Photo of Carlos Beltran rounding third after a two-run home run against the White Sox in the Civil Rights Game by AP/Bill Waugh Few players can catapult a team from worriers to prohibitive favorites, but Johan Santana can put his name on that list. Before the Mets got him, they and their fans were looking over their shoulders to the Phillies and Braves. Now the team is almost overloaded with optimism. That hope --......

The Mets introduced Johan Santana, their newest player and best attempt at getting back to the World Series, in Flushing yesterday. Just last week, the Mets and Santana agreed to a six-year $137.5 million contract that makes the Mets a favorite in the National League. Scores of press were on hand for the introduction, as well as David Wright, Omar Minaya, owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon, and Willie Randolph. Before his official introduction, the Mets......

The big sports news of the day isn't the Super Bowl. It's the probable Johan Santana trade that the Mets and Twins agreed to yesterday. And from the reaction of the local papers and sportswriters, it seems like the Mets pulled a fast one on the rubes from Minnesota. If the Mets can sign Santana to a contract extension, it's likely that he will become the highest paid pitcher in baseball, surpassing Barry Zito......

A Historic Collapse: The Mets held a seven-game lead with 17 to play and were caught looking ahead to the playoffs. What followed was among the worst collapses in history and one that revealed the weaknesses of the players, the manager and the general manager. Jose Reyes and his questionable -- and downright poor -- play summed up the the performance on the field. Manager Willie Randolph's mismanagement of the bullpen came to light......

After two seasons of constant trade speculation, the Mets finally have moved Lastings Milledge in a deal this afternoon to the division rival Washington Nationals. In return, the Mets receive Outfielder Ryan Church and Catcher Brian Schneider. Milledge was not always a model citizen as a Met, either on the field or of the field, but nonetheless had been long touted by the organization and the media by a top tier outfield prospect. While he......

Fans and some in the media may have called for his head, but yesterday the Mets ended any speculation on Willie Randolph's future with the Mets. General manager Omar Minaya said that Randolph would return as the manager of the Mets next season. Randolph, who has two years and $4.25 million remaining on his contract, was blamed by some for the end-of-season collapse by the Mets, but not by Minaya. At one point during......

A day after the biggest end-of-season collapse in baseball history, New York Mets Carlos Delgado, John Maine and a few others cleared out their lockers at Shea (a few lockers, including Tom Glavine's and Billy Wagner's, were cleaned before reporters arrived). General Manager Omar Minaya made comments supporting manager Willie Randolph's leadership ("I believe in Willie Randolph"), and the Post reports that that kind of support will be important: "Mets ownership has ordered Minaya......

For a team used to making miracles, conjuring up a disaster had an especially bitter taste. With a sloppily played 8-1 loss to Florida and the Phillies' 6-1 win against the Nationals, the Mets' season ended about a month too early. The loss capped an agonizing stretch of two and a half weeks in which the Mets played some of the worst teams in the National League and still played their worst baseball of......

Mets 8 Pittsburgh 4: It’s funny to think now about how much criticism Omar Minaya took for the John Maine trade. In fairness, it was never called that, it was all about Kris Benson and Jorge Julio with Maine considered a minor part of the deal, but what a deal that has become for the Mets. Maine improved to 11-4 Tuesday with seven solid innings of pitching and a home run while batting. Lastings Milledge......

If you're a believer in the Sports Illustrated cover curse, things could get ugly for the Mets pretty soon (or better if you think the team's recent play is due to the cover). General Manager Omar Minaya is featured in a cover story this week about his journey from the Dominican Republic, to becoming the first Hispanic G.M. in the Majors (with the Expos), to his success with the Mets. The feel-good story details Minaya's......

It looks like only one player hasn't agreed to have their head shaved in the shave-fest for the Mets. Almost everyone in the Mets clubhouse is in on the head shaving. Even Mets GM Omar Minaya got into the act. While Aaron Sele won't be shaving his head until tomorrow (he's taking family photos today), Jose Reyes is undecided on the fate of his hair. At least Willie Randolph is a little forgiving on Reyes'......

Pavano gets sued and leaves camp: Carl is definitely keeping things interesting. Yesterday, Pavano was sued by the victim of his infamous car crash last August. As if that wasn’t enough, Carl left the team right before his scheduled start last night for “personal reasons”. Brian Cashman would not elaborate beyond that, but he did confirm that the lawsuit and Pavano’s absence were not related. Hopefully, whatever kept Carl out of camp can be resolved......

Tom Glavine signed a $10.5 million one-year deal with the Mets, making it likely he will retire as a Met. Glavine had been debating whether to stay with the Mets or go back to Atlanta, where his family lives, and pitch for the Braves. But Atlanta never made him an offer, allowing Glavine to try for the ten more wins he needs to reach 300 career victories with the Mets. ""I like the city. I......

Sigh, the Mets cleaned out their lockers at Shea yesterday. We imagine that the hurt has just set in for Mets fans after last night's disappointing end to the season. (Our head is still spinning. ) Everyone is talking about the lack of offensive power, and it's so true. But since there will be many recriminations, let's savor Endy Chavez's beautiful catch for now with this clip. Omar Minaya is looking ahead to next......

