I mean...Seriously! This is getting ridiculous. Let's recount. Johnny Estrada (for a minute), Jesus Flores, Paul Lo Duca and Lastings Milledge...All former Mets now on the Nationals' roster. Pedro Martinez, Brian Schneider, Ryan Church, Endy Chavez, and Tony Armas Jr...All former Nationals/Expos currently on the New York Mets' roster. (As of Tony Armas' signing with NY today.)   C'mon Minaya and Bowden!!

     How am I supposed to hate the Mets when New York GM Omar Minaya keeps filling his roster with former Nationals. This is ridiculous. You can't believe the sigh of relief I exhaled after former Mets' starter "The Human Rain Delay" Steve Trachsel signed with Angelos' Orioles.

     As mentioned above, the Mets signed Tony Armas, according to yahoosports.com's uncredited article entitled, "Mets sign RHP Armas", to a Minor League deal with the ubiquitous "Invitation to Spring Training" extended to the soon-to-be thirty year-old right-handed veteran of nine MLB campaigns, eight of which were on the hill for the Nationals/Expos, while last year Armas pitched for the Pirates.

     Acquired from the Boston Red Sox in 1997, along with Carl Pavano, in the trade that sent Expos' ace Pedro Martinez to Beantown immediately following the first of Pedro's three Cy Young award winning seasons...(17-8, 1.90 ERA), Tony Armas was (48-60) in 8 injury-plagued seasons in Montreal and DC, and last season in Pittsburgh, Armas was (4-5) with a 6.03 ERA in 15 starts and 31 appearances.

     I would imagine the Mets will be using Armas out of the pen if he makes the Opening Day roster, with the Mets' recent aquisition of Johan Santana cementing their starting rotation, but with all the injuries that inevitably occur during an MLB season, I don't doubt that Nationals' fans will at some point see their old friend Armas on the hill in that putrid orange and blue.

*Armas to Mets Link*

Tony Armas' career stats at baseball-reference.com:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/armasto02.shtml

2/11/08 yahoosports.com article entitled, "Mets sign Armas":

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=txmetsarmas&prov=st&type=lgns

mlb.com's Spencer Fordin's article, "Trachsel returns with Minor League deal" at baltimore.orioles.mlb.com:

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080211&content_id=2370715&vkey=news_ bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal