From Newsday

Mets Meet With Free Agent Pitcher Garcia

BY DAVID LENNON
david.lennon@newsday.com

February 20, 2008, 12:05 PM EST

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- As the Mets assembled on Field 2 for their first full-squad workout fresh from manager Willie Randolph's clubhouse talk on Wednesday morning, pitchers continued to dominate spring training.

A team official confirmed that the Mets did meet Wednesday morning with free-agent pitcher Freddy Garcia, as first reported Wednesday by SI.com. Garcia, who is still rehabbing from shoulder surgery, is not expected to return until late June or early July. He shares the same agents as Johan Santana - Peter and Ed Greenberg - and it was unclear how close Garcia is to signing with a team.

Meanwhile, Santana finished another bullpen session and it's safe to say that he's building arm speed. His velocity was noticeably up. As usual, most of the front office crew watched, including COO Jeff Wilpon.

Pedro Martinez was fashionably late for the full-squad workout. But as he trotted onto the field, Martinez was greeted like a rock star by the fans lining the chain-link fence. They yelled for Martinez, who ackowledged them with a big smile and waves.

Reliever Duaner Sanchez is not only healthy again, he's done a great job fixing his damaged reputation. A year after getting kicked out of camp, Sanchez showed up Wednesday with his curly hair chopped down to a buzz cut, and when Fred Wilpon saw him, the owner took his hat and rubbed his head.

Sanchez looked solid throwing live batting practice, as did Joe Smith, who chatted with Wilpon afterward.