One of my greatest wishes as a relatively young Mets fan is wanting to have seen Tom Seaver pitch.

Sure, I’ve seen the highlight videos and World Series tapes that portrayed his dominance, but it’s still not the same as seeing the best pitcher in Mets’ history actually toe the rubber.

However, albeit still very early, we younger Mets fans are seeing firsthand what it was like when Seaver took the mound in the form of Matt Harvey – just throwing it out there that I was also too young to remember Doc Gooden as well.

Harvey has been dominant this year, and his body of work is very similar to that of Seaver.

Harvey has a slightly bigger build than Seaver when he pitched, but Seaver still fit the mold of a powerful right-hander.

Both have explosive fastballs and aren’t afraid to challenge hitters up in the zone – again going back to at least what I’ve seen from Seaver on the tapes.

Both have at least one good secondary pitch: Seaver mostly a slider and Harvey a curveball, slider and change-up. Harvey already has shown great command of each of these pitches, just like Seaver demonstrated with his slider.

Certainly, the mental approach by each pitcher resembles one another. That “bulldog” mentality if always wanting to win allowed each to experience success very early in their careers – and we naturally hope Harvey’s success continues for plenty more years.

But of all the similarities between the two, the fact that each came up with an inept offensive team is just uncanny.

The Mets really have never been known as an offensive team, but to not somehow scratch together a run when your pitcher is working on a perfect game really is embarrassing. Yes, Hector Santiago threw a very good game Tuesday night for the White Sox, but that’s where you have to dig deep and dent the plate at least once.

I looked at Seaver’s rookie year in 1967 and compared it with the first few months of Harvey’s career. Seaver made 34 starts during his Rookie of the Year campaign and finished with a 16-13 record.

However, he had just a 2.76 ERA, and in those 34 starts, he only gave up four or more runs eight times. He also threw 18 complete games, but we’ll overlook that for now since today’s game is much different than back then – especially when dealing with pitch counts and innings limits.

As for Harvey in 17 career starts, he’s given up four or more runs in a start just once and has a collective 2.07 ERA. Yet his career mark is only 7-5.

Now I don’t want to only point the finger at the offense for a lack of production. There likely were times – albeit few – that the Mets actually scored a comfortable amount of runs for Seaver, and the same will be true for Harvey eventually.

It may not even out fully, but there will be times when Harvey doesn’t have his best stuff and the Mets score enough runs to get him the win.

But just imagine if Seaver and Harvey had any sort of consistent run support. Is it so much for a pitcher to ask his team to score four runs per game? If that was the case for Harvey, he could potentially be 11-1, not to even mention the no-decisions.

Ok, it’s definitely not as cut and dry as that, but what I’m saying here is that it’s just the typical Mets way to have an ace-type pitcher yet not be able to score a single run.

Let’s hope that changes as Harvey continues to progress. Based on what we saw Tuesday night, he may only need one run per game.

Luckily, he’s a decent hitter too, so he should be able to help himself at the plate. Like a typical Little League superstar game, Harvey could pitch a complete game shutout and hit a home run to win the game.

That might be his only chance to consistently pick up wins.

Most baseball pundits cast off the Mets’ outfield as being the worst in the league heading into the season.

On paper, maybe that is correct, but based on performance, the Mets outfield hasn’t been all that bad.

Lucas Duda has looked good offensively, Marlon Byrd has had some big hits, Mike Baxter gives all-out effort every time he’s on the field, and Jordany Valdespin proved last night what a great asset he is to the ball club.

Of the group, Collin Cowgill has struggled since his Opening Day grand slam, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis really didn’t have a place on this roster.

So Juan Lagares was called up to replace Kirk. But the timing of it all is somewhat strange.

Lagares was hitting .346 in Las Vegas so a call-up was certainly warranted. But where does he fit on the big league roster at this point?

Duda is entrenched in left field. That’s a given. In right, Byrd hasn’t exactly played himself out of the batting order, and again Baxter – as exhibited by his key hustle double last night – produces when given the chance.

Center field has been the revolving door, but Valdespin has shown that he could be productive if given the chance. Cowgill might be in a cold spell, but he could very well regain his hot form from spring training.

The thing that confuses me is that Lagares should not be in the Majors unless he’s playing every day. He’s said to be a great defensive center fielder – which is of course important – but he needs to consistently be put up against top-notch pitching.

If Terry Collins is insistent on trying to get Cowgill regular at-bats, then Lagares should still be in Vegas. And throw Valdespin in the mix, and who knows what’s going on in center?

Even a platoon situation with Lagares and Valdespin would not do the kid much good. If he ever plans on being a regular, he’ll need to face both righties and lefties.

Here’s a potential scenario, that I hope does not play, out but could be an option. If Ike Davis continues his abysmal stretch, the Mets may consider sending him down to Vegas to find himself. Duda then moves to first, and Valdespin can play left with Lagares in center.

We learned last season that even after a slow start, Davis can turn it on in a big way. His second half last year has basically earned him a free pass to struggle early on this year. But if he doesn’t find his stroke like he did last season, maybe a change would do him good.

Again though, let’s hope Davis finds his stroke.

Right now, let Valdespin play; he’s an electric talent. Everyone keeps saying that he’s so raw, but the only way to get more refined is to constantly be in the lineup.

Not many players can say they are not in the starting lineup the day after hitting a walk-off grand slam. Sure, the Mets are facing a lefty, but again, you have to give Valdespin the exposure.

Same goes for Lagares. If Collins can find him regular at-bats, that’s one thing. But if Cowgill is getting the start over him, then he should be playing every day in Vegas.

Maybe I haven’t given this enough time to properly play out, but there’s no point in having a prospect sit on the bench in the Majors when he could be refining his game every day in the minors.

Phillies 5, Mets 0 before we even blinked.

But then I realized that Citizens Bank Park is band box, and one or two big swings would get the Mets right back in the game.

Sure enough, homers from the red-hot John Buck and Lucas Duda made it a 5-2 game heading into the fifth.

With one out and runners on second and third in the fifth, Ike Davis lifted a ball to shallow center that it looked like Ben Revere might not get to. Revere made the catch on the run, but there was no way he’d be able to set himself and throw out Jordany Valdespin trying to tag up from third.

OK, we got ourselves a 5-3 game. We’re right back in this.

