Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com believes four teams have made a contract offer to free-agent LHP Will Ohman.
…from what i can gather, the Mets have been eying ohman since the start of the Hot Stove season, but for a long while thought it he would require a long-term deal… at this point, i [...]

The AP, via ESPN.com, is reporting that former Met infielder Edgardo Alfonzo has signed a one-year contract with the Yomiuri Giants of the NPB, Japan’s Major Leagues.
Fonzie, now 35, signed a deal worth $350,000 for the team considered Yankees of Japan.
…while it’s not the majors, it beats playing in the tiny stadiums of the Atlantic [...]

According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, “Rich Aurilia will return to the Giants on a minor-league contract.”
Rosenthal believes Aurilia chose staying in San Francisco over signing with the Cubs or Phillies.
…from what i understand, according to people who know the player, aurilia was open to returning to New York and playing for the Mets, however [...]

According to Adam Rubin in the Daily News, “The Mets won’t completely close the door on signing free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu.”
Rubin adds, “The Mets would ‘look’ at Abreu if his asking price was $2 million to $4 million for one year, which is an unlikely scenario.”
However, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says Abreu could [...]

In his latest Rumblings & Grumblings column for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark says the Mets and Yankees have not pursued free-agent 2B Orlando Hudson this off season, despite Hudson’s comments on the MLB Network last week.
Instead, Stark believes Hudson may be looking at signing a one-year contract with the Nationals or Dodgers.
…i believe, once the Mets [...]

According to public documents released yesterday in a Manhattan bankruptcy court, the Mets had 13 accounts, some with Shea Stadium addresses, with direct ties to Bernie Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scheme.
In Newsday, Wallace Matthews explains:

“Fred Wilpon gets 75 mentions alone.  The name of his brother-in-law and partner in Sterling Equities, Saul Katz, is mentioned in 39 [...]

The Mets have signed free-agent RHP Elmer Dessens to a $600,000 minor-league contract, according to the Denver Post.
The 38–year-old Dessens is 7–11 with a 5.95 ERA through the last three seasons, during which he made five starts and 78 relief appearances, while walking just 38 batters in 115 innings.
He has pitched for eight teams in his [...]

On Tuesday, while talking to reporters, Omar Minaya said he will continue to look for ‘smaller pieces,’ specifically a left-handed reliever.
Minaya added, ‘It doesn’t mean that we have to get (a left-handed reliever), because we do have some righties that can get lefties out, but, that being said, we will continue to look.”
…it sounded, to [...]

The Padres have signed free-agent OF Cliff Floyd to a one-year deal worth less than $1 million, according to FoxSports.com.
Meanwhile, Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes free-agent OF-1B Kevin Millar will soon sign a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays.
According to Sherman, the Mets, Yankees, Nationals and Rangers had shown interest in Millar.
In [...]

T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes, “All signs point to Ben Sheets not being with the Rangers.”
…i keep asking, but i have been unable to determine what this guy’s price actually is… i no longer have any idea what he’s looking for… for a while, i understood he was requesting a two-year deal… but, at this point, two weeks [...]

Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Mets are still trying to trade C Ramon Castro, in an effort to remove his $2.8 million from the payroll.
Sherman adds, “I heard the Brewers had some interest, but have mostly backed off of Castro now.”
Castro hit .245 with a .312 OBP in 157 games for [...]

During today’s press conference at SNY, Jeff Wilpon explained to reporters that his team will enter the season with a payroll around $143 to $145 million, when factoring in incentives, Freddy Garcia, and counting Billy Wagner and money owed to Scott Schoeneweis and Willie Randolph.
According to the Associated Press, the [...]

The Orioles have reached a two-year agreement with free-agent Ty Wigginton, reports Ken Rosenthal from FoxSports.com.
According to Rosenthal, Wigginton will likely serve as a right-handed hitting first baseman and designated hitter, while backing up Melvin Mora at third base.
…i know a lot of Mets fans were interested in seeing the team sign wigginton… but, from what [...]

Update, 5:10 pm:
Oliver Perez chose to accept more money per season, according to Joel Sherman of the the New York Post, instead of taking less money and the fourth year.
“On a three-year contract,” Sherman explains, “Perez goes back into the free-agent market after the 2011 season at just 30 years old.”
Update, 2:05 pm:
Joel Sherman of [...]

According to Kyodo News, the Blue Jays signed Japanese free-agent reliever Ken Takahashi to a minor-league deal.
In December, NPB Tracker said the Mets were the front-runners to sign Takahashi, who was was 8-5 with a 3.50 ERA last season for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.