However, today in Newsday, according to ‘a person familiar with the situation,’ David Lennon writes, ‘There is nothing there,’ with regards to the Dye-Jenks-Mets-Martinez rumor.

In a post to hie blog for the New York Post, Joel Sherman describes the rumor as ‘nonesense,’ after having talked with a few of the team’s executives.

…as i said yesterday, a deal between the Mets and Sox involving dye and jenks may have been true once before…however, from what i can gather, the Mets are more focused on Huston Street, since they match up better with the Rockies…plus, i believe he will not cost martinez…more like Nick Evans, if a prospect is needed…

Yesterday, MiLB.com ranked Martinez No. 32 on its annual Top 50 Prospects list.  In 2007, he was ranked No. 17.

According to Lennon, ‘The Mets are not prepared to deal Martinez,’ whose name will likely be mentioned a lot during next week’s Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.

…from what i can gather, other teams are leery about martinez, because he is being scouted in essentially the exact-same way he was three years ago, i.e., he’s got tons of potential, great swing, etc., but he has yet to prove his talent…plus, he’s been hurt a lot…

…in the end, it feels like other teams are tired of hearing about his ‘potential,’ despite his young age, and are eager to see him hit, stay healthy and actually produce and dominate, before they once again buy in to the hype…

…this may be why he dropped 15 spots on MiLB.com’s list…

…a deal between the Mets and Sox involving dye and jenks may have been true once before…however, from what i can gather, the Mets are more focused on Huston Street, since they match up better with the Rockies…plus, i believe he will cost less…

…as for dye, i have no idea if he’s a realistic option, but, as i have said before, he’d be a pretty good fit…however, trading martinez to get him would cancel out one of the reasons, i.e., a short-term solution, which makes dye appealing…

Last week, at FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal wrote that the Mets have been looking for a right-handed bat.

“On Tuesday, Nov. 11, several White Sox officials watched Mets pitching prospects Bobby Parnell and Eddie Kunz pitch in the Arizona Fall League,’ reported the Chicago Tribune.

According to Gonzales, citing two NL scouts, the Sox were scouting players for deals that include Dye, who hit .292 with 34 HR, 96 RBI and a .344 OBP in 154 games last season.

Dye will earn $11.5 million in 2009, after which he has a mutual option in 2010 for $12 million, or a $1 million buyout that could make him a free agent.

On Nov. 18, I wrote, “From what I can gather, the Mets are likely to make a trade for a relief pitcher, who has experience as a closer,” in addition to signing either Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes or Kerry Wood.”

Davidoff cites an AL executive who agrees with the approach, essentially saying the Mets would be better trading a high-level prospect for Jenks, ‘than throwing big dollars at K-Rod.’

The AL executive continues on to give a scouting report of Jenks, and explain why his decrease in strike outs could be a good thing, as compared to Rodriguez.

Meanwhile, in the New York Post, citing an ‘AL official regularly in touch with the Mets executives,’ “The Mets will wait to see if supply-and-demand take holds and the price falls.”

According to Sherman, as he has written previously on his blog, Hardball, Minaya’s main targets are Fuentes and Derek Lowe.

Nevertheless, if the Mets do go for Jenks, he will almost certainly cost OF Fernando Martinez, writes Sherman, who quotes a Mets official as saying, “Unless something changes, I would say the chances of us getting Jenks are close to zero.  The price is too high and he isn’t close to the top of our list.”

Sherman also writes of how the M’s intend to handle J.J. Putz, and whether the Astros will trade Jose Valverde, and whether the Mets would have interest.

According to Minaya, per Francesa, the Mets intend to use all of their money on pitching, pitching and more pitching this off-season.

The Mets are interested in Francisco Rodriguez, but not for five years, as well as Brian Fuentes and Kerry Wood, and they like White Sox RHP Bobby Jenks, M’s RHP J.J. Putz, and Rockies RHP Huston Street, Minaya told Francesa.

