According to Rosenthal, “Heilman has drawn interest from more than a dozen clubs.”

Rosenthal agrees with reports that suggest the Mets turned down trading Heilman to the Cubs for Jason Marquis.

“Street  has drawn interest from numerous clubs,” Rosenthal writes, however, “The Rockies have yet to receive a tempting offer.”

Rosenthal also blogs about John Smoltz’s future, the Yankees effort to re-build a pitching staff, the asking price for J.J. Putz and a team who is interested in Gary Sheffield.

Update, 6:10 PM:

In an on-air report for ESPN, Peter Gammons said Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd told him he is not inclined to trade Street right now.

According to Gammons, the Rockies may choose to keep Street, use him as a set-up man to Manny Corpas, then re-visit the trade market mid-season, if the Rockies are out of a pennant race.

Heyman also believes the Mets have talked to the Cubs and Mariners about ‘relief help.’

In 214 appearances in his four-year career, Capps, 25, is 15–11 with a 3.06 ERA through 217 innings, during which opponents are hitting .243 against while striking out 162 times.

Capps is eligible for arbitration in 2010 and 2011, after which he is eligible to be a free agent.

“I think we’re going to have to continue (to improve the bullpen),” Mets GM Omar Minaya said yesterday, according to Newsday.

“I don’t feel we should just tell ourselves the only thing we need is one guy.”

In the Bergen Record, Bob Klapisch explains, “K-Rod didn’t enter a game before the ninth inning in 2008, and never pitched more than one inning during the regular season.”

In other words, Minaya still needs to acquire a set-up man.

The Mets are still working with the Rockies on a deal that could bring Huston Street to Queens, according to people connected to the team, as Omar Minaya works to find a set-up man for Francisco Rodriguez.

Though they have not have substantive talks in Vegas, the Rockies and Mets have been in talks for nearly a month, as the two sides continue to discuss Aaron Heilman.

Meanwhile, during his appearance on SNY’s Hot Stove show, SI.com’s Jon Heyman suggested the Mets could also show interest in free-agent Brandon Lyon and Juan Cruz, as well as D’Backs reliever Jon Rauch, who Minaya has had interest in before.

According to Heyman, Minaya would prefer not to trade prospects in his attempt to acquire a set-up man, and so he is more likely to deal in the free-agent market.

I believe the the Mets communicated to Trevor Hoffman the possibility of pitching in a set-up role, but he will first look to sign with another team, like the Angels or Tigers and be a closer.

Though they have not have substantive talks in Vegas, the Rockies and Mets have been in talks for nearly a month, as the two sides continue to discuss Aaron Heilman.

Meanwhile, during his appearance on SNY’s Hot Stove show, SI.com’s Jon Heyman suggested the Mets could also show interest in free-agent Brandon Lyon and Juan Cruz, as well as Jon Rauch, who Minaya has expressed interest in before.

According to Heyman, Minaya would prefer not to trade prospects in his attempt to acquire a set-up man, and so he is more likely to deal in the free-agent market.

I believe the the Mets communicated to Trevor Hoffman the possibility of pitching in a set-up role, but he will first look to sign with another team, like the Angels or Indians, and be a closer.

Meanwhile, according to Jayson Stark at ESPN.com, “The Mets and Cubs have discussed a trade that would send pitcher Jason Marquis to New York for Heilman.  But chances of that deal happening appeared slim Tuesday.”

On Sunday, three days ago in the Star-Ledger, Dan Graziano said the Mets passed on such a trade, ‘because they were trying to use Heilman in other deals.’

From what I can gather, teams are interested in Heilman.

However, so far, the word in Vegas suggests the Mets are asking too much in return.

In reality, the Mets are probably holding steady, positioning their chips, and will inevitably ship Heilman to a new city.

I believe their first choice is to trade Heilman to the Rockies for Street – but, from what I can gather, the two sides continue to haggle over additional players.

That said, from what I have been told, though the Mets and Rockies have not had substantive talks in Las Vegas, both sides are still aware of one another’s needs – though Sherman’s report could suggest otherwise.

Speaking of relief pitchers…

“The Indians appear to be close to signing closer Kerry Wood to a two-year contract,” reports MLB.com.

The Rockies considered it, explains Sherman, but when they turned to Minaya to accept the deal, the Mets changed their mind.

“Now it looks doubtful that the two sides will construct a trade,” writes Sherman, ‘because Heilman alone is of no interest to the Rockies.’

The Denver Post recently reported that the Rockies continue to seek a left-handed set-up man.

Sherman also blogs about Greg Maddux’s retirement, Brian Cashman’s meeting with CC Sabathia, and the closer market, as it pertains to teams other than the Mets.

