Here's an available OF not named Bay/Holliday

Ken Rosenthal reports that the Royals may look to trade David DeJesus after signing Brian Anderson. Kansas City is pursuing veteran center fielder and lead-off man Scott Podsednik ( source Rotoworld) but even before they obtain him with the addition of Anderson they now have four outfielders.

Maier and Anderson are inexpensive and Guillen is unmovable, so it appears that DeJesus is the odd man out.

David DeJesus is a 29 y/o left hander who is owed 4.7MM in 2010 with a club option for 2011 worth 6MM ( 0.5MM buyout) (source Cots Contract).

I will admit I'm partial to DeJesus who grew up in Manalapan, NJ which is a few towns over from me and if my memory serves me correctly he use to show up in the Asbury Park Press ( local paper owed by Star Ledger) before moving on to Rutgers University.

DeJesus is baseballs equivalent of a tweener, he doesn't have the range for center field which is the position he came up at and lacks the power of a traditional corner outfielder. Which makes him an above average defensive corner outfielder but a non-slugger at the plate.

He has a lifetime BA of .286 with OBP .358, Slg. pct. .425 and .728 OPS. The best power he ever produced was last year hitting 13 HRs with 71 RBIs. He would be the type of defensive player the Mets want for left field, along with being a gap hitter averaging 30 doubles a season since becoming a starter and his high BA would compliment the move-the-line-along mentality they talked about all of last year.

Not a perfect fit to say the least but at least another option since Bay seems to be holding their off-season for ransom...

Before the addition of Anderson, David DeJesus, Jose Guillen and Mitch Maier were the only three outfielders on the Royals’ roster -- and the team is open to trading DeJesus. Thus, Podsednik could still fit, with Anderson becoming a fourth outfielder. Podsednik bats left-handed, Anderson right-handed. source Fox Sports

Will Delgado's delay remove him from Mets plans...

Marty Noble is reporting that Carlos Delgado's return to action has been delayed until the middle of January. The Mets were said to be interested in having the slugger return depending upon his performance during winter ball, his possible set back could have significant ramifications on their decisions in regards to 1B. I had actually been leaning towards having him return but the Mets aren't going near any players who are injury risks, Delgado's set back or whatever it is probably sealed his fate with the Mets...

Minaya said on Monday that Delgado had not resumed playing and probably wouldn't until January. Another person reiterated that on Tuesday and added that the delay -- and the reason for it -- might diminish the Mets' interest in re-signing the 37-year-old veteran of 15-plus seasons. source MLB.com

Are the Mets burying negative stories...

I was looking for a story Marty Noble at Mets.com had wrote about the pitching market in which he discussed the signings of Lackey, Wolf and Marquis while discussing the Pedro situation but I couldn't find it.

I know I read it in the last 48 hrs, because I had considered posting about Pedro but decided against since it was disputed before I got to it.

It's no longer on the front page, where I first saw it and the third story listed under headlines dates back to 12/17.

Initially on the Mets News page under more headlines I still didn't see the article, then I found it 12 articles down. Curiously the article was written by Noble on 12/21 but was tucked in under articles written between 12/15-12/19. All the articles appear to be in chronological order except the article in question, they top one is 12/19 and go in order down to 12/15 before the 12/21 article.

Maybe there's a method to the posting of the articles but it certainly seems like they're trying to bury a negative article about their approach to the off-season by their own beat writer.

The Mets' options in the pitching department of the free-agent market evidently have diminished once more. Not only can they not sign one starting pitcher they had coveted, they won't sign another starter they hadn't. Only in the twisted worlds of the Mets and today's "listen to what I heard" sports journalism can that sentence make sense. source Mets.com

Did you really think we were alone in bidding on Bay...

I have said this for two weeks now, Jason Bay is not K-Rod who wanted to play here and quickly signed at a lower then expected rate.

You are not getting Jason Bay at four years, Bay will linger until another teams situation changes and they will jump in to steal the player who is holding up our entire off-season.

Just yesterday we were hearing that on one hand the Mets were reluctant to bid against themselves and then on the other they can't engage in the pitching market until they find out how much they have to spend on a big bat.

Well surprise, surprise now its being reported that there are at least three teams in on bay other then the Mets. Did they really think they were getting Bay at a steal on his last big contract of his career, when he is only one of two big bats available, of course, there are teams waiting in the weeds.

