A Trade 18 Years in the Making?

Hey everyone, A Friend of Mr. Glass' here. Real busy this morning so I'm gonna have to keep this brief; there's a chance I'll put up some post-game thoughts following my gamecasting experience this afternoon, but that remains to be seen.

In any event, I've been thinking a lot about this whole Milledge-for-Zito idea, and the more I think about it, the more I like it.

Now I'm sure there are some of you out there who are saying, "Well, yeah, it's an easy idea to like when your team is allowing 8 runs a game."

I won't claim that the last three days haven't had any impact on my thinking.

I won't claim that watching the Cubs beat up on Mets pitching, beat up our Nos. 2 and 3 starters no less, the last two days hasn't been really disconcerting, particularly in light of the fact that the Cubs have scored fewer runs than any team in Major League Baseball (their 409 runs are 30 fewer the team with second-least runs scored, the Tampa Bay Scott Kazmirs).

But for me, a Lastings Milledge/Barry Zito swap isn't about the last 3 days, it's about the last 18 years. See, since 1986 we've been the best team in the National League exactly once: 1988.

Yes, we won the pennant in 2000 and we might have had an even better team a year before, but both years we were Wild Card winners. If you're not the best team in your division, you're not the best team in the league, no matter what happens in the playoffs. Fair or unfair, that's the way I look at it.

But this year is different. Forget about the last three games -- I legitimately think the Mets are the best team in the National League, but I don't think they're a lock for the World Series as currently comprised.

I agree up and down with what Sip said about Zito on Monday, particularly with prefering a power pitcher in October to a finesse guy. But we all know pitchers benefit from switching to the National League, and there's no reason Zito wouldn't do the same.

If we get Zito, I don't see how we don't make the World Series unless the stars align against us and every hop goes the other team's way.

It's a unique opportunity we have this year with the National League as weak as it is. Hell, the NL East could be a powerhouse in two or three years, with Florida coming on strong, Philadelphia poised to acquire some series prospects, and Atlanta being Atlanta.

Now look, it's easy to look at that last paragraph and conclude we can't trade Milledge now given how strong the other teams are coming on. I'll concede the point, but I think there's something to be said for the higher availability of corner outfielders than centerfielders.

Look at the numbers Beltran's putting up this year -- we're set in center. Carlos Lee, Alfonos Soriano, and Gary Sheffield all figure to be available (not to mention Cliff Floyd in case we still want him); if we want to, we can cover our tracks in left or right and do so with talent that might be better than Milledge ever will be.

I don't want to sound down on Milledge. If we hang on to him and he mans left or right at Shea for the next decade, Minaya might look like a genius someday (possibly someday soon).

But for my money, Minaya looks like a genius if he wins a World Series at any point in his tenure. This year might be the best chance we see for years to come. Don't forget that if we send Milledge packing.

I want to be clear that I'm not one of those need-to-win-now type of New York fans. I don't need to win every year. I'm all for the rebuilding process when it's necessary. But if Omar trades Milledge and goes for it, I think Mets fans should understand that we have a special opportunity this year, the kind that doesn't come around all that often.

You hate to lose a guy who could be great someday, a guy who could be for us in a year or two what David Wright and Jose Reyes are today. But if Barry Zito's the guy who helps Wright and Reyes win their first championship, I think that's a price well paid.

- A.F.O.M.G.