On Friday, Rotoworld’s Matthew Pouliot took an early crack at projecting the 2008 rosters in the National League. Intriguingly, when breaking down the Mets, Pouliot brings up a name that the average baseball fan has never heard of – that of 30-year-old Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. His friends call him “Dome”. No lie. Via Rotoworld:

Lastings Milledge is ready to start, but the Mets may decide to sign another veteran, as they know they’ll be lucky to get 110-120 games from Alou, Kosuke Fukudome is the best right-field option out there, and if the Mets have a chance to land him on a three-year deal, they shouldn’t hesitate.

Fukudome is an unrestricted free agent, and thus would not need to go through the infamous posting system. According to info on the ArmchairGM, the Red Sox, Rangers, Mariners, and Giants are all rumored to be interested in “Dome”, who could command a five year deal worth as much as $10-12 million annually.

Among Pouliot’s other predictions: Omar could take a gamble on Bartolo Colon, Baltimore backstop Ramon Hernandez could replace Paul Lo Duca behind the plate via trade, and the Phillies could make a run at free agent third baseman Mike Lowell – Boy, for the Mets’ sake, I hope not.

Pouliot’s projected lineup for 2008:

SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Moises Alou
RF Kosuke Fukudome
C Ramon Hernandez