As I had indicated might happen a few weeks ago, former Mets outfielder Shawn Green has officially retired.

Green played pretty well during April and May of last season before he was played on the disabled list with a foot injury.

Green had indicated that if he were to play another year, he would prefer to play for a West Coast team, unfortunately, most of the teams out west weren't interested.

It appears Shawn Green wont accomplish his goal of becoming the all time Jewish Home Run King. Green now retires just 3 home runs shy of Hank Greenberg on the all time home run list.
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Ken Rosenthal over at Fox Sports reports that he thinks former Mets outfielder and free agent Shawn Green will retire if a west coast team is unwilling to sign him.

Green played pretty well during April and May of last season before he was played on the disabled list with a foot injury.

To revive a joke among Mets fans... Shawn Green is only 3 home runs shy of passing Hank Greenberg and becoming the all time Jewish Home Run King... Shalom.

It's definitely possible some team will sign him, and at the very least he should be invited to spring training somewhere.
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According to Rotoworld the Mets have declined to offer salary arbitration to C Paul Lo Duca, C Sandy Alomar Jr., 1B Jeff Conine, C Mike DiFelice, INF Damion Easley, OF Shawn Green, RHP Aaron Sele and 2B Jose Valentin.

No big surprises here. Easley's deal still isn't official, but he has agreed to terms with the Mets. I really don't see any of the others coming back unless it's for minor league deals, then I could see both DiFelice or Sele accepting those roles. Read More...

It's the middle of November, and you know what that means... baseball's Hot Stove season is heating up (no pun intended).

Before we get all the talk of who is a free agent, who is "available", and who can afford the big name players underway, lets take a quick look at some of the current Mets who are free agents this off season.

Free Agents

Moises Alou: In 2006, Mets signed Alou to a one year deal worth $8.5 million, with a $7.5 million option for 2008, which the Mets have already exercised. Alou will be playing for the Mets once again in 2008.

Marlon Anderson: The Mets have signed Anderson to a 2 year contract worth $2.2 million. Anderson will continue to be a clutch bat off the bench for the Mets in 2008.

Luis Castillo: Omar Minaya has said the Mets will do their best to re-sign Castillo, but the Houston Astros have also shown interest, Castillo could receive a 4 year deal, which the Mets are unlikely to match. If the Astros are willing to give a 4 year deal to a 32 year old with knee problems, they can have Castillo.

Ramon Castro: According to the Daily News The Mets have just wrapped up a deal with Castro for 2 years worth just over $4 million. Castro is expected to either backup or split time with Yorvit Torrealba, who the Mets appear to be close to signing.

Jeff Conine: The 41 year old Conine has finally called it a career, retiring after 16 seasons in the majors. Conine was a two time all star, and won two World Series championships with the Florida Marlins.

Damion Easley: The Mets have re-signed Easley to a one year, $950,000 deal. Easley will likely backup for Castillo or Gotay at second base, and will also be used as a pinch hitter.

Tom Glavine: Glavine appears to be headed back to Atlanta to pitch one more year. Glavine has stated that he is willing to take less money to play in Atlanta. The Mets have not shown considerable interest in Glavine.

Shawn Green: It appears the Mets will not exercise their $10 million option on Green, and have shown little interest in bringing him back for 2008. Green may be headed back out to the west coast, where he'll try to hit 3 more home runs to surpass Hank Greenberg and become baseball's All Time Jewish Home Run King. SHALOM.

Brian Lawrence: The Mets have declined Lawrence's $4 Million option for 2008, Lawrence was designated for assignment before the end of last season, and is unlikely to return to the Mets.

Paul LoDuca: After failing to lure Jorge Posada away from the Yankees, the Mets were expected to turn their attention back to LoDuca. Instead, Omar Minaya has focused his sights on Rockies Catcher Yorvit Torrealba. LoDuca's agent has stated that he does not intend to sign with the Mets anytime soon. The LoDuca situation has gone from bad to worse, and now it appears clear that the Mets will not re-sign Loduca

Aaron Sele: Sele filed for free agency last month, he is not expected to return to the Mets. It is possible that he may retire if he is not signed by another team to a major league contract.

Jose Valentin: The Mets have declined their $4.3 Million option on Valentin. He is not expected to resign with the Mets.

Well, there you have it, in the coming weeks, the site will be heating up again, so be sure to check back here as often as possible to get up to the second updates on the Mets progress this off season.

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Heartbroken, anger, and disbelief, are just a few of the many emotions being shown by the 15,000+ members in the facebook group after the Mets historic meltdown.

Who can really blame them? This wasn’t the ending we all planned on. Two weeks ago we held a very comfortable 7 game lead with 17 to play. We were sitting in the driver’s seat looking at the SNY pocket schedule, seeing 13 of our last 17 games against the lowly Nationals and Marlins. In a year full of injuries and so called disappointments this is when we were finally going to get it done. Guess what? It didn’t happen, but life moves on.

Though we didn’t win the World Series, there are many individual moments that us as fans can look back on and be very proud of. Watching things like the continuing development of young players Lastings Milledge and Mike Pelfrey, exciting plays like the Endy Chavez drag bunt or the Carlos Beltran catch in Houston, the scoreless inning streaks of Pedro Feliciano and rookie Joe Smith, Tom Glavine’s 300th career win, John Maine’s two near no hitters, Shawn Green chasing Hank Greenberg for the all-time Jewish home run record, the return of Pedro Martinez, etc… these are the things that when I look back on the 2007 Mets I’m going to remember.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m just as upset as the rest of you. But in a year in which 99% of us are going to call it a letdown, there are those little things that we should all take with us, that we can all look back on, and that we can all remember to put an instant smile on our faces. And if that doesn’t work? 2008 is just around the corner. Read More...

