Right again?

It's good to know that Omar is reading METSamporphasis. Did you know that The Mets have made an offer to LHRP Joe Beimel? The same Joe Beimel who on 11/5/09 I suggested that Mets should've signed before 2009 and should sign again in 2010? Don't believe me? See for yourself.

Don't feel like clicking the link? Here's what I wrote:

The Mets passed on established LHRPs like Joe Beimel and Will Ohman in the [2008] off-season because “Sean Green was such an effective cross-over reliever"  ... Beimel (1-6, 35 Ks, 3.58 ERA, 55.1 IP) will be a free agent in 2010. Ignore his 2009 record, because he’s very good and there's no rule that says you can't have two LHRPs in the same bullpen.

A guy like Joe Beimel will be an excellent compliment to Pedro Feliciano, who happens to be the only proven commodity in the Mets bullpen this year. I can't add K-Rod to the "proven" category just yet... he needs to succeed in New York for 162 games (not 81 like he did in 2009).

Incidentally, the other reliable bullpen arm was traded for Gary Matthews, Jr. not long ago. Brian Stokes will play for the Angels - which also happens to be the team that acquired Darren Oliver after we mistakenly let him go after 2006. I really liked Stokes and I thought he would be a good hand in the 'pen for the Mets (not the Angels).

And what's worse, is that it's rumored that Matthews is likely to be traded for... you guessed it, bullpen help! Follow the logic in this one, if you will.

Plan A: Retain Brian Stokes, who has proven that he can succeed in New York.

Plan B: Trade Brian Stokes for an overrated and overpaid CF, and then trade said CF for a relief pitcher who has most likely never succeeded in New York.

If anybody chooses Plan B, please Google "I need to see a shrink because I'm out of my mind."

Taking Aim...

Earlier this week, I optimistically talked about the 2010 Mets taking shape as a group of hard-nosed underdogs getting ready to upset things in the National League. And that means taking aim at the reigning kings of the NL -- our old pals the Philthies.

Since 2007, the Phillies have been the class of the National League, making two consecutive World Series appearances and winning one of them. It was painful to experience as a Mets fan, but it's motivated me to cheer harder and hope the Phillies can start to experience some of the things we've experienced over the past half decade.

The heartache of the 2006 NLCS... the Tom Glavine disaster of 2007... the horror of the 2008 collapse and the tearful closing of Shea Stadium... the injury-plagued 2009 campaign... All the while things were bad for us, they got better for the Phillies. It's about time fortunes are reversed.

After being almost totally healthy for 3 straight years, perhaps it's time for the Phillies (aka the Phuckins) to get bit by the injury bug? How much mileage is on Roy Halladay's arm? How are Raul Ibañez's 37-year old legs? How will Jimmy Rollins fare when a fly gets stuck between the gap in his two front teeth?

All kidding aside, if things start going south for the Phillies, it's the Mets who can benefit. If the Mets can stay healthy, they have a legitimate shot to stay on the Phillies' heels in 2010. I'm not saying the Mets are going to win the NL East in 2010. I still believe the Phillies will win the division this year. But we can pressure them all year long by winning the Wild Card.

What's more, the Phillies have some very difficult decisions to make in the next 2 years. Jayson Werth, who may be the most talented player on the Phillies, will be a free agent in 2011. He'll command a very big contract, and because Ryan Howard will be a free agent in 2012, it's going to be next to impossible for them to lock him up. Werth's absence will create a huge hole in the Phuckins' offense. It's likely Werth will end up in a big market team that's going to be able to spend. (I'm guessing he'll end up a Dodger after Manny's contract expires. Werth can provide the same offense as Manny and he's a better defender.)

Werth leaving next year will make the Phillies much weaker. The Mets core will be intact (I expect Beltran to resign and end his career with the Mets), and they'll have money to spend like they always do. The Mets are going to get better. The Phillies are not.

Here's to hoping the Mets start to really take aim at their NL East rivals in 2010, and then carry that into 2011 and beyond to reclaim the division and the National League once again.

Taking Shape

Spring Training is officially underway, and it seems like the 2010 Mets are in Port St. Lucie in full force. Everybody seems to be motivated less by the failures of 2007 and 2008 and more by the disaster that was 2009. Early reports suggest that most of the returning players are in better physical shape than ever before - David Wright is said to look much stronger, and Ollie Perez and Mike Pelfrey have both shed significant poundage.

It seems that everybody has something to prove in 2010. Whether it's guys returning from injury (Santana, Ollie, Reyes, Maine) or from down years (Wright, K-Rod) or just starting out with the team (Bay, Rod Barajas, Kelvim Escobar), everybody's got a chip on his shoulder. And I couldn't be happier.

Let's get back in the chase and start to dig in right behind The Phillies. Let's give those confidence-oozing scumbags something to fear. Nothing would thrill me more than to see that dirty Hawaiian Shane Victorino peering over his squirrely shoulder, wondering when The Mets will come barrelling over him. (NOTE: It felt really good to write that down. I'm talking really really good.)

Earlier this off-season, I advocated against bringing in Bengie Molina on an expensive 2+ year deal. My advice was to instead sign Rod Barajas. And look where we stand now... Rod Barajas will be the Opening Day catcher for the 2010 New York Mets.

Barajas comes from Toronto, where he has a good deal of experience working with an ace (Roy Halladay) and four guys who need some guidance. Sounds a lot like the Mets situation, doesn't it?

The Mets have in Barajas what they thought they had in Brian Schneider - a backstop with above-average defense who can call a good game. Schneider provided neither, and spent most of his time in New York either on the bench with nagging injuries or flat out on on the DL. Unlike Schneider, Barajas has been relatively healthy for his career and has quite a bit more pop.

With Henry Blanco behind Barajas, some have argued that the Mets may have the best defensive catching tandem in the National League. Blanco is in many ways like Barajas, coming from San Diego and working with an ace (Jake Peavy) and creating an ace (Chris Young). I think Barajas and Blanco can get more out of Pelfrey, Maine and Perez than we've seen to date. And that means good things for The Amazins.