Pedro Martinez was thought to be out for only the playoffs when it was annoucned that he had a torn tendon in his left calf. Now it's being that the soon to be 35 year-old Mets righty will be out for 8 months because of rotator cuff surgery. Assuming Pedro has a speedy recovery, which is a big assumption, he would be back in June. The injury was detected the same day physicians discovered the......

- Marlins 4, Mets 1: Pedro Martinez was strong in his 2nd start since coming off the disabled list, but the Mets offense was unable to offer him much run support off of Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins. Pedro pitched six innings and only allowed four hits and one run. The Marlins ended a 1-1 tie in the 8th inning with Miguel Cabrera's bases clearing triple. While the Mets may have lost against the......

Lima Time didn't go so well, but that's okay for Mets fans because for the 2nd weekend series in a row, they took 2 of 3 from the Braves. Lima wasn't good in his 5 inning appearance, allowing 5 funs over 5 innings, but Bartolome Fortunato was just plain bad. Fortunato allowed a stunning 8 runs (all earned) in 1 1/3 innings. The end result was a 13-3 whooping by the Braves. Perhaps the biggest......

With plenty of time left before the holidays and the start of next year's baseball season, Omar Minaya has checked off his major tasks for the off-season. First baseman, done. Closer, signed. Catcher, officially finished yesterday when the Mets traded for Paul Lo Duca from the Marlins as Florida continued their fire sale. Minaya acquired Lo Duca from the Marlins for 21 year-old pitching prospect Gaby Hernandez and another minor league player to be named......

It looks like the quest for a big bat in the middle of the lineup is coming close to for the Mets. Newsday is reporting that the Mets and Marlins have agreed to a trade for Carlos Delgado. The Mets would ship minor-league pitching prospect Yusmeiro Petit and 1st baseman Mike Jacobs for Delgado and $7 million to help cover the remaining $48 million over 3 years. The players involved in the deal still need......

On the verge of Sepember, the Mets look like their games are actually meaningful, something GM Omar Minaya was looking for before the start of the season. The Mets finished a West Coast swing with two losses to the Giants, but return home after a 5-2 road trip. Not bad for a team that has struggled to win on the road. With the success on the road trip, the Metropolitans find themselves only 1.5 games......

For the past 24 hours or so, people...okay, Mets fans, have been feverishly discussing the possibilities of Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez being traded to the NY Mets in a three way deal between NY, Boston, and Tampa Bay. Even though Ramirez is kind of bizarre, he is an incredible hitter, and fans and NY sports writers alike love the idea of this deal (the NY Post's headline is "He's a Headache...Get Him Anyway"). However,......

It was bound to happen and it was sheer joy for Mets fans while it lasted, but their win streak is over at 6 games. Sunday afternoon, the Mets lost the 3rd game of their series against the Marlins, 5-2. A.J. Burnett pitched a 4 hit, 2 run complete game for the Marlins, his 2nd complete game of the season. If the pitching of Burnett wasn't enough, the Mets helped the Marlins too. Jose Reyes......

Looks like the initial talks of Pedro Martinez joining the Mets are now becoming more of a possibility. Baseball executives are saying that the Mets are close to signing the 33 year-old right hander to a guaranteed 4 year $56 million contract. Omar Minaya can finally say he got his man. The length of the contract could be what ends up biting Minaya in the butt. With recent injuries, his small frame, and a reported......

After seven years as a New York Met, Al Leiter has left our fair city for a second stint with the Florida Marlins. Leiter signed a 1 year, $7 million contract with the team he pitched for in 1996 and won a World Series with in 1997. The Tom's River, NJ native, has always been a Mets fan, yet he left the team even after agreeing to an offer of 1 year, guaranteed $4 million......

Pedro Martinez may be coming to New York, but not to the Yankees, the team that first talked to him. The Mets are reported to have made a 3 year $38 million offer to the 33 year-old right hander. The offer tops one from the Red Sox for 2 years and $25.5 million. In mid-November, Martinez told George Steinbrenner that he wanted to be a Yankee, but now a Met? He would be leaving a......

The Mets announced the re-signing of Kris Benson yesterday as their busy off season continues. Benson was acquired by the Mets during the season when the Mets had hope of making the playoffs, but those quickly vanished. Throughout the season, he has said he would like to remain a Met, but no deal was reached until the off-season. Despite being a free agent, it was thought that the Benson would remain with the Mets anyway.......

Well, it looks like the Mets have a new manager. One day after calling back three finalists, they have settled on Willie Randolph from Tilden High School in Brooklyn. Randolph will be leaving the position of Yankees bench coach to head up the Mets as a first-time Manager. The NY Times had a lengthy profile of Randolph yesterday, which gives some insight into the new Mets manager. While growing up, he was a Mets fan,......

If you can't get it right with two people making decisions, it's a great idea to add a third. Well, at least that's what the Mets are doing. The team is to announce today that Omar Minaya will be the new head of baseball operations, a position above that of General Manager Jim Duquette. With Minaya, Duquette, and COO Jeff Wilpon all leading the Mets, the question is, "who's in charge?" With Minaya's title, we'll......