Mets 2010 Trade Target: Fausto Carmona

Fausto Carmona, RHP Cleveland Indians
2010 season: 6-5, 3.31 ERA, 92.1 IP, 1.22 WHIP

It wasn't long ago that Fausto Carmona was deemed to be one of the game's best pitchers for the foreseeable future. After all, he went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA in 2007, and, in 2008, was rewarded a four-year $15 million contract. Then it all went downhill for Carmona. Injuries derailed Carmona's 2008 season, as he finished at 8-7 with a 5.44 ERA. 2009 wasn't any better for Carmona, as he again struggled through injuries and finished at an even worse 5-12 with a 6.32 ERA. However, it appears as though this year Carmona, 26, has figured out his groove again, sporting a 6-5 record with a 3.31 ERA through 14 starts this season.

Signed in 2000 as an undrafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic by the Indians at age 17, Carmona put himself on the map in 2003, when at Single-A Lake County, he went 17-4. He split time between A, AA, and AAA in 2004-05, going 13-9 in AAA Buffalo in 2005. The Dominican born Carmona made his major league debut in April 2006, earning his first career win over the Detroit Tigers at age 23. It'd be the only win for Carmona that season, as he was later pushed to the bullpen and finished 1-10 with a 5.42 ERA. Carmona made the Indians' rotation as the fifth starter in 2007, with low expectations. Those low expectations helped Carmona take the baseball world by storm. Carmona, along with ace CC Sabathia (who went on to win the Cy Young that season), led the Indians to their first AL Central Title since 2001, posting a 19-8 record with a 3.06 ERA. Carmona pitched his first career post season game that season in the ALDS against the New York Yankees. He pitched 9 innings of 1 run baseball, allowing just 3 hits in an extra inning win. The Indians would go on to the ALCS, where Carmona ended up getting battered by the Boston Red Sox in Game 6, where he left after just two plus innings while giving up seven runs in a game that would eliminate the Indians from the playoffs.

His 2007 season performance rewarded Carmona with a four-year $15 million contract that runs through 2011 and includes three individual club options through 2014, totaling $43 million if the contract runs through, including $5 million in incentives. His 2008 and 2009 seasons made the Indians look foolish for that contract however, as he went 8-7 with a 5.44 ERA in 2008 and 5-12 with a 6.32 ERA in 2009 with opponents batting .295 against him. It seemed as though Carmona's 2007 season was a fluke.


This season however, Carmona has come back stronger than ever for a dismal Indians team. Since trading aces CC Sabathia in 2008 and Cliff Lee in 2009, Carmona was pronounced the ace of the Indians' staff, despite his below .500 records and terrible 2009 (shows you how bad a team Cleveland is). Suffice to say, Carmona has surprised everyone, pitching to a 6-5 record so far with a 3.31 ERA. Due to Cleveland's poor season and rebuilding effort, the Indians are reportedly open to deal the 26 year-old right-hander for the right price. Enter the New York Mets.

This week, we heard that the Mets have had internal discussions regarding a trade for Carmona. The Mets are looking to upgrade their rotation in order to make a playoff-push. I recently posted that they were interested in Jake Westbrook, but a trade for Carmona would be much better for the Mets. Carmona is enjoying a nice season, and placing him behind Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana would make for a powerful Mets rotation. He's obviously capable of winning 19+ games, as he did in 2007, but he's also struggled the past two seasons, so this could be a high risk, high reward type of trade. The Mets would be more than willing to make that type of trade. They need pitching, and Carmona would help them out greatly. Moving an AL pitcher to the NL is always a smart move. He's only 26, and the Mets would control him through his age 28 2011 season, as well as having the three years of options for 2012, 2013, and 2014. He's owed just $8.9 million through 2011, an average of $4.4 million per season, making him a very cheap effective pitcher. He's also latino, and you all know how much Omar loves latino players.

