, Omar seems to blow them. Firing Willie Randolph was a no brainer, but Omar got beat up for doing it in the middle of the night (not by me), Tony Bernazard, was handled horribly. What does Omar do? He blames it all on Adam Rubin. So now Omar take a gamble on Kelvin Escobar. Maybe it will work out. All I know is, Met fans are slow to renew their season ticket packages, and the signing of Escobar had no one working overtime. - link  

Jonathan Niese:

GM Omar Minaya suggested that Jonathon Niese could be a part of the Mets' rotation for 2010, according to NY Sports Day.

If so, Niese would be joined by ace Johan Santana, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez. This could change if the club signs another starter though, such as Joel Pineiro. Niese has been recovering from a torn hamstring, but is expected to be ready for spring training.  -  fantasysp.

-didn’t I say this yesterday?

Mike Pelfrey:

Mike Pelfrey took a step backward in ’09 as he won 10 games with a 5.03 ERA. He had a FIP of 4.39, which gives us a difference of 0.64. Not a staggering number, but I wanted to talk about Pelfrey and this was a way to squeeze him into this column. Pelfrey was a first round pick in 2005 and had very good K/9 rates in the minors. At age 25 his inconsistency at the big league level is not unusual. If he continues to improve his command and pound the lower half of the zone with his sinker he has the talent to take a big step forward this season. DD is not advising you to overpay for him, but NL only and deep mixed leagues should target him late on draft day because of his upside. Be that guy. - .fantasybaseballgeeks.

Orlando Hudson, Ken Davidoff, more "Neg-Omar". 10 Things to Do... and Ted Williams' Head

Orlando Hudson:

The Mets remain the team 'most interested' in Orlando Hudson's services, according to the Boston Globe.
Our View: However, if they want to land the 2009 All Star and Gold Glove award winner, they need to find something to do with Luis Castillo first. By the time that happens, Hudson could be ready to sign somewhere else.  -  fantasysp
 

Ken Davidoff:
 
Come on in, Mets fans. Have a seat. Can I offer you some two-day-old eggnog? Some two-week-old potato latkes? Wait, the Chinese place across the street is open. Let's get some fresh takeout. We need to talk. You have a problem, and it's time to deal with it. At a time when common sense dictates it should be getting better, it's only getting worse.
-  newsday

Neg-Omar:

I feel sorry for Omar Minaya. His biggest mistake as GM to me was hiring his friends into top jobs. It doesn’t work. From Tony Bernazzard to Ramon Pena to Bingo mgr Mako Oliveras to Julio Franco to Luis Aguayo they all failed at their jobs and they all failed Minaya. Now some of you are saying “see too many Latinos” but if you can look past your bias, you’ll see it’s more of guys that Minaya grew up through the ranks from player to scout to front office person throughout baseball that he surrounded himself with and it could just cost him his job. Add in the fact that Minaya is real old school when it comes to evaluating talent and maybe his way of thinking is outdated in today’s baseball  -  kranepoolsociety.

10 Things To Do:

6. Get an innings-eating starter. - There are a few available via free agency and through a salary dump deal. Stop fooling yourself into believing that Perez and John Maine will one day be 200-inning starters.

7. Pick up a righthanded-hitting first baseman with some pop. It’s fine if you want to give Daniel Murphy a shot to be the starter. But it won’t hurt to have a RH-hitting slugger off the bench — or to take over in case Murph follows in the footsteps of Jason Phillips.

8. Hire a mental coach. Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez, Angel Pagan, and John Maine are just a few of the players who might benefit from some mental gymnastics training. This guy seems pretty good.

9. Bring in an outfield coach. Hire Ron Swoboda to work with Angel Pagan during spring training. Who knows maybe he can teach him some baserunning as well.

10. Hire an assistant to Dan Warthen. You had your chance to fire the bus driver but since he’s still around the least you can do is provide him some help to address the staff that walked more batters than every MLB team other than the Nationals. Brad Radke, Bob Tewksbury, and Fritz Peterson are three of the greatest living control pitchers of all time, and none have a job in baseball right now. - metstoday  
 

Ted Williams' Head:
 
Sometimes, when I'm thinking about baseball and the old days, and what happened in the game after I retired, I do think about ol' Teddy Ballgame, and I start to thinking, "I should invite him over. I hear he's an interesting guy." And then I remember, But he's a goddamn severed head! And I shiver a little and then put it out of my mind. But now I got the ol' colonel telling me I should make the effort, and so I promise I will. Next chance I get, I'm gonna invite Ted Williams's severed head over for a party. Should be interesting. Stay tuned for that one. -  theghostofbaberuth.

