Mets Hunting For Frontline Starter

Omar Minaya is considering many options in his hunt for a #1-2 starter.  Ben Sheets and Johan Santana we’ve already discussed today.  Who else is on the radar?  Ken Davidoff has the latest.

• Many of the trade options you’re already familiar with: Joe Blanton, Jon Garland, A.J. Burnett, Dontrelle Willis, Jose Contreras, and even Erik Bedard and Jake Peavy.  This group varies in number of years under team control, health, and ability. 
• Davidoff notes that Omar Minaya had dinner with the Indians’ Mark Shapiro Tuesday night.  It sounds like the Tribe isn’t looking to move pitching, so Cliff Lee may be off the table.
• These guys are less than #1-2s, but the Mets have interest in Carlos Silva, Kyle Lohse, and Hiroki Kuroda as fallbacks.  Adam Rubin has a Mets insider who says they aren’t keen on Livan Hernandez.  Steve Popper believes Jason Jennings may be considered, as he was a year ago when the Astros were shopping him.
• Interestingly the Mets checked in on Brad Lidge but wouldn’t part with Carlos Gomez or Fernando Martinez for one year of him.
• Strangely Davidoff says the Red Sox are in the lead for Kuroda.  There’s already talk of a six-man rotation; how would the Sox accomodate one more starter?  I haven’t seen the Yankees connected to Kuroda at all.  My guess is that they’ll pass on him simply because Kei Igawa and Hideki Irabu didn’t work out, rather than judge him on his own merits.