It infuriates me that the Mets can’t figure out this simple concept of a “plan”.

If big money teams loaded up on prospects, and kept them, they could quickly establish dynasties that small budget teams couldn’t touch.

What I would do right now is see if I could sign Felipe Lopez. I’m not sure he wants to come given that at least technically there are people in front of him at his main spots, but I’d just point him to Luis Castillo’s “highlight” reel and his defensive stats and say “don’t worry, if you have your head on straight it won’t take you but a couple of spring games to pass this guy on the depth chart.” I think I could get him with a fair market offer and the enticement of a starting job. I might even give him 2 years if I have to but it would be front loaded because I’ll want to be able to trade/waive him next year if one of my kids suddenly proves they’re ready. I could just keep Castillo in that scenario but I’m throwing my fans a bone.

Then I would call any free agent catchers whose numbers are in the office rolodex and tell them no thank you. I’ve got a full quota of crappy catchers I don’t need any more. If Thole can demonstrate anything along the lines of what we might call “defensive competence” he comes north out of spring training and Blanco tutors him while being Santana’s personal catcher. If not, I’d keep Santos up and Coste down because I want Thole learning at AAA from Coste, not Santos.

Then I’d sign Kiko Calero. After Santana, this starting rotation just isn’t very good but I can’t do much about that right now. I need as many viable arms in the bullpen as possible because they’re likely to get a lot of work. If Escobar or Igarashi flop, Calero can set up. If they don’t, Calero still gets lots of work anyway. If my offense is any good at all, whoever pitches the 6th inning is going to vulture a lot of wins.

I also sign whichever lefty of Ohman, Beimel or Mahay blinks first. Feliciano needs a lefty buddy out there or his arm might fall off. I like Calero and any one of those 3 lefties better than Green/Parnell and Misch/Marshall so my bullpen depth is better with these new guys.

Then I roll with this team. None of the available FA starting pitchers are worth the trouble. I make sure everybody knows I’m the new boss and I ain’t the same as the old boss. I tell them this is their year to impress me and wish them good luck. Except Castillo, he doesn’t get that chance, Lopez has already replaced him and I spend the next month figuring out the best way to get rid of him while absorbing the least possible amount of his salary by the end of spring training.

While closely monitoring the team through the first 3 months of the season I make friends with every GM in baseball and build bridges for possible deadline trades that would be additions if this roster shows signs of life and subtractions if it doesn’t. I can’t realistically trade away anybody “big” so this wouldn’t involve anything that could be called a blockbuster, but my fringe for your fringe ala Church/Francoeur is about all I can do. I’m not sure next year’s free agent market is going to help a lot either because I don’t have a lot of money coming off the books so I’m going to have to be creative whatever I do. This first year on the job will give me some time to figure out how to execute that.

With that said if, I was the owner. I’d move everyone other than Reyes and Wright and Rebuild this thing. Because I have the foresight to see that we have no chance of competing in 2010 and I gotta be honest, 2011 looks like a long shot too.

In the end as the Mets GM it all depends who comes back healthy and whether Wright and Pelfrey can correct themselves. On top of that are we going to get Bay of the Pirates or the Redsox. Francouer of the Braves or how he performed for the Mets. And is Thole and Davis going to be ready incase Murphy and the question mark at home plate don’t perform.

A lot of questions. This topic needs to be brought back around June 1st. Becuase right now…who knows what you really have!!!