Last week, I posed the question “Who will the 2012 Mets be?” barring any major additions or subtractions on the player personnel side. Well, now let’s make those additions and/or subtractions. When I say “let’s,” I mean just that: I’ll throw out my opinions as to who should be brought in, and then I’ll throw it out to you, gentle reader, to praise me for my sagacity or berate me for being a hopeless fanboy lunkhead. Of course, by all means add comments on who you’d like Santa Alderson to bring you this Christmas. Sandy has already shown that of all the Mets’ GMs throughout their history, he’s McGuyver. Alderson has an uncanny ability to make a quality acquisition out of sawdust, chewing gum and bailing wire. I think most fans trust him to do that, so let’s have some fun. Just a couple of ground rules: (1) Please keep things realistic. Let’s stay out of the realm of “Trade Jason Bay and DJ Carrasco for Jose Bautista…and have Toronto throw in a pitching prospect.” (2) For the helluvit, let’s pretend Bernie Madoff had never been born and ownership – whoever it is — has all the money it needs to improve the club this offseason.

With those in mind, here goes…

Let’s take the opposite tack as last week: let’s assume the injury bug is still buzzing around the Citi Field hive and Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy and Johan Santana are shelved for the major part of Mayan Doomsday. That would leave gaping holes at first base, half the projected second base platoon and in the starting rotation.

Let’s solve the first base issue with one quick stroke of the pen: sign Milwaukee’s free agent first sacker Prince Fielder. For once, I’ll go along with the MSM conventional thinking that there’s no way the Brewers will be able to pay both Ryan Braun – and his 15 years’ worth of indentured servitude – and Fielder. There has been a lot of talk about this, especially on MetsBlog and in this perfect world we’re creating, he’d take some Flushing cash to play out his career under the bright lights.

For second, I’d want Alderson to move Heaven and Earth to pry Brandon Phillips away from the Reds. I don’t know how, or what it would take, but this is a labor of lust, right?

As for the rotation, I’m hoping Matt Garza can be had from the Cubbies, who are undergoing a front-office overhaul of their own. I’m hoping they’d be looking to shed some payroll and let Garza go quickly.

I know positions are fairly set in the outfield, but the Mets need to go younger and get better production out of the left side. I’d love to replace Jason Bay fairly cheaply and somehow get either Logan Morrison from the Marlins or Adam Jones from Baltimore. If I have a choice, I’d prefer Morrison, who, it would seem, has the personality – the right mix of tough and goofy – to handle the New York cauldron. It’s just that mix that has vexed the Florida front office all year. He would be a lot of fun around these parts.

As we all know, the bullpen has been a shambles this year, so let’s bring home Heath Bell and have done with it. The Padres have all but made it known they won’t sign him as a free agent and I think some fence-mending money might make it attractive to bring Act II to Queens.

So here’s the opening day lineup for your 2012 NL Champions:

1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Brandon Phillips 2B
3. David Wright 3B
4. Prince Fielder 1B
5. Lucas Duda RF
6. Logan Morrison LF
7. Angel Pagan CF
8. Josh Thole/Ronny Paulino C
9. Matt Garza P
Heath Bell will come in and close out the win.

Hey, a man can dream, can’t he?

Author’s Note: The news of the failure of the Wilpons and David Einhorn to reach an agreement came down as this was being written. You may do with that piece of information what you will…

4 comments on “Who’s On Your Wish List For 2012, Mets’ Fans?

  • Rob

    I can’t agree with this post. Too much money being spent while stifling the farm system. Fielder has Mo Vaughn written all over him. First Base could be Davis , Duda , Murphy or Evans. Second should be Tejada’s to loose, if we don’t sign Reyes. Valdespin and Havens are showing well in the minors. So we have two possible shortstops and three possible second basemans in the high minors. Third should be Wright or Murphy. Left field has Duda written all over it. Center should be Pagan or a pickup who can field, with speed,covering a lot of ground. Here is where I get out of the box. Why not try Wright in right (no pun). He has speed, an arm and is athletic. If it doesn’t work out move him back to third (kind of what Chipper Jones did). I hate leaving out our right fielder but what else can we do.
    I won’t touch the pitching. Except for the Aces, you never know what will happen. I’ll leave that up to Alderson. In closing, we should trust Sandy to make smart moves and bring our young talent along. He did it this year with Duda, Tejada and Gee. Lets give him the future…

    • Mike Koehler

      But isn’t the whole intention of this article to ignore reality and dream about adding free agents/trading for stars? While the real team fights to return to .500 and prove they are not as awful as everyone makes them out to be, I view this piece as a whimsical fantasy where the Mets win everything.

      Who knows, maybe one or two of these moves can be made in reality too…

      • Charlie Hangley

        Thanks, Mike. You nailed it.

  • Chris

    I mostly agree with Rob. Right now we have a very decent infield that is showing signs of brilliance on defense and batting well too. Tejada is blossoming in the middle infield, and I think Ike/Evans make first base solid. The outfield needs some attention though. Id like to see Bay either traded for an equal loser, prefereably a pitcher with a big contract (yes yes, AJ is the buzz and I’d do it!) or get some time on the pine regardless of his salary. Duda is great at right, and maybe shift Pagan to left, and go after someone like Maybin for center. The reality is simple, this team has some gifted position players both marquis and developing, but we lack arms, and thats where Id be shopping.

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