Joe Mauer at Fenway Park (Photo by Jim Mancari)

The Minnesota Twins places All-Star catcher Joe Mauer on revocable trade waivers earlier this week, and, not too surprisingly, no team put a claim in for him.

The 29-year-old is due $23 million per season through 2018, so team’s likely balked at that salary.

I heard some reports that the Mets should have gone after Mauer if the Twins were willing to work out a deal. I know it’s slightly after the fact (at least until the offseason), but let’s dissect this trade possibility.

Yes, Mauer isn’t exactly his former self and projects more as a first baseman than a catcher, but the guy is producing this year at a .312 clip with eight home runs and 68 RBI, which earned him his fifth All-Star selection.

The Mets are desperately seeking offensive production from the catcher’s spot, and Mauer would be an instant upgrade. Kelly Shoppach has looked OK offensively, but Shoppach is not Mauer, end of story.

The problem here is that in order to keep Mauer healthy, he needs to either play first base or DH. Obviously DH is not an option in the NL, so it would have to be first base.

Ike Davis is currently the Mets first baseman. He struggled out of the gate early, but his power numbers have been just as expected. Are we already willing to give up on Ike in favor of a catcher who is more of a first baseman?

Let’s say though the Mets can trade Ike for some outfield help. In fact, let’s say that Ike is included in a deal for Mauer that also nets the Mets Josh Willingham. The “Hammer” is signed for $14 million over the next two seasons, but he’ll also be 34 to begin next season.

However, the whole purpose in trading for Mauer would be to add him to a lineup that includes Ike Davis. So instead the Mets would have to dig into their prospects for a deal.

Think back to winter 2008 when the Mets and Twins made a trade for Johan Santana. The Twins acquired four prospects: Phil Humber, Carlos Gomez, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra. Humber pitched a perfect game but for the White Sox, Gomez is now on the Brewers, Mulvey is gone from the Twins system and Guerra may have a shot to be a decent pitcher for the Twins.

If the Mets start throwing around names like Wilmer Flores, Jenrry Mejia, Jeurys Familia and Collin McHugh (obviously Zack Wheeler is untouchable), the Twins may get skeptical based on the results of the other trade. But that’s the whole point of rolling the dice on prospects; some don’t pan out.

I’m not a general manger (maybe just an arm-chair GM), but if somehow the Mets could have worked out a deal for Mauer and Willingham, the team would be in good shape maybe just for next year, but beyond that it would be a gamble. Here’s what a lineup would look like, assuming no other big moves were made:

Tejada SS, Murphy 2B, Mauer C, Wright 3B, Davis 1B, Willingham LF, Duda RF, CF (either Hairston, Nieuwenhuis, den Dekker, B.J. Upton perhaps).

This would be a pretty good team, but I just don’t see it happening. Actually to answer the title question, I don’t want it to happen. If the Twins were going to ask for mid-level prospects just to get something back for Mauer, then maybe. But Mauer is locked up for six more years, so the Twins would have to be blown away by an offer for this to work. They aren’t going to trade their only superstar just for the sake of making a deal.

So instead, expect something a little more like this for next season:

Tejads SS, Murphy 2B, Wright 3B, Davis 1B, Hairston/Baxter RF, Duda/Bay LF, Shoppach/Thole C, CF (Nieuwenhuis or den Dekker).

GM Sandy Alderson said the team would be creative in the trade market perhaps. The free agent market will be weak this offseason (except for Josh Hamilton, fat chance Mets fans!), so trades will be the only way to improve this team.

Again, if the Mets and Twins can work out a trade for Mauer and even throw in Willingham in which the Mets assume the contracts (another big if) rather than mortgaging the farm system, I guess it could work. But that’s living in a fantasy world.

The safe bet: Stay away from Mauer and explore other options.

Some of us take baseball for what it literally is, a kids game played by men. Some of us find the deeper meanings of the game and see what others can’t, don’t or choose not to. The purity of the game, the chance to sit with a son or daughter and explain to them, albeit with little understanding on their part, the complexities of the infield fly rule and the smile it puts on our face when after our detailed explanation, they simply look up and tell us they need to go potty. The Mets-doctrination begins when they’re young my friends, have patience.

