Make no mistake. This trade would have never been done had it not been for Carlos Beltran’s questionable status. They had all the outfielders in place they wanted to start the season. Angel Pagan, Chris Carter, Nick Evans and Fernando Martinez were all the reserves they needed before it was discovered that Beltran needed surgery and more down time.

I kind of liked having Brian Stokes around as he seemed to be a bit of a staff saver, but they Mets needed to do something about center field and they got a veteran in Matthews. In the event Beltran returns successfully, Matthews provides some fair depth.

I think that Pagan is a better player right now and that Matthews seems to have alreay had his best years. But certainty in CF defense at Citi Field is important. Hence the understandable trade.

Give Omar Minaya credit for taking care of a need quickly. I just hope that they were multi-tasking and looking to get a starter at the same time.

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If the report that the Mets are prioritizing the line-up, it means Jason Bay. The longer it goes, the less likely they are to sign him. It seems as if Bay and his agent have made no counter proposal. This further indicates that he’s looking to play elsewhere.

Nonetheless, if the Mets are waiting on Bay or to enter into the end game with Scott Boras on Matt Holliday, they are holding themselves up.

Couple this with the Mets efforts to move Luis Castillo. If the Mets believe that moving Castillo is a bigger priority than acquiring talent, they are further hamstringing themselves.

As the Yankees have gotten their pitcher in Javier Vazquez, it could start things rolling for everyone. Somehow, everyone always needs to wait on the Yankees.

Maybe that whisper about something going with the Reds that will involve a starting pitcher means something.

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Adam Rubin’s well reasoned piece today speculated on the Mets dealing Billy Wagner via waiver trade by August 31.

If the Mets do this it needs to be a baseball decision that’s weighed against the talent that would come in a trade versus what the Mets would get as a compensatory draft pick next June. But the Mets have been sending signals that its about the money right now. Lets hope this isn’t a snag.

Adding a healthy Billy Wagner to a contender’s bullpen must be intriguing right now for teams and their fans. He makes sense for team like the Cubs, Cardinals and (hold your breath) the Yankees. However, a Wagner trade could be blocked by an opposing GM to keep him from going to a rival. Yesterday’s acquisition of Chad Gaudin by the Yankees isn’t necessarily indicative of the gentleman’s agreement to keep the waiver wire open. It’s early in the month and Gaudin is not a player of significant caliber.

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Mike Silva provides a thought provoking piece this morning advocating the return of Wally Backman to the organization. I don’t know much about what’s happened to Wally since he left the Mets other than what I read in news reports, and I wouldn’t feel right in commenting on it at any rate. Yet Backman is an intriguing individual that has demonstrated he knows about winning. His comments to Silva indicate to me that he has evolved even more into someone with a desire to see a big picture. Backman would be a good guy to send around right now on behalf of the Mets.

He was about winning as a player. About team first. He took to the Mets’ acquisition of Tim Teufel to platoon with him at second base before the 1986 season. Backman knew Teufel could hit after playing against him in 1983 while in AAA. My memories of Backman involve how tough he was. We used to wrap up both hamstrings so he could play.

The Mets embraced their past by bringing back Bobby Ojeda, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez to be part of their broadcast team. Mets fans have a unique romantic attachment to its past that few teams enjoy. Heaven knows now would be a great time for the Wilpons to make some sort of gesture that would please fans. Maybe not Wally, but maybe someone like him who has an emotional investment in how well Mets play. Embrace your past again.

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They’re in it to win it again.

With Jeff Wilpon saying yesterday that assessment of the Mets will not be done until some injured players return, the acquisition of Lee tilts the balance further in favor of the Phillies over the Mets. Lee is signed through next season

The Mets have won a surprising four straight and have Santana pitching today. It’s nice to see them play well, but I’m still realing from yesterday.

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Yesterday’s signing of Tim Redding will make even more sense if Mets GM Omar Minaya signs another starter. For a contending team, Redding can be considered no more that a back of the rotation asset.

So what’s next? It appears that the Mets have not improved their offer to Derek Lowe, and the loss of John Smoltz may force the Braves into negotiations for Lowe. Or so hopes Scott Boras as he also represents Oliver Perez.

If reports are accurate that Minaya perfers Perez, the acquisition of Lowe by the Braves would force the Mets to not be outbid for Perez.

Word that the Mets won’t be going any further for a starter, however, would not good news for Met fans. It makes the signing of Redding a cost saving move and the only starter they bring in. This could signal that Jack Madoff caused more problems for the Wilpons than they’d care to admit.

True, the Mets spent their money this off season in their bullpen with the acquisition of Francisco Ronriguez and JJ Putz. But alot of money came off the books, too. Its why an innings eater like Lowe makes so much sense.

The Mets need another starter if they are to contend this season.

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Daniel Murhy had three hits tonight and produced the Mets two runs. Eddie Kunz popped his proverbial cherry a gave up a homerun, but added three grounball outs. Even in a close Mets loss did two who Minya would not trade contribute. The next stop for Kuntz will be to get the last three outs at Shea sometime this week. For Murhpy it will be another day as the number two hitter, but against lefthanders. If he succeeds, it solidifies the line-up and makes Rich Aurillas possible acquisition make more sense for the stretch run. He’s played only 1st and 3rd this season but can probably still provide innings at short. So if Murphy can play everyday in left, the Mets can send down Evans and acquire Aurillia. Chavez can be the number one OF replacement for defense. The wild card on any of this is whether of not Ryan Church can return. Still, non of those could ever be contemplated if the two Mets prospects in Kuntz and Murphy didn’t play like they are ready to be big leaguers.

UPDATE: It appears that Jerry Manuel was influenced by Pedro’s power of persuassion in the Met sixth with two out and a man on first. Grady Little is forever cursed by this that I dont feel Martinez means any harm by. But, no. Manuel did not use a pinch hitter in front of Jose Reyes and hot-hitting Daniel Murphy. As bad as the Mets have been some pinch hitting has been pretty good. Most notably in Argenis Reyes and catchers Ramon Castro and Robinson Cancel. This oppotunity was hot in its potential. Jose Reyes followed and has earned a reputation as a late inning RBI guy. A vetarn manager in Manuel was seduced by a veteran pitcher who wanted to stay in the game as had Grady Little. We saw the results.

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Jon Niese’s promotion to AAA New Orleans is a possible signal he’s being fast-tracked for starts this season for the Mets. Niese is scheduled to start tonight for the Zephyrs.

As the MRI of John Maine’s shoulder revealed a strain in his rotator cuff, its likely he will miss at least a start. The Mets may indeed even DL him. Pedro Martinez continues to be a shaky alternative for scheduled starts. The Mets may have concluded that their best acquisition could be Jon Niese.

Both Martinez (last contract year) and Oliver Perez (free agent) will likely be gone after this season. The discussions that occur between powers that be have probably concluded now that Niese is one of their best options for the rotation and maybe he’s going to be needed this season.

So it looks as if Jon Niese will not and cannot be dealt. Along with Fernando Martinez, Niese represents the future and the badly needed chance for the Mets to get younger. Unless a Raul Ibanez or Randy Winn can be acquired for a secong tier prospect, the Mets will play with this hand and pray that the corner OF tandum of Fernando Tatis, Endy Chavez and Nick Evans (2-4, 2 runs scored last night against a lefty last night) continues to provide as it has.

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