Bye Bradford

Chad Bradford, the submarine throwin reliver has apperently signed with the Orioles for a 3 year dear worth about 10.5 Million. The Mets offered him a two year deal, but I guess it was not good enough.

Reading the other Mets Blogs I am supprised people are not as disapointed as I am. This guy was money last year and who does not like the way he throws. Remember, a reason why the Mets bullpen was so effective was because they had so many different pitchers with different styles to confuse the hitter; Heilman with the 3/4 righty, Bradford submarine, Wagner Hard throwin lefty, Sanchez lefty, Feliciano 3/4 lefty. All I can say is Uh-Oh and this can not be good for their bullpen.

Mets Prospects Recap by Minor League Baseball

Considering how much talent was traded away during the offseason a year ago, the Mets farm system didn't have a half-bad year.

Don't use the .477 overall winning percentage as a guide. On the flip side, the St. Lucie Mets' title, while a nice addition to Gary Carter's impressive Minor League managing resume, shouldn't be seen as a tremendous omen either.

To get Carlos Delgado and Paul LoDuca, the Mets had to give up a fair amount of depth. They've also given up a fair share of draft picks (last year for signing Billy Wagner, the year before for Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran), so they haven't been able to restock as well as other teams.

That being said, they did get a number of contributions to the big-league club courtesy of the farm in 2006. Lastings Milledge made his highly anticipated debut, and while he had some issues in the clubhouse and on the field, his skill is evident, even if he's traded to help make that last step to the World Series in 2007. Most of the help, though, came on the mound. Mike Pelfrey rose quickly, making four starts after signing late, Philip Humber quickly recovered from Tommy John surgery to make his big-league debut, and Brian Bannister looked impressive before injuries cut short most of his season.

That trio alone should have Mets fans pleased about the future. Throw in some interesting young outfielders and perhaps more pitching on the way, and the Mets should be able to retool quickly -- whether it be by promoting homegrown talent or using said talent to actively partipate in offseason trade talks.

Five Faves

At the start of the season, MLB.com identified five prospects to keep an eye on. Here's how they fared in 2006:

Lastings Milledge, OF
On the one hand, 2006 was a big success for the Mets' top position prospect. After impressing in Spring Training, he headed to Triple-A for the first time and started out like gangbusters. Milledge hit .357 in April with seven steals and it seemed a matter of when, not if, he'd get his first callup. That moment came on May 30 and the 21-year-old stuck around enough to pick up 166 big-league at-bats and even made some positive contributions (four homers, 22 RBIs in 56 games). On the other hand, Milledge may have gone from untouchable to trade bait after rankling the feathers of more than one veteran for what was perceived to be an unrookie-like attitude. His future with the Mets this offseason is very much up in the air, especially since the 2007 outfield once again looks crowded.

Philip Humber, RHP
Humber made his first game appearance on June 22 after coming back from Tommy John surgery, but he made up for lost time in a hurry. After one outing in the Gulf Coast League, he made seven starts in the Florida State League (3-1, 2.37 ERA) with uncharacteristic command for someone just coming back from surgery. He had similar results in six Double-A starts -- 2.88 ERA, .195 batting average against -- which resulted in a surprising September callup. He made his big-league debut on Sept. 24 and finished the season with two scoreless innings of relief work. He headed to the Arizona Fall League to get some more work in, but was shut down after just two innings as a precaution because of shoulder tendinitis. If he's healthy next year, he should contribute in New York at some point.

Carlos Gomez, OF
The Mets seem to be growing young outfielders with Milledge hitting the big leagues and teen sensation Fernando Martinez making it to the Florida State League. Gomez sits between them in his development. He leapt from the South Atlantic League up to Double-A and played well in the Eastern League at just 20 years old. He hit .281 and led the organization with 41 steals (tied for second in the EL). Clearly the Mets have high hopes for him as they added him to the 40-man roster this offseason. Some time in Triple-A wouldn't hurt, but he could be pushing for a callup at some point in 2007 should the need arise.

Anderson Hernandez, 2B
After a breakout 2005 season that saw him hit a combined .315, there were hopes Hernandez might even take over second base chores in New York in 2006. He did break camp with the big club and got in 41 at-bats in April (hitting .146). He went back to Norfolk and stayed there until September thanks to Jose Valentin's renaissance and his own lackluster offensive performance. Hernandez hit just .249 in 102 Triple-A games while playing more at shortstop than second. He did end up on the Mets' League Championship Series roster and could still find a way to be a handy utilityman in the future.