Some of us go to the game itself and instead of immediately hitting the concession stands for our sickingly overpriced adult beverage or the souvenir shop, we walk towards the field and take in the smell of the grass and the sounds of team taking batting practice. Some of us keep a scorecard; yes with actual paper and pencil. Sure it’s a game but it’s more, so much more. Maybe it’s a respect for the game, the silly kids game played by grown men.

Maybe it’s just a much needed escape from our hectic, digital, caffeine fueled, time stressed lives we can resort to without fail. Where each game is a a chance at renewal- a way to express pride about your team, even in the face of a season ending collapse. This is why when I see what’s happening to the Mets right now, while I’m not as distraught as some fans, I am concerned. Concerned that as a loyal, ticket paying, SNY paying, merchandise paying fan, are we getting the truth out of this team, on all levels?

For a while now, I’ve known through a source that the team decided that they were not interested in spending more money than they already have, and that in the teams’ view, the Jason Bay signing signaled the end of the open checkbook, coupled with the revelations of the Bernard Madoff scandal and the effects that it’s had on Sterling Enterprises which operates the New York Mets.

First off, whether you believe that or not, whether you feel somehow I or anyone else, who has quoted a source who agrees with that account, has added to any hysteria regarding the view that the Mets currently have financial difficulties, I’m not here to convince you of anything. I’d rather let the situation speak for itself.

For months the Mets have needed to bolster their pitching staff, even before the recent offensive shutdown took place. A few names were out there; we all know them as well as some of our own family members at this point. The obstacles to acquire some of them were difficult to overcome since most teams today want a kings ransom for even the most mediocre of players.

From what we know, landing Cliff Lee would have cost us a major league bat – Ike Davis, along with minor league prospects and perhaps even Jon Niese. There’s no way giving up Ike Davis or Jon Niese would have helped the Mets, and I was strongly in favor of taking a chance on Lee. Arizona wanted a major league ready arm for Dan Haren; there’s no way you offer Jon Niese in that deal no matter how good Haren has been. The Astros wanted a team to assume the bulk of Roy Oswalts’ contract, perhaps pick up his 2012 option and give up minor league talent to boot. I want a gray 1968 Ford Mustang GT to channel my inner Steve McQueen but that ain’t happening either.

Knowing all of that, left the Mets with few options, but something needed to be done. Unfortunately Omar Minaya was unable to land a starter. The only possible trade, that didn’t pan out either for a few reasons, involved the Kansas City Royals who would’ve taken on the contracts of Ollie Perez, Jeff Francouer and Luis Castillo for Gil Meche, Kyle Farnsworth and Jose Guillen. In the end that deal would have worked financially since the money was close to even.

That unfortunately was the ultimate sticking point. Money. The Mets have the highest payroll in the National League and have had it since 1999, many times second only to the New York Yankees. From 1999 to 2009 the Mets have spent $1,185,097,726 dollars on salaries. That’s a lot of change, over a billion in salary. Just compare that to the Marlins who in the same time period have spent $401,104,357. Almost 3 times as less as the Mets. The Marlins won 875 games for their buck over those ten years and a World Championship. The Mets won 912 over the same span, minus a World Championship. I guess there’s an argument for the northeast cost of living in there?

Now normally, as Mets fans, we’re a bit like the younger brother to that other team in the Bronx insofar as that we never seem to match up to them in our own eyes. The Mets have an organization that is valued according to Forbes magazine in 2009 at $912 million dollars. In 2010 Forbes values the Mets at $858 million. The Yankees are at $1.6 billion.

It’s amazing when you think about it in those terms especially when we argue why it is that the Yankees can absorb bad contracts and the Mets, well, you know what I’m talking about. Not to mention each time you hear someone say the Mets haven’t spent money over the years, allow me to explain it this way.

