MLB Team by Team: 2008 New York Mets

Last season left a bitter taste in many mouths in the Big Apple, starting with New York Mets manager Willie Randolph, on up to general manager Omar Minaya, to owner Nelson Doubleday, extending to the millions of Mets fans after one of the most stunning collapses in baseball history, losing a seven-game lead with 17 to go and allowing the Philadelphia Phillies to pass by them to the pay window.

Apparently, if there's anything you don't want to do in baseball, it's tick off Minaya. He pulled off a couple of trades this off-season, sending away headaches Paul LoDuca and Lastings Milledge to help the Washington Nationals open their new house and getting upgraded in right field and, at least defensively, at catcher. Oh, yeah, and they got some pitcher from Minnesota...

OFFENSE: A

Well, what would most teams do if they lose a veteran and still-productive left fielder to a hernia in spring training? Most teams, maybe they collapse. The Mets are not most teams. They'll simply plug Endy Chavez in and chug along. And why not? You lead off with Jose Reyes (78 steals last season), you have David Wright hit third and produce yet another MVP-worthy season (.325, 30 homers, 107 RBI), or possibly fourth behind Carlos Beltran (33 and 112), and why not send Carlos Delgado out to first base (24 and 87), then get Ryan Church (.272, 15 and 70) from the Nats, and improve an already great defense by adding Brian Schneider at catcher. That's the kind of team that won't miss Moises Alou that much.

PROJECTED LINEUP: 1 Reyes SS 2 Church RF 3 Beltran CF 4 Wright 3B 5 Delgado 1B 6 Church RF 7 Castillo 2B 8 Chavez/Alou LF 9 Pitcher's spot

STARTING PITCHING: A+

Here's another good question: What kind of pitcher takes the top spot in the rotation away from Pedro Martinez? How about Johan Santana? Last year, he went 15-13, couple a 3.33 ERA with an anemic Minnesota Twins offense, and he probably wins 20 yet again. No such problem in New York, as noted above. Martinez may have been battling injury and may be getting up in years, but still went 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA in his five starts last year. John Maine won 15, as did Oliver Perez. And Orlando Hernandez still had enough El Duque left in him to win nine and keep the ERA below 4.00. It's unenviable to be a hitter in the National League, to say the least.

PROJECTED ROTATION: Santana, Martinez, Maine, Perez, Hernandez

BULLPEN: A-
Billy Wagner, to add another understatement, has been a great pickup for the Mets. He's closed out 74 of 84 opportunities since joining the Amazins, and has 358 for his career. The ninth is set. The eighth is set with Aaron Heilman, who was a more-than-adequate bridgeman last year. Duaner Sanchez could be recovered enough from his two right shoulder surgeries to return to his 2006 form (5-1, 2.60 ERA over 55.1 innings), yet another good arm. Jorge Sosa did mildly solid work both as a starter and reliever for the Mets last year. All in all, nothing to shout about from the Mets pen, and, with bullpens, that's a great thing.

CONCLUSION

The verbal shots have been coming hot and heavy between the Mets and Phillies camps this off-season, of the "We're the team to beat, no, we're the team to beat" variety. It was an entertaining race last season to say the least, and this year will be another grand chapter in a burgeoning feud heading towards epic proportions. However, just on strength of pitching alone, you have to lean the Mets' way for the division nod this year. But it'll be fun to watch no matter what. First head-to-head: April 8-10 in New York. Let the games begin.

PREDICTION: 94-68, first in National League East