The Mets have signed free-agent OF Rob Mackowiak to a 
$600,000 minor-league contract, according to the New York Post.
…apparently, the Mets trying to corner the market in light, multi-purpose, left-handed hitting outfielders…
…mackowiak had been a decent hitter in Pittsburgh and Chicago, but once traded to San Diego and then on to the Nationals he has been unable to crack .200… through it all, though, he’s still considered a pretty good left-handed bat off the bench…
…he had a double hernia operation prior to last season, and struggled during all of 2008… if he’s healthy, he could be a nice pick up, especially on a minor-league deal…
In 38 games for the Nationals last season, the 32–year-old Mackowiak hit .132 with two extra base hits.
During his eight-year career, he has played every position but catcher and pitcher.
{ 153 comments }
Now playing for the Buffalo Bisons…
This is good news, it seems to me like a precursor move to signing Easley. Good news for the Mets, not such stellar news for Marlon Anderson….
Sign Manny, Sheets, Ollie, and Beimel, and win. F everything else.
What does this have to do with Easley?
They might figure they could get out of Mackowiak whay they’d get out of Marlon Anderson….maybe a little less, but Mackowiak could be stashed at AAA where as Marlon has a Major League contract. They’d need Marlon’s roster spot for Easley….well, it’s really Easley’s anyway; Cora stole Marlon’s…..If this is the case, I hope Marlon opts to stay with the team at the Minor League level if possible, but…Easley is key, we need Easley’s bench production.
This is good news, it seems to me like a precursor move to signing Easley. Good news for the Mets, not such stellar news for Marlon Anderson….
Sign Manny, Sheets, Ollie, and Beimel, and win. F everything else.
Are you crazy? Sign Manny Sheets and Ollie? Okay, that’s a great idea. Fail.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the Mets aren’t spending that much money on a championship. Maybe two of the four guys you said could happen, but that’s it. Honestly, I hope I’m wrong.
As for Easley, I like him, I wish he was going to be on the team, but from what has been published it appears that the Mets are not bringing him back.
trick a s s nukka SHUT YOUR MOUTH.
OUR BUFFULO BISON ARE A LOCK TO WIN THE AAA CHAMPIONSHIP NOW(If there is one). YIPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
WOW!!! WHAT A SIGNING!!!!!
I want every Mets affiliate to dominate; as well as the parent club. i take it you’d rather bumble about, and pretend things are funny. what a jack off
With all the money we’re spending on these crap backups, we could have had a REAL of’er.
Reed: $950,000
Sullivan: $600,000
Mackowiak: $600,000
That’s $2.5 million. Name me one starting OF we could’ve signed with that..
ummmm for 2.5 plus incentives…. MANNY!
LOL
You have a great point. If the Mets have such a tight budget why don’t they use their money on the big boys instead of making excuses in April when Sheets or Ollie or both are with another team and Tim Redding is our fourth starter. I hope it doesn’t come to that and yeah, it is still January, but the Mets have disappointed us too many times in recent years.
Great Omar, you made the awesome trades. Free Agents should be the easy part. Just pay them, the fans are supplying enough revenue to this franchise already by going to games, watching SNY, and purchasing memorabilia. Now make this year worth it for us.
Yeah 400,000 per. RBI. Sound good to you?
who the !@#$% is this guy? Why is he here? Why do the guys we sign always $uck?!
>>Why do the guys we sign always $uck?!”
Umm…Jose Valentin in 2006…Fernando Tatis and Brian Stokes last year…
I think Omar did find a couple of gems here and there…
Now that I think about it…we havent been the same since Valentin got hurt in 2007..
Reyes went from MVP candidate to a Merengue stage dancer highlighting as a shortstop
( in the public’s eyes )
How many perceived “bad influences” are there affecting Reyes since Valentin left
I mean people blamed Carlos Delgado…Luis Castillo and RICKEY HENDERSON for having a “bad influence” on Reyes…as if Reyes was 12…the guy is 25…give me a break…
NIckle and diming our way through January…
More like he’s cornering the market on mediocre talent. Seriously?!!
