I checked out Ken Davidoff's latest column for Newsday yesterday, which was advice to Omar Minaya for how to improve the team next year. 

For the most part, the column is good, with praise for keepng Willie Randolph and some of Minaya's minor trades and dealings, the only one two under issue being Luis Castillo and Moises Alou.  However, his advice for how to improve the team is...flawed to say the least.

Much like my recent Steve Phillips rant, this one is more of a trashing o####uy that really has no idea what the hell he is talking about.

Let's see his advice to improve the Mets:

Trade Aaron Heilman, Lastings Milledge, Kevin Mulvey and a lower-level prospect to the A's for Dan Haren.

What the hell? 

Okay, first off, Davidoff rightly tells Minaya he's got no chance for Johan Santana.  However, he forgets to tell him that he's got no chance to scoring Haren either.

Haren is a legitimate top of the rotation starter that is signed for a very affordable amount of money, $4 million in 2008, $5.5 million in 2009 and $6.75 million (team option) in 2010.  He is also not going to be had for this package.  It's not enough.

Heilman is a okay setup man and Milledge can be a superstar.  But Mulvey is merely a decent starting pitching prospect, maybe a Number Two or Three, more likely a Number Four, and unless the Mets are including Fernando Martinez or Carlos Gomez as the lower level prospect, this package isn't near enough.

Beane is likely going to look for a package similar to what the Twins are asking for Santana, three prospects near ready to play full time.  There are several teams that could easily beat the Mets' offer, notably the Rangers and Mariners, who could offer better prospects than the Mets ever could. 

Sorry Ken.

I'll detail Haren's price in a future On The Block.

The Rangers Report - Offseason Edition

1 Month, 5 Days Till Pitchers And Catchers Report

The Puzzle Of Jason Botts

Jason Botts is one of the more curious stories of this off-season.

For those who don't know (most of you all, probably), Botts is a young slugger that has spent quite a while in the Rangers' farm system.  He's got loads of power potential and is an average fielder that can play first base or the outfield.

Yet, the Rangers seem to want to place other, higher priced players at the position of DH, which makes little to no sense.  Why waste money and at bats on a declining slugger (Mike Piazza, anyone), when it's possible that you can get the same thing from a cheaper, younger player who has the potential to get even better.

Many scouts, including ESPN's Keith Law, have classified Botts as a cheap date who can contribute in the majors  with doubles and Home Run power, along with the ability to draw walks.

Adam at Lone Star Ball has a theory.  When Carlos Pena was with the Rangers, Rudy Jaramillo, the Rangers' legendary hitting coach, strongly advised the brass to trade him, beliving that Pen'as long swing would ultimately hinder his ability to hit in the majors.  If that's true, then the Rangers came out ahead, as Pena was a bust.

Pena is similar to Botts, who also has a long swing, and has the same type of power, walk ability, and strikeouts that Pena had. 

Still, there are plenty of free swingers in the bigs, many of which are also profiled like Botts and are also rather  mediocre.  And as a player with the coveted 1-3 service time label, what's the risk of at least giving the kid a shot.

Thoughts About Mark Mulder

The Rangers were informed that Mark Mulder would be rejoining his mates in St. Louis, signing a contract whose potential value woud escalate to 3 years, $45 Million.

Eh, go figure.  I kind of got the impression, as the bidding went along, that the Rangers would be left out in the cold for Mulder.  In the end, it benefits both teams.

St. Louis regains a quality pitcher that should regain some of his form next season, depending on how quickly the shoulder bounces back from rotator cuff surgery.

The Rangers go into Spring Training with only the fifth spot of the rotation in flux, with Millwood, Padilla, McCarthy, and Tejeda already penciled in as one through four.  This allows them to mix and match with a number of in house options to work with.

And in the end, Mulder wouldn't have done well.  He's not as dominant as he once was and despite being left handed, his flyball nature would have gotten him killed at Ameriquest.

I'm Kind Of Hoping This Deal Goes Down

Not a Rangers note, but it's certainly one that affects them.

The New York Mets are negotiating with the Oakland A's for a starter to help bolster their rotation. 

New York is supposedly offering former franchise savior/current trade bait Lasting Milledge and setup man Aaron Heilman.  Oakland wants a minor league pitcher in return (they want, but won't get Mike Pelrey.  They'll probably get Philip Humber) and is offering starter Joe Blanton in return.

New York is saying nuts to that.  They want Danny Haren.

If that deal were to go through, I'd be torn between being eccstatic and fearful.

One, I would be glad because Haren is Oakland's most dangerous pitcher.  He's a solid ace and will be a Cy Young contender in the future, I assure you.

But I'm wary of the potential that Milledge poses.  Milledge is a solid five tool player in his own right and he could become a dangerous player to Rangers pitchers down the line.

But overall, I'm pulling for the Mets for this deal to happen. A  hitter can always be walked.  Great pitchers usually destroy you most of the time. 

Have a good one guys.

The End Of An Era In Houston, The Heir To Joe Torre Is Becoming Clearer, More Trouble For A Marlins Prospect and Free Agent Rumblings & Grumblings.

End Of An Era In Houston

His statue is outside of Minute Maid Park

His trade is regarded as one of the biggest mistakes ever made by an organization.

And this week, the era of Jeff Bagwell ended not with a ####, but a whisper, when the Astros were declined his $18 million option for 2007, giving him a $7 million buyout as a parting gift.   Luckily for the Astros, Bagwell, a constant team guy and one of the best ballplayers to grace the franchise, understood the business side of baseball, and had no hard feelings.

