Miracles happen

After failing to sign Yorvit Torrealba and also failing to reveal to Mets fans why the deal failed, the Mets traded for a catcher, getting Johnny Estrada from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Estrada's a decent catcher, at least as good if not better than Paul Lo Duca. But getting Estrada wasn't the best part of the deal. That was whom the Mets had to give up to get him: Guillermo Mota.

I can't believe that the Brewers are so desperate for relief pitching that they'd trade for Mota. But who cares what their reason was. Mota's no longer a Met, and the Mets have a new starting catcher.

Happy days are here again, for a day at least.

Yorvit talks at an impasse

Without explaining why, it appears that the Mets have broken off efforts trying to sign Yorvit Torrealba.

Fate might have intervened and prevented Omar Minaya from making a mistake he might have regretted.

Mets announcement

What's Minaya thinking?

I'm not a Lo Duca fan, but even at age 35 he's a better catcher than Yorvit Torrealba. Torrealba can't hit nor can he throw runners out, yet Minaya appears to have shelved out $14.4 million to acquire Torrealba's services for three seasons.

Last season, Torrealba hit only eight home runs while throwing out only 13 of the 74 runners who tried to steal on him. That's a lower percentage than even Lo Duca's 19.1 percent. And when on the road, Torrealba hit pathetically: .212 batting average, two home runs, and 13 RBIs.

In his first major move this post-season, Minaya appears to have downgraded the Mets.