This will be my last blog for August, both ‘Orange Seats and the Minor League Report. I’m taking a two-week vacation with my family. So, yeah. I’ll be back the 26th. On with the blog!

Sitting in front of a computer while watching some SNY made me think, what does the future hold for us? Well, I know we have the best left-infield in the NL East, if not the MLB, but what about the opposite side? Hmph, that will expose some unknowns. Ruben Gotay maybe get the nod as the starting second baseman next year and maybe in the next few years if he develops his defense. Carlos Delgado will be here next year, but what about the year after that? Enter Mike Carp. Carp, who is in Binghamton right now, is almost a mirror image of Mike Jacobs: good power, OK contact, so-so fielding, and slightly below average speed. But, he does have the potential to go .280 | 30 | 90 if he does deliever. The infield is set, now the outfield.

Carlos Beltran is set until, well, long. So he’s good stint in CF. Now, next year I really hope Lastings Milledge and maybe Carlos Gomez gets the nod in LF and RF, respectively. Although I really think Gomez needs half-a-season to fully develop. If I was Omar, I’d stick a power bat at RF to fill the void for ’08. Now, the future. One big name you should all know: Fernando Martinez. The kid is only 18-years-old and will be 19 in the off-season. F-Mart will be ready by 2009 the earliest, 2010 the latest. Fernando is the perfect example of the five-tool player. He can hit .295 | 25 | 95 | 40 SBs. So, that’s a really good sign. Having Milledge, Martinez, and Gomez in the outfield for the next 10 years is very lightening and warming. That’s if Omar doesn’t trade one of them away.

Catching. Well, Lo Duca will be a free-agent after this season, so you’re gonna need a fill-in catcher until Francisco Pena, the 17-year-old phenom is ready, which would be in 3-or-4 years. But once the calendar flips for 2010, our team is looking amazing.

With Pelfrey and Humber an automatic starter in the future, you’re gonna have to go deep to find more pitching. You have Jonathan Niese who is in St. Lucie, and Deolis Guerra, who is 17 and also in St. Lucie and Josh Stinson. However, Guerra and Stinson are still very far from the majors. Minaya needs to make a pitching signing, maybe a Carlos Zambrano and a reliever after this season to have a good pitching staff in the future.

With all of that being said, you’re gonna have Jose Reyes and David Wright, who is hopefully the captain next year, leading the team. Man oh man, this is gonna be a fun future with the kids playing. Let’s go Mets!

I’m going to the game tonight, so yeah. Oliver, you better be good! 

Oh, and good luck to the Mets in the next two weeks. When I return, you guys better have a 20 game lead. =)