However, because Carmona's salary is not huge, he's young, he has three option years, and he has so much upside, the Indians would probably require a top level prospect in order to deal Carmona. This means that the Mets would have to offer up a package of at least OF Fernando Martinez, RHP Brad Holt, and OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis in order to land Carmona. I think this would be a fair trade for the Mets, as well as the Indians. Cleveland would acquire a corner outfielder with a high ceiling in Martinez, joining him with Cleveland's other top outfield prospect, CF Michael Brantley, who came over in 2008's CC Sabathia-Brewers trade, and All-Star RF Shin-Soo Choo. This would also allow the Indians to trade CF Grady Sizemore, arguably the best player on their team, for more prospects to rebuild. A future outfield of Martinez-Brantley-Choo would make the Indians' future much brighter. The Indians would also acquire a high potential starting pitcher in Holt, as well as a lower level prospect in Nieuwenhuis. The Mets would acquire themselves a young, inexpensive, high ceiling pitcher who would be inserted into the rotation immediately. If I were Omar Minaya, I would have already made a proposal.

Like all players though, Carmona does have some questions. While the Mets are not worried that Carmona will continue his success this season, they are worried that he may struggle under the pressures of playing in New York. They feel that coming to New York in the middle of a playoff push could make Carmona collapse under the pressure and that he would revert to his 2009 form. This seems however, not to be that great of an issue.

Perhaps the Mets do not feel that Carmona could help them down the stretch. Recently, Mets players have expressed their desire for ownership to acquire an elite starting pitcher with both Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee on the block. Many analysts are skeptical though that the Mets do not have the players that both the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros covet, making Carmona a more likely option.

I think that acquiring Fausto Carmona would make perfect sense for the Mets. They'd acquire a young pitcher with a high ceiling and 20-game win potential. They'd also have three years of option control on Carmona, while only owing him $4.4/season. If I'm the Mets it's a no-brainer. It all depends on if Omar Minaya will offer up the right prospects, and if the Mets truly feel that Carmona is their man.

Mets 2010 Trade Target: Jake Westbrook

Jake Westbrook, RHP Cleveland Indians
2010 season: 4-4, 4.76 ERA, 85 IP, 1.46 WHIP

A year removed from Tommy John Surgery, Jake Westbrook is back in the big leagues. An above average major league pitcher, Westbrook has a career 67-68 record with a 4.34 ERA, while pitching for the New York Yankees (1 season) and Cleveland Indians (9 seasons). A 21st overall pick in the 1996 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies, Westbrook was traded to the Montreal Expos for Mike Lansing and later traded again to the New York Yankees with Ted Lilly for pitcher Hideki Irabu. Westbrook made his major league debut on June 17, 2000 with the Yankees, going 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA for the season. After being sent down, Westbrook, along with Zach Day and Ricky Ledee were traded to Cleveland for Indians' slugger David Justice. In his career, Westbrook has always hovered around .500, having 9 or more losses in each full season that he has pitched, including a career high 15 losses in 2005. Westbrook's best season was in 2004, the year he made the AL All-Star team, when he went 14-9 with a 3.38 ERA. One can make a case for the amount of losses that Westbrook has each season, due to a poor Cleveland bullpen and lack of run support throughout his tenure. Westbrook is in the final year of a 3-year $33 million contract, which runs out after this year making him a free agent.

This season, with the Indians again struggling, Westbrook, 33, has been made available. Among the most interested reported teams: The New York Mets.

The Mets have been linked to Westbrook this year in trade rumors. While the Mets rotation of Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese, Hisanori Takahashi, and R.A. Dickey has pitched surprisingly well, the Mets reportedly want to put Takahashi back into the bullpen where he has pitched his whole career. Takahashi, originally just a fill-in while John Maine rehabs, has pitched surprisingly well as a starter, going 6-2 with a 3.13 ERA. However, the Mets feel he is more effective in the bullpen. If the Mets want to put him back in the bullpen, this would open up a spot in their rotation for Westbrook. After disappointing seasons from Oliver Perez and Maine, the Mets look to upgrade their rotation as they make a playoff push. They may feel that a trade for Westbrook could improve their chances.

A rotation of Santana, Pelfrey, Niese, Westbrook and Dickey would be a great rotation for the Mets. With Santana being Santana and Pelfrey having a career year, inserting Westbrook, who has been an AL pitcher his whole career, will improve the rotation. It's been a proven that some AL pitchers who move to the NL become better pitchers because they face weaker hitters (see Roy Halladay). The AL has always been portrayed as the stronger league, and it's been proven. Perhaps putting Westbrook into the NL will help to resurrect his career and he will become a much more effective pitcher.

