Dan Graziano and Jeremy Cothran at the Star- Ledger are reporting that the Mets have expressed interest in free-agent reliever Al Reyes, who was released by the Rays on Monday.

The 38-year-old Reyes was the closer for the Rays last year, and had 26 saves for the team.

Over 26 games this season, Reyes was 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA.

…not sure if he is the answer, but if this is true i’m at least glad that omar is working the phones…

…Updated by Mike Nichols…

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets have signed Reyes.

Mets 2B Luis Castillo continued his minor-league rehab assignment last night with the Mets Double-A Binghamton affiliate going 2-for-4 with an RBI while playing eight innings in the field.

Castillo is batting .250 in 12 at-bats during his four games with Binghamton.

As Metsblog noted on Monday, Castillo’s 20-day minor-league rehab clock expires today, meaning the Mets may be forced to active Castillo from the disabled list on Thursday.

This presents an interesting dilemma for a team that has seen Argenis Reyes and Damion Easley provide a consistent righty-lefty platoon at the plate and above average defense, while compiling a 28-14 record since Castillo was placed on the disabled list on July 3.

As Cerrone noted in the post above, Jerry Manuel has done a terrific job rewarding players who perform, but Manuel may be forced to play Castillo or risk the chance of having an unhappy, unproductive player in the clubhouse.

My hope is Manuel makes Castillo earn his starting job back through pinch hitting appearances and spot starts, as the two incumbents deserve the majority of the playing time unless Castillo proves otherwise.

The other dilemma the Mets face in activating Castillo is the corresponding roster move that needs to occur. Will the Mets finally relinquish their need to have a third catcher or will they demote the energetic Reyes? Let’s hope the former occurs.

I’ll be interested to see how this plays out as this, along with the bullpen, may effect how this team performs down the stretch.

The Nationals called up RHP Marco Estrada from AAA. He’s shown great control in his minor league career, although that deteriorated somewhat this season.  He takes Luis Ayala’s spot.

Brett Myers fixed his biggest problem since returning to the Phillies rotation after the All-Star break.  He’s allowed just two home runs in his last 32 2/3 innings after giving up 24 in his first 101 2/3 IP.  The drop is good for a 2.48 ERA over those five starts.

With Mark Teixeira gone, Kelly Johnson is the Braves player with the most RBI against the Mets this season.  He’s driven in 12 (same as Teixeira), collecting two doubles, a triple and two homers along the way.  Chipper Jones, despite a .414 BA against the Mets, only drove in four runs.

Ricky Nolasco pitched the first complete game for the Marlins in 301 chances Tuesday night.  It was also the first of his career and his first shutout.

For more real-time information, news, links and stats from around MLB, check out Baseball Musings.

To watch SNY.tv’s new web show, New York Baseball Today, which features a rotating panel of analysts and previews the night’s local baseball action, click play below:

You can email your questions to the show to baseball@sny.tv.

The following is my MetsBlog Minute, during which I talk about Jose Reyes, who isn’t immature, and who should be considered for the National League MVP:

On his blog for ESPN 1050, SportsClicker, citing the player’s agent, Bean Stringfellow, Andrew Marchand writes:

“The best case scenario for Billy Wagner even considering returning to the Mets is three weeks.”

According to Marchand, citing a ‘source,’ if the Mets turn to Triple-A for a call up, ‘their first choice could be Bobby Parnell.’

…first off, any time i get to write ‘Bean Stringfellow,’ it’s a good day…

…lastly, three weeks…this is pretty much what i deduced this morning, just using a bit of logic…but, damn, to see it in print from wagner’s agent makes it hurt a little bit more…

In a few moments, I will be leaving for Shea Stadium to attend tonight’s game with John Keegan, who is a very good friend and the man behind PressHarbor.

Before the game, thanks to SNY, I am hoping to spend a few minutes talking with a starting pitcher, for a Q&A that should eventually appear on MetsBlog.

So, expect random, off-beat, misspelled blog posts about Shea Stadium, sent from my Blackberry, as I wait around.

My goal is to talk with some one about the pressures of pitching in NYC during a pennant race, as well as player, media and fan expectations.  So, if you have any questions that you feel fit in with this line of thinking, let me know in the comments section.

