The Mets are hurting for corner outfielders

Photo credit: Game Face

The skies are blue, birds are chirping, and everything seems to be clicking for the New York Mets, winners of their last 10 games and now co-leaders of the National League East.

But all is not as well as it appears. Here is what their starting lineup looked like last night in their win against the Cincinnati Reds:

Jose Reyes SS

Endy Chavez RF

David Wright 3B

Carlos Beltran CF

Damion Easley 2B

Carlos Delgado 1B

Fernando Tatis LF

Brian Schneider C

Johan Santana P

This has pretty much been their lineup, with a few exceptions, during the entirety of their win streak. While their pitching has been lights out, their offense certainly hasn't let them down either. Let's compare this lineup, however, to the one they fielded on opening day:

Jose Reyes SS

Luis Castillo 2B

David Wright 3B

Carlos Beltran CF

Carlos Delgado 1B

Angel Pagan LF

Ryan Church RF

Brian Schneider C

Johan Santana P

Luis Castillo is currently rehabbing an injury. Angel Pagan, who was replacing an already injured Moises Alou, is also on the DL and shows no signs of returning soon. Alou has been on and off the disabled list all year; his season and quite possibly his career are over. Ryan Church has suffered from several different injuries, including a serious concussion, and it remains to be seen how much, if anything, he can contribute to this team. Not even Trot Nixon, signed mid-season, is healthy enough to play right now.

While losing Castillo is certainly not a positive thing, Easley (and more recently Argenis Reyes) has filled that gap in nicely. Fernando Tatis and Endy Chavez have both performed well above expectation, but with their recent run to the top of the division, the Mets have a decision to make in regards to their outfield.

-- Tim Fiorvanti

(click below to continue)Option A: Make a trade to sure up the outfield

With the July 31st trade deadline looming, the Mets will likely be looking seriously at several different players who might be on various teams' trading blocks, including:

Matt Holliday, Colorado Rockies: The defending National League champions are hurting in a big way, eight games behind the sub-.500 NL West leading Arizona Diamondbacks.

Holliday won't come cheap, as Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd will likely want quite a bit in return for the All-Star outfielder. If the Mets are willing to give up several top-level prospects, they would obviously have to lock Holliday up with a multi-year deal before the trade could go down.

Jason Bay, Pittsburgh Pirates

Bay, who spent a short time in the Mets minor-league system, would be a very solid pick-up for the Mets. The 2004 Rookie of the Year was an All-Star in '05 an '06, before struggling in '07. His '08 numbers have jumped back up; he's currently hitting .287 with 19 HRs and 53 RBIs.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington is notorious for over-valuing his prospects and talents, and asks for too much in return. There is some history, however, as the Mets and Pirates made a deal two years ago that sent Xavier Nady to the Pirates in exchange for Roberto Hernandez and Ollie Perez.

Xavier Nady, Pittsburgh Pirates

The previously mentioned Nady has had quite a bit of success with Pittsburgh since landing there mid-season in '06. He's having a similarly successful season to Bay, with a .321 average, 12 HRs, and 56 RBIs.

As was previously stated with Bay, it might take a hefty sum of players and cash to bring Nady back to the Big Apple

Option B: Bring up Fernando Martinez

The switch-hitting 19-year old is hitting right-handed pitching with authority at AA Binghamton, currently sporting a .331 average against righties. Widely regarded as the top prospect in the Mets system, Martinez could be another element in a platoon at the corner outfield positions.

The only fear is that the Mets don't want to bring Martinez up too early and knock his confidence. His career and future look bright, and the last thing the Mets want to is ruin a player who has the potential to be a cornerstone of the outfield for a decade or more.

Option C: Leave things as is

The Mets have won ten straight games, and adding additional players to the mix might disrupt the chemistry that this team has developed over the past several weeks. Tatis and Chavez are doing a great job holding down these positions, and Ryan Church could be back for the stretch run in right field.

The problem is a seriously lack of depth. Beyond Tatis and Chavez, Marlon Anderson and recent call-up Nick Evans are the only other active outfielders on the Mets' roster. Church and Nixon should be back at some point, but there's no way of knowing what, if anything, they can contribute.

There are 13 days until the trading deadline, and another month after that to make roster moves. Omar Minaya is on the clock, and the season is hanging in the balance, and with so many possiblities, it's tough to say what the right decision will be. Only time will tell.

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