…in regards to the pitchers Sherman mentioned, Garland was always destined for the west coast, unless of course a team like the Mets blew him away with an offer, but i think people would’ve been equally as critical if they had done that with Garland or Davis, because neither are talents any team should overpay for because neither talents can transform a franchise…the Mets were in on Pineiro but ultimately, the Mets wouldn’t increase their offer, and for a guy who i believe will not succeed outside of St. Louis, i’m not going to jump on Omar Minaya for that either…

Baron was using Joel Sherman’s column for talking points. He makes the good points that Mets are not the same destination it once was. The club was going to have to overwhelm most free agents to be in the picture. The talent in this market – save Jason Bay and John Lackey – did not warrant that. The Mets would have upped their offer to get Bay. Lackey’s health should have been a question of concern that kept them out of a bidding war with the Red Sox.

But Baron makes another point that I have been making in that Jason Marquis was the best fit that never seemed to be considered. Unlike other players, the New York native made it known he wanted to play for the Mets. If Marquis has a good season for the suddenly improved Washington Nationals, the non-signing will prove to be another hammer of media segues.

Still, the relative one-year bargains that Doug Davis, Jon Garland, and Bengie Molina are non only indicative of the market the Mets likely predicted but were also just that -bargains. Its easy to feel that the Mets could have “over paid” or easily made a offer worthy of accepting.

You can be assured that the team that ultimately the Mets are compared to in the Yankees would have paid the price to get a player they either wanted or needed. Yet the Mets did not make any of those determinations, and it reveals they better be thinking in other ways as I commented on a few days ago.

What ever the plans, the Mets are committed to it now. They have to bank now on the return to form of Oliver Perez and John Maine. Mike Pelfrey will have to improve. The Omir Santos – Henry Blanco catching tandem has to suddenly compare favoritably to the Nationals acquisition of hall of famer Ivan Rodriguez as Dan Warthen was public in his condemnation of last year’s catching. The bashing of Luis Castillo by his own club needs to have not been accurate.

It’s alot to hope.

But Adam Kennedy signed last night for $1.25 million. $1.25 million! Or put another way, for $750,000 less than Alex Cora. $1.25 million less than what the Mets will pay Gary Matthews

In the event Castillo opens the season at 2B, Megdal’s point makes even more sense. They’ve spent the off-season either trying to trade him or letting the perception live on that his play and/or him were such a negative. Doing so decreased any value that Castillo might have. This is yet another example of being deaf to their own signals.

If Catalanotto is signed and makes the club along with Fernando Tatis, it’s unlikely that either Chris Carter or Nick Evans makes the club. The Mets will probably keep 12 pitchers and two catchers. Alex Cora, Luis Castillo, Jose Reyes, Tatis, Daniel Murphy and David Wright will be the infielders. Catalanotto, Jason Bay, Jeff Francouer, Angel Pagan and Gary Matthews would be the outfielders.

Carter and Evans will get significant times at bat in prime games this spring as the club needs to see what they’ve got. It will be interesting to see what the Mets feel is their potential upsides.

One thing for certain, the Mets have addressed one of their goals in improving their AAA Buffalo roster. The bulk of the pitching staff is on the 40-man roster and will be in major league camp. Non-roster invitees that were signed to minor league contracts, R.A. Dickey and Josh Fogg will be part of the rotation at Buffalo. Jon Niese and Tobi Stoner probably will, too.

In all the Mets signed six free agent pitchers that they hope will begin the season in AAA. The benefit in this is that it allows them to keep some of their young pitching prospects at AA Bighamtom such as Brad Holt and Jenry Mejia to start the season. Ike Davis can even start the season at AA, but he’ll probably be promoted to AAA by mid season.

These are good things for individual player development in it that allows good players to have more success before being promoted. No need to rush anyone. No need to seek a “fast-track option.”

The Mets hesitancy to sign veteran free agent starting pitchers is evidence that they are banking on enhancing player development while improving the value of their personel. If for instance, Tobi Stoner and Jon Niese are effective in AAA it allows them to move a Mike Pelfrey or John Maine to improve the ball club at some point during the season.

It could be that after the season begins, the Mets will be in a far better situation to improve the club.

How many people have expertise about Citi Field? I believe the Mets were spooked by the field last season. Perhaps if Carlos Delgado had remained available and hit two or three more to the bridge beyond the seats in right-center field, Citi would have been tamed a bit and not developed any mystique. The place is bigger than some parks, but it’s a fair park. Sluggers hit home runs in fair parks.

Ralph Kiner, who knows a thing or two about home run-hitting and pitcher-friendly parks — Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, where he played, was so big that the batting cage was left on the field in left-center — doesn’t consider Citi’s size insurmountable. I’m sure Adam Dunn and Mark Reynolds don’t either. Reynolds might hit it out of the place if he plays one more series there.

If Luis Castillo can reach the second deck, David Wright can hit 12 home runs there. I wouldn’t been stunned if Wright, Bay, Carlos Beltran and Jeff Francoeur combine for 50-55 at home.

Like all the injuries, David Wright’s power drop-off was an aberration. Beltran and Jose Reyes have got to be ok, though, for the offense to be ok.

This is the hand that the Mets are forced to play. The ambiguity of the season-long injuries to Beltran and Reyes leave a big uncertainty in the future of the Mets. There just wasn’t any way around it in the ability of the Mets to plan over either the shot term or the long haul.

