Say No to Rebuilding

In New York, the term "rebuild" is usually as accepted by sports fans as "gridlock" and "train delay" are by commuters. Yet with the Mets in the midst of yet another free fall, that hated term has turned into the word du jour among Mets fans and the media alike. Even Alex Cora, upon his release, essentially accused Mets management of secretly harboring a 2-3 year rebuilding plan.

However, despite two collapses followed by two inept seasons, the Mets should NOT enter rebuilding mode this off season. Truly rebuilding would mean scrapping some or all of the foundation of the team, also known as David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana. While none of these three stars have lived up to their extremely high expectations in Flushing, or more importantly brought home a ring, it would be impossible to net a return that would come even close to matching the production that each provides. All four are top five players at their positions and would be coveted by just about any team, yet no team would be able or willing to part with a fair price. Trading any, even Beltran, for prospects would set the Mets back and provide no guarantee of a bright future.

The fact of the matter is that the currently constituted Mets roster SHOULD be good enough to compete next year with just a few tweaks, making a total rebuilding effort unnecessary. On offense, I think we can expect Jason Bay to perform much closer to his past and Angel Pagan to revert just a little from his career year. With those and Wright, plus hopefully fully healthy versions of Beltran and Reyes, the Mets will enter 2011 with about as fearsome a lineup as the NL has to offer. Thole and Tejada can't be expected to do much, but they can help provide some of the youth injection that supporters of a rebuilding effort are hoping for.

Pitching- wise, the Mets again SHOULD only need one or two tweaks. The bullpen could certainly use some substantial help, but the rotation has proven it is up there with the best. Rather than getting rid of any of the existing rotation parts, the Mets should be seeking a legitimate number two starter to bolster what is already a solid staff. Trading Santana or even R.A. Dickey for prospects would be like playing Russian roulette.

So call it koolaid, or just call me crazy, but I am not ready to give up on this Mets roster for the faint hope that rebuilding provides. The Mets have four all-stars in their prime, and a combination of both younger and older supporting parts that can prove very valuable. Sure, some changes must be made both on the roster in the front office, but a total rebuilding effort does not make sense. In the end it may not work out, but at least we'll know that the Mets went for it with the best players possible rather than just hoping for the best down the road.