Manuel, on Aguayo, talking after the game said:

“Those weren’t very good decisions at that point…Those are important runs…We’ve got to be more careful next time…But, that’s part of being a third-base coach.”

…i love that aguayo wanted to be aggressive in each situation and pressure the opposition to make the perfect throws, but the situation – with no outs and Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado due up – did not warrant that decision…

…added to by Matthew Cerrone…

…SNY picked up great shot of endy getting up from the ground, looking back at agauyo and literally shaking his head and rolling his eyes, which is exactly how i looked at the time as well…

Rodriguez, who was 1 for 3 in his first game for Triple-A New Orleans yesterday, hit .298 in 158 career games for the Cardinals in 2005 and 2006. 

He spent all of 2007 with Triple-A Memphis. 

Meanwhile, the Mets bench is hitting .165, which is good for last place in the National League.

…and yet, this has not stopped them from carrying two back-up catchers, as well as Abraham Nunez and Ryan Church, who will see a neurologist today because he has been unable to play regularly for the last two weeks…

On Sunday, Willie Randolph told reporters that Marlon Anderson could rejoin the team on its current home stand.

Anderson is batting .167 and was hitless in his previous 18 at-bats before going on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.

The Mets entered this season assuming their bench would be Damion Easley, Endy Chavez, Ramon Castro, Angel Pagan and Anderson.

However, Pagan is still recovering from a banged up shoulder, while Chavez is batting .218 and Easley is batting .238, although they have both been hitting in the last week or so.

For what it’s worth, for Triple-A New Orleans, OF Jesus Feliciano is hitting .322, OF-1B Val Pascucci is batting .301 and OF Chris Aguila is hitting .296.

Of course, Robinson Cancel is batting 375.

“With him, I have no doubt we’re going to win our division. I have no doubt about that…So, this year, tell Jimmy Rollins we are the team to beat.”

According to the New York Post, Endy Chavez said yesterday that Santana more or less ‘guarantees’ that the Mets will make the playoffs.

In Newsday, David Lennon quotes Carlos Delgado as saying that, with Santana, the Mets have the best team, but, “You can talk all you want, you can say all you want, but at the end of the day, all that matters is what happens between the two white lines.”

However, Billy Wagner had the following to say, about Beltran’s comments, as quoted in a great article about the subject by Ben Shpigel in the New York Times:

“You can’t say it and then, you know, not start off well or things don’t go well and say, ‘That’s not what I meant.’ Now, you have to lead, you have to stand there and take the punishment and the bad games, and you have to be there to answer the questions and deal with that. You can’s t say, ‘I was just kidding.’ You can’t.”

Endy Chavez

Chavez, who described his ankle as ‘weak,’ told reporters that he expects to be ready for the start of the exhibition schedule.

In early October, Carlos Beltran had both of his knees ‘scoped’ to repair damage to his patella tendon, which plagued him through much of last season.  Upon arriving to camp last week, Beltran told reporters that he is not yet 100 percent, ‘but he hopes to be by the start of the season.’

Luis Castillo had surgery on both of his knees just after last season.  He arrived to camp over the weekend and said his knees feel stable and that he expects to be more active on the base paths this season.

Hubbuch writes:

“Delgado appeared to be in terrific shape – the veteran first baseman appears leaner and stronger.”

“[He] might be the favorite in the “best player’s car’’ derby, showing up today with a tricked-out red Escalade with a cab that extended into the street. The SUV also had the slogan “Strut” engraved on the front grill.”

…delgado never struck me as a “pimp-my-ride” type of player but apparently i was wrong…

Hubbuch also notes that Endy Chavez reported to camp today and said he is healthy after suffering hamstring and ankle injuries while playing winter ball. Chavez doesn’t expect to miss any spring training games.

Adam Rubin at the Daily News asks Delgado if he felt the Mets got bored toward the end of last year…

“I never said ‘bored.’ I did say that I thought at times we got comfortable. I think we assumed that we were going to run away with it like we did the year before.”