While Westbrook would be a good fit for the Mets, there are some questions as to if he can stay healthy, especially after coming off Tommy John Surgery, and if the Mets will really need him. One reason why the Mets may not need him is because they sent down top prospect Jenrry Mejia yesterday, in order to stretch him out to be a starting pitcher. Perhaps they envision Mejia coming back up mid-season and taking Takahashi's spot in the rotation, therefore having no need for Westbrook. However, I don't think that the Mets envision R.A. Dickey pitching like Cy Young all season, so perhaps they may look to trade for Westbrook just incase Dickey comes back down to earth. A rotation of Santana, Pelfrey, Niese, Westbrook and Mejia, with Dickey and Takahashi in the bullpen would be incredible for the Mets.

Then there is the issue of what to give for Westbrook. I can't imagine the Indians asking for a King's Ransom for him because he's not on the same level as the last two guys they traded in Cliff Lee or CC Sabathia. I could imagine the Mets giving a B minus-level prospect, with a couple of C-level throw ins. An ideal package could include RHP Jeurys Familia as well as C Josh Thole and RHP Tobi Stoner. The Indians would probably require the Mets to pay his $11 million salary. If the Mets can get away with Cleveland paying full salary or paying half, I do the deal. The Mets didn't want to commit $14 million to John Lackey, so why would they want to commit $11 million to Westbrook, who isn't as good? If the Indians are able to get that much talent back, I'd be surprised. While Omar Minaya is subject to make trades, this would be a great deal for the Mets and would drastically improve the rotation.

I think that a trade for Westbrook would make the Mets an ultimate contender. Moving an AL pitcher who has to face the Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Twins, and Angels every year to the NL, where he would face the Nationals, Pirates, Astros, and Diamonbacks would improve Westbrook's stats. The best thing that could happen for Westbrook is to get out of Cleveland, where the bullpen and lack of run support will cost him wins. If traded to the Mets, their powerful bullpen and immense run scoring would help him do better and attribute to success. I could see him going 15-6 with an ERA in the 3.60's in the NL. The Mets should make a push to acquire him, as he would make the rotation much better.

Why the New York Mets will win the NL East

It pains me to say this, being a die-hard Yankee fan, but it must be said:

The New York Mets are going to be champions of the National League East.

No, I haven't drank or smoked anything funny, and no I wasn't recently dropped on my head. The way the Mets have played recently, being eight games over the .500 mark and .5 games out of first place, has proven to me that these are not the same Mets as last season. After two collapses in a row in 2007 & 2008, the 2009 Mets were a disaster. Injuries left and right, running into bad luck, and scrubs taking the place of super stars. This season however, many analysts, including myself, predicted that the Mets would finish in the cellar of the NL East. The way they've played recently though has made us all look foolish.

The Mets entered this season with low expectations, a questionable rotation, and unknowing when two major components, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, would return or if they would return. Reyes came back earlier than expected, but it seemed to have no effect. With a pitching rotation coming undone with poor starts and injuries by John Maine and Oliver Perez it seemed as though the 2010 Mets would just be another repeat of the '09 disaster. However, not all hope was lost, thanks to the emergence of Mike Pelfrey and rookie phenoms first baseman Ike Davis and RHP Jenrry Mejia.

Since the beginning of the season, Pelfrey has proven to be the Mets' best pitcher. Compiling a 9-1 record with a 2.39 ERA to this point of the season, Pelfrey has proven he is the Mets' big game pitcher. After ending 2009 with a 10-12 record and an ERA of 5.03, Pelfrey seeked redemption going into this year. Many wondered if he would even make it as the Mets' fifth starter due to his poor spring training. To this point of the season, Pelfrey has made each who thought this face-palm themselves.

