METS MULL THEIR OPTIONS AT 2B, OF


which is all good and fine, assuming anyone will take their money.

Having come up short in their pursuit of Luis Castillo, the Mets will turn up the heat on Seibu Lions SS Kazou Matsui, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff.

With Castillo off the market, having decided Monday night to return to the Marlins, there's no more confusion about the Mets' priorities. The Mets want to sign Japanese free-agent shortstop Kazuo Matsui, to play shortstop (moving young Jose Reyes to second base) or second.

"I would keep an eye on that," said one official with knowledge of the Mets' thinking. Matsui, according to a National League source, has indicated he would like to decide on his major-league home before baseball's winter meetings, which begin Dec. 12.

Matsui, who is expected to attract similar interest from the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Dodgers, is said to be "intrigued" by the prospect of playing for the Mets. Can anyone can explain to me what is so intriguing about joining a last place club saddled with untradeable, over-priced vets, playing in a ballpark as unappealing as Shea, in a market where another team gets the lion's share of the public & media's attention?

The Mets are just one 110 win season away from making New York a National League town again.

Davidoff also suggests that the Mets are interested in trading for Boston's Johnny Damon and/or Trot Nixon. Please note the author didn't elaborate as to whom the Mets would giving up in exchange for either outfielder. Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal has said that Boston's acquisition of reliever Keith Foulke might require moving salaries including those of Damon ($8 million in 2004), or pitchers Byung-Hyun Kim and Scott Williamson (the latter would be a viable candidate for the role of Mets closer assuming Foulke goes to Boston).

Both Newsday and Mark Hale of the NY Post are reporting that the Mets are considering the much travelled Reggie Sanders for RF. The 36 year old Sanders hit .285 with 31 home runs for the Pirates last year, and while he's hardly representative of a youth movement, he is said to be the much cheaper option than adding 27 year old Jose Guillen.

Hale is the first I've seen to raise the possibility of SS Rich Aurelia coming to Shea, albiet via a position shift to 2B or 3B. Aurelia's power numbers have dropped considerably the past two seasons and I'd heard elsewhere he was considering offers from Japanese clubs.

Posted: Wed - December 3, 2003 at 05:50 AM      

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