From Mike Silva:

We are hearing dialogue about the Mets/Rays/ and Indians talking about a three way deal. In this scenario Victor Martinez would go to Tampa and not New York. As of now we do not know who the Mets would receive in this scenario.

Mike goes on to speculate that Scott Kazmir, the lost son, could return to the Mets. Given the rumors around the Rays to this point, that makes the most sense to me. DraysBay speculates on Carlos Pena being another possibility, which would mark the end of the Delgado-era for the Mets.  Pena is signed through 2010, to an affordable $10.125MM.

Metsblog claims the Mets are trying to make a deal with Cleveland that would avoid trading top prospects, in the mold of the J.J. Putz trade. That would fit the description here: a three-way trade in which the Mets throw a lot of lower-minor talent to get an injury-prone pitcher who was good two years ago.

As an editorial note: wouldn't it be ironic if the bad trade that Minaya made to save his job was getting Kazmir back?

David Lennon thinks so:

The Mets have contacted Gary Sheffield directly to gauge his interest in coming to New York and a person familiar with the situation said today that he could sign with a club as soon as tonight. Sheffield worked out yesterday at a college field in Tampa, as first reported by SI.com, and the Mets are considered to be his first choice, with the Phillies and Reds also showing interest.

"He wants the Mets to know he’s still hungry," the person said, "and he has goals."

Sheffield, 41, is sitting on 499 home runs, which means Citi Field could host a significant historical milestone within the first week of the stadium’s existence. He also wants to reach 3,000 hits, but is much further away from that mark at 2,615. Sheffield also has indicated that he wants to play beyond this season, a motivating factor that should work in the Mets’ favor.

There is an instant Mets connection as well. Sheffield is the nephew of Dwight Gooden, who is expected to be in attendance for the Citi Field opener on April 13.

On the surface, Sheffield appears to be a good fit for the Mets as a right-handed slugger capable of providing power off the bench. If they did sign Sheffield, Marlon Anderson is the most obvious roster casualty. Eating his $1.15-million salary is made more palatable by the fact that Sheffield is only due the major-league minimum of $400,000. The Tigers released him earlier this week despite owing him $14 million for this season.

Whatever you think of the guy, Gary Sheffield > Marlon Anderson in almost every conceivable way.

Update [12:45pm]: More from The Post:

The Mets were closing in on signing Gary Sheffield, likely today, with an eye on giving him significant playing time, according to two people involved in the talks.

"Unless something drastic happens, he is a Met," one of the sources said. "Someone would have to offer him a second year, and I just don't see that happening."

One person who has talked directly to Sheffield said the slugger prefers the Mets over the Phillies because he sees a greater potential for playing time, and wants the heavier workload as a way to showcase for the 2010 season. Sheffield is a free agent at the conclusion of this season.

Year	IP	tRA+
2003	200.0	101
2004	136.2	100
2005	80.0	79
2006	56.2	83
2007	102.2	111
2008	190.1	98

At least ostensibly, the Mets have been showing interest in staggeringly unsexy free agent lefty Randy Wolf, most recently of the Astros (and Padres). Marty Noble, by way of a folded note he intercepted in Mrs. Stephenson's third-period geometry class, passed word of the Mets' fancy to Wolf himself, who promptly blushed and pulled closed his hoodie just as tightly as he could.

Before posting a 3.57 ERA in 70.2 innings with the Astros last season after coming over in a deadline deal with the Padres, Wolf hadn't notched a park-adjusted ERA better than the league since 2004 and he hasn't pitched more than 200 innings since 2002 (I cheated a bit, because he had an ERA+ of exactly 100 in 2005 and threw exactly 200 innings in 2003). To be fair, he was actually pretty good with the Dodgers in 2007, recording a FIP of 3.99 and a tRA+ of 111, but there really hasn't been anything else to write home about in about a half-decade.

The two important questions Mets fans should be asking themselves are:

1. Are the Mets really interested in Randy Wolf, or are they feigning interest to drive down the price of more desirable starters like Derek Lowe, Ben Sheets and Oliver Perez?
2. If the Mets really are interested in Wolf, do they see him as a middle-of-the-rotation guy, or a back-of-the-rotation guy?

I'm not so worried about #1, unless of course #2 doesn't break the way I'm imagining it will. Let's assume that the Mets are actually keen on signing Wolf, irrespective of their desire to sign someone else (i.e. and e.g. they might want Wolf AND Lowe), what role do they actually expect Wolf to fill on their 2009 roster? He has a checkered injury history, and even when healthy he hasn't exactly been a workhorse. More importantly, I think, is that he isn't really talented enough to be a mid-rotation starter. If he can be something like an average pitcher (or even a bit worse), that's not so bad for a team's fifth starter. Most teams have sheer dreck manning that spot, so anything remotely competent and moderately consistent would qualify as a leg up on the majority of the league.