The Mets have a team payroll of around $136 million plus another $16 million in player bonuses totaling $152 million. The revenue the Mets amassed last year was $268 million. Not withstanding the teams’ operating costs, the Wilpons put 56.7% of last year’s revenue into the team payroll. The New York Yankees have a payroll of $206 million. With the payroll you have to include player bonuses it brings it to $240 million. The Yankees revenue last year was an incredible $441 million. Taking the same approach to operating costs the Yankees put 54.4 % of their revenue into their 2010 Yankee team. Yes the Mets actually spent MORE on team payroll than the Yankees have in terms of revenue generated. Bet you didn’t know that.  The real question isn’t why don’t the Wilpons spend money, it should be how they’ve spent their money.  That’s not a way to absolve the Mets of any fault- I’ll get to that soon- but it does put quite a bit into perspective.

So that leaves us back to where we are now, post trade deadline. The Mets had valid reasons to turn down a trade for Cliff Lee, or Roy Oswalt, or Dan Haren. All three teams involved demanded Jon Niese and or Ike Davis and a few top tiered minor leaguers. What those teams acquired for their star pitchers can be questioned but in the end unless you’re ok with dealing Jon Niese and Ike Davis, those teams apparently were unwilling to deal. That leaves us with Ted Lilly. Lilly has $4.3 million remaining on his contract. If the Mets ate the remainder of his deal, then they may have had leverage so that they wouldn’t have to give up a bevy of minor league talent. Can you hear the crickets? It’s the sound of nothing being done.  When you couple not having a deep minor league system with financial issues – I don’t think I need to draw a picture, I respect your intellect too much.

Obviously the Mets leadership from Omar on up are saying one thing when it comes to finances and the truth is somewhere in the middle of the Hudson. Whether or not there’s more going on that the Wilpons don’t wish and quite frankly don’t have to tell, at least not to us, we don’t fully know but when it walks like a duck..it’s a duck.  At the very least this team should know you can’t be ambiguous in this market and escape criticism.

Remember the Mets are a privately run corporation. This isn’t General Motors who answers to the stockholders, but the Mets do owe it to the fans to be honest. Imagine Fred Wilpon holding a presser, getting up to the podium and saying essentially,

“My family has spent and continues to spend on the New York Mets. This is a team I care about more than you know, but the time has come where the coaches need to coach, the players need to play and we do have incredible players. Teams with a third of our payroll have turned out championships. So can we. I challenge my men. I challenge them to be more than what they could even imagine they could be.”

How refreshing would that be? He wouldn’t even have to break it down and explain in detail why he’s chosen to curb spending. It would be THE story in New York. Owner calls out his players and publicly challenges them to play beyond their individual capabilities.

You have to admit it’s not something you see everyday at least not with the Mets. The key is making it public but not doing so in a demeaning fashion to the players. Fred Wilpon doesn’t like to rock the boat. Perhaps this is the key time in this franchise when it’s owner can challenge himself to rock this ship in a Titanic, New York style. I challenge you Mr. Wilpon. I challenge the New York Mets.

I had a conversation on Twitter a few nights ago about Minaya, actually, about this very topic.  Our consensus was while we thought him to be a great talent evaluator, as far as the “executionary” part of his title as General Manager, he falls short quite a bit.

In the offseason leading up to 2006, it seemed like everything Minaya touched turned to gold.  While he executed a deal for Xavier Nady to get rid of surplus outfielder Mike Cameron, some questioned the move, but the deal paid off in dividends right away on Opening Day that season as Nady quickly endeared himself to Mets fans.  Trading Kris Benson for a “bag of balls” that included Jorge Julio, who was turned around for Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, and for “throw-in” John Maine, who quickly became a mainstay in the pitching rotation.

He fleeced the Florida Marlins in their fire sale, getting super slugger Carlos Delgado and fireball Paul LoDuca while giving up what amounted to be spare parts, vaulting the Mets from perennial Wild Card contender to immediate National League East Champions.  I was probably first in line, willing to drink whatever Kool-Aid the Mets and Omar were serving.  Looking back, though, since the Marlins made those chips available (along with Josh Beckett, who was traded to the Boston Red Sox that same offseason), I think that any sane person could have made those deals.  You and me included.

Then there was the “panic deal” in response to losing Duaner Sanchez to a season-ending freak car accident injury, he turned Xavier Nady around to get Roberto Hernandez and reclamation project Oliver Perez. We all know how well THAT deal has worked for them.

