Marc Carig of Newsday this morning brings up a few points about the upcoming Winter Meetings

the Mets may use a strategy of backloading offers to FAs which would give them more flexibility to sign them with only about 10 million to spend for next year,he specifically mentions that might allow someone like Hairston to be signed (remember,be realistic here)

with multiple holes to fill he says (as has been posted on this board already) that Niese,Davis,and Parnell may be used in trade deals for the right package(s)

and finally this: "rival talent evaluators have raved about the quality of the Mets' pitching in the lower levels of the minor leagues,another potential reservoir for the Mets to tap." They're referring to some of the young pitchers at Brooklyn along with Fulmer,Leathersich,Pill,Montero,Tapia etc,many of whom were drafted by Sandy (the recognition may sting some of those who think that Sandy and Co. haven't accomplished anything but the game is still young)

I'm neither a detractor or proponent of Alderson. Sometimes the big picture is not easy to see for outsiders and we are ALL outsiders. I don't like it any more then the rest of you, but give the guy time. He's got until 2014 to see VERY noticeable steps in the right direction and '15 to see actual competitiveness.

i'm a believer of giving Sandy more time,the first thing he had to handle was the ridiculous task of shaving 50 million dollars off of payroll

the problem i have is that while there is some promise in the lower levels of the minors they're 3-4 years away and our ML roster doesn't have the talent to contend now and little in the way of resources to change that

i DON'T want to start dealing our lower level pitching for older veterans that might help now for a couple of years and strip our minors again....if we're going to add someone like Fullmer to a deal to land Myers or some other YOUNG ML ready prospect that would be reasonable...but,for example,to add Fullmer to a deal for a Dexter Fowler would be a huge mistake,IMO

i'm certainly in the camp of rebuilding and bridging the void between our ML roster and what is coming through the pipeline lower down,then continuing to draft and develop well

i hope Sandy makes a couple of moves in THAT direction at the Meetings,my fear is some deal like Duda and Fullmer for Fowler which is what the prior regime might have done and how we got into this mess in the first place

I think we need to be mindful, though, that there is a surplus of starting pitching on this team already. So there's absolutely nothing wrong with using those guys to improve the major league club. This is partly what they're there for. Keeping every prospect is not a wise thing to do. That's not to say we should trade them all and strip the minors. But there's a difference between that and just using two or three in a deal.

And of course, it depends what you're getting. I agree it shouldn't be an "older veteran", but then you mention Fowler who's 26 years old. I don't want Fowler because I don't think he's particularly good but I also don't feel like you need to get back another prospect if we're trading ours. I'll absolutely trade those guys in a deal for, say, a Justin Upton.

Unless we can get an upper echelon player like him, though, I suppose there's no reason to be dipping into our system. You might as well just make sure you get a Cody Ross or Ryan Ludwick through free agency.

Gosh, if we can't see actual competitiveness in 2014 with this rotation and $40 million coming off the payroll, something is very wrong.

that's completely incorrect

I am actually A little confused by this. Why are we trading Davis or entertaining offers for Davis? The guy led the team in H.R's with 32 and plays A decent first base.For anyone that believes Duda can replace him ,keep in mind,he had A strong start but by the end of the year was sent down to the minors until sept. He hasnt proved he can play everyday yet,not even close, so it just makes no sense to trade our first basemen/clean up hitter.
Its just creating yet another hole.How are they defining "the right package"? Or does anyone believe that with the signing of right,Flores will move to first ? Ike being traded for catchers/outfielders? If thats the case the case thats A risky gamble that Flores can a) play first. b) be A major league hitter.

we can't afford Ryan Ludwick or Cody Ross,i'm thinking....and what you could get for a good A ball pitcher doesn't nearly compare to what you could get for a younger ML pitcher or a Cy Young award winner

i disagree with a surplus of SP as being one of our strengths...i think we've got a solid 5 man rotation but not a surplus.Now Tampa Bay has a surplus with 8 solid starters available to them

i agree that Fowler isn't that good away from Colorado i was just using him as an example of an OF who may be available that some team (us included) may wind up overpaying for...