Hold on just a second.

I again cringed as I saw Daniel Murphy had been doubled off second base on a play that was right in front of him. That’s inexcusable.

Unfortunately, the Mets are not a talented enough team to have mental mistakes. Physical errors of course are part of the game, but the mental mistakes are the ones that can cost games.

Now, even if that run counted and the game was 5-3, that does not automatically mean the Mets would have come all the way back to tie the game or even take the lead. But again, in that type of ballpark, anything can happen.

It’s impossible to think that any team – even the best teams in the league – will play perfect all-around baseball. It just doesn’t happen. But the teams that limit the mental mistakes always put themselves in a better position to win games.

Had the Mets lost the game on a Murphy error at second base in the bottom of the ninth inning, it would still leave Mets fans with a bad feeling, but at least we could say that errors happen and it was just terrible timing.

But the mental mistake in the fifth inning was a huge rally killer for a team that struggled putting together any sort of rally in the final two games of the Philadelphia series.

If the Mets goes out there each night and makes a bunch of errors and loses, so be it. But the losses will sting even more if the team beats itself by making mental mistakes.

Murphy at least seems like the type of player that will learn from that mistake to ensure it never happens again.

That hasn’t stopped me before, but based on the wind, I had a feeling I was in store for a low-scoring game.

I even turned to my buddy before the game and told him to look at how quickly the flags on the top of the stadium were blowing in from the outfield. “We’re not going to see any homers tonight,” I said.

I sometimes like when I’m wrong.

Lucas Duda and Ike Davis crushed pure bombs deep into right field, while John Buck hit an impressive opposite-field two-run shot to right as well.

Duda’s ball was actually still rising as it cleared the yard and landed halfway up the Pepsi Porch. Davis’ blast was a moonshot that reached Shea Bridge. So much for the wind blowing in!

These home runs were an excellent sign for both players.

Duda struggled to open the spring but seemed to gain his stroke over the final few weeks. The contact he made on his homer last night was so solid, and he even added a booming double to right center as well.

For Davis – who had a good spring – that home run washed away any lingering thoughts about his Opening Day “Golden Sombrero.” Davis is going to strike out; it’s a fact. But if he’s dropping bombs like last night, the strikeouts won’t be too much of a concern.

Even more impressive is that these two lefties hit their homers off lefty Clayton Richard, who is no slouch on the mound after a 14-14 campaign last year for a mostly poor team. Davis and Duda don’t necessarily struggle against lefties, but it’s a great sign to see them display power against a southpaw.

Davis and Duda’s offense is one of the keys to this Mets’ season if the team stays relevant. The power they can provide in the middle of the order if they’re hitting can really go a long way.

Throw in right-handed hitters David Wright, Marlon Byrd and the hot-hitting Buck, and all of a sudden you have the makings of a balanced offensive lineup. And just imagine if Travis d’Arnaud pans out like expected!

It’s just two games, I know, but there is some potential here, which is exciting from a fan’s perspective. For a team that’s not supposed to set any home run records, Davis and Duda can at least provide a little bit of thump for the Amazins.

American League Cy Young Award

Felix Hernandez

Big King Felix took the Cy Young Award with five votes from our staff. In second was Justin Verlander with three and third was Chirs Sale with two. Jared Weaver, the imperfect Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, Josh Johnson all had one vote a piece.

American League MVP

Mike Trout

Mike Trout took home seven MMO votes to take our MVP award, and to think, he could have been a Met . Albert Pujols was second with three and the new Jay-Z client Robinson Cano was third with two.

AL Home Run Champ

Jose Bautista

Brief but former Met Jose Bautista received six votes to become our preseason home run king. Prince Fielder was second with three tallies.

AL Batting Champion

Mike Trout and Robinson Cano

We have a tie! At four votes a piece, Mike Trout and Robinson Cano were voted co-batting champs. Miguel Cabrera was behind them at three. Josh Hamilton and Joe Mauer had two.

AL Stolen Base Leader

Mike Trout

I’m starting to see a theme here, something seems a little fishy. Mike Trout leads the American League with five votes. Michael Bourn with his new Indians at four and former-met speedster Jose Reyes in third at two picks.

AL Rookie Of The Year

Wil Myers

Now Tampa Bay Rays prospect Wil Myers is our choice for ROY at seven votes. Trevor Bauer had three, and Jurickson Profar and Dylan Bundy nabbed two a piece.

AL Comeback Player Of The Year

Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera gets our nod for Comeback Player at five tallies. Jose Bautista had himself four votes. Lance Berkman, Jacoby Ellsbury took home two a piece, hell even Jason Bay got thrown a bone from Jessep!

So that’s our 2013 A.L. Award predictions, hope you enjoyed… We’ll have the National League posted later today. In the mean time, here is how our staff voted individually. Feel free to comment with your own AL predictions!

Joe D.

AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez

AL MVP: Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ: Prince Fielder

AL Batting Leader: Robinson Cano

AL Stolen Base Leader: Mike Trout

AL ROY: Trevor Bauer

AL Comeback Player: Jacoby Ellsbury

Paul Zinn

AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez

AL MVP – Robinson Cano

AL Homerun Champ – Albert Pujols

AL Batting Leader – Miguel Cabrera

AL Stolen Base Leader – Jose Reyes

AL Rookie of the Year -Trevor Bauer

AL Comeback Player – Mariano Rivera

Clare Laferty

AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez

AL MVP – Mike Trout

Michael Barrett

AL Cy Young – David Price

AL MVP – Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ – Mark Trumbo

AL Batting Leader – Miguel Cabrera

AL Stolen Base Leader – Mike Trout

AL Rookie of the Year -Jurickson Profar

AL Comeback Player – Mariano Rivera

Vinny B.

