New York Mets

Lenny Dykstra Would Like to Give You Investment Advice

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By Josh Alper 2/09/2010 5:05 PM ET

One of the strangest post-athletic developments in recent history was Lenny Dykstra's trip from tobacco-chewing, uniform-dirtying center fielder into a modern day J.P. Morgan. His investment advice was lauded by Jim Cramer, hyped by HBO and turned Dykstra into a bizarre cottage industry.

And then, as with everything else from the halcyon financial days of the middle of the last decade, it all came crashing down. Dykstra filed for bankruptcy, lost his mansion to creditors and sold his World Series ring at auction. In the process, Dykstra became a punchline to everyone who scratched their head about his previous status.

You can't keep Nails down, though. He's back and selling investment advice to anyone looking to make a quick buck in the stock market at a new Web site called Nails Investments.

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By Pat Lackey 2/09/2010 11:50 AM ET

The Mets announced today that they will reduce the height of Citi Field's center field wall prior to the 2010 season. Ostensibly, the reason for the 16-foot to 8-foot reduction is to help make up for the Mets massive power outage in Cit Field's first season, which saw the team drop from 172 homers in 2008 to just 95 in 2009.

As Matt Cerrone points out at Metsblog, though, things aren't that cut and dried for the Mets. The team actually hit more homers at home than on the road and David Wright, who saw his home run total drop from 33 to 10 last season, hits the majority of his homers to left and left-center field where the walls will remain 12-15 feet high. New left fielder Jason Bay has decent power to all fields, but his big jump in home runs in 2009 (he hit a career high 36 after hitting 31 in 2008 and 21 in 2007) was mostly attributable to Fenway Park's Green Monster-created short left field porch.

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By Matt Snyder 1/22/2010 1:10 PM ET

With star center fielder Carlos Beltran recently having surgery -- meaning he'll miss at least a month of the regular season -- the Mets were left with a pretty significant hole in their defense. Friday, they made a move to temporarily fill it. The Mets dealt relief pitcher Brian Stokes to the Los Angeles Angels for Gary Matthews Jr. and cash considerations.

Reportedly, those cash considerations are quite significant. Mets beat writer Steve Popper tweeted that the team will only be on the hook for $2 million of the $23.5 million left on Matthews' contract.

With the move, the Mets can use Matthews in center while Beltran works himself back into game shape. Newly signed Jason Bay will man left, while Jeff Francoeur is entrenched in right. Once Beltran returns, though, Matthews gives the Mets great flexibility in terms of resting players or for use as a possible pinch-runner, pinch-hitter or late-inning defensive replacement.

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By Ed Price 1/19/2010 8:34 PM ET

Ben Sheets, a potential top-of-the-rotation pitcher who missed all of 2009 because of elbow surgery, worked out Tuesday for scouts in Monroe, La., and one club official on hand said Sheets "threw very well. He threw easy."

The scout speculated that the Cubs, Mets and Rangers are the favorites to sign Sheets, a four-time All-Star who from 2007-08 was 25-14 with a 3.39 ERA. Perhaps surprisingly, Oakland had multiple people there along with the above clubs.

A "ton" of teams were on hand, the scout said, including the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Phillies and Reds.

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By Jeff Fletcher 1/19/2010 5:25 PM ET

The Giants months-long search for a quality catcher who would take a one-year deal may just have ended with, of all people, the guy who had the job last year. In a bit of a stunner, the Giants re-signed Bengie Molina to a one-year, $4.5-million deal, according to the local CBS affilate.

It would a nice deal for the Giants, who get a dependable catcher that plays good defense and even hits, and they get him on an affordable one-year deal, so he won't eat into (ooh, bad phrase) too much of the future, who is Buster Posey.

But here's why it's so weird.

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By Tom Fornelli 1/19/2010 12:34 PM ET

Outfielder Jason Bay was one of the bigger prizes in this winter's free agent class before he signed a four-year, $66 million deal with the New York Mets in early January. Of course, had it not been for some concerns of the Boston Red Sox and their medical staff, Bay may have never reached free agency at all.

According to Peter Gammons, the Red Sox were ready to sign Bay to a four-year, $60 million deal last July but when an MRI raised some concern about both of Bay's knees, the Red Sox lowered the offer to two years which Bay rejected and instead opted to hit the open market.

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By Pat Lackey 1/15/2010 2:28 PM ET

When the news about Carlos Beltran's knee surgery broke Wednesday night with word that the surgery may have come without the Mets permission, it seemed like a good time to grab a drink, pull up a chair, and watch the whole thing play out in the sadly hilarious fashion that all Mets-related things seem to play out these days. Thurdsay's proceedings did not disappoint.

Beltran claims that he had spoken with Mets' GM Omar Minaya and gotten permission for the surgery on Tuesday, something his agent, Scott Boras, confirmed in a statement. His knee was examined by his personal doctor, who recommended surgery. Beltran says the Mets' doctors agreed with that diagnosis. Mets assistant GM Jerry Ricco disputes that, saying that though the Mets had been informed of the checkup done on his knee, they hadn't signed off on the surgery and wanted a third opinion.

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By Pat Lackey 1/13/2010 10:35 PM ET

The new year isn't even two weeks old, but the Mets can't escape the injury bug that plagued them for all of the last one. Wednesday night, they found out that Carlos Beltran underwent arthroscopic surgery on his arthritic right knee, and that he won't be able to participate in any baseball activities for 12 weeks. To make matters worse, Joel Sherman is reporting that Mets are claiming Beltran had the surgery without their permission, and that the team is contemplating action against their star.

The same knee condition caused Beltran to miss half of the 2009 season and while he initially felt better, the team says that he experienced pain during his conditioning workouts to prepare for the upcoming season. The 12-week timetable means that he should be able to start rehabbing right around when the season begins, with his return coming at some point after that.

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By Frankie Piliere 1/07/2010 3:15 PM ET

It's been a productive winter thus far for Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox. That much we can say. Aside from the addition of John Lackey, however, he hasn't made moves that are part of the long-term plans. Neither Mike Cameron or newly-signed Adrian Beltre are superstars, but they fill gaps in the Boston lineup and defensive alignment temporarily with a loaded free-agent class next winter looming.

The Red Sox lineup, as it's currently constituted, will not be nearly as imposing as it has been in recent years. On the other hand, their defense has been significantly improved. They have also situated themselves to keep two more positions warm and productive for either one of their prospects or a big free-agent signing after next season.

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By Andrew Johnson 1/05/2010 1:00 PM ET

What, Jason Bay worry?

The Mets' newest free-agent prize greeted the New York media Tuesday morning and moved quickly to dispel some of the worries about his decision to head to Queens.

"There were no concerns [about signing here]," Bay said in a press conference at Citi Field. "There was a short list of teams that I wanted to go to, and the New York Mets were on that list.

"I wouldn't have signed the contract if I didn't want to be here. ... This is one of the biggest days of my life, and I'm happy."

Just where they were on that list has been the subject of much speculation over the last month or so. Bay said the Mets were the first team to make an inquiry when he hit the open market in November and he didn't think the team and his representatives went more than 48 hours without talking.

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