One more note on Blanco... I didn't realize until a few days ago that Blanco was a former teammate of Santana's, and that Johan credits him for his Cy Young season in 2004. Blanco was Minnesota's catcher then. What's even more ironic is that Santana had the same surgery after the 2003 season that he had this past fall. Perhaps the stars are aligned for Johan and the Mets in 2010.

My next blog will be entitled "Taking Aim," and it'll look a lot like the anti-Philly paragraph above. 

Time to move on...

Finally the Mets can walk away from Bengie Molina. Yesterday, he signed a 1-year, $4.5 million contract to return to San Francisco. I'm so relieved.

I made no secret about the fact that I didn't think Molina was a good fit for the Mets, especially considering that my mantra in going forward is to be "speed and defense." Ask anybody who's watched a Molina play for the Giants and they'll tell you that he hits into rally-killing double plays more often than he hits RBI doubles.

What we really lose out on here is his ability to handle a pitching staff and make mediocre guys look good. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Mets bring in Henry Blanco to do that very thing? Blanco is a terrific defensive catcher, and he has a history of working well with pitchers. When he was in Chicago, Carlos Zambrano put up some of his best numbers. It looks like Blanco will be our catcher in 2010.

Now I'm not saying that the situation is ideal. Blanco, 39, is a career .228 hitter. The most HRs he's hit in a season is 10, and that was in 2004. Blanco will be in there for his defense, no doubt, and he'll bat 8th. Molina would've given more flexibility in the lineup, but not enough to warrant paying his asking price.

I'm glad Omar passed on Bengie. This lets Blanco and Omir Santos (and possibly Chris Coste) fill in as the backstop for the immediate future, while allowing time to let Josh Thole to either develop or fade.

Now the Mets can focus on obtaining a solid starting pitcher. I've read this morning that they made a 2-year offer to Joel Piñeiro. I'm not sure of the value of the contract, but I've also read that the Mets do not intend to offer more than 2 years. I'm pleased about this, too. The 2010-2011 free agent crop boasts a great many quality SPs. If the Mets don't acquire Piñeiro, they can do better next year.

The Battery

Now that Jason Bay is in the fold and we've got our lineup pretty well in order, it's finally time to turn our attention to the rotation and starting catcher position.

Focusing on the latter first, I've come to grips with the idea that Bengie Molina will be a Met in 2010. I'm okay with that, as long as it doesn't mean he'll be a Met in 2011 and 2012 by default. Molina is looking for 3-years, $20 million. Other than the Mets, nobody else has even made him an offer. Omar deserves some more credit for playing this one smartly. There's no market for Molina outside of New York. Basically, Omar is saying: "Bengie, when you realize that we're all you've got, please accept our offer of 1-year, $6 million with a year 2 option."

I made some misinformed statements a few weeks ago about Molina and the impact he might have on a pitching staff. After doing some research and reading about him, it appears that Molina has a track record of making mediocre pitchers good, making good pitchers great and making great pitchers even greater. Nothing screams mediocrity like #s 2-3-4 in the Mets rotation. If Molina can harness the talent that Big Pelf, Maine and Ollie possess, perhaps I can overlook that his weight = his OBP.

There's still the missing piece... a 5th starter. I'm of the opinion that the Mets really need a dynamite #2-type pitcher. The only "safe" free agent being Joel Piñeiro (where safe = hasn't been hurt in a while), but the deal he wants (3-years, $30 million) is something to give to a true #2... not a guy coming off a career year.

There's Ben Sheets, who when right, is one of the top 5 pitchers in baseball. When he's not right, it's because he's injured. It's tempting to think about a 1-2 punch of Johan and Sheets, but when he's not available -- and he will be -- we'll be back to where we started.

I think the Mets are going to end up signing Jon Garland to a 1-year deal. Garland is a good anchor in that you know what you're going to get from him -- quality starts, good control and the ability to manage a game. He's thrown 200+ innings in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 (and only missed by 3 in 2008). His career ERA is 4.42. He's not an ace by any means, but he's a solid guy who can help and he won't cost a fortune.

With Garland in the fold, the rotation will look as follows:

1 - Johan Santana
2 - Mike Pelfrey
3 - Jon Garland
4 - Oliver Perez
5 - John Maine

Is it ideal? Not really. But it's better than the alternative of having Jon Niese or Fernando Nieve as the #5 (and that's not a knock on Niese or Nieve).

What's Next?

Pending his physical, Jason Bay will officially be announced as a Met this week. Our offensive woes, it may seem, are cured. Bay is almost a lock to hit .265-.270, hit 25-30 HRs and have 110+ RBIs. His bat will also increase the number of runs scored by Reyes, Castillo and Beltran, assuming they bat 1-2-3 in the order.

Kudos to Omar Minaya. That's right, I said it. Kudos, Omar. He signed Jason Bay to the contract that he was originally offered. Omar didn't take the "mystery team" bait. He offered 4 years. Bay signed for 4 years, with an option for year 5.

I hope Omar continues to take the same approach with Bengie Molina. Although the fat man wants 3 years, Omar is sticking with his 1-year + option offer of $6 million per season. For what it's worth, I'm actually starting to come around to having Molina as a Met. Looking at what Molina did in San Francisco with a young pitching staff, he just might be what Ollie and Big Pelf need to help them harness their abilities. (In fact, I read somewhere that with Molina behind the dish, Ollie and Pelf could be the 2010 version of Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain.)

Once Molina is signed, I hope Omar doesn't decide to call it quits. Better backstop or not, the Mets still need a legitimate #2 starter. The answer just might be in Chicago, in the form of the volatile Carlos Zambrano. Not to be confused with Victor, "Big Z" is a legit #2 who has John Lackey's attitude and Lou Pinella's temper. Plus he's Latino, which is always a selling point for Omar.

I've heard that The Cubs aren't going to trade him, but I've also heard that they're trying to cut salary. The Mets could offer a package of a Major League ready arm, Luis Castillo and perhaps a few other prospects for Zambrano. Once Luis is out of the way, Orlando Hudson could be had for $3 million.

