With Roy Halladay in Philly, Mets Must Retaliate

Well, as I write this, I am still a bit shell-shocked by today’s developments, so let me back up a bit and confirm what I think should be processing in my head.

The Red Sox are close to signing John Lackey to a five-year deal worth around $85 million. I have no problem with that. Anything that puts a frown on Yankee fans’ faces puts a smile on mine. I think that is a secret to nobody.

Then, the real drama, as it pertains to the Mets, happened. The Phillies approached Cliff Lee about a contract extension, and he effectively told them that he was going to become a free agent, whether they liked it or not.

The Phillies decided that they need to prepare for the long haul, so what do they do? They feel around for offers, bring the Mariners and Blue Jays together, and boom! The Phillies have agreed to deal.

Not just any deal, they are nearing completion of a deal that would get them Roy Halladay.

Yes, you heard that right: Roy Halladay.

When I first heard the news, I did not know how to react. Matt Falkenbury and I spoke for awhile about it, and he told me that many of the bloggers out there were freaking out, but I couldn’t react the same way. In fact, all I could do was laugh, because on any given day anything can happen.

So I decided that I need to get serious. And so do the Mets. Enough of this jockeying for position crap. The Phillies have just landed a big blow to the sternum, and it is time to retaliate with a strong uppercut. Now, I know it looks like the Mets can’t do that from a pitching standpoint, but they need to make an impact signing, and there are only two names on the board that qualify as such.

Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.

Now, I know that Holliday is younger, but it seems like Mets management prefers Bay, and people around baseball say the Mets expect to hear back about their offer this week. Unfortunately, I think the news of Lackey coming off of the board and Halladay being traded is going to make some teams panic. And you know what happens when people panic? They make irrational decisions.

I think a team is going to emerge out of the woodwork soon to sweep either Bay or Holliday off of their feet. That means the Mets will be that much closer to landing nothing, and that just can’t be an option right now. We have to sign one of these guys. Enough games. Make a move, and make it now.

It’s going to be tough to top the Phillies’ move. Halladay might be the best pitcher in baseball. Can you believe that there will be games at Citi Field that could feature Johan Santana versus Roy Halladay? I know. I am not sure who is the better pitcher either, but I am sorry to say that I think I would have to lean towards Halladay.

It’s quite apparent. The Mets need to retaliate, and they need to do it now.