Alright, up until now I haven’t questioned any of the minor moves. These are necessary for a club to operate through injuries, etc. But this is just strange, what is Omar doing? I hope that he’s about to make a blockbuster trade or something.
In better news, mlbtraderumors reports that the Mets have increased the offer to Ollie.
nice… but i wish we would extend an offer to Sheets already… that would be better news
Who are the Mets bidding against?
Rob MackoWHO???
The hits just keep coming!!!
Yawn.
At last. The final piece of the puzzle falls into place.
DAMN YOU SEATLE MARINERS FOR TAKING ENDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if they didnt do that omar would not be doing this he wants to have one of these guys be Endy 2.0
There is absolutely no explanation for this signing. I mean hell Omar I’m a broke just out of college guy why not just give me $600,000 dollars if your going to hand it out to anyone. Must be because I’m a right-handed bat
yea omars discriminating not hispanics and non-hispanics but righties and lefties thats why he hasn’t signed manny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait, are you saying that Omar is discriminating against hispanics? Lol, I just want to point out that for the past few years this team has been Los Mets.
you missed his point. He is discriminating against RH batters (only signing lefties). Hence, no Manny.
Actually it is Los Mets/Washed up NAts
shhhhh quite before the storm…i think omars got somethin brewing
Do you think he’s going to swing one of these guys (Reed?) for a LH reliever or something?
I don’t think Omar could spin a guy like this for a left handed pitching machine much less a real life LH.
I didn’t mean Mackowiak…obviously if someone wanted him they would’ve already signed him. I guess I’m just trying to figure out why they would continue to acquire the same exact player.
yeah I’m just messing with ya. I have no idea why they would sign a guy like this. He must be the nicest individual in the history of baseball that makes every club house he ever steps in amazingly happy.
Yeah, Schoenwiess.
I’m waiting for the smoozer to get wind of this info and see how he’s gonna spin it
nothing like an injury prone mid-30’s prospect who cant bat .200
beautiful….JUST BEAUTIFUL!!!
Okay guys, none of us here care about this guy one way or the other. We’re all frustrated that there aren’t moves going on. What’s Omar’s plan? Sign Ollie for too much? And nothing else? Does anyone see some positives coming soon? (Talk me off the cliff).
okay, here’s the plan. he’s gonna sign Manny, package him with prospects for Pujols. then trade Delgado, Castillo, & two of the OFers we just picked up for whatever we can get!!! then sign Hudson and Dunn. then maybe, just maybe if were lucky we can swing a deal for Garland. how’s that???
Sabes
See that wiley coyote puff of dust as you look down, … thats me
That’s not talking me off the cliff!! lol
Considering his market, we might sign Bobby Abreu??????
Alright…if he comes down in price. Hmmm. Oh man…I hope we beat the Philthies this year. It was so painful watching them win the WS last year.
Um…if they’re going to sign a bunch of random players, can’t they at least be right handed?
Devin Harris??????
I guess we have to field a team at Buffalo and we don’t have enough home grown talent to have a competitive team at AAA. It’s the only reason I can think of.
Do we care if we’re competitive there? I mean I like depth in the organization, but why do we have three clones?
1st Base, Bugs Bunny – 2nd Base, Bugs Bunny – 3rd Base, Bugs Bunny…
Hey sabermetrician—wondering what your thoughts are on Garcia—are the projections less relevant due to his injuries? Would be very curious to hear your thoughts on The Chief…..
The projections are reasonable because most take into account injuries, but it’s really hit and miss with these injury guys. He’s a tougher case than Sheets because you don’t know what you’re going to get when he’s healthy. With Sheets you know it’s stellar when he’s healthy.
Thanks; kind of what I figured…The Chief was really good for years, and has an excellent postseason record too, but I guess after being hurt and not being himself for two years-plus, it is a major roll of the dice.
I like it though, as The Chief as a minor league signing is all upside I would think….
this is one of those moves that in any other year doesn’t even earn a post.
Agreed. We’re just all on edge waiting for a middle of the rotation starter or something significant.