Minaya has been heralded by fans and beat writers (not to mention bloggers) for his propensity of the “deal not made,” which includes the non-deals and non-overpayment of the likes of Barry Zito, not to mention passing on Alfonso Soriano who is locked up with the Chicago Cubs for several seasons (truth be told, I am pretty sure he was never even close to being a Met, like, ever).

For example, when Zito signed a gargantuan contract with his native San Francisco Giants, everyone applauded Minaya for not overpaying simply to make a DEAL after falling short that season.  I have to say that if your only “panic move” is to orchestrate a trade for Oliver Perez, well, barring the residual (having him take up an unnecessary roster space because the management is too stubborn to admit they made a mistake), that’s not a terrible thing.

Sometimes the deal not made is the best thing.  Panic moves are never a good thing since it seems like the seller always seems to win somehow.  However, I wonder just how the sense of urgency is with Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon, who signs the checks and presumably is approval-stamping any and all potential deals that will be made.  If any.

I am not encouraged, due to the non-moves in the past at the trading deadline, particularly under Minaya’s reign.

In 2005, the big story was that the Mets were going to get Manny Ramirez.  That didn’t happen (of course the rumors of Manny-to-Mets never quite ended, even though he is gainfully employed by Mannywood themselves, the Los Angeles Dodgers).

In 2006, several “stories” surfaced, mostly by bored beat writers, about then-Mets prospect Lastings Milledge potentially involved in a big deal netting Barry Zito (see: aforementioned payroll-and-year usurping contract in San Francisco).  Personally I never believed any of those stories.  For one, Billy Beane stated ON RECORD that he never spoke to Omar Minaya.  If anyone read Moneyball, you’d know that to be true.

MIlledge was again the centerpiece in a potential three-way deal that would have brought Roy Oswalt to the Mets in 2007.  Of course, being that they brought in a third team with a crazy owner (Peter Angelos), the deal did not get done.  One good thing came out of it though: Oswalt signed yet a long payroll-and-year usurping contract with the Houston Astros that same year.  Well, good for Oswalt, bad for the Astros: he now is heavily involved in trade rumors once again.

The interesting thing in two of those scenarios is that a third team was needed to suit the needs of the team the Mets really wanted to conduct a deal with (the Rays were brought in to appease the Red Sox in 2005, Baltimore Orioles in 2007 for the Astros).  This leads me to believe that Omar Minaya is either a.) not confident in his own scouting abilities to send his own prospects/players to another team for a big chip or b.) overvalues his own prospects/players in a deal that other teams do not wish to deal with him as a businessman.

Judging from their style of play since the All-Star Break, and the dozen or so games leading up to it is that the Mets have been playing lackluster.  They are playing to the level (or beneath) their competition, they are not playing with any sense of urgency…heck, they even LOOK lethargic on the west coast.  They can’t use jet lag as an excuse…they’ve been out there for over a week.  I can tell you from experience, it’s much easier to adjust to their time than coming back here.

I’m not buying the whole “chemistry” thing either.  I do believe in a period of adjustment with Carlos Beltran and Luis Castillo returning to the team.  Ultimately, they will get into a groove.  Who else do they have to look forward to returning now though?  Oliver Perez?  If that’s true, just shoot me.  Okay, don’t.  But you get the point.

My feeling is this, and I think we all need to be prepared for this.  Omar Minaya will not make any moves to help the team…nothing major anyway that we’d like to see and immediately help the team.  Today’s big news is that a deal is in place with pitcher Chad Cordero, whom as reports have shown Minaya has coveted since his Washington Nationals days.  Oooh, happy happy.  Not.  Too little, too late, as far as I’m concerned.  However, Cliff Lee is off the block, being he was traded just a few weeks ago.  Oswalt is as good as a Phillie.  Dan Haren’s not leaving the Diamondbacks (which is unfortunate, since I believe he’s the best fit for the Mets right now).

