Jose Reyes Watch: So what happened yesterday, you ask? First, it was rumored that the Marlins have offered Reyes a 6 year, $90 million contract. Then, former GM Jim Bowden tweeted that the Reyes camp has two offers in hand, one maybe (or maybe not) from the Mets. Rich Coutinho examines how to separate truth from fiction in the Reyes rumor mill, while over at Fangraphs, Dave Cameron wonders whether Reyes is suffering from Carl Crawford backlash. Over at Rising Apple, Ben Berkon takes a look at how the Mets could beat the rumored Marlins' offer.
While Jose's status is totally uncertain at this point, the Mets seem to have come to a decision with a couple of their arbitration eligible players. Jon Heyman confirmed (again) that Angel Pagan and Mike Pelfrey will indeed be tendered contracts for 2012 by the Mets. On the free agent front, Ken Davidoff reports that the Mets have interest in Staten Island's own Jason Marquis. Meh.
An area of the team that won't see major, sweeping changes is the training staff, which will still employ head trainer Ray Ramirez in 2012. However, assistant Mike Herbst has been banished transferred to Port St. Lucie and replaced with minor league training coordinator Brian Chicklo. This just seems like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic to me, but whatever works, I guess.
David Waldstein spent time on the golf course with the knuckleball convention featuring R.A. Dickey, Tim Wakefield, Charlie Hough and Phil Niekro. The four knucklers met on this day because of a documentary that is being produced about the pitch. So. Awesome.
In off the field news, the Mets introduced some new 15 and 20 game ticket packs, which will go on sale on November 28th. Meanwhile, the Mets tweeted a picture of Citi Field's wall construction, if you're interested in seeing how things are going.
Finally, Jason Pridie has agreed to a minor league deal with the Oakland A's. Apparently, having a wife that can control the fates of BABIP is the new market inefficiency.
Justin Verlander of the Tigers was unanimously voted as the American League Cy Young Award winner on Tuesday, after a season in which he won the AL pitching triple crown and threw a no-hitter. Jered Weaver, James Shields, C.C. Sabathia and Jose Valverde rounded out the top five. There was certainly an argument to be made for Sabathia and his 7.1 fWAR, just a touch better than Verlander's 7.0 mark, to win the award (come on...fourth place?) but in the end, I personally would've voted Verlander (if I had a vote).
There's a lot of talk about MLB's new CBA, which seems as if it's close to being completed. Much of that talk centers around the draft and specifically, free agent compensation, an issue very near and dear to Mets right now with Jose Reyes currently in free agency and holding Type A status.
The Orioles showed off their new jerseys and caps, the latter of which features the return of the old school smiling cartoon bird. This logo replaces the ornithologically correct Oriole, which adorned Baltimore's caps since the late 80's.
Strange news in Pittsburgh, as Pirates backup outfielder Xavier Paul was involved in an identity hoax perpetrated by a minor league ballplayer, who's scheme involved making fake ID's and misrepresenting himself to the Australian Baseball League and Major League Baseball.
Remember MLB's 2001 rookie class? Wendy Thurm takes a look at the impressive group of stars that made up 2001 first year players.
Finally, it looks as if Omar Minaya is going to accept a new job during the GM meetings. Good news for the Mets as that should save them some money (remember when the Wilpons extended Minaya's contract through 2012? Yeah...).