The Mets have signed 3 time Gold Glove winner (and 5 time All-Star) C Benito Santiago to a minor league contract. Santiago, 40, played in the for the Royals in 2004, hitting .274 with 6 HR’s and 23 RBI’s in 49 games, briefly appearing for the Pirates earlier this year (3 singles, a double and a triple in 23 AB’s. thanks to Howard for the correction).

New York also came to terms with their 24th Round draft choice RHP Kyle Risinger, who will report to the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League. Risinger was the 719 overall pick, and might very well have the kind of career that will have us someday asking “who was drafted at number 718?”

Your weary correspondent had the distinct pleasure this evening of watching recently demoted Astros prospect RHP Ezequiel Astacio punch out 9 Memphis Redbirds as part of his 7 shutout innings in Round Rock’s 2-0 victory. Amongst Astacio’s victims was former Mets underachiever Roger Cedeno (above), who did manage a broken bat single in the 6th inning after fouling off a dozen pitchers. I can say with with no sarcasm whatsoever that this was the greatest Roger Cedeno at bat I have ever witnessed, and with any luck, it will be the last one, too.