Does Torrealba help land Jennings?

From Ed Ryan at Mets Fever (Network Member):

Although Carlos Silva is considered the best free agent pitcher this year, that has more to do with consistency then it does potential. Jason Jennings may have the most potential and best stuff of the entire group. The former ace of the Colorado Rockies is coming off the worse year of his career, in which he was riddled with injuries. He only made 19 starts, going 2-9 with a 6.45 ERA. But the year before was considered a break out year for Jennings, he compiled a record of 9-13 with an ERA of 3.78 and walked 85 while striking out 142. Keeping in mind that he was pitching his home games in Colorado and the Rockies weren't very good that year, the numbers aside from the record are pretty good. Jennings made 32 starts in 2006, in which he pitched 212 innings and his catcher was Torrealba. A pitcher coming off injuries might want to play in a situation where he's comfortable by working with a catcher he's familiar with. I'm sure it would be appealing for him to work with Peterson who might help him find his mechanical flaws and avoid additional injuries. Not only is Shea a pitchers park but Jennings being a contact pitcher would have a solid defense behind him. Teams might not be willing to take a risk on him, but I think he might be the steal of the market.......

Torrealba To Sign With Mets

Andrew Marchand at ABC News 7 writes about Yorvit Torrealba and him agreeing to sign with the Mets:

Free-agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba will agree to a three-year contract with the New York Mets on Thursday, according to Torrealba's agent, Melvin Roman.

Roman told 1050 ESPN New York that he expects to formalize the agreement with the Mets this afternoon. Roman declined to reveal how much the contract would be worth. GM Omar Minaya did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Torrealba May Choose His Team Today

At Rotoworld they write about Yorvit Torrealba and his decision of which team to to sign a contract with:

According to New York Newsday, Yorvit Torrealba "will probably choose a team as early as" Thursday.

The newspaper reports that "Torrealba is now holding three-year offers from both the Mets and Rockies." The Mets are said to have offered around $5 million per season, which seemingly should be enough for a 29-year-old career-long backup who hasn't that well even with Coors Field as his home.

Mets Close To A Deal With Torrealba

David Lennon and Ken Davidoff at Newsday writes about the eventual signing of Yorvit Torrealba:

Having lost out on Jorge Posada, the Mets are wasting no time in trying to close a deal with Yorvit Torrealba, and it looks like an agreement could be struck by the end of this week.

General manager Omar Minaya, spurned by Posada's decision to return to the Yankees late Monday, contacted Torrealba's agent yesterday with the intent of moving ahead quickly, according to a National League official familiar with the situation.

Lo Duca, who is coming off a three-year, $18-million contract, is a .288 career hitter. Torrealba's numbers were markedly different away from Coors Field. Torrealba batted .296 at home, but .212 on the road.

Defensively, Torrealba is an upgrade, and he was a key figure in the Rockies' run to the World Series. As a Type B free agent, the Mets would not lose a draft pick for signing Torrealba.

Three Predicted Met Signings

At MLB Trade Rumors they run through the top 50 free agents and where he thinks they will sign. The Mets have thre of them:

9. Carlos Silva - Mets. Silva is going to have tons of suitors. The Mets will come up with a reliable starter one way or another, and Silva might fit. I was originally going to put Livan Hernandez in Queens. But if you're the Mets, why not tack on another year and $11MM to get the superior, younger guy?

33. Luis Castillo - Mets. I think the Mets will sign him for lack of a better option. He did a nice job for them and wants to stay.

41. Yorvit Torrealba - Mets. I don't see the Mets being crazy enough to give Posada five years. Torrealba seems sufficient, no worse than the other options. A Ramon Hernandez trade seems to be a popular alternative.