Duque was a May deal if I’m not mistaken.

But still, the idea that because they are the Mets they cannot make a deal without blowing their future is not fair.

A) You need to move on from the past. This is 2012, not the past 20 years. Different decision makers, different circumstances

B) Again I’m suggesting they try to get lesser value players. Guys like Bartolo Colon or one of those relievers shouldn’t cost you so much that it damages the future at all.

But since you asked, I can name one off the top of my head

07/30/07 Traded Dustin Martin and Drew Butera to the Twins for Luis Castillo
— Now here’s the thing though. You can’t base this deal on what Castillo became because the Mets didn’t have to sign him back. The truth about this deal was for 2007, it was a good deal for a playoff team like the Mets. Castillo filled a need a desperate need for a 2B at the time. He hit .296, with an OBP of .371, and stole 10 bases in his 50 games with the Mets. We can DISLIKE Castillo for what he became (though I still say he was treated unfairly) but you cannot tell me that deadline deal was not a good one to make.

The Mets may have collapsed in 2007, but if they had moved forward without adding Castillo, the collapse could have happened sooner than it did.

Another one you could say was in 2000 they dealt Pulsipher for Lenny Harris. Harris turned out to be a guy that team badly needed off the bench. He hit over .300 with the Mets in 2000.

So again, I’m not saying they need to go for broke here. I am saying hold onto your future, but if you can swipe away a guy like Colon or a decent middle reliever, then it’s worth it because you won’t have to give up your future most likely.

Please name me one instance (just one) in the last 15-20 years (say, 1995-present), when ANY deadline move made by the Mets to add players to “compete” made ANY DIFFERENCE whatsoever in the playoffs WITHOUT severely damaging long-term success of the franchise.

If you can do this, I will be very, very impressed.

I totally disagree with you in regards to them selling players like Wright and Santana. I think their presence on this team does more for the young players than acquiring more young players can do.

I appreciate the need for having prospects. But I don’t think you need to wipe the kitchen clean and lose 100+ games practically on purpose.

Trumbo isn’t going anywhere, and if he does, it’d be so expensive. Have you seen his #s this year?

LaHair could be a fluke right now, but even if he wasn’t, what do you do with him? You’d have to deal Ike. There’s no sense in having 2 lefty 1B.

Dempster I think CAN go but Garza will go first. Dempster is a guy who I think loves playing for the Cubs. So I don’t think there is urgency there.

I didn’t include Milwaukee in my sellers because I am not sure about them yet.

I like Bud Norris, and I agree he is somewhat undervalued, but I don’t think Houston undervalues him. He’s just hitting arbitration, so their needs to deal him are pretty low.

I’m honestly not sure about your suggestions on other trades, but I do believe the Mets can add, and be competitive without giving up the important aspects of the future (such as some of the top prospect arms etc)

I think your practical discussion about Reyes is fair, but I don’t think it was realistic. Not if you expect Citi Field to not get burned to the ground. You may have been ready for Reyes to be traded, but most were not.

It is obvious that this is not a serious team yet. It has way, way too many holes to plug. The farm system is weak. There are a few players with 1 or 2 year contracts that, if the opportunity arises, should be moved to bolster the farm system and nurture long-term success (Wright, Santana).

The question you should be asking is who on the Mets will be moved and for WHAT PROSPECTS. IMO Wright is almost certainly gone if he doesn’t agree to a deal on Alderson’s terms. Which is exactly the way it should be.

Think LONG TERM. Not SHORT TERM. It’s short term thinking that has resulted in this franchise being the laughing stock of baseball, and rightfully so. Just look at the Rays strategy now vs. its strategy when they signed Greg Vaughn and all those other scrubs.

Let’s not deceive ourselves. I like this team. I like its grit and determination, which are a reflection of their manager and indicative of a culture shift throughout the organization. But to draw from an analogy, in my book, its 1983 and we have some work to do in fortifying the organization at the minor league level. Here’s what I mean…

At an organizational level, we have a BIG ISSUE that I’d really like the Met Brass to consider. We are so laden with left-handed bats and carry some talented, yet expendable arms, why don’t we jettison some of our genuine talent in return for genuine talent from the right side.

