Mets off-season

We are one hundred days until pitchers and catchers and after losing over 90 games in 1009, it cannot came soon enough for the New York Mets. Following two collapses and a complete washout in the last three years, 2010 will be a landmark year for this franchise. And Mr. Full Autonomy knows he will be fired if he doesn't fix this situation. Same for Uhhhhhhhhhh...

So here's my breakdown of the Mets' biggest needs and what I want to see:

Starting pitcher: The Mets hit under 100 home runs for the year, yet I see their biggest need as pitching, which says a lot about the sorry state of this team right now. Johan is our #1 and he's coming off elbow surgery. I will go on the belief that he will be ok. Mike Pelfrey was one of the biggest disappointments in baseball last year. It started on Opening Day, when he allowed Jody Gerut to homer in the first at-bat in CitiField history. Falling off the mound, licking his hands, it was terrible. I can't view him as more than a #3. John Maine and Oliver Perez have been tremendous disappointments. Jon Niese was looking really good until he tore his hamstring on the mound. Fernando Nieve, same story, except he was running the bases. Tragically, I just realized I still had that game on my DVR. Why I did not delete it that night, I will never know. Pat Misch and Nelson Figueroa should be in the bullpen, if not in Buffalo.

So in a ballpark built for pitching, this team still needs that legitimate #2 starter. Roy Halladay is available in trade talks. To acquire a second pitcher of his talent would be amazing. His contract does expire after one year though. With a mediocre farm system, I don't want to trade my top four prospects for a guy who may bolt after one year. If they sign Doc to an extension, maybe.

My top free agent hope is John Lackey. He is an absolute bulldog. He has pitched big games, he wants the baseball in a big spot. My one concern is he has been injured the last two years. And don't want to read that he wants pitch in Texas. CC Sabathia wanted to pitch in California. And how did that work out? The alternatives are not pretty. Jason Marquis, Rich Harden, Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland are nice, but we have enough back of the rotation starters as is. I want Hallday or Lackey in the Mets rotation next year.

Left field: Almost every expert I have heard or read wants the Mets to get an elite player here. Matt Holiday and Jason Bay are the two big names. My feeling is this: I can live with the Mets not hitting a lot of home runs again. What I cannot accept is the terrible defense, bad baserunning, and poor fundamental play that plagued the Mets from April through September. And neither of these guys are particularly good on defense or quick. I would prefer Holliday since he is younger and known for being great in the clubhouse, but he does not deserve a 10-year, $200 million contract ala Mark Teixeira.

If they can trade for Carl Crawford, who wants out of Tampa, the 1-2 punch that would give the Mets along with Reyes would be amazing. I don't know how much Tampa would want. But I would pursue Crawford hard. BJ Upton would also be nice, but I doubt he is getting moved off a down year.

Second base: Luis Castillo must be traded. I don't care how good his stats were. He's 34 with bad knees, and is only going to deteriorate. His defense is no longer the same, and I'm tired of seeing him bunt on half his at-bats. Orlando Hudson has begged to be a Met. If he doesn't come, I'd like Felipe Lopez who can play almost any position. Brandon Phillips is apparently on the trading block, and I would be thrilled to pry him out of Cincinnati. Chone Figgins would be good but signing a 32-year old who relies on his legs? Not too sure I would give him $10 million a year for 4 years.

First base: I am guessing Adrian Gonzalez will cost too much to acquire in a trade. Carlos Delgado cannot come back. Prospect Ike Davis may be ready in 2010, but Omar can't afford to wait until 2010 for a prospect. And unlike the Pope, I am willing to give Daniel Murphy another chance at first base, but only as a platoon player. I believe Omar needs to bring in a solid right-handed veteran who has leadership skills and is known for playing with toughness and grit. If Xavier Nady was healthy, I would grab him, but he may not be going into 2010. Other options include Mark DeRosa, Kevin Millar, and Hank Blalock. Would Troy Glaus be interested? And if they want to go with a lefty and relegate Murph to the bench, Aubrey Huff and Nick Johnson would be fine.

Catcher: Thank God Brian Schneider is gone. Josh Thole should play in Buffalo this year. And I think Omir Santos is a more than capable backup. Benjie Molina is a fine hitter, but 36 years old is too much. And I think my grandmother could outrun him now. Ramon Hernandez, Rod Barajas, Yorvit Torrealba, and Miguel Olivo would all be fine for me.

Other moves: I would bring in Mark Loretta as a backup infielder, though if Alex Cora came back, I would be ok with it. Some possible bullpen additions could be Joe Nelson, Chad Bradford, Matt Herges, Rafael Soriano, and Takashi Saito.

Bottom line: If the Mets open 2010 with a #2 starter, and three solid additions to the starting lineup (with at least one having good speed), I will get somewhat optimistic. I just don't think this many holes can be plugged in one off-season.