we don't have much ML talent,not much in the AA and AAA levels,and no money to spend...we're not getting Choo or Upton for Tapia and Fullmer....

our options are really limited

i don't really know that the Mets are actively shopping Davis and as a matter of fact they've come out and said they're not dealing him due to the reasons you site...however this writer seems to feel (or has heard?) that the only two untouchables in the organization are Harvey and Wheeler and that makes sense

Davis did indeed hit 32 but he's got his weaknesses and may be more valuable to us in a deal,i don't know (i think he might be myself)

but with the lack of ML talent and depth in the organization we should have our radar up and listening to anything another team comes at us with

if we're interested in just bringing back last year's team and hanging on to everyone we're going to be stuck in limbo

It would just make more sense to me to shop Flores than Davis.I am hoping that they dont deal him.

>>>"I am actually A little confused by this. Why are we trading Davis or entertaining offers for Davis? The guy led the team in H.R's with 32 and plays A decent first base.For anyone that believes Duda can replace him ,keep in mind,he had A strong start but by the end of the year was sent down to the minors until sept. He hasnt proved he can play everyday yet,not even close, so it just makes no sense to trade our first basemen/clean up hitter. Its just creating yet another hole.How are they defining "the right package"? Or does anyone believe that with the signing of right,Flores will move to first ? Ike being traded for catchers/outfielders? If thats the case the case thats A risky gamble that Flores can a) play first. b) be A major league hitter."<<<

It is just an article though bro. Writer speculation doesn't mean Ike or Neise are going anywhere. I personally feel those are the players we need to be keeping, and Dickey needs to be going.

To me Wright, Ike, Neise, Harvey are what you want to build around, and you deal Dickey now to add a couple ot top teir prospects to that core. And you deal Johan in July to add further talent to that core.

I will not be pleased if they were to deal Niese or Ike, and then instead keep Dickey. To me the in not the best route to go with this thing.

I'd also be looking into deals for Flores at this point. With Wright he for the foreseeable now, and Flores without a a true postion, I think Sandy would be wise to cash in on the great year he had in the minors this year. Get back a prospect of equal upside, and a position of need for us. Someone who could be ready by 2014. A catcher, 2nd basemen or outfielder. Or even package Flores with Dickey and sweeten the return.

i think at the top we've got Niese,Harvey,Wheeler,and Dickey if he's not dealt,so i agree we've got solid pitching potentially 1-5....honestly beyond that not very much until you get down to St. Lucie with Pill and Montero

Gee is a decent #5 but coming off a circulatory issue to his throwing arm

if we keep everyone '14's rotation of Dickey,Niese,Harvey,Wheeler,and Gee COULD be very good but that's not a surplus from which we can deal from because the dropoff after these pitchers as far as our system is concerned is pretty steep

i don't think they'll deal Davis although i'd look to see what Tampa Bay might send us back for him in a larger deal

Flores may be the odd man out as they don't seem to really have a position for him if he can't play second base

>>>"i dont know why so many people are so eager to let Davis walk. I mean his hit 32 homers in a BAD year. The only reason he struggled was because he came off a year long injury and had the valley fever. I think he will have a bigtime year in 2013 plus he is still young"<<<

I couldn't agree more. You keep Ike. I think some are fixated on his batting average in the first half. but Ike has already shown in the prior two years that he's capable of hitting for a very good BA. I said even before last season started that we shouldn't at all be surprised if Ike struggle in the early part of the year, because was out for a year and then had to deal with VF.

>>>"Flores may be the odd man out as they don't seem to really have a position for him if he can't play second base"<<<

They need to cash in off of Flores good year last year. They can either package him with Dickey, or swamp him separately. There is no reason Sandy shouldn't be able to get back a prospect who is at a similar level and upside as Flores... an outfielder, catcher or 2nd basemen would be idea. Someone who'd be ready about the same time as Flores - 2014