Apparently the wisdom of Omar Minaya is beyond us mere mortals. After aquiring Johnny Estrada on November the 20th, the Mets had all but solved their pre-season concerns behind the plate. Ramon Castro, a slugging catcher with more offensive skills then defensive, was resigned and ready to play a significant number of games in 2008. Estrada was the yin to Castro’s yang, only the problem was and remains today, that Estrada was not a significant upgrade from Paul Lo Duca. In other words, the Mets had acquired and retained 2 mid to lower level catchers to help platoon a weak bullpen and an uncertain starting rotation.

Behind the plate is now a crowded bunch of players however. In the deal, the Nationals moved Brian Schneider to the Mets, who instantly upgraded the overall talent of the catcher position. Signing Castro will almost certainly ensure his platoon role to split time with Schneider, making for one too many cooks in the kitchen. Estrada, now 31 years old, becomes instantly expendable. Using him as trade bait, Estrada could be a key piece in dealing with the Orioles, the A’s, and any other team who has pitching talent.

Ryan Church, a young and developing outfielder who also was a part of the deal, will almost certainly be a starter in right field. This young player has seen good development during his time in Washington, and at age 29, will be under some pressure to produce offensively. With an average throwing arm, moderate speed, and an uncanny nack for going under-appreciated, Church will allow the Mets more flexibility when creating their line up card. By letting Church start the majority of games, the Mets will be able to utilize Endy Chavez as their 4th outfielder, which should lead Moises Alou to more rest, and a better chance at an injury free season. It will also allow Carlos Gomez more time to develop his plate discipline, should he remain with the team.

Moving Gomez becomes the ideal choice now while searching for help at the front end of the rotation. With Johana Santana all but securing a long term deal with an AL East team, the market for a big game pitcher shrinks substantially. The two remaining candidates to help the Mets would certainly be Dan Haren and Erik Bedard. With a history of making the most out of every dollar, Billy Beane, the GM for the Oakland A’s, may have a difficult time wrapping his head around the value of Carlos Gomez. While everyone in baseball knows Gomez has incredible speed, the A’s use a targeted approach to fill the gaps on their team, and have historically valued base runners over stolen bases. Specifically, Oakland looks for players with high on base percentage statistics, and a demeanor of reckless focus on achieving nothing but full time status in the big show. Therefore, it could be logically assumed that Oakland will have limited desire to obtain Gomez, the Mets major bargaining chip, in exchange for Dan Haren and or Joe Blanton. The real value the Mets have created rests with the now available Johnny Estrada. Oakland’s current depth chart places the rookie Kurt Suzuki behind the plate. Allowing Estrada to orchestrate the catchers, and assist their young pitching staff, may be just what the doctor ordered in Oak-town.

Bedard, a left handed innings eater with Baltimore, may be the better option to secure front of the rotation pitching. Losing Tom Glavine hurts for only one reason, the innings and number of quality starts he produced. Tom Glavine was, is, and ever will be an Atlanta Brave. I for one do not ever want to see a lifetime Braves player in a Mets uniform. I feel that the rivalry is cut too deep to entertain the notion of the two NL East power-houses as trade partners. We are at war with Atlanta people! Time to rise up and revolt! No more Braves in NYM uniforms! Bedard however, may be a great fit for the Mets. Having a left handed pitcher who can average 185 innings a season, would give the Mets more opportunities to rest their bullpen, and win some games.

Moving Milledge for Schneider and Church may raise some eye-brows upon first glance, but under more careful scrutiny, the logic becomes apparent. After all, upgrading at catcher, and solidifying the outfield should have multiple benefits. The real genius however is not who we got, but who we have available. Acquiring pitching help is essential to the Mets success, and what team isn’t looking for more of that.