AL Cy Young – Jered Weaver

AL MVP – Albert Pujols

AL HR Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader -Robinson Cano

AL Stolen Base Leader – Desmond Jennings

AL Rookie of the year – Will Myers

AL Comeback player of the year – Lance Berkman

Matt Balasis

AL Cy Young – David Price

AL MVP – Jose Bautista

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Joe Mauer

AL Stolen Base Leader – Jose Reyes

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Jose Bautista

Joe Spector

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander

AL MVP – Albert Pujols

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Robinson Cano

AL Stolen Base Leader – Brett Gardner

AL Rookie of the Year – Dylan Bundy

AL Comeback Player – Jose Bautista

Jessep

AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez

AL MVP – Prince Fielder

AL Homerun Champ – Prince Fielder

AL Batting Leader – Mike Trout

AL Stolen Base Leader – Jose Altuve

AL Rookie of the Year – Trevor Bauer

AL Comeback Player – Jason Bay

Rob (Tie Dyed)

AL Cy Young – Chris Sale

AL MVP – Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Billy Butler

AL Stolen Base Leader – Jose Reyes

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Jose Bautista

Connor

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander

AL MVP – Miguel Cabrera

AL Homerun Champ – Adam Dunn

AL Batting Leader – Joe Mauer

AL Stolen Base Leader – Michael Bourn

AL Rookie of the Year – Dylan Bundy

AL Comeback Player – Eric Hosmer

Clayton Collier

AL Cy Young – Matt Harrison

AL MVP – Robinson Cano

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Miguel Cabrera

AL Stolen Base Leader – Michael Bourn

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Victor Martinez

Gerry Silverman

AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez

AL MVP: Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ: Prince Fielder

AL Batting Leader: Mike Trout

AL Stolen Base Leader: Mike Trout

AL ROY: Jurickson Profar

AL Comeback Player: Jacob Ellsbury

Adam Rossi

AL Cy Young – Yu Darvish

AL MVP – Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Mike Trout

AL Stolen Base Leader – Mike Trout

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Jose Bautista

Dan Valis

AL Cy Young – David Price

AL MVP – Jose Bautista

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Josh Hamilton

AL Stolen Base Leader – Michael Bourn

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Mariano Rivera

XtreemIcon

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander

AL MVP – Evan Longoria

AL Homerun Champ – Josh Hamilton

AL Batting Leader – Josh Hamilton

AL Stolen Base Leader – Emilio Bonafacio

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Mariano Rivera

Gregg Hopps

AL Cy Young -Josh Johnson

AL Batting Leader -Mike Trout

AL Comeback Player -Mariano Rivera

Jim Mancari

AL Cy Young – Chris Sale

AL MVP – Albert Pujols

AL Homerun Champ – Albert Pujols

AL Batting Leader – Robinson Cano

AL Stolen Base Leader – Michael Bourn

AL Rookie of the Year – Jurickson Profar

AL Comeback Player – Lance Berkman

K-Rod said he would welcome a reunion with the Mets and would be extra motivated if given a second chance to redeem himself.

Rodriguez is currently a free agent, and the Mets showed minimal interest earlier in the offseason.

But please, please, please Sandy Alderson: Don’t bring this guy back!

The Mets have moved on from K-Rod and his antics, and there’s really no point in reverting. Why watch a washed up reliever struggle when we have some young guys capable of getting the job the done?

And if those younger guys struggle, give them the chance to work through their mistakes rather than keep giving the same guy numerous chances.

He has already been given a second chance with the Mets. After the whole incident with his girlfriend’s father in 2010, he returned to the Mets in 2011 – after many rumors of a potential release – and actually pitched pretty well.

In fact, he pitched so well that the Milwaukee Brewers traded for him for their stretch run, and he resurrected himself as a setup man.

That was his second chance. The Brewers re-signed him for the 2012 season, and he tanked to 2-7 record with a 4.38 ERA.

So basically he’s now seeking a third chance. Well, he’s come to wrong the place.

With the game on the line in the seventh and eighth inning, I’d much rather see the ball handed off to Bobby Parnell (if he’s not closing), Jeurys Familia, Josh Edgin or Robert Carson.

Give these guys a chance. We know that K-Rod is more of a headache than what his production will be on the field. He was actually charged with domestic abuse in September, 2012, so it doesn’t seem he’s changed too much.

It’s great that K-Rod wants to redeem himself to Mets fans for a three-year period of craziness. But hopefully, the Mets stay far away from this guy.

I’m sure many of us are excited to see the Mets’ catcher of the future, Travis d’Arnaud, take the field this spring.

Sure, he likely won’t head north with the big club right away, but all reports indicate that he is the real deal.

I don’t know about you, but I am definitely seeking the reassurance that d’Arnaud has what it takes to be a Major League catcher. Luckily, I received that reassurance a few days ago.

I had a conversation with Anthony Iapoce, an Astoria native and the new special assistant to the general manager of the Chicago Cubs.

He spent the last few seasons as the roving minor league hitting coordinator for the Toronto Blue Jays, and that’s where he was able to provide expert analysis on d’Arnaud.

“Travis is a gamer and a great teammate,” Iapoce said. “He can handle the bat and knows how to play the game.”

These are certainly encouraging words from someone that has seen him play. Many of the reports we’ve all read on d’Arnaud were from the Mets’ beat reporters, who likely will be seeing him play live for the first time this spring.

Iapoce went on to say that the young catcher is a leader and a rare talent as an offensive-minded catcher. He said the Mets are very lucky, and fans will be excited to see this kid develop.

One concern that Iapoce mentioned, however, is that d’Arnaud has spent time on the disabled list in each of the past few seasons, with his major injury – a torn posterior cruciate ligament last summer – shutting him down for several months.

If d’Arnaud can stay healthy, he’s going to be fun to watch and will hopefully contribute to some competitive Mets’ teams in the near future.

Certainly, Iapoce’s words have me really excited to see the 23-year-old stud in action.

Updated by Joe D.

According to Mike Puma of the NY Post, after telling reporters that Frank Francisco has been shut down due to inflammation in his right elbow, Mets manager Terry Collins told Puma that “he wants Bobby Parnell to take over as the team’s closer.”

“We keep talking about 2014 … why not get a head start?” Collins said. “I’m not panicking, but you’ve got to get somebody ready, and Bobby to me is that guy.”

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York quotes pitching coach Dan Warthen, who says:

“His last 11 outings, he didn’t give up anything. I thought his maturity changed. I thought he and [Jon] Niese both had breakout years last year. And I think he’s there. I think he’s ready to close.”

Not surprising news, but big news nonetheless.

The Mets developing their own homegrown closer? This is unheard of, somebody pinch me!

I would love to see Parnell grab this opportunity and run with it.

I want to see him succeed and earn a big, huge paycheck next season as a top shelf closer – hopefully, still with the Mets of course.