This signing might not grab a metsblog post if it was the season and there was something to talk about. but they’res not. As it it turns out, Omar is not going to make a big signing or trade every day (or even every week) of the off season.
is Gerald Williams retired? i’m sure he wants action on one of these $600K contracts.
are they guaranteed $600K or is that only if they make the big club?
I believe the SHerman post said that he has to make the team. Not sure which one though (Mets or Bisons). Seems like an awful lot to pay a guy to be AAA filler.
Can anybody say Rob HACK-owiak?
Omar has a new hobby. It’s called junk collecting.
Oh Good Golly, Im having another anxiety attack. And my stomach is hurting too… I hope I dont puke my blue and orange internal organs… I think I finally have been contaminated by this C___. Please Omar make it end!
rob macoviak.
And the Mets said they weren’t going to make significant upgrades to the offense…
LOLOLOL
Trying to catch lightning in a bottle, again.
And again……………
Okay. As most of you know, I am one of Omar Minaya’s biggest supporters. But Rob Mackowiak? Omar, could you please explain to me why we now have three of the same player? I’m getting tired of these dung players. I know they’re supposed to create depth, and that’s all well and good, but seriously. If Minaya signs Perez, I may have to turn against him, which would really be saying something. He can save the offseason if he signs Sheets.
I’m not discounting the J.J. Putz trade (brilliant) or the Francisco Rodriguez signing (great market tinkering), but improving one hole won’t catch us up to the Phillies. We need a front-line pitcher, and the only legit two starter left is Ben Sheets.
What good is creating depth with guys who cant hit?
NYMG44 you are the man! This is not sarcasm. You just made the perfect post to describe my exact feelings and frustration. Sheets or Bust! You are correct. He is the only top starter left and could be had cheap. Yet Omar is so fixated on “HIS” guy Perez. Because Omar traded to get Perez he is insisting on re-signing him. Let Perez and his piece of crap agent walk. He is a junk ball thrower. Sheets is the real deal. Omar stop with your ego and make decisions that will improve this team. Stop signing all this junk. Of course if you sign 20 has beens one will have a good year. Then you can walk around like the Messiah for signing him right Omar? Please stop!
yay…rob mackowiak is a met! yay! At least Herman got fired today…
If Omar wants to stock up on same type players then go out and get Ollie AND Sheets.
Can he play second base?
Does he have dreadlocks?
new medical report on sheets sparks interest from other teams now??
omar, wake up
The sad part is, he won’t. We’re stuck with Oliver Perez, who is projected to have a worse season than our current eighth starter, Brandon Knight. Hooray!
Luckily, you’re no expert and your inane projections don’t mean anything.
Who needs manny we got Mackowiack. This justifies all of the tickect price increases.
We are sooooo lucky to get another player of such high caliber that even the Lowly Nationals Released him.
Way to Go Omar
Ticket prices went down.
ok guys, probability mets sign sheets and perez… im in a fantasy world where the mets had a great sp and bullpen staff
Lets see, Omar screws up and gives Castillo a ridiculas contract. Then Omar gets a raise and an extension.
Omar the figures he can outsmart Scott Boras and loses out on a great Pitcher. Then to make up for than blunder he signs the greatest pitcher in history Tim Redding whats next Sammy Sosa for 30 mil a year.
OMAR MUST GO WE DESERVE BETTER.
Let’s see, Omar swings an insanely improbable trade for Johan Santana. Then Omar gets a raise and an extension.
Omar then figures he can outsmart Jeff Zduriencik and gets another great closer, while giving up no one of value. Then to add on to that sweet deal he signs (arguably) the greatest closer in MLB in Francisco Rodriguez. What’s next, Ben Sheets for $9 million a year?
OMAR MUST GO WE DESERVE BETTER.
Lets See his other terrific moves, can you sya schoenweis, wise, alou, castillo, redding, schnieder, Mota, Bannister, and list goes on and on and on
Let’s see his other terrific moves, Maine, Beltran, Delgado, Wagner, Church, Perez, Valentin, Tatis, Pelfrey, and the list goes on and on.
