Mets Will Bring Back Alou, Easley

Moises Alou is staying with the Mets, and Damion Easley will return next season, too.

The Mets exercised their $7.5 million option on Alou's contract yesterday, bringing back the 41-year-old left fielder who was limited to 87 games this season because of a quadriceps injury.

New York also re-signed Easley to a $950,000, one-year deal. The backup infielder and outfielder provided a boost off the bench in 2007 before a badly sprained left ankle ended his season on August 18. When Alou was in the lineup, he produced. He batted .341 with 13 home runs, 49 RBIs, and only 30 strikeouts in 328 at-bats during his first year with the Mets, who collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs.

Alou said he and his teammates have "unfinished business" to take care of next season.

"What happened this year to us — I really wanted to have another shot, another chance at winning a world championship," Alou said on a conference call from the Dominican Republic.

While the team was sliding in September, Alou kept hitting. He put together a 30-game hitting streak that ended on September 27, the longest in the major leagues this year and the best run by a player on a New York team (including Brooklyn) since Joe DiMaggio's record streak of 56 games in 1941 with the Yankees. Still, the Mets lost 12 of their final 17 games and squandered a big cushion in the NL East. The Philadelphia Phillies rallied to win the division title on the last day of the regular season.

New York became the first major league team to fail to finish in first place after owning a lead of seven games or more with 17 remaining. The Mets, who had that margin on September 12, also matched the largest lead blown in September.

"I really haven't gotten over (it) yet," said Alou, a six-time All-Star. "It's been a little easier the last couple of days because the World Series is over."

The Mets picked up Alou's option rather than pay him a $1 million buyout. General manager Omar Minaya said it would have been difficult to replace Alou's production at a reasonable cost. "To be able to have this for one year at the dollars that we're talking about," Minaya said, "I don't want to use a no-brainer, but we felt it was a wise decision."

Alou said he already started working out — earlier than usual — to get ready for next season. He wants to arrive at spring training in the best shape of his life and avoid the injuries that have hampered him throughout his 16-year career.