According to Bastian, new Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said that the Blue Jays still want to keep Halladay but said:

“…I think I have to be open-minded to anything that can make this ballclub better going forward and better for the long-term.”

With regards to Halladay, Anthopoulos told reports:

“…I think he stressed that his timeline for winning and ours may not mesh and may not match.”

…first off, i have to believe that Halladay is going to be traded either this winter or at the latest, by July 31…second, i think the price for Halladay has come down since the Blue Jays  failed to deal him this past summer…of course, i think that any deal would still cost a ton of prospects and a young, major league-ready pitcher, and while i think the Mets may have the prospects to deal, i am not so sure they have a major league pitcher that is attractive for the Blue Jays right now…

…another factor in play here is that Halladay has a full no-trade clause, so i have to wonder if, at this point in time, he would waive that no trade clause to come to the Mets…

Halladay is entering the final year of a three year $40 million deal, and is due $15,750,000 in 2010.

For more on the Halladay situation, check out Bastian’s article on MLB.com

In addition, Davis went 1 for 2 in the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars game, helping the AFL West to an 8-7 victory over the AFL East.

…Davis has been very impressive this Fall and has certainly generated a lot of talk and opinion as to whether or not the Mets should give him a shot at first base this Spring…i think he certainly needs more seasoning in the minors…he has played in just 172 professional games so far, but i think he will spend a lot of time at the Major League camp this Spring, especially if the Mets can’t find a long term solution at first base this winter…

In addition, Josh Thole is hitting .414 for the Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan League this fall, leading the league in batting, and has hit one home run and 11 RBI in 22 games.

…Thole was really impressive in his cup of coffee for the Mets in September, but kind of fizzled towards the end…i do think that this kid can hit, although i’d like to see him develop a little more power, and given that there aren’t any great alternatives outside the organization at the moment, i do feel that at some point, he will get his chance with the big club…

For complete coverage of the Arizona Fall League and other Mets prospects, be sure to check out Toby Hyde’s Mets Minor League Blog.

Sullivan says that Harden’s injury history makes signing a long term deal with the Cubs unlikely, and considering the Cubs want to move Kosuke Fukudome to right field, it would likely result in a platoon situation for Johnson.

…Harden would be a tempting choice for the Mets…he does have ace-like stuff and the market for elite free agent pitchers drops off dramatically after him and John Lackey…his injury history is very alarming and the last thing this club needs is another player that isn’t durable, but if they can land Lackey, i wouldn’t mind the Mets taking a chance on Harden if they could get him on a lower base salary, loaded with incentives…it’s a tough call…

…Johnson is a guy i just can’t see being a fit for the Mets right now…i was one of those that wanted the Mets to bring him in last year when the Blue Jays released him, but that was a different Mets team with far fewer problems, at least on paper…he had an injury plagued 2009 but he is supposedly a great clubhouse presence…

Harden just completed the final year of a four year, $9 million contract he originally signed with the Athletics, and Johnson just finished a one year, $3 million contract.

For more on this and other Cubs news, check out the Chicago Tribune.

Meanwhile Sam over at Amazin’ Avenue does a fantastic job breaking down the Mets top 10 prospects.

Also, Matthew Artus, in a post to his blog for the Star Ledger, hopes that Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s cheering for the Mets becomes more sincere when they’re back on top.

Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to my “Mets Photo of the Day” on Twitter here.

…the Dodgers didn’t miss a beat with Ramirez suspended and Pierre in his spot…the thought on Pierre is that his skills are diminishing but he did steal 30 bases this season and he hardly strikes out which tells me that he can still be a great leadoff hitter…however he doesn’t walk that much and his average is strikingly close to his on base percentage, but that has been the knock on Jose Reyes as well…

…i just don’t think Pierre should be considered as a solution in the outfield for the Mets…he is fast and can be a catalyst, but the Mets need power and a greater ability to get on base than what he can provide…

For more on Pierre and Ramirez, check out the Los Angeles Times.

…of the three, i believe that Hernandez is the most attractive…i wouldn’t think that Treanor, who became a free agent after refusing his assignment to the minors by the Tigers, would be on the Mets radar and Torrealba evidently still has a chip on his shoulder after the Mets retracted their contract offer to him two years ago…

…Hernandez is interesting…he was injured for half the year but has always been on the Mets radar…he was offered a contract by the Mets in 2006 before going to the Orioles and as Ed points out in his post, he is a highly regarded defensive catcher and i’d think he would be an upgrade over Brian Schneider from an offensive standpoint…he will be 34 in May, but he could serve as a good mentor to Josh Thole, much like the role played by Rey Sanchez for Jose Reyes in 2003…

In 11 seasons, Hernandez is a lifetime .262 hitter but hit just five home runs and 37 RBI in an injury plagued 2009 campaign.

