With a few days without baseball (wait, you consider tonight’s debacle baseball?), now is a great time to browse through the Handpicked Mets Store and order some things you really don’t need, but would really like to have.

For example, this Tom Seaver throwback jersey is SWEET, and is autographed by The Franchise himself, Tom Terrific.

OK, maybe that’s a bit out of your price range … but there are many more affordable options in the store, including a Lenny Dykstra jersey, Doc and Straw tops, and an autographed HoJo road jersey.

Or, if you’re the type to drag a boat back and forth to the shore, why not dress up the hitch with a Mets trailer hitch cover? Believe me, that’s not the most unusual item I found — have fun perusing yourself by going to the Mets Handpicked Store. Whenever you buy something from there, you’ll be supporting the server costs and associated upkeep of MetsToday — and if there’s any profit at the end of the year, I’ll donate some of it to a worthy charity (or charities).

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Offense

• long, loopy swing tends to generate high popups and occasional homers — but after some surprising early-season bombs, pitchers have been more careful on the inside part of the plate
• on occasion, he’ll cut down his swing and poke basehits — however, he is not in the lineup to be a .250 singles hitter, as Willie Randolph looks to him for pop
• though his P/PA is above-average, his long at-bats are mixed with too many short and one-pitch plate appearances — which often come in head-scratching situations (i.e., late in game, down four runs)
• should handle the bat better than he does; cannot be counted on to sacrifice bunt nor hit-and-run
• he WILL hit mistakes over the fence

Defense

• average range, average arm
• though not a terrible defender, would not be described as “surehanded”; there have been a few balls go bang off his iron glove
• fairly good at going back on the ball (i.e., popups) — which suggests he should spend more time in outfield, rather than second base
• fairly good at turning the double play

Second-half Outlook

Damion Easley was a big surprise early in the season, hitting a few dramatic homeruns to win ballgames in late innings. However, when pressed into everyday duty, his vulnerabilities became glaring. As a pinch-hitter and bench player, getting 2-3 starts a week, he can be very productive — and this was his intended purpose when signed over the winter. If Willie Randolph ever comes to his senses, and plays Easley as intended, he will be immensely more productive and valuable — sort of like a poor man’s Endy Chavez. Easley should be getting occasional starts — against lefties ONLY — at 2B, SS, 3B, and the OF, maybe twice a week, and serve as the number-one righthanded bat off the bench. If that’s his role, he’ll hit at least 25-30 points higher, and give Reyes, Wright, Valentin, and the outfielders much-needed rest — making those players more effective as well.

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There are two Carloses in the first half, not including Beltran and Gomez. There is the Carlos Delgado of April through most of June, and there’s the guy who suited up in Delgado’s uniform in July.

Interestingly, even with his struggles, Delgado still is on pace to hit about 30 homers and drive in 100 runs. So imagine if he can parlay his last week’s performance into a second half that is slightly better than awful?

Offense

• hasn’t been comfortable at the plate all year — up until the last week or so; mechanics are out of sync, and he has too much head, hand, and upper-body movement — it’s hard to hit when you don’t keep your head still and eyes on the ball
• when going bad, his hands and weight are going forward with the stride; when going well, everything stays back and his hands do most of the work
• on occasion, has focused on poking balls into the gaping hole on the left side (due to the over-shift) — but then he clogs the basepaths
• he can and will drive the low and inside pitch, even when cold

Defense

• very good at scooping balls in the dirt — this is his best defensive quality
• range is extremely limited; in fact, it is nonexistent
• terrible on bunts; will never, ever throw out a lead runner on a sacrifice bunt

Second-half Outlook

The All-Star break could be the worst thing that happened to Delgado, as he was finally starting to look comfortable, get good at-bats, and swing with authority in the 5-10 games preceding the fiasco — er, I mean, festivities. If the early July Delgado returns after the break, the Mets will have the power bat they’ve been so sorely missing all year. Delgado’s return to form is the key to the Mets’ offense as a whole. Though Jose Reyes is the guy that gets the Mets started, Delgado is the domino that tips the remainder of the lineup’s momentum. If Delgado hits, Beltran hits. If Beltran and Delgado are hitting, Wright will see better pitches, and on it goes.

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Looking at the numbers so far, it looks like Green will at least come close to his 2006 output — assuming he stays in the lineup. That’s not awful production for a seventh hitter, but it may not be enough to offset his weak glove.

