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 would be bringing in Mark Texiera. We have the money, we have the roster spot, and he is young enough that a ten year deal in the range of $200 million is not outrageous given the current market and his level of talent with the kicker that his arrival will boost season ticket sales and upgrade the defense significantly.
The outfield will be a bit trickier to deal with. Beltran stays because he is consistent enough even thosugh performing below initial expectations and would be nearly impossible to move at equal value without eating a huge piece of his contract. Adam Dunn would be a great fit and a dip into the free agent market I would risk. He is defensively adequate and strikes out too much, but his ability to hit homers and drive in runs makes him attractive. Beyond that he will not cost an arm and a leg to sign to a three year deal with a mutual option on a fourth. The remainder of the depth chart here can stand pat until next year when the free agent talent will be far deeper.
The catchers slot is going to be very tough to deal with. It is obvious an upgrade is needed but there are no really good options in the farm system yet and the free agent market will only age the team and raise significant question marks. I would explore bringing in Miguel Olivio due to his low salary, age, and experience. He is not the biggest name out there by any means but he calls a good game, controls runners at a slightly plus rate, and hits just enough to not be an automatic out. At the very least he would a valuable platoon player, at best he could win the job out of spring training and help stabalize the pitching staff.
Speaking of the pitching staff, I sign John Maine up to an extension to avoid any arbitration problems quickly approaching. Maine has not been the stud that was dreamed of yet but he does have ace type pitches and at 27 years old still has several plus seasons ahead of him. Given his recent lackluster record (Primarily due to poor run support) Maine is going to be far cheaper to sign than replace. Oliver Perez needs to be extended as well, again he is another young enough arm with the caveat of signifigant experience and a low price tag. They Complement Johan Santana more than adequately.
To put the rotation over the top however and provide a devestating one two punch is going to require another trip to the free agent market. Ben Sheets and C.C. Sabathia are the top options. It is extremely unlikely each can be had and given the option C.C. is the top choice. He is a workhorse, at his best nearly unhittable, and while slightly more expensive than Sheets he is also two years younger. If neither can be had Randy Wolf will be available. He is not nearly as attractive at 32 and comes with a history of injury problems but can be had for half the price of C.C. or Sheets and as a last option isn't that bad a gamble.
I would ideally like to move Wagner as the closer but that would only be possible if I could bring in Francisco Rodriguez ideally or possibly Brian Fuentes. They are going to be the only true stud closers available. At 27 Rodriguez worth the fifteen million or so per year he is likely to cammand. Wagner is too streaky to be counted on and although it sounds harsh has proved himself to be a bit of a big game choker. The farm system is too depleted to provide an option to close however Carlos Muniz may prove to be an effective set-up man by mid season of 2009 and a call up from the farm seems overdue already.
Ultimately my goal would be to get younger but as the team is always teetering on contention and the addittion of a pair of key players as demonstrated above along with a role player or two can make this a true World Series contending team I would be averse to a total rebuild. there just isn't enough in the minors to trade to bring in quality players, Minaya has "Steinbrennered" that aspect of the organization making moves primarily dependant on the free agent market. Stil my plan would shed some dead payroll, get the team younger and raise the level of competitiveness. Of course this is just my fantasy, but since the question of how I would run the Met's was asked that's my plan and I'm sticking to it!