Err, Pelry was a draft pick, Cjurch was atrow in Omar wanted Schnieder, Beltran is the most over payed superstar, I am not saying he is not a great player but he is certanly not worth his salary. Maine was a suprise to everyone in baseball, Omar wanted Benson gone at any cost.
Yeah, but he got him (Maine). And Beltran is the second-best centerfielder in the game, and best in the league, so you can’t fault him there. Pelfrey was HIS draft pick (he drafts too, you know), and Church was equally important in the Milledge trade.
If omar loves the Nationals so much why not go there please.
I might be crazy but wasnt he a Long Island Duck a few Years ago?
Why, Why, Why are we collecting this crap?
Is Omar going to have three of these guys surgically sewn together to make one super outfielder?
Do the Wilpons need strong bodies to help them move furniture from Sterling before the repossessions start?
This makes no sense.
Since when are Rob Mackowiak and Casey Fossum “strong bodies”? Must have missed the memo…darn.
what? no it’d be corey sullivan, mackowiak and reed. fossum is a pitcher. but u make a good point u sew these three together, you get maybe the equivilant of a idk ryan church -post cuncussion at most.
Oh, sorry, I was unaware that pitchers couldn’t have strong bodies. My bad. Seriously, though, is there any shot Marlon Anderson makes the team anymore? I see the bench playing out like this:
Tatis
Castro
Cora
Sullivan
Reed/Mackowiak
you know what omar, ill make a deal with you or should i say the web site posters will. if you sign ollie and sheets, we will be happy that we had a very successfull offseason. i dont see how anyone can disagree with that
This just in, The Phillies have given up. This latets move has just acared them into submission.
How does one acare?
Sorry, my typing is like Right Handed hitters to Omar USELESS!!!!!!
Okay, I have to admit, that was funny. Well played, sir.
Thank You, I will be here all week.
If they are going to sign players like this, here’s an idea: take a flyer on ex-Yank Bernie Williams! He’s hits from the right side, has kept himself in great shape and will play for Puerto Rico in the WBC. See how he does and then decide.
Ewwwwwwwwww……..
I hate Bernie Williams. I hate them ALL.
your either joking… or from the Land of the Galactically Stupid…
I think he’s joking. But joking about Bernie Williams is like joking about the war or serious diseases.
The reason Minaya signs this crap is because he can’t develop any inhouse, on the farm options. Between Omar and Tony B. the organization is in shambles.
As an aside, if Rob M. gets called up say Jiune 15 because Minaya’s collection of other misfit toys doesn’t pan out, are the Mets still on the hook for the $600,000? Or does Robby need to make the team out of Spring Training to collect?
They will probably cut him if he doesn’t make the team.
Minor Leage deal if he doesnt make the team then he’s shufflin off to buffalo
Right, but if he’s called up in June does he automatically collect the $600k?
Is there a Fire Omar Minaya site, because someone needs to start one – PLEASE!!!
It’s amazing how unappreciative you guys are. Without Omar, the Mets are nothing. Wouldn’t you rather at least contend, as they do now, than allow Jim Duquette to lead them to 66 wins again? Come on, people, lighten up. I know it looks bleak, but the best thing we can do is unite and support him…at least for one more year.
or we can send obseeen and disturbing letters to the wilpons until they fire omar / sign manny, sheetsand ollie.
That is always an option. Of course, that would take a lot of manpower…
It would be just like in Shawshank Redemption
Exactly. Although I’m gravitating towards the unity idea myself…
44,
You are absolutely dead on, these “Met fans” forget the hell hole we came from, being a die hard to the bone for 37 yrs has given me some real perspective.
It seems to me that some of our mates on the blog are new jacks that never new what it was to lose year after sickening year not even competing.
We have been a force since “06 and will continue to be so, all a baseball fan can ask is that their respective franchise put a winning product on the field and Omar has done that already and will continue to do so.
I understand the frustration of coming up short especially to an inferior team like the Cards in “06 ( I still can’t shake that one ) but that is the beauty of this glorious game.