Brian Bannister, RHP
Things started out so well for Bannister, with the right-hander winning the Mets' No. 5 starter spot thanks to a splendid Spring Training. But he ended up appearing in just eight games (six starts), going 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA over 38 innings. He went 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in five April starts, but was shut down with a hamstring injury. He didn't hit the big leagues again until the end of August (he tried to come back in May, but it was a no-go). He made five starts in Norfolk in August after two in St. Lucie in July to get himself ready to rejoin the Mets. He's making up for lost innings in Mexico this offseason and has pitched reasonably well. He could be in the mix once again in 2007.

Cinderella Story

Mitch Wylie, RHP

Wylie has been through a lot since being drafted back in 1998 by the White Sox, but it looked like he might get the chance to finally break through to the bigs after the Mets took him from the Giants in last year's Rule 5 Draft. But he was at the end of Spring Training and offered back to the Giants, who turned him down. He headed to Norfolk, hit the disabled list early with a sore shoulder, tried to come back, went back on the DL and missed nearly six months with a shoulder strain. He also missed a couple of weeks with a blister problem in late July. When he was on the mound, he pitched pretty well, with a 2.96 ERA and 53 K's in 48 2/3 IP. But he'll be 30 next year, so he'll need a real Cinderella story to make it up in the future.
Audio: Wylie notches his first save for Norfolk

Breakout Year

This player was pegged as a breakout candidate before the season began. Did he live up to expectations?

Shawn Bowman, 3B
The 21-year-old headed back to St. Lucie with the hopes of building on what had been a good offensive stretch before a back injury -- a broken vertebrae, to be exact -- hijacked his season. He started slowly, hitting just .220 in April, but was hitting .324 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 10 May games before the back stepped in again -- breaking the same vertebrae in the same place for the second straight season -- and ended his season. He didn't need surgery and spent the rest of the year rehabbing with hopes of a 2007 return.

2006 draft recap

1. Kevin Mulvey, RHP
The Mets didn't have a first-round pick due to the signing of Billy Wagner, so Mulvey was their top pick in the second round. The Villanova product moved quickly, finishing the year in Double-A before heading to the Arizona Fall League. He only threw 15 1/3 Minor League innings, but gave up just two earned runs and 11 hits in that span. He got in 15 more innings in Arizona and should be able to pitch in the upper levels of the system for his first full season with a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s.

2. Joe Smith, RHP
After posting a 0.45 ERA and 28 strikeouts (vs. just two walks) in 20 innings for Brooklyn, the Wright State product moved all the way up to Binghamton. There he appeared in 10 more games and scuffled a little more, though he still struck out nearly a batter an inning. The side-armer throws a pretty good fastball and a nasty slider.
Audio: Smith slams the door on Erie

3. John Holdzkom, RHP
Holdzkom can throw extremely hard, but he doesn't always know where it's going. That was fairly clear in his pro debut in the Gulf Coast League, where he struck out 23 and walked 20 in 23 1/3 innings. But Major-League ability runs in the family as the 6-foot-7 right-hander's brother, Lincoln, has logged some time in the bigs. Holdzkom will have to prove that some issues as an amateur -- including being academically ineligible for part of his senior year of high school and dropping out of junior college after a problem with a coach -- are things of the past.

4. Stephen Holmes, RHP
Holmes did nothing but win in Rhode Island, setting that university's record for career winning percentage and earning Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year and third-team All-American status in his final season. He signed and was assigned to Brooklyn but didn't end up throwing a professional inning this past summer.

5. Scott Schafer, RHP
Schafer, a Texas high-school right-hander, went in the sixth round. He didn't pitch much after signing, but did manage to get his pro debut out of the way, yielding a hit and two walks while striking out three in a two-inning stint for the GCL Mets at the end of June.

2005 draft recap

1. Mike Pelfrey, RHP
It seems the late signing didn't affect his development, did it? After not making his pro debut until Spring Training (and pitching well there), he pitched at three Minor League levels and put up a combined 2.43 ERA while striking out 109 and walking only 33 in 96 1/3 innings. He also made his big-league debut in his first pro season, making four starts for the Mets in July and August. From there, he went to the AFL for some fine-tuning, getting in four innings before being shut down with "general soreness."