Keep your eyes peeled, folks. Lots of good stuff will happen in the next 10 days for The Metsies.

Ryota Who?

The Braves sign Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito. The Phillies sign Placido Polanco and trade for Roy Halladay. The Yankees sign Curtis Granderson. The Red Sox sign John Lackey and Mike Cameron, and are making an effort to trade for Adrian Gonzalez.

How do The Mets respond? By signing 30-year old Japanese relief pitcher Ryota Igarashi, that's how.

Omar expects to hear from Jason Bay today, and I've heard the Mets are searching through the all-you-can-eat buffets in Bengie Molina's native Puerto Rico to find him and get an answer from him.

All kidding aside, I've reached a point where I think it's okay if Omar doesn't sign either guy. It'd be a shame, but with the pitching staff in its current state, I honestly don't think either acquisition will be enough of difference maker.

For Bay, although I like him a lot, committing that kind of money to a marginal defensive player a year before Carl Crawford will be a free agent is a huge mistake. As I've evidenced several times before, Crawford is a perfect fit for The Mets.

For Molina, he's now asking for a 3-year, $20MM contract. Laughable, I say!! I'm wondering which other teams are involved in signing Molina, and which ones are offering more than the Mets original 2-year, $10MM contract? I don't want Molina at all, and it'll only make me more upset if he gets a 3-year deal!

Anyway, my point is that the 2010-2011 free agent class features a much better group of pitchers and outfielders. Brian Cashman had the right idea when he passed on Johan in 2007-2008, because he signed CC, AJ and Tex in 2008-2009 and the rest is history. Unfortunately for Omar, if the Mets have a bad showing in 2010, he may not have the chance to pull a Cashman and redeem himself.

And this is why I'm seriously concerned. Omar, in a effort to retain his job, might make a deal for the sake of making a deal (bidding against himself for Bay and/or Molina). I just hope whatever he does this year doesn't affect what the team can do next year, because let's face it... the 2010 Mets are not a "Win Now" team.

Is it already over?

Today is a great day to be a Mets fan. We're going to find out over the next 72 hours whether Jason Bay accepts our 4-year, $65 million offer. In the meantime, John Lackey has signed with Boston (5-years $85 million) and ... wait for it ... wait for it ...

The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed, in principle, to send Roy Halladay to Philadelphia as part of a three-team trade that also involves The Phillies moving Cliff Lee to Seattle.

Don't worry... Bengie Molina will be our catcher, so naturally, our pitching staff won't need improvements at all. Amidst the mediocrity that is our starting pitchers not name Santana lies a full-fledged #2.

Is it 2011 yet?

Putz Me Down!

I'm really bummed to see that J.J. Putz has signed with The Chicago White Sox. Last year, after the Mets announced the trade that brought Putz and Sean Green to New York, I was so looking forward to the concept of two lights-out relievers pitching in the 8th and 9th innings.

As we all know, Putz was never able to fill that role -- due in part to injury and perhaps in part because he wanted to close. Regardless, I thought it would've been a wise choice for the Mets to try to bring J.J. back on an incentive-laden one-year contract to act as a setup man for K-Rod and to basically audition himself to be a closer again in 2011.

Now that Putz has signed with Chicago, my fantasy of the one-two punch in the bullpen is down the toilet. Who is our setup man now? Pedro Feliciano? Bobby Parnell?

Is this just more bad luck for the Mets? Takashi Saito went from saving 40+ games for the Dodgers in 2007 and 2008 to being a setup man for The Boston Red Sox in 2009, and he pitched beautifully there. Now Saito is in Atlanta, acting as the setup man to Billy Wagner. Could it be that the Braves will successfully implement the lights-out 8th-9th bridge that we aimed at in 2009? And how painful will it be to see Wags closing things out for them?

On the bright side, we did make an encouraging offer to sign Jason Bay -- 4 years, $65 million. Not an overblown offer at all. Shocking for Omar. Granted I'd rather have seen an offer made for John Lackey, but I can't have everything.

And now to bring things down a notch again, it's being reported that The Phuckin' Fightins are the front-runners to obtain Roy Halladay. I'm not even kidding when I say I'll kill myself if he's the ace of that staff and Cliff Lee is their #2.

Being Ahead of the Curve...

I'm not one to brag, but anybody within earshot of me after the 2006 season heard me bitching about the fact that the Mets didn't bring back Chad Bradford and Darren Oliver. Both were replaced, the former by Joe Smith and the latter by Scott Schoeneweis. How'd that work out for us?


On MetsBlog.com this morning, there's an interesting snippet that suggests the Mets are going to be in on signing Darren Oliver. I wonder if they'd held onto him in 2007, 2008 and 2009, if they'd be one of five teams in on him right now. I also wonder how much better the 2007 and 2008 bullpens would've been...


Another good, encouraging sign from MetsBlog this morning is that there are reports that suggest the Mets will start to aggressively pursue John Lackey. It's about frickin' time is all I have to say. The guy's the best free agent pitcher on the market by leaps and bounds, and now that guys like Tim Hudson and Randy Wolf have 3-year deals, Lackey asking for 5 doesn't seem that unreasonable. Oh and the guy's a bulldog and would be a perfect #2 behind Johan.


I thought Bengie Molina would be the big signing for the Mets at the Winter Meetings... perhaps Omar will shock us and and it'll be John Lackey -- 5 years, $90 million. Merry Christmas to us, if that's the case.

Catching up

Ah the Winter Meetings are in full swing, which means Omar Minaya is busy monitoring all the aging, over-priced free agents. Since my last post, The Phillies have improved (signing Placido Polanco to play 3B) and The Braves have REALLY improved (signing Billy Wagner to close and Takashi Saito to setup, while looking to resign Mike Gonzalez and/or Rafael Soriano). Even The Nats have improved (signing Pudge Rodriguez to catch and Brian Bruney to be a dick in Washington instead of New York).