Joe Torre, Feb. 2009, Virtue Of Patience, Aroldis... and How To Build A Bullpen

Joe Torre:

Team Characteristics: Torre’s team tendencies are obviously influenced by his lengthy tenure with the Yankees. As a result the Tendencies Database notes he presided over tremendous veteran offenses and pitching staffs. His hitters’ best attribute has been drawing walks. Torre has used pitchers on consecutive days quite a bit. The 2003 Yankees had the greatest walk differential in baseball history at +309 (684 taken, 375 given out). No other team is within 50 of that.

Joe Torre won more games as Yankee manager than Casey Stengel (though that is because baseball’s regular season is longer than during Stengel’s time), and achieved a higher winning percentage with the franchise than Miller Huggins. Despite his achievements, Torre became the target of increasing criticism toward the end of his reign. In some ways he was the victim of his own success. After winning four titles in his first five years, there was nowhere to go but down. Also, some said Torre was the right man for the young team of the mid-to-late 1990s, but stayed on too long.

Feb.2009:

On Groundhog Day, the Mets did something that, knowing what they know now, they probably wouldn't do again -- they signed Perez. They bestowed a three-year, $36 million contract on a pitcher whose performance in 2008 was, at best, uneven. Days later, an omen developed. Fernando Martinez, at the time the primary prospect in the organization, strained a muscle in his right elbow while playing in the Caribbean World Series. His injury was the first of many to beset the Mets in an eight-month sequence that began with Spring Training. Before the month was over, problems with Santana's elbow (surgery was necessary in August) and Redding's shoulders surfaced, the club signed Livan Hernandez and speculated about the possible effects of the Madoff scandal on the finances. On the field, Manuel awarded the left-field assignment to Murphy, had his hitters involved in a new drill that emphasized opposite-field hitting and made public his notion of Reyes batting third. (The change happened in Spring Training games only.) And in Queens, the demolition of Shea Stadium was completed. -  MLB

Virtue of Patience:

By contrast, Mets general manager Omar Minaya last week preached the virtue of patience. "We still have time to go on this, and I do feel comfortable that when we get to Opening Day, we're going to have a good team on the field and we're going to be a team that will compete for our division and compete for the pennant." The good news for the Mets and their fans is that the players they need are still available. As Minaya said, there's still time to go. But time may not be the Mets' friend. -  fanhouse

Aroldis Chapman:

Chapman has been compared to phenom Stephen Strasburg, last year’s #1 overall pick by the Nationals. That’s a heck of a comparison if you were to ask me, and it could mean the Mets would get themselves a potential ace left-handed starter to replace Johan Santana at the end of his contract. Until then, Chapman could become a viable number two starter that would certainly fill the Mets needs and for a lot less than they would have had to pay Roy Halladay or John Lackey for just one year.

“Aroldis is special,” said one scout who has monitored and watched Chapman. “He doesn’t have the command and control of Strasburg, but he could end up being another Randy Johnson. When Randy was drafted, some people said he’d never get it together and be any good. Aroldis is one of those great talents that comes around and you hope he eventually grows up enough to master it.”  -  metsmerizedonline

Met's Bullpen:

That's not to say high-payroll teams should never leverage their financial advantage to sign the best relievers. Spending on a closer is perfectly acceptable when: A. the rest of the roster is well constructed, so the marginal value of win is greater at each position, and B. he's actually worth the money (or close). Paying Francisco Rodriguez $17.5MM in 2012 is unequivocally insane for a team in the Mets position. Last year there were equally good risk/reward signings, such as Trevor Hoffman or Bob Howry, and even some like Jason Isringhausen, who ultimately didn't work out.  It's a lesson in common sense learned too late for Omar Minaya, but maybe not for the Mets. The good news is that we'll have three of these four players in the 2010 bullpen, joining Bobby Parnell, Sean Green, and two more players, who might include cult-hero Brian Socks  -  amazinavenue.