Take the bull by the horns, Bobby… This your time to shine…

Original Post 2/8

Frank Francisco told the New York Post yesterday that he is the Mets’ closer.

Sure, he might have been signed last offseason to be the Mets’ closer, but it’s not like he went out last year and was stellar on the mound.

In fact, his numbers (5.53 ERA and 23 saves) were pretty poor for a closer.

So while he “thinks” he is this team’s closer, nothing is set in stone.

The Mets today agreed to a contract with another veteran reliever, Brandon Lyon. He’s been mostly a setup man in his career, but he does have experience closing. He may push Francisco for save opportunities.

In a perfect world, Francisco, who will earn closer’s money at $6.5 million in 2013, will have a great season and cement his role as the closer early on. Meanwhile, the veteran bullpen options like Lyon, Scott Atchison and LaTroy Hawkins will push youngsters Bobby Parnell, Jeurys Familia and Josh Edgin in spring training to pitch at a high level.

But nothing in this world is perfect.

With the expectations low for the Mets this season, the organization needs to have a short leash with overpriced veterans. If Francisco tanks, get him out of there. He’s not part of this team’s future, so the Mets should just bite the bullet on his salary if necessary.

I’d rather see Parnell, Familia and Edgin, as well as a few others, get the chance late in games rather than run a struggling Francisco out there. Leads will be precious for the 2013 Mets, so the most qualified relievers – not the highest paid – should get the first crack at saving games.

Again, maybe the most qualified relievers this season will in fact be Francisco and Lyon. They’ve shown in their careers that they can be effective late in games, so it’s certainly possible that they can be productive.

But as far as Francisco claiming that he is the Mets’ closer before spring training has even started, that’s a little much.

I’m glad that he’s confident in his abilities, but he should have said that he’s willing to work super hard to rebound from a poor year last year in order to re-earn his spot.

He could have said, “I am this team’s closer, and I am going to prove that right from the start of spring training.”

The key word here is “prove.” It’s not like Francisco is Mariano Rivera. Even with Rivera coming off an injury, his track record suggests he’ll be just fine.

Francisco’s career has been middling at best, and with Parnell waiting in the wings, Francisco’s job should be far from safe.

But of course, I can’t control myself in reading all the news stories about what is actually in the book before I read it for myself.

So that leads me to a very intriguing discussion.

Piazza admitted in his book to using androstenedione and Ephedra before the substances were banned, according to the New York Post. The 12-time All-Star catcher also said in his book that he took Vioxx (an anti-inflammatory), “greenies” (stimulants) and Dymetadrine (asthma medicine), the Post reports.

The New York Times reports that Piazza wrote in the book that he inquired about HGH, not knowing it was a banned substance, but his trainer advised against using it.

So let’s assume that Piazza is clean of HGH. He claims he never used “steroids,” and to this point, we all know he has never had a positive test on record.

But the real question now is how will Piazza’s admission to using these other drugs – mainly the currently-banned substances of andro and Ephedra – affect his chances at the Hall of Fame.

There will likely continue to be a rift amongst the voters. Some will say that since these substances were legal at the time, Piazza was not cheating. However, some will say that he was still enhancing his performance by using the substances, thus tainting his incredible numbers.

If I had to guess, the voters that voted for him this year will vote for him again next year. But then again, some may now change their vote since Piazza admitted to using “substances” during his career.

Of the writers that did not vote for him this year based on the suspicion of drug use, some may change their votes since Piazza admits to have never used “illegal substances.” But of course, the majority will have their initial inklings about Piazza confirmed and therefore will continue to exclude him from Cooperstown.

Talk about a voting conundrum!

I’m not exactly sure if Piazza’s book will help or hurt him. It almost begs the question of why he would even choose to admit anything in the first place. The timing of the book’s release is also strange, since he could have “cleared his name” before the voting occurred.

But then again, would his admission to using drugs clear his name or would it spark even more speculation like it already has?

I want to believe Piazza. I feel like he might have kept quiet if he used banned substances and would have hoped that no test results ever leaked.

He instead chose to be honest, and from what he admitted in the book, he never cheated according to what was and what was not illegal at the time.

I’m eager to see what else he has to say in his book. I just hope that all the juicy excerpts haven’t been revealed already.

The release of this book just keeps Piazza’s name in the news cycle, which will spark much more debate on whether he’s worthy of baseball immortality.

The Mets seem to be rolling the dice when it comes to bringing in veterans on minor-league deals to compete for spots in the bullpen.

The team will likely head north in about two months with seven relievers, but spring training will decide who those lucky seven are.

LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Atchison were recently signed to minor-league deals. Do these guys have enough left in the tank to be contributors to this year’s bullpen?

Seriously, what do the Mets have to lose? At the very worst, Hawkins and Atchison will light a fire under the younger relievers who are battling for a roster spot.

Robert Carson and Josh Edgin had strong moments in 2012 but were inconsistent for the most part. Bobby Parnell is expected to keep progressing, and Jeremy Hefner will likely latch on as the long man in the pen.

The Mets signed side-armer Greg Burke to a minor-league deal early in the offseason, so we’ll see what he’s got this spring. Youngsters Jeurys Familia and Elvin Ramirez will also be given a long look.

With the exception of Parnell (who has been inconsistent in his own right), none of the above in-house bullpen candidates are proven commodities. But since relief pitching in general is such a volatile position, the Mets could either have the makings of a solid bullpen, or they could completely tank.

If a few of these arms can get hot at the right time, they could form a strong unit, especially if either Hawkins or Atchison (or both) can be effective. With the team’s lack of offense, it will be imperative for the bullpen to hold rare leads late in games.

And then of course there’s Frank Francisco. The Mets took a gamble bringing him in last year, and for the most part that backfired. But it wasn’t just a one-and-done with Frankie; he signed a two-year deal.

I wish the Mets would bring in some legitimate closing competition for Francisco. Parnell is on the doorstep of becoming a closer, but he needs to work through his inconsistencies to take the next step.

On the free-agent market, Brian Wilson, Matt Capps and Jose Valverde are still available. Valverde fell out of favor with Detroit in last year’s playoffs, while Wilson has already auditioned for the Mets but seems unwilling to accept a minor-league deal.

But as spring training nears, Wilson may be forced to lower his demands and prove that he can still close.