The Mets have improved, too. Well, not really. We've spent $3.5 million on backup players Alex Cora, Chris Coste and Henry Blanco. From what I've read, Blanco is a terrific defensive catcher, which is enough for me to say he should platoon with Omir Santos and we should skip out on the Bengie Molina experiment.

Unfortunately, it's just not like Omar to avoid signing an older player with whom he's always been infatuated. It's reported that Minaya offered Molina a 3-year deal before picking up Paul LoDuca after the 2005 season. I don't care how many HRs Molina hit in 2009... the guy is 36 and is already slower than molasses! I'd pay money to see a foot race between him and former goggle-wearing Met C/1B Jason Phillips.

I've heard reports of how well Molina handles a pitching staff. I can't argue against that, as San Francisco's starters have been quite good (back-to-back Cy Young seasons for Lincecum). Still, Molina goes completely against (what should be) the team's "pitching/speed/defense" philosophy. I don't want him for 3 years. Or for 2 years. Or for 1 year. I say NO to Bengie Mo!!!

My guess is that Omar makes some big splash before the end of the week, and my guess is that the big splash is Molina for 2 years and $12 million.

UPDATE - I'm thinking more about this whole "We need a catcher who can handle a pitching staff" argument the Mets are making right now, and I'm getting more and more nervous. It seems to me like they're posturing to send out the same exact rotation in 2010, save for the 5th spot. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the very definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Oh but there's a new catcher, and as a result, Ollie Perez will be able to throw strikes! And Mike Pelfrey won't have the yips any more! Give me a break...

Getting started...

Earlier today, the Mets made two minor signings. One I'm okay with. The other, not so much.

The Mets brought back Alex Cora today on a 1-year, $2 million deal with a vesting 2011 club option. Let me reiterate what I've said many times before about Alex Cora. I liked what he did for The Mets in 2009. He plays the game the right way, is a great club house presence, and he proved to be an absolute warrior playing with TWO messed up thumbs. Is he worth $2 million? I don't think he is. He's a backup middle IF, and despite what I just said, he's an average player on his best day.

As Jon Heyman put it, Cora will make "50 grand for ballplaying and $1.95 mil for being a helluva nice guy." I know what Heyman is saying, but I think his assessment is a bit unfair. I would've preferred he make $1 million a year at the most.

Does Cora fit into my plan? Not exactly, and not because I think he doesn't fit on the team. He's an adequate backup. I'm just not all about paying millions of dollars to a backup.

The second move made today was the signing of former Phillies backup catcher Chris Coste. I remember him as the pasty white bastard who always seemed to appear as a pinch hitter and come up big against the Mets in 2007 and 2008. He split time between Philly and Houston in 2009, posting a .224 batting average. Regardless, I'm fine with this move.

From what I've read about Omar Minaya, he likes to do his sort of thing before the winter meetings. The thought here is that Minaya will have a veteran catcher at his disposal if he fails to sign a free agent. I'm hoping Omar signs Rod Barajas, but I'm hoping even more that he doesn't fall into the trap that is Bengie Molina. I'm just not a fan of bringing in a 36-year old catcher who's slow as molasses. Then again, Chris Coste is 36, so color me a hypocrit...

Fixing the Mets - CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

With the right additions, I firmly believe that the 2010 Mets can compete with any team in the National League. I’ve outlined several options the Mets can act upon to greatly improve the team. My best and most realistic suggestions would have the team looking like this:

STARTING LINEUP

1 – Jose Reyes, SS
2 – Carl Crawford, LF
3 – Orlando Hudson, 2B
4 – Carlos Beltran, CF
5 – David Wright, 3B
6 – Jeff Francoeur, RF
7 – Daniel Murphy, 1B
8 – Rod Barajas, C


The biggest thing missing from this lineup is power. But is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. CitiField is the kind of park where it’s possible to score runs without the benefit of the long ball. I think this lineup has that potential. Reyes and Crawford atop the lineup will be a top-notch combo and will wreak havoc on the base paths. Hudson, Beltran and Wright can drive them in. Sounds good to me.

UPDATE: 11/13 - My post from this morning (which was supposed to be published 2 days ago) suggests that the Mets get Vernon Wells and Roy Halladay in the same deal. If that happens, we don't get Carl Crawford, so I'll slot Hudson in the 2 hole, Wright in the 3 hole, Beltran cleaning up and Wells in the 5 hole. 


STARTING ROTATION

1 – Johan Santana
2 – Roy Halladay
3 – Mike Pelfrey
4 – Oliver Perez
5 – John Maine


Halladay and Santana could potentially combine to win 50 games. Throw in 10 from each of the others and that’s an 80-win season. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities.


Pelf and Ollie could switch spots in the rotation, and Maine isn't a guaranteed #5. We've got to stop kidding ourselves about all the "potential" surrounding our rotation. Adding Doc puts Pelf, Ollie and Maine is realistic positions.

UPDATE: 11/13 - My post from this morning also suggests that we would trade away either Maine or Pelfrey to get Halladay and Wells from Toronto. If that's the case, I'd insert Jon Niese as the #5 starter, and either Pelfrey #3 and Ollie #4 or Ollie #3 and Maine #4.  

BULLPEN

Francisco Rodriguez, CP
JJ Putz, SU
Pedro Feliciano, LHP
Brian Stokes, RHP
Bobby Parnell, RHP
Shawn Green, RHP
Joe Beimel, LHP
Nelson Figueroa/Pat Misch

I still say that a healthy Putz setting up for a motivated K-Rod will make a terrific 8th/9th inning tandem. Halladay will provide some much needed relief for when the ‘pen has to pick up the pieces when “Bad Ollie” rears his ugly head.

Adding Biemel might make Green expendable, which would free up another spot on the bench. Regardless, I think this is a very solid bullpen.


BENCH


Omir Santos, C
Angel Pagan, OF
Fernando Tatis, OF/1B/3B
Wilson Valdez, 2B/SS
Cory Sullivan, OF


If we remove a bullpen arm, we can add another guy to the bench. I’m thinking Chris Carter or another Omar scrap heap pickup guy that he overpays. Regardless, if the bench is the weakest part of the team, you won’t hear any complaints from me!