Speaking of relievers, the Astros are not inclined to closer Jose Valverde, reports Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com, but they will consider trading SS-3B Miguel Tejada.

…as i wrote yesterday, the Mets are still very much involved in talks with the Rockies for street, in a deal that would include heilman…i believe a deal can be worked out, as they really like street…my guess is the Mets prefer to trade a player like Mike Carp, while the Rockies may be asking for a player like Nick Evans…

…that said, based on previous reports, such a deal may need to wait until the Rockies can sign or trade for a left-handed set up man, who isn’t named Pedro Feliciano…

Last month, Colorado asked for Feliciano, in addition to Heilman, from the Mets in a deal for Street, but the Mets declined, according to report from Joel Sherman in the New York Post.

…frankly, if i were the Mets, i would just do the heilman-feliciano deal, get street and keep Scott Schoeneweis, who can then return to being a lefty-specialist…

…the buzz from toronto has been that the Jays will trade ryan, but they prefer to move other players, like Lyle Overbay, if they absolutely need to make a deal…

Meanwhile, the Rockies are looking to acquire a left-handed set-up man, reports the the Denver Post.

…this would explain why Colorado asked for Pedro Feliciano, in addition to Aaron Heilman, from the Mets in a deal for Huston Street, as Joel Sherman once reported in the New York Post…however, the Mets declined, preferring to deal heilman and a prospect…

According to the Denver report, the Rockies are interested in free-agent LHP Joe Beimel, Alan Embree, Will Ohman, Eddie Guardado and others.

…from what i can gather, the Mets are still very much involved in talks with the Rockies for street, in a deal that would include heilman…i believe a deal can be worked out…my guess is the Mets prefer to trade a player like Mike Carp, while the Rockies may be asking for a player like Nick Evans…

…that said, based on the above report, such a deal may need to wait until the Rockies can sign or trade for a left-handed set up man, who isn’t named feliciano…

…frankly, if i were the Mets, i would just do the heilman-feliciano deal, get street and keep Scott Schoeneweis, who can then return to being a lefty-specialist…

…i sense Mets fans are pretty split on beimel…i like him, some do not…the thing is, it may not matter…

…from what i can gather, in an effort to re-make their bullpen, the Mets are working to trade for a set-up man with experience as a closer, such as Huston Street; then sign an actual closer, like Francisco Rodriguez; and then sign one or two relief pitchers, also with experience as a closer, to round out the pen, while counting on Joe Smith, Brian Stokes and Pedro Feliciano to be part of the group next season…

…actually, more than one person has suggested to me that Omar Minaya will meet with free-agent RHP Chad Cordero sooner than later…there are concerns about cordero’s shoulder, following mid-season surgery, so the team may want to see him in action in advance of any serious talks i guess…

…in the end, i sense the Mets do not want to lock in to any long-term deals with a guy such as beimel, especially if they can trade for some one like street…however, not including the closer, i believe the team is interested in reshaping and building up its bullpen with low-risk, potentially high-reward pitchers on short-term contracts, so cordero is a logical option…

In November, MLB.com reported that the Mets, Angels, Rangers and Tigers had shown early interest in Cordero.

…unless he is open to being a set-up man, ‘with experience as a closer,’ i hope Omar Minaya’s interest is limited to simply asking for an autograph…

The 41-year-old Hoffman had 3.77 ERA with 30 saves last season for the Padres.

…signing hoffman to a short-term deal to be the team’s closer makes zero sense to me…i bet the Mets agree…let’s say he’s awesome in 2009…great, then what…one year from now the Mets will be in the same boat, searching for a closer, all while Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, Kerry Wood, etc., are locked in with other teams…

…i suppose the Mets could acquire Huston Street from the Rockies and then sign hoffman to a short-term deal, let him walk next off-season and give the job to street for 2010…but, even still, they would be better off signing rodriguez to a three-year deal, like people believe he will eventually accept…

…rodriguez clearly has the temperament and energy level to close out big guys in New York City…i cannot say the same for Brian Fuentes, street, J.J  Putz, or hoffman, who has actually developed a reputation over the last few years of doing the absolute opposite…

…to me, the single-biggest factor in being a closer in this town is the ability to bounce back from failure – to blow a save and face the fans and reporters, talk radio and the backpages, yet get back on the hill, beneath the white-hot spotlight, and be focused only on success…

…maybe putz can do this, maybe fuentes can as well, maybe street, who knows, but i have seen K-Rod pitch with tons of energy and be successful in a World Series, in Los Angeles, in All-Star Games, in New York against the Yankees, etc., and so i just have a better feeling with him…

According to multiple reports, the Mets will likely meet with the agents for both Fuentes and Rodriguez while in Las Vegas next week for the Winter Meetings.