MuscleSport Mag has reached out to RotoInfo and is awaiting a response. The main question on everyone’s mind is who was the original source. None of the names will shock you and many of them appeared in the Mitchell Report.

There does not appear to be any significance in the order of the names, either. It is not listed alphabetically or by position, so it appears to be a general list. The accuracy of it remains to be seen. While it seems inevitable that this list will become publicized at some time, we will not know for sure until then if the one on RotoInfo was truthful or not.

David Ortiz, who has come under scrutiny during his prolonged slump to start the season, was on this list, as was Manny Ramirez, his former teammate who is currently serving a 50-game suspension for a banned substance.

Roger Clemens, Raphael Palmiero and Sammy Sosa appear, and they may have to answer perjury charges for their subsequent denials under oath if this is in fact true. Alex Rodriguez’s name appears, which had already been reported.

The list actually contains only 103 names and does not include Jason Grimsley, who tested positive that same year according to court records. That may account for the difference of one and something that we will look to clarify if a response to our request is received.

Here are the names as reported by RotoInfo:

Source: http://rotoinfo.com/read_article.php?articleId=318

Photo by Bill Menzel

Right here in New York, you have two ends of the spectrum. Up in the Bronx, the Yankees bid against themselves and end up adding money and years to the contracts of their free agent signees. Then you go over to Flushing and the Mets have played the market perfectly, waiting it out and pouncing on their target at just the right time.

They were able to do that with their new closer, Francisco Rodriguez, who was hoping for a five-year, $75-million deal while he was setting the single season save record last summer with 62 for the American League West champion Los Angels. Mets general manager Omar Minaya made a low-ball offer at the winter meetings and they ended up signing K-Rod for three years and $37 million. After trading for J.J. Putz, the bullpen was solidified and Minaya turned his attention to the starting pitching.

With a solid top three in Johan Santana, John Maine and Mike Pelfrey, the Mets are looking to add one or two arms and already have picked up Tim Redding as an insurance policy. The righthander, who was signed for one year at $2.25 million, pitched a career-high 182 innings for the Washington Nationals and was very effective against Philadelphia, the Mets’ top rival.

“I can’t explain why I have success against one of the elite teams,” Redding told reporters about his 3-1, 3.41 ERA in five starts versus the 2008 World Series champions. Regardless of why, the Mets certainly hope that Redding can duplicate that feat for them this season.

With Derek Lowe signing with Atlanta, the Mets’ options were cut by one. Minaya made a significant offer to the former Dodger ($12 million per year for a three-year deal), but the Scott Boras client held out and ended up going to the Braves for an extra year and $60-million. That is way too much and a bit long for a 35-year-old pitcher, but the Braves were scrambling after John Smoltz bolted as a free agent for Boston. Minaya was correct in not budging from his offer to Lowe, which was more than fair.

That leaves a few names still out there, mainly Oliver Perez, Ben Sheets, Randy Wolf and John Garland. According to a report on the MLB Network, the Mets have made an offer to Perez to come back to them for three years and $30 million. The lefthander went 10-7 with a 4.22 ERA in 2008, not sparkling numbers by any stretch, but good for a middle of the rotation guy. With that in mind, that type of person needs to be paid as such, and not receive front of the rotation money.

Some can make the argument that if Perez returns, he can be considered the number two or three starter. When he is on, he looks like the second coming of Ron Guidry. But the erratic Perez has some days where he can’t find the plate and looks more like Rick Ankiel (not the outfielder version).

There is also some chatter that Minaya may bring back Pedro Martinez on an incentive-laden one-year deal. That may intrigue some people and it definitely has more upside. The problem will be if Martinez appears to not have it anymore, do you banish him to the bullpen as a mop-up man or release him?

It is obvious than an upgrade is needed in the Mets rotation and Minaya should not deviate from what he has done so far. Dealing with agents such as Boras is definitely not easy, and by keeping on his poker face, Minaya has come up aces up to now.

They may have done that in the Bronx, as well, but paid dearly for it.

It’s hard to fault Andy Pettitte for trying to shake the Yankee tree for as much money as he can. With the organization throwing money around as if it grew on the proverbial tree, the 36-year-old figures this may be his last shot at cashing in. The way his second half went last year, he may be overestimating his market value by a large margin.

The Yanks are offering him $10 million for one year and Pettitte wants the $16 million he earned the past two seasons in the Bronx. A 14-14 mark with an ERA of 4.54 will not help his cause, especially when you consider that he went 2-7 in his last 11 starts.

In case Pettitte forgot, he did state all summer long that he wanted to pitch in the new Yankee Stadium and that there aren’t many teams burning up his phone line with offers. This is a chance for him to go out gracefully the way he wants to and make a nice payday on top of it.

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Even if Pettitte returns, his place in the rotation would be number four at best. The offer that general manager Brian Cashman made to him in person at his Houston home will not be on the table forever. The Yankees are looking to ink another free agent hurler, such as A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe or Ben Sheets – all who are more effective than Pettitte.

Even if Burnett accepts the five-year, $80 million package from the Yankees, Pettitte may still have a spot on the team. But he has to keep in mind that he is not exactly the same pitcher he was when he joined the Astros as a free agent in 2003. He is older, suffered arm injuries and went through the Mitchell Report – HGH incident.

This will in all likelihood be Pettitte’s final season. It would be appropriate for him to finish up in a place that he is welcomed and feels comfortable in. Is $10 million such an insult? When the Bronx Bombers are giving a 300-pounder money that he wasn’t even asking for, it just may be.