According to Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com, the Mets are interested in acquiring Pirates LHP Damaso Marte, ‘but not at the current price.’

In his last 140 relief appearances for the Pirates, spanning two seasons, Marte, 32, has a 3.13 ERA while left-handed batters hit .154 against him.

I guess it couldn't hurt, but it's not worth their asking price of Fernando Martinez. Read More...

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Mets have inquired on Toronto's A.J. Burnett. Burnett's opt-out effectively puts him on a one-year deal, but worse.

Burnett is definitely the frontline type of guy the Mets have been looking for, despite the injury concerns. Those concerns plus the contract situation should definitely leave Burnett in the Mets' price range, however Stark says it's a long shot at best. Read More...

A number of sources are reporting that the Mets are close to a deal that would send Phillip Humber, Aaron Heilman, Ryan Church, and possibly Kevin Mulvey to the Orioles for starting pitcher Erik Bedard.

Meanwhile, over at Metsblog Matt Cerrone is reporting that the deal may involve a third team and Orioles' SS Miguel Tejada. This report is unconfirmed as well.

Remember this is just speculation, but a deal does seem close. This would be a fabulous trade for the Mets if they can manage to get the 28 year old Bedard without giving up Mike Pelfrey, Carlos Gomez or Fernando Martinez.

This deal may go down tonight, tomorrow, the next day or maybe not at all. It is kinda hard to imagine the Orioles will do anything with Bedard until after the Twins decide what to do with Johan Santana. But be sure to keep checking back as we will have more information as this story unfolds.

UPDATE: The report that suggested Erik Bedard is on his way to the Mets is "false," according to one executive with the Mets. However, talks are ongoing.

Looks like we may have jumped the gun with this one... thanks to mlb-rumors for clarifying that earlier post.
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Over the weekend, the Orioles rejected the Mets' trade offer of outfield prospect Carlos Gomez, reliever Aaron Heilman and pitching prospect Philip Humber for Erik Bedard, according to the Baltimore Sun.

The Sun reports that Bedard has attracted a lot of attention in a trade market that also includes Johan Santana. But it remains unknown whether the Orioles will trade him and, according to a team source, several members of the organization remain opposed to parting with Bedard, who is two years away from free agency.

The Los Angeles Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners are among other teams that have expressed interest in the star lefty.The Yankees apparently view Bedard as a backup plan if they do not land Johan Santana, but its unlikely the Orioles would trade him within the division. One Orioles sportswriter suggested that Bedard could cost the Yankees Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Melky Cabrera.

The Orioles seem to prefer to retain their ace if a contract extension can be reached. However, with contract negotiations reportedly stalled, a trade is looking more and more likely. Orioles President Andy MacPhail told the Baltimore Sun last week that stalled contract talks won't "dramatically" affect the club's position on Bedard, and that talks could revive in the days ahead.

Bedard could be the solution to the Mets' starting pitching woes, but what would the price be? Apparently Bedard is not going to be cheap, and the Mets must be careful not to sell their whole future to land one player. Read More...

From ESPN.....

Unable to reach agreement on a trade for Chad Cordero, the Mets and Nationals were said to be also talking to the Diamondbacks about a possible three-team deal. According to an official of one team that had spoken with those clubs, the Mets and Nationals ran into a hang-up over the Mets' refusal to include a second prospect in the trade. It's believed that the Mets were willing to trade highly regarded pitching prospect Phil Humber for Cordero, but when they were unable to agree on a second piece, the Nationals sought to expand the deal. However, the official said the Mets were adamant about making a one-for-one swap, so the chances of an expanded deal were described as unlikely.

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The Gagne sweepstakes was down to the Red Sox and Brewers by Tuesday afternoon. The Yankees and Mets signaled that by turning their attention to other deals, according to executives from multiple teams. The Mets said no on any of their young outfieldes -- Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez and Lastings Milledge. Read More...

JEFF CONINE

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Mets and the Cubs are interested in the Reds' Jeff Conine, a professional pinch-hitter who can play both first base and the corner outfield spots.

Jeff Conine has a .368 average (7-for-19) as a pinch-hitter in Cincinnati and is hitting .303 since the All-Star break. The Cubs reportedly could get Conine for a mid-level prospect and he could back up Derrek Lee and spell Cliff Floyd in right at times. Since he makes only $2 million, whoever acquires Conine would only have to pay him about $600,000.

ERIC GAGNE

THe Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal is reporting that the Brewers have joined the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox in bidding for Texas closer Eric Gagne. Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin would only say "no comment" Monday night when asked specifically about his interest in Gagne.

Gagne has a no-trade clause, which should work in favor of the Mets and other contending teams. However, Texas seems to be asking more than any of the potential suitors are willing to give up, and Gagne is reluctant to go anywhere that he won't remain a closer.

SAMMY SOSA

The New York Mets have spoken with the Texas Rangers about Sammy Sosa, who could platoon in right field with Shawn Green. But the Newark Star-Ledger reports that the Mets are wary of bringing him in because of the controversy that surrounds him. Read More...