Yes, as history has dictated, Omar Minaya is not a move-to-make-a-move type of guy at the trading deadline.  Sometimes, that’s all well and good.  However, it’s unfortunate this season, because for the Mets to be fully competitive in the second half and the rest of 2010, a deal MUST be made.  A pitcher, a bat, who knows.  They need some kind of shake up and a thought outside-of-the-box, as fellow MMOer Stephen Hanks wrote yesterday, like trading Carlos Beltran (so long as he waived his NTC of course). Personally, I am a fan of packaging Angel Pagan.  I know, he’s been an MVP for the team so far.  Outside of Beltran, he is an incredibly valuable chip.  We can’t have it both ways, keeping valuable chips and getting talent in return.

I’m afraid the fans are going to be the only people who see that though.  I’m not sure if I should be scared, sad or just think it’s plain stupid.

It’s probably a combination of all three.  I’m hoping, of course, that Omar Minaya proves us all wrong and does not render this team dead on arrival on July 31.

I used to enjoy sifting through all these little nuggets of rumors and speculation that usually run rampant in the days leading up to the 4:00 PM deadline, but it’s gotten quite overwhelming in the last two years. I really don’t mind the rumors that have some tinge of truth attached to them, but sometimes things can get very silly.

We had a catcher get the day off this week after a night game, and suddenly the prevailing wisdom means that they are on the verge of being traded. A minor league player gets pulled out of the lineup because he has stomach cramps, and the internet is abuzz with more trade rumors. A team demotes a player without announcing a corresponding move and all of a sudden it means that they opened up a spot for a big trade acquisition. Believe it or not, the examples I cited are real and all were centered around our New York Mets.

I don’t mind grasping my teeth into a trade rumor from Jon Heyman or Ken Rosenthal or Joel Sherman, but these days everyone seems to be an expert. <sigh>

I credit Andrew Vazzano of The ‘Ropolitans for this pre-blog rant He had an interesting post this morning that really goes to the heart of the matter and further explains why more and more baseball fans are getting turned off by the rampant speculation. But then, my friend tells me last night, how he loves all of it and doesn’t mind knowing that half of what he reads is BS. So I’m like whatever dude. I guess it comes down to the old adage, to each his own.

* * * * * * * * * * *

As for my Mets, here we are at this critical point in time, and we have yet to fully understand what our role is today. That of sellers or buyers. Omar Minaya has maintained all along that the Mets were buyers, but so far all we’ve see is a couple of “alleged” rejections for Roy Halladay and Victor Martinez. Some may say it’s bogus, but Omar himself said yesterday that he has already turned down trades for big players, so who really knows.

All I can really tell you is what I believe the Mets should do.

To begin, we can’t give up on this season. We must forge ahead even if the odds are dramatically against us. I refuse to waive a white flag and surrender.

To those of you who want to stand pat, and I know it’s most of my commenters, please don’t tell me that one player or one trade can’t help the Mets or make a difference. I’ve already seen the difference one player can make when we got Francoeur, and he was just supposed to be a project at best.

My biggest concern is this incredible infatuation everyone has with our Class-A and Class-AA prospects. They are prospects and not even great ones at that. We have nobody leading their respective leagues in homers or RBI’s or ERA or Wins. That’s not to say that leading the league is a barometer for success, just an observation. Our top prospects are still suspect and considered projects at this point. I keep hearing that Omar refuses to mortgage the future. What future? Getting Roy Halladay improves our future, not deadens it.

What exactly are we protecting? Our farm system hasn’t produced a Mets 20 game winner since Frank Viola last did it in 1990, and he was traded for. You have to go all the way back to Dwight Gooden for a homegrown 20 game winner. We haven’t produced an outfielder who could give us a 30 homerun season in two decades.

The Mets seriously need to add a solid top of the rotation starter to pair with Santana for the rest of this season and for 2010. Giving up a few prospects so that we can achieve that is a small price to pay. The Blue Jays say that they’ve decided to keep Halladay, but I don’t believe that for one second.

The Mets could also use a big bat who can play leftfield and first base. I don’t want to hear about all of this Dan Murphy mumbo jumbo. Murphy is destined to be a designated hitter and has little power. Injuries to others is the only reason Murphy continues to keep a spot on a major league roster. Last time I checked, he ranked 29 among all 30 starting first basemen.

