As long as Luis Castillo is in town, Orlando Hudson will not be. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

In the world of the Hot Stove, there are going to be those that are calling for the Mets to pick up every top player available, but we all know that is not going to happen. There are several myths going around the internet as to moves the Mets might be considering, and I felt like it was time to bring a little bit of reality into the picture. Now, I am not intending to crush people’s hopes and dreams, but we need to have a realistic approach on this off season.

First of all, I would be shocked to see John Lackey wearing the orange and blue next season. He hasn’t been private in terms of his desire to play for a team that has a favorable weather situation. He really wants to go to his home town Rangers, but he probably is going to be best fit for a West Coast team. The Dodgers could make a strong push to sign him, and I wouldn’t rule out a return to the Angels. Texas claims to not have the money, but let’s see what happens when push really comes to shove.

Another guy who is not going to be playing in Queens in the fall is Orlando Hudson. Whether you like it or not, Luis Castillo is under contract and the Mets will not be able to find any takers for him. Despite the fact that he had his best season as a Met, the money is a real deal breaker for trading partners, and the Mets would have to take a problematic contract back in return, which would defeat the purpose entirely. Luis Castillo is the Mets’ second baseman in 2010, so let’s deal with it.

A third pipe dream that has many people salivating is the thought of San Diego Padres’ first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. I mean, I love the heck out of this guy. He is a dynamic hitter who plays a solid first base, but what would the cost be? And do the Mets even have the pieces to get the deal done? I think they do, and that is solely because of the recent emergence of Ike Davis. He is tearing the cover off of the ball in the Winter League, and it looks like he has a chance to be a good player. But would you give up Davis, along with two or three other top flight prospects for A-Gon? I am not sure I would. The solution at first may be Ike Davis, but we probably would have to wait another year.

We need to calm down and be patient with the market. I know the Mets are going to make a move. If they don’t, us fans are going to be coming for their heads, and that is the last thing that they want when they are trying to get us all back on their sides. They just watched what a team across town can do when they address their problems, and it is time to take the same approach.

Tags: Mets, MLB

Categories: Adrian Gonzalez , MLB , Mets , Michael Ganci , Orlando Hudson