Holliday Hiatus - No Pun Intended

Here's what I learned over the past few days...

Jason Bay apparently wants no part of the Mets, and it looks like he's more likely to go back to Boston at a lower salary than the Mets offered. Honestly, I'm fine with this, I'd rather get Holliday or go piecemeal and see what's left out there. I was not excited when I first heard that Bay was their top choice, maybe for once they'll make the right move and put the efforts toward Holliday, even if it is by default. Besides, I'm starting to feel that catcher and pitcher are bigger needs than left field, but at the same time I would like a bopper for this line up.

Speaking of pitching help, the Mets signed Kelvim Escobar on a one year $1.25 Million deal. A nice risk/reward signing for the Mets. Hopefully, Escobar and the new Japanese import will combine to help solidify that back end of the bullpen.

The Mets and White Sox are reportedly the front runners for the lesser Cuban import Yuniesky Maya. Also, according to Buster Olney, Joel Piniero is near the top, if not at the top of the Mets wish list.

I have no problem taking the risk with Maya, maybe Minaya will fall into it, so to speak. But I would like to see him take a risk on a pitcher like Bedard or Sheets who have had success before. Now, I understand a healthy Maya is probably less of a gamble than a recovering Sheets or Bedard, but still I like the proven commodity of a pitcher who has done it before.

As for Piniero, there is no denying he had a great year this past season. But, I can't help but think that some of that is due to the tutelage of Dave Duncan. We've seen guys do this before under Duncan, see Jeff Suppan, and I don't know that a 3 or 4 year deal to Piniero is less of a risk than the deal given to Perez last off-season. I like Dan Warthen, but he's not Duncan, who we've seen do this before. If I'm Omar, I would not go anywhere near Piniero. Omar, look to deal for pitching because I don't think starting pitching help is out there in free agency.