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com discusses Delgado’s off-season approach to hitting…

“I broke it down and started from scratch, like I was learning to hit for the first time. It was a nice process. It was a nice friendly reminder.”

Lastly, in his blog for The Journal News, John Delcos relays that Delgado’s injuries weren’t the cause of last year’s slump…

“I wish it was, then I would have an explanation. I just had a bad year.”

“The hand is 100 percent. I’ve been hitting since the first week of January.”

Here is a rundown of how each player performed this winter.

• OF Endy Chavez, .476 (10-for-21), 2 RBI, 1 3B, 2 SB in six games
• 2B Ruben Gotay, .261, 12 RBI, 6 2B in 115 at-bats
• 2B Anderson Hernandez, .174, 12 RBI, 4 2B, 4 SB in 126 at-bats
• RHP Jorge Sosa, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 8 K, 1 BB in 7.2 innings pitched
• LHP Willie Collazo, 3-3, 3.20 ERA, 30 K, 14 BB in 59.0 innings pitched

Non-Roster Invitees:

• SS Anderson Machado, .077 (2-for-26), 0 RBI in 16 games
• C Gustavo Molina, .261, 12 RBI, 6 2B in 115 at-bats
• 3B Fernando Tatis, .229, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 6 2B, 1 3B, 5 SB in 140 at-bats
• C Raul Casanova, .286, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 3 2B in 98 at-bats
• RHP Joselo Diaz, 4-2, 2.75 ERA, 50 K, 19 BB in 55.2 innings pitched
• LHP Ryan Cullen, 0-1, 5.87, 3 K, 2 BB in 7.2 innings pitched

For a full statistical breakdown of each player, check out MLB.com’s Caribbean baseball coverage.

Chavez had been eligible for arbitration this coming season, after which he would have been a free agent. 

…so, endy had requested a salary of $2.02 million for next season, while the Mets countered with $1.72 million…instead, he gets a bit less for next season, but a guaranteed contract for the following year, keeping him with the Mets through 2009…which is great…this team needs endy, who, by the way, has become one of the most popular bench players i have ever seen…

…Update…1:20 pm…

Chavez, on returning to the Mets…

“I’m excited about coming back.  I missed so much time last year and I can’t wait to be a part of things this season and help this team get back to the postseason…I’m fine, 100 percent ready to go.  I can’t wait for the first game to get here.”

“When is Aaron Heilman a free agent?  How about Endy Chavez, Ryan Church and the team’s other young players.”

Heilman, Chavez, Church, Pedro Feliciano, Oliver Perez and Jorge Sosa are all eligible for salary arbitration this off-season. 

In fact, all six filed for arbitration yesterday.

…however, in standard Mets fashion, i expect all six to settle outside of a hearing, and agree to new one-year contracts…

Heilman, Feliciano, Church and Duaner Sanchez are eligible for free agency after 2010, while Perez and Chavez can become free agents after this coming season.

John Maine isn’t eligible for arbitration until after this coming season, meaning he will not be a free agent until after 2011.

In a recent report for the Rocky Mountain News, Lieber expressed interest in pitching for the Mets, among other teams.

According to Rosenthal, “The signing of Lieber could signal a trade of right-hander Jason Marquis or the return of righty Ryan Dempster to the bullpen.”

In mid-December, the Daily News wrote that the Cubs had been shopping Marquis, ‘and apparently like Endy Chavez.’

…well, they can like him, but they’re not getting him…

Marquis won at least 12 games in each of the last four seasons, while compiling a 4.54 ERA and averaging 33 starts per year.

…thanks to Mets Fan in Mexico for the translation…

Chavez hit .476 in six games this winter, but has not yet returned to the lineup.

…although it’s an unfortunate topic, the google translation of the article is pretty funny…

…it appears that either endy doesn’t want to re-aggravate something, or he is still injured…

…hat tip to Mets Prospect Hub and Hot Foot for the link…