 That's it. That's my plan. It's a plan for fixing The Mets now without completely abandoning the future. It leaves the door wide open for Ike Davis in 2010, Josh Thole in 2011 and Fernando Martinez in ... well, sometime in the next 10-15 years. I know that it's likely that one (or more) of these guys end up in a package for Doc Halladay, but I'm okay with that. As I said in the very beginning, without solid pitching WE CANNOT COMPETE!!

$$$$$ - We got it, let's use it.

Jerry Crasnick wrote a fantastic article on ESPN.com yesterday, reporting on how GMs and other baseball bigwigs feel about a variety of topics - from Matt Holliday to Instant Replay.

One question caught my eye, and it asked which player was more difficult to trade: Milton Bradley or Vernon Wells? All of the 20 anonymous GMs answered Wells.

As Crasnick points out, it's got nothing to do with Wells being a bad guy. In fact, most would argue that Milton Bradley is the biggest dick playing baseball today. He can't get along with anyone on any team. No, if it was a personality contest, Wells would win by a landslide.

The GMs pick Vernon Wells because of his contract. He'll make $12.5 million in 2010, followed by $23 million in 2011 and $21 million in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Wells signed this ludicrous contract after a career year in 2006, and then-GM J.P. Riccardi felt it would be wise to lock him up long-term. He locked him up, all right.

Wells will be nearly impossible to move, because of his less than stellar performance (.260, 15 HRs, 66 RBIs in 2009) and the money he's owed. Riccardi's poor decision to sign Wells might be a way for The Mets to get Roy Halladay.

I gushed about him in "Fixing the Mets" Step Three. You might say I have a man-crush on him. Well so be it. I do. I have a man-crush on Doc Halladay. The guy's a machine. He's a perennial Cy Young candidate. And he throws CGs every other start! Oh and did I mention that he'll be a free agent after 2010?

That's right, Halladay will be a free agent after 2010, and Toronto won't be able to afford his contract demands. He's earned a payday from somebody, and it's not likely to be The Blue Jays. He's got Yankees written all over him, but Toronto isn't going to want to have to face him 3 or 4 times a year. I expect Toronto to trade Halladay either this winter or at the deadline this year, so they can maximize his value with a slew of prospects. The problem with that theory is that I don't believe the Mets have the prospects to land him.

This is why we need to make it about more than just prospects... We need to make it about giving Toronto a bail out from the bad debt they have in Vernon Wells. I propose a modest package of minor league talent and perhaps a Mike Pelfrey or John Maine in exchange for Halladay and Wells... and we have to pay a good portion of Wells' contract.

The rotation would be fortified with the best 1-2 punch in baseball, and Wells is an above-average defender and would be a serviceable LF. Who knows... perhaps a change of scenery might be all he needs to get back to the form he showed in 2006.

If we can afford to make this offer, we'd definitely be a team built to win now. Like right now. Like 2010. And 2011. And maybe even 2012.

The conclusion of "Fixing the Mets" will be up later today...

Fixing the Mets - STEP SIX (The Bench)

STEP SIX: The Bench

Depending upon which big name is acquired – in LF or 1B, we’ll have either Angel Pagan or Daniel Murphy as a very strong sub/pinch hitter.

For the record, I don’t think Pagan is an everyday LF, but he may end up there depending upon the 2010 budget and the acquisition of a better name. Still, Pagan put up some impressive numbers in just 4 months in 2009. His season didn’t begin until June (I believe his first game was the infamous “Church missed third” game… on the bullet that Pagan hit at Dodger Stadium), and he led the team in 3Bs with 11. He batted .306, hit 6 HRs, scored 54 Rs and stole 14 bases. I think Pagan will be our 4th outfielder and fill the role that Endy Chavez filled in 2006 and 2007.

Due to Jose Reyes’ injury-riddled year, we were able to get a look at a slew of mediocre backup middle infielders:

• Alex Cora, signed last winter to be a veteran leader on the team, did everything we asked of him and more.
• Ramon Martinez, who started the season with AAA Buffalo, should never wear a Mets uniform again.
• Wilson Valdez, claimed off waivers from somebody’s scrap heap (can’t recall who), was a very good defender with a cannon for an arm.
• Anderson Hernandez, back in Flushing in a trade with The Nats, is a better player than he was when we traded him away last year for Luis Ayala.

Cora was a warrior in 2009. He played 2B and SS, and got more ABs in more games than anyone expected. When Reyes went down, Cora inserted himself in his place and did an admirable job. He certainly didn’t put up Reyes numbers, but even after he dislocated BOTH HIS THUMBS, Cora stayed in the lineup and pushed off surgery until it was apparent that The Mets were going nowhere. All this being said, I wouldn’t bring Alex back. He signed for $2 million in 2009, and he’ll probably expect the same in 2010.

If we don't bring back Cora and if we ship Martinez off to play in a softball league somewhere, we'd have to choose between Valdez or Hernandez to be our backup infielder. Frankly, both did well enough to earn a bench spot for any MLB team.

Since he rejoined the Mets in August, Hernandez proved that he matured quite a bit since his last stint with the Mets. He has speed and can play both 2B and SS, but his defense is sub-par. That's reason enough for me NOT to make him our main backup middle IF.

So could it be that I'm suggesting Wilson Valdez to be our backup middle IF? I guess I am, if by nothing more than process of elimintation. That, and he'll cost the least and is by far the best defensive player of the above 4. It's true that we never got a chance to see him play any 2B, but I'd think he'd do just fine there when/if needed.

As for an additional OF/bat, it’ll be tough to choose between Cory Sullivan and Jeremy Reed. Sully had a good showing in his limited time with The Mets in 2009. Reed, too, had a pretty good year, but he’ll probably best be remembered for the game-ending error he made in L.A. during the "the guy missed third" debacle of a game. I’d choose Sullivan over Reed, mainly because of his experience.

