That is until the Detroit Tigers decided to cut Gary Sheffield. Omar Minaya just could not pass up the opportunity to sign a slugger one home run shy of the mythic 500 mark for the league minimum. Although many are criticizing the Mets GM for bringing the potentially toxic Sheffield into the Mets clubhouse, I say bring it on.

The Mets desperately need a right handed bat. Even if Sheffield is a bit washed up, he still strikes fear into opposing pitchers. It is hard to imagine any hurler would prefer to face Dwight Gooden’s nephew instead of Ryan Church. (Now I want to be clear, I like Ryan Church, I even have him on my fantasy team.)

The question here is how long can Jerry Manuel make sure that all of his players sing together in harmony. Manuel has already shown he can handle the stubborn players. The best example of this is his handling of the always moody Jose Reyes, especially when Reyes refused to come out of a game last season. If Manuel can make sure Shef stays in line and also the players who will lose at bats to Shef stay happy, then the Mets haven’t taken much of a risk.

Ultimately, I like this signing because the baseball season is a marathon not a sprint. (Sometimes a cliche says it best.) Church is an injury concern and with the youth of Murphy, it is better at this time of year for Minaya to be safe. If Luis Castillo begins to falter, there is a chance that Tatis can find a home in the infield as the partner for Jose Reyes in the Mets infield doubleplay combo. Only time will tell, but for now, the Sheffield signing is looking like a deal.