I have written extensively about him before, and I still believe that Mark Teahen of the Royals, would be a fine addition for this team. It looks like the Cubs are closing in on him, but it’s not too late for the Mets to intervene.

Most of the prospects Minaya wants to hang on to, are years away from contributing to the Mets, if they even make it at all. So few of them actually ever do.

My trade deadline wish list, is short and oh so sweet. Get Mark Teahen and Roy Halladay on this team, and we’ll have another World Series title we can all treasure.

Lets not waste the opportunity we have before us. We have a chance to be the miracle Mets once again. Waiting for the walking wounded to return is not a plan that helps this team right now. We have just 61 games left to play. The season is winding down fast, and the Mets need to intervene now and give Jerry Manuel the weapons to continue this fight and see it through to the end.

But of course, the Mets never make things easy.  Four straight wins later, two against a team they are chasing for the wild card, Colorado, and there is an air of optimism again.  We’re still 5.5 games behind Colorado and San Francisco, with Florida, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Milwaukee all there to climb over.  But this thing is far from over, and who knows what the likes of Roy Halladay could do for this team?  Heck, if the Mets did somehow manage to win the wild card, they would have to have a guy like Halladay to pair with Johan Santana in a short series with the Phillies, who now have Cliff Lee behind Cole Hamels.  But it’s hard to imagine the Mets even having the goods on the farm to land a Halladay. 

So what does Omar do now?  As crazy as this sounds, the games tonight and tomorrow afternoon are probably going to determine if something happens before Friday’s trade deadline.  Lose both games, and we might be selling.  Win both and we could be buyers.  Split the games and it could go either way. 

What do you all think?

With a 44-49 record, the Mets are in fourth place in the National League East, a full 10 games behind the first place Phillies and within striking distance of the Braves and Marlins.  While they are closer to the Wild Card lead than the division lead, trailing the Rockies by 6½ games, the Mets have to pass eight teams to wrest the lead away from Colorado.  This puts them in a precarious situation, where they’re not officially out of it, but they also know the road to the 2009 playoffs is covered with plenty of potholes and detours that could very well cause the Mets to miss the boat, regardless of what they do.

There appeared to be some discussion about Roy Halladay, although no names were actually bandied about.  I don’t think acquiring Halladay would make much sense for the 2009 season.  Halladay will probably make no more than 13 or 14 starts between now and the end of the season.  He is an excellent pitcher, but no one would expect him to go 13-0 or 14-0 in those starts.  Assuming two or three no-decisions, at best he’d go 10-2.  By himself, he would not be enough to push the Mets past the Phillies, meaning they’d also have to get more players in the deal or in a separate deal.  That would surely deplete the farm system of all its talent.  The Mets would be better off showcasing Jon Niese in the majors for the rest of the season and hope he continues his strong pitching with the big club.  Then, if Halladay hasn’t signed a long-term deal with whichever team he winds up with, Niese would become more attractive in a deal and the Mets might not need to part with four or five prospects to get him before the start of the 2010 season.

The list of pitchers who can file for free agency after the 2009 season does not have many top starters.  Some pitchers, like Josh Beckett and Cliff Lee, have reasonable club options for 2010.  Cliff Lee is an intriguing pitcher.  He is currently pitching for the underachieving Cleveland Indians.  As with Halladay, the Mets might have to part with a number of prospects to acquire him.  The Mets would be better off waiting until the offseason if they want to become serious players for Cliff Lee.

If the Mets think they have any chance of making one last run in 2009, they should focus more on hitters than pitchers.  With the way the Phillies are playing, it is clear that the Mets cannot wait for their hitters to return from the disabled list.  Although they are good players, the Angel Pagans and the Daniel Murphys and the Alex Coras are not going to lead any team into the postseason alone.  They need players who can drive the ball for extra base hits.  It’s clear the Mets are not a home run hitting team, but the team they’re putting on the field now isn’t even an extra base hitting team.  The Mets might hit for average, but when that average is boosted by a string of singles, it’s going to take three hits per inning to score just one run.  That’s not going to help any team contend.  Just to throw some names out there, perhaps an Adam Dunn or an Alex Rios could be acquired.  They won’t cost the Mets the farm system and can help the team beyond 2009.