A lot has been said over the past 2 years about the Mets acquiring Mark DeRosa, who plays almost every position and does so very well. While I agree about DeRosa, I think the same could almost be said about Fernando Tatis. He can play either corner OF position and all 4 IF positions. He’s got a great attitude, has pop, and he’s been a team-first kind of player in 2008 and 2009.

I'd say forget about DeRosa and bring back Tatis on a one-year contract to be the default utility palyer. Tatis seems to have liked this role with The Mets, and Jerry Manuel seems to like Tatis. No reason to try to repalce him with a high-priced guy like DeRosa.

Finally, as I mentioned earlier, either Pagan or Murphy should be available off the bench. Murphy in particular showed that he was a very competent pinch hitter, batting nearly .350 in that role in 2009. There are some that might argue that Murphy’s development as a player would be stunted by riding the pine, but so be it. He must do what’s best for the team, and if being a pinch hitter is it, he’s the kind of guy who’ll do it without thinking twice.

Coming up is STEP SIX... The Conclusion of Fixing the Mets!

Update -- Jermaine Dye is a Free Agent

Here's a quick, non-"Fixing the Mets" note on something I read this morning. The Chicago White Sox declined the $12 million 2010 option for slugging LF Jermaine Dye, opting instead to buy out the contract for $950,000. 

Dye is an interesting name to be thrown into the LF hat for the Mets. He's always been a good power bat, hitting 25+ HRs in each of the last 5 seasons. I'm not sure what he'll command as a free agent, but it will most certainly be less (both in dollars and years) than Holliday and Bay. For that reason alone, I'd hope Omar at least considers him.

The big issue is that Dye's not a speedster, which raises the question about his ability to play LF in spacious CitiField. He's a statistically sound fielder -- in 2009, he had a .980 FLD% (5 errors in 247 attempts) along with 9 assists -- but stats don't show how many fly balls in the gap dropped in as doubles.

I'll have the next "Fixing the Mets" post up this weekend.

Fixing the Mets - STEP FIVE (The 'Pen)

STEP FIVE: The 'Pen

With the exception of a few minor changes, I’d leave the bullpen intact entering 2010. Brian Stokes and Pedro Feliciano had excellent years (2-4, 45 Ks, 3.97 ERA, 70.1 IP and 6-4, 59 Ks, 3.03 ERA, 59.1 IP, respectively), and Feliciano broke the team record for appearances in a season, with 87 in 2009. He broke his own record of 86, which he set in 2008.

Sean Green was our new Aaron Heilman – the go to guy when we want to be sure something goes wrong, like allowing a game-ending, bases-loaded walk in Philly earlier this year. His line is unimpressive (1-4, 54 Ks, 4.52 ERA, 69.2 IP). And despite all this, he’s pitched effectively enough at times to warrant another shot.

Bobby Parnell should remain a reliever. The argument I’ll use to make my case is right across town – Joba Chamberlain had electric stuff as a reliever, but only average stuff as a starter. It's a no brainer to me. Parnell belongs in the 'Pen. When things were “right” in 2009, Parnell was pitching scoreless 6th and 7th innings. And if we pay close attention to his numbers as a starter, it's quite clear that it's not going to work out for him there. In 8 games started, he posted on 2 quality starts (with 1-5 record) and averaged only 4.5 innings per start. 'Nuff said.

Nelson Figueroa has done a fine enough job in spot starts in 2009 to earn a spot as a long reliever in 2010, punctuated with his complete game shutout against The ‘Stros (sorry Dan) in the last game of the season. And although the same could be said for the way Tim Redding pitched down the stretch, there's something about Figgy that I really like. He's a Brooklyn native who's done just fine when needed him the past two seasons, and his numbers are pretty consistent (2009: 3-8, 59 Ks, 4.09 ERA, 70.1 IP; 2008: 3-3, 36 Ks, 4.57 ERA, 45.1 IP).

NOTE—Figgy’s 8 losses aren’t a good way to evaluate him as a pitcher. He posted 5 quality starts and pitched well enough to earn a W or at least a no decision.

We don’t need Redding if we keep Figgy, so he can be given his walking papers. The Mets got what they (should've) expected out of him (3-6, 76 Ks, 5.10 ERA, 120 IP). Redding was a guy who intrigued me when they announced his signing. I thought he'd be a very serviceable #5 starter - but that was before I knew that Ollie would be back, and that Pelf would struggle and that Maine and Johan would get hurt. Redding ended up missing the first 6 weeks of the season, and being only moderately effective when he did pitch.

Despite posting decent numbers, we should part ways with Ken Takahashi (0-1, 23 Ks, 2.96 ERA, 27.1 IP) and Elmer Dessens (0-0, 14 Ks, 3.31 ERA, 32.2 IP).

UPDATE 10/20 – The Mets released Takahashi.

On the Takahashi front, what the hell was that, anyway? The Mets passed on established LHRPs like Joe Beimel and Will Ohman in the off-season because “Sean Green was such an effective cross-over reliever," and yet Ken Takahashi ended up in our bullpen pitching in a big game in Philly? Remember the game… He gave up an extra inning HR to Raul Ibañez. Let's not make this mistake again. Beimel (1-6, 35 Ks, 3.58 ERA, 55.1 IP) will be a free agent in 2010. Ignore his 2009 record, because he’s very good and there's no rule that says you can't have two LHRPs in the same bullpen.

Pat Misch was a good pick-up, and should stay on board either in competition with Figgy as a long reliever/spot starter, or start the year in AAA and be ready to fill in when needed. Ironically enough, the two guys I’m labeling as long relievers/minor leaguers (Misch and Figgy) are the only two to post complete game shutouts for the 2009 Mets. That’s proof positive that this was a miserable year!!

As an aisde, we made a huge mistake cutting Darren O'Day earlier this year. Yeah, remember him? He pitched in all of 4 games with the Mets, and despite not giving up an earned run, he was released and claimed by Texas. And how'd he do with The Rangers? 2-1, 56 Ks, 1.84 ERA and 58.2 IP. He certainly fared better than Takahashi and Green.