Consider these names
JOHAN SANTANNA
JOSE REYES
DAVID WRIGHT
CARLOS BELTRAN
CARLOS DELGADO
FRANSISCO RODRIGUEZ
J.J. PUTZ
Not to mention the rest of our players, there are about 20 something teams that would love to relieve us of any one of these guy’s, but they belong to us and weather you realize it or not this is a pretty wicked core of player’s.
We will again compete this year thanks to Omar Minaya, hopefully when all is said and done during this off season our franchise will have the support of the rest of you “Met fan’s”.
you people make me laugh… quit acting like spoiled little Yankee fans!! just because you cant get who you want, its FIRE Minaya, or Freddie Coupons.(PLEASE) news flash: the Wilpons aint selling. so if your unhappy with the way they construct business then hop on the subway to the Bronx!!! cause there the only team in the league that’ll buy you all your presents!!! (if you call yourself a Met fan, maybe show a lil support.)
we just had two collapses in a row…we are the ones that buy the tickets to watch these games…dont you think they owe it to us to have a winning team and not another collapse?….they dont care…they will make their money
yes, i think they owe it to us! but bashing your own team isn’t gonna help. its one thing to vent your frustrations, make sign/trade suggestions, or even have a little fun with sarcasm. but some of the stuff that gets written on here by so called fans is just plain ridiculous!!!
ok..lol…i agree..lol
with the whole fire omar thing…a little nuts there…i agree with you
wow we are so screwed really we are going to make the playoffs with that signing!!!! ah forget about manny we dont need him hey pick up Paulie as back up just in case someone goes down!! maybe we can trade for Moto tooooo
while we are at it..lets bring back julio franco…he did say he wanted to play until 50…hes what now 51?
It’s a MINOR LEAGUE DEAL. I can understand though, as most of the posters here have zero reading comprehension……
God, I wish I could be paid $600,000 to be in the lower 5% of my peers…
Some real dummies here saying Omar and Tony B have no minor league talent.
4 kids for Santana, Pelfrey already being compared to a young Brandon Webb, Daniel Murphy, Jon Niese, Parnell, Kunz and Fernando Martinez on the way. Ike Davis, Reese Havens, ETC ETC
I’m absolutely certain that Pirate Nation would love to swich places with us if given the opportunity.
I can’t believe i used the term “Pirate Nation”
perhaps it’s more like Pirate Neighborhood.
Now this is looking like a team!!!!!
Does anyone understand the concept of signing players to minor league deals? Do people really think the Mets are the only team that signs these guys? Its called having depth in triple A in case of injuries, and having a bench on the major league roster.
Its unreal how much people want to complain, they crave it so much they’ll take anything insignifcant like signing a reserve outfielder to a non-guaranteed minor league contract and whine and complain. That’s what Tatis was signed too last year.
yea but cmon 38 games .132 avg thats worse then marlon and hes HORRIBLE.
just sign garland + manny, and let’s start this trip to the WS
Forget about Manny!
Im sorry but we cannot get Manny
i completely agree with you man…lets give omar 3 more weeks, if he doesnt nail down sheets or ollie than we can jump on him
everyone wants to know why he doesnt “multi-task”…then they jump down his throat when he signs alex cora…if manny isnt going to be a met i just wish he would sign tomorrow ..is this guy going to contribute to a new york mets, probably not..but its not a move to scrutinize the guy over..
shhhhhhhhh .. quite before the storm…i believe the storm is coming and i am a believer in this team after all, ya gotta believe
You are 100% right. They had no remotely respectable 3B option in the event of a Wright DL stint. This helps..
You all know nothing about Mackowiak, yet insist he’s the exact same player as Reed and Sullivan.
Have they played 319 games at 3B? How about 262 games at 2B? 52 games at 1B? 7 at SS? Have they been used as an emergency catcher? Is their slugging percentage over .400? How about a .332 OBP? Are they only signed to a minor league contract worth $12,000 a month?
Mackowiak can play every position on the field which would give Manuel a great deal of flexibility. He’s Super Joe McEwing except his OPS is almost 100 points higher. He was coming off a double hernia surgery last season, so there’s a good chance for a bounce back season this year. Afterall, he did manage a .426 OBP last season in AAA. I hope he has a good spring and makes the team.