On a minor-league deal, I would love to see the Mets sign Wilson. Nothing would be guaranteed, and he would have to show the organization in spring training that he’s still got it.

Maybe Capps could be a guy the Mets bring in to push Francisco. However, he missed several months last season with the Twins dealing with shoulder inflammation.

Capps will probably draw interest on a Major-League deal, but again as the clock keeps ticking, he too may be forced to swallow his pride.

Signing one of these two closers to a minor-league deal would fit with Sandy Alderson’s theme of trying to piece together a bullpen of reclamation projects trying to resurrect their careers.

The good thing about this plan is that if it falters, not only would it be a short-term problem, but also none of the contracts would be guaranteed.

The Mets were the only team in the game to have not signed a Major League free agent before the Marcum deal.

Of course, the Mets are going through a rebuilding phase, but the team didn’t even sign a bench player or relief pitcher to a pro deal.

What this means is that the team will be relying on youngsters to get them through this season.

“Get them through” can be interpreted in one of two ways.

First, these young guys can burst onto the scene and form a competitive team. Maybe we’re not talking about going all the way to the World Series, but the team could have the potential to play exciting baseball.

Look at the Oakland A’s last year. A team of young no-names went on a run and won the AL West division over the likes of the powerhouse Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Mets will be trying to unseat the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies atop the NL East, but it might take more than just an extended late season run to do this.

But the more likely scenario is that the young players will be under constant scrutiny to see if they belong in the Majors. “Get them through” in this case would apply to just getting through this season – no matter what their record winds up being – in anticipation to be a competitive team in 2014, when superstar prospects like Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud are ready to contribute to the big club.

This year will be telling for guys like Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, Josh Edgin and others. They’ll be given every chance to succeed to see if they fit into the mix in 2014.

Players like Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada, Dillon Gee and Bobby Parnell are not off the hook. They too have to prove that they can have sustained Major League success.

Marcum is a nice stopgap who can eat innings if he’s healthy, but the future of this team lies far from the hands of Shaun Marcum.

This year’s award winners received their hardware, and of course, R.A. Dickey was the main event.

Dickey took home the 2012 NL Cy Young Award and was honored with the BBWAA’s “Joe DiMaggio Toast of the Town” award for forging a special bond with the New York fans.

R.A. Dickey at BBWAA Dinner

Before Dickey took to the podium, the dais featured some of the top players in the game today including Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, David Price, Buster Posey and C.C. Sabathia. Former Met killer Chipper Jones was also in attendance to receive the BBWAA’s “Long and Meritorious Service” award.

The 1973 NL champion New York Mets were honored for their 40th anniversary. Rusty Staub and Buddy Harrelson accepted the “Willie, Clipper and the Duke” award. Willie Mays was actually there too and was given a standing ovation.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson was tasked with introducing the 1973 team. But before doing that, he acknowledged Dickey for his remarkable season.

“The contributions he’s made for the Mets not just this year but over three years, it’s been a privilege of mine to watch him perform over the last two,” he said. “I think everyone, Mets fans and baseball fans everywhere, will agree that last year was truly not just historic but in some ways a storybook finish to his career here. I hope it’s not finished. I hope that sometime down the line that we will meet again.”

However, he said he was not infringing on Blue Jays’ general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who was sitting at the table right in front of the podium.

Sandy Alderson, the comedian

Alderson must have thought he was a comedian, but many Mets fans in attendance were not too impressed with his routine. He said that he has been in contact with several outfielders that he “met on the Internet, one of which went to Stanford.” Naturally, he was poking fun at the Manti Te’o situation, but still Sandy, why don’t you go get us an outfielder rather than joking about it?

But Alderson wished Dickey well, even though he was the guy who sent him out of town.

“Perhaps R.A. will become the first back-to-back Cy Young winner in two different leagues representing two different countries,” he said. “I hope that happens.”

Dickey was introduced by Phil Niekro, the greatest knuckleballer in history who served as a mentor to Dickey as he learned to throw the mysterious pitch.

Niekro was honored to be part of the event and even said to his wife that if his wedding had been scheduled for Saturday, he would have postponed it in order to be in New York for R.A.’s special night.

When Dickey won the Cy Young, Niekro called right away, and Dickey kept saying, “We did it! We did it!”

“I said, ‘We didn’t do it. You did it. You were out there busting your butt from the first day of spring training to the end, you’re taking the signs and you’re striking them out, and you’re pitching one-hitters and shutouts. You did it.’”

But Dickey still said that it was a team effort.

Niekro said that he was so proud of Dickey, and he’s sure that the likes of Charlie Hough, Tim Wakefield, his brother Joe Niekro, Hoyt Wilhelm, Tom Candiotti and Wilbur Wood would all feel the same way.

Phil Niekro introduces Dickey

“This has never happened to us before,” Niekro said. “No knuckleballer in the history of the game had won a Cy Young Award. You (Dickey) have brought us up to a level that none of us ever thought we’d get to.”

Dickey and Niekro embraced before it was R.A.’s turn to accept his award. He started with a litany of thank you’s to the Wilpons, Alderson and Mets’ public relations director Jay Horwitz.

“I have so many thank you’s for my Met family, and that’s what it really felt like when I was here,” Dickey said. “I don’t think I could have ever wished to play for a better manager than Terry Collins.”

Dickey of course thanked his wife Anne for sticking by him at his lowest times and traveling all over the country, Latin America and now Canada with him as he pursued his dreams. He talked about Cy Young’s wife, Robba, to put his thanks into perspective.

“For every Cy Young Award winner who has a mate and is married, there needs to be a Robba Young Award to go along side of it,” he said.

Dickey – a Star Wars buff of course – gave a special thank you to whom he calls the “Jedi Council of Knuckleballers” made up of Hough, Wakefield and Niekro. He said he remembers meeting Hough in 2005 as he was on his way out as a conventional pitcher.

“I was throwing 85 (mph) and didn’t have the control of a Greg Maddux,” he said. “I was serving up some balls that still haven’t landed.”

But he was grateful to his manager and pitching coach with the Texas Rangers, Buck Showalter and Orel Hershiser, for giving him the confidence to reinvent himself.

“75,000 knuckleballs off a cinderblock wall later, and here I am,” Dickey said. “I would not be here if it wasn’t for Charlie, Phil and Tim. This is an award to not only be celebrated with them but also the city of New York and the New York Mets fanbase.”

