It doesn’t look good for those hoping Delgado would rebound and get signed with the Mets again. He’s improved in Winter League play, but some still aren’t confident in his range at first.

Tatis is like the Energizer bunny for the Mets. The 2008 comeback player of the year just keeps coming back for more.

The former starter was a righty reliever with the Rockies last season where he had a 3.74 ERA. His career  ERA as a starter is over 5.

Spring Training is going to be crowded with pitchers jockeying for a spot in the starting rotation. It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top.

Sure, signing sheets was a gamble, but it might’ve been a worthy one. Whether or not Sheets can be what he was in 2008 is the big unknown. Frankly, $10 million seems like an awful lot for someone who hasn’t proven himself in more than a season and is coming off surgery.

Some good news did arrive today for the Mets. Johan Santana threw about 25 pitches this morning in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and said he felt good after, according to ESPN. He also said he didn’t feel anything strange in his arm and his mechanics were good.

“I’m feeling good. Time will tell, but I am feeling good,” he told The Associated Press on Monday. “We did a pretty good job with the offseason, working out and doing all the rehab, and I’m feeling good. Everything is on schedule.”

Santana had surgery at the end of last season to remove some bone chips from his pitching elbow.

Oliver Perez, who is recovering from scar tissue in his knee last season, also said he’s feeling good.

“Right now I don’t feel anything,” he said. “I think that’s why I’m really happy.”

If both Santana and Perez come back and stay healthy, that will make the Mets management very happy.

Matthews, Jr., 35, hit .250 with four home runs and 50 RBI in 103 games last year, his third season with the Angels.  Over his final 37 games, the switch-hitting Matthews, Jr. batted .289 and compiled a .410 on-base percentage for the Angels in their drive to the American League West title.  He made a combined 80 starts at all three outfield positions in 2009, with the majority (46) coming in centerfield.  His .358 (29-81) batting average with runners in scoring position led the team.  Additionally, his .395 (17-43) average with runners in scoring position and two outs was sixth best in the majors.

Originally selected by San Diego in the 13^th round of the 1993 draft, Matthews, Jr. made his major league debut six years later with the Padres.  He earned an All-Star Game selection while with Texas in 2006, when he established career bests with a .313 batting average, 19 home runs, 79 RBI, 102 runs scored and 44 doubles.

He collected his 1,000^th career hit last year on July 10 against the Yankees to team with his father, Gary Matthews, Sr. as the 15^th father and son combination to reach that plateau.

The 6-3, 225-pound Matthews, Jr. is set for his second stint with the Mets after having appeared in two games with the team in 2002.  Under contract through the 2011 season, Matthews, Jr. has played in 1,245 games over 11 major league seasons with the Padres (1999 and 2003), Cubs (2000-2001), Pirates (2001), Mets, Orioles (2002-2003), Rangers (2005-2006) and Angels (2007-2009).  He is a career .258 hitter (1,045-4,045) with 108 home runs and 483 RBI.

Stokes, 30, pitched out of the Mets bullpen last year, establishing career highs in games (69), innings (70.1) and strikeouts (45).  Stokes made his major league debut in 2006 with Tampa Bay and is 6-11 with a 5.02 ERA in 157 career games.

The move will provide some insurance in center field after Carlos Beltran had surgery on his knee and will miss the first few weeks of the season. The question is, will Matthews start or will Angel Pagan? Well, that’s what Spring Training is for.

The Angels will reportedly pay the majority of Matthews contract for 2010 and 2011 totaling $23 million. It’s a hefty sum for a team simply trying to unload someone whom they don’t have a spot for, but it’s a practical steal for the Mets.

Matthews spent three seasons with the Angels, who used him less and less in that time span. Last season, he had four home runs and 50 RBI in 103 games. That was markedly less than his 2007 season when he had 18 home runs and 72 RBI in 140 games.

However, if you factor in the difference in the number of games played, his RBI production really hasn’t diminished that much. While he’s maintained a batting average around .250 in those three years, his home run and stolen base totals have not kept pace.

Still, even when Beltran comes back, the Mets will have a solid backup to give Jeff Francoeur and Jason Bay days off.

