According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets discussed trading Carlos Beltran to the Angels before they acquired Vernon Wells from the Blue jays.

Adam Rubin added that Angels executives concluded Wells was more capable of playing center than Beltran with knee issues at this point in Beltran’s career.

Beltran is owed $18.5 million in the final year of his contract this season and would have been far more cheaper to acquire than Wells and it would have been a one year salary commitment instead of the four years and $86 million dollars they will pay Wells.

The Angels’ concern over Beltran’s knees and his ability to play a full season, was so great, that they opted for a back-breaker of a deal instead. Now there’s something to think about…

In another report that may have slipped under the radar (at least until now), Gary Armida of Full Count Pitch Magazine had a National League source tell him that the Mets were secretly shopping David Wright this Winter.

That sentiment seems to be corroborated around the league. One National League executive saw a different Mets organization this winter. “They are definitely in cost cutting mode. They tried desperately to unload their big money contracts. Even David Wright was quietly shopped,” said the executive.

Armida recalls that it was also Alderson who presided over the Padres when then-owner John Moores went through a public divorce and ultimately had to relinquish power. Alderson had already navigated one organization through a period of uncertainty and financial trouble, and Bud Selig knew that when he pulled for Alderson to take the Mets job.

“Selig is afraid of the Mets turning into the Knicks under Isaiah Thomas. Once he heard about the second scheme, he immediately called Wilpon in and told him in no uncertain terms that this mess has to go away,” said the league source. “Selig evidently made friends in Congress during the steroids thing because he was immediately aware of it and met with Wilpon last September to discuss it.”

I find the Wright rumor a little hard to believe, but who really knows? It’s obvious the Mets are in cost-cutting mode and they brought in an expert executive to help execute that plan.

Recent comments that Sandy Alderson has made regarding the $140 million dollar payroll, have been the source of some concern. If there is one message that has resonated all offseason for the Mets it’s this:

The Mets payroll is too high.

It has been a recurring theme which would suggest that the current $140 million dollar payroll will be much lower in the years to come, and perhaps “significantly lower” as Alderson alluded to yesterday.

I have a feeling that the team that takes the field on Opening Day in 2012 will be far different than the one that takes the field in 2011.

I’m starting to get a feeling that any Mets player earning more than $10 million dollars is at risk to be traded or not re-signed, and that includes one-time Mets cornerstones; David Wright and Jose Reyes. What was once unthinkable, is suddenly at the very least, very thinkable.

I hope I’m dead wrong.