On the Mets beat

GM Omar Minaya has made a habit of chasing low-cost quantity over high-cost quality this offseason, and here's another example.

METS AND AARON SELE AGREE TO A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

Aaron Sele, who has posted a 145-110 record during his major league career, today signed a one-year minor league contract with the New York Mets.

Sele, a 36-year-old righthander who was selected to two American League All-Star teams with the Texas Rangers in 1998 and the Seattle Mariners in 2000, went 8-6 with a 4.53 ERA in 28 games, 15 starts, with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006. In 103.1 innings, he gave up 120 hits, 57 runs, 52 earned, with 30 walks and 57 strikeouts.

During his 14-year major league career, Aaron, a native of Golden Valley, MN, who now makes his home in Bellevue, WS, has pitched with the Red Sox, Rangers, Angels, Mariners and Dodgers.

From 1997-2001, he put together five consecutive seasons with double-figure victories. He was 13-12 with Boston in 1997, 19-11 and 18-9 with Texas in 1998 and 1999 and 17-10 and 15-5 with Seattle in 2000 and 2001.

Sele was 8-9 in 26 games for the World Champion Anaheim Angels in 2002.

Aaron began last season with the Dodgers’ Las Vegas (AAA) team of the Pacific Coast League. He was 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA before joining the major league team on May 5th. Sele was 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA through his first six Dodger starts. He captured three straight starts from June 24th-July 9th with a 1.50 ERA (three earned runs in 18.0 innings) during that span. Aaron was also 7-2 with a 4.00 ERA in 16 games, nine starts at Dodger Stadium.

Eleven of Sele’s final 12 appearances last year came in relief.

Here's the official release involving Willie Randolph's new contract. What do you think? DId Randolph deserve an extension or should the Mets have waited to see how this season unfolds?

METS SIGN WILLIE RANDOLPH TO A NEW 3-YEAR CONTRACT

The New York Mets today announced that Manager Willie Randolph signed a new three-year contract with a club option for 2010. Randolph was to have been paid $700,000 in 2007, but under the terms of the new deal, he will receive $1.4 million this year, $2 million in 2008 and $2.25 million in 2009. The club option for 2010 is $2.5 million.

“I’m happy that we have reached an agreement with Willie to extend his contract,” said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. “The team has made great strides over the last two years and we are looking for bigger and better things in 2007.”

Randolph guided New York to the National League East title in 2006 with a 97-65 record. He is 180-144 in two seasons with the Mets. Willie has made 18 trips to the post-season as a player, coach and manager and has been part of six World Series titles (1977 and 1978 as a player and 1996, 1998-2000 as a coach).

“We’ve accomplished a lot in my first two years,” said Randolph. “I’m excited about continuing what we have started. We are working very hard to attain our ultimate goal, a World Championship for our City and our fans.”

Randolph became the 18th manager in franchise history on November 4, 2004. He won his 150th career game on August 8th last year in his 273rd game, becoming the second-fastest Mets manager to 150 victories. Only Davey Johnson got to 150 wins faster (264 games).

Randolph batted .276 (2,210-8,018) with 316 doubles, 65 triples, 687 RBI with 271 stolen bases in 2,202 major league games with the Pirates, Yankees, Dodgers, Athletics, Brewers and Mets. Willie has played more games at second base (1,688) than any other player in Yankees’ history and turned the third most double plays in baseball history among second basemen. Randolph was named to six All-Star teams (1976-1977, 1980-1981, 1987 and 1989) during his 18-year major league career.

He became the ninth manager in club history who also played with the Mets, joining: Gil Hodges, Yogi Berra, Roy McMillian, Joe Torre, Bud Harrelson, Mike Cubbage, Dallas Green and Bobby Valentine.

Randolph hit .252 (72-286) with 11 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 15 RBI in 90 contests with the Mets in 1992, his last season in the majors. The following year, he was named the Yankees’ Assistant General Manager. From 1994-2004, Willie was a coach with the Yankees, serving as the third base coach for the first 10 seasons before serving under Joe Torre as the bench coach in 2004.

Here's a way to see the defending NL East champs next season and do some good in the process. The Mets are hosting their "semi-annual" blood drive on Monday at Shea and every person who donates will recieve a voucher for two tickets to a game in April 2007.

Details below:

METS AND NEW YORK BLOOD CENTER TEAM UP FOR
“METS BLOOD DRIVE” Monday, January 22 AT SHEA

Fans Donating Blood Eligible for Tickets to Select 2007 Mets Home Games

What: The New York Mets team up with New York Blood Center for their semi-annual “Mets Blood Drive.” Fans donating blood will receive a voucher redeemable for two tickets to a select home game in April 2007.

New York Blood Center’s supply of blood has reached an emergency level following the holiday period. As 2007 kicks off, New York Blood Center and its regional operations have less than a two-day supply of some blood types and urgently ask all those eligible in New York and New Jersey to donate blood immediately. Donors must be 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 lbs and be in good health. For more information, log on to mets.com or nybloodcenter.org.

