Q: Should the Mets take a chance on signing Sammy Sosa to a one-year deal?
– Steve Fernandez, El Paso, Texas

A: It appears as if the Washington Nationals are the team most seriously considering that possibility, Steve, and given general manager Jim Bowden’s penchant for taking gambles and giving players second chances, plus the Nats’ need for offense, the interest makes some sense. But whether it is the Nationals or Mets, I really question if Sosa has anything left in the tank after a disastrous 2005 season. In the Mets’ case, I think they will get more out of Xavier Nady than they would from Sosa, and I can’t imagine Sosa being happy in a fourth outfielder/pinch hitter role.

Q: Do you think Gary Sheffield is one of the greatest hitters ever? I’m not talking about number of hits or home runs or RBI. I’m talking about just sheer style. The way he swings the bat is amazing to me. And he almost never strikes out!
– Catherine, Brooklyn, N.Y.

A: I’m with you, Catherine. I’ve said this for years – there is no scarier hitter in the game than Sheffield - and that’s primarily because of the menacing way he waves his bat back and forth, and the ferocity with which he swings it through the zone. I’d like to see a measurement of his bat speed because I’m certain it would be among the highest - if not the highest - in the game. And the results aren’t too shabby, either. He enters the 2006 season with a .297 career average, 449 homers, 1,476 RBI, a .399 on-base percentage and a .427 slugging percentage - good enough to make him a Hall of Fame candidate.

Q: Who do you think the Braves have as a closer?
– Patricia Huston, Lawrenceville, Ga.

A: If the season started today, I think Chris Reitsma would be in that role. He has filled it with moderate success both last year with the Braves and three years ago with the Reds, and although he isn’t a power pitcher/strikeout guy you like to see in the ninth inning, he is a veteran who isn’t easily rattled. Moving Jorge Sosa back from the rotation is another idea, but with Mike Hampton out for the season after surgery and at least some concern about John Smoltz, I don’t think that’s the best way to go. There also is some thought that 22-year-old Joey Devine could fill that role at some point, but I would see that only as something that could occur later in the season. Blaine Boyer and Oscar Villareal are other in-house candidates, but a better possibility is a trade, although the likeliest candidate – Danys Baez – was dealt from Tampa Bay to Los Angeles last week.

Q: What will the Baltimore Orioles do to add a starting pitcher and a power hitter to get in the running to beat out New York, Boston and Toronto in the AL East?
– Dan Liles, Tyler, Texas

A: Now that Miguel Tejada has rescinded his trade demand, the Orioles are in a temporary holding pattern. They were trying to get Carlos Zambrano from the Cubs in a Tejada deal, and reportedly turned down Boston’s offer of Manny Ramirez and Matt Clement for Tejada, due primarily to the financial obligations they would have had to pick up. So for now, they will have to settle for adding Ramon Hernandez behind the plate, which will allow Javy Lopez to fill more of a designated hitter/first base role, and for giving Corey Patterson a chance to revive his career. They also have signed veterans Jeff Conine and Kevin Millar, seemingly creating a glut of right-handed first base/outfield/DH types.

On the pitching side of the equation, the best remaining free agent is Jeff Weaver, who is durable and solid, if not a No. 1-2-type staff leader. If you’re not certain you want to take a long-term risk on him, signing him to a one-year deal – as the Indians did with Kevin Millwood last winter – makes sense for both sides. You get a motivated pitcher working for a new contract, there is no long-term financial obligation, and you could keep him with a new deal after the 2006 season. They also need to address the closer situation, and that needs to take priority over getting another hitter.

Q: Do you think the Yankees need another starting pitcher? Their staff has too many holes, in my opinion.
– Art Spencer, New York, N.Y.

A: To win a World Series -- which always is the goal in the Bronx -- I believe they need another No. 1-2-type starter, Art. But other than the possibility of Roger Clemens returning – and I would call it a slim possibility – I don’t think they will be adding anybody soon. I think they will wait and see how Randy Johnson, 43, and Mike Mussina, 37 and showing signs of slippage, hold up health-wise, and if one of their other three projected starters – Carl Pavano, Chein-Ming Wang and Shawn Chacon – emerges as that third frontline guy they can count on in the playoffs. If that doesn’t happen, then maybe they will look to make a trade sometime before the July 31 deadline. They also have Jaret Wright, Aaron Small and Ron Villone on the roster, so there are other options to try before they are forced to deal away young talent for a veteran starter – something they are trying to avoid.

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