Tom Glavine News: No News Is Good News For The Mets

Here are some excerpts from an AP article just posted on FoxSports.com:

Tom Glavine hasn't received a contract offer from the Atlanta Braves as he nears a decision on where he wants to play next season, a development that has increased the likelihood he will return to the New York Mets. Glavine's agent, Gregg Clifton, said the two-time Cy Young Award winner has told the Mets he would make a decision by the winter meetings, which start Monday.

Clifton said he has spoken with Braves general manager John Schuerholz several times about Glavine.

"He can't even evaluate that they really want him if he doesn't have an offer," Clifton said Wednesday. "The bottom line is, we're waiting to see if Atlanta wants to make a proposal to us. We've had really nice dialogue on a few occasions and we've kind of left it: We're open. We're waiting for John to give us a call if he would like to."

"As time has gone on, I think it's actually been the potential pull and the desire to go back to New York and be a Met that has delayed this process and further complicated his decision-making," Clifton said.

Clifton and the Mets agreed that they wouldn't start negotiations on a new contract until after Glavine makes a decision that he wants to return to New York.

"They're showing an incredible amount of class," Clifton said, "because at the end of the day they have allowed him to do everything he asked to, which was to go home, to get back into the normal family mode and give him an opportunity to really think this thing through. I think it's working to their advantage, to be honest with you."

Now before we get all excited, let's not forget that this article is almost certainly part of Clifton's negotiation tactics... It doesn't take a brain surgeon (though it might take a skeptic) to realize that Clifton leaked this news to the press to put some pressure on Atlanta. By making it sound that Atlanta's feet dragging is pushing Glavine to the Mets, it will undoubtedly get the Braves fans all worked up. The skeptic in me thinks that Glavine really does want to sign with Atlanta - otherwise, why would Atlanta's non-offer be an issue?

Dayn Perry: Signing Moises Alou is Best Move in Baseball So Far This Offseason

In a posting for Fox Sports.com, Dayn Perry says that there's only been one good signing so far this season, and it's the Mets signing of Moises Alou to a one year deal. He lists the 5 worst signings so far this offseason, and then says Moises Alou is the only smart move so far.

1. Moises Alou, OF, Mets, one year, $8.5M

In this overheated market — and when you're the deep-pocketed Mets — a one-year, $8.5-million pact is basically free. Alou has poor fielding range these days, and he's gimpy. However, he can still rake (.304 AVG/.371 OBP/.548 SLG over the last three seasons). The Mets badly need better production from the outfield corners, and they also badly need help against left-handed pitching. Alou betters them — by a lot — on both counts. This deal is further evidence that Omar Minaya has developed into one of the smartest GMs in the game today.

So there. Of course, once the Glavine deal gets done, that will have to rank above it, whichever team he decides to go with. So then the Mets will have made the two best signings (or the Braves the best signing).

Popper: Glavine Still Not On Speaking Terms with John Schuerholz

Steve Popper says that although Tom Glavine has yet to decide whether to re-sign with the Mets or go back to the Braves, he's letting his agent find out what the Braves have to offer, presumably because he's still miffed about the breach of trust in GM John Schuerholz's book this past Spring.

Glavine has not spoken to Braves' GM John Schuerholz and won't -- leaving the discussions to his agent after a rift developed when Schuerholz detailed their negotiations in a book.

Popper also believes that the Braves don't have any chance of signing Glavine unless they give him a no-trade clause, something they've never given to any player.

Glavine, according to a person close to him, is still waiting to hear what the Braves have to say. And if the first words don't include a no-trade clause, the discussions will end there.

This article gives me some glimmer of hope that El Duque won't be the Mets Opening Day starter in 2007.

Transplanted Ex-Met Update - Bret Saberhagen Would Decline Hall Of Fame Induction

Bret Saberhagen has only slightly more of a chance than I do of getting elected into the Hall of Fame, but he told the Kansas City Star that he would decline an invitation to Cooperstown if he were elected because of the injustice of keeping Pete Rose out.

Yeah, right. Okay, Bret. Unless you actually have a chance of being elected, it's not a very bold statement to say you'd decline the honor. After spraying the writers whose votes you'd need with a water gun filled with Clorox, I'm fairly certain they might find your name on the ballot had been bleached out.