In addition, Vincente Padilla just today re-signed with the Dodgers for a one-year $5.025 million deal

That leaves Jon Garland, Ben Sheets, who hasn’t pitched since 2008, Erik Bedard, Pedro Martinez, Jarrod Washburn and Chien-Ming Wang among the cream of the rapidly disappearing crop. Cream might be putting it kindly.

It’s high time the Mets management gets off its butts and signs another starter before the well runs dry. There are just too many questions about the current starting rotation candidates to not add another arm.

With Bengie Molina off the market and the Mets claiming they’re going to stick with what they have at catcher, it frees up money to go out and get Garland. They need to do it and do it fast.

Meanwhile, relievers Sean Green and Pedro Feliciano also were able to work out deals for undisclosed sums to keep them on the roster for another season.

It’s a bit surprising the Mets kept Green, who showed some promised but faltered later in the season. He sported a 4.52 ERA and was known for blowing leads, bouncing around from setup man to mop-up duty.

Feliciano was much more solid, posting a 3.03 ERA. He was the workhorse of the bullpen pitching in a club record 88 relief appearances.

Catchers Rod Barajas of the Blue Jays and Yorvit Torrealba of the Rockies might be other options as they both are unsigned.

They also could choose to stay internal with Omir Santos, new acquisitions Chris Coste and Henry Blanco, or farm prospect Josh Thole duking it out for the starting and back-up roles.

None of these options is ideal since none really have proven to be offensive weapons, at least not yet. While Santos performed admirably last year, no one expects him to have the firepower of Molina. Thole needs more seasoning. Blanco hit .235 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 67 games last season, while Coste hit a combined .225 with two home runs and 18 RBI in 88 games with the Phillies and Astros.

Do you think the Mets should go for Barajas or Torrealba or stick with what they have?

Below is the official release by the Mets:

The New York Mets today announced that Frank Cashen, general manager of the 1986 World Champion Mets, Dwight Gooden, the 1985 National League Cy Young Award winner, Davey Johnson, manager of the 1986 club, and Darryl Strawberry, the franchise’s career home run leader, will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame on Sunday, Aug. 1, prior to the Mets hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:10 p.m.

“It was very important to re-establish the Mets Hall of Fame Committee,” said Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, who serves as Ex-Officio for the Selection Committee.  “The committee made great choices and all four inductees played a vital role in our success during the 1980s.  Each individual was a unanimous recommendation and on behalf of myself and the rest of Ownership I was pleased to approve them.”

Gooden, Strawberry, Johnson and Cashen made their mark on the Mets in the 1980s and were key contributors for the 1986 World Championship team.  This class will be the first to be inducted since Tommie Agee in 2002.

Cashen was general manager and the architect of the 1986 Mets, drafting and overseeing the development of Strawberry and Gooden, tapping Johnson as manager, and trading for established All-Stars Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter.  From 1984-1991, the Mets averaged more than 95 victories, won the World Series in 1986, and a second NL East title in 1988.  Cashen remained in the Mets front office as chief operating officer from 1980-1992.

Gooden has the second most wins (157) and strikeouts (1,875) in franchise history, trailing only Mets and National Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver.  Gooden holds the Mets record for most shutouts in a season (8) and owns the major league record for most strikeouts by a rookie in a season (276).  “Doc” electrified Mets fans for 11 seasons, finishing his Mets career with a 157-85 record and a 3.10 earned run average.  The righthander burst onto the scene in 1984, winning 17 games and the National League Rookie of the Year honors.  He continued his dominance the following season by winning the pitching Triple Crown – leading the National League in wins (24), strikeouts (268) and ERA (1.53) – and capturing the Cy Young Award.

Johnson transformed the Mets into winners after seven straight losing seasons and has the highest winning percentage (.588) of any manager in club history.  The Mets ran away with the NL East, winning a club-record 108 games, on their way to their second World Championship in 1986.  Johnson’s teams won an average of 95 games from 1984-1990 and took home a second division title in 1988 with 100 victories.  He finished his Mets career with a 595-417 record.

