One of the biggest promising stars of Cuban baseball, Yasiel Balaguer, is now in Nicaragua planning to become a free agent and make it to the Major Leagues. Balaguer, 17, has played in Cuban teams that, starting with the children's categories, have taken part in international tournaments. He was a starter in the latest Cuban team that played in the World Junior Baseball Championship in Ontario, Canada, in the summer. Balaguer, a center fielder, left Cuba a few days ago and is expected to initiate the process that would open the door for him to be a free agent, an indispensable step for Cubans who want to play in the Major Leagues. - Miami Herald
One of the primary reasons why Hurdle would prefer to take the Pirates’ job instead of waiting to see if the Mets make him an offer is that his 8-year-old daughter Madison was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome. The disease, which affects about one in every 12,000 people, is a chromosomal disorder that typically causes low muscle tone, short stature if not treated with growth hormone and an insatiable appetite that can lead to life-threatening obesity. The Children’s Institute, located Squirrel Hill, is one of the nation’s foremost providers of care for those affected with Prader-Willi. Hurdle serves as the national spokesman for the Prader-Willi Foundation. - BM
Terry Collins:
An old-school disciplinarian and good communicator, he's done exemplary work as the Mets' minor-league field coordinator - which is where most baseball people who know him think he is a perfect fit. As a manager, fired by both the Angels and Astros, his high-strung, tightly-wrapped persona quickly wore thin with his players. Said one longtime Astros operative: "We had a fairly young team (when Collins was the manager) that you would think would be easily impressionable early on. But that wasn't the case. They just never could relate to him." It was the same in Anaheim with the Angels where, after two second-place finishes in '97 and '98, Collins found himself constantly bickering with his players (who petitioned the GM, Bill Bavasi, to fire him), and then had a meltdown at the end of the '99 season when he tearfully resigned, admitting he'd lost the team. - NYDN
The Philadelphia Phillies are interested in pursuing left-hander Hisanori Takahashi, the Inquirer reported. Takahashi and the Mets failed to reach an agreement by Friday's extended negotiating deadline and the Mets were contractually required to make the versatile Japanese southpaw a free agent. The Mets are not permitted to re-sign Takahashi and use him in the majors before May 15, ensuring he will sign elsewhere. - ESPN
Trade: Sent to Montreal in Ellis Valentine deal - After trade: 63 Wins, 357 Saves, 118 ERA+, 738 Ks - Analysis – The Mets had Neil Allen and Reardon vying for their closer job and were in desperate need of a big OF bat. Valentine was in the midst of the best season of his career in 1980 before having his face shattered by Roy Thomas. The Mets were gambling he could return to form when they made this trade in mid-1981, but Valentine was derailed by more injuries along with substance abuse problems. Ultimately, this was a poor trade for the Mets, but at the time it was a reasonable gamble. - 360mets
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