The LoHud Mets Blog

Mets.com has reported the Mets will sign outfielder Jason Bay to a four-year $66 million deal, one year shy of the deal Bay aimed for.

There is no news yet on how this will affect the Mets’ desire for Matt Holliday.

No matter what, though, the Mets have finally made a big splash in the free agent market after weeks of smaller moves, namely additions to the pitching staff.

The latest came yesterday with the signing of right-hander Kelvim Escobar, who has only started one Major League game in the past two seasons due to injuries and surgeries.

However, he was 18-7 with a 3.40 ERA in 2007 when he played with the Angels. If he can have at least some of the success he had then, he could become a viable fourth or fifth starter at a bargain-basement price.

The Mets will welcome Elmer Dessens back to the fold as they signed him to a minor league contract today. He’ll be eligible to compete in Spring Training.

They also inked a deal with right-handed pitcher Clint Everts to a Major League contract. His numbers in the minors are quite impressive.

Everts, 25, went 8-1 with six saves and a 1.65 ERA between three minor league teams in the Washington Nationals system last season.  He struck out 68 batters over 60 innings in 44 games.

The 6-2, 170-pounder was 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA (two earned runs/20.0 innings) in 13 games with Potomac (A) of the Carolina League; 3-1 with a 1.53 ERA (five earned runs/29.1 innings) in 20 contests with Harrisburg (AA) of the Eastern League; and 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA (four earned runs/10.2 innings) with Syracuse (AAA) of the International League in 2009.

The fifth overall pick of the 2002 First Year Player Draft is 32-39 with a 3.98 ERA in 191 minor league games, 76 starts.

The Mets keep adding to their bullpen, but they need to start making some deals to build their starting roster.

The Mets today announced the signing of right-handed reliever Ryota Igarashi to a two-year deal to replace departed setup man JJ Putz.

More details are as follow:

Igarashi, 30, was 47-29 with 54 saves and a 3.25 ERA in 507 games for the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Central League from 1999-2009.  He recorded 630 strikeouts in 570 innings for an average of 9.95 strikeouts per nine innings.

“We’ve had an interest in Ryota for two years,” said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya.  “He’s got a power arm and an outstanding split-finger.”

The 5-11, 190-pound hurler went 3-2 with three saves and a 3.19 ERA in 56 games last year. In 53.2 innings, he surrendered 42 hits, 19 runs, earned, with 20 walks and 44 strikeouts.

“I have known the Mets scout in Japan, Isao O’Jimi, since I was in high school,” Igarashi said through an interpreter.  “When I received the Mets offer there was no doubt in my mind that this was the team I wanted to go to and start my career in the United States.  I am looking forward to playing in New York and pitching in the same bullpen as Francisco Rodriguez.”

Igarashi rebounded from Tommy John surgery in 2007 to post a 3-2 record with a 2.47 ERA and three saves in 44 contests the following year.  He recorded 42 strikeouts in 43.2 innings.

He established a career-best 37 saves in 2004 and won a career-high 11 games in 2000.  Igarashi pitched in 60-or-more games from 2002-2004.

The Mets have had nine Japanese-born players appear in at least one game.  The list includes: Takashi Kashiwada (1997), Hideo Nomo (1998), Masato Yoshii (1998-1999), Satoru Komiyama (2002), Tsuyoshi Shinjo (2001, 2003), Kazuhisa Ishii (2005), Shinjo Takatsu (2005), Kazuo Matsui (2004-2006) and Ken Takahashi (2009).

A day after former Mets catcher Brian Schneider signed with the Phillies, the Mets picked up former Phils catcher Chris Coste.

Coste spent the second half of this past season with the Houston Astros.

Coste certainly is not a No. 1 catcher with his paltry offensive numbers, but he could be a solid backup and substitute at first base. The Mets still need to go out and find an offensive catcher.

Below is the official release:

The New York Mets on Dec. 3 announced they have signed catcher/first baseman Chris Coste to a one-year contract and have added him to the 40-man roster.

Coste, 36, spilt the 2009 season between Philadelphia and Houston, batting .224 with two home runs and 18 RBI. He began the season with the Phillies before being claimed off waivers by the Astros on July 10.

Coste hit .263 with 17 doubles, nine home runs and 36 RBI in 2008 with Philadelphia.

In his four-year major league career, Coste has appeared in 299 games with a .272 batting average, 47 doubles, 23 home runs and 108 RBI. The Fargo, N.D. native has started 176 games at catcher and 16 at first base since making his major league debut in 2006.

Following in the vein of former Mets signing with rival teams, Billy Wagner has signed with the Atlanta Braves. He told ESPN that he’s a “lifelong Braves fan,” which might be news to both the Mets and the Phillies.

Read Newsday’s story about Wagner’s $7 million  one-year deal.

The Mets’ former starting catcher has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. What do you think of his going to the Mets’ primary rivals?

Below’s the story:
The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA—Free-agent catcher Brian Schneider and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed Tuesday to a $2.75 million, two-year contract.

Schneider, who spent the last two seasons with the New York Mets, will be a backup to Carlos Ruiz for the NL champion Phillies.

“We feel Brian is ideal for our ballclub,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “He’s a guy that we would feel comfortable with playing for an extended period of time, if needed.”

The 33-year-old Schneider hit .218 with three homers and 18 RBIs in 59 games last season for the Mets. He threw out nine of 28 runners attempting to steal.

Schneider began his career with the Montreal Expos in 2000 and played with the Expos/Washington Nationals through 2007. He is a .251 career hitter with 59 homers and 356 RBIs.

He gets a $250,000 signing bonus and salaries of $1 million next season and $1.5 million in 2011. The deal also includes performance bonuses based on playing time.