Update, 3:10 pm:
Like I said below, close to 200 die-hard Mets fans went to Shea Stadium today to say one final goodbye.
For pictures, click here and here.
Also, hat tip to Chris and the guys from Baseball Fever for getting the ball rolling on this event, which you can read more about at Newsday and New York [...]

Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes the Giants are the only other team, besides the Dodgers, talking with Manny Ramirez.
However, according to Olney, “Executives with other teams do not believe the Giants are serious players,” adding, “They think San Francisco’s real intent is to keep the Dodgers honest, to force them to give Ramirez at least [...]

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com believes the Mariners are looking to cut payroll now, and may need to consider trading RHP Jarrod Washburn, 3B Adrian Beltre or Miguel Batista to do so.
The 34–year-old, left-handed Washburn was 5–14 with a 4.69 ERA in 153 innings for the M’s last season, during which opponents struck out just 87 times [...]

According Joe DeMayo of NY Baseball Digest, “If the Mets do not have Oliver Perez either locked up, or having made huge strides in negotiations by the end of this coming weekend, they are likely to move on to other options,” according to a league source with knowledge of the team’s plans.
…early last week i mentioned [...]

The following questions were all sent it to MetsBlog via e-mail…
Afros Supreme: “How come you haven’t talked about the Cole Hamels deal? Shouldn’t the World Series MVP signing for only $7 million cut into Oliver Perez’s final contract? I’m a Mets fan, but I’ll be the first to admit Hamels is about 10 [...]

In his latest Rumblings & Grumblings column, for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark quotes a source familiar with the Mets thinking as saying, ‘signing Manny Ramirez is not going to happen.’
Stark says the Yankees have made it clear they will not be bidding on Ramirez either, and, according to a person familiar with their thinking, the Angels position [...]

According to a report on MLB.com, the Mets have signed John Maine to a one-year, $2.6 million contract, avoiding arbitration.
Pedro Feliciano is the lone remaining Met facing arbitration.

According to Newsday, Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Ted Poe (R-Texas) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner asking that he force the Mets to ‘scrap’ their $400-million naming-rights deal with Citigroup, “because of the bank’s receipt of federal bailout money.”
The Associated Press talks with Ron Swoboda about his ‘two magical catches.’
Mike Silva of NY Baseball [...]

David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes the Braves would prefer to first sign Bobby Abreu, or look to trade for Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher, or, lastly, sign Adam Dunn, who is seeking $14 million per season.
The Braves have between $5 and $9 million to spend, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Mark Bowman of MLB.com [...]

Tom Kaminski in Chopper 880 has new aerial photos of the Shea Stadium on WCBS880.com.
…you know, they should leave that one remaining section of Shea, just the wall, as a piece of art work in the parking lot… i think that’d be pretty cool…
By the way, just a reminder…
On Saturday, tomorrow, January 31, at 12:00 [...]

Last night, a group of 30 die-hard Mets fans gathered outside the SNY studios, on air during the network’s Mets Hot Stove show, in what they described as the Million Manny March, while chanting, “Manny, Manny,” with some carrying signs, wearing customized Ramirez jerseys and dread-locked wigs.
To see photos from the rally, check out Priced [...]

According to reports from yesterday, Mets GM Omar Minaya met with Pedro Martinez in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.
However, Newsday writes, “It was more of a courtesy to Martinez than a big sit-down to talk contract… Minaya was in the Dominican Republic on a prearranged scouting trip,” according to a person familiar with the situation.
Minaya told [...]

The Mets have signed OF Bobby Kielty, RHP Tony Armas Jr., RHP Matt DeSalvo, and LHP Valerio de los Santos to minor league contracts, reports the Associated Press.
Kielty, 32, hit .233 in 49 minor-league games last season, after getting just 33 at bats with the A’s and Red Sox in 2007.
Armas pitched in three games for the Mets [...]

Outstanding.  I’m watching SNY’s Mets Hot Stove Show, and there is indeed a crowd outside the windows, behind the desk, visible on air, with people holding signs, wearing jerseys and calling for Manny Ramirez.  However, it appears it is only around 20 people – maybe 30.
Also, good job by SNY for not bringing down the shades [...]

Brian Powell of Awful Announcing provides the first look of national games scheduled to appear on ESPN and FOX.
According to the schedule, the Mets will play a total of 10 times between ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball schedule and FOX’s Saturday Baseball.
…this may be a good thing, and of course the schedule is subject to change, [...]