Another Alternate Approach

Okay... so let's say we don't put our money on Pujols and bank on trading Davis for a starter. Let's assume we DO sign Reyes. If... my Plan A is still NOT an option (Sign Sabathia, Darvish or Wilson) then we are still short of top-shelf pitching and it's not likely to be an easy thing to find. There ARE still options out there. Let's look at one I'm not fond of: (Who likes trading their favorite player) Trading David Wright.

The Mets have a VERY valuable chip in David Wright, who is still considered one of the top 3 3Bs in baseball. He's young, (short-term) affordable and when he's on he cannot be beaten. There aren't a shortage of suitors, but can any of them offer the Mets what we'd need?

Suitors pulled from this article. Listen... it's absurd to think that a New York team couldn't afford Wright AND Reyes. So that part of the article is dumb but we'll move on.

Seattle Mariners:

With under-performing Chone Figgins manning the hot corner and batting a mediocre .191/.232/.256 through 48 games, Wright would be an obvious and superior upgrade in Seattle.

Unless the Mariners are going to be giving up Dustin Ackley (which would be dumb) or King Felix Hernandez (which might be dumber) I don't see the pieces that Alderson is itching to trade for. NEXT!

Colorado Rockies:

With Ian Stewart’s demotion to Triple-A after batting a lowly .064/.154/.085 with the big club and ex-Met Ty Wigginton currently his fill-in, it’s safe to say that the Rox will be in the market for a big hitting third baseman sometime in the near future.

I'm a fan of Wilin Rosario but Rosario isn't enough to trade David for and with Ubaldo gone there isn't REALLY a ready-made front-line starter out there. Some people might say that Jhoulys Chacin is that pitcher, but I just don't like him enough to put him in that caliber. Who do I like enough? Drew Pomeranz.

Minnesota Twins:

The Twins are known for their fruitful farm system, so pounding out a deal shouldn’t be an issue, but it’ll be whether or not the Twins are willing to vacate their typical protocol of bringing in homegrown talent by looking elsewhere to plug their holes.

When I look at the Twins it's VERY hard for me to find who I'm trading for. I don't want Liriano... I don't trust him. I don't want Baker... I'd take him in an instant but not for Wright. Then the farm doesn't impress. The one name that stands out is Brian Dozier but if we are keeping Reyes... don't we have SS covered?

San Francisco Giants:

One team that could be the market for an upgrade at 3B is the reigning World Series champs San Francisco Giants and their current makeshift infield, consisting of Aubrey Huff, Freddy Sanchez, Brandon Crawford and Miguel Tejada.

Sorry... this article is from before the 2011 season.

Los Angeles Angels:

With Maicer Izturis and Albert Callaspo sharing time at the hot corner and the latter not paying huge dividends in the middle of the Angels' lineup, the addition of David Wright’s .308 batting average and .670 OPS in Angel Stadium could jolt the lineup in a good way.

Angels DO make sense from a need side of things. They have more outfielders than they can handle but unless Kendrys Morales can figure out 3rd they don't have a good 3B solution. The ISSUE comes with the return. I can find players I like: Luis Jimenez, Matt "Awesome Stache" Shoemaker, Garrett Richards, Cole Kalhoun and Matt Long, I can't say that I would be excited about losing Wright for a package of them.

Los Angeles Dodgers:

With the promotion of Flash’s son Dee Gordon, Los Angeles does look to have a steady future at short, but shoring up the third base position should be their next priority.

This writer must not have read about the Dodger's OWN ownership issues.

Chicago Cubs:

Despite the Cubs' struggles this season that have led to a (currently) 25-39 record and sitting fifth in the NL Central, current third baseman and long-time Cub Aramis Ramirez has been adamant to tell the media that he does not plan to waive his no-trade clause and wants to stay with the north siders for years to come.

So yeah... Cubs have a need. Someone tell me who is worth trading for.

Chicago White Sox:

Obviously David Wright’s bat would be a far greater improvement over Brett Morel’s and Mark Teahen’s sub-.590 OPS, and Wright’s Gold Glove-caliber defense would also be a nice asset to Alexi Ramirez’s above average play at short.

On the major league roster I do notice Gordon Beckham who may have been rushed a little into the majors but HAS talent. There are also some nice hitters in the minor leagues: Dayan Viciedo, Jose Martinez, Tyler Saladino and Andy Wilkins. The only decent pitcher is: Dylan Axelrod and if our goal is "Front-End" Pitching... we have to look elsewhere.

Detroit Tigers:

Much like the White Sox, the Tigers are in the midst of a competitive AL Central, and their eyes are set on nothing less than a World Series appearance.

With Brandon Inge’s struggles and current DL stint, trade talk involving the Mets’ cornerstone has been circulating all year.

The first two targets that should come to mind are Jacob Turner and Rick Porcello. Porcello is a local kid and they are both SUPPOSED to have good arms. I will bet that they are BOTH serviceable pitchers in Citi Field but I don't feel certain either is a TOP starter. If Detroit wants to talk they need to include one of the previous two AND Drew Smyly... probably more.

Cincinnati Reds:

I don’t think it’s unfair to say that the Reds will be on the lookout for their next third baseman sometime in the near future.

I don't know if the Reds would trade Yonder Alonso... If they would... I'm demanding him. Zack Cozart and Devin Mesoraco (Yasmani Grandal) as well. Pitching is key and for pitching: Tim Crabbe is all that I come up with. The pitching again... is not overwhelming, so... the match might not be so good.

In Conclusion: The Mets could trade Wright, but I'm just not sold that they can get the return they'd be looking for. I think my favorite option is trading Wright for Grandal, Crabbe and Alonso. It doesn't REALLY solve too many problems but it makes the team better in the long run.

Lineup:
1. Jose Reyes, SS (S)
2. Angel Pagan, CF (S)
3. Daniel Murphy, 3B (L)
4. Ike Davis, 1B (L)
5. Yonder Alonso, LF (L)
6. Lucas Duda, RF (L)
7. Yasmani Grandal, C (S)
8. Ruben Tejada, 2B (R)

Bench:
Jason Bay, OF (R)
Josh Thole, C (L)
Justin Turner, IF (R)
Nick Evans, Util (R)
Josh Satin, IF (R)

Rotation:
Johan Santana, LHSP
Jonathan Niese, LHSP
R.A. Dickey, RHSP
Dillon Gee, RHSP
Chris Schwinden, RHSP

Bullpen:
Bobby Parnell, RHRP
Taylor Buchholz, RHRP
Pedro Beato, RHRP
Tim Byrdak, LHRP
Daniel Herrera, LHRP
Manny Acosta, RHRP
D.J. Carrasco, RHRP

Now... our rotation sucks and the lineup clearly looks too heavy on lefties and it means another "REBUILDING" year. It also means that Crabbe joins the ranks of Harvey, Familia, Mejia, Wheeler and Gorski and that Alonso and Grandal join the MLB club to provide significant upgrades. Frankly... I like Plan A and Plan B better but we're just looking at options.