Buster Olney has put the damper on a rumor that had Lyle Overbay going to the Mets. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

You have to love this time of year. We are all playing General Manager, but there is only one man who can get things done. Omar Minaya has a world of pressure on his shoulders, and he knows that is going to be out of a job if this team doesn’t start winning soon. Well the rumors are circulating, and it looks like Omar has made many calls to put out feelers, and that’s exactly what he needs to do.

The first big Mets’ rumor broke mid-day yesterday when Ken Rosenthal reported that there was talk of a three-team swap between the Mets, Cubs and Blue Jays. The Jays would get Milton Bradley from the Cubs; the Cubs would get Luis Castillo from the Mets; and the Mets would acquire Lyle Overbay from the Jays. I got excited when I first heard about this potential deal.

This would pave the way for an Orlando Hudson arrival, which is a move Mets’ fans have long coveted. Unfortunately, Buster Olney has emerged to debunk such a rumor, saying neither the Cubs or Jays would do such a deal.

The next bundle of rumors that we have seen revolves around the catching situation. Jason Varitek’s option has been declined by the Red Sox, but now he has to decide whether to invoke his $3 million player option for 2010. A source within the Mets said today that the Mets are looking for someone that can catch at least 100 games, and it is quite clear that Varitek does not clear the bill.

It looks like the Mets will look at a pool of candidates that includes Bengie Molina, Chris Snyder, Kelly Shoppach, Rod Barajas and Ryan Doumit.

Also, some talk that Omar Minaya doesn’t like has hit the airwaves. It has been reported that Jason Bay and Matt Holliday might be out of the Mets’ price range. Their should be no limit. Don’t patronize the fans by making it look like you have no money to spend. We’re smarter than that.

You need to do whatever it takes to get a winning team back out there, and I will not be satisfied if a guy like Pat Burrell is out there as a stopgap. We need to make a splash, and one of these guys would do the trick.

There aren’t many things that get me more excited than the hot stove. This is a huge point in time for the Mets, but the same can go for a lot of major league teams. Imagine. One day, maybe we will have someone closer to the chest with all of this, but for now, you’ll have to trust our opinions.

Tags: Free Agency, Hot Stove, Mets, MLB, Trades

Categories: Jason Bay , Jason Varitek , Luis Castillo , Lyle Overbay , MLB , Matt Holliday , Mets , Michael Ganci , Milton Bradley , Orlando Hudson