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune mentions that the Cubs, Braves, Mets, and Diamondbacks as teams that like Silva. He could be used as a starter or reliever. Read More...

Blog NJ is reporting that the Mets and Devil Rays were discussing a Lastings Milledge and "a Minor League pitcher" (probably either Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber) for Carl Crawford trade. 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...

The Mariners, Yankees, Mets, and Indians have called the Rays about Dan Wheeler and Al Reyes, but they require an "aggressive offer" as both can be kept for the 2008 season. Read More...

Espn.com's Jason Stark is reporting that the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox are all in on Eric Gagne. The Mets and Yankees have an advantage as Gagne can not veto a trade to either of them.Yahoo's Tim Brown confirms Boston's interest.

The Mets are being asked too much for both Chad Cordero and Octavio Dotel, causing them to take another look at Eric Gagne. Read More...

A number of sources including MetsBlog and MLB Trade Rumors are reporting that the Mets have acquired second baseman Luis Castillo from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor leaguers Drew Butera and Dustin Martin.

This seems like a good trade for the Mets, it brings a veteran second baseman who still has decent speed, a good on base percentage and an above average glove, to replace the unproven Ruben Gotay, who the Mets believe can one day be the future second baseman. From what I gather, the Mets weren't very high on Butera or Martin anyway, so this upgrade comes at a small price.

In other news, the Braves have been busy today, acquiring First Baseman Mark Teixeira, and appear to be close to landing former Met Octavio Dotel. The Braves gave up two big prospects in Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Elvis Andrus for Teixeira, which tells me the Braves are looking to make a serious push for the playoffs this season.

Omar better have something in the works for a big time reliever within the next 24 hours to counter the braves moves, otherwise we could be looking at a closer race than we anticipated. Read More...

When I write my article next Thursday all the MLB trade rumors will be over and done with, due to the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline passing this upcoming Tuesday. This means no more thinking that the Mets will acquire Dontrelle Willis for Scott Schoeneweis (hahahaha); or something else wild that we can only dream about. Of course with the trade deadline coming, the debate of "Do we trade prospects for ballplayers that are established?" will come into play. Will players like Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, and Fernando Martinez be a Met after July 31st? I most certainly hope so.

While thinking of what to write about before the deadline, I came across a great article on the SNY website; written by Ted Berg. It's almost like we share a brain, because I agree 110% with what he is saying. While we have our share of veterans like Delgado, Green, and Lo Duca, we also have a lot of up-and-coming players that have already contributed. Players like Gotay, Gomez, Reyes, Milledge, Maine, and Perez--all of which are between the ages of 22 and 26--could help out the Mets for a while to come. In addition to these ballplayers who have contributed, we also have Mike Pelfrey, and Mike Carp waiting in the wings.

Why trade any of these ballplayers for a guy who might only be here for 3 months, and then go back to his old team (Mike Bordick anyone)? Of course it's hard to tell if Gotay will pan out to be a great, like Wally Backman; or a dud, like Carlos Baerga. Will Lastings Milledge be the next Dave Kingman, or the next Alex Ochoa? Let's not make the same mistake that Jim Duquette did in 2004, by trading our stud Scott Kazmir for a broken Victor Zambrano. Let's make it so that we are not just contenders in 2007, but contenders for years to come.

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With second baseman Jose Valentin likely out for the season with a broken tibia, the Mets will need to decide what to do at second base.

Luckily the Mets have a number of options within their organization who could potentially fill Valentin’s shoes. Damion Easley, who is currently listed on the bereavement list due to an illness in his family, should be considered the frontrunner to take over the second baseman’s job. Easley is a 16 year veteran, and filled in nicely for Valentin when he was injured earlier in the season. However, Easley hasn’t seen much playing time since Valentin returned, and really hasn’t shown the same power either.

The Mets other major option is 24 year old Ruben Gotay, who is batting over .300 for the season, and has been nothing short of clutch for most of the month of July, the only question with Gotay is can he play everyday, and can he keep this hot streak going. Gotay is largely unproven, and has no playoff experience; therefore it is possible his recent success at the plate could be nothing more than a hot streak. While I have confidence in Gotay’s ability, I don’t really trust him in a big spot just yet.

The Mets also have recently acquired Marlon Anderson who can play second base, but with the Mets’ recent injuries in the outfield, it looks like the majority of his playing time will be in left field.

The other option of course would be for the Mets to make a deadline deal for an everyday second baseman. A number of teams are looking to trade their second baseman for younger talent. The Reds are shopping Brandon Phillips, who has been tearing the cover off the ball since the all star break, though it seems the Reds and the Mets haven’t discussed Phillips. The Devil Rays are looking to trade former Met Ty Wigginton, who can play second base, however it appears Wiggy will end up with the cross town rival Yankees in a deal involving Scott Proctor. While I’d like to see the Mets bring in a quality second baseman, with our issues at other positions giving up a prospect like Lastings Milledge or Carlos Gomez hardly seems worth the reward.