Then there was the emergence of Ike Davis. The Mets' top prospect made his debut on April 19, and provided a spark plug for this Mets' team. The young first baseman is currently batting .253 with 8 home runs while currently adjusting to major league pitching. Many argued that Davis should have opened the season with the club, to which Jerry Manuel agreed after he was called up. All Davis has done since his call-up is provide the Mets with acrobatic plays and a towering walk off home run. You can't help but think that he will be in the Rookie of the Year discussion. But there's more...

Enter Jenrry Mejia. The Mets' top pitching prospect who skipped AAA, and went straight to the pros. Oh, by the way, he's only 20. He's pitched to an eye-popping 3.04 ERA out of the bullpen for the Mets, who figure him to be a starter down the road. With all the youth on this team, the future looks bright for these Mets.

And then there are the afterthoughts who've stepped up: Angel Pagan, Jon Niese, Rod Barajas, and R.A. Dickey. Pagan, who enjoyed a nice season last year, is currently filling in for Carlos Beltran. However, due to recent setbacks, Pagan may be more than just a fill-in. He's hitting a surprising .281 in a full time role with 4 dingers on the year while playing outstanding defense. Jon Niese, who was always a Mets top prospect and on their radar has really stepped it up this season, pitching to a 3-2 record with a 3.61 ERA while battling some hamstring issues. Then there's Rod Barajas, who the Mets signed to a minor league contract in spring training. He's slugging at a .257 mark with 11, yes 11, home runs on the year. Getting that production out of a minor league signing is a steal. But wait, what about R.A. Dickey, a journeyman who was called up on May 19 to make a spot start? The knuckle baller is 4-0, (4-0!!!) with a 2.78 ERA. In his career, Dickey's lowest ERA was 4.62! What's more impressive? He's pitching better than Red Sox pitcher John Lackey, who Met fans begged ownership to sign. Feels good saving money right? His emergence in the Mets rotation has been a good luck charm for the Mets. Not so much afterthoughts anymore.

Perhaps the most amazing part of the 2010 Mets' season: 36.2 scoreless innings pitched. For a team with a questionable rotation coming into 2010, that's pretty darn amazing. It all started when they swept the Phillies from May 25-27 without allowing the Phillies to score in all 3 games. Remember, these are the Phillies we're talking about here, the 2009 NL Champions, and they got shut out by...the Mets?! However, this streak game to an end in the 9th inning against the Brewers when Corey Hart hit a walk off home run to beat the Mets. Then there was the 20 inning game against the St. Louis Cardinals, which the Mets won in the 20th inning. If there's one thing to say about these 2010 Mets, it is that they grind out at-bats, have great starting pitching and have great team chemistry this year.

No matter how good these Mets have been this year, they are far from a perfect team. Jason Bay isn't hitting at all. The power bat that the Mets signed for $66 million in the off season has hit just 4, that's right 4, home runs this year after hitting 36 for the Red Sox last year. One could argue that spacious Citi Field could be playing into effect, but that hasn't stopped Rod Barajas and David Wright from hitting 11 and 12 home runs respectively. Obviously there is something wrong with Bay's swing. Jose Reyes has not been the same Jose Reyes from 2008. Then there is the uncertainty of Francisco Rodriguez. While the season save record holder has pitched to a 2-1 record with a 2.36 ERA and 14 saves, he has made Mets fans all but confident when the 9th inning comes around. This year, we've seen him give up runs in the 9th allowing other teams to either win or tie a game. Most prominently, we've seen K-Rod give up the long ball, 3 to be exact to go along with 12 walks. Not what you want from a closer. There's also John Maine, the owner of a 6.13 ERA and who's suffered various shoulder setbacks this season. He's already been bumped from the rotation, and will probably remain in the bullpen when he returns. Daniel Murphy, who tore his MCL is done for the season. And do I really have to even mention Oliver Perez? He's been just dreadful and the Mets put him on the DL just to get him off the team. Sheesh.

There's been many bright spots for this Mets team this year. Chemisty, youth, and good pitching has put the Mets at a 36-28 record.

But even with all these good signs that have pointed to the Mets success this season, there's still one more component that can make this team even better, and not only NL East champions, but a World Series contender as well...
The Mets will trade for an elite starting pitcher.

Both Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt, two of baseball's elite pitchers, are available in trade for the price of who-can-give-the-best prospects. Don't think for a second that the Mets haven't already touched base with the Mariners and Astros.