2. Hector Pellot, 2B
Taken in the fourth round, Pellot didn't make his pro debut until this year after signing a 2006 contract. The second baseman played 100 games for Hagerstown and struggled in 359 at-bats, hitting just .189 and striking out 95 times while finishing the year on the DL with a sprained knee. On the plus side, he did draw 41 walks and he's only 19 years old. He headed home to Puerto Rico for some winter ball work and might have to return to Class A in 2007.

3. Drew Butera, C
The son of former big-league catcher Sal Butera, the Central Florida backstop continued to show that it'll be his defense that will carry him anywhere. he hit just .186 in 295 at-bats with Hagerstown, bringing his pro career average down to .198. He then went to Hawaii and hit .232 in 21 games there. He did make nine errors with the Suns, but also threw out 47 percent of would-be base stealers. As impressive as that is, though, he's probably going to have to swing the stick a little better to keep advancing in the system.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061127&content_id=146324&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

Mets claim right-handed pitcher Jason Standridge on waivers from the Cincinnati Reds

Jason Standridge, a 6-4, 245-pound righthanded relief pitcher, who was 1-1 with a 4.82 ERA in 21 games with the Cincinnati Reds last year, was claimed on waivers today by the New York Mets. He was added to the 40-man roster and invited to spring training.

Standridge, a former first round pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1997, began the 2006 season with Louisville (AAA) of the International League. He had his contract purchased on June 19th and was placed on the Disabled List on August 7th with back spasms, but was able to rejoin Cincinnati in September. Jason, a native of Birmingham, AL, was 2-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 37 games at Triple-A.

Mets Minors Trade

The New York Mets today acquired two, 23-year-old lefthanded pitchers, Jason Vargas and Adam Bostick from the Florida Marlins in exchange for a pair of righthanded pitchers, Henry Owens and Matt Lindstrom.

"We think Vargas and Bostick are two promising lefthanded pitchers and we're happy to have them in the organization," said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya.

The 6-0, 215-pound Vargas began the season in the Marlins rotation. He was 1-1 with a 5.70 ERA over five starts allowing 24 hits, 15 earned runs, 20 walks and 14 strikeouts. As a reliever, he went 0-1 with a 9.31 ERA, 10 walks and 11 strikeouts. In 2005, Vargas started 13 games for Florida going 4-5 with a 4.14 ERA, 28 walks, and 50 strikeouts. In four relief appearances, he went 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA.

Good Trade... except Henery Owens is a dominate closer....

Mets Sign Alou to play Left Field

The New York Mets announced today that they have signed free agent outfielder Moises Alou to a one-year, $7.5 million contract with a club option for 2008.

Alou, 40, hit .301 (104-345) with 52 runs scored, 25 doubles, one triple, 22 home runs and 74 RBI in 98 games for the San Francisco Giants last season. In addition, the 6-3, 225-pound righthanded batter had a .352 on-base percentage and a .571 slugging mark, while reaching the 20-home run plateau for the ninth time in his career.

"Moises Alou is one of the game's top hitters," said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. "He'll add a valuable righthanded bat to our line-up."

Mets Sign Damion Easley

Damion Easley, who played all four infield positions for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year, today signed a one-year contract with the New York Mets.

In 2006, Easley, 37, performed in three games at first base, nine games at second base (five starts), 20 games at third base (14 starts), 27 games at shortstop (24 starts) and one start in rightfield. Damion, a 5-11, 190-pound, righthanded hitter, also has played in two games in centerfield during his career.

"Damion is a versatile guy who can play all over the field," said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. "He provides us with power coming off the bench, too. Damion Easley is the type of player who can help your club win games in so many different ways."

END of AFL

Michel Abreu probably doesn't want his Arizona Fall League season to end.
The 27-year-old first baseman put together an eight-game hitting streak and drove in at least one run in each of his last seven contests to finish with six homers and 25 RBIs. He went 15-for-36 with 11 RBIs and eight runs scored during his hot finish, boosting his average 69 points to .280.