Mets Frontrunners to ink Cuban P Yuniesky Maya

Globedia reports the Mets and White Sox are frontrunners to ink Cuban defector Yuniesky Maya.

Maya was named Cuba's top right-handed hurler in 2008-2009 and held a showcase in the Dominican Republic last week in which the 28 year old threw a fastball ranging from 88-92 MPH while flashing a two-seamer, slider, curveball and change up.

Rotoworld

What I Write About Locally

http://npaper-server.com/hardeeville-today#2009/12/25/?page=4

Thole, Richard Hidalgo, K-Rod, Kelvim in winter ball... and Babe Trade Turns 90

Josh Thole:

Caracas Leones (41-22) - Top Hitter: Josh Thole was clearly the top hitter on the team with a .381 average and three homeruns with 28 RBIs. But he left the team on December 7 and may not return for the playoffs. So the top hitter playing in the playoffs would be ex-Pirate now Yokahama Bay Stars Jose Castillo. Jose is hitting .344 with seven homeruns and 34 RBIs. While Thole was second in the league in hitting Jose was sixth. His 17 stolen bases were second in the league -  myob

Richard Hidalgo:

Magallanes Navegantes (41-22) -  Richard Hidalgo (.306, 8, 31) just keeps on hitting. He will be 35 during the middle of the 2010 season. You would think some major league team would like to pick up a solid bench player. Ezequiel Carrera (.269, 1, 14) has a lot of talent and his 14 stolen bases are tied for third in the league. Deolis Guerra (2-0, 5.63) has four appearances and three starts. His ERA is so high because his first start and his last appearance he gave up all his runs. The two starts in between were solid. - myob

Francisco Rodriquez:

La Guaira Tiburones (32-31) -  Victor Zambrano has pitched much better for the Tiburones (3.40) than Magallanes (7.50). He is 0-4, 5.63 when his numbers are combined between the two teams. Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez took over the closer job, but his 7.20 ERA to start the season is pretty ugly. All the runs he gave up were in his first two appearances. He hasn’t given up a run in his last four appearances. Ronald Belasario (1-1, 2.93) provides an excellent setup man. -  myob
 

Kelvim Escobar:
 
Lara Cardenales (29-34) - Other Pitchers to Watch:  Kelvin Escobar made one relief appearance, but since signing with the Mets it is unclear how much they will allow him to pitch. He pitched one inning without giving up a run, striking out one and walking one.  -  myob

Babe Ruth:

Saturday marked the 90th anniversary of the Red Sox selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. There was a time when that topic got people's blood boiling. Now, it is just a transaction in the bio of the greatest player ever.

If you look up the history of Dec. 26, in fact, that secret deal in 1919 doesn't look as big anymore. That same day in 1776, the British lost at the Battle of Trenton. Chairman Mao was born that day in 1893; FM radio was patented that day in 1933; Time magazine's 1982 Man of the Year went instead to the personal computer; the United Soviet Socialist Republic was formally dissolved that day in 1991; and disasters occurred with an Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and a Taiwan earthquake in 2006. -  Mark Newman

Marty Nobel, January 2009, Hodges, Yogi... and Yuniesky Maya

Marty Noble:

Q: Why aren't the Mets making more offseason moves? - -- Tom H., Yonkers, N.Y.

A: You got me. They had ideas -- plans, I guess you could call them -- and if they followed through with them, it hasn't been apparent. They liked Cameron, who is now with the Red Sox. They spoke of Glaus, who is now with the Braves. John Lackey (Red Sox) and Wolf (Brewers) were mentioned, too. The season doesn't start for more than three months, so there is no urgency in that regard, but some of the players they had targeted no longer are available. So, if Bay declines their offer, it does seem they'll have few quality alternatives for a source of added power. And if Bengie Molina says no, they'll have no free-agent-catcher alternatives they actually want.  -  Marty Noble

January 2009:

With most of its offseason renovation done in a three-day period in December, the club turned away from Scott Boras, who was selling Derek Lowe at an exorbitant price, and Pedro Martinez, who was selling himself as the piece necessary for a Mets championship, and toward Perez. The Mets, it turned out, were buying what Perez was selling. While no other club showed much interest, the Mets pursued him as if unaware of his track record. Before January ended, they signed two others -- Tim Redding and Alex Cora, all but finalizing the roster they would have in Spring Training.

