10 Players Who Won't Be Back with the New York Mets Next Season

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The New York Mets wowed fans by getting off to an unexpected start, rounding out the unofficial first half of the MLB season with a winning record.

Unfortunately, things have gone south since. Terry Collins and company tanked after the All-Star break, leading to general manager Sandy Alderson declining to make any personnel moves before the July 31 trade deadline.

Everybody knows what it means when a fringe team doesn't scour the trade market for that one piece that could put the team over the top. It means that the front office believes that there is still work to be done before the team can seriously compete for a playoff spot.

That is precisely the case with the Mets.

There are solid players on the roster, but the team as a whole is not good enough to make noise in the National League, meaning that there are going to be some players who won't be with us next year.

Here we will give you 10 players who won't be donning Mets uniforms next season.

Andres Torres

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I was confused when the New York Mets decided to trade Angel Pagan to the San Francisco Giants for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez, because Torres is essentially the same player as Pagan, just three years older, and Ramirez really isn't all that good.

Torres plays a respectable center field, but he is hitting under .250, has no power and is no longer capable of stealing bases at the same clip that he once was.

He is making $2.7 million this season, a total that the Mets surely won't be too inclined to pay next season for the same kind of production.

The New Jersey native will be 35 by the time next season rolls around, so don't expect Sandy Alderson to include the switch-hitter in his future plans.

Ronny Cedeno

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Ronny Cedeno hasn't been a total failure this season, but he's not the type of player that a franchise looks to move forward with.

He is nothing more than a backup utility infielder making $1.15 million a year to see limited playing time. There are surely better minor league options that are less expensive and could be brought up to use in a backup capacity.

Cedeno just isn't a very versatile player. He doesn't hit for power, doesn't steal bases, hardly hits for average and simply doesn't have much value.

If the Mets are going to cut costs where they can in hopes of putting a higher quality product on the field next season, Cedeno likely won't be invited back in 2013.

Scott Hairston

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I'm not fully sold on Scott Hairston not returning next season, because he can really be a valuable piece in the lineup.

But that same reason is why I'm leaning towards believing that he will be gone before next season starts.

There are numerous other teams in the league that could seriously use a right-handed batter who does nothing but rake against lefties. There are also numerous teams in the league that have more financial means to offer Hairston a bigger contract than the New York Mets can this offseason.

Unless the Mets do some real price-chopping in the offseason, Hairston probably won't be in Flushing next season.

Also, there is a possibility that a team could come calling for his services before the waiver trade deadline rolls around.

Chris Young

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There wouldn't be much of a point in bringing back Chris Young, as Matt Harvey seems like the perfect candidate to take his spot in the rotation next season.

In 2013, Young will turn 34. He has already shown an alarming decline in velocity and has proved that he is nothing more than a six-inning pitcher—if he even makes it that far.

He's a good pitcher to have in a fly-ball park, but he's going to want to get paid more than he's getting paid right now.

Unless Dillon Gee can't make a comeback, or something seriously bad happens to Johan Santana, Young is going to be the odd-man out in the rotation.

Jon Rauch

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Jon Rauch is making $3.5 million this year.

He didn't look like he would live up to that number at some points during this season, but lately he has been pretty much lights-out. He has allowed just one earned run since June 25 and seen his ERA fall more than a full point to 3.21.

If he keeps pitching at this high of a level, there is going to be another team this offseason that pays more for Rauch to be on the mound for them.

Sandy Alderson probably won't look to re-sign Rauch, because bullpen guys are some of the most inconsistent players in the league.

You just never know who is going to be good from one year to the next.

Mike Nickeas

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Aside from Jason Bay, there isn't a player on the New York Mets who frustrates me as much as Mike Nickeas does.

Sure, he does his best and calls a decent game behind the plate, but I truly didn't think it was possible for a grown man to swing the bat as hard as he could and hit the ball as far as Nickeas does, yet not produce anything. It's just embarrassing sometimes.

Before being sent down to the minor leagues in exchange for Rob Johnson, Nickeas had compiled a stomach-churning average of .168 in 42 games. Couple that with his .460 OPS, and it is no surprise that he's no longer with the big league club.

The recent acquisition of Kelly Shoppach from the Boston Red Sox doesn't help Nickeas' chances either.

Manny Acosta

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If you walked around Citi Field and asked 1,000 fans if they wanted to see Manny Acosta on the mound in any meaningful game, every mentally sound fan would say no.

Acosta is the picture of inconsistency and a head case at that. He can't throw strikes when it matters most, and he keeps everyone on the edge of their seats whenever he takes the bump.

This year he has an 8.71 ERA in 27 innings. Terry Collins obviously isn't too happy about that, which is why we haven't seen him too often this season.

All Acosta is at this point is dead weight in a bullpen that needs a massive overhaul.

Josh Thole

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Josh Thole is signed to a one-year contract, meaning that Sandy Alderson and the New York Mets could let him walk after this season if they so choose.

At one point it looked like Thole would be a main piece in the future of the team, but he has since regressed both offensively and defensively. His defensive regression has been strange, as he was great at the beginning of the season but has since deteriorated.

Offensively, Thole is tough to watch. He doesn't hit for any power at the catcher's spot, which is something that shouldn't be happening. The strange thing about him is that he really doesn't start hitting until he has two strikes on him, which will keep him in the league, just not with the Mets.

Thole's tenure with the Mets should be coming to an end, especially now that Kelly Shoppach is in Flushing.

Ramon Ramirez

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Sandy Alderson was happy that the San Francisco Giants threw in Ramon Ramirez with Andres Torres in the Angel Pagan trade, but he surely is less than impressed with what he has seen.

In 41 appearances, Ramirez has accumulated a 4.20 ERA. That is much too high for a pitcher who comes in for an inning at a time.

He's making over $2.5 million this season and will probably look for something around that next season, and I just don't see the New York Mets doing that.

That, coupled with the fact that bullpen guys are unpredictable from year to year, is why Ramirez won't be back with the Mets next season.

Jason Bay

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This is more wishful thinking than anything else, but Jason Bay's time with the New York Mets should come to an end before next season.

It's going to cost the Wilpon family some money to cut him before the season, but if they want the Mets to go anywhere next year, it needs to be done. There seems to be a direct correlation between the Mets losing and Bay being in the lineup.

He can't hit. He's not the fielder he once was. He needs to be gone.

Maybe the Wilpons will wait until a month or so into the season to cut Bay and save themselves some money.

It doesn't matter when it is done, it just needs to be done.