Here's a look at how the other Mets prospects fared this week:

Arizona Fall League

OF Bobby Malek -- Malek closed his AFL season with the Mesa Solar Sox in a 2-for-15 funk, dropping his batting average to .227. He had a homer, 12 RBIs and nine runs scored in 25 games.

Fernando Martinez -- The 18-year-old outfielder put together a 10-game hitting streak for Mesa to raise his average to a season-high .256. He went hitless on Nov. 11, finishing with a .253 average, two homers and seven RBIs in 25 games with Mesa.

RHP Kevin Mulvey -- Mulvey last pitched for the Solar Sox on Nov. 7. He finished 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in four starts.

RHP Brandon Nall -- Nall pitched in two games after being added to the Solar Sox on Oct. 20. He picked up a win on Oct. 28 with a perfect frame and gave up one hit in an inning on Nov. 1.

Hawaii Winter Baseball

RHP Blake Eager -- Eager continues to succeed since moving into the North Shore Honu rotation on Nov. 7. He tossed eight scoreless frames in two starts. Eager allowed three hits in three scoreless frames on Sunday against Honululu to lower his ERA to 3.38.

1B Mike Carp -- The 20-year-old Carp had his eight-game hitting streak snapped on Saturday. The 11-for-32 tear raised his average 30 points to .280.

RHP Robert Parnell -- The 22-year-old right-hander worked eight scoreless frames for North Shore in three appearances from Nov. 4-10. That run was snapped when he allowed two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 frames against West Oahu on Tuesday. Parnell is 1-1 with a 7.50 ERA in 10 games.

OF Dustin Martin -- Martin recorded his first three-hit game on Saturday against the Honolulu Sharks. He followed that with a 2-for-4 effort on Tuesday and is batting .313 with a homer and 13 RBIs in 21 games with North Shore.

C Drew Butera -- Butera is in a 1-for-11 slump that has sent his batting average to .196. His average has plummeted 98 points since Oct. 18.

Dominican Winter League

RHP Henry Owens -- Owens has eight saves in nine games and an 0.87 ERA with Tigres de Licey. The right-hander struck out seven and walked five in 10 1/3 innings.

2B/SS Anderson Hernandez -- The 24-year-old infielder is hitting .269 with 10 runs scored in 17 games in the DWL.

C Sandy Martinez -- Martinez has come alive since batting .174 in October. He is 5-for-18 with a homer this month, raising his batting average to .220.

Venezuelan Winter League

RHP Miguel Pinango -- The 23-year-old Pinango made a pair of relief appearances in the past week. He gave up three runs in 1 1/3 frames on Nov. 10 to snap his eight-inning scoreless streak. Pinango was back to normal on Tuesday, firing 2 2/3 scoreless frames to lower his ERA to 3.06.

RHP Yusaki Iriki -- Iriki hasn't pitched since the last update and is 0-3 with a 10.05 ERA in Venezuela.

OF Jonel Pacheco -- The 24-year-old outfielder is 4-for-13 during a three-game hitting streak, lifting his batting average to .273.

RHP Lino Urdaneta -- After giving up runs in each of his eight appearances, Urdaneta was rested for six days. The break paid off when the 6-foot-1, 170-pound right-hander worked 2 1/3 scoreless frames on Saturday, knocking his ERA down to 10.61.

LHP Ryan Cullen -- The 26-year-old southpaw hasn't pitched since Nov. 4 and is 0-1 with a 10.12 ERA in five games.

LHP Edgar Alfonzo -- The southpaw pitched for the first time in two weeks by walking his only batter on Nov. 10. He followed that with a scoreless frame on Sunday to lower his ERA to 2.84.

RHP Rafael Cova -- Cova hasn't played since Oct. 14 in the VWL.

Mexican Pacific League

RHP Brian Bannister -- Bannister had another rough outing in losing his second straight start on Sunday. The right-hander was charged with six runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings and is 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA for Tomateros de Culiacan.

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061117&content_id=1742367&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym

2007 Schedule

The Mets posted their 2007 schedule (subject to change). To see it go to mets.com

Jose is Back

Jose Valentin is reportingly re-signing with the Mets for a one year deal with about 4 million. He will have an option for 2008 if he has enough atbats throughout the season.

Intresting move so early in the offseason....

