METS SLOW OUT OF THE BLOCKS IN FREE AGENT CHASE



The Providence Journal reported that the Mets won't have much to feel thankful for tomorrow . Other than, y'know, Art Howe looking like a very friendly man.

Closer Keith Foulke is supposedly leaning towards signing with the Red Sox ---- Foulke was seen at Monday night's Celtics/Knicks game in the company of Boston GM Theo Epstein, though what that is supposed to prove, I have no idea. That two young men can't publicly share each other's company without a business deal taking place is just another example of the bigotry that permeates our society.

NY's attempts to sign 2B Luis Castillo may or may not be stymied by reports that the Mets are offering him $14 million over 3 years, an amount either equal to or as much as $1.5 million less than the Marlins have proposed. I'm not sure why Castillo is supposed to be excited about leaving the defending champs for a last-place club if the latter are being outbid.


(Mr. Met, checking to see if his personal ad was printed this week)

ESPN.com's Bob Klapisch takes a considered view of the daunting tasks facing Jim Duquette in his most recent column.

Duquette works in a landscape where the tabloids have their tentacles wrapped around the Yankees and Mets all year, and where the baseball world is viewed through two prisms: over-celebrating the winners or publicly flogging the losers.

There's no mistaking which category the Mets have fallen into since the 2000 Subway Series. They collapsed so quickly that by 2003, no team had spent so much money ($120 million) to lose so many game (95), making the Mets the most expensive, colossal mistake in the game's history.

It's up to Duquette to heal Shea's wounds. He has the brains. He has the respect of industry peers. But does Duquette have a plan to satisfy the beast of New York's impatience?

He says the goal in 2004 is "to be playing meaningful games in September." There's no mention of the World Series, or even the postseason. Duquette has wisely set the bar low, which might irritate ownership looking to keep fans coming out to Shea. But Duquette needs, in no particular order, a second baseman, center fielder, right fielder, a No. 5 starter and a closer.

No wonder he avoids talking about October. And that's why, when asked if he was interested in the very-available Alex Rodriguez and his $25 million annual salary, Duquette ruefully answered, "we're more than one player away from competing. Our feeling is we need to spread our resources to the areas of greatest need. And we have 4-5 areas we need to address."

Duquette seems prepared for a struggle ahead, bolstered by a statistic he offers, unsolicited.

"Since 1991, 40 teams have lost 95 games or more," he said. "Of those 40, 14 have had above .500 records the next year. We don't have a bleak feeling or attitude. (Getting to .500) is realistic. It's a meaningful number, especially with our resources."

He has a wish-list. He has a clear-eyed vision of the future. All that's missing from Duquette's universe is the answer to a single, burning question: can Mets fans wait while a rookie GM drains Shea's cesspool?

Posted: Wed - November 26, 2003 at 05:01 PM      

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