The Mets have interest in free-agent pitchers Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett, but not Ben Sheets, according to Francesa.

Additionally, Minaya told Francesa he intends to make a contract offer, ‘of some sort,’ to Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez.

…francesa essentially said minaya expects perez to seek a contract similar to the four-year deal given to Carlos Silva, which, according to minaya, had a major impact on the market for starting pitchers…

The Mets do not intend on pursuing any big-time offensive players, including Manny Ramirez or Orlando Hudson. 

Instead, Minaya intends to start the season with Luis Castillo at second, Carlos Delgado at first, Ryan Church in right, and a platoon of Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis in left, according to Francesa.

…sure, omar, i’ll believe that when i see it…i think they have to say that right now, because the focus is pitching…however, once they settle on a pitching staff, i am 100 percent certain they will revisit the offense…but, what i am hearing above is, if they are unable to improve on offense, they’ll deal with it, because pitching is that important…

Francesa says Minaya believes Murphy can eventually blossom to be his team’s version of Kevin Youklis, or Dustin Pedroia, i.e., a gritty, hard-nosed player, who other players emulate.

Lastly, the Mets are 100 percent satisfied with Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro, Minaya told Francesa, who added, ‘All of this talk about upgrading at catcher is untrue.’

…nice, NICE work by francesa here, i think…

…i mean, i am little confused why minaya essentially just handed over his entire off-season playbook to a radio talk show on the record…i’d like to think omar is more savvy than that, in fact i know he is, so my suggestion would be to take all of the above with a grain of salt, and understand he is talking in the present…

To listen to WFAN live from your computer, go to WFAN.com.

According to Gonzales, citing two NL scouts, the Sox are scouting players for deals that include OF Jermaine Dye.

Earlier this week, in a post to his blog for Newsday, Ken Davidoff wrote that the Sox are looking to trade Dye.

…as i wrote earlier in the week, the Sox will likely want a pitcher back in a deal for dye, who they are eager to move, in an effort to get younger and free up some cash…

Dye hit .292 with 34 HR, 96 RBI and a .344 OBP in 154 games for the White Sox this season.

He has hit at least 20 home runs during each of the last four seasons, while playing mostly right field.

Dye will earn $11.5 million in 2009, after which he has a mutual option in 2010 for $12 million, or a $1 million buyout that could make him a free agent.

In a report on Tuesday for SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote, “The Mets are trying to swing a deal for White Sox RHP Bobby Jenks before doling out free-agent riches to Brian Fuentes or Francisco Rodriguez.”

Jenks, 27, completed 30 of 34 saves in 2008, with a 2.63 ERA in 61 innings pitched, during which opponents hit .230 against him while striking out 38 times.

Gonzales quotes an NL scout as saying, ‘Jenks remains a bargain despite his expected salary hike to at least $5 million because of his consistency and the dearth of dependable closers.’

Meanwhile, in a report from early November in the Chicago Tribune, Dave van Dyck wrote, ‘The Mets had interest in White Sox RHP Javier Vazquez,’ according to a well-placed source at the GM meetings.

…in other words, something must be brewing with the Sox…

Jenks, 27, completed 30 of 34 saves in 2008, with a 2.63 ERA in 61 innings pitched, during which opponents hit .230 against him while striking out just 38 times.

…jenks has been a pretty good pitcher since joining the league in 2005, to say the least…what’s more, he is under contract for the next three seasons…so, he’s going to cost a decent number of prospects, should the Mets work to acquire him…

Earlier in the off-season, in Newsday, Ken Davidoff wrote, “The Mets believe they have enough minor-league talent to trade for a closer, such as M’s RHP J.J. Putz, O’s LHP George Sherrill, Royals RHP Joakim Soria and Marlins RHP Kevin Gregg.”

…the thing is, if a team like the Indians and other teams are going to trade for a closer, as reports continue to suggest they will, i still feel the Mets best chance to get a closer will be through the free-agent market…