Shawn Green informed Mets manager Willie Randolph during batting practice yesterday of his intent to sit out next Friday night's game in observance of Yom Kippur - and to play the Saturday day game against the Marlins, even though that also falls on the Jewish holiday.

Why go only halfway in observing the holy day? "I wanted to observe and recognize it, but I felt it would be more hypocritical to miss both," Green said. "I didn't grow up Conservative or very religious. At the same time, I understand being a Jewish role model as an athlete. I do find it important for people to recognize their faith." Read More...

With some shuffling of the lineup and getting everyone healthy, the Mets may finally have everything they need to play some good baseball. The bullpen will hold its own and if Beltran can stay healthy and find ways to produce, Mets fan may be able to sleep better at night.

One of the most needed lineup changes has come with Willie giving Lastings Milledge more playing time. I have never been crazy about Milledge, but it has been obvious that he needs to play. Shawn Green is probably at the end of his road, which is unfortunate, but that's the way the game goes. Milledge provides this team with much needed youth and defense, while Green has proved to be a liability for the Mets is every sense. Let me add, I really have no idea what the Mets expected out of Green is signing him last August. From '98-'02 he put up significant power numbers and have seen an incredible drop-off since. I know the Mets had a hole to fill in RF last summer, yet all he has provided is a random 4-4 day, awkward belly flops, and a flying hat. Hopefully, Milledge will embrace this opportunity to prove himself to this organization once and for all.

Yesterday I posted an update on Pedro's 2nd rehab start and although all of us have been warned some Mets fans still believe that Pedro is going to come back and be a savior for this ball club. Do not hold your breath friends...you may end up turning blue. If Pedro continues to progress, he will be at best an average pitcher when he returns. The energy that is Pedro should be a shot in the arm if he returns to New York, but he will not be a front end starter who will go deep into games. If he can provide the Mets will quality starts during the stretch run, that would be a success for this season. Expecting too much from Pedro Martinez may only be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Moises Alou used to make me see red. While he was injured, his status was always the biggest mystery of the early summer. What's even better is that while we have no idea if he would return this century, the Mets tease me on the scoreboard with "Moises Alou's favorite vacation spot in the Dominican Republic." Well, that's nice Mo, but could you find your way back to NY? Thankfully he did, and I take back any anger I had towards him in June. If he stays healthy and continues to come up in clutch situations, I am officially an idiot.

Last but not least, some red flags. I still have faith in John Maine and Oliver Perez, but there is some concern regarding these 2 young arms. John Maine has never thrown this many innings, and should we get to the postseason, I don't know if we'll see the Maine of last October. Oliver Perez could be suffering from fatigue as well, yet he has some more experience from his time in Pittsburgh. The Mets do not have the luxury of rest their starters as they did last August with a 15 game lead. These kids need to dig deep and come up big for the Mets as we head for the home stretch.

We're 75% of the way there...keep the faith Mets fans! Read More...

The Mets placed outfielder Carlos Beltran on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 25, with a strained oblique.

Lastings Milledge will be the Mets' regular center fielder while Beltran is out, guaranteeing that Shawn Green stays in the lineup for at least another 10 days. Beltran will be eligible to return Aug. 9. Read More...

Fox Sports is reporting that the Mets have talked with the A's about starting pitcher Joe Blanton, but Oakland wants Milledge and more, and the Mets can't deal Milledge right now with all of their outfield health issues...In fact, the outfield issues have the Mets sniffing around for available outfield bats. They like Baltimore's Jay Payton, and may have a better chance to get him now that the Cubs' interest in him seems to have waned. And yes, believe it or not, they've spoken with the Rangers about Sammy Sosa, who could platoon in right field with Shawn Green. Sosa has clobbered left-handed pitchers this year, but the Mets are wary of bringing him in because of the controversy that surrounds him...The Mets also have spoken with the Rangers about Gagne, though they would need Texas to drop its asking price. Read More...

Over the last six weeks, us Mets fans have suffered as our beloved Mets have played .500 baseball, and have gone up and down like a roller coaster at Six Flags. It seems like ever since Delgado hit that walk-off off of Armando Benitez in the last week of May, Benitez formulated a curse in which the Mets would not be able to hit in a clutch spot. Of course, I am just looking for a scapegoat and still have the optimism like Willie does, and there is reasoning behind my optimism.

After this tough west coast swing, we have seven games against the Pirates and Nationals. This would be the perfect time to get going, as the dog days of August are approaching quickly. Also, during these seven games we will see the return of Moises Alou (Remember him?), who should give the Mets, as Mike Francessa said, "The Big Bat" that they need. With Alou coming back, this means Lastings Milledge will platoon with Shawn Green in right, and hopefully light a fire under him, and increase his production.

I would be extremely SHOCKED if within the three-week period Alou comes back, the Mets didn't go on a massive tear, especially with Delgado (yes Delgado) hitting over .350 in July. Winning ten out twelve games is not out of the question once Alou returns, and a win streak like that is exactly what the doctor ordered.

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It was the Monday I had marked down on my calendar since Spring Training. June 25, 2007 stuck out like a sore thumb. It was time for revenge... It was time for the redbirds to get what was coming to them.

I'm not going to waste my time with a flashback to October of 2006. We don't need to feel that pain any more. It's a feeling us Mets fans are far too familiar with. The only thing that matters, is what happened on that June evening, in front of 40,075 people at Shea, and an entire city tuned into ESPN. Sure enough, the redbirds brought their "A" game, with newly-acquired Mike Maroth on the mound to battle Jorge Sosa.. and for 10 and a half innings, it looked like we were in for a long night, until finally:

Even in simulation, that Home Run is still majestic.

Next Monday: We flash back to a time I like to call, The Oroscozoic Era. Read More...