So the Mets missed out on Julio Lugo, so?  I know the Mets brass where high on Lugo to play second but do they really want someone who is a shortstop to play second base?  I think the Mets should go after Mark Lorretta.  He’s a scrappy player with solid defense. Lorretta turns the double play and is hard nosed, just the way Randolph likes his players. So far this off season, unlike the first two under Minaya, the Mets are not the talk of the winter meetings.  The Mets are not making the big splashy moves like signing a Pedro, or a Beltran, or even trading for a Delgado.  It’s still early, the Mets could still get Zito, trades still can be made. 

Things are different this year because, except for the starting pitching and perhaps re-tooling the bullpen, next year’s Mets will not be as needy as they were entering the off season last year. Let us not forget, while other teams are making bigger moves, the Mets finished the ’06 campaign 1 game short of being in the World Series.  They won a Major League leading 97 games and dominated the NL East.  Their needs this off season are simply not as pressing as in past years.  That’s not to say work does not need to be done.  Still their most pressing need is starting pitching and filling in the bullpen. The latter may have been solved if the reports last night are true that the Mets traded Brian Bannister to Kansas City for power pitching reliever Ambiorix Burgos.  Also many critics still think the Mets are the favorites to land Barry Zito but that will not play out till after the winter meetings.

There are also a number of trade rumors for starting pitching involving the Mets. Most are with the White Sox for one of their starters or perhaps with Colorado.  Regardless it does not appear that any deal for a starter, be it a free agent or trade, will happen for a while. Certainly Omar used the meetings to plant lots of seeds.  The general feeling it seems within the Mets hierarchy is they are comfortable starting the season with what they have but behind closed doors I’m sure they realize they need another starter, one they can count on to pitch 200 innings.

Some incidental notes reported from various sources indicate that Rick Peterson has signed a new contract, the Mets are working on an extension for Willie, and Howard Johnson looks like he’ll be the new first base coach.