2010 New York Mets: Picking Up the Pieces and Filling the Lineup's Major Holes

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The dust has finally settled from this debacle of a season in Queens, NY, and needless to say, the Mets have plenty of work to do.

Sure the team was decimated by injuries, but even when healthy, this team has plenty of holes to fill if it plans on being a championship contender in 2010.

The Mets went out after the 2008 season and addressed their biggest need, the bullpen. The moves worked, as the bullpen may have been the teams only strength in 2009. Now the Mets need help in just about every other aspect of the game, be it offense, starting pitching behind ace Johan Santana, or bench players who play fundamentally sound baseball, and the Flushing faithful is impatiently waiting to see how management fills these holes.

Despite many outside observers who believe the Mets will be cutting back financially, team president Jeff Wilpon has stated that the Mets will not be cutting payroll, and he expects the team will have one of the highest payroll in the league in 2010 (The Mets had the third highest payroll in baseball, and the highest in the National League at approximately $146 million).

That's great news for Mets fans, as the team will have about $40 million (including Billy Wagner's salary) coming off the books after 2009. That means the Mets should be able to find solutions at first base, catcher, left field, and starting pitcher, without significantly increasing payroll. They may even be able to stay under the 2010 luxury tax threshold of $162 million, something the Wilpons have notoriously been unwilling to pay.

Spending money, however, doesn't guarantee success (proven by the Mets the past few seasons). Sure money helps, but it needs to be spent wisely, otherwise it's going to be another long season at Citi Field.

So here are some options for the Mets major holes of starting pitcher, first base, left field, and catcher. Each position will have pros and cons for four different options, the cream of the free agent crop, a quality player who may be a bargain, a possible addition via trade, and a player the Mets should avoid signing.

Starting Pitcher

Cream of the Crop: John Lackey, Angels

PROS: Lackey is the ace of a very well-rounded Angels rotation. He'd make a very solid number two behind Johan Santana, he has plenty of playoff race experience, and has even won a World Series. In eight big league seasons, Lackey has only has a losing record once (10-16 in 2003).

CONS: After pitching at least 190 innings for five straight seasons, Lackey hasn't done it since 2007, and has missed time due to injury the past two seasons. He the best free agent pitcher available, and will probably cost a lot to bring to New York. He'll also be 32 in 2010, so a long term deal will probably have him around past his prime.

Bargain Hunting: Jason Marquis, Rockies

PROS: Marquis is coming off of a very good 2009, in which he won 15 games, pitched a career high 216 innings, and was the Rockies best pitcher for much of the season. He also is a local product who has confided in Jeff Francouer that he would love to play for the Mets. He may give a hometown discount.

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