Mack's Take On The Hot Stove Season So Far

Did I just refer to me in the third party?

Anyway, actually so far, so good.

I haven't seen two things:

    1. any panic by Omar & Company

    2. anyone signed by other teams that was crucial for the Mets to sign

Word I'm getting is that the atmosphere had changed drastically at the Winter Meetings this year. The bad economy has defintely caused every team to step and back before throwing money around, and the agents, especially Scott Boras, aren't getting enough first time offers for their clients. This will go right down to the wire and it will interesting to see just how much guys like John Lackey will get. In a good market, he's worth $100mil, but I'd be shocked if he gets it this year.

The Mets have so far signed two backup catcher and drafted five Rule V dudes. Doesn't sound like much but, I like it so far.

THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER is I'm going under the premise that the Mets are operating for the future, not panicking to save their asses. With that said, most of the positional players needed to fill in... a good team... is LF, C, 1B, and SP2. Three of those postions are sold for 2011.  Fernando Martinez will be in left, Josh Thole behind the plate and Ike Davis on first.

The Mets also would like to clear up the 2B position so the future would be either Ruben Tejada or Reese Havens.

The two backup catchers make sense... one will train Thole in Buffalo while the other will back up Benji Molina... WHO WILL AGREE TO THE METS OFFER TODAY.

The Rule V draft has already produced a killer reliever who may stay in Queens all year. Yes, Clint Everts has had some injuries, but he has fully recovered from TJS and had a steller 2009 season. He will be added to an already very good pen at Citifield.

Regarding the SP2, the Mets have taken the smart approach by waiting on guys like Randy Wolf and seeing what the market bears. Omar has now flown back to New York and can ponder what it will take to sign someone he really wants.

He also threw out the Jason Bay offer so everyone in baseball knows that the Mets ain't dead and, yes Virginia, we are spenders.

I like it.

My guess is Bay will turn down the offer, saying he is worth more, which he isn't. I expect the Mets to then move on, sign a guy like Mike Cameron to babysit for a year, and drop the dough on Lackey.

And then, I hope, it's over, so the rest of the saved money this year can be used to advertise the product, lower the center field wall, lower ticket prices, build six more of those milk shake stands, and hire a new medical staff.

Mack