I'd make a strong attempt to bring J.J. Putz back as the setup man. We got next to nothing out of him in 2009, due to injury. The problem is that he has a $9.15 million club option with a $1 million buyout. $9 million is certainly too much to pay a setup man, so I'm hoping the Mets can offer him the buyout for $1 million and re-sign him to an incentive-laden one-year deal. It'd be a shame if Putz passes, because I don't know if can reliably lean on Stokes and/or Parnell to share the setup role.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention K-Rod’s disappointing second half. It seemed to me like his season went down the shitter when Castillo dropped the A-Rod pop fly in Yankee Stadium. Frankie was untouchable prior to that game, which marked the first blown save in 21 or 22 opportunities in 2009. He ended up blowing 6 more after that Friday in June, and finished with one of his worst statistical years of his career (3-6, 73 Ks, 3.71 ERA, 68 IP).

A lot of people have argued that K-Rod’s poor performance was because he wasn’t used as often as he was used in the past. I was in that camp for while, but after I did some research, I found that the argument is just not sound. Frankie's IP last year, when he set the Major League Saves Record, were 68.1, In 2007 his IP were 67.1 and in 2006 his IP were 73.0. In fact, he had 70 appearances this year, second most in his career.

I’m hoping his poor second half was due to the fact that he was on this miserably uncompetitive team, and that he returns to form in 2010.

Coming up is STEP SIX... The Bench.

Fixing the Mets - STEP FOUR, Part 4 (2B, 3B, SS, CF, RF)

STEP FOUR, PART 4: 2B, 3B, SS, CF, RF

I want to touch upon these additional positions because there are some minimal improvements made (2B). The rest can and should remain the same.

Luis Castillo had a terrific 2009 season. Coming off an absolutely dismal 2008 (.245, .355 OBP, 46 R, 17 SB), he bounced back nicely (.302, .387 OBP, 77 R, 20 SB). He's not the defensive 2B that he used to be, no denying that, but he had a decent year in the field. His 2009 season was so good, we might actually be able to trade him! And trade him we should. We should trade him to anybody who’ll take him. The problem is the money he’s owed.

In a shocking development, I can't believe MLB Trade Rumors didn't list the 2007 Castillo contract as one of the worst in baseball - 4 years, $24 million for a past-his-prime 2B who has no pop. Again, we're still committed to Luis for $6 million a year over the next 2 seasons. It's going to be tough to sell that to somebody, even with his bounce back 2009.

In a perfect world, The Mets would be able to send Luis away somehow and replace him with Orlando Hudson. He’s a guy I thought we should have approached last off-season, but the Castillo contract stood in the way then. Instead, O-Dogg signed a one-year, $5 million deal with The Dodgers. He got off to a great start, but he slowed in the second half to finish with average numbers (.283, .357 OBP, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 74 R, 8 SB). In fact, L.A. benched him down the stretch after they acquired Met-killer Ronnie Belliard from The Nats. Belliard played so well in 24 games for L.A. (.351, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs), he may end up replacing Hudson there next year.

Stats aside, Hudson is as valuable in the clubhouse as he is on the field. He’s got a terrific work ethic, is a full-fledged Gold Glover, and he’s got a very good head on his shoulders. He’s the kind of guy who could fill the shoes left empty when Jose Valentin and his mustache left the club for greener pastures. Valentin was an obvious mentor to and positive influence upon Jose Reyes. Hudson would be the same, both for Reyes and Murphy.

O-Dogg made no secret about the fact that he wanted to play in New York in 2009. This is why he’ll come to New York in 2010, and because of his below average second half performance, he can probably be had for cheap.

As for CF, 3B, SS and RF, these positions will be filled by Beltran, Wright, Reyes and Francouer, respectively, in 2010 (and beyond).

I’ve already talked about how valuable Belty and Wright are. Jose Reyes, discounting his miserable 2009 campaign, remains one of the best players in baseball. There are lots of people out there - and I am occasionally one of them - who suggest trading Jose. I'm off that bandwagon. He needs to remain in New York and start setting some records for most triples in a season. I'm thinking he'll be able to hit 30 in a healthy season at CitiField!

Seriously, though, Reyes is a guy that any team would kill to have. We need to start appreciating what he brings to the table. His absence in 2009 was a real wake up call to me. It's clear to me that he's a very special player, and I can't wait to have him back at the top of the order.

Jeff Francoeur was a pleasant surprise, and one of the few bright spots of 2009. In 75 games with The Mets this season, Frenchy hit .311 with 10 HRs and 41 RBIs. His defense is above-average, and he's got an absolute cannon for an arm. That, coupled with an attitude that would‘ve fit on the ’86 Mets, and he gets an opportunity to prove that his 2006 and 2007 seasons with Atlanta were not a fluke.

Coming up is STEP FIVE... The 'Pen.

Fixing the Mets - STEP FOUR, PART 3 (C)

STEP FOUR, PART 3: Catcher

Brian Schneider has been a complete disaster as a Met. He wasn't that great defensively and he didn't hit to save his life. He finished 2009 batting .218 (and was actually below .200 for a full month), and he missed lots of time due to injuries in his two years here.

Schneider is just not good enough to be a starter in the Major Leagues, at least not for a contender. He should go be a backup somewhere else. We should never have to see the former Konkrete Kid in a Mets uniform again.

The best option here would've been Victor Martinez, who plays C and 1B, but Boston snatched him up in what was probably the second best move by a contender at the trading deadline (the other was St. Louis getting Matt Holliday), and dashed our chances there. V-Mart finished with very good numbers (.303, 23 HRs, 108 RBIs) splitting time between Cleveland and the Red Sox, who will most certainly sign him to a long-term contract if they haven’t already done so. He would've been a perfect fit for the Mets, both behind the dish and in a platoon with Murph at 1B. So much for that.

