It looks like the Mets may get shut out of their primary starting pitching target, Derek Lowe. due to financial hardships and constraints. (you read that right)

Omar Minaya, can only spend what the Wilpons are willing to give him.

Adam Rubin of the Daily News, paints the current situation…

Finding another starting pitcher is the priority for the rest of the winter, according to what the team has told several baseball people. The Mets are interested in re-signing Oliver Perez, something Omar Minaya has said is “50-50.” Lefty Randy Wolf, who has a career mark of 11-5 with a 3.34 ERA in 28 starts against the Mets, is another strong possibility. Wolf is likely to sign faster than Perez, which would solve the Mets’ rotation riddle sooner.

I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have Perez back than Wolf. He’s younger at 27, has more upside and potential for improvement, and has already been tested in New York. Left handers usually take longer to mature, and who knows, we might just catch lightning in a bottle.