For the near future, expect Gotay to remain the primary second baseman, but at the first sign of trouble, expect to see the more experienced Easley playing second base for the Mets during the pennant race.
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So the All Star Break has come and gone, as have many in the New York Mets organization, including hitting instructor Rick Down and ageless wonder Julio Franco. Replacing the departed are baseball legend Rickey Henderson, who took over as the first base coach, while Howard Johnson was named the Mets new hitting instructor, and OF Lastings Milledge, whose ego and sense of cockiness in his first stints in Queens have rivaled that of Ricky in his prime (Well, at least Milledge isn’t talking in the third person yet).

While the hiring of Rickey is what’s dominating the headlines, it is Milledge that has made the bigger splash since the All Star break. Milledge finally started to show the signs of the great ballplayer that he should be this past weekend as the Mets took three of four from the Cincinnati Reds. His personal high point of the weekend was no doubt his game winning RBI on Saturday, a game which most all of us attended. The clutch performance on Saturday, plus steady performances the rest of the four games has got to have Mets GM Omar Minaya interested in what his top hitting prospect could be capable of…or sent away for.

Now, don’t jump on my back, but Milledge can definitely be considered expendable for the right price; especially with guys like Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez in our system also. Minaya though is smart, and will not make a move unless it is for a stud, especially an ace. The problem is, Omar doesn’t have too many options to choose from in the trade market. It definitely seems like Astros ace Roy Oswalt is generating the most attention on the market, and the Mets are serious contenders for his services. We would basically have to give up the farm for Oswalt though, who is under contract for another four years after this season. If Omar could pull off a move while not giving up too much for Oswalt, it would be one of the more impressive trades in Mets history. Earlier in the season, free agent to be Carlos Zambrano’s name was thrown around in trade rumors, but with the Cubs playing like contenders, I can’t see him being on the market anymore. There are other pitchers out there, but none that is worth our top hitting prospect.

There is also the possibility that we keep Milledge and stick him in one of the corners as a starter next season. I mean I am not against keeping him if he continues to perform, and stay out of “trouble.” The marked improvement in his behavior from his earlier stints with the parent club, has only improved his credibility to the team and fans (yes this club is still credible and classy…even with Ricky and Keith on the same payroll). Plus, if Milledge blossoms into the player he should turn out the be, himself, Gomez, and center fielder Carlos Beltran will be one of the great outfields for a long time. Extra base hits for opponents would be a thing of the past with those three flying around there. And as I said, I cannot wait to see the “positive” influence of Rickey on Lastings.

As you can plainly see, there are pros and cons of putting Milledge on the trading block. A deal for Milledge better bring in some hard-core studs, such as Mr. Oswalt or Mr. Dunn (which I am not 100% in support of), or Mr. Griffey (who is still the man). If not though, it looks like that Milledge can become one of the best in the business if he keeps up the pace he has shown since the All Star Break ended. So let me hear back from ya, do we trade Milledge, keep him, tell him to jump off of a cliff. Let me know what’s up. Have a great day and pleasant yesterday.

JD
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One of our more recent topics over at the Facebook group, and around the Mets blogosphere has been the possibility of the Mets trading young outfield prospect Lastings Milledge to the White Sox for Lefty Starter Mark Buehrle.

The White Sox are having a horrific season in which their hitting has been virtually non-existent, and their pitching has been dreadful (aside from an early season no hitter from Buehrle). Oh how the mighty 2005 World Series Champs have fallen. Can you say fire sale?

With Buehrle's contract up at the end of the 2007 season, he is a perfect candidate for a deadline deal that would land the White Sox with some young prospects, and some championship caliber team with a lefty ace who could have a huge impact in the pennant race or in the playoffs.

Buehrle is a 28 year old lefty with above average stuff, his arsenal includes; a fastball, curveball, changeup, slider and cutter. He won at least 16 games every year from 2001 to 2005. He won 12 games in 2006, and pitched a no hitter earlier this season in which he is 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA.

The Mets have talked about the possibility of building a trade around young outfielder Lastings Milledge who has thus far shown some immaturity, and an inability to handle the pressure of the New York Media. Despite this, scouts were still very high on him until an injury sidelined him earlier this season.

The downside to a trade like this for the Mets is that Buerhle is expected to be a short term renal, meaning he will most likely sign with a new team after the season, most analysts believe the Missouri native wants to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals.

I personally would be against a trade like this. While Buerhle would provide us with some help in the starting rotation, I feel as if Milledge may be too high a price to pay for a 3 month rental. Especially considering the Mets anticipate the return of Pedro Martinez, who almost certainly will be a part of the Mets rotation in September and October. If we were looking to trade milledge for some help before the trade deadline, it should probably to to a player the mets are more likely to sign long term, or someone who could provide us with some immediate bullpen relief, an area which the mets have struggled as of late. (did I hear someone say Eric Gagne or Brad Lidge?)

Discuss...
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