Anyway, my Sunday Insider presented a new perspective on Alex Rodriguez. A Yankees prospect named Brad Suttle, the team's fourth-round pick of the 2007 amateur draft, has been spending time with A-Rod, and shared his impressions of the Yankees' third baseman.

Speaking of A-Rod, Joe Girardi criticized Selena Roberts, who, you might have heard, has a new book coming out on A-Rod. As stated here before, journalists have to subject themselves to the same scrutiny as their, well, subjects. Otherwise the process doesn't work.

Since I haven't read the book, I'm not prepared to address Girardi's complaints. I'm not quite sure what he's talking about with, "It's interesting how the book date got moved up now." Who cares when the book is released? Is Girardi upset that the release isn't closer to Father's Day.

Major League Baseball is investigating A-Rod. Prediction: Strikeout. No discipline for A-Rod, ever.

As for Ollie Perez's performance yesterday, Good Lord. I managed to speak with Perez and Jerry Manuel today at Citizens Bank Park before returning to New York, and I'll write a column on the topic for tomorrow.

Suffice it to say that I am questioning the sanity of anyone who thought re-signing Perez was a good idea. But...we're just one month into a three-year discussion. A four-year discussion, if your argument is, "The Mets would've been better off signing Derek Lowe."

That said, what's going on right now with Perez is obviously an embarrassment for Omar Minaya. That the Mets don't have a bona fide replacement ready to plug into Perez's rotation slot _ I think Ollie will wind up on the disabled list _ makes it all the more embarrassing.

Have a good...evening. We'll be back with our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow, including a contest.

Newstex ID: 34621723