Peterson signs through 2009

Marty Noble at Mets.com, writes about Rick Peterson and his contract extension:

Ten days after the Mets extended the contract of manager Willie Randolph through the 2009 season, they announced they have signed pitching coach Rick Peterson for the same period. Peterson and the other coaches --- all are returning except for Manny Acta -- have been signed for some time, but the announcement came Friday afternoon.

Under Peterson's guidance, the Mets staff produced the third lowest ERA (4.14) in the National League last season despite a series of injuries that struck the rotation and the bullpen. The club lost Juan Padilla in Spring Training, two of its season-opening starters, Brian Bannister and Victor Zambrano, before mid-May and Pedro Martinez for extended periods and Martinez and Orlando Hernandez for the postseason. And Duaner Sanchez was disabled for the final two and a half months of the season after being injured in a taxi accident.

"Rick has done a great job with the pitchers," general manager Omar Minaya said in a statement Friday. "He has a personal approach for each guy, and I think his success over the last three years speaks for itself."