Talking Points: What The New York Mets Should Do in The Off-Season

As a lifelong New York Mets fan, one thing I have plenty of experience with is looking forward to next season. Many years, this process starts in early summer once the team is too far back in the standings to care about the current season. This season was interesting until the very end, and it was followed by me not even thinking about baseball for at least a week. Well enough time has now passed so I am back to discuss the Mets chance at redemption next season.

OBVIOUS MOVES

All of the speculation at this time seems to point in the direction that the Mets will pick up Carlos Delgado's option for next season. Although this would not have been even a thought in June, it is now a forgone conclusion based on his MVP caliber performance in the second half of the season. The Mets should still make sure they have a qualified back-up to platoon or replace Delgado in case of injury or if the second half surge was a fluke.

The Mets need to make sure they get rid of all of their aging dead weight. Moises Alou and Pedro Martinez have each had great careers, but as free agents they are not worth re-signing due to either injuries or ineffectiveness. Luis Castillo belongs in this category as well, but its a little more complicated. The Mets signed a 4 year contract with Castillo prior to the 2008 season, which seems about as smart as bringing back Roberto Alomar for a second stint. General Manager Omar Minaya should hope for a trade similar to Kaz Matsui or Guillermo Mota, when nothing is expected in return as long as some team is willing to take them.

QUESTIONABLE MOVES

Anyone who knew anything about baseball this season knew that the Mets' bullpen was atrocious. There were no players that were reliable and once Billy Wagner went down for the season, Manager Jerry Manuel was forced to mix and match to piece together every out at the end of games. This leads to the Mets most important goal in the off-season is to get a quality closer to anchor the bullpen. Many fans are weary of signing Francisco Rodriguez due to his high WHIP and amount of blown saves. However, he is only 26 years old and had the same amount of blown saves as Billy Wagner in 35 less opportunities. Yes he will come very overpriced, but since neither Mariano Rivera or Jonathon Papelbon will be available this off-season, the Mets do not have a better choice. If the Mets choose to take the less expensive route towards someone like Brian Fuentes, I only hope they use that money towards another useful position.

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