Let's get the bad news out of the way first: former Met Mike Cameron was issued a 25-game suspension for failing a drug test. A steroid-related suspension would have netted him 50 games, meaning this was amphetamine-related. Cameron believes the positive test was a result of a tainted supplement.
Unfortunately, the fact that Cameron received a suspension at all means this is the second time he's been caught. Players who fail their first drug test are required to go for counseling. A third failure would suspend him for 80 more games. It makes his whole argument that it was just tainted supplement fall a little flat. It's a pity, because Cameron was a genuinely likeable guy during his tenure with the Mets, and this may negatively impact his impending free agency.
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Lots of news concerning Alex Rodriguez today, with a lot of recent speculation that the Mets might be interested. First, Ken Rosenthal examines the Mets' finances and lineup to find ways to clear salary and players to make room for the third baseman. Rosenthal notes players coming off the books over the next two offseasons--notably Tom Glavine, Moises Alou, Pedro Martinez, and Carlos Delgado--and ultimately suggests declining Alou's 2008 option and moving David Wright to left.
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Meanwhile, at the Daily News, John Harper adds his voice to those who feel A-Rod should be a Met. By signing A-Rod, he explains, the Mets would add one of the best players in the game and stick it to the Yankees in one fell swoop. He also mentions that A-Rod might actually help the Mets' clubhouse chemistry, as he did with Melky Cabrera, who started emulating his conditioning routines.
I'd like to state that nobody in the Mets' front office has made any sort of comment about the Mets entering the sweepstakes. All of this is conjecture and lectures about what the Mets should do. The only sort of pro-Mets buzz is coming from the Boras camp, as Wallace Matthews of Newsday reports, which has a lot to gain by bringing the Mets into the bidding. We'll know a lot more in a week about the Mets' potential involvement than we know now.
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Ted Berg, at his blog for SNY.tv, however, wants nothing to do with A-Rod on the Mets. This pretty much sums up his argument:
A-Rod's going to cost money. Big money. The type of money that could easily pay for a solid starter, a strong reliever, a starting catcher and a starting second baseman. Those are all things the Mets need right now. You know what they don't need? A shortstop or a third baseman -- the two spots A-Rod is qualified to play. Those positions are filled by a pair of young All-Stars, if you haven't noticed.
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Over at MetsGeek, John Peterson and Dan Scotto have had a little back-and-forth about whether the Mets should sign Rodriguez. Peterson believes A-Rod's production, though it may decline, will still be worth the commitment required, while Scotto thinks it's not worth moving Wright, who is pretty good defensively at third and may not adapt to other positions as well. Check it out.
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Over at the Post, Mark Hale mentions that the Mets have declared their interest in catcher Jorge Posada to his management team.
Given the dearth of talent available at the catcher position this offseason and the Mets' lack of production there in 2007, it makes a lot of sense for the Mets to want Posada. He had the best season of his career last year, and, despite his advanced age, he's a much, much better hitter than the next best options, which include incumbent Paul Lo Duca, Michael Barrett, and Yorvit Torrealba. The Mets will have to severely overpay for his services, both in length of contract and dollars, but it should be worth it to get a couple of years of solid production out of Posada.
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Finally, three Mets filed for free agency yesterday: Mike DiFelice, Sandy Alomar, Jr., and Aaron Sele.
I don't know how the Mets will replace that production.