CitiField

In case you have yet to hear, the New Mets Field will be called CitiField. Not a bad name. Hey, at least they have some class and are not calling it CitiBank Field. CitiCorp will be paying the Mets 20 million per season. That is the highest sponsered ballpark in the Majors.

League Updates

Michel Abreu already has plenty of good things to remember from his Arizona Fall League season.

The highlights include a seven-game hitting streak capped by a two-homer, five-RBI performance. The 27-year-old first baseman added his second three-hit game on Tuesday, when he went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and four runs scored in the Mesa Solar Sox's 21-4 drubbing of Grand Canyon. On Thursday, he delivered a walk-off single in the 11th inning to propel Mesa to a 5-4 triumph over Phoenix.

Plenty of other New York Mets prospects are prospering in fall and winter league action. Here's a look at their progress:

Arizona Fall League

OF Bobby Malek -- Malek went 9-for-20 from Oct. 23-Nov. 2, raising his average 99 points to .306. He cooled off slightly in the past week, collecting hits in three of five games, including a bases-loaded triple on Monday. He is batting .247 in 21 games with Mesa.

RHP Kevin Mulvey -- Mulvey came back with a strong outing on Tuesday after registering a 7.36 ERA in his first four outings by surrendering a run on four hits in four innings against Grand Canyon. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Mulvey will have a couple of weeks to improve on his 0-2 record and 6.00 ERA.

Fernando Martinez -- Martinez is heading into the homestretch of the AFL season, but he's showing no signs of tiring. The 18-year-old outfielder has put together a nine-game hitting streak to raise his average to a season-high .253.

RHP Brandon Nall -- Nall tossed another scoreless frame in his second AFL appearance. The right-hander also picked up a win in his season debut on Nov. 1.

Hawaii Winter Baseball

RHP Blake Eager -- Eager made his first start for the North Shore Honu on Tuesday, giving up two hits in five scoreless innings. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 3.93 ERA.

1B Mike Carp -- The 20-year-old Carp went 6-for-15 to extend his hitting streak to a season-high six games.

RHP Robert Parnell -- After giving up 17 runs over 10 1/3 innings, the 22-year-old right-hander worked four hitless frames this week for North Shore. He picked up his first save on Tuesday, knocking his ERA down to 8.68.

OF Dustin Martin -- Martin went hitless in consecutive games for just the second time this season. The 0-for-7 stretch dropped his batting average below the .300 mark for the first time at .264.

C Drew Butera -- Butera has been in 3-for-24 funk since Oct. 18, sending his batting average below the Mendoza line to .195.

Dominican Winter League

RHP Henry Owens -- Owens horded 20 saves in the Eastern League. Not much has changed in the DWL, with the right-hander picking up saves in his first four games with Tigres del Licey. He has yet to allow a run.

Venezuelan Winter League

RHP Miguel Pinango -- The 23-year-old Pinango had a respectable beginning to his winter season, posting a 3.24 ERA in his first three games. Last week was even better, as the right-hander worked 5 1/3 scoreless frames over three games, including winning his first decision on Nov. 2. He lowered his ERA to 1.98.

RHP Yusaki Iriki -- After losing three of his first four starts, Iriki made a relief appearance on Sunday. He didn't fare much better, yielding three runs in 1 1/3 frames to raise his ERA to 10.05.

OF Jonel Pacheco -- The 24-year-old outfielder went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI on Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to four games. It was snapped on Wednesday. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound outfielder is batting .296 in his first seven games in the VWL.

RHP Lino Urdaneta -- The 6-foot-1, 170-pound right-hander has given up runs in each of his eight appearances, spanning seven innings. He has a 14.14 ERA.

LHP Ryan Cullen -- The 26-year-old southpaw was charged with two unearned runs in his last appearance on Saturday. He has a 10.12 ERA in five games with Pastora de los Llanos.

Mexican Pacific League

RHP Brian Bannister -- After winning his first two decisions, while posting a 1.56 ERA in his first three starts, Bannister gave up five runs on eight hits in seven innings in a loss on Sunday.

2B/SS Anderson Hernandez, C Sandy Martinez, LHP Edgar Alfonzo and RHP Rafael Cova have not played since the last update.