Phil Niekro and R.A. Dickey embrace.

Dickey only spoke for a few minutes since he likely had to feel a bit strange. Here’s a guy being celebrated in his former town for his accomplishments with his former team, but yet that team sent him packing even though he wanted to be back. Sure, the trade made sense for a rebuilding franchise, but it’s still tough to Dickey leave after such an inspirational season.

This year’s dinner marks the second straight year (Jose Reyes in 2012) that a Mets’ award winner accepted an award as a member of another team.

Even so, the night was a great event for baseball fans and one that Dickey will cherish for the rest of his life.

To turn attention away from Mike Piazza and the Hall of Fame vote for just a minute, let’s discuss the future Mike Piazza, or so we hope.

The Mets acquired Travis d’Arnaud, their catcher of the future, in the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays.

But why can’t the future be right now?

d’Arnaud said he’s ready to play and recovered from a knee injury that ended his minor league season early last year.

All indications point to d’Arnaud starting the 2013 campaign in the minors. That’s fine, but there’s no need to extend his stay just so he can get “seasoning.”

The Mets likely want to have him start in the minors in order to delay his eventual free agency as well as adjust to his new surroundings. If he spends the first 20 days of this season in the minors, his free-agent clock will start in 2014, rather than this year.

But once that day passes, I’d really like to see the 24-year-old catching prospect in the Majors.

The best way to gain experience in the big leagues is to actually play in the big leagues. I’m all about making sure a prospect is ready, but from everything I’ve read on d’Arnaud, he’s ready.

Especially if the team won’t be too competitive this season, I’d rather see d’Arnaud struggle to find his way so that he’s ready for 2014, when the team has more financial flexibility to improve the roster.

But who knows? Maybe the kid bursts onto the scene and takes positive strides this season. We won’t ever know unless he’s given the chance.

The Mets are also weary of starting d’Arnaud in the bigs right away because the organization wants the catcher to develop chemistry with top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler.

Well, just like I believe d’Arnaud should be in the bigs as soon as possible, that’s how I feel about Wheeler. Give the young guys a shot, and they can develop chemistry together at Citi Field, rather than Las Vegas.

So the plan should be to let them both spend the necessary 20 days in the minors for free agency purposes, and then once they’re available, bring them up in May.

If the organization doesn’t have the money to bring in star players, at least it can give the fans a feel for what they have to look forward to in the coming seasons.

No offense to John Buck, but he’s not exactly a guy who fills up a stadium. But d’Arnaud playing regularly on the other hand may get the fanbase excited.

The sooner d’Arnaud and Wheeler crack the roster, the sooner the Mets will reveal their long-term identity.

After the trade sending R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays, I started thinking that the Mets really have never developed a top-notch catcher out of their minor league system.

Todd Hundley is closest thing to being a productive home-grown catcher, which isn’t exactly saying much.

Of course, the most productive catchers in team history, Gary Carter and Mike Piazza, were acquired via trade.

Now that the Mets’ catching future in the hands of Travis d’Arnaud, hopefully he can change that trend. Though the Mets didn’t draft him, he will at some point make his Major League debut with the Amzain’s.

Then I also got to thinking: Not only have the Mets really never developed a strong catcher, but they also really have struggled in developing any sort of hitters from their system.

Scouts will say that pitching and defense win championships, but you have to score some runs as well.

The Mets have actually been known in their history to have all sorts of good pitching prospects but not much hitting.

Really the bulk of the Mets’ strong hitters have been acquired via trade or free agency: Piazza, Carter, Keith Hernandez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Howard Johnson, Cliff Floyd, etc.

I looked back in Mets’ MLB Draft history to see if any of their offensive-minded draft picks ever made it big, and I came up with just two: Darryl Strawberry and David Wright.

That’s right, in all the years of drafting players, they’ve only developed two draft picks into superstar Major Leaguers.

Sure, they drafted role players like Lee Mazzilli, Mookie Wilson, Wally Backman and Lenny Dykstra, but I’m talking about face-of-the-franchise type players.

Now along the way, there have been players that have signed as minor league free agents that became good Major Leaguers, including Cleon Jones, Edgardo Alfonzo and Jose Reyes.

But even so, five players in the history of the franchise? That’s weak.

But on the pitching side, the Mets have been more successful. They drafted Nolan Ryan, Jim McAndrew, Jon Matlack, Dwight Gooden, Bobby J. Jones and Scott Kazmir.

Though not all these pitchers had their success with the Mets (especially Ryan), at least the Mets saw the talent in these arms.

And of course, the Mets signed and developed amateur free agents named Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman.

Currently, guys like Jon Niese and Matt Harvey can continue the trend of strong pitching prospects panning out, and Zack Wheeler (though acquired by the Giants) isn’t too far behind.

Maybe the problem with the Mets organization is that the team has focused so much on developing young pitching that the hitters have suffered. Or maybe the scouts are not taking the proper time to assess young hitters while breaking down pitchers.

Keep in mind, this is an organization that used first round draft picks on Lastings Milledge, Jason Tyner and Terrence Long. Not exactly offensive-minded players.

Maybe this trend will be put to rest if Ike Davis and d’Arnaud develop into the hitters that they are projected to be. But even so, it’s something to be considered.

As it stands, even if Mets’ pitching only allows one run per game, the Mets’ offense will struggle matching that.

You need hitters, especially a few power hitters, in this league, and that’s just something the Mets do not develop well in their minor league system.

Mike Olt

Just in case you haven’t noticed, the Mets signed David Wright to an eight-year contract extension.

Also a friendly reminder, David Wright is a third baseman.

The Mets also have a guy named Ike Davis, who despite a slow start in 2012 managed to club 32 home runs.

Davis plays first base and is just 25 years old just so you know.

Of course, as Mets fan, you know all this information through and through. But the real question is why the Mets would even remotely consider trading R.A. Dickey to the Rangers for a package centered around prospect Mike Olt.

Olt is a power hitting third base prospect who is also a solid defender at the hot corner. He’s played 212 games at third since being drafted by the Rangers in the first round in 2010, and he’s only made 32 errors – not bad at all.

Though he’s said to strikeout a lot, he’s displayed a good power bat from the right side, which the Mets desperately need.

