MET NOTES
ATLANTA – Although he continues to gut it out, Cliff Floyd admits he’s getting closer to shutting it down because of his barking right Achilles.
“I can’t go through this [injury problem] next year and still be accountable to my manager and my teammates,” he said before going 1-for-4 with a triple, run and RBI in yesterday’s 7-4 loss to Atlanta.
The Mets’ cleanup hitter was able to play yesterday, but manager Art Howe wants to give him today off. The two men chatted in the morning, and Howe told Floyd to be smart and honest with himself.
Four upcoming games on turf in Philadelphia and Montreal will be a key test for Floyd’s Achilles and balky left knee. He already is planning to see team physician Andrew Rokito for an MRI on the foot when he returns to New York, and yesterday discussed reuniting with his former doctor from the Marlins.
Floyd conceded the Achilles has probably gotten worse since his last MRI at the beginning of the season. If surgery will help the problem and get him ready for spring training, he now seems to be leaning in that direction.
“Next year is a fresh start, no matter what happens this year,” he said. “We start 0-0.”
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A day after Roger Cedeno‘s agent indicated a trade would be best for his client, sources familiar with the Mets’ plans said there was absolutely no market for the outfielder.
“You want to know why they can’t trade him? He [stinks],” one knowledgeable baseball man said.
“Buying him out is not an option,” another source said.
Although technically a buyout is legal, one baseball official said the union would never stand for it – and the Mets won’t pay Cedeno to go home.
If he gets traded, it would be in the offseason for a similarly bad contract.
Cedeno went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI Friday, but was back on the bench yesterday for the fourth time in five games. He grounded into a double play as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
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Al Leiter (8-5, 5.57) faces Braves LHP Horacio Ramirez (8-3, 4.00) at 1:05 p.m. today. Tomorrow night in Philly, Aaron Heilman (0-2, 7.17) opposes RHP Brandon Duckworth (3-3, 4.76). Tuesday afternoon, Steve Trachsel (8-6, 4.53) squares off against RHP Kevin Millwood (10-6, 4.76).