Here are three ways this team could get beat to Bay this off-season...

Rem. this, a four year deal in Citi Field would reduce his numbers and end at 35 y/o, killing his next contract.

1. A team could simply out bid the Mets, the Mets haven't had the stomach for bidding wars in recent years.

2. A team that's more appealing could match the Mets and he could easily go to them, Citi Field has a horrible reputation with hitters right now.

3. Nobody else could offer better then the Mets and Bay could take a one year deal in a location he prefers and try again next year.

As I've said before, this is Lowe all over again the Mets are set-up to wait all off-season for Bay only to be left scrambling in the end....

But an official of one interested club believes that four teams remain involved in the bidding: the Mets, Mariners, Giants and Angels. source Fox Sports

Mets close to a MiLB on R.A. Dickey..

Please Mets fans don't complain about the team signing R.A. Dickey to a minor league deal with an Invite to Spring training ( source Yahoo). I'm extremely critical and frustrated with the Mets approach to this off-season but when they do sign a player we can't complain about the player after complaining for weeks about them not signing anyone.

On a minor league deal, who cares whether they sign him or not. He comes to spring training if he pitches well great he makes the team, if not, he enjoys a summer in Buffalo.

Dickey is a 35 y/o right handed knuckleballer who has started and worked out of the pen. If he's effective Blanco is more then equipped to handle the knuckleball and he provides versatility along with a different look pitch.

Jon Harper confirms my concerns

In case my tea leaves weren't enough, Jon Harper confirmed through his sources that basically the Mets off-season is being held hostage by Jason Bay. Harper reports that his sources are telling him that the Mets need to see how much they spend on a big bat before they address the rotation. This is why patience shouldn't continue to be the mantra of the organization and that time does have a value...

Another baseball source said that some members of the Mets' hierarchy had pushed for the club to pursue Marquis, believing that his durability and consistent 14-win, 200-innings type seasons would be a good fit at the back of the starting rotation. Last season Marquis pitched 216 innings for the Rockies, going 15-13 with a 4.04 ERA.

The explanation coming from the Mets last night, via a club source, is that they are focused on offense first, as they continue negotiations with Molina and outfielder Jason Bay. As such they aren't ready to negotiate with pitchers until they know how much it costs to add bats. source Daily News

Rob Neyer of ESPN has a plan that sounds appealing to me but I've been calling for a deadline since Buster Olney's 48 hr projection window closed...

But the best thing Omar Minaya could do now is tell Bay's and Molina's agents that they've got until sundown to make a decision. Because the best outcome is that they decline. The second-best outcome is that they accept now, so Minaya can get on with things. And everything else falls under the heading of "worst outcomes."source ESPN

Will the Angels be the Mystery team...

If I had to guess, I would guess that the Angels become the mystery team in the Jason Bay sweepstakes. As many of you have read, I believe the Mets should consider their time and security as part of the premium they pay for a player. If the Mets are willing to go five years, then instead of viewing it as bidding against themselves they should view paying that extra year now, to get the deal done. Not only does getting the deal done ensure they get the player they want but it also allows them to move onto other positions they need to fill.

I've also said before that markets change and the longer you wait, the bigger the risk that an unforeseen variable effects your plans. I think it's rarer for the market to come back to you, then it is, for the market to change against you.

While I don't believe the Mets are competing against a mystery team, I do believe that if things break right the Angels, they could easily jump in to steal Bay. The Angels already look like a team that needs another bat but they are currently trying to trade one of their outfielders. If they can find a taker on Matthews Jr. they will free up a lot of money but they've also talked about trading Rivera for a starter. If they move either player it would make sense for them to go after Bay and the Angels are a team who will over spend on a player they want.

Perhaps the Mets see a lack of media reports on competition for Bay and/or Holliday and figure they need to let the players come to them. But that would be a miscalculation.

Besides the Cardinals, who figure to be the favorite for Holliday, a number of contenders need offense. The Giants were thought to have interest in Bay when the offseason began. The Red Sox and Mariners have been so aggressive this winter that it wouldn't be out of the question that they jump back in the chase for a leftfielder.

And if the Angels trade outfielder Juan Rivera for pitching or the Braves trade Derek Lowe and don't get an outfielder back, those teams will join in.

All those teams can make a stronger case than the Mets that they are playoff contenders. source Ed Price AOL Fanhouse

Implications of Marquis signing...