Nevertheless, I have to think that Omar Minaya is setting his sights higher than Perez, Wolf and maybe Jon Niese to round out the rotation. Even if John Maine is healthy, re-signing Perez and inking someone like Wolf doesn't represent any kind of meaningful upgrade over the Mets' rotation from 2008. And if that's the plan, then, well, !@#$ the heck? Mets starters had the fifth-best ERA in the National League last year, to go along with the sixth-best FIP. Those aren't terrible by any stretch, but I think we'll all agree that there's some room for improvement. While Pelfrey could be better in 2009, Johan Santana probably won't be, Wolf almost certainly won't be, and who knows what to expect from Maine and Perez?

I think the salient point to take away from all of this rambling is that the Mets are in a position, again, to compete for a division title, and there are still starting pitchers out there that can make a real difference to the team in 2009. Why diddle around with someone who represents a marginal upgrade at best when you have the opportunity and, presumably, the wherewithal, to shoot the moon and do something that will have a substantial and measurable impact on team success next year and beyond?

Poll

Should the Mets sign Randy Wolf?

13%

Yes, in any capacity.

46 votes

65%

Only as a fifth starter.

219 votes

21%

Not under any circumstances.

71 votes

336 votes | Poll has closed

According to Jayson Stark at ESPN.com:

The Phillies, Mets and Cubs appear to have separated themselves from the pack of teams pursuing outfielder Raul Ibanez. Ibanez also is on the radar screen of the Braves and Angels.

No no no no no fortheloveofjebus no. We've already been over this. So have others. Even as I recognize the silliness of getting worked up over some mostly baseless rumor floated on ESPN.com, the fact that the Mets are even expressing remote interest in Ibanez strikes me as mind-numbingly absurd. I'm going to close my eyes and think happy thoughts and hope this whole thing just goes away. Lalalalala.

Per various sources, the Mets had dinner last night with Francisco Rodriguez and have reportedly extended a two-year, $25 million offer to him. The alleged offer would also include some kind of third-year option. Paul Kinzer, the agent for Rodriguez, seems inclined to fashion a creative deal that might carry short-term incentives for his client, while allowing him to become a free agent again before he turns 30.

Given these details, and also given that Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes are both Type A free agents, the Mets would seemingly be better off giving Kerry Wood the same two-plus-one deal, presumably for less money, and keeping the extra draft pick for themselves (or to use compensation for signing a different free agent for whom there is no reasonable compensation-free alternative).

UPDATE [8:31am]: MLB.com is reporting (via SI.com) that the Mets have increased their offer to something like three years, $37 million, and that both sides believe a deal can be struck within the next 24 hours.

Per MLB Trade Rumors:

Just got an incredible rumor from a trusted New York sportswriter.  Stay with me, because this one's crazy.  But rest assured that if the source wasn't good, I wouldn't post it.

Minnesota has initiated talks for a three-way blockbuster with the Twins and A's.  Here's how it would go down:

Mets send Jose Reyes, Kevin Mulvey, and Hector Pellot to A's
A's send Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson to Mets
A's send Dan Haren to Twins
Twins send Johan Santana to Mets

Mets get Johan Santana, Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson
A's get Jose Reyes and Kevin Mulvey
Twins get Dan Haren and Hector Pellot

I'm not even sure where to begin.

The Marlins and Tigers have reached a preliminary agreement on a bona fide blockbuster deal that would ship perennial Met killers Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis out of town.

The keys to the deal for Florida are outfielder Cameron Maybin and LHP Andrew Miller. Detroit will also send two other prospects to the Marlins.

In the short term, this deal helps the Mets (and the Phillies and the Braves). The Marlins' lineup just became much easier to pitch to, and their rotation -- Willis's sub-par 2007 notwithstanding -- is much less formidable.

[FOX Sports]

UPDATE [7:20pm]: The Tigers are apparently including "catcher Mike Rabelo and three other minor league pitchers". [ESPN.com]

In spite of all of the rumors swirling around, Omar Minaya isn't so sure the Mets are going to make a big splash this winter.

"You get in trouble when you feel you have to make a trade. You make a trade only if it makes sense. I don't feel like we have to make a trade."

He has a point. The Mets are probably a better team than they were when 2007 ended, and the Phillies haven't gotten any better. The Braves have marginally improved their personnel, though their youngsters could be expected to improve naturally.

Having said that, the Mets would be remiss if they didn't at least inquire about available arms like Erik Bedard and Dan Haren. Just because you don't have to make a trade doesn't mean you don't take the opportunity to improve your team for this year and beyond.

[LoHud]