With the Yankees' recent World Championship, the Mets had been an afterthought in New York City, acting the role of the forgotten team. You can imagine that acquiring Lee or Oswalt would take the spot light off the World Champs and put it on the team in Queens. With the Phillies sliding and the Mets only .5 games behind the Braves for first place, acquiring either of the pitchers to go along with a rotation that would include Johan Santana and Pelfrey would make for the best rotation in the NL East. Not just the NL East, but probably it'd be the best rotation in the National League. The Mets have reportedly touched base with both teams and have been discussing a deal with both sides. Roy Oswalt recently said that he would accept a trade to the Mets due to their strong play lately and chance to contend. Personally, as I've stated before, I think Oswalt would be the best fit for the Mets. Acquiring either would make the Mets a powerhouse team and a force to be reckoned with.

Whether it's Lee or Oswalt, one thing is for sure:

It will get done, and you can bet on it, no matter the cost.

The Mets are already a good team, and adding Lee/Oswalt would only make them a better team. It'd make the Mets true World Series contenders. Adding Lee/Oswalt to a core that already includes Jose Reyes, David Wright, Johan Santana, Ike Davis and Mike Pelfrey would make for a truly outstanding team with great potential. We've seen the Amazin's like never before this year, but be prepared because it's only going to get better.

Get ready baseball fans, introducing your 2010 NL East champs:

The New York Mets.

This is no fluke, this is a comeback.

That is why the New York Mets will win the NL East in 2010.

Halladay gets hammered, Yanks win 8-3. Mets beat Tribe 7-6.

(41-23) Yankees - 8, Phillies - 3 (32-20)
W - CC Sabathia (7-3)
L - Roy Halladay (8-5)
HR: (NYY) Curtis Granderson (5), Nick Swisher (11), Mark Teixeira (10)

The Yankees did what they needed to do. They got to Roy Halladay early, and didn't look back. Halladay came into tonight's game 18-6 with a 2.84 ERA lifetime vs the Yankees, along with bringing in a 8-4 record with a 1.96 ERA on the season. The way he pitched tonight however, didn't make it seem like that was the same pitcher. In the second inning, with Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada on base, Brett Gardner hit a triple to break open a 2-0 Yankee lead. To lead off the bottom of the third, Curtis Granderson sent a pitch sailing into the second deck in right field for a towering home run to give the Yanks an early 3-0 lead. After Mark Teixeira flied out, Robinson Cano reached on a double. The next batter, Nick Swisher, would send out his own bomb, clocking a pitch into the bleachers in right field, staking the Yanks out to a 5-0 lead over Halladay. In the top of the fourth inning it looked like the Phillies were making a comeback. They scored 3 runs off of Sabathia, but those would be the last runs they would score. In the bottom of the fifth, Mark Teixeira would look to regain some runs as he sent a homer just around the foul pole in right field to increase the Yankees lead to 6-3. The Yankees would score again in the bottom of the seventh, when Francisco Cervelli singled home Mark Teixiera and Jorge Posada to make it 8-3. The Yankees would not look back as David Robertson and Chan Ho Park shut down the Phillies for the eighth and ninth to give the Yankees an 8-3 win.

Sabathia pitched 7 innings, giving up 3 runs and 5 hits, but also getting 7 K's while his counterpart Roy Halladay only lasted 6 innings, while giving up 8 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and only getting 5 K's. Many thought that Halladay's success against the Yankees would contribute to a win.

The Phillies only scored 3 runs in tonight's game, they have scored 3 runs or less in their last 21 games. The Phillies continue to slide, now only 2 games over .500 and in the 3rd place. The Yankees moved to 18 games over .500, still tied for 1st and with a Tampa loss tonight, can take over sole position of 1st place. Alex Rodriguez was not in the lineup tonight due to hip tendinitis and is scheduled to play tomorrow.