Meanwhile, their players were signing up, left and right, for the World Baseball Classic.-  mlb 

Gil Hodges:

More than any other manager in baseball history, Hodges relied on his bench. Four times – in 1964, 1965, 1967, and 1969 – three of his reserves played in at least 100 games. On all other teams from 1963-71, 183 rosters in all, only seven had a trio of backups appears in 100 games. In 1966, two of Hodges’ backups played in 100 games and a third was in 94. The 1971 squad featured three reserves who played in at least 97 games. In all, he had twenty bench players appear in 100 games in his nine campaigns, twice as many as typical. In part this was because Hodges had underwhelming lineups, but he also made sure all his starters had days off, even his rare quality ones. In nine years on the job, only twice did one of his players appear in 155 games. From 1963-71, the other teams had 285 occasions a starter played in that many contests. Only eight times did one of Hodges’s players appear in 150 games. Other baseball teams averaged that 2.45 times per season. Hodges’s second baseman played 130 games once. He never had a first baseman do that. None of his right fielders ever played 140 games. -  Chris Jaffe

Yogi Berra:

On the campus of Montclair State University, The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center is undergoing a four-phase renovation. A new gleaming glass exterior should welcome visitors about the time the Yankees break from spring training.  New exhibits, another 1,000 square feet of exhibit space, a refurbished theater and additional classroom programs are in the works. And it’s all a new source of pride for Berra, 84, who is spending Christmas today at home in Montclair with 11 grandchildren. He and his wife Carmen will celebrate their 61st anniversary next month. His museum is in its 12th year, and sits adjacent to Yogi Berra Stadium – home to the independent Northeast League’s New Jersey Jackals and Montclair State. Dave Kaplan, the amiable museum director, nudges Berra about his reaction when Montclair’s Floyd Hall, the former CEO of Kmart, asked the Hall of Famer if he could build and name a ballpark after Berra.

Yuniesky Maya :

Cuban pitcher Yuniesky Maya put himself on display in the Dominican Republic last week. Jorge Arangure of ESPN spoke to a scout in attendance who said the 28-year-old threw in the range of 88-92 MPH while showcasing a fastball, two-seamer, slider, curveball, and changeup. According to a report from Globedia.com, passed along by Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog, the Mets and White Sox are the frontrunners to sign