Strawberry was one of the most feared hitters in Mets history, and is the club’s leader in home runs (252), runs batted in (733), runs (662) and extra-base hits (469).  The former No. 1 draft pick won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1983 hitting 26 home runs.  The rightfielder was a seven-time All-Star with the Mets and hit 25 or more home runs in each of his eight years with the team.  In 1988, Strawberry led the league with a career-high 39 home runs as the Mets won their second NL East title in three years.

The Mets Hall of Fame now has 25 members. The 21 previous Hall of Fame members in order of the year they were inducted are: Joan Payson (1981); Casey Stengel (1981); Gil Hodges (1982); George M. Weiss (1982); William A. Shea (1983); Johnny Murphy (1983); Ralph Kiner (1984); Bob Murphy (1984); Lindsey Nelson (1984); Bud Harrelson (1986); Rusty Staub (1986); Tom Seaver (1988); Jerry Koosman (1989); Ed Kranepool (1990); Cleon Jones (1991); Jerry Grote (1992); Tug McGraw (1993); Mookie Wilson (1996); Keith Hernandez (1997); Gary Carter (2001); and Tommie Agee (2002).

The plaques of all the inductees will be one of the main attractions at the new Mets Hall of Fame and Museum which will open this season.

The Mets Hall of Fame committee was re-formed in November.  The seven-member committee is comprised of a combination of media members with long-standing connections to the club and the Mets front office staff. The members are: Dave Howard, Executive Vice President, Business Operations who has been with the organization for 18 years; Jay Horwitz, Vice President, Media Relations who enters his 31^st season with the team; Tina Mannix, Senior Director, Marketing who has been with the Mets for nine years; former Mets pitcher Al Jackson, a pitching consultant who is entering his sixth decade with the Mets; Marty Noble, the Mets.com beat writer who is entering his fifth decade covering the team; Gary Cohen, the New York native and voice of the Mets on SNY who has been a Mets broadcaster for 21 years; and Howie Rose, a Queens native and radio voice of the Mets on WFAN who has covered the team for 21 years on radio and television.

It’s a smart move if they can get anyone to show up that early. It’s about a month before pitchers and catchers are due to report.

It’ll be interesting to see who will show up. For example, will Jose Reyes be eager to show he’s back to fine form or will he opt to give it another month?

If you do the math, that puts him into April before he’s even ready to start getting ready for the season. So, don’t expect the Mets to have him for the first few weeks of the season. This makes the Jason Bay signing all the more important.

The question now is should the Mets go out and get a lower-tier free agent outfielder to replace him until he heals or go with someone on their current roster like Angel Pagan. Experience with arthritis shows it is a recurring problem and the Mets likely will run into this situation with Beltran again in the future.

What would you do?

Pitchers and catchers are due to report on Feb. 18, followed by position players on Feb. 23. They’ll have their first full workout two days later.

This means they only have a few weeks to make a pitch, pun intended, for a catcher and a top-of-the-rotation starter.

It’s too early to get excited, at least for me. Ask me again at the end of February.

It’s hard to understand why that would be a good trade for either organization as the Sox already have a really good second baseman in Justin Pedroia and Lowell is fading with age and injury. He’s coming off thumb surgery last week and had hip surgery in 2008.

Where this trade might make sense is if the Mets do not re-sign Carlos Delgado. However, Newsday is reporting the Mets front office is still high on Delgado, who went 1-for-4 in his latest Winter League game, and are “very interested” in him still.

Then Lowell could be a starting first baseman with Daniel Murphy as a backup, giving Lowell a day or two off each week. The same case could be made for Delgado.

If you had to choose between the two, which one would you take?

The official release is below:

The New York Mets today announced that they signed infielder Russ Adams, third baseman Mike Cervenak, righthanded pitcher R.A. Dickey, outfielder Jesus Feliciano, infielder Andy Green and infielder Mike Hessman to minor league contracts and invited all six to major league Spring Training camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla. next month.