Sounds like a good prospect to get back for Dickey, right?

Wrong, in so many ways.

Why on earth would the Mets want a young third baseman after signing Wright for eight more years? And after a strong second half showing by Davis, Olt, who has only played 13 career minor league games at first base, would not make sense at first either.

Olt played three games in right field in the minor leagues last year and two games after being called up to the Rangers.

What’s with Sandy Alderson thinking he can turn infielders into full-time outfielders, since that’s the only position Olt would play on the Mets as of now?

There were rumors that the Mets were interested in Mark Reynolds, a corner infielder, as an outfielder before he signed with the Indians.

Of course, the Mets could trade Davis for an outfielder and insert Olt at first, but what’s the point of having an unproven commodity trying to replace 32 dingers?

If the Mets were to make a deal with the Royals based around Wil Myers – an actual outfielder – a Dickey deal would have made sense, but the Royals flipped Myers to the Rays in the James Shields trade.

A Dickey trade still does make sense, but the Mets need to get back pieces in which they don’t have – either a catcher or an outfielder.

Olt may turn into a great Major Leaguer, but unless the Mets involve a third team to take Olt, a trade with the Rangers just doesn’t make sense for the Amazin’s.

Heading into this offseason, Sandy Alderson was bound to make some changes to the Mets’ roster.

Even with a limited supply of funds, how long can a team deal with mediocrity before making a change?

That same limited supply of funds virtually made it hard to think the Mets would pursue free agents, so Alderson came out and said that he’d be creative in exploring trade possibilities.

We’re only in late November, and already it seems the Mets are changing their course. ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin recently reported that Mets don’t expect to be making trades and will instead sign free agents.

So basically Alderson made one claim, now he’s making another claim, and by the time the Winter Meetings roll around, there may be a completely different story.

Pretty confusing, huh?

Luckily, it’s not even December yet, and the Mets right now are solely focused on contract negotiations with David Wright and R.A. Dickey. And rightfully so, since they are two huge pieces to the puzzle, even if that puzzle means trading one or both for younger talent.

So if Alderson sticks to his guns this times and says he will pursue free agents, let’s see who he might be talking about.

The Mets seem content heading into the season with a starting pitching rotation of Dickey (assuming he’s here), Johan Santana, Jon Niese, Matt Harvey and Dillon Gee. They may bring in a few insurance arms, but that’s looking pretty set.

As for the infield, Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada and Wright (assuming he’s here) are likely the starters.

The bullpen this year will probably be a combination of what we have (Bobby Parnell, Jenrry Mejia, Jeurys Familia and Josh Edgin) and some cheap options that the Mets hope can produce.

So likely we’ve been saying all along, the Mets will look for help in the outfield and at catcher. And preferably, the Mets seek a right-handed hitter at both those positions.

At catcher, the really only viable options that the Mets can afford are Kelly Shoppach, Miguel Olivo or Chris Snyder. Mike Napoli is way out of their price range, and the rest of the crop of catchers has seen better days.

In terms of outfielders, Scott Hairston is looking more and more like a possibility to return, especially now that B.J. Upton signed with the Braves. It’s not like the Mets were in on Upton, but now the market for right-handed hitting outfielders may pick up.

An intriguing name could be Matt Diaz as part of a left or right field platoon with Mike Baxter. Diaz crushes left-handed pitching and especially Mets’ lefties over the years.

Ryan Raburn or Juan Rivera would come cheap and could also be platoon partners.

The bigger names in the outfield like Cody Ross and Delmon Young (more of a DH anyway) are likely seeking multi-year deals, and the Mets are likely to stay away there.

No one really knows how the rest of this offseason will play out. It would be nice as fans to have some sort of clear path on the direction of the team, but I guess that’s just the nature of the business these days.

The first priority is to take care of the Wright and Dickey situations, however they might play out, and then worry about the rest of the roster.

Every year they’re fighting for a World Series crown. If they don’t make it, they go out and spend millions of dollars to bring in players who will help the franchise achieve its goal of a championship.

And if it doesn’t work that year, they’ll repeat the process until they get it right.

On this Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for a variety of things including a great family, friends and for the most part my health (I’m currently recovering from a torn Achilles tendon).

But I’m also thankful for the Mets.

It’s always interesting with the Mets. When they have money, they’ll sign Jason Bay, and like now when they don’t have money, they’ll sit back and hope their prospects develop.

Unlike the Evil Empire, that’s the nature of baseball. Teams go through streaks of being great and being bad depending on their finances and how their prospects shape up.

The Mets have been in a down swing since really 2009. Many will say the losing began when Carlos Beltran sat there and watched strike three go by in Game 7 of the NLCS.

But remember, the Mets were a great team for five months in 2007 before the collapse and even played very good baseball in 2008 before another late season swoon.

Despite the losing, I, as well as many of you reading this, have stuck by my team. I’m thankful that the team makes it interesting. That’s why it’s so much fun to follow them.

And that’s why it’s going to be incredible when (hopefully not “if”) the Mets win the World Series. I wasn’t around for 1986, and 2000 was a great run that came up short.

Keep making it interesting, Mets. But if so, lower ticket prices!

Now that it’s official that R.A. Dickey has won the NL Cy Young, hopefully the trade talks surrounding him begin to subside.

It’s sad that the Mets are in such a financial bind that they can’t find the money to lock up a Cy Young award winner to a contract extension.

Sure, the arguments for trading him make sense. His value is at an all time high, and the Mets could maybe get back a few Major League ready prospects in return.

But here’s a guy who (surprisingly) actually wants to stay with the Mets because this is where he got his shot to succeed.

Dickey was 20-6 in 2012 with a 2.73 ERA and led the league in strikeouts (230), complete games (five) and innings (233.2). In those innings, he only walked 54 batters, which is extremely rare for a knuckleballer.

Let’s take a look back at baseball history to see how many Cy Young award winners started their next season for a different team the year after winning the award.

Reliever Mark Davis won the 1989 NL Cy Young for the San Diego Padres after posting a 1.85 ERA and 44 saves. However, he signed with the Kansas City Royals for three years and $10 million prior to the 1990 season.

In 1992, Chicago Cubs hurler Greg Maddux won the NL Cy Young with a 20-11 record and 2.18 ERA. He had played seven seasons in Chicago, but contract negotiations stalled, leading Maddux to sign a five-year, $28 million deal with the Atlanta Braves. How did that one work out for the Cubs? Well, Maddux wound up winning the next three Cy Youngs pitching for the Braves.