MLB Draft - High School 92+ MPH Fastball List

High School 92 MPH Plus Club


DeAndre Smelter, RHP Tattnal Square Academy,Macon, GA

Cam Bedrosian RHP, East Coweta HS, Sharpsburg, GA

Ralston Cash RHP, Lakeview HS, Cornelia, GA

Demondre Arnold RHP, Creekside HS, Fairburn, GA

Kaleb Cowart RHP, Cook County HS, Adel, GA

Andrew Smith RHP, Roswell HS, Roswell, GA

Colby Holmes RHP, Conway HS,Conway, SC

Bobby Wahl RHP,West Springfield HS, Springfield, VA

AJ Cole RHP,Oviedo HS, Winter Springs, FL

Drew Cisco RHP,Wando HS, Mount Pleasant, SC

Dan Child RHP,Jesuit HS, Rocklin, CA

Karsten Whitson RHP,Chipley HS, Bartow, Fla

A.J. Vanegas RHP,Redwood Christian HS, Alameda, Calif

Justin O'Connor RHP,Cowan HS, Muncie, Ind

Jameson Taillon RHP,The Woodlands HS,Woodland, Texas

Kevin Gausman RHP,Grandview Aurora HS, Centennial, Colo

Aaron Sanchez RHP,Barstow HS, Barstow,Calif

Luke Jackson RHP,Calvary Christian HS, SW Ranches, Fla

Yordy Cabrera RHP,(Lakeland HS,Lakeland Fla

Gabriel Encinas RHP,St. Paul HS, Whittier, Calif

Tyler Skulina RHP,Walsh Jesuit HS, Strongsville, Ohio

Mike Foltynewicz, RHP/1B/OF, Minooka HS,Minooka,IL

Robbie Aviles, RHP, Suffern HS, Suffern, NY

Alex Balog, RHP, Archbishop Mitty HS, Saratoga, CA

Jesse Biddle, LHP, Germantown Friends HS, Philadelphia, PA

Dylan Covey, RHP, Maranatha HS, Pasadena, CA

Nathan Foriest, LHP, Harpeth HS, Kingston Springs, TX

Austin Kubitza, RHP, Colleyville Heritage HS, Colleyville, TX

Christian Pfaff, RHP, RS Central HS, Rutherfordton, NC

Kyle Richter, LHP, Santa Margarita HS, Orange County, CA

Tyler Shreve, RHP, Redlands East Valley, Redlands, CA

Peter Tago, RHP, Dana Hills HS, Laguna Niguel, CA

Taijuan Walker, RHP, Yucaipa HS, Yucaipa, CA

Allie Stetson RHP,St.Edward HS,Lakewood, OH

David Armendariz RHP, Notre Dame HS,Sherman Oaks, CA

Blake Bagley RHP, San Marcos HS, San Marcos, TX

John Barbato RHP, Felix Varela HS,Miami, FL

Tyler Beede RHP, Lawrence Academy (2011),Auburn, MA

AJ Berglund RHP,St. Francis HS,Altadena, CA

Danny Bolanos RHP, Brito HS,Miami, FL

Hudson Boyd RHP, Ft Myers HS (2011), Fort Myers, FL

Archie Bradley RHP, Muskogee HS (2011), Muskogee, OK

Bryan Brickhouse RHP, Woodlands HS (2011),Woodlands, TX

Cody Buckel RHP, Royal HS, Simi Valley, CA

Dylan Bundy RHP, Sperry HS (2011), Sperry, OK

Joe Ceja RHP, Ottawa Marquette HS (2011),Ottawa, IL

Andrew Chin LHP, BB& M HS (2011),Waban, MA

Jonathan Crawford RHP,Okeechobee HS,Okeechobee, FL

Clayton Crum RHP,Klein HS, Spring, TX

Christopher (Cito)Culver RHP,Irondequoit HS,Rochester, NY

Trae Davis RHP,Mexia HS, Mexia, TX

Robert DeCosmo RHP,Cathedral HS (2011)Agawam, MA

Deshun Dixon LHP, Terry HS, Jackson, MS

Adam Duke RHP,Spanish Fork HS,Salem, UT

Edgar Padilla Ferreira LHP,Santo Domingo HS, Santo Domingo, DO

Scott Frazier RHP, Upland HS, Upland, CA

Carson Fulmer RHP,All Saints Academy (2012),Lakeland, FL

Daniel Gibson LHP,Tampa Jesuit HS,Lutz, FL

Reginald Golden RHP,Wetumpka HS, Wetumpka, AL

John Gray RHP,Chandler HS,Chandler, OK

Tyler Green RHP,Brazoswood HS,Lake Jackson, TX

Ryan Harris RHP,Jupiter HS (2011,Jupiter,FL HS

Dillon Howard RHP, Searcy HS(2011)Searcy,AR

Brady Hudson RHP,Riverton HS,Riverton, UT

Eric Jaffe RHP, Bishop O'Dowd HS,Oakland, CA

Tyrell Jenkins RHP,Henderson HS,Henderson,TX

Jon Keller RHP,Xavier HS,Cedar Rapids, IA

Adrick Kelly RHP, Trinity Christian School,Boyton Beach, FL

Dace Kime RHP, Defiance HS, Defiance, OH

Forrest Koumas RHP,Lugoff Elgin HS,Lexington, SC

Deshorn Lake RHP, Charlotte Amalie HS (2011)St. Thomas, VI

Michael Lorenzen RHP, Fullerton Union HS,Fullerton, CA

John Magliozzi RHP, Milton HS (2011), Milton, MA

Dillon Maples RHP, Pincrest HS (2011), West End, NC

Connor Mason RHP, Home Schooled,Suwannee, GA

Jake McCasland RHP, Piedra Vista HS,Farmington, NM

