Mets get Estrada for Steriod User

Omar Minaya has pulled off yet another spectacular deal for the New York Mets. Minaya was able to pawn off Mets relief pitcher Guillermo Mota and his steroid-free 5.76 ERA on the Milwaukee Brewers for former All-star catcher Johnny Estrada. While Mota was certainly instrumental in helping the Mets clinch the NL East in 2006, he did more harm than good in 2007 without that "extra edge". Estrada on the other hand will bring his switch hitting, .278 average to Shea where he will split time with Ramon Castro who signed a two-year deal with the Mets last week.

Even though Estrada is coming off arthroscopic knee surgery, I'd rather take my chances with him than Mota who looked awful this past year. Both will be free agents after this year, so Omar didn't get himself in too deep with a huge contract either.

I became very skeptical of Minaya after he balked on acquiring a good reliever at the trade deadline in July. I also wasn't sold on signing Yorvit Torrealba to be the Mets catcher of the future because he put up mediocre numbers at best and few would have even given him a second thought if it weren't for the fact he was on the Rockies this year. Thankfully that fell through, and even though I think bringing back Paul Lo Duca would have been the best option, the Estrada deal is a great one.

While pitching is still a concern for the Mets, I don't think the loss of Mota will be felt by the team next year. Minaya is still looking into acquiring a top of the rotation starter after Tom Glavine returned to Atlanta and free agent Livan Hernandez is also being considered because of the way he eats up innings. Whatever happens, my faith in Omar has been restored, and I can't wait to see what he does next.

Andrew Rohlin

Pat Morgan on Bonds

Since Barry Bonds is one home run away from overtaking Hank Aaron, I figure this is the best time to give my take on it. I am someone who is tired of hearing about Bonds and everything that he is doing. ESPN's Pedro Gomez reports Bonds was seen eating a sandwich around 3:35 p.m., but the contents of the meal are unclear at this time. You know what I mean. That's what ESPN has become, but that is a post for another day. Bonds, before everyone believes he started steroids, was a clear cut hall-of-famer. Without the 'roids he would have easily reached 500, perhaps 600 home runs. Put that with his 500+ stolen bases he would be a first-ballot lock.

Is it fair that he should be the posterboy for the steroid era? Probably not, but he did cheat and he deserves all the public scrutiny he has received. Bonds is the one going for the record, no one cares about Jason Grimsley or Guillermo Mota. Only Rafael Palmeiro and Jason Giambi, to an extent, have diverted the attention from Bonds. Again, it is not fair Bonds gets most of the spotlight for the steroid scandal, but remember he cheated the game first. So, I do not feel bad for him, AT ALL. It's too bad the most cherished record in all of sports will be broken by a cheater. Those who say he hasn't been proven guilty need to look at the facts (and the picture below).

Numerous reports have come out about his use. His trainer won't testify and has been in and out of jail for that. His head is about the size of a globe now, and this is a guy who was a stick when he came on the scene. If I were Bud Selig, I'd try as hard as I could to get him to talk with George Mitchell, who is running the steroid investigation, but that's if this entire investigation is going to actually amount to something. It's been going on two years and nothing has come from it. Plus the players' union for baseball is perhaps the strongest union in the world. They'd never allow Selig to do anything like that, unless Bonds slips like Giambi did. That is as likely as Jaleel White finding some kind of main stream work again.

Sadly, the MLB players' union thinks they are above the law. Look at the Tour de France. They just removed their overall leader during the event because he took and illegal blood transfusion. I would love to see Barry Bonds break the homerun record in Los Angeles this week. Wow! That chorus of booes would be so fitting.

Pat Morgan