February 3  Mets signed P. Grant Roberts to a $310,000 contract if he makes the team.  Roberts was 2-1 last season.

Mets also hired former ML Brett Butler as the organizational outfield coach.  Butler will work with Roger Cedeno to try to become a better OF this spring.

January 25  Mets signed P. Graeme Lloyd to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.  Lloyd was 4-5 with a 5.21 ERA last season with Marlins and Expos.

January 21  Mets and P. Scott Strickland agreed to an 1-year $950,000 contract, avoiding arbitration.  Strickland can earn an additional $75,000 in performance bonuses.  Strickland was 6-9 with a 3.59 ERA and 2 saves in 68 games last season.

Brewers claimed OF Brady Clark off waivers from Mets.

January 11  Mets signed OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo to a 1-year contract worth $600,000.   Shinjo can earn an additional $400,000 on plate appearances.  Tsuyoshi hit .238 with 9 hrs and 37 rbi last season with the Giants.  In 2001, he hit .268 with 10 hrs and 56 rbi with the Mets.  Shinjo is a great outfielder.

December 30  Mets and SS Rey Sanchez agreed on a 1-year contract worth $1.3 million.  Sanchez can make additional $700,000 in performance bonuses.  Rey hit .286 with a homer and 38 rbi last season with the Red Sox.  Rey plays great defense and is a good insurance policy if rookie Jose Reyes doesn't start with the Mets on Opening Day.

December 20  Mets and OF Cliff Floyd agreed on a 4-year contract worth $26 million.  Floyd played with 3 teams last season, Marlins, Expos, and Red Sox, and hit .288 with 28 hrs and 79 rbi.  His best season was in 2001 when he hit .317 with 31 hrs and 103 rbi.  Cliff is a potent left-handed bat and a presence in the lineup.

Mets didn't offer arbitration to P. John Thomson, making him a free agent.

December 16  Mets signed former Yankee P. Mike Stanton to a 3-year contract worth $9 million.  Stanton was 7-1 with and 6 saves with a 3.00 ERA last season.  Mike is a clubhouse leader and has plenty of post-season experience.

December 15  Mets traded SS Rey Ordonez to Devil Rays for 3b/1b Russ Johnson and minor leaguer Josh Pressley,   Ordonez sealed his fate in NY by calling the NY fans "stupid" at the end of last season.

December 13   Mets re-signed INF/OF Joe McEwing to a 1-year contract worth $600,000.  McEwing hit .199 with 3 hrs and 26 rbi last season.  McEwing broke a Mets record by starting at 7 different positions.

Mets named Gary Carter as the full-time catching instructor in the minor league.

December 7  With the arbitration deadline at midnight, Mets signed P. Steve Trachsel to a new 2-year deal worth $8 million, plus a vested option for a third year at $5 million.  Trachsel was 11-11 with a 3.37 ERA last season.

However, Mets didn't re-sign or offered arbitration to 3b Edgardo Alfonzo, making him a free agent and thus ending his 12-year career in the Mets organization.  Alfonzo was the most steady and clutch player in the Mets' history.   Edgardo hit .308 with 16 hrs and 56 rbis last season.   GM Phillips didn't think Alfonzo's asking price was equal to his market value.  Phillips feared Alfonzo's back injuries will come back again.

Also, Mets didn't offer arbitration to P's Mark Guthrie, Steve Reed, Jeff D'Amico, and utitilyman John Valentin.

December 5  After several grueling weeks, Mets and P. Tom Glavine finally agreed on a 3-year contract.  The contract is worth $35 million plus a vested option for a fourth year.  For the fourth year to be kicked in, Glavine will have to pitch 600 innings over the 3 years or at least 170 innings in the third year that could make the deal over $42 million.  Glavine was 18-11 last season with a 2.96 ERA and he owes a 242-143 lifetime record.  Tom spent his entire career with the Braves and he said leaving the Braves was the hardest thing to do.  The Braves offered Glavine a 2-year deal, while the Phillies almost matched the Mets offer, but Glavine chose the Mets because of the older players that they have.  Owner Fred Wilpon was a big part in getting Glavine in a Mets uniform.  He called Glavine many times and answered the questions that he had.

November 26  Mets named their 2003 coaching staff.  The following is the new staff;

OF Roger Cedeno was arrested in Florida for DUI.  Cedeno was released but Mets and MLB are taking this matter very seriously.

October 28  He may not have been their #1 choice, but the Mets are hoping that Art Howe is the right choice to lead them back into the post-season.  Mets named Art Howe as the 17th manager of the Mets.  Howe received a 4-year contract worth $9.4 million dollars.  Howe led the Athletics in the post-season the past 3 years and he owes a 992-951 managerial record.  

October 8  Mets will pick up Roberto Alomar's $8 million option for the 2003 season.  Alomar had a very disappointing 2002 season, hitting just .266 with 11 hrs and 53 rbis.  Mets are hoping that Alomar will bounce back to his All-Star caliber form in 2003.

Mets asked waivers on P. Saturo Komiyama for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release.

October 2  Pitching Coach Charlie Hough and Bench Coach Tom Robson resigned from their positions.  They will pursue other opportunities.

October 1  After a very disappointing 75-86 season, Mets fired Manager Bobby Valentine.  No replacement has been named.  Entering the 2002 season, there were high expectations to make the playoffs after GM Phillips brought in several All-Star caliber players, like Vaughn, Alomar, and Burnitz.  However, the team never meshed; Mets led MLB in errors, played sloppily, there were drug rumors, Valentine criticized Alfonzo and Leiter as not being "team players", Valentine made a remark in a magazine that a key team player (Piazza) being gay that Piazza denied vehemently.  All of this led to Valentine's demise.  Ironically, owner Fred Wilpon said as late as in August that both Phillips and Valentine would be back in 2003, but something must have happened in the last 2 weeks that changed Wilpon's mind.  Valentine finished with a record of 536-467, second most wins behind Davey Johnson's 595.  Mets will pay Valentine the last year of his contract and the manager search will begin immediately.  The names floating around are Lou Piniella, Skipper of the Mariners and Tom Kelly, ex-Twins Manager.

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