If the Dickey trade goes through, I doubt you will be contenders in '13 or even '14, regardless of the talent of prospects coming back. You're in just too tough a division to make the leap to that point considering the talent elsewhere in the East, but maybe a surprise run that falls short a few weeks to go in the season could be within your reach. Maybe be like 10-15 games back of the division winner or something like that, where you're in it for a while but fall short.
Do illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?
Some people are like slinkies: not good for anything, but you can't help but laugh when one falls down the stairs.
They have other problems besides Dickey. They need at least three legitimate free agent pick ups on the off season (a starting pitcher, a catcher, and a new center fielder at least.) I don't expect them to make all of those aquisitions in one offseason, but if they don't make at least one of them I know that the Wilpons aren't serious and this will be a miserable set of circumstances.
I'm with you on the starting pitching and catcher. Beyond Dickey, I only see Santana as being capable of going at least 160+ in innings pitched, so maybe an inexpensive innings-eater like Carl Pavano or Brett Mayers could work there, not someone who's going to lead the staff but who can go into the 6th or 7th every time out and take heat off the bullpen since there's a lot of guys on that staff who aren't that experienced so someone like either of those won't be so bad and won't cost them much.
I know you need catching, but I'm not sure who's on the market. Pierzynski's not going to be affordable on your budget and after Martin went to the Pirates, I don't know any other catchers out there. I think Toronto's got like 10 of them or something (I remember there was a report about them having two or three major-league ready catchers in their system, plus they got one in that trade from the Marlins and then they claimed one off waivers a week or so later) so maybe raid them for one in a trade. Plus, there's a couple outfielders that were brought up late in the year to replace Bautista, maybe throw one of them into the same trade with the catcher.
Hmm, there you go, HNT. I just fixed the Mets for the season in trade and free agency. What do you think?
Do illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?
Some people are like slinkies: not good for anything, but you can't help but laugh when one falls down the stairs.
I like it a lot. Of course, that was the easy part. The hard part will be convincing the Wilpons to pay or it. Can Magic Johnson just buy the Mets please?
Okay, I wasn't expecting that, a shut-out from the writers for the Hall. I figured at least a class of three: Morris, Biggio and Piazza, who I thought were sure-fire HOFers and that's quite a surprise to see this reaction.
Do illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?
Some people are like slinkies: not good for anything, but you can't help but laugh when one falls down the stairs.