Mets 9 Phillies 5

The Mets make forward movement in the fight for third place. Check the sky for falling lizards, however, because the Mets won this game primarily because of the bullpen.

Pretend you have a crystal ball, and it can read three months into the future. It tells you that if the Mets trade Daniel Murphy, Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis to the Phillies for Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, and Shane Victorino, the Mets will win the 2012 World Series. If the deal isn’t made, the Mets will finish last in the NL East. Because the crystal ball only can see three months ahead, it can’t tell you whether the Mets re-sign Hamels and/or Victorino in the upcoming winter.

Again, this is an exercise. Such a deal would never happen in a million years. Don’t argue that such a trade wouldn’t result in a World Championship, and don’t argue that the trade doesn’t make sense for one reason or another — just play along, OK?

I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Would you mortgage the future for a World Series win? Would you want the Mets to win with three ex-Phillies on the field? Would you prefer to see if the homegrown talent can result in success at some point in the future?

Vote below and post your reaction in the comments.

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Another suggestion from the MetsToday email bag — this one comes from loyal MetsToday visitor and commenter “James”:

I had a great idea for a survey for Mets Today- do you think the Mets or the Phillies will have a better record at the end of the year? I know which one I would pick now that Halladay, Howard and Utley are back.

Oh boy … and here I thought I was the pessimistic one always looking to stir the pot. Maybe it’s part of being a Mets fan?

This is a tough one, as it depends very much on whether Ruben Amaro chooses to be a seller in the next ten days. If he holds on to Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, and other performing parts, then I think there’s a real possibility that the Phillies make a run out of the cellar in the second half. Such a surge could coincide with a regression by the Mets.

The Mets’ current record is 47-45, while the Phillies’ is 41-52. The Phillies have 7 more losses, but the Mets have one more game left in the season. Hmm … I’ll leave it up to you — vote below and then argue your choice in the comments.

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Mets 6 Phillies 5

This was a game that — in any year from 2007 to 2011 — the Phillies would have won dramatically instead of the Mets. Yet another sign that the tables have officially turned.

Phillies 9 Mets 2

Cliff Lee had to win a game eventually.

Mets 11 Phillies 1

The tables have officially turned.

After nearly sweeping the down-trending Dodgers in Los Angeles, the Mets move on to face another club spinning out of control — the Philadelphia Phillies — for a three-game set.

Could Mets fans be any happier witnessing the Phils’ demise?

Phillies 10 Mets 6

This game was much closer and low-scoring than the final score would suggest. Mets fans might lament that this was one that got away. In contrast, Phillies fans might believe that their old “fightin’ Phils” are merely back to their comebacking ways. It’s all about perspective, right?