New York Mets: 5 Moves They Must Make in Offseason

The 2011 season for the New York Mets did not go according to plan as they were virtually eliminated from playoff contention over a month. This offseason fans should look for some changes.

Few expected the Mets to be competitive this season, but they were able to use plenty of young, home-grown players that showed they belong in the major leagues. Hopefully, the team will be able to to use that momentum towards a successful 2012 campaign.

General Manager Sandy Alderson is doing a great job so far at looking long term and not making quick fixes. After his first season with the team, he now has a better feel for what he is working with than he did last winter. Alderson now knows what players should be kept, and who is on their way out.

There are dozens of moves to be made, but here are five that the team must make if they want to win next year.

Re-Sign Chris Capuano

Last offseason, Chris Capuano signed an incentive-laden contract to give the New York Mets a low-risk, high-reward player. Though he has had injury problems throughout his career, Capuano proved this season that he can stay healthy throughout a full season.

Capuano was not lights out this year, but he was a solid fifth starter that the team needs to hold on to. He would usually be average, but had also had some lights-out games like the 13-strikeout, no walk, two-hit shutout he threw on August 26.

The Mets do not have a great pitching staff, but they will need Capuano to fill out a rotation until some of their young players are ready. If the rotation fills up, he will still be valuable in the bullpen as a long reliever, which is something the team was missing this season.

Acquire an Established Closer

While the New York Mets have spent a lot of money this decade on closers, they have not always lived up to their contracts. Armando Benitez, Braden Looper, Billy Wagner and Francisco Rodriguez have all angered fans over their careers, but they were better than what the team has now.

Bobby Parnell is being groomed for the closer-role this season, but he already has five blown saves and six losses. His ERA is over four, and that is not going to get it done in the major leagues.

Parnell still has time to grow, but if the team is actually trying to win games, they should spend money on someone who is familiar with the ninth inning, and has the skill and confidence to succeed.

Heath Bell and Jonathan Papelbon might be too expensive for the Mets, but Matt Capps or Jonathan Broxton might be more in their range.

If one of these players could anchor the bullpen, it will give Parnell and Pedro Beato time to grow into their roles, and possibly still be closers in the future.

Don't Trade Mike Pelfrey

Yes, he has been inconsistent over his career. Yes, he is going through arbitration that will give him a raise to about $6 million next year. And yes, he completely failed to live up to expectations of being the ace of the New York Mets.

However, Mike Pelfrey should still remain as a Met next season.

Despite being in the major league for five years, Pelfrey is only 27. He still has room to grow and time to gain more consistency. It is also important not to rule out the effect that having Johan Santana in the clubhouse would have on Pelfrey's development.

He also is a very good inning-eater that is close to 200 innings pitched every year. That is difficult to replace over the course of the season. While fans might want to just sign a free agent who can do the same, there are not many players waiting out there.

There are even less that will do it for one-year, $6 million.

A lot of fans want hometown favorite Jason Marquis. But he had similar stats to Pelfrey and is coming off of a season-ending injury.

Mike Pelfrey deserves another chance to prove what he can do, and the Mets do not have any other options.

Acquire a New Center Fielder

By any definition, Angel Pagan is having a terrible season this year. Last week, Mark Simon of ESPN.com went in-depth into Pagan's problems. He explains that Pagan is below average with an OPS+ of 94 (average is 100), and is one of the worst defensive centerfielders in the majors.

Since Pagan has only had two full seasons of being an everyday player, fans and experts are left wondering: which year is the fluke?

Pagan had a breakout year in 88 games in 2009, and then built on that performance with a solid one in 2010. However, this season he is not getting it done.

Angel Pagan turned 30 this season, so he is not young enough to expect much more improvement. The team needs offensive firepower and someone to patrol the vast outfield in Citi Field. After this year, Pagan does not seem to be able to help in either.

The problem the Mets have is finding the replacement player. They do not have any major league-ready players in their system and the free-agent list at the position is weak.

There are some interesting players that were made available during the trade deadline that could be had at a price. Denard Span in Minnesota would be a perfect fit in the large ballpark due to his speed. B.J. Upton is someone who might just need a change of scenery to break out.

Regardless of what they decide, the team should not expect mediocrity from such an important position.

Keep Jose Reyes

This is an obvious need for the New York Mets, but re-signing Jose Reyes is easier said than done. The team has serious financial problems, and the demand for a possible batting champ is high.

Reyes' recent injury problems might have caused him to lose some value on his next contract, which might end up helping the Mets in the long-run. Teams were reminded how much risk comes with their star, and they might not want to give the shortstop any more years than the Mets are willing to.

The key to getting Reyes is the contract length. If there is a team that is willing to give him a lot of money for seven years, like Carl Crawford, the Mets should simply let him walk. Omar Minaya's tenure proved how the end of long contracts can turn against you.

The Mets should try to get him on a four- or five-year contract with some options at the end. Reyes loves playing in New York, so he might give a little bit of a hometown discount, but they should still overpay if they need to.

The team needs Reyes' energy, defense and offensive spark. Ruben Tejada has played admirably this season, but there is still an immense drop-off between the two.

If the team loses out on the Jose Reyes' sweepstakes, they will be in for another long season.