Offense

• uses whole field, though he tends to go to leftfield more often than not
• walks rarely, but strangely enough, sees a lot of pitches and gets into deep counts
• no longer a homerun threat, but will on occasion take a guess and send one deep; his homers are most likely to occur against veteran pitchers with whom he has a long history
• will swipe a base if ignored, and runs the bases better than given credit for

Defense

Second-half Outlook

For his entire career, Shawn Green has been a hot-and-cold hitter. However, in the past, his hot streaks could carry a team, as they included prodigious homeruns and multiple extra-base hits. These days, however, Green is a shell of his former self — in all phases of the game — and his hot streaks are more like “tepid streaks”, as the homers and doubles have been replaced by singles and long singles. Still, he is a very heady ballplayer, makes adjustments for his limitations, and draws on his experience and intelligence to contribute. Three things you can count on: he will not make mental errors, he will do what’s best for the team, and he will hustle all the time. Unfortunately, unless he starts the second half hitting the way he did in April, he may find himself on the bench in favor of Lastings Milledge, because his defense has become atrocious and no longer acceptable in relation to his offensive production. That said, he could develop into a solid bench guy — a lefthanded Jeff Conine — and be effective starting 4-5 times a week in the outfield and at first base (where Carlos Delgado would benefit immensely from a weekly day off).

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Offense

• walking more often lately, and now taking bad pitches that he swung through earlier in the season
• gets beat on high fastballs of all speeds — probably the result of focusing on the inside-out swing
• strikeout rate much higher than last year, and appears to be swinging and missing more often than in the past
• has been steady but for the most part unspectacular; not quite ready to be the prototypical cleanup hitter
• teams now pay attention to him when on first base, but is still an efficient and intelligent basestealer

Defense

• aggressive, which helps him to be very good on bunts and slow rollers
• stronger arm than credited for, but still occasionally wild with throws
• better range and more sure-handed than “experts” give him credit for; he utilizes perfect fundamentals in the field, and gets better every day

Second-half Outlook

D-Wright had a tough April, hitting only .244 with no homeruns. Since then, though, he’s steadily creeped his average up, added power, and going into the All-Star break was closing in on .300 and swinging a hot bat. Since he did not participate in the Homerun Derby, we can assume he’ll continue to use that nice, fluid swing that did him so well before July 2006. He’s still concentrating on using the inside-out swing the majority of the time, which will cut down on the strikeouts and lead to more singles and doubles. Expect him to start looking to turn on inside pitches in late July and early August — turning the tables on the scouting reports and sending some fly balls over the leftfield fence.

As stated above, his strikeout rate is much higher than last year. However, it is improving every month. In April, he was striking out once every 4.6 plate appearances; May, 1/4.8; June, 1/5.7; July, 1/6.2.

Wright was just starting to come on when the All Star break appeared; he should have a strong second half and finish with numbers similar, or better than, his 2006 output.

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Let’s get one thing straight: Jose Reyes is not a dog. In fact, he’s one of the few Mets left who busts his butt on every play, day in and day out. Has he lost focus on occasion? Yes. Has he made some bad judgments here and there? Sure. Is he being led astray by some suddenly poisonous “veteran leaders”? Absolutely.

Jose Reyes remains one of the most exciting, and enjoyable players to watch in Major League Baseball. It’s hard not to smile with him when he’s on the field, extending his joy of the game to fans in a way rarely seen in this day of million-dollar contracts. He clearly loves the game and plays it with an expressive passion. And he performs pretty well, too.

His 19 homeruns last year suggested that he’d evolve into a topflight superstar in 2007. That turned out to be half-right, as he’s clearly on his way to stardom, but doesn’t need the homers to get there. Jose’s speed, slick fielding, much-improved ability to get on base, and extra-base power are enough to attract the adoration of fans and respect of opposing players. His being named the leadoff batter for the NL All-Star team is a testament to his performance and popularity.

Offense

• success at the plate depends on letting the ball get deep, which he did in spring training and most of April. When he trusts his lightning-quick hands and short stroke, he might be the most dangerous hitter in the NL — Pujols and Bonds included (don’t believe it? Consider that Reyes leads the team with 10 intentional walks –despite his speed and despite the fact he’s hit only four homers.)
• occasionally over-anxious / over-aggressive — though not as much as in previous years — which can cause him to be susceptible to off-speed and breaking pitches in the dirt
• no longer chases the high heater, but will try to dig out pitches at his ankles — often with success
• best basestealer in MLB — gets good leads and jumps most of the time, and when he doesn’t, succeeds anyway because of his speed and the opposing catcher rushing the throw

Defense

• one of the top three arms among NL infielders — quick release, great strength, excellent accuracy
• occasionally makes the flashy play, but more often makes difficult plays look easy
• good at feeding the double-play throw, not as good as making the turn, for two reasons: 1.) he hasn’t had a consistent DP partner at 2B; an 2.) he will bail out when aggressive runners slide in hard

Second-half Outlook

While Carlos Beltran received more NL votes, many felt Jose Reyes was the real MVP of the team last year. He’s grown by leaps and bounds in regard to plate discipline, and is just scratching the surface of what he can do with the bat. If he can get back to trusting his hands, as he did at the beginning of the season, he could have a monster second half. However, Willie Randolph needs to give him a rest every once in a while if he wants him fresh for October.