Lance McCullers RHP, Jesuit HS(2012), Tampa, FL

Christian Montgomery RHP, Lawrence Central HS (2011) Indianapolis, IN

Taylor Morton RHP, Bartlett HS, Bartlett, TN

Benton Moss RHP,Rocky Mount HS(2011)Enfield, NC

Wes Mugarian RHP,Catholic HS,Pensacola, FL

Case Nixon RHP,Hillcrest HS, Tuscaloosa, AL

Daniel Norris LHP,Science Hill HS (2011), Johnson City, TN

Sean O'Connor RHP,Carroll HS, Southlake, TX

TJ Pecoraro RHP, Half Hollow Hills West HS, Dix Hills, NY

Andres Perez-Lobo RHP, Christopher Columbus HS,Miami, FL

Adam Plutko RHP, Glendora HS,Upland, CA

Tony Rizzotti RHP,Arlington Martin HS, Arlington, TX

Nicholas Rumbelow RHP, Bullard HS, Bullard, TX

Nick Sawyer RHP, Hebron HS,Carrollton, TX

Jordan Shipers LHP,South Harrison HS, Bethany, MO

Colby Sims RHP, Mandarin HS,Jacksonville, FL

Ryne Stanek RHP,Blue Valley HS, Overland Park, KS

Colby Suggs RHP, Sulphur Springs HS, Sulphur Springs, TX

Nick Travieso RHP,American Heritage HS (2012), Pembroke Pines, FL

Pierce Trumper RHP, Rocky Mountain HS, Ft Collins, CO

Tyler Vail RHP,Notre Dame Green Pond HS, Easton, PA

Jesus Valdez RHP, FA, San Juan, Dominican Republic

Escobar money in - Savings Still: $40,603,500.00

Mets 2009-2010 Off-Season:


End of season: Released: OF Wily Mo Pena ($400k), IF Ramon Martinez ($750k), and signed RP Jack Egbert ($400k)… savings: $750,000.00

10-7: Mets acquired first baseman Eddie Lora (minimum minor league contract) and outfielder Chris Carter ($400K) for Billy Wagner ($10.5mil) – savings: $10,100,000.00

10-11: Mets grant free agency to: RP Jon Switzer – savings: $475,000.00

10-11: Mets grant free agency to P Connor Robinson – savings: $450,000

10-19: The Mets release RP Ken Takahashi. Savings: Takahashi had an incentive based minor league contract that could earn him up ti 1.5mil a year. I assume he earned it in 2009, since he pitched so well: savings: $1,500,000.00

11-5: The Mets have told J.J. Putz that they do not intend to pick up his 2010 option and will buy him out instead for $1 million. Putz's option would have been for $9.1 million. Savings: $8,100,000.00

11-6: 1B Carlos Delgado filed for free agency. Savings: $12,000,000.00.

11-6: C Brian Schneider filed for free agency. Savings: $4,900,000.00

11-6: IF Alex Cora filed for free agency. Savings: $2,000,000.00

11-6: The Mets exercized their option on SP Mike Pelfry, for $500,000.00. Last year, due to his original contract, he earned $2,900,000.00. Savings: $2,400,000.00

11-9: OF Gary Sheffield filed for free agency. – Savings: $400,000.00

11-10: P Elmer Dessens released – savings: $600,000.00

11-16: Passing on resigning OF Fernando Tatis at option rate… savings: $1,700,000

11-16: 16 AAA/AA players file for free agency… 13 are minimal salaries that will be offset by additional minor leaguers at same rate… three had individual contracts: IF Wilson Valdez (381K), C Robinson Cano (408K), and P Carlos Muniz (402K) – savings: $1,191,000

11-30: Mets sign Alex Cora – spending: $2,000,000

12-3: Mets tender John Maine – approx: $2,900,000

12-3: Mets sign C Chris Coste – spending: $600,000

12-3: Mets sign C Henry Blanco – spending: $1,500,000

12-10: Mets sign OF/1B Mike Hessman – spending AAA salary: $90,000

12-10: Mets re-negotiate recent contract signed with C Henry Blanco – reduction of $750,000 in base pay with additional monies tied to encentive performance bonuses – savings: $750,000

12-11: Mets resign RP Elmer Dessens – cost: $700,000.

12-12: Mets non-tender SP Tim Redding ($2,250,000), OF Jeremey Reed ($925,000), OF Cory Sullivan ($600,000), and SP Lance Broadway ($402,500) – total savings: $4,177.500

12-18: Mets signed RP Ryota Igarashi – cost: $1,250,000

12-23: Mets sign RP R.A. Dickey – cost: $600,000

12-26: Mets sign RP Kelvim Escobar – cost: $1,250,000



Total savings so far: $40,603,500.00