In the strike-shortened 1994 season, former Met David Cone won the AL Cy Young with the Royals after finishing 16-5 with a 2.94 ERA. But right after the strike ended, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Chris Stynes, David Sinnes and Tony Medrano.

The 1997 season saw Pedro Martinez of the Montreal Expos win the NL Cy Young after going 17-8 with a 1.90 ERA and 305 strikeouts in 241.1 innings. He also threw 13 complete games that year. However, the Expos knew they wouldn’t be able to sign him long-term, so the team traded him that winter to the Boston Red Sox for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. Martinez signed a six-year, $75 million contract in Boston, which was the largest ever awarded to a pitcher at that time.

Roger Clemens won the 1998 AL Cy Young with the Blue Jays, finishing the year 20-6 with a 2.65 ERA. Even with two years left on his contract, Clemens was traded to the Yankees for David Wells, Homer Bush and Graeme Lloyd.

Three Cy Young Award winners – Frank Viola (1988, Twins), C.C. Sabathia (2007, Indians) and Cliff Lee (2008, Indians) – started the following year with the same team but were traded near the July trade deadline.

So excluding those last three, that’s five pitchers in the 56-year history of the award that pitched for a different team immediately after winning a Cy Young. Further exclude Maddux and Davis since they signed free agent contracts, so just three pitchers – Cone, Martinez and Clemens – were traded after winning the award.

Dickey would fall into that category if the Mets traded him, since he was put under contract for the 2013 season once the Mets exercised his option. He would join impressive company if traded, but hopefully this award and his desire to return convinces ownership to get a deal done.

His age and pitching style are certainly risk factors, but now that he’s finally shown consistency over the past three years, it would be a worthy investment.

Maybe a two- or three-year extension with a higher base salary could get the job done. But seeing Dickey become just the fourth reigning Cy Young winner to get traded would be tough to swallow.

So the inevitable has occurred, albeit much later than originally expected: Jason Bay is no longer a New York Met.

I’m sure there is much joy about this decision in Mets nation and rightfully so. The Bay signing will go down as the worst free agent contract in Mets history.

That said, I’m wishing Bay the best of luck in resurrecting his career with another team, preferably in the American League.

I’ll be the first to admit that Bay’s time in New York was downright terrible. He played in less than 60 percent of the team’s games in the past three seasons, and he hit just .234 with 26 home runs and 124 RBI during that time.

However, it would be unfair to say that Bay merely gave up and collected his lucrative paycheck.

The reason Bay was constantly hurt was because he constantly put his body on the line defensively. On the plays he got hurt, there was really no reason for Bay to even be close to those balls, yet he hustled all the time in the outfield.

Of course, paying $16 million for a defensive specialist in the outfield is ludicrous, so once Bay continued to show that he was inept at the plate, his release was just a matter of time.

Everyone in the organization admired Bay for his work ethic despite the poor results. Unfortunately, this is a results-oriented business, so Bay had to go.

In the one time I met Bay at the Mets’ 2010 Holiday Party, you could see and hear his tone that he truly wanted to improve and make an impact on this team, and that was only after his first poor season.

Some players will just shrug off a slump and not let it affect them, but Bay was different in that regard.

You almost have to feel bad for the guy, since it looked like he forgot how to hit. Here’s a guy who was a Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star. You don’t just forget how to hit with that sort of resume.

Maybe the pressure of playing in New York got to him, or maybe the injuries really messed him up more than we all originally thought.

Either way, I admire Bay for realizing that his time in New York was finished even with one year remaining on his contract. It was a mutual decision for the Mets and Bay to part ways.

He could have been stubborn and looked to the fact that he signed a four-year contract and that’s where he would be for those four years, regardless of the lack of production.

But instead, Bay did the right thing for the team.

I hope Bay gets another chance somewhere, even if it’s on a minor-league deal. Let’s be honest, at age 34 he’ll never regain the form of his Pittsburgh and Boston days. But maybe he can be a productive pinch hitter and fourth outfielder.

So to reiterate, I was thoroughly disgusted by Bay’s on-field performance these past three seasons, and he was enormous financial drain. But as a man, I admire Bay for not giving up sooner than he did.

I hope Mets fans can agree with this.

ESPN’s Jim Bowden presented five potential trades for David Wright if the Mets are unable to work out an extension, stating that the negotiations so far have been “slow and grinding.”

Hold up for a minute.

Let’s all be a little bit more patient with all this. The World Series ended less than four days ago.

Of course, there’s also a sense of urgency when negotiating with a star player. But before we fly off the deep end, at least the team has somewhat begun contract negotiations – unlike last year at this time with Jose Reyes.

If the Mets do decide to trade Wright this offseason, they would need to be blown out of the water by a potential package, which would have to include at least two-three Major League ready players or prospects.

This wouldn’t be the type of trade in which the Mets get a handful of promising low-level prospects who have the potential to pan out. You can’t trade the face of your franchise for prospect potential.

The players the Mets would receive would have to be significant contributors to the 2013 roster or, at the very least, be on the horizon for 2014.

Looking at Bowden’s proposed trades, some of them would be interesting. The Mets of course would look to acquire a young third baseman to replace Wright as well as either an outfielder or starting pitcher.

Boston’s Will Middlebrooks or Kansas City’s Mike Moustakos could fill in immediately. Of course, these guys aren’t David Wright but potentially develop into a similar-type player.

And imagine if the Diamondbacks would be willing to part with Trevor Bauer. Bauer, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler in the same rotation…that could be scary.

Peter Bourjos would have an immediate impact in the Mets decimated outfield, and he’s expendable with the emergence of Mike Trout.

But of all the teams Bowden listed, it would really be a stretch for a deal to be made. The Angels are in search of pitching as are the Royals. It would be strange for the D’backs to commit to Wright long-term when they’re looking to trade Justin Upton. And the Rangers have Adrian Beltre locked up at third.

The Red Sox would make the most sense, especially since they cleared payroll with the summer’s blockbuster trade with the Dodgers. They also could use a new beginning after a terrible season.

The majority of Mets fans want to keep Wright, but if a trade is the only option, the team better get several quality players back in return.