June 2012 - New York Mets Wiretap

Fred Wilpon, who has seen his finances stung by the Ponzi scheme involving Bernard Madoff, says the team's cash flow is "OK." Wilpon is working to sell minority shares in the Mets, each for a total of $20 million and a four percent stake in the team. He said as many as 12 shares may be sold, which would infuse as much as $240 million into the organization. "They shouldn't be concerned about us owning the franchise, because we intend to own the franchise for a very long time," Wilpon said in a message to the team's fans.

The Mets will remember Gary Carter by wearing a patch this season bearing his No. 8, according to team officials. Carter died last week at age 57 after an eight-month battle with brain cancer. Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon presented the patch to Sandy Carter, the Hall of Fame catcher's widow, after a memorial service Friday night in Florida. The team also will wear a second patch to recognize the 50th anniversary of the club's inaugural season, in 1962.

Scott Kazmir, who worked out for Major League teams this month, is considering six teams. The Mets are one of those clubs, according to a report. Kazmir is expected to make his decision soon.

It's possible that Johan Santana will be ready to pitch for the Mets by Opening Day. The left-hander threw off a mound Tuesday for the second time this year. Terry Collins said the team would be happy if it got 25-28 starts from the two-time Cy Young winner, who hasn't pitched in the majors since September 2010. "In my mind right now, in my heart, he'll be ready," Collins said. "I don't think there's any question. This guy has worked so hard in the last 18 months to get ready, I think he's going to be ready, I really do."

Carlos Beltran told Jon Niese before he was traded by the Mets last summer that the pitcher needed "a new nose." Beltran even offered to pay and now the outfielder may be receiving a bill in the mail. "He wanted me to have a new nose," Niese said of Beltran. "So he offered to pay for it. I was just like, 'All right.' Then it turned into seeing doctors and to getting it fixed." An originally unintended byproduct of the rhinoplasty procedure is improved breathing. "It's helped a lot with my running," Niese said. "It helps with my working out. As far as the mound, I'm not sure."

After dealing with the uncertain futures of Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran in his first year as general manager of the Mets, Sandy Alderson now has to deal with David Wright. Wright has a $16 million team option for next year. "I think that his future is independent of club performance," Alderson said. "There are certain decisions that one takes that are a function of where a team is at a particular time and so forth, but if there's anybody on the team whose performance and future is independent of the club's performance, I think it's David's." Alderson also shied away from comparisons to Reyes. After an MVP-caliber first half of the season, New York held onto the shortstop before he left in free agency. "I hate to make comparisons to Jose because he's not here right now," he said. "So I'm not sure that would be a good basis for comparison. David's future is a function of a lot of different things and only one of those is team performance - and I'm not sure that's very high on the list."

Johan Santana stepped on a mound for the first time since September on Friday at the Spring Training home of the Mets. New York manager Terry Collins labeled Santana's ensuing 25-pitch session to catcher Josh Thole a "huge first step for us." He did not appear in the majors last season after undergoing surgery Sept. 14, 2010 to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. "I finally had a chance to get on the mound and throw to a catcher, to Thole, and I felt really good," Santana said. "The approach that we had from the beginning was to do everything like I always do to get ready for the season. For me, it's about time to get on the mound and start throwing. And I was able to throw all of my pitches and it felt good after that."

Mets pitcher Johan Santana is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday at the club's Spring Training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in what would be his first time toeing the rubber since September.

Gary Carter, the Hall of Fame catcher who helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series, died Thursday at age 57. "I am deeply saddened to tell you all that my precious dad went to be with Jesus today at 4:10 pm.," his daughter Kimmy Bloemers wrote on the family's website. "This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to write in my entire life but I wanted you all to know. He is in heaven and has reunited with his mom and dad. I believe with all my heart that dad had a STANDING OVATION as he walked through the gates of heaven to be with Jesus."

Bud Selig hasn't yet intervened against the ownership of the Mets, but that doesn't mean he won't in the future. If the uncertainty of majority owner Fred Wilpon and his partners lingers into next offseason, Ken Rosenthal writes that Selig should make a move. He prefers teams to resolve their own problems, without interference from the commissioner. The case of the Dodgers and owner Frank McCourt is an exception. "He's been a great owner, loves his team," Selig said recently of Wilpon. "He's everything you'd want in a local owner. He's had some economic problems not caused by himself, and I have a lot of faith in him that he's working his way through that."