For example, Jake Marisnick is a right-handed hitting centerfield prospect and ranked # 3 in Blue Jays system. He’s 6’4″, weighs over 200 lbs and runs like a deer and hits with power. Wouldn’t it make sense to offer Familia & Valdespin for him – heck, I’d trade Familia & Murphy to bring him in.

Another example is Giant’s centerfield prospect Gary Brown. I think he’s out of Cal-Fullerton or Fresno State and put up insane numbers last year in PCL-type hitters league. This year he’s getting a taste of the Eastern League in which Bingy Mets play and his numbers are down. I’m sure it’s just an adjustment for him, but this kid has enormous potential and has demonstrated superior skill at every level he’s played. His name was discussed during the Beltran trade last year. Again, I’m thinking we can move Mejia/Valdespin/Muphy (not all three, obviously) in a deal.

BTW, I’m really pissed-off that we didn’t trade Jose Reyes for Brown and another prospect last year. Holding onto Reyes was a stupid indulgence.

In my book, in a trade at the prospect level, guys such as Harvey, Wheeler, Duda & Niewenhuis are untouchable.( Kirk has a superior cool factor & is a total gamer.) What I’m saying is that if guys like Baxter, Davis, Valdespin, Murphy, Mejia & Familia either maintain or boost their trade value, perhaps we should seriously consider making some adjustments at the minor league level, much like Frank Cashen did when he acquired Darling, Sid Fernandez & guys like that in the early 1980′s.

In a year or two, an outfield rotation of Duda, Niewenhuis, Brown, Marisnick & Baxter-type would be an outstanding mix of power, speed and stellar defense. All that, with Brandon Nimmo on the rise.

These are the type of trades that the Mets should be considering, and not bringing in a retread to make a playoff push. Such a thought would deviate from the house-cleaning that has been taking place. We like fresh air in Flushing.

1st Base:

-Derrek Lee (Free Agent). Remember him? Always loved this guy and wished he could play here. He still possesses that power bat that you need in the lineup. He tore it up in Pittsburgh before he got hurt last year. See if he’s available.

-Mark Trumbo (LAA) I’ve heard his name as a trade candidate early in the season, and it wouldn’t hurt to inquire about him.

-Bryan LaHair (CHC) No, he’s not a RHB 1st baseman, but with the Cubs wanting to clean house, you’d be foolish not to look at this guy.

Starters:

-Ryan Dempster (CHC)* Only if the Cubs eat a significant part of the $14 million owed to him this season.

-Bud Norris (HOU) UNDERRATED pitcher.

-Max Scherzer (DET) Not buying what Detroit is saying about not persuing a SP story. I’d take Scherzer in a heartbeat.

-Shaun Marcum (MIL) Brewers aren’t going anywhere and may be sellers.

-Juan Nicasio (COL) I see great potential in this kid. DO NOT let his ERA (5.11) fool you. His ERA away from Coors is 2.81 with a 1.286 WHIP and a 8.4 SO/9. Hint, hint.

Middle Relief:

-Evan Meek (PIT)
-Jose Mijares (KC)
-Grant Balfour (OAK)
-Craig Breslow (ARI)
-Brian Fuentes (OAK)
-Arthur Rhodes (FA)

Catcher:

-Geovany Soto (CHC) Yeah, he may be hitting .161 right now and Rob Johnson is doing an admirable job, but I’d still take Soto in a heartbeat. There’s no question in my mind that he’d turn it around at Citi.

I don’t think you can just wave a hand at Bay and cut him. For starters that is a big financial loss. Secondly, as much as we may look at Bay and shake our head… in his 15 games this year his OPS would be higher than almost everybody on the Mets, including Duda and Murph.

You have to give Bay a chance now coming back from injury. He was showing signs of shaking it off, he had 8 hits in his final 7 games before the injury. He could be a productive bat and we have to give him that chance.

If he doesn’t prove to be worth it, I think he’s going to split time with Hairston