Adams, 29, started last season in Toronto’s system with Las Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League before an eight-game stint with the Blue Jays in July.  He finished the season with San Diego’s organization at Portland (AAA) of the PCL, hitting .267 in 36 games.  Adams played parts of five major league seasons with the Blue Jays after making his debut in 2004.

Cervenak made his second straight International League All-Star Game last season while playing for Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate.  The 33-year-old saw his only major league action in 2008 with the Phillies, picking up his first major league hit and RBI on August 6. He spent a portion of the 2006 season playing professionally in Korea.

Dickey spilt last season between Minnesota and Rochester (AAA) of the International League.  The 35-year-old righthander made the Twins’ Opening Day roster and appeared in 35 games before being optioned to the Red Wings on August 7.  A veteran of parts of seven major league seasons with Texas, Seattle and the Twins, Dickey has a career record of 22-28.

Feliciano led the International League in hits with 154 while playing for Buffalo (AAA) last season. The 30-year-old outfielder also finished with a career-high 30 doubles and a .311 average to win the Sterling Award for the Bisons, emblematic of the team’s Most Valuable Player.  Originally drafted by the Dodgers in 1997, Feliciano appeared in six games for Team Puerto Rico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Green appeared in four games with the Mets last season, picking up one hit in four at-bats. Besides a nine-game rehabilitation stint with the GCL Mets® of the Gulf Coast League and Brooklyn (A) of the New York-Penn League, the 32-year-old utility man spent the remainder of the season with Buffalo where he hit .259 (45-174).

Hessman, 32, spent last season in Detroit’s system at Toledo (AAA) of the International League, finishing fifth in the league with 23 home runs.  The 6-1, 180-pounder last appeared in the major leagues with the Tigers in 2008 when he hit five home runs in 12 games.  Hessman has 311 career minor league home runs and won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

The team also announced the signings of infielder Alejandro Machado and catcher Luke Montz to contracts.  Both will be invited to minor league Spring Training next month.

Let the second-guessing begin, like it hasn’t already. Vote in the new poll.

The official release is below:

FLUSHING, N.Y., January 5, 2010 – The New York Mets today announced that they have signed outfielder Jason Bay to a four-year contract with a vesting option for a fifth year.

Bay hit .267 with a career-high 36 home runs, 119 RBI, and scored 103 runs with the Boston Red Sox in 2009.  It was his second consecutive season of at least 30 home runs, 100 RBI, and 100 runs.

Bay, 31, was second in the American League in RBI and tied for third in home runs last season.   Among major league outfielders, Bay finished with the most RBI, tied for first in home runs with the Phillies’ Jayson Werth, and was third with a .537 slugging percentage and a .921 OPS.

The right-handed hitter ranked among the league leaders in runs, extra-base hits (68), and batting average with runners in scoring position (.360).  The 2009 AL Silver Slugger has averaged more than 30 home runs and 99 RBI over his six full major league seasons.

“Jason provides us with a big bat in the middle of our lineup, which will help us score more runs,” said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya.  “He has pull power and that will play well at Citi Field.  Jason has excelled in a big-city environment, and we look forward to adding his winning attitude and grit to our clubhouse.”

“It’s exciting for me to come to New York to join Carlos Beltran, David Wright, and Jose Reyes in the lineup to help the Mets get back to the postseason,” said Bay.  “I’m looking forward to returning to the National League and playing at Citi Field in front of passionate fans who care about winning.”

Bay led the AL last season with 15 outfield assists and did not make an error in 325 total chances.  Bay has played 184 errorless games in the field since August 17, 2008, a span of 385 total chances without an error.

The 6-2, 205-pound native of Trail, British Columbia, Canada, last season was named to his third All-Star team (2009, 2006, 2005) with more than 4 million votes, the most of any AL outfielder.

The 2004 National League Rookie of the Year with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bay was originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2000.  He spent 2002 with the Mets organization, splitting time between St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League and Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League.

In his major league career with Boston, Pittsburgh, and San Diego, he has a lifetime .280 batting average with 193 doubles, 23 triples, 185 home runs, and 610 RBI in 922 games.   In 14 postseason games, he has batted .306 with three home runs, and nine RBI.

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.

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.

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).

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.