Mailbag: Mets achieving greatness?  —  Beat writer Marty Noble answers Mets fans' questions  —  I heard you interviewed on the radio two weeks ago and you didn't seem convinced the Mets were a great team.  Now that they have put together a 6-1 road trip against the best teams in the National League West, have you changed your tune?

Fantasy Focus  —  One Weaver Too Many, and Scoresheet Mayhem  —  Jered Weaver might get demoted following Tuesday night's start against the Royals, despite his superb outings for the Angels so far, and that after dominating at Triple-A Salt Lake.  However, Bartolo Colon is due back from the DL …

Notes: Lee likely an All-Star  —  Outfielder looking for second straight All-Star appearance  —  CINCINNATI — Brewers left fielder Carlos Lee is currently 10th amongst outfielders in All-Star voting with 401,503 votes, according to the National League voting totals that were released on Monday by Major League Baseball.

Enough is enough  —  D'backs designate struggling Ortiz for assignment  —  PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks decided Tuesday they would rather eat the remaining $22 million of Russ Ortiz' contract than keep him on their roster.  —  The club designated the struggling right-hander for assignment …

Unit's urgent state  —  Hand on his heart, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman swears his team is nowhere close to a crisis — if there's anything wrong with the Bombers, it's nothing tighter defense couldn't fix.  After getting swept by the A's over the weekend, Cashman said simply, "Oakland didn't beat us.

These Sox a nicer brand — Less to fret about than '05 version  —  With the Red Sox, there's always a reason to cheer or a reason to worry.  And doing both at the same time is expected.  —  The 2006 Sox have offered their followers plenty of reasons to develop personality disorders …

Cubs aren't for sale, Banks told  —  Ernie Banks, with his first public comments Monday, clarified his role in initiating talks to broker a purchase of the Cubs.  —  "Certain people seek me out," the Hall of Fame Cubs legend said from his home in Marina Del Rey, Calif.

Mid-Season Blockbusters: June (Part One: 1919-1946)  —  We've reviewed the blockbusters that have taken place in the month of April, as well as those of May.  This month we'll look at the biggest trades consummated in June.  As we'll see, it's been a very busy month at the mid-season trade market, for decades the busiest.

Bowden Carries Out Familiar Plan  —  Stan Kasten, the incoming president of the Washington Nationals, said yesterday that General Manager Jim Bowden carried out a plan consistent with the vision of Kasten and his bosses, led by new owner Theodore N. Lerner, during last week's draft.

Beane could get asking price for Zito  —  The A's position on left-hander Barry Zito is unchanged; they will trade him if they get the right offer, no matter where they are in the standings.  —  Of course, if A's general manager Billy Beane defines "the right offer" as the equivalent …

Leyland can relate to Roethlisberger  —  As a teenager, Tigers manager was passenger on motorcycle that got hit broadside by a car.  —  DETROIT — Pittsburgh being his home — and the area where he'll continue to live in the offseason — Tigers manager Jim Leyland is a Steelers fan.

Going Deep: Compensation pick rules  —  Clarifying classification of free agents for following year's Draft … Hey, Jamey, my question involves the compensation rules for free agents.  What are the rules concerning free agent compensation, and when a team is entitled to it?

Kent Back; Billingsley May Debut Thursday  —  Ned Colletti, Kim Ng and Grady Little met for more than an hour Monday at Dodger Stadium, discussing roster moves and trade possibilities, but the only concrete decision was to activate second baseman Jeff Kent from the disabled list in time for today's game against the San Diego Padres.

Tigers' Young a no-show in court  —  BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Tigers designated hitter Dmitri Young and his attorney did not appear at a scheduled court hearing Tuesday, leading a perturbed judge to require that the lawyer provide documentation of the player's whereabouts by the end of the day.

Rangers close to deal with top pick  —  Left-hander expected to receive $1.6 million signing bonus  —  ARLINGTON - If a physical exam this afternoon shows no health issues, the Rangers could announce the signing of first-round pick left-hander Kasey Kiker before today's game.