Again, Mets' plate is empty -

The Mets appeared to have a deal in place for days with catcher Yorvit Torrealba, but with only a physical holding up a formal announcement, the two sides parted ways Saturday in a stunning reversal, as first ...

[Charlotte Joel]

Los Mets ..... less one Los Meta...

[JC Martin]

uh oh

[Dave]

Here we go again---Minaya at his best. Torrealba wasn't my first choice but leave it to the Mets to mess things up. Now watch Jason Kendall and his .242 average from last year and his whopping 3 Home Runs come to Shea. Can we please have Steve Phillips back? At least he got us to a World Series. You're a bonehead Omar!

[jmag]

Omar comes off looking extremely unprofessional. I admit there may be other people out there that are better than Lo duca but to not offer him a 1 and 1 contract with the mets or Loduca having control on the second year based on average and percent thrown out is crazy. There is no one out there to get unless you trade prospects. This team didn't suffer because of hitting it suffered from lack of pitching. Omar can you lock down the best non pitchers available in the free market and go get some pitching. This isn't that difficult. we should have 50-60 million to spend that is 2-3 quality pitchers add eckstein and use prospects for others. What do we do with Delgado.. I assume we are stuck with him for another year.. Poor fielding and poorhitting. Could just a couple of times bunted the ball to left field so teams would not have the extreme shift on. Especially when you are hitting 220 something... Omar looks like hehas no idea what he is doing. I guess we will be getting the hand me downs from other teams. the guys no one wants to pay..

[FIRE OMAR]

Omar is an amateur. Get ready for the most idiotic, unproductive off-season in recent memory.

[Michael]

It seems to me that only players from Central or South America or the Carribean Islands are prospects for the METS. WHY?!?!?!

[Realist]

The "chance" came in 2006; the Mets bombed. 2007 was a fraud--and the Mets DESTROYED their fan base with the overhype in a weak division. 2008 should be a development year for 2009, where there will be REAL free agents available and DEVELOPED Mets prospects to trade for those who aren't free agents.(The Mets developed no one in 2007, choosing to choke with "proven veterans.) As a diehard, I conceed 2008; I want rational long-term development, not mediocre fill-ins for a fantasy contender. I'm glad this deal bombed. Torrealba wouldn't push this team to a WS. We need pitching, and positionally we have only a very good bench and three legit starters---Wright, Beltran, and (hopefully a cocaineless) Reyes.

[Pete]

Ok, it's utterly stupid to critisize Omar..what did u want him to do? Sign an injured player? LMAO..you guys are morons.
Especially the idiot that wants Steve Phillips back..OMG.
The Mets will be fine..they still have 3 perennial all-stars in Beltran,Wright and Reyes...and if they play their cards right they'll get a starter that is a solid one or 2.
Just relax..stop getting mad at Omar for not signing a reject..sheesh u guys are stupid.

[Tim]

Not a big loss. I'd like to see Castro start. I also disagree with the article's statement that Castillo "proved valuable" last year. The Mets went 23-25 in his starts. The collapse started when they got him. His rate of fielding chances per nine innings was way lower than the other Mets second basement and he had no power offensively. The media has historically overrated batting average.

[John]

Michael wrote:

It seems to me that only players from Central or South America or the Carribean Islands are prospects for the METS. WHY?!?!?!

Pelfrey, Humber and Milledge aren't from South America or the Caribbean. Those are the Mets' top prospects, although it's getting near time they actually became good.

[SinceSixtyTwo]

John wrote:

<quoted text>Pelfrey, Humber and Milledge aren't from South America or the Caribbean. Those are the Mets' top prospects, although it's getting near time they actually became good.

I think the previous poster was referring to trade prospects, not prospects that the club has developed from the minors. Minaya has repeatedly denied he favors Latin players, but the last trade attempt was one more example of his attempt to add another Latino. Still, one has to consider that fact that Latino players are becoming the majority in baseball, probably for a variety of reasons.

