The AP is reporting the Mets and starting pitcher Oliver Perez avoided arbitration by agreeing on a one-year deal on Friday.
In addition to his base salary of $2.235 million Perez can earn a bonus
of $12,500 for making 15 and 25 starts and $25,000 each for 155, 165,
175 and 195 innings pitched.
Perez was 1-3 with a [...]

MiLB.com has a profile for the Mets 2006 Organizational Pitcher of the Year Award winner, Michael Devaney.
The right-handed Devaney, 24, was taken in the 23rd-round in the
2004 draft, and split time between Class A Advanced St. Lucie and
Double-A Binghamton in 2006, going a combined 12-5 with a 2.13 ERA over
27 starts.
Opponents hit just .196 off [...]

According to MSNBC, the Mets have signed Oliver Perez to a one-year contract, worth $2,325,000.
Perez can make an additional $12,500 each for 15 and 25 starts, and $25,000 each for 155, 165, 175, 185 and 195 innings.
In a season that featured flashes of brilliance, marred by frustrating inconsistency, the 25-year-old Perez was 3-13 with a 6.55 [...]

According to Anthony Rieber’s latest Newsday column, Willie Randolph has only promised rotation spots to Tom Glavine and Orlnado Hernandez.
When asked about John Maine, considered by many to be a lock for the rotation, Randolph responded:

It’s nice to know we challenged and he stepped up.
He showed some things, which I liked, but I [...]

At MLB.com, citing a major-league source, Bill Ladson notes that the Mets are ‘set to sign’ free-agent RHP Jorge Sosa.
Sosa, 29, had a poor rookie season, followed by a good season, followed by another bad season, followed by a good season and had a rough season last year as a starter and reliever for the Braves [...]

According to a team press release, Mets Spring Training Tickets will go on sale the morning of January 20, and can be purchased at Mets.com or calling 772.871.2115.

Last June in the fourth round (124 overall) of 2006 First-Year Player Draft the Mets selected John Holdzkom.
Holdzkom,
19, is a 6′7″ 225 right-handed pitcher from Rancho Cucamonga, CA. He
was originally drafted in the 15 round (443 overall) by the Seattle
Mariners in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of high school, but
elected to go to [...]

The Orioles have traded RHP Rodrigo Lopez to the Rockies for RHP Jim Miller and RHP Jason Burch, reports Joe Hamrahi at Baseball Digest Daily.
…from what i recall, the Mets and O’s discussed lopez around last season’s trade deadline, in exchange for either OF Xavier Nady or RHP Aaron Heilman…though i believe O’s VP Jim Duquette [...]

Eric Justic of MLB.com updates Anderson Hernandez’s progress in the Dominican Winter League playoffs.
Hernandez is currently batting .419 with 11 RBIs and 13 runs scored in 11 games with Tigres del Licey.
In 2006, Hernandez hit .152 with 1 home run and 3 RBIs in 66 at-bats for the Mets.

…i was a big fan of a-hern [...]

Free-agent RHP Tomo Ohka continues to seek a three-year deal, reports Tracy Ringolsby in the Rocky Mountain News.
…somebody needs to remind Tomo Ohka that he is only Tomo Ohka…
Ohka missed nearly three months last season with a partial tear in his right rotator cuff.  In 18 starts since his return, he was 4–5 with 4.82 ERA for the [...]

In the Chicago Tribune, Dave van Dyck asks…
“If Barry Zito is worth $126 million for seven years on the open market, then what is the value of Mark Buehrle and Carlos Zambrano if they get to free agency in the fall?”

…hmmm…i’m thinking a lot…
Over the last three seasons, Zambrano is 46-21 with a 3.14 ERA.
During the same [...]

In the Bergen Record, Steve Popper reports that Willie Randolph will depart the Mets’ minicamp today and fly to Kansas City to be
honored as the NL Manager of the Year by the Negro Leagues
Baseball Museum.
Randolph was frustrated by being beaten out for the NL
Manager of the Year honors by Joe Girardi, but was particularly pleased
to [...]

Christoper has e-mailed in Part II of his Mets 2006 Tribute Video, posted at You Tube.
To watch Part I, go to You Tube.
To watch Part II, click the play button below.

…outstanding work, christopher…hopefully mlb leaves this up long enough for my readers to see it…

At MLB.com, Kevin Czerwinski writes about the return of Mets RHP Juan Padilla, who had season-ending shoulder surgery last March.
Czerwinski and Padilla discuss the pitcher’s rehab through last summer and his status on a team that already also Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoeneweis and Guillermo Mota.
Among other comments, Padilla tells Czerwinski…
“I’m very excited.  I’ve [...]

At the Hardball Times, Jeff Sackman takes a statistical look at free-agent LHP Scott Schoeneweis, who will soon sign a three-year, $10.8 million deal with the Mets, as was recently reported in the Associated Press.
It is Sackman’s view that Omar Minaya would have been better off spending a bit more money to sign a free-agent like Jamie Walker, [...]