The trendy Mets topic of the day is “the Mets core.”
This is where everyone rolls out the theory that Reyes/Wright/Beltran/Delgado are never going to win together.
Concurrently, all of Metsdom agrees that the Mets need pitching.
You have to give to get, right? You can’t say “we’ll give the Giants Omir Santos and ‘prospects’ for Lincecum” excpet on WFAN at 3 in the morning.
You want something, then you have to give something.
So let’s say we want to make a big move.
I think franchise-wise it’s best if Wright and Reyes have 15 year runs in Flushing. The team has never had a superstar go end to end. Even Seaver only played 11 years as a Met.
So that leaves Delgado and Beltran.
Delgado turns 37 this year, and if you trade for him he isn’t signed for 2010. You can just grab him in the offseason if you want him, and first base isn’t that hard a position to fill.
That leaves Carlos Beltran.
Carlos Beltran, a center fielder, 31 years old, and “only” making $18.5 million through and including 2011. One problem, a full no trade clause.
So, now we’re only left with horrible options. If you want to make the blockbuster, it’s Wright or Reyes. If it’s me, and I had to move one, I keep Wright.
The other choice is to sit on you hands and hope the pitching magically gets better.
Take a look at this list of 2010 free agents …under the assumption that a team is never going to let a stud go unless it’s a walk year. Is there someone on this list you’d move Jose Reyes for? Cliff Lee is your best bet.
These seasons can get away from you fast.
Do you want to trade Jose Reyes for Cliff Lee? If not, it might be a long year.
(Is this a stupid post and stupid idea? Yeah, it is. That’s why I walked you through it. The core ain’t going nowhere.)
www.metspolice.com
@metspolice