Since 1991, Bagwell and close friend and teammate Craig Biggio have worked in tandem to establish a professional tone in the Houston clubhouse, grinding from spring training to the end of the season, disdaining excuses and showing teammates the meaning of the word "accountable."   The two have always been synonymous with the Astros and for the first time in over a decade, the Astros are now facing the fact that the faces of the franchise will be gone.  Bagwell will likely retire and Biggio is entering what is likely his final season.

The Astros are at a crossroads, as they are developing a different roster and attempting to create a club with the chance of leapfrogging the Cardinals for the division.  However, you can’t help but feel that a part of the soul of that clubhouse has just left with Bagwell.

Maybe the Astros can find a new set of constants in Lance Berkman and Chris Burke? 

Or maybe Bagwell and Biggio are a case of once in a generation teammates, and there’s no duplicating what they have done for the Astros.

But one thing is for sure.

It’s a brave new world for the Astros.

Mattingly Promoted To Bench Coach

In another sign that Joe Girardi won’t get the Yankees job, Don Mattingly was promoted to bench coach by the New York Yankees on Wednesday, in a move made to make him the definite successor to Joe Torre after the 2007 season.  Mattingly, who spent the last three years as the Yankees' hitting coach, succeeds Lee Mazzilli, whose contract was not renewed.  Mattingly is reportedly favored by General Manager Brian Cashman to succeed Torre, and is a key reason why Lou Pinella was not wanted by the Yankees GM.

Jeff Allison Is In Trouble Again

Jeff Allison, the 2003 First Round Pick of the Florida Marlins’ trobuled prospect, is in trouble again.  He faces three felony charges, one count for heroin possession and two for possession of stolen vehicles, stemming from separate incidents last week in North Carolina.  Allison has also has been charged with possession of drugparaphernalia and resisting a public officer, both misdemeanors, in connection with an Oct. 25 incident.  Police said Allison was spotted driving a 2002 Dodge Ram truck that had been reported stolen when he was pulled over.  Allison also faces a Dec. 4 court date in neighboring High Point, N.C., on a separate charge of felony possession of a stolen vehicle. That alleged incident took place a day earlier, police said, and involved a 2001 Chevrolet Astro van reported stolen from the parking lot of a lighting company.Under North Carolina law, Allison could serve more than four years in jail if convicted on all charges. However, his lack of a prior felony conviction makes him eligible to enter a court-ordered drug-treatment program; if he completes it the charges could be dismissed.   The pitcher suffered a near-fatal heroin overdose in July 2004 and reportedly was found unconscious by Medford, Mass., police in August.  Allison, a former high school star in the Boston area, has failed at least one drug test for marijuana and has sought treatment for OxyContin dependency.   He has not pitched professionally since August 2005, and was recently placed on the restricted list by the Marlins. Allison has made just 20 starts over the past four years. He spent the 2005 season at Class A Greensboro, going 5-4, 4.18.

This is just another twist in the sad story of Jeff Allison, who was thought to be the next Josh Beckett for the Marlins, as he was easily the best high school pitcher in 2003.  However, his problems has destroyed his future in Major League Baseball and, if he’s remains free, he’ll likely have to spend years in the indy leagues to even get another shot.  The Marlisn retain his rights, but the organization is extremely doubtful on whether or not he’ll ever pitch for them again.  When ased if the Marlins have given up hope on him, they had only this to say:

"You could probably say that."

Free Agency Rumblings And Grumblings

·          Daisuke Matsuzaka is going to have a lot less teams chasing after him.  The Mariners, as reported, are dropping out of the running and both Los Angeles clubs are going to bail as well.  That just leaves the Yankees, Mets, Rangers, Cubs, and possibly the Red Sox to make a pitch for the young talent.  If I had to make a predication, I would say the Rangers, not out of bias, but because Rangers owner Tom Hicks is crazy enough to go over the top in terms of a bid (Alex Rodriguez anyone?)

·          Look for the White Sox to be active this winter.  The Sox want to move one of their five starters to allow Brandon McCarthy to enter the rotation, with Freddy Garcia or Javier Vasquez being the likely victims, as Jon Garland was their ace down the stretch last year.  Garcia has said he wouldn’t mind going to New York and the Mets could offer Aaron Heilman in return to help bridge the gap to Bobby Jenks.  One problem:  Heilman wants to start and dislikes coming out of the bullpen.

·          The White Sox could also deal McCarthy as well.  Left field (and centerfield for that matter) were offensive wastelands for the White Sox.  Kenny Williams loves Devil Rays slugger Carl Crawford, one of the most desirable players in baseball, thanks to his extremely club friendly contract.  Offering McCarthy in return for Crawford would be just the thing to pry the talented young slugger from the D-Rays.

·          Alfonso Soriano apparently wants Carlos Beltran money, $119 million over 7 years.  However, it doesn’t look like it will be with any of the New York Teams, as the Yankees have a surplus of outfielders and the Mets need starting pitching.  The White Sox could get involved, as Soriano can function as a leadoff man and play a solid left field.  The Cubs are strongly considering pursing Soriano to play centerfield, while the Orioles, desperate to make a splash, are reportedly using Miguel Tejada to try and get Soriano’s ear.  Soriano will get his money, it just depends where.

·          As mentioned in The Rangers Report, Gary Matthews Jr. is rapidly beginning to price himself out of the Texas Rangers’ reach, as he’s attracting interest from the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants, and the Chicago Cubs, to name a few.

·          As expected, Aramis Ramirez opted out of his contract and, despite news that the Cubs are close to re-singing the talented third baseman, all three teams in Southern California, the Dodgers, Angels and Padres, are reportedly in pursuit as well.  Ramirez is reportedly the Angels’ number one off-season priority.