David

Weathers

If the season started today, the Marlins would be looking at Tim Spooneybarger and Guillermo Mota working in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. They want to add some relievers, but they haven’t been competitive with their early bids.

According to Lawrence Rocca of the Newark Star-Ledger, both GMs signed off on the deal but the $2.775 million difference in salaries killed it. The Mets apparently still hope to dump Roger Cedeno on the White Sox as part of a Koch deal. It’s not going to happen.

Weather is fine and could throw again as early as tomorrow.

Instead of signing Mike Cameron and/or Ugueth Urbina this weekend, it’s likely that the Mets will attempt to pull off a trade or two. Sending David Weathers to the White Sox for Billy Koch could still be a possibility, since it would only add $2.775 million to the payroll. The Mets will also continue their attempts to move Roger Cedeno, possibly to San Diego for Terrence Long.

Weathers replaced Kent Mercker with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth and struck out Chris Magruder and pinch-hitter Wes Helms. He’ll be the top candidate for saves in Cincinnati’s pen for perhaps the rest of the season.

That was the magic number, as it triggered a $1.25 million club option for next season. ''There for a while I thought it was going to happen before the All-Star break,’' said Weathers, who has a career-high nine saves this season.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on who you talk to,” Weathers said.

Weathers was charged with three runs without recording an out in the game.

Weathers left Sunday’s game in the eighth inning and is day-to-day. “I would be very, very surprised,” Weathers responded when asked about the DL. “They think, with a couple of days -- maybe three days -- of just rest, it’s going to respond.”

If Weathers needs to go on the DL, the Reds might call up Jason Standridge from Triple-A. Mike Burns has already failed miserably, and Ryan Wagner isn’t pitching well enough to justify the assignment.