(36-28) Mets - 7, Indians - 6 (25-28)
W - Johan Santana (5-3)
L - Justin Masterson (2-6)
HR: (NYM) Ike Davis (8)
(CLE) Travis Hafner (8), Shelley Duncan (2)

While I didn't follow this game as closely as I did the Yankee game (c'mon it was Sabathia vs Halladay!) I understand Johan Santana's struggles continued against the tribe. Dating back to 2007 with the Twins, Santana was 0-5 against Cleveland. Through 7 innings today, he gave up 4 runs, 1 HR, 7 hits and only got 1, make that ONE, strikeout. That's very un-Santana like. As for Justin Masterson, he went 7 innings, giving up 7 runs (6 earned) on 10 hits and 1 home run while getting only 2 strike outs. So not a great performance out of either side. In the 9th, Francisco Rodriguez continued to be shaky, giving up a home run to Shelley Duncan to cut the lead to 7-6. Nonetheless, the Mets would hang on for the win. Barring an Atlanta loss, the Mets will be .5 games out of first place. Who woulda thunk it?

7 of the Mets' 12 hits tonight were infield hits.

So a win for both New York teams as they both push towards 1st place. That'll be all for tonight.

Yankees fall to Mets and more scores

Baseball
Mets - 6 (22-23), Yankees - 4 (26-18)
W - Johan Santana (4-2)
L - CC Sabathia (4-3)
SV - Francisco Rodriguez (8)
HR: (NYM) Jason Bay 2 (3)
Ew. Ugly game for the Yankees. Sabathia pitched horribly, Santana pitched great. Two things that annoyed me about this game: Jason Bay and Francisco Cervelli's home run call gone wrong. Jason Bay. The guy enters the game with 1 HR on the year, (we're talking about a guy who hit 36 last year) and ALL OF A SUDDEN he wakes up from his homerless slumber and hits 2 bombs tonight. Unbelievable. And the Cervelli homerun call, that was without a doubt a homerun. Instead they called it a single. The ball hit the orange line on top of the outfield wall, declaring it a homerun according to the rules at Citi Field (which is that if the ball its the orange line it's a homerun). However, the umps thought otherwise. What happens, happens you know. Let's see how the Mets play when they come into our house next month.

Basketball
Suns - 118, Lakers - 109
Lakers lead series 2-1

Hockey
Blackhawks - 4, Sharks - 2
Chicago advances to Stanley Cup Finals

Sorry for the lack of statistics with this post, but I'm crazy tired and tomorrow is my birthday! Check in for more tomorrow!

5/22 A busy day: Track meet, Mo's New York Grill, Yankees/Mets and more

Wow, talk about a busy day. Sorry everyone for not being able to post regularly. Hope after I explain why you'll understand...

On Wednesday, my Mother booked reservations for my family and my good friend Danny at Mariano Rivera's New York Grill on Saturday (which was today) for my birthday. The reservations were for 7:00 PM. Why do I tell you this? Here's why...

This morning I had Sectionals for track. I woke up at 7:55 this morning. The bus was scheduled to leave at 8:00. Seeing the time, I jumped out of bed, ran into my parents' bedroom, woke them up, threw on my uniform and got to my school at 8:07, luckily with the bus still there. We didn't end up leaving until 8:32. Soon after that, we arrived at Byram Hills High School, where the meet was held. My first event, discus, was scheduled for a 9:30 start. I was DEAD tired. I only threw 56 feet in discus and 23 feet in shot put. Did I mention when the meet ended? Oh, let's say 5:15-ish. That's right folks, 9 hours. After frantically calling my parents, begging them to pick me up, I ultimately ended up staying the entire meet, putting our reservations in jeoperdy. Freaking out, my father changed the reservations to 7:30 PM. I got on the track bus, got to the school at 5:53 PM, had my Dad pick me up, got home, showered, and was dressed by 6:17 PM. We were ready to go. Then we had to wait till 6:45 PM for my Mother to finish getting ready to go to the restaurant. We finally left the house at 6:52 PM, en route to picking up my friend Danny. To make a long story short, we drove all the way up to New Rochelle and arrived at 7:31 PM. We had dinner (which I'll review later) and left the restaurant at 9:43 PM. After a hectic car ride, we got home around 10:15 and I had a conversation with my Dad which lasted about two hours. Now I sit here, tired as hell, and writing this to update my blog. I'd say I'm pretty dedicated.