When: Monday, January 22, 2007, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Where: Shea Stadium Diamond Club – Entrance located between Gates C and D (Mets Office) 123-01 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing, NY 11368

Or by train: 7 Subway line - Willets Point/Shea Stadium Station

After noticing a post on Metsblog about the status of the Mets Caravan, just thought I'd let everyone know that it's not happening this year. The Mets did not give a specific reason, but it's no secret that players are not big fans of interrupting their winter vacations to come to New York. And after last season, it's not like the Mets need to drum up interest to spike ticket sales. The Caravan may not be back any time soon.

Now that we're inside a month before pitchers and catchers report to Port St. Lucie, the Mets' retooling for the offseason is pretty much complete. Good to see Carlos Delgado's rehab from wrist and elbow surgery is on schedule -- that should mean no more tendinitis problems this spring -- but the real concerns involve the pitching staff. How's the confidence level out there? Is this a better or worse team than the one that was stopped a game short of the World Series last October?

In announcing the new contracts of righthander Jorge Sosa (1 yr, $1.25 M) and lefty reliever Scott Schoeneweis (3 yrs, $10.8 M) this afternoon, GM Omar Minaya also suggested that his youngsters will get every chance to win jobs in spring training. Not like the Mets have much of a choice. With Minaya bypassing on the high-priced starters this offseason, and not much of a trade market before spring training begins, the GM will be forced to rely on the rapid maturation of MIke Pelfrey and Philip Humber.

"We're going to give our young kids a chance," Minaya said. "We're going to take a real good look at Pelfrey. We're going to take a real good look at Humber. With John Maine and Oliver Perez having a very good playoffs, we've got some good young power arms, and to me, what I like to do is have a guy that gives me some versatility [in Sosa]. The fact of the matter is I like our young power arms. We're going to give them the opportunity, and we just needed to have another guy that can be very versatile in how we use them. And that's where Sosa comes in."

The Mets also have re-signed Endy Chavez to a one-year, $1.725 million deal.

The Mets will formally announce the signing of lefty reliver Scott Schoeneweis to a three-year, $10.8-million contract this afternoon on a 1:30 p.m. conference call with reporters. Interesting deal for a middle reliever. After shunning the big money for an upper-tier starter, GM Omar Minaya chose to shell out some bucks to bolser the bullpen, but that again shows how he believes a team should be built. With starters missing so much time due to assorted injuries along the way -- and abbreviated outings -- Minaya puts emphasis on a rock-solid relief corps.

As for the Mets' reported interest in signing Ruben Sierra to a minor-league contract, that's difficult to explain, other than saying that Minaya always will do a favor for an old friend. Sierra's value to the Mets at the major-league level seems to be almost nil, but if Minaya insists he'll be a good role model for younger players in minors, I guess I'll cut him some slack.

Now, about a new contract for Willie ...

Day 2 from Mets mini-camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla:
-- Spoke to manager Willie Randolph for a little bit today. He looks ready to go for the season except for the salt-and-pepper goatee he's sporting. That will be gone in a month when the Mets report to spring training.
-- It looks like the contract extension talks between Randolph and the Mets are not going well. This may just be intuition on my part -- Willie wouldn't discuss it today at all and GM Omar Minaya didn't say much about it yesterday -- but the extension hasn't gotten done and doesn't appear close to getting done. Perhaps Randolph is asking for more than the Mets want to pay a manager; what else do people in these situations argue about except money? Randolph and Minaya both said the manager has a contract for next year and they don't have to complete an extension.
That leads me to ask: what kind of world is it when Tom Coughlin gets a contract extension for the job he's done and Willie Randolph doesn't get one for the job he's done? Even if Willie's not perfect, he proved last season to my satisfaction that he's a very good leader of men and the right man for this Mets team. If the Mets are willing to pay $10.8 million for three years of Scott Schoeneweis, can't they throw a little love -- and more importantly, money -- Willie's way?

Well, it seems like we've spent enough time discussing Guillermo Mota. Here's what's going on with the Mets:
-- The team is holding a mini-camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla., for some of its prospects. A few major-leaguers showed up: David Wright (the face of the franchise), John Maine and Dave Williams. Wright was the biggest name there until ....
-- Pedro Martinez walked in. Martinez had his surgically repaired shoulder checked out by trainer Ray Ramirez. Pedro says his rehab is going great, but he won't put a timetable on his return or rush it. He's going to listen to the doctors and return when his body is ready to return. He said he won't start throwing until March. More on this in Thursday's newspaper and on Newsday.com
-- As first reported by ESPN.com, the Mets are close to signing lefthanded Scott Schoeneweis, who has been both a starter and reliever in his career. He's 33 and isn't all that good, but as a middle-innings guy or spot starter at least he adds depth. Should be finalized in the next few days.
-- GM Omar Minaya said the Mets have no interest in Bernie Williams if he doesn't return to the Yankees and wants to play another year. Couldn't Williams help the Mets off the bench? Doesn't seem like Minaya has improved the bench enough this offseason.
-- Willie Randolph's contract extension is still not done. What's going on here? Is Willie holding out for Joe Torre money? Maybe that's why Willie seemed to be in a foul mood as he walked around an otherwise upbeat minicamp today. He's supposed to speak with reporters tomorrow. Updates then.