Your New York Sports Blog

It is that Mike Pelfrey will get the start on normal rest and pitch Thursday night against the Nationals, allowing Johan Santana get the start against the Yankees. It should be a good match-up and should show why the Mets got him.

Ian Kennedy will be called up to start for the Yankees Thursday night against the Rays.

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Is it actually possible the Mike Francesa actually made a complete thought about the Mets? I could not believe me ears when I heard this, but I was in complete and utter shock. I was coming home and there was nothing on so I figured I might as well turn about the Metropolitans. To my surprise they were actually right on.

It first started off with their handling of fans comments regarding ace starting pitcher, Johan Santana. For some reason fans dare to complain about a pitcher who has not done as well and he could and still manages to have a 4-2 record, which should be record if not for the bullpen, a 3.10 ERA (24th in the league), and 52 K's (2nd in the league). Any other pitcher we would be going crazy over the stats, but because people expected a 34-0 0.01 ERA and 300 K season out of Santana they seem disappointed. This is a pitcher who starts out slow and is a 2nd half pitcher so if he continued with his normal career path his stats at the end of the year will look like Cy Young numbers.

Mike and the Mad Dog brought this up and actually stuck up for Santana, something that I do not think I have ever heard from them before.

Next came the lame Aaron Heilman argument again. I just can not understand why people are on his case so much. Yes he has been bad so far, but look how well he has done over the last few years. Look at the last 3 seasons when he was primarily a reliever:
2005: 3.17; 2006: 3.62; 2007: 3.03
Those stats are outstanding, puts him up there with some of the top relievers in the league. If you look at his last 10 games he has put up better numbers with a 3.60 ERA showing how he is improving as the season is going on. You have to remember that he battles with shoulder problems and never gets a chance to rest it with Willie throwing him every day, almost acting as if he has forgotten the other relievers.

Again Mike Francesa was right on target saying how he would take him on any team in the league. I was amazed that he would actually like a Met who was struggling. Then Mad Dog had to chirp in and say yeah, yeah I'd take him too, but I wouldn't trust him. Does that make any sense at all. You would want him on any team you can make, but wouldn't trust him?? That just bewildered me, but thumbs up to Mike Francesa.

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SI.com:
"Several weeks before Johan Santana went to the Mets, the Texas Rangers came very close to making a blockbuster trade for the superstar pitcher, people familiar with those talks say. The Rangers kept their intentions and progress remarkably quiet this winter, but sources indicate that they were actually the most aggressive early pursuer of Santana, who they viewed him as a rotation-transforming pitcher.Indications are that Texas' trade discussions with the Twins progressed to the point where there was either agreement or near agreement on the young players going back to Minnesota. At that point, executives involved in the talks believed that the trade was very likely to be consummated if only Santana gave a more enthusiastic response when Twins higher ups quizzed him about whether he'd accept a trade to the Rangers. However, a diplomatic Santana is believed to have told the Twins only that he'd "consider'' going to Texas, an answer that was seen as less than enthusiastic."

Haha thanks no trade clause. Thank God we are in a big market team or we would have never gotten Johan. I don't see why the Rangers would have wanted him though. Yes I know you are asking why wouldn't they want him, but it would just be stupid. Were the not just the team who traded a superstar in Teixeira for a load of prospects?? Because of that trade they have some serious talent in the minors, but if you are going to trade your star for prospects, why trade your prospects for someone else's star? It wouldn't make sense, but I am just glad the Mets have him and for long term.

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per ESPN:

"Pedro Martinez, who's four-year, $53 million deal expires at the end of this season, told the New York Daily News on Tuesday that he will not initiate contract talks with the Mets until the season is over. However, he would be willing to talk if the team expressed interest. "If they approach me, that's fine. But I'm very content," Martinez said. "I'm very satisfied with the way they have treated me here. They have my respect regardless of whether they offer me (an extension) or not, or I have to go somewhere else." General manager Omar Minaya seems to be taking a wait-and-see approach to the situation, saying "Let's see how the year goes. As the year goes along we'll make an evaluation. It's only fair after he only pitched a month last year."

To me the Mets HAVE to re-sign Pedro for at least one more year. As of this moment the only players who could be part of the rotation next year are Johan Santana, John Maine, and Mike Pelfrey. El Duque, Oliver Perez, and Pedro are all free agents. Pedro is only 36 and should still have 2-4 more good years left in him. As we saw before the injury and at the end of last year Pedro does not have to throw 97 mph to get outs. He has shown he knows how to pitch and should come back to the Mets for 2 years at $8-1 1 million per.

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