Tigers Release Gary Sheffield

Gary SheffieldGary Sheffield was released by the Detroit Tigers despite the fact that they owe him $14 million for the 2009 season. If he clears waivers (which he will) he can sign with any team for the MLB minimum of $400,000.

Sheffield can be a real pain if things aren’t going his way. But he can hit… with power. At 41 years old, he’s certainly in decline. But the Mets should give this situation some thought. They could really use a right-handed hitter with some power that could play the outfield corners. Jeremy Reed is currently the fifth outfielder behind the starters and Fernando Tatis.

If Sheffield is willing to take a bench role, and that’s not a given, the Mets should seriously consider replacing Jeremy Reed’s roster spot with a proven hitter like Sheffield.

Mets Sign P Ken Takahashi

Ken Takahashi signed a minor league deal with the Mets only days after the lefty was released by the Toronto Blue Jays. Takahashi is 39 years old and only pitched in one exhibition game for the Blue Jays. He’ll be an insurance policy at Triple-A Buffalo in case the Mets find as they get into the season that they really need a lefty in the bullpen. Currently, Pedro Feliciano is the only lefty reliever on the team.

Mets Oliver Perez Calms Pitching Fears

Oliver PerezOliver Perez was the talk of Mets camp since he put up a major stinker in his return from the World Baseball Classic. The big news is that pitching coach Dan Warthen called him out publicly as not being in proper shape to pitch. The message was misconstrued by some as Perez being overweight, but the message was that Perez didn’t keep his arm working during the three weeks he spent with team Mexico.

Yesterday he put the hammer down against the Orioles for 6.2 innings of one hit (and one walk) ball. Clearly, he got the message that the Mets coaching staff was trying to convey. Even Johan Santana spoke to Perez about improving his concentration and using the last week of spring training to get good results in the games he pitches in.

If Perez had another meltdown yesterday, it would have been time for Mets fans and the front office to have major concerns about the starting rotation. John Maine has been inconsistent this spring in his recovery from off-season shoulder surgery.  And Livan Hernandez is the current fifth starter after being waived last August by the Minnesota Twins. He’s looked solid this spring but the Mets coaches need to keep a very close eye on him as the season progresses.

I don’t think that we’ll ever describe Oliver Perez as consistent. But the Mets need him to be better than he has been this spring if the Mets are going to be serious contenders to knock the Phillies from their throne.

Bernie Madoff Mets Tickets For Sale

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Javascripts/PisV3.jshttp://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/javascripts/DataV3.ashx?ImageId=789826&PublisherId=1326Bernie Madoff Pleads Guilty To $50 Billion Scheme To De-Fraud Investors

How much fun would it be to have swindler Bernie Madoff’s tickets for a Mets game? Or the whole season? It would be fantastic!

Madoff’s company seats are right behind home plate and are already paid for. The court appointed trustee for Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC will be liquidating assets, including the Citi Field season tickets, according to various media reports.

Irving H. Picard is the trustee of Madoff’s company assets in case you want to get in touch to buy some prime Citi Field tickets.

Mets Cut Seven Players; Roster Taking Shape

Jose ValentinYesterday the Mets announced that they were releasing Ron Villone. As I wrote when they signed him at the end of February, it hasn’t looked like Villone has had much left for a few years now. His 10.80 ERA in 5 innings of work just solidifed that opinion for me.

Nelson Figueroa, Jose Valentin, Rene Rivera, and Andy Green were reassigned to the minor league camp. Carlos Muniz and Cory Sullivan were optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.

It looks like Jeremy Reed will be the fifth outfielder and Pedro Feliciano will be the only lefty in the bullpen. Bobby Parnell will likely make the major league roster to start the season. Its always nice to see some homegrown talent make it to the majors. But Parnell will need to prove that he belongs on the major league team by getting off to a good start in April.

I still believe that its going to become a problem with only one lefty in the bullpen. If you look at the Phillies’ heavy left-handed hitting lineup, the Mets need to match up against that lineup in the bullpen. If Feliciano is having an off-day, which he is prone to occasionally, the Mets need a backup plan to get lefties out. Will Ohman is still out there as a free agent. He’s rumored to be looking for a 1-year/$2 million deal which is far too much money for the Mets to spend on a reliever at this point. As the season starts, Ohman may reduce his demands as Joe Beimel did just to get back to playing again.