The following video is of Omar Minaya, during his appearance yesterday on Daily News Live:

So far today, I have been sent 13 e-mails saying SI.com is reporting that the Mets are trying to trade for Mariners RHP Carlos Silva.

In reality, SI.com is simply linking to a report about Silva, which speculates that the Mariners would love to unload his salary.

According to the referenced report in the Pioneer Press, citing ‘the word in baseball circles,’ ‘Silva has been lost without pal Johan Santana,’ leading the reporter to write:

“Don’t think the Mariners wouldn’t love to unload the right-hander, who has a $48 million, four-year guaranteed contract, on the Mets so he could rejoin Santana.”

What’s worse, SI.com titled their blog post, “Potential Mariners-Mets deal,” and so I can understand why some people would deduce that, well, there is a potential deal with the Mets.

The thing is, there is nothing in the Pioneer Press that would suggest any such deal is likely to happen, or is even being talked about.  The writer is simply speculating that the M’s would ‘love to’ dump Silva’s salary, and that the Mets would be a good fit because Santana and Silva were once friends – as if that is how the Mets determine who is and isn’t a good fit for their staff.

Oh, by the way, Silva is on the disabled list with elbow tendinitis.

Prior to yesterday’s game, Jerry Manuel essentially told reporters that he will not use one of his starting pitchers as a replacement for Billy Wagner as the team’s closer, adding:

“John Maine was really a guy I was thinking about, but I think he needs more rest.  He needs those days off more than he needs to be a bullpen guy right now.  I thought I’d see it a little differently when he came back, but the days off do him a lot of good.”

Meanwhile, according to Manuel, Oliver Perez has been pitching too well to remove him from the rotation, and he does not feel Mike Pelfrey has enough experience to handle the adjustment in the middle of a pennant race.

Nevertheless, in the New York Post, Joel Sherman explains why Pelfrey would be the ideal candidate, writing, “He has the best combination of skills to re-enact for the Mets what Chamberlain did for the Yankees last year: essentially flip from the rotation to address an area eating at both the Mets’ confidence and success.”

By the way, the Mets are 12–3 in Pelfrey’s last 15 starts.

In a report for the Star-Ledger, Dan Graziano explains why the Mets bullpen is not built for October, saying, “It’s one thing to get Omar Infante out in the ninth inning. It’s quite another when it’s Manny Ramirez or Prince Fielder or Alfonso Soriano or…well, you get the idea.”

…well, Scott Schoeneweis did get Chipper Jones out in the ninth last night, not just infante, and, fortunately, not every hitter in every lineup is Manny Ramirez, though dan still makes a good point…

That said, I am getting a lot of e-mail from people demanding that the Mets acquire a relief pitcher, or, ‘Go get a closer,’ as if it is this simple.  I mean, there are two or three elite closers in the game, and every team is always looking to acquire one – yet, some how, people want Omar Minaya to steal one during a pennant race.

From what I can gather, the Mets are not confident in their ability to acquire any sort of relief pitcher before September 1, let alone another team’s established closer.

This has less to do with the Mets, who are willing to make a deal, and most everything to to do with a) the market, and b) the fact that the Phillies or Marlins will likely block any such impactful acquisition from getting to Minaya.

Minaya, on making a trade, speaking to reporters, said:

“The reality is true, proven guys are not going to get through…I believe we’ve got guys in (the locker room) who are going to step up.  The best answer’s in that room.”

In my opinion, the Mets should probably look to sign free-agent RHP Al Reyes, who was released outright by the Rays, after he refused to accept an assignment to the minor leagues.

In 26 relief appearances for the Rays, Reyes had a 4.37 ERA while striking out 19 batters and walking 10 in 22 innings.

Nevertheless, according to Joel Sherman in the New York Post, “Most relievers who have passed through waivers (think Milwaukee’s Eric Gagne and David Riske, and Baltimore’s Jamie Walker) do not entice the Mets.”

However, Sherman adds, “Cincinnati’s David Weathers intrigues the Mets,” but will probably cost Minaya ‘a player like Nick Evans.’

In 56 appearances for the Reds this season, Weathers is 2–5 with a 3.33 ERA, during which opponents are batting .277 against him.

He has not ended a season with an ERA over 4.00 since 2004.