Thanks for telling us all about the 2009 MVP..
I find your sarcasm very curious considering you’ve taken the name of an early Met player who was exactly the same thing this guy is – all around utility guy who could do everything but pitch…
Sell the team.
Can we wait to complain about these minor moves until say, april, or even may? If the 2M or so we’ve (in my opinion likely blown, or) spent on these 28th men meant we didn’t have money for the names we need to put on the roster I’m relatively sure they wouldn’t be here. But injuries will happen, and if even one of these seemingly minor signings can put together a solid month in relief thats worth the salaries of all of these guys combined. If we go into the season without landing another pitcher I’ll be just as unhappy, but if we signed Garcia when the Phillies traded for him I’m sure he’d have had gotten the 98% approval rating everyone expects here.
It’s a long season, and I’m just as impatient as y’all for it to start. Let’s just wait til Febrary to start calling for heads on minor signings like these and be thankful we can make them just in case they come in handy.
Maybe we could ask Moises Alou to bat Right Handed.
Then we would be complete…. DONE..
We need STARTING PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING….
Enough with the Lightning in a Bottle line…..
I hear it as much as the new era for the JETS…
Going Forward…. Change….
How about WINNING…
“Maybe we could ask Moises Alou to bat Right Handed”
so, the mets should make that mistake 3 years in a row? hmmmm…i dont think so.
metsblog states that every meaningless minor league signing could be great if the guy is healthy. Thanks metsblog for becoming 100% useless.
unfrickinbelieveable that omar has “no interest” in manny. i guarantee the mets would regret that when they finish second or third. fools.
omar minaya has shown interest in manny many times over the years…
heres what i think…omar is gunna lock up ollie and then start to show interest in manny…why? because every interview that he has been in says that he wants to address the pitching first…once the pitching is done then move on.
if we sign ollie, i can see him throwing an offer out to manny.
We dont need Manny. We had the 4th best aufence in the National League last year. IF we had the average bullpen we would of won 108 games last year.
All we need is Ollie or Sheets.
Sheets then Ollie. If you sign Sheets first, it takes a few chips out of Boras’ hand. Added to the fact he’s a better pitcher.
Why havent the mets signed one of them yet.
These guys better be trade fodder sooner or later….he has not only overloaded the Mets outfield, but now he’s got too many OF’s in AAA as well.
I guess that this determines F-Mart is in AA next year.
It always irks me when fans rate their level of “fan-ness” on the number of years they have followed a team, posted on a website or their level of team worship.
Omar has made great moves and has made dumb ones.
The Wilpons have made some good and bad decisions.
I have been a Met fan since 1966 and I have experienced the good times and bad. I don’t claim to know everything. Nor do I de-value anyone else’s opinion because they have been a fan for a shorter duration. But one thing I do know is that fans are free to worship/like/hate/criticize their players/GM/ownership.
Doing any of these things does not make them any more of less of a fan but rather it is the basis of a diverse fan base.
I step down from the soapbox.
oh and we still need one or two SP and a power righthanded OF.
here here
If we put together all of these guys, it amounts to 25% of a real outfielder. How many 5th outfielders does this team need? If only we had a #2 and #3 to go along with Beltran. Not sure if Crash in RF qualifies.
He has shown talent- he’s an obvious upgrade from the Molina, Cancel callups we saw last year. They had 4 catchers at one time because of no organizational depth..
Would Church , Reed for Nady not make sense for both the Yanks and Mets?
Nady gives the Mets a RH bat for RF
Church gives the Yanks a guy who can play CF…….Reed would give them depth if they need a defensive replacement and Cabrera can play vs Lefties in CF………..Damon, Matsui, Swisher for LF,RF,DH
That would give the Mets Beltran in CF, Nady in Rf(1B next yr once Delgado is gone) ……..LF Murphy , Tatis and one of the guys brought in which would likely be Sullivan ahead of Anderson or Macowiak
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