Most Mets fans have heard that Jason Marquis has signed with the Washington Nationals, reportedly for two years 15MM. At the beginning of the off-season Marquis had made it clear that he wanted to be a Met and have even been given an endorsement by his former teammate in Atlanta Jeff Francoeur. But after two months of free agency Marquis started leaning towards the Nats and has now signed with them.

I would have preferred to sign Marquis to a one year deal with an option but the second year would not be a deal breaker. If Marquis had found a team to give him the third year he was asking for I could understand passing but at two years I don't get it. The Mets need a consistent pitcher who can eat up innings...

While I'm not going to lose sleep over missing out on Marquis, what I do find troubling is that they never engaged in serious negotiations with a starting pitcher who wanted to play for us. just as Lowe held their off-season hostage last year, it appears Bay is doing the same thing this year.

The Mets are believed have a fixed budget for spending at somewhere near 30MM, they need to know how much they are spending on left field before they can sign any other significant pieces this year. Bay could cost anywhere from 10MM to 18MM next year depending on if he allows them to back load the contract or not. Omar isn't asleep at the wheel I believe he's stuck in neutral, thanks to Bay....

Are the Mets running out of patience

Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post has a great article on the Jason Bay and Bengie Molina situation. While I don't believe the questions will ever go away until a marquee positional player signs here at a reasonable contract, there are those that believe both players have a reluctance to play at Citi Field. It seems more likely that both players are holding out for one more year and while there's no clear cut competitions for their services they don't appear to be budging from their demands. While the Mets don't want to bid against themselves, they also don't want to wait until the market changes and their left out in the cold. At this point they should have already moved on from Molina and his three year demand, sign any of the three remaining catchers before you give him the third year. Bay is another story, I have no problem giving him a fifth year and would have already signed him if that's whats holding up the process. It doesn't appear the Mets are budging on their offers and might even be getting ready or at least creating the appearance of getting ready to look elsewhere...

But a team source said yesterday that Minaya might soon consider other options in left field and at catcher if Bay and Molina continue to leave the Mets dangling despite appearing to have no serious offers anywhere close to what Minaya has tendered. source NY Post

When will this Bay saga end...

We're well past that 48hr window Buster Olney believed that Jason Bay would be a Met and there's still not a peep from the outfielder.

The lack of news has resulted in speculation in numerous directions, some believe that Bay maybe reluctant to play in what is being called cavernous Citi Field while others are worried that there might be a mystery team lurking in the weeds.

Of course, this could all be a tactical ploy by the agent in an attempt to gain any leverage possible in a weak market for elite players with big price tags. After all, his only leverage at this point appears to be the neurotic Mets fans ( don't take this wrong I'm included) who are clamouring for a signing.

Sometimes, due to the circumstances a team needs extend their offer to get a deal done, while some call it bidding against themselves, it can also be viewed as paying a premium for the timing of the signing.

Maybe the Mets due need to sweeten the pot for Bay to come to Citi Field and there might be a mystery team that is willing to match their deal which is a more appealing destination. But even if neither of these variables are true the Mets would pay a premium for time and security.

In regards to their time, Bay is holding up their entire off-season they need to know how much he is going to cost before they can move on to the rotation, pen and platoon at 1B. They also need to sign him for ticket plan sales and ad space revenues.

As far as security, I said the other day this is way too reminiscent of the Lowe situation where their offer sat for too long and as the market changed they were out bid for a player most had already written off as a Met. Many of the praising comments about Omar this year regarding his patience are eerily similar to the praise he received last year over Lowe.

This time the Mets can't afford to lose their prized off-season target, if somehow a team steps in and out bids the Mets, it will have disastrous ramifications. Not only does security mean having left field and the middle of the order sured-up but it also means sending a message to other free agents that its safe to sign here ( both on and off the field).

Look I don't believe Bay is a bad investment at five years, but I also don't think the Mets have a choice in the matter and even if that last year is lost to injuries; over five years, one year of that contract to a multi billion dollar corporation is a mere pittance.

What would I do; I'd give him the fifth year as an easily obtainable vesting option and then give him a deadline of 48 hrs from Monday morning to sign. If he completely walked away, I'd know he was using us to make his market and never planned to sign here. If he wanted to negotiate I would include the fifth year only if it was a deal breaker. At least we'd know sooner then later what we needed to do and weren't stuck going six years in Feb. because there are no moves left to make....