2007 New York Mets Top 10 Prospects
Compiled by J.P. Schwartz

#1. Mike Pelfrey (23) Pitcher
New York Mets (MLB) 21.1IP 2-1 5.48ERA 179K
Norfolk (AAA) 8IP 1-0 2.25ERA 6K
Binghamton (AA) 66.1IP 4-2 2.71ERA 77K
St. Lucie (High-A) 22IP 2-1 1.64ERA 26K

#2. Carlos Gomez (21) Outfield
Binghamton (AA) 120 Games .281 7HR 48RBI

#3. Fernando Martinez (18) Outfield
St. Lucie (High-A) 30 Games .193 5HR 11RBI
Hagerstown (Low-A) 45 Games .333 5HR 28RBI
GCL Mets (Rk) 1 Games .250 0HR 0RBI

#4. Philip Humber (24) Pitcher
New York Mets (MLB) 2.0 IP 0-0 0.00ERA 2K
Binghamton (AA) 34.1IP 2-2 2.88ERA 36K
St. Lucie (High-A) 38IP 3-1 2.37ERA 36K
GCL Mets (Rk) 4IP 0-0 6.75ERA 7K

#5. Deolis Guerra (17) Pitcher
St. Lucie (High-A) 7.1IP 1-1 6.14ERA 6K
Hagerstown (Low-A) 82.1IP 6-7 2.20ERA 64K

#6. Alay Soler (27) Pitcher
New York Mets (MLB) 45IP 2-3 6.00ERA 23K
Norfolk (AAA) 10IP 1-1 6.30ERA 12K
Binghamton (AA) 19.2IP 0-1 2.75ERA 22K
St. Lucie (High-A) 30IP 1-0 0.60ERA 33K
Brooklyn (Short-A) 4.1IP 0-1 6.23ERA 9K

#7. Kevin Mulvey (21) Pitcher
Binghamton 13.1IP 0-1 1.35ERA 10K
GCL Mets (Rk) 2IP 0-0 0.00ERA 1K

#8. Joseph Smith (23) Pitcher
Binghamton (AA) 12.2IP 0-2 5.68ERA 12K
Brooklyn (Short-A) 20IP 0-1 0.45ERA 28K

#9. Jonathan Niese (20) Pitcher
St. Lucie (High-A) 10IP 0-2 4.50ERA 10K
Hagerstown (Low-A) 123.2IP 11-9 3.93ERA 132K

#10. Mike Carp (20) First Base
St. Lucie (High-A) 137 Games .287 17HR 88RBI

Important Offseason Dates

Here are MLB's important upcoming dates:

Nov. 13-17 — General managers’ meetings, Naples, Fla.

Nov. 16 — Owners’ meeting, Chicago.

Dec. 1 — Last day for teams to offer salary arbitration to their former players who became free agents. Dec. 4-7 — Winter meetings, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Dec. 4-8 — Major League Baseball Players Association executive board meeting, Bonita Springs, Fla. Dec. 7 — Last day for free agents offered salary arbitration to accept or reject the offers.

Dec. 12 — Last day for teams to offer 2007 contracts to unsigned players.

Jan 5-15 — Salary arbitration filing.

Jan. 18 — Exchange of salary arbitration figures.

Feb. 1-21 — Salary arbitration hearings.

Feb. 15— Voluntary reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players.

Feb. 20— Voluntary reporting date for other players.

Feb. 27— Mandatory reporting date.

March 2-11 — Teams may renew contracts of unsigned players.

March 14— Last day to place a player on unconditional release waivers and pay 30 days termination pay instead of 45 days.

March 28— Last day to request unconditional release waivers on a player without having to pay his full 2007 salary.

April 1 — Opening day. Active rosters reduced to 25 players.

July 10 — All-Star game, San Francisco.

First Gold Glove

Carlos Beltran recieved a gold glove for his play in the outfield. The first and hopefully not last of his career.

Pelfrey Left Fall League

Minaya recently noted that right-hander Mike Pelfrey has left the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League and is now resting for Spring Training. The 22-year-old Pelfrey pitched four innings in the AFL, allowing one hit and striking out two while walking two.

Mota

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that pitcher Guillermo Motahas been suspended for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Wow I can not believe this... this is so huge because he played such a big role for the Mets at the end of the season and in the offseason. This could explain why he was so effective with the Mets while being ineffective with the Indians. I dought he will be a Met next season.