[El Duque]

Perhaps Omar should now consider moving this Mets squad to a different continent and calling them the Latino Mets. What kind of fan base will support such a team at Shea. How many Caucasians are now part of the starting team? ONE! Good look and see how support you get with this new look team Omar. THanks for sinking the ship

[Grim]

Relax people. It's November not March. Everyone is getting so bent on deals that are not getting done. I'm sure that there was a problem w/ this guy(Tore-whatever) or Omar would have grabbed him up.It's better to sit back and be rational than to jump in and sign guys to 3 yr. deals that will only come back to haunt us. Hey- To me Castro does a decent job behind the plate and his stick was much improved. Also what's up w/ the cocaine reference to Reyes(Realist)? Did you actually do lines w/ the guy or are you just poppin off @ the mouth relying on the quality NY media for your info. By the way nice job reporting that the catcher was locked up from Colo. Stop trashing your own club for a minute and get a grip...We'll be OK in 08...Gotta get some arms!!

[crazy idea]

what if the mets get Mariano Rivera? Billy Wagner and Mariano can BOTH be the eight and ninth inning pitchers. This would involve Willie actually managing the team. Depending on who is batting in the eighth and ninth innings you bring in either Wagner or Rivera. If three lefty batters are up in the eighth, then bring in Billy. If three right-handed hitters are up, bring in Rivera. Of course Billy and Mariano would have to put aside their egos. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE!! With this move the Mets can move Aaron Heilman to the starting rotation. Heilman has always expressed his desire to start. With this move the Mets can finally give him a chance. Heilman will be so pumped I am sure he will do better than Carlos Silva or those other rejects available. OH one more thing...Met fans would get to hear "Enter the Sandman" for two straight innings.

[cory knoth]

i can not belive this as a met fan torrealba had a bright future with the mets

[cory knoth]

fire omar he has done nothing good

[cory knoth]

crazy idea wrote:

what if the mets get Mariano Rivera? Billy Wagner and Mariano can BOTH be the eight and ninth inning pitchers. This would involve Willie actually managing the team. Depending on who is batting in the eighth and ninth innings you bring in either Wagner or Rivera. If three lefty batters are up in the eighth, then bring in Billy. If three right-handed hitters are up, bring in Rivera. Of course Billy and Mariano would have to put aside their egos. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE!! With this move the Mets can move Aaron Heilman to the starting rotation. Heilman has always expressed his desire to start. With this move the Mets can finally give him a chance. Heilman will be so pumped I am sure he will do better than Carlos Silva or those other rejects available. OH one more thing...Met fans would get to hear "Enter the Sandman" for two straight innings.

I do not want mariono billy is good by himself

[William J]

I really don't know why Castro doesn't start. He's clearly a great clubhouse presence, plays with fire, hits very well, and calls a decent game. He'd be an asset shoring up the back end of the lineup every day. Give Castro a shot and let a prospect back him up!

[cory knoth]

crazy idea wrote:

what if the mets get Mariano Rivera? Billy Wagner and Mariano can BOTH be the eight and ninth inning pitchers. This would involve Willie actually managing the team. Depending on who is batting in the eighth and ninth innings you bring in either Wagner or Rivera. If three lefty batters are up in the eighth, then bring in Billy. If three right-handed hitters are up, bring in Rivera. Of course Billy and Mariano would have to put aside their egos. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE!! With this move the Mets can move Aaron Heilman to the starting rotation. Heilman has always expressed his desire to start. With this move the Mets can finally give him a chance. Heilman will be so pumped I am sure he will do better than Carlos Silva or those other rejects available. OH one more thing...Met fans would get to hear "Enter the Sandman" for two straight innings.

whatever they do i do not want arron starting he can barley pichth in the bullpin

[Dave]

So, Pete...I am an idiot huh? Let's see, Phillips got the Mets to the playoffs three times and the World Series once...what has the idiot Minaya got us? A Huge Choke job in the 2006 postseason and an even bigger regular season Choke Job last year not to mention the trade of Bannister to the Royals for some garbage middle reliever whose career is now probably over and the signing of a first baseman who can't hit above .220 and is our #5 hitter? Yeah, I'm an idiot for wanting Phillips back and dissing Minaya....you are an idiot for thinking the Mets will be any better this next season.