Review of Mo's New York Grill:
Wow. You couldn't ask for a better place to celebrate your birthday. The food was fantastic, the service was great, and they had the Yankee game on. What more could you ask for? The restaurant was really eye opening. There must have been over 100 pictures of current and former Yankees hanging everywhere. I spent literally 10 minutes looking at every wall to see which players I recognized and to see what Mo had used to decorate his restaurant. It was an amazing restaurant, and great for any Yankee fan! The food was amazing, like I said above. I ordered the Filet Mignon and boy, was that good. I would've ordered two had it not been so expensive. Talk about cutting like butter. It was the best steak I think I've ever had. I highly reccommend going to Mo's.

Somers beats Nyack 19-0 to advance to second round of LAX playoffs
Wow, talk about a game. Somers wrecked them.

New York Mets - 5 (21-23), New York Yankees - 3 (26-17)
WP - Mike Pelfrey (6-1)
LP - Phil Hughes (5-1)
SV - Francisco Rodriguez (7)
HR: none
Sloppy, sloppy game by the Yanks. They had plenty of opportunities to score with men in scoring position and no out, but continuously couldn't hit the ball out of the infield. As for Phil Hughes, he pitched another straight shaky outing. I don't think this will be a long term issue though. The Mets? They capitalized on hanging pitches. What a game for Jason Bay, with 4 hits tying a career high. The last game takes place tomorrow at 8:05 on ESPN as CC Sabathia takes the ball for the Yanks and opposes Johan Santana for the Mets.

NBA PLAYOFFS
Boston Celtics - 94, Orlando Magic - 71
Celtics takes 3-0 series lead.

NHL PLAYOFFS
Philadelphia Flyers 3, Montreal Canadiens - 0
Flyers take 3-1 series lead.

Say whaaaaaaaat?!

Interesting MLB stories from 5/15

- According to MLBTradeRumors.com's Zach Links and USA TODAY, the Detroit Tigers have optioned both RHP Max Scherzer and 2B Scott Sizemore to AAA Toledo and have called up RHP Armando Galarraga and INF Danny Worth to take their spots on the roster. Scherzer has been very dissapointing this season since arriving in Detroit via the 3 way deal with that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees, Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy to the D-Backs, and Scherzer, Austin Jackson, Phil Coke and Daniel Schlereth to Motown. Sizemore, a rookie, was hitting .211.

- Via ESPN, the Tampa Bay Rays have designated designated hitter Pat Burrel for assignment and called up 1B/3B Hank Blalock from AAA to take this spot. They have 10 days to trade him, send him to AAA or release him. Not so much of a shocker here, but one would have thought this would have happened earlier. Blalock was hitting .388 at AAA since signing a minor league contract with Tampa over the off season.

- ESPN New York's Adam Rubin tells us The New York Mets FINALLY bumped Oliver Perez from the starting rotation and moved him to the bullpen. Perez reportedly refused an assignment to AAA. Ollie is 0-3 with a 5.94 ERA.

- Tough break for fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tony Jackson of ESPN Los Angeles reports that slugging right fielder Andre Ethier has a broken bone in his right pinkie finger. He will most likely be DL'd. Ethier was currently batting .392 with 11 HR and 38 RBI.

- The Yankees will skip Javier Vazquez's next start...again. In his last outing, Wednesday against Detroit pitching in the day portion of the doubleheader, Javy pitched his best outing of the season going 7 IP with 2 runs allowed. Now he'll be skipped again and will face the Mets at Citi Field this Friday. Many wonder if the Yankees have lost confidence in Jazy. Thank you Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York.

- Big news here. According to MLBTradeRumors.com's Mike Axisa, money appears to be the only obstacle preventing the Mets for trading for Houston Astros ace right-hander Roy Oswalt. Oswalt recently said he would waive his no-trade clause to play for a contender. The Mets would absolutely have to part ways with Fernando Martinez in order to get Oswalt in my opinion, and I would be willing, if I were Omar Minaya, to part ways. You can always sacrifice an outfielder for once in a generation pitching talent. And just think Met fans: Santana-Oswalt as your 1-2 punch. Wow.