Some people might not like Dunn because of his high strikeout total.  He does strike out quite a bit, but doesn’t it seem like more Met rallies have been killed by double plays than strikeouts?  All year, the Mets have been at or near the top of the league in fewest strikeouts, even with David Wright racking up all those frequent whiffer miles.  Dunn is much more of a fly ball hitter than ground ball hitter, so there’s less of a chance for him to end a rally with a double play ball.  Although I never want to see a Mets player strike out, I’ll always take a strikeout over an inning-ending double play.

Alex Rios is another player who can drive the ball into gaps, as evidenced by his 22 doubles, two triples and 10 HR this season.  As a bonus, he has been gifted with excellent speed and can beat out more than his share of potential double play grounders.

Both Dunn and Rios are playing for teams that are no longer in contention.  They will not be dealt for a bag of marbles, but the Mets won’t have to empty out their farm system for them either.  As each day passes and the Mets continue to watch the Phillies and Rockies put up Ws, their playoff hopes are becoming more bleak.  Even if the Mets continue to lose ground before the trade deadline, they don’t have to be sellers.  However, if they are going to be buyers, it’ll have to be for players who will help them for more than just the remainder of the 2009 season.  Otherwise, there’s no point in being either a buyer or a seller.  Class dismissed!

While F-Mart and Tejada will not be of any help for a 2009 push, Niese and Parnell would.  Niese’s slot in the rotation is filled easily — and better — by Halladay, but Parnell’s spot could do us some harm.  While I agree with Joe when he said that Bobby Parnell better not be a deal-breaker, losing him does cost us one of the few relief pitchers that have done well for us now and, salaries aside, we can’t afford to lose another setup man with Wagner and Putz already on the DL if we plan to make a push THIS season.  If and when Wags or JJ make their return, then this trade can be made, because Bobby’s spot in the bullpen will be taken over by someone we can trust (at least, we hope we can trust).  Until then, there would be a few options for the Mets should Omar change his mind.  We can either try out some of our current or Minor League bullpen guys out in the setup role, we can try and trade for another relief pitcher, or we can go to Frankie and say “We may need you to start going 2 innings every time until we get some guys back.  Whadduya say?” 

But let’s snap back to reality.  Omar has done this before, though it was in the off-season, and has still managed to get his man.  Don’t forget, it was Omar who approached the Blue Jays, not the other way around.  Very rarely is the first proposal the one that goes through.  Let’s say Omar can persuade the Jays into dealing Halladay without Parnell in the mix.  Bullpen-issue-that-would-have-been-created resolved.  If Parnell’s the deal-breaker for the Mets because of what he brings to THIS year’s team, why not upgrade the offer while protecting Parnell?  If we’re making a push for this year and that’s why Bobby Parnell is being protected, change Bobby to another pitching prospect, maybe even one valued higher, and let’s get this thing done.
 
Now, there’s another starting pitcher that I think the Mets should at least take a glance at, not instead of Halladay, but in addition too.  The Mets could use 2 more starting pitchers, and while Halladay certainly takes care of 1 spot, there’s another hole that needs to be filled (with Maine’s status uncertain and being uncertain about which Ollie we’ll get each night).  There have been reports, perhaps more like suggestions, floating about that the San Francisco Giants should release or trade once-coveted starting pitcher Barry Zito for scraps and just call it, as Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News put it, “a necessary write-off of a past mistake.”  There was a time when Zito was the biggest name on the free agent market, and commanded a contract worth well over 100 million dollars.  But now, his stock has fallen to the point where Wall Street traders can look to him and say, “See? It could be worse.”

Barry Zito is NOT the pitcher everyone thought he was when he hit the free agent market a few years ago.  He may never sniff the top of a rotation again, much less another Cy Young Award.  But, he could be available for next-to-nothing, we could likely get the Giants to eat a large portion of his contract, and he IS better than what we’ve got now sitting in the 5^th slot of the rotation.  And, he may just benefit from playing at Citi Field…hear me out…

Barry Zito is a fly-ball pitcher, which, while not beneficial in any park, is specifically dangerous when you play in a hitter-friendly ballpark.  When Zito played for the A’s, he played his home games at what is considered a pitcher-friendly park.  During that time, he was dominant as a part of one of the most lethal rotations in the game, also gaining from having 2 other Aces on the staff (Mulder/Hudson).  Then, he moved to San Francisco and AT&T Park, rated by ESPN.com as the 9^th-most hitter-friendly park in the Bigs, and he, and his ERA, blew up.  Citi Field, however, ranked 25^th on that list, or the 6^th-best park for pitchers.

