Bengie Molina, Carlos Delgado and the Mets' Hall of Fame
Rejoice, statisal-analysis-inclined Mets fans! Bengie Molina will not be a Met in 2010!
It's a surprise, unquestionably, and more for the Mets' behavior. Make no mistake: The Mets' baseball people wanted Molina quite badly. They viewed him as a desired upgrade to their lineup.
But, as we all know, Omar Minaya doesn't have as much clout as he once did, and Jeff Wilpon controlled the negotiations with Molina, just as he did with Jason Bay. The Mets never did budge from their offer of one guaranteed year. Their final offer - $5 million, as Jon Heyman reported - was "take it or leave it," and Molina left it.
The Giants, as an aside, have really put together an unimpressive winter. Molina? Aubrey Huff? Mark DeRosa? Yeesh. Smells like another exciting yet ultimately frustrating 2010 season for the Giants, with plenty of 2-1 and 3-2 results.
So where do the Mets turn now? They'll probably place a call to the representatives for Yorvit Torrealba, because they like him. I think this would be a good call, for the right price, as it would allow Josh Thole to play every day at Triple-A Buffalo. And Torrealba, 31, offers a younger body than the 35-year-old Molina.
Torrealba's grievance with the Mets could be settled...for a price.
But I do think there's a legitimate chance the Mets stick with Henry Blanco and Omir Santos, with Thole ready to jump in.
--The Mets continue to scout Carlos Delgado in Puerto Rico, and word is that he's starting to look a little more like his old self. The report today that Delgado signed with the Blue Jays is bogus. I think the Mets are the favorites to land Delgado, all the more so with Carlos Beltran missing the start of the season, and with Molina - again, in the Mets' minds, an offensive upgrade - off the board.
As for pitching? They're still monitoring the market, sure to land one of the available starters. And Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse reported that the Mets sent physical rehabilitation specialist Chris Correnti to watch Ben Sheets pitch.
--The Mets announced four inductees to their Hall of Fame - Frank Cashen, Dwight Gooden, Davey Johnson and Darryl Strawberry. I got to know both Gooden and Strawberry during their years with the Yankees, and I found both guys to be extremely likeable. I'm happy for them that they have made their peace with the Mets.
More MLB news


