by Lynette Alice

Created on: July 27, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Given the opportunity to run the New York Mets there are many things I would change on the eve of christening their new stadium. Granted I may not be terribly popular for doing them but I would get the team and payroll in shape in quick order. We all fantasize about what we would do and hence this is my fantasy for the team I grew up with.

As I would be running the Met's in theory that means Omar Minaya is gone, not just from being the general manager, but from the organization all together. Omar has made some nice moves on ocassion but he also mortgaged a number of future studs from the system (Scott Kazmir most notably) for quick fixes that didn't deliver and he wouldn't mesh with my style. Reorganizing starts at the top and no heads are immune from rolling.

The next thing I would do is address the coaching staff. Many people think of coaches and mangers as window dressing or button pushing auto-matrons but I value what they bring to the organization. Jerry Manuel for the moment remains and as much as I would want the manager to handpick his staff there are two coaches I would pursue at near any cost extremes, hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo and pitching coach Leo Mazzone. Jaramillo has a record of salvaging and peaking the swing of more hitters than I can count on my fingers and Mazzone has produced nothing but studs aside from his tenure in Baltimore where he has been given nearly nothing to work with. These are linchpins to not just securing, but insuring the future.

The toughest thing is trimming the fat and that leads to doing some fan unfriendly things. Right away Carlos Delgado has got to go. At 36 he just isn't going to get better, he earns way too much and produces too little. He is as brittle as ever and the best chance to get anything for him in return is now while he's hot. Is he popular? Sure when he's producing in spurts he is, but he won't be terribly missed. The next thing is to clear Pedro Martinez off the roster. The man is a legend, he was the ultimate gunslinger, he was the top money pitcher around. Notice all those statements start as "he was"? That is because that day is gone. The Pedro on the Mets is brittle, aged, and inconsistent. If I could get anything in return I'd take it. Sending a legend packing is never easy but it is reality.

The infield is strong with Reyes and Wright and each are locked up long enough to not necessitate worry for awhile. That would lead me to addressing first base to replace Delgado. The most logical option

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