Uh Oh

Mets ace Johan Santana has "tightness" in his elbow.  Now he's flying back to New York Monday for an MRI just to check things out.  GM Omar Minaya is calling it "precautionary", but don't tell that to Met fans who I'm guessing are very nervous right now.

I don't blame you.  I had to deal with this almost yearly with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood.

Reports indicate Santana may not be ready to make his opening day start in Cincinnati on April 6th.  That's at least the word right now.

But I've seen pitchers go down this road before.  Opening day turns into the first week.  The first week turns into the first month.  The first month turns into mid May.  Then all of a sudden he'll have minor league rehab.  Then the guy is instructed to wait until the all-star break to return.

I'm not saying this is the case for Santana, but this possibility has to be in the back of every Mets fan's mind.  If they were to lose Santana for a lengthy period of time, they'd lose their only bona fide starting pitcher in their rotation.

Oliver Perez, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey, Tim Redding and Jonathon Niese are decent options for the rest of your rotation.  But any baseball person would tell you this is not a rotation that without Santana can contend for anything but maybe a first round exit in the playoffs.  And that would be the very best case scenario.

The Mets have good offensive talent and a bolstered bullpen with the additions of Frankie Rodriguez and J.J. Putz.  But how long would those guys be able to keep the team afloat without Santana?  Especially when you're competing with the defending champion Phillies, an improved Braves team, and an always pesky Marlins club?

They probably wouldn't stack up that well.  If I'm a Mets fan, I'm on pins and needles until the results of Santana's MRI come back.  If he's healthy, a big sigh of relief.  If this is a major injury or at least a nagging one?  Well, then I'm afraid the frustration continues for the Queens faithful.

Enough Already

It's December 23rd, sometime in the afternoon, do you know where your targeted Scott Boras client is?

Likely sitting at home.

As reported by Y! Sports, only one Boras client has signed a FA contract his winter.  His name, Felipe Lopez, and he's now a Diamondback, in case you cared.  Quick aside...best line of the whole article, came in the comments section:

"Shocking Boras even accepted him as a client."

While that observation is quite true, the more shocking fact is that he's the only one that's signed.  Then again, when you consider that Scott Boras could very well be the anti-Christ of Major League Baseball, it isn't that surprising.

Boras' supremely talented clients, Mark Teixiera, Oliver Perez, Manny Ramirez, and Derek Lowe among them, sit at home, while their agent postures and preens and pauses.  There are usually a few "mystery teams" that no one seems to know much about (their whereabouts, how they are offering that player a contract without anyone knowing about it, or why they are the only team offering 2 more years and 40 million more).  

There usually is a ridiculous waiting game played, where teams go back and forth saying they are "out" of the bidding.  Boston said they were out last week.  The Angels have withdrawn their offer.  Sure.  And the Yankees were really done bidding on A-Rod when they said so last year.

Now there's word out of Washington that the Nats are offering more money (up near the 180 million mark), with the potential for more years.  As has been said previously here on BERNing, that's clearly not a good idea.  Though, Collin Balester might have something different to say about that.

However it winds up breaking down, with Marky Mark wearing Bo-Sox red next year or Natty gray (who even cares what color they are?), I've had quite enough of this Mark Teixeira saga.  Let's get a move on this whole process.  Let's get him signed, let's get these other guys signed.  Who cares if it's for too much money?  At least, once it's over, we'll be able to get rid of Scott Boras til next winter.