Post by Fish Troll on Dec 4, 2007 6:41:20 GMT -5
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The last time baseball's winter meetings were held in Music City, Omar Minaya was general manager of the cash-strapped Montreal Expos and he was shopping pitchers Bartolo Colon and Javier Vazquez.
Now, Minaya has a big budget with the New York Mets and he's the one looking for arms.
Almost everyone seems to think the Mets must add at least one reliable starting pitcher this offseason -- except their GM. Minaya sounds ready to open spring training with a projected rotation of Pedro Martinez, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine, Oliver Perez and several young prospects vying for the fifth slot.
"We don't feel like we have to do a deal for a pitcher," Minaya said Monday at the Opryland Hotel. "That being said, we are going to try to improve ourselves."
New York probably set its everyday lineup last week by trading outfielder Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for catcher Brian Schneider and right fielder Ryan Church.
Some thought the 22-year-old Milledge was the team's best chip for a big trade, and shipping him to Washington might make it difficult for the Mets to complete another deal for a proven starting pitcher.
But Minaya insisted other clubs assured him that wasn't true, saying the Mets still have enough players who would be attractive in a potential trade. He stuck to that stance Monday.
"I feel we have the players. The question is, do we want to give up those players?" Minaya said.
He reiterated that he won't trade his core players, a group that likely includes shortstop Jose Reyes, third baseman David Wright and center fielder Carlos Beltran.
But where does that leave the pitching staff?
"How have we addressed pitching? I think our defense makes our pitching better," Minaya said.
Now, Minaya has a big budget with the New York Mets and he's the one looking for arms.
Almost everyone seems to think the Mets must add at least one reliable starting pitcher this offseason -- except their GM. Minaya sounds ready to open spring training with a projected rotation of Pedro Martinez, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine, Oliver Perez and several young prospects vying for the fifth slot.
"We don't feel like we have to do a deal for a pitcher," Minaya said Monday at the Opryland Hotel. "That being said, we are going to try to improve ourselves."
New York probably set its everyday lineup last week by trading outfielder Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for catcher Brian Schneider and right fielder Ryan Church.
Some thought the 22-year-old Milledge was the team's best chip for a big trade, and shipping him to Washington might make it difficult for the Mets to complete another deal for a proven starting pitcher.
But Minaya insisted other clubs assured him that wasn't true, saying the Mets still have enough players who would be attractive in a potential trade. He stuck to that stance Monday.
"I feel we have the players. The question is, do we want to give up those players?" Minaya said.
He reiterated that he won't trade his core players, a group that likely includes shortstop Jose Reyes, third baseman David Wright and center fielder Carlos Beltran.
But where does that leave the pitching staff?
"How have we addressed pitching? I think our defense makes our pitching better," Minaya said.
sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/12/04/bc.bbn.mets.minaya.ap/index.html
