New York
Mets

News: The Denver Post is reporting that the Rockies have shown some interest in catcher Brian Schneider. The team is looking for a backup to Chris Ianetta if Yorvit Torrealba leaves this winter.
Impact: Torrealba is likely gone, so the team wants a veteran presence to backup Ianetta. Schneider will be a nice compliment if he ends up in Colorado, but his days of being a fantasy catcher are over. 

News: Cora, who is still rehabbing his surgically repaired thumbs, filed for free agency.
Impact: Cora played through torn ligaments in both thumbs, requiring surgery on each before the end of the season. If the Mets were smart they would re-sign him for middle infield depth as he is capable at both spots and solid in the clubhouse. 

News: Dessens filed for free agency.
Impact: Dessens will look to earn a job out of spring training as bullpen depth. 

News: Schneider filed for free agency.
Impact: Schneider had another disappointing year in New York, beset by injuries and poor performance, and would not have been back with the team. He will likely sign a deal somewhere as a backup catcher. 

News: Martinez filed for free agency.
Impact: Martinez missed the start of last season recovering from sports hernia surgery, then began the year at Triple-A. He was called up in May and saw some action with Jose Reyes and Alex Cora out before dislocating his pinkie, which required surgery. Martinez will likely be signed to a minor-league contract and be a spring training invite somewhere. 

News: Tatis filed for free agency at the last minute Thursday.
Impact: Tatis and Andy Pettitte were the final two of 171 players to file for free agency. Tatis once again saw heavy action for the Mets, and after struggling the first three months of the year, he went 48-for-143 August-October. The Mets can offer him arbitration, and if he accepts and no one signs him, he will get $1.5 million, which is likely more than they want to pay him. Look for him to sign somewhere as a utility player. 

News: The Mets plan on bringing back Jeff Francoeur for the 2010 season, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
Impact: He is arbitration eligible, though apparently the Mets might be considering a longer term extension for the impatient right fielder. Francoeur hit .280 with 15 home runs and 76 RBI between the Braves and Mets in 2009. 

News: The Mets are actively trying to trade Castillo in order to acquire a more powerful second baseman, the New York Post reports.
Impact: The Mets have discussed trading Castillo for Arizona's catcher Chris Snyder. Also, FOXSports.com reports that the Mets have considered trading Castillo to the Cubs as part of a three-way deal including Milton Bradley and Lyle Overbay. Although neither of these trades involves the Mets receiving a second basemen, Castillo appears to be on his way out of New York. 

News: Nieve is likely to miss the remainder of the season, according to MLB.com.
Impact: Nieve, on the DL with a strained right quadriceps, injured the quad trying to beat out a grounder. Nieve, who is 3-3 with a 2.95 ERA, is the ninth Met on the disabled list. They have six players on the 15-day list and three on the 60-day DL. 

News: New York put Niese on the 60-day disabled list Thursday with a torn right hamstring.
Impact: Niese is out for the remainder of the season and is expected to be ready for spring training. 

News: Cora will have separate operations to repair both ailing thumbs, the Mets announced after Monday's 10-1 loss to the Giants. Cora is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Impact: Expect Cora to miss the season. The light-hitting infielder is batting .251 this year. 

News: Martinez was transferred to the 60-day disabled list on June 19 for his fractured left pinkie.
Impact: Martinez, who is batting .167 (7 for 42) this season for New York, dislocated his left pinkie awkwardly sliding at the plate while scoring the Mets' lone run in a 3-1 loss June 2 at Pittsburgh. 

News: Delgado had another setback while rehabbing from right hip surgery and it appears increasingly unlikely that he'll be able to return to the lineup before the season ends.
Impact: Sidelined since May 11, Delgado tried again to run outside last weekend but his hip became inflamed. He said the recent soreness in his side and back also were related to the hip injury. The 37-year-old Delgado can become a free agent after this season, his fourth in New York. Ravaged by injuries all year, the Mets might look for a younger and perhaps less expensive option at first base in 2010. 

News: Putz filed for free agency Saturday.
Impact: Putz became a free agent one day after New York declined his $9.1 million option and chose to pay a $1 million buyout. 

News: The New York Mets have declined an option on Putz, making him eligible for free agency. Putz was due to make $9.1 million in 2010. Instead, the Mets decided Friday to pay him a $1 million buyout.
Impact: Putz was 1-4 with two saves and a 5.22 ERA in his first season with New York. The Mets got him a trade with Seattle last offseason to be the setup man for Francisco Rodriguez. Putz had surgery on his right elbow in June. He was shut down in August for the rest of the season because of a problem in his right forearm. 

News: Delgado (hip) filed for free agency, the Associated Press reports.
Impact: Delgado didn't play after May 11 due to a hip injury that required surgery. He may need to prove he's healthy this winter before a team signs him for everyday duty next season. 

News: The Mets exercised their $500,000 option on Pelfrey for the 2010 season, the NY Daily News reports.
Impact: The Mets will then control Pelfrey for three arbitration years after the 2010 season. He finished the 2009 season with 10 wins, 107 strikeouts and a 5.03 ERA. 

News: The Mets have informed Putz (elbow) that they do not intend to exercise their $8.6 million club option for 2010, instead paying him a $1 million buyout, the NY Post reports.
Impact: The Mets cited "health concerns" in declining the option, following Putz's surgery to remove bone chips in early-June and MRI taken in late-August that showed some fraying and a slight tear in his right forearm. Putz was the key component acquired by the Mets in their three-way trade with Seattle and Cleveland last offseason and they now have little to show for that deal. 

News: The New York Mets have declined the 2010 option on pitcher J.J. Putz, according to the New York Post's Bart Hubbuch. The team will pay a $1 million buyout to Putz.
Impact: Putz struggled in his 29 games played with the Mets, but the team was mainly discouraged with his elbow injury. If he wants a nice deal for the upcoming season, he will have to prove that his elbow is or will be 100 percent. 

News: Francoeur has undergone thumb surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training. The Mets said the operation on Francoeur's torn ligament in his left thumb took place in Atlanta on Monday.
Impact: The Mets obtained Francoeur on July 10 from Atlanta for Ryan Church. He hit .311 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs for the Mets. Overall, he hit .280 with 15 homers and 76 RBIs. 

News: Francoeur had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb on Monday, the NY Post reports.
Impact: He's expected to be ready for the start of spring training. Francoeur doubled his power output after getting traded to the Mets last season, but he's still struggling to draw walks and his plate discipline went unimproved. At his best, Francoeur looks like a .280/.315/.470 type player and now that he's approaching 3,000 at-bats for his career, it may be fair to assume that improved plate discipline will simply never happen. 

News: According to MetsBlog.com, outfielder Fernando Martinez has started running the bases and plans to play in the Dominican Winter League starting in November. Martinez had surgery on his right knee in late September.
Impact: This is a pretty quick turn-around after knee surgery, but Fernandez says he is feeling good and looking forward to playing the in Dominican next month. Assuming he is completely recovered, the Mets have to be thrilled that their young outfielder will play this winter. 

News: Via the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post's Bart Hubbuch believes the Mets will cut their payroll "substantially" this offseason.
Impact: This is even after it was revealed last week that not only did Bernie Madoff not bankrupt the Mets, he actually made them money. It looks like the Amazins' arduous 2009 campaign might have just been a pre-cursor to more bad times, and not an aberration.