For more on this, check out Mets Fever.

“I’d be curious to know if you think an offer of Mike Pelfrey, Ike Davis, Reese Havens, and Fernando Martinez would be enough (or be too much) to get Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres? I think that it is a slightly better package than what the Red Sox would offer (probably – Clay Buchholz, Daneil Bard, Michael Bowden, and Lars Anderson).”

…great question and i think that would be enough…the question is – does such a move make sense for either side…i think that acquiring Gonzalez is the best possible move the Mets could make and in this particular scenario, he negates the need for Davis for sure, but I think the Mets would be giving up too much by sending away Davis, Pelfrey AND Martinez as i have to think that at least one of those players can have a major impact at the major league level for a very long time…but ultimately, i don’t think Gonzalez would cost the Mets or the Red Sox this much talent, nor do i think either team would execute a deal to send that much talent away for one player to begin with…

…i’d be more inclined to trade Martinez at this point, simply because I don’t know where he fits into the puzzle anymore…if they acquire a Holliday/Bay/Crawford and keep Jeff Francoeur, what does that mean for Martinez…that said, this was the guy Omar Minaya would not trade for Johan Santana, so i wonder if he would consider dealing him for Gonzalez now…

…i think that the key for any package, when comparing one team’s package to another team’s package is whether or not, in this case, the Padres like those players and if they fit into their puzzle…i don’t think they can doubt the talent of guys like Davis and Martinez, but do they feel Davis can fill the shoes of Gonzalez in the long term, and do they think Martinez fits into their plans…they may better players than those in Boston’s package, but not necessarily better for San Diego’s short and long term goals…

Gammons believes Beckett will travel to Boston in the coming weeks and see how the Red Sox feel about giving him a contract extension.

Beckett, who will turn 30 in May, has a $12 million vested option for 2010, but can become a free agent after next season.

Gammons says Beckett is likely looking for a deal like CC Sabathia signed with the Yankees, i.e., seven years, $160 million.

…i would imagine that Beckett and the Red Sox could be at somewhat of a crossroads here, not because of his performance because he has been outstanding for them, but he is at an age where he will want a long term contract, but his age at the back end of such a contract puts him in some dicey territory, and any team that takes on such a contract has to keep that in close consideration…

…that said, if the Red Sox decide to shop Beckett, i wonder if the Mets might consider getting in on the sweepstakes…Boston will want to maximize the return on their ace and with good reason…he has been one of the best postseason pitchers of our generation and has proven to be a big game pitcher even during the regular season…and it’s obvious that they will not trade intra-division which would help keep the cost in return down to a certain degree…even so i wonder if the Mets have what it would take to land Beckett…

Lifetime, Beckett is 106-68 with a 3.79 ERA, and after a mediocre 2008, he bounced back to go 17-6 with a 3.76 ERA in 212 innings and 32 starts for the Red Sox in 2009, and has won two World Championships and is a 7-3 with a 3.07 ERA in his postseason career.

For more on Beckett and the Red Sox, check out Gammons’ article.

…that squelches the “Manny to the Mets” rumors this winter…

Hernandez says that Ramirez’s agent, Scott Boras, informed Dodgers GM Ned Colletti that his client will not opt out of the final year of his contract.

…it’s probably a wise move for him to stay…there is no way, after the slump he was in after returning from his PED suspension that he would get anywhere close to the $20 million he is due next year from any other club…

Chapman’s agent, Edwin Mejia, told Bontemps that his client has met with both organizations, and that the dialogue will continue, but says his client likes New York.

In late October, Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post said that the Mets were bowing out of the Chapman sweepstakes as long as his price tag is in the $60 million range.

…i don’t really know what to make of this interview…i always like young, hard throwing lefities, but i said a couple of weeks ago that this is probably not the direction the Mets should go in no matter what considering Chapman is an unknown quantity…he is a good fit on a team that can afford to take such a risk, and with the Mets rotation being in the state that it’s in today, i question whether or not the Mets can take on a large contract with so many question marks…

Update, 8:35 am:

…from what i can gather, the Mets are still very much interested in chapman, and Omar Minaya has remained in contact with his agent… there seems to be a split around the game… some people i have talked with feel he can have an immediate impact next season, others think he’ll need at least a year or two of development, but most everyone thinks he has the potential to be a very special pitcher… i have no idea where the Mets fall in on that spectrum… he wants to be a star, and so it makes sense for him to pitch in New York, and, of course, the National League is better for pitchers… but, i have to think chapman’s asking price might impact how every team treats him… i mean, that’s a pretty serious bet to make on a 20-year-old kid who has not yet pitched in the big leagues…