Newsday, Matt den Dekker & Terry Collins 

Questions continue to loom over who will be starting where in the outfield, especially in centerfield. And Matt den Dekker still isn’t the answer.

If there’s one player in baseball capable of solving the myriad problems facing the Mets in 2012, it’s Justin Upton. He plays the outfield. He’s right-handed. He’s not Jason Bay. He’s signed to a fairly team friendly deal through 2015. He’s a childhood friend of David Wright. He’s not Jason Bay. And, when he’s on top of his game, he’s an MVP-caliber player.

Of course, most of these attributes also intrigue most other teams. So if the Mets have any intention of acquiring Upton this off-season, they better be willing to give up a boatload of talent.

So after playing armchair GM during several lecture classes, here’s what I think would constitute a reasonably fair deal for both sides:

Yankees 4 Mets 3

Through the first two-thirds of the game, it looked like it might be an easy win for the Mets. But, we found out why you shouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Mets 9 Rays 6

Twenty-nine runs scored in a three-game series against the best pitching in MLB. Did anyone see frogs falling from the sky?

Astros 4 Mets 3

So far, it’s shaping up to be a season of many one-run games — low-scoring, one-run games, that is. That means every move, mistake, and clutch hit is magnified. It also means that the Mets have an extremely slim margin for error, and every seemingly little execution is paramount.

Mets 6 Rockies 5

A series win gives Mets fans a Rocky Mountain High.

Mets 3 Marlins 2

Mets complete a sweep of the Marlins on Kirk Nieuwenhuis day.

Before you get too attached to the Mets’ biggest position-player pickup of the offseason, you may want to brace yourself for the possibility that Andres Torres is non-tendered.