a. How does Gotay compare to Barfield (whose brother Omar drafted)? I LOVE the idea of Gotay at 2nd in a platoon. But note to blog- I dont know if Willie Randolph can spell platoon much less use one. Plus per an earlier post, if the Astros sign Castillo then who gets Loretta? There are other options. Heck Dan uggla came from nowhere to be a stud…(albeit with hands of stone).

b. Castillo is going to be a hot property because you dont lose a pick to get him. I’d also like to note THIS same Castillo used Jim Duquette to get a sweeter deal from the Fish previously. So despite the cliche’s Castillo is not necessarily enamored with the Mets.

As per Matt’s coments: I don’t like the idea of a Gotay/Easley platoon at all. I agree the Mets have some big needs, but signing Castillo to, say, a 2-yr, $10-mil contract isn’t going to put a damper in any of their grandiose plans.

For the sake of conversation, I’d say the equivalent deal would be Mota, Carp, and say, Gotay.

With that being said, I’d strongly consider that deal. Which raises the question, if you have a bullpen of Lidge, Hernandez, and Humber, (who I believe can be very good out of that spot) do you talk about moving Heilman to the rotation?

I’m a little upset about the Lidge deal — the Phils gave up practically nothing. Geoff Geary and Michael Bourn? Please. Where the heck was Omar while the Astros were giving away guys like Lidge? I’d have been OK with the Mets trading Guillermo Mota and Endy Chavez for Lidge — which would have been essentially the same deal. Oh I know Endy’s legendary and a huge fan favorite but seriously, who will help the Mets more in 2008, especially when you have Gomez around? Or who knows maybe Ben Johnson could have been the guy instead of Endy. I’m flabbergasted that the Astros got so little in return, in a market where every team in baseball is dying for setup relief.

1. What would the Indians ask in return for two guys who have yet to prove themselves at the major league level? I know Lee is a former 18-game winner, but the theory of “the league figuring a pitcher out” needs to be applied, as he has had an ERA of 4.40+ over the last 2 seasons. Barfield has great potential too, but he wouldn’t be the first prospect with rave reviews to never make a name for himself in the majors. For such a couple of question marks, would it be worth giving up 2 of our more highly touted prospects? I mean, we could go out and sign guys like Odalis Perez and Marcus Giles and get very similar production without giving up anything. I think, if a deal were to be reached, a lot would depend on what Cleveland would be asking for in return.

2. In a season where the Mets had a monumental collapse, and in an offseason where making at least one big trade is absolutely necessary, is the the trade we want to settle on? Two guys who have yet to prove they belong at the major league level? With potential deals possible that could net Javier Vazquez, or Joe Blanton, or Jeremy Bonderman, or Brian Roberts, a Lee/Barfield trade seems very bland.

I remind myself the title of this article is 2B Plan B, so obviously this isn’t our first option. Maybe not even our 2nd or 3rd. And I concur this is a classic Omar trade in which he buys low and either looks really smart, or took a calculated chance without giving up too much. But I think that’s the key. Don’t give up too much. I agree that Lee and Barfield SHOULD be had cheaply, which means Pelfrey, Humber, Mulvey, Milledge, Gomez, etc should remain Mets property after a transaction transpires.

Wouldn’t it also be classic Omar to deal for Ramon Hernandez without giving up a major prospect either? If those are the only 2 trades the Mets pull off this offseason, what grade would you give them? Obviously, it depends on free agent pickups, but I like the idea of holding on to all of our prospects and still improving in the process. If Barfield is obtained, could he spend a year at AAA if Castillo is resigned? Maybe a better question, if Castillo is resigned, could a Barfield trade still be possible?

Among other things:
Hearing rumors Mike Pelfrey and Carlos Gomez are being sought by the Nationals. Safe to say they’re just rumors.
Also, Brad Lidge is now a Phillie. Another closer trade between Houston and Philly (Billy Wagner). Lidge looked a lot more like himself last season, but I’m interested to see what he can do at Citizens Bank Park. Still, at least on paper, looks like the Phillies improved themselves quite nicely.