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MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 10, 2008

Omar Minaya

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

JAY HOROWITZ: I'd like to introduce Mets general manager Omar Minaya. We'll take some general questions.
OMAR MINAYA: Thank you. We are very happy to announce that we've come to terms, completed terms, with one of what we felt was our number one need. We signed Francisco Rodriguez to a three-year contract with the New York Mets.
Our goal from day one was to improve the bullpen, and I cannot think of a better reliever that we'd be able to sign than Francisco Rodriguez. The stats speak for themselves on him, not only breaking the record in saves this year, but the consistency that he's done that, his drive, his youth, so we're excited to be able to have Francisco Rodriguez, known as K-Rod, to join the New York Mets.

Q. There was a report at one point that you were going to bring Trever Hoffman in here for an interview. Did that ever materialize, and what was the back story there?
OMAR MINAYA: Yeah, we did. One of the guys that we had planned on talking to before we made our decision on Francisco was Trever. When Trever was supposed to come to Las Vegas, he had some flight delays that day, and he would have been able to probably come and join us. I think we talked about possibly today. But we were not able to meet with him the way we had planned on.
But that being said, we made a decision to go with Frankie, so the meeting with Trever Hoffman never did materialize, but we had planned on doing one, yes.

Q. Can you talk about why the length of that contract when he was looking for a lot longer and how the economy has affected not just his but everything else as far as your negotiations?
OMAR MINAYA: Well, look, I think a lot of times when you hear things out in the papers, and we had heard about the length that -- the agent that they were looking for at one time, and of course that's why a lot of times not only what you hear in the papers, you have to follow up.
All along we had said we were interested in being involved with him. As far as the length, I think it's a fair length. I think that the economy had everything to do with the length.
I don't think so. For me I think it was the fact that there's a -- right now fortunately for us there is a group of relievers out there, so we did have options. If we were not going to go to, A, Francisco, we had other options.
In a negotiating environment, I think we on this side as a club were able to say, hey, look, this is what we're looking for. It is a vesting option so there is potential to be a fourth year, but I think if there was no other relievers in the market, the length probably would have been different.

Q. I was wondering if you think CC Sabathia signing, do you think that might break up a logjam and get some other deals going?
OMAR MINAYA: Well, usually, like a lot of things, usually, whether it's Francisco as a reliever exits the market or whether it's CC, if that is done, usually the top guys usually from position players to starting pitchers, that kind of sets the market. There tends to be more a -- more signings after that.
There is only going to be one winner in those guys, and there is probably going to be two or three losers, and those two or three losers probably have to address that need, and have to go to what they call their B plan, so there will be more signings.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about what this does, especially in the last two years, the way it's ended for you, and the other part of the question is, is there any other bullpen help that you're looking for? There's been some reports that Chad Cordero is somebody that you might be looking at.
OMAR MINAYA: Well, what it does is definitely -- last year we lost Billy Wagner for the last two months of the season and we were short one game, and the bullpen unfortunately was in disarray. We had guys that did a good job in the pitching roles that they were not accustomed to. It stabilizes the back end of the game for us. We still need to improve and kind of find a way to -- I guess get guys into the role.
I think this at least will put some of the guys that we still have into the roles that they're accustomed to. Just that move in itself just makes the whole bullpen much better.
As far as Chad Cordero, he's one of the guys that's a free agent that is coming from major surgery, so we will see how that plays out.

Q. I'm from LA, so a lot of us have been looking at K-Rod, and there's been talk that especially the last few months of the season his fastball is way down from what it's been. Are there any concerns about that? Have you guys looked at that? I assume you have.
OMAR MINAYA: Yeah, we did look at the fastball. The fastball, I don't know if it was the last few months, but his fastball was up in September. We have the ability to track those things, and his fastball is not the same fastball that it was when he came up in 2002.
But by the same token, that fastball is not -- his change-up according to some of the hitters we've talked to was as good as any change-up in the game. And I think like anything else, what he's done is he's found a way to -- one thing about being in the Major Leagues, you'd better make adjustments because the league will adjust to you. He's smart enough to make adjustments to the league and he has different weapons with which to get you out.

End of FastScripts

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