While I’m not suggesting that playing half of his games at Citi Field will turn back the clock for “Captain Quirk”, we could, and currently, do worse.  If it means only some minor prospects head to the Bay Area and if the Wilpons are willing to add what could end up as a relatively-small salary (especially compared to Halladay), then it could make some sense.

Right now, we’ve got a rotation with an Ace in Johan, a solid #3 guy in Big Pelf, and 3 holes, currently being filled by Oliver Perez, Livan Hernandez, and Jon Niese.  If we give up F-Mart, Niese, Mejia, Ruben Tejada, and a mid-level prospect, we could improve our rotation to Santana, Halladay, Pelfrey, Zito, Perez, without giving up ANYONE from our Major League roster (aside from Niese, who’s just an injury replacement).  Plus, Halladay and Zito are both still relatively-young and signed for more than just this season, so we’re not giving up the future for 1 shot, we’re locking in a top-notch rotation for at least another year, and likely/hopefully longer.

1. Nick Johnson, Nationals: Johnson is hitting .315 with a .417 on-base percentage, and although he is not a thumper like Delgado, he would add to the drumbeat of tough hitters that the Mets roll out every night. Scouts say Johnson’s defense is much worse than what it was five years ago, and there is always the risk of injury; a nightmare scenario for the Mets would be for him to break down a few days after joining the team. Keep in mind that Mets GM Omar Minaya has traded for Johnson before, when he was general manager of the Montreal Expos. 

   Another factor that makes Johnson attractive to the Mets is that, presumably, because he is not a major run producer and because of his injury history, the asking price won’t be off the charts. The Nationals, facing a summer of negotiations for top MLB draft pick Stephen Strasburg, might like to clear some payroll. They could save about $3 million if they shed Johnson in the next few weeks. 

2. Aubrey Huff, Orioles: He had one of the most unnoticed and underrated seasons in baseball last year, when he mashed 32 homers among 82 extra-base hits and drove in 108 runs. This year, he’s hitting .261 with 41 RBIs. He would fit the Mets in a lot of ways, but again, a potential trade might come down to price. Some other guys who have played first base are listed here. 
3. Jorge Cantu, Marlins: Florida would have to roll up the white flag before trading the veteran first baseman, who is hitting .271 with nine homers. 
4. Dan Uggla, Marlins: It’s an outside-the-box thought — the Mets could add him and ask him to play first base, and that would give them some flexibility moving forward. They could then think about moving him to another position next year. 
5. Mark DeRosa, Indians: He can play a whole lot of positions, so if Delgado were to make it back, DeRosa could shift to another spot of need for the Mets. In the big picture, adding DeRosa would make the most sense, but would the price be too high? Keep in mind that Minaya, well-liked by his peers, has made trades with Indians GM Mark Shapiro in the past.

I have my own opinions on who I prefer, but let me first say that Nick Johnson would do little to help the Mets with their current power void. The Nationals want a ton for him, his defense is shaky, and he is one of the most injury prone players in the game.

Although Olney has DeRosa ranked at number five, he would be very high on my list simply because he has the power we desperately need right now, and if Delgado ever gets back, DeRosa can simply shift to another position like left field. He would also be able to give David Wright a day off and fill in at third base if necessary.

As for the others, I like Uggla’s power but he is a defensive nightmare and there’s no room for bad defense on a team that sometimes struggles to score runs. I’m not quite sold on all the Aubrey Huff fascination either.

I know that some on this site have preached patience, but think we could definitely use some pop in this lineup and first base would be the best place to add a bat. Besides, I think we can all agree that Daniel Murphy needs to spend some time in the minors for more seasoning… make that a lot more seasoning.