The Mets can’t even do a Winter Meetings rumor right. Yesterday, word started trickling out of Indianapolis — where the Winter Meetings are being held, where every baseball reporter in the nation is complaining about the snow — that the Mets were considering trading John Maine to Milwaukee for outfielder Corey Hart. Oooh, juicy trade talk! Well …
As it turns out, the Mets can’t make any trades involving Maine (or Mike Pelfrey) until they bring in another pitcher. The Mets can’t trade a pitcher until they sign a pitcher. We think. It’s all very confusing.
Says Buster Olney:
The Corey Hart-for-John Maine deal would come later, other dominos have to fall. The Mets have to get some other pitchers in the fold first before considering that trade.
We’re no genius, and we certainly don’t think John Maine is some world beater — but if this is a trade the Mets want to do, shouldn’t they just do it? We think this is a good trade for them, so much as anything can be a good trade for a team that is falling apart. Grab while you can. And seriously: These are the Winter Meetings. Senseless trade talk is the point. The Mets can’t even talk about a hypothetical trade until they get other hypothetical trades out of the way first. We think. Again, very confusing.
By the way, the word is that the Mets are going to push “extra” hard to get Matt Holliday and John Lackey. We shall believe it when we see it. (We will still not believe it then.)
(UPDATE: In Yankees news, it’s looking like the Yankees are signing Andy Pettitte for $12 million today.)