Omar Minaya fixed Problem No. 1 at the Winter Meetings in Vegas.

But … other than a vastly improved bullpen, how much different are these Mets, especially now that Derek Lowe has landed in Atlanta? Before we go any further, may I say that four years and $60 million is way, way too much for a 14-11 pitcher. I know, he’s durable and he gives you lots of innings and he keeps the ball on the ground, but geez. Four years for an old guy? I think that contract will turn out to be a disaster on the back end for the Braves.

Anyway, it leaves the Mets with not many options, especially now that Oliver Perez is in position to be pursued by several teams. Any team that had eyes for the top pitchers in the market will now focus on Perez, who still has loads of upside, and is still in his 20s, and is left-handed. That’s three great checkmarks on his side. Of course, the one negative is that he drives you nuts with his inconsistency.

Other than the ‘pen, the Mets, as they stand right now, go into Bailout Ballpark with pretty much the same lineup.

So, once again, we bring up the name of the man pictured above, Mr. Manny. Do they dare? Do you want him?

What say you?

8 a.m., Sam says:

No, no, no. A thousand times, no. Not for Manny. Unless …

Two years. That’s it. That’s the max I’d go for Manny. But that’s not happening. Even though this has supposedly been the winter of cheapness in baseball, it seems like some guys are still getting their money (CC, Burnett and Lowe, just to name a few) so I’ll wait to see that “watered-down” contract for Manny before I believe it. I still think he’s getting big bucks somewhere.

As for the Mets, I think they’re in trouble. Did they help their bullpen? Yup. But show me the good hitter in the lineup you can count on that will bat below the No. 5 hole. And show me the starter, other than Johan Santana, that you know is a sure thing for 10-plus wins. John Maine off surgery? Not so much. That’s why I think they miscalculated with Lowe – if nothing else, you look at his numbers and you know he’s always been consistent.

Perez hasn’t. And now they’re going to have to pay for him or, alternatively, go for cheaper and also less-reliable options. Jon Garland. Randy Wolf. These are the guys still looking for jobs, and maybe the Mets end up with one. They already got Tim Redding on a one-year deal.

I’m not sure there’s a free agent signing out there that the Mets can make right now that would make me feel like they significantly upgraded their rotation. It may have to be via a trade. And without that, I see the Mets right now as a giant question mark.

What about you, Carp? You want Manny?

CARP SAYS:

No, I wouldn’t want him. But I don’t think that means the Mets won’t get him.

I believe it’s possible that the Mets get into a position where they can’t get one of these pitchers—and now it’s down to Perez, who’s not an upgrade because he was here last year—and if Perez goes elsewhere, then they have some spending coin left.

And you know Omar Minaya likes Manny, and you know he feels the need to make a splash—wrong-headed as that may be—because of what the Yankees have done and because of the opening of Bailout Ballpark.

Let’s face it, baggage be damned, Manny makes their lineup look awfully legit.

I agree with you, he won’t come cheaply, because if the dollars or years aren’t right, then I don’t see him leaving L.A.

CARP SAYS:

Just came across something Mets fans might want to see, but to those loyal Shea lifers this might be a bit too graphic, so be prepared.

It’s a site called Stadiumpage.com and it has photos of Shea being destroyed. Actually it’s kind of surprising we haven’t seen more photos of the old blue dump being torn down in the newspapers and elsewhere. Be warned.

1: 26 p.m., Sam says:

Great photos—nice find, Carp.

Truthfully, I’m not sure how much of an “upgrade” Manny is for the Mets. With all the distractions in NY, I have trouble imagining him staying focused for very long, plus you know that even Zen guru Jerry Manuel would get fed up with his antics pretty quick. With young guys like Jose Reyes still impressionable, is that the kind of veteran you want around?

If I were the Mets, I’d go for Garland. He’s like a mini-Lowe, a sinkerballer who is probably good for 10 wins minimum but – given the right circumstances and luck – could get up near 15-18. For reasonable money, he’s a decent value.