Pick One Rotation Option From Column A, One From Column B...

Here are some of the options the Mets have for their rotation- we'll save our recommendations for the end:

1.) Aaron Heilman moves to the rotation, Heath Bell gets promoted to the bullpen.
Why We Like It: Heilman wants to be a starter, and his mental state is very important, especially after finally going back to his original Notre Dame motion last year after it seems everyone else messed with his pitching style every way they could. Also, we think that Heath Bell has earned a role with the big league club, and we still don't see why (personality conflict?) he's not in the majors.
Why We Don't Like It: With Heilman in the bullpen, in combination with Wagner, Sanchez & Julio, NO ONE in baseball has as dominant a bullpen as we do. Also, if Wagner is hurt more than he's letting on, there's no way Heilman can be moved.

2.) Bring up Jeremi Gonzalez, Jason Scobie, et al.
Why We Like It: We aren't giving anything up.
Why We Don't Like It: We don't believe either of these guys are the short or long term answer, and we'd merely be throwing warm (lukewarm) bodies at the problem. However, it looks like Gonzalez & Lima will be the 2 temporary answers in the rotation until either Bannister is healthy and/or someone else is traded for.

3.) Trade for Barry Zito.
Why We Like It: It's Zito - even with his above 4 E.R.A., we know he's be dominant in the NL and his personality is such that he'd never be phased by the pressure in the Big Apple.
Why We Don't Like It: Zito is probably not going to want to sign any contract extension before the off-season, and it would take giving up top talent to acquire him, only to possibly see him walk to the Yanks at the end of the season. No way can we allow that!

4.) Trade for Dontrelle Willis.
Why We Like It: It's Dontrelle- nothing not to like!!!
Why We Don't Like It: It's Dontrelle- there's nothing not to like!!! (See earlier column!)

5.) Trade for a bona-fide fifth starter, like Gil Meche, Kyle Lohse or Scott Elarton.
Why We Like It: We'd like it ONLY if no one else were available and it were merely a salary dump for a player or players insignificant to our future.
Why We Don't Like It: If they can't make it with teams like the Mariners or Twins, why do we want to give up anything of any value for them? It's not like the Aaron Sele deal we wanted to see, where it would have potentially been a cash-only deal (and did Sele look good the other day or what??!!).

6.) Promote Alay Soler.
Why We Lik It: He's homegrown, over 25, and may be ready for the majors much sooner rather than later. He's got good, varied stuff, and it certainly won't hurt his overall development.
Why We Don't Like It: Another year of seasoning could make him potentially into a Contreras, rather than a Hernandez, so it may behoove us to wait a bit longer before putting that kind of pressure on someone who has yet to throw a pitch in the majors nor above AA.

7.) Promote Mike Pelfrey.
Why We Like It: It's Pelfrey- like Tim Leary & Paul Wilson before him, we need to have one of our pitching phenoms pan out for once (still waiting, Mr. Humber), and if Pelfrey had the success his potential suggests, he could become the biggest story of the year in the New York baseball season! Plus, we'd always prefer to have home-grown aces then someone else's cast-offs, if at all possible!
Why We Don't Like It: It's Pelfrey, the jewel of our pitching organization, and like Leary before him, if there's even a chance that jumping from AA to the majors could in any way stunt his maturity, let's leave him on the farm a bit longer to get the seasoning he needs.

8.) Trade for Odalis Perez.
Why We Like It: We don't.
Why We Don't Like It: See the previous column- we have one Zambrano already!

9.) Wait for Omar to pull something out of his hat.
Why We Like It: Often the best and most exciting trades are the ones we didn't see coming, and we always believe in the power of our GM!
Why We Don't Like It: Often the most frustrating trades are the ones we didn't see coming, and therefore have no time to grieve for either players lost or opportunities not taken.

Our Recommendations, in order: Trade for Willis, Promote Soler, Move Heilman, Trade for Zito.
What Will Happen - Short-Term: The Mets are going to promote Gonzalez & keep Lima in the rotation for now, hoping Maine and Bannister recover once their DL stays are (soon) finished. Not the answer we hoped for, so we'll see what happens.

What do you think? Let us know.