SI.com’s Jon Heyman reports the New York Mets are about to sign 40-year-old OF Moises Alou to a one year deal.

The signing is something of a coup for the Mets, as the bidding was spirited for Alou, a career .301 hitter with a lifetime .516 slugging percentage. The Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians are believed to have made two-year offers for more money. The Oakland A’s were reportedly also looking at Alou as a potential replacement for Frank Thomas, who signed with Toronto. Barry Bonds is another player Oakland will consider.

The Mets’ deal with Alou is believed to include a team option for 2008 and a buyout.

Though I’m concerned about replacing the brittle Cliff Floyd with an older player that’s missed 103 games the past two seasons, I wouldn’t hesitate to characterize Alou as the most coveted free agent signing of the year.

The year being 1997, however.

I’m sure the Mets will are on top of their due dilligence, and as long as this isn’t a handshake deal, I’m certain it will work out nicely for all parties.

Rockies P Jason Jennings is said to be on the trading block, a scenario which has the Denver Post’s Mark Kizla declaring, “in a real baseball town, angry bleacher bums would be marching on Blake Street in protest.” True ’nuff, but if Denver were a real baseball town, Kizla might be out of work.

Aren’t you tired of a baseball franchise that acts as if it’s being operated out of the back of Dick and Charlie’s Popsicle truck?

A youth movement in which your new favorite Colorado players move on as soon as it’s time to get paid serious dough would shout to everyone that, as baseball cities go, Denver is the same as Kansas City or Pittsburgh, except with better weather to sit through all those lost summers.

I genuinely feel sorry for Dan O’Dowd, stuck with a Hamburger Helper budget, while Boston general manager Theo Epstein drops $50 million just to pick up the phone and order take-out from Japan.

As far as the Rockies are concerned, that hot stove is fired up for only one reason : A bake sale.

Nobody in baseball makes better cupcakes than Colorado.

In other Saturday night wheeling and dealing, SS Alex Gonzalez has signed a 3 year deal with the Reds, while the White Sox are supposedly close to sending Jon Garland to Texas. The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reports the Red Sox might ink journeyman C Alberto Castillo, 35, to a minor league deal. Castillo, who struggled to hit his weight with the Mets some eons ago, was in my neck of the woods (well, Williamson County) a few times last year catching for New Orleans, and I’m happy to report he doesn’t look a day over 34.