In the interest of saving cash, we should go after a catcher who will be okay in a full-on platoon with Omir Santos. This person should also be good enough to be an everyday player if Santos proves to be a "one year wonder." Of the available free agents, Rod Barajas is a guy who piques my interest. He had 429 ABs in 2009 (compared to 170 from Schneider) with Toronto and he is a significant offensive upgrade over Schneider - not a tall task, I know. Barajas had a fine enough season in Toronto (19 HRs, 71 RBIs), albeit with a very low batting average (.226) and OBP (.258).

More than that, Barajas is an above average defensive catcher (so says Baseball Prospectus), and it shows in that Toronto's pitching staff was very good in 2009. The best thing about Barajas is that he won't cost as much as an aging Bengie Molina.

I'm nervous about Molina being a free agent, mainly because Omar seems to be attracted to past-their-prime players (Moises Alou, anyone)? That, coupled with his productive 2007 (.276, 19 HRs, 81 RBIs), 2008 (.292, 16 HRs, 95 RBIs) and 2009 (.265, 20 HRs, 80 RBIs) seasons, and he looks like a typical Minaya signing.

Molina's the worst defensive catcher of the Molina Catching Clan - that's not to say he's a bad backstop, just that he's not in Yadier's league. Plus, he's going to be 36, his best years are behind him and he'll probably want a 2- or 3-year deal.

I'm hoping Omar makes the smart choice and goes with an inexpensive signing like Barajas and avoids a sexier deal in Molina.

An alternative is that Omar would rather spend The Wilpons money elsewhere (i.e. LF or 1B). In this case, Josh Thole might be the answer in a straight platoon with Santos. In 53 ABs this year, he batted .321 (17 hits). That’s a very small sample size (like Murphy's 2008), but the kid looks to be very talented at the plate. If nothing else, he's a glimpse into the future – probably 2011 or 2012.

And just like I said about using caution at 1B because Ike Davis is on the horizon, the same logic should apply with filling the C hole. If Thole is the guy, it'd be smarter for Omar to make a lower-cost 2-year deal for Barajas to platoon with Santos or just be our everyday catcher.

Coming up next is the continuation of STEP FOUR... 2B, 3B, SS, CF, RF.

Fixing the Mets - STEP FOUR, PART 2 (1B)

The free agents at 1B are just plain unappealing. Anybody want to see Adam LaRoche as a Met next year? How about Chad Tracy? Or Nick Johnson? Or Eric Hinske? The only moderately intriguing free agent is Russell Branyan, who was having a good season (.251, 31 HRs, 76 RBIs) before going down with “lower back pain.” Branyan’s 34 years old, though, and coming off a 30+ homer season he'll command a decent contract. I expect him to remain in the AL where he can play 1B and DH.

If Branyan is truly the best free agent option, why not just resign Carlos Delgado for cheap? Branyan's 2009 numbers are on par with Delgado's "bad" 2007 season (.258, 24 HRs, 87 RBIs). I’m not advocating Delgado’s return, for the record. While Delgado was out, David Wright took a clear leadership role on the team. I firmly expect Mr. Wright to be wearing a "C" on his jersey in 2010 and beyond, making him only the 5th man to bear the official moniker in franchise history. (The others were Keith from '87-'89, Gary Carter from '88-'89, Mookie in '89 and John Franco from '01-'04.)

Free agents and Delgado aside, there’s a possibility for us to trade for an elite, slugging 1B. The two in mind are Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez.

There have been rumors that Milwaukee will try to trade Fielder before his walk year in 2011, and he had an MVP-type 2009 (.299, 46 HRs, 141 RBIs). He definitely won't come cheap and The Brewers will be asking for a lot, but if Omar can put a package together, it’s a deal that must be made.

I don’t know much about Fielder’s defense, so I can’t say how he’ll fit in with the new speed/defense plan. Still, it’s impossible to argue against the kind of power he brings to the table. His presence as our clean-up hitter in 2010 would take so much pressure off Wright, and allow him to bat 5th where he’s thrived in the past. Beltran is a much better 3rd hitter, and Crawford would be 2nd behind Reyes.

Adrian Gonzalez is a Gold-Glove 1B with typical power stats (.277, 40 HRs, 99 RBIs). Like Fielder, though, Gonzo will be costly and he's not making a lot of money right now in San Diego. He's like a vacuum at first, and his presence defensively will greatly improve everyone's fielding percentages. His power can't be denied, either, and if he's in a more potent lineup with more guys on base, his RBI total will be much higher, too.

If we can’t get The Prince or Gonzo – and I think it’s realistic to think that we won’t – I think Daniel Murphy should be our starting 1B in 2010. The way Murph handled himself in 2009 is beyond admirable. The kid has thick skin, to say the least. He stuck it out through a very difficult season both for the team and for himself, and he kept his head up the whole time. His performance changed dramatically when he was no longer fumbling around in LF.

Murphy showed lots of promise in the field at 1B. And although he doesn’t put up typical 1B power numbers, neither did John Olerud. Now I’m not saying that Murphy is going to start wearing a helmet in the field and start batting .390, but Olerud proved that there’s more to playing 1B than hitting HRs.

Another note on Murph ties into a "Mets Fact" from my 2009 New York Mets Desk Calendar. The fact was from September 21, and it stated that Ron Hunt holds the record for most hits by a Mets player in his rookie season (145 in 1963). I did a little research, and Hunt had 533 ABs in 1963, posting a .272 AVG and a .334 OBP. In his first full season, Murph had 508 ABs and finished with 135 hits and a .266 AVG. Again, I'm not comparing Murphy to Olerud or to Ron Hunt, just making an observation that he's a very good complementary player.

The final thought on keeping Murph at 1B in 2010 is that it keeps the door wide open for 2011 when Ike Davis is ready for prime time. Early reports on Davis, especially from his play thus far in the AFL (Arizona Fall League) is that he's definitely going to be a Major League 1B in the near future. This is reason enough for Omar to avoid trading for a big time 1B like Fielder or Gonzo, and instead waiting for Davis to blossom into the player we hope he can become.

Coming up is the continuation of STEP FOUR... C.