Mets Hot Stove: Manny Just Won't Go Away

Today Bob Klapisch weighs in that the Manny chase is still alive as we await the early afternoon Delgado press conference.

NorthJersey.com: Klapisch on Manny
Yesterday it was Newsweek's John Heyman, today it's Bob Klapisch telling us the Ramirez deal is not dead. Omar spent the entire Thanksgiving weekend working on this deal, and a NL executive tells Klapisch that the Mets made progress. He cites a Mets official who told him, "We have a shot."

Klapisch quotes an anonymous friend of Manny:

Manny's first choice is still Anaheim, because he feels he could play there without fans bothering him too much. He walked around the malls there and no one noticed him. He liked that.

He's not crazy about New York, but he said he would go there if that was the only way to get out of Boston. [My emphasis] He's just fed up with people bothering him all the time, showing up at his house.

Just out of curiosity, is anyone else out there besides me somewhat less than reassured by these words that bringing Manny here will be a good idea? We're going to give up a great young prospect, plus whatever else Boston pries out of us, and pay a lot of money over the next 3 years to a guy who is willing to come here "if that was the only way to get out of Boston." Crap. Just crap.

Building with speed, youth and defense is out the window now, as the Mets will field a pretty bad defensive team if this deal goes down. We will still have a lot of work to do on the bullpen, and our starting pitching will be good, not great. I try to be fair here, understanding that the Delgado deal was a positive move for the Mets. Getting Manny will create a lot of buzz, but I'm not convinced that it will improve this team significantly. I think that money could be better used elsewhere, and if they have to trade Milledge, I'd rather see him traded for someone younger, or even pitching. I realize I'm probably in the minority of Mets fans with this opinion.

New York Post: Second Base
Switching gears a little, Michael Morrissey discusses the second base situation. He takes a look at free agent Mark Grudzielanek as a potential upgrade for the Mets.

Metsblog: Delgado Press Conference Coverage on MetsBlog
Matt Cerrone on MetsBlog says he "will be posting segments of the press conference a few minutes after they occur", so you'll want to check it out this afternoon. I know I will. The press conference is currently scheduled for 12:30 pm.