If Minaya is able to bring in more talent that improves the club, the big questions next month will be about the health of Beltran and Reyes. It is with these two – and not in the uncertainty of the rotation – does the season success depend on. The Mets just won’t be able to win without Beltran and Reyes in the line-up everyday.

1. The moves in the bullpen signal a clear philosophy. Low investment with the potential for high yield investments in Kelvin Escobar and Ryoto Igarashi may represent 8th inning alternatives. The Mets must also believe that Bobby Parnell can be the same, otherwise they would have sent the talented righthander home this offseason with instructions to prepare to start.

2. The Mets are always making noise about wanting another lefthander to complement Pedro Feliciano. They brought in numerous lefties last year but kept playing roster whack-a-mole with them all. If they have really been serious about needing to fill this role, they would have actively pursued former Met Darren Oliver whom ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers. They also made no move for Mike Gonzalez who probably wanted to close anyhow. So I don’t think that the Mets really want to pay alot for someone for this role.

3. I believe there is a reason that 2B Orlando Hudson has not signed with anyone yet. He’s waiting on the Mets to get rid of Luis Castillo. Maybe there’s even some back room conversations. Now that the Mets have filed the left field hole, some certainty exists for Minaya. He can now move Castillo and sign Hudson. Unless there’s something else going. See #4.

4. All’s been quiet on the rumors that the Reds were trying to move some big salaries. Earlier this month, there was some speculation at MLBTradeRumors about Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang being moved. Other high salaried Reds mentioned were Arthur Rhodes, Brandon Phillips and Franciso Cordero. There are some matches there, especially if other clubs get involved. It is from this scenario that Minaya can acquire a starter, a lefty reliever, a set-up guy or an upgrade an 2B. Stay tuned.

4. I don’t believe the Mets have ruled out contending, but they know that they are banking on a healthy return to form by Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran. With them plus Bay, David Wright should be better. Wright found out what George Foster did in his first season when it was just him. It’s unlikely that Carlos Delgado will not be returning. It would be nice if Daniel Murphy became at least a Dave Magadan circa 1991. To be fair, it’s really been Minaya’s only viable option to pursue with respect to the line-up.

5. Dan Warthen needs to be right in that whatever the final upgrade in catching matches a some sort of improvement in Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine. Whomever they group with Henry Blanco, they won’t be counted on for offense, but it will be ok if Murphy and Jeff Francoeur are hitting sixth and seventh.

6. Last season was an aberation with respect to injuries. The Mets made no changes in their sports medicine team, and it shouldn’t have. Admittedly I have a soft spot for these guys, but I do not communicate with any of them. I’ve always maintained that a communication problem existed and that the presence of Tony Bernazard poisoned this as well.

7. There were some changes to the coaching staff. I hope they were based mostly on Jerry Manual’s wishes and not Omar Minaya’s prejudices fueled by Bernazard’s manipulations. Firing a manager’s coaches makes a manager impotent. The beginning of the end began for Davey Johnson and Willie Randolph when the front office dismissed some of their staffs.

Spring training is just 6 weeks away. Minaya has been signalling that the team will be better at that time. He’s wisely let the market come back and has saved the Wilpn’s some money they may have to spend later in the event the Mets actually do contend. With more positive moves, Minaya will haveweathered the media firestorm that surrounded him and it will pay off once camp opens.

No drama.

Only hope with a dash of reasonable expectations.

Nonetheless, if the Mets are waiting on Bay or to enter into the end game with Scott Boras on Matt Holliday, they are holding themselves up.

Couple this with the Mets efforts to move Luis Castillo. If the Mets believe that moving Castillo is a bigger priority than acquiring talent, they are further hamstringing themselves.

As the Yankees have gotten their pitcher in Javier Vazquez, it could start things rolling for everyone. Somehow, everyone always needs to wait on the Yankees.

Maybe that whisper about something going with the Reds that will involve a starting pitcher means something.

…yes, it would be crazy creative, border-line stupid, yet potentially brilliant, if a team could send, say, Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez, who will cost $18 million each of the next two seasons, to the Reds for arroyo, phillips and cordero, saving the Reds $12 million this season, and $5 million next season, while replacing them with legitimate major-league talent… yes, this is far-fetched, and total mock-GM’ing, and i can’t recall the last time i saw a deal like that happen, but, the point is, the Mets and Reds fit one another’s needs, in some way, shape or form, and i would hope they discuss a way to help eachother out, because it looks like they can…

The talent is the thing. I don’t see the Reds’ doing this without inclusion of young talent from the Mets. Say Mike Pelfrey, but hopefully not Bobby Parnell. Any one or combination of the four Reds mentioned – Cordero, Phillips, Harang and Arroyo – represent the talent fit the Mets are looking for.

I remain astonished by the amount of energy Minaya is putting into moving Castillo. Is there more of a there, there under the radar about team chemistry issues? One reason Kevin Mitchell was moved in the December 1986 Kevin McReynolds deal was to remove him from Doc Gooden. Do the Mets feel the need to remove him from Jose Reyes?

We just saw Gary Sheffield pull up after hitting a ball in the gap. He’s 40 and its a day game after a night game. Plus he was likley to be playing at less than 100% as it was.

The injury to Jon Niese looks the most serious. Anyone could tell that. There’s a chance it could be a Grade 3 tear and that will be it for Niese’s season.

At this point, like most fans, I’d just bite the bullett and start bringing up some of the prospects to see if they can play. Niese will obviously go to the DL. The club cannot have two field players in Luis Castillo and Gary Sheffield on a day-to-day status.