Although it’s still Spring Training, the Mets have found themselves in a bind.  Moises Alou, Ryan Church, and Endy Chavez are all injured.  While Chavez isn’t seriously injured, Alou will most likely missed the beginning of the season, and Church’s timestable isn’t certain.  Concussions tend to heal differently based on the person.  While Omar Minaya has said the the injuries aren’t a problem, the roster and thin outfield paint a different picture. 

With offseason trades the Mets no longer have the option of sending a Lastings Milledge or Carlos Gomez out until the starter has returned.  Sure Marlon Anderson and Damon Easley can fill in for a brief time, but a Mets fan can’t feel real confident seeing them out there day in and day out and expecting big numbers.  Oh, there’s Brady Clark, but how much can you count on him?

It’s time of Omar to look elsewhere, and I don’t mean Sammy Sosa or Barry Bonds.

There are outfielders available on the trade front.  Rumors circulated a Jorge Sosa for Marcus Thames trade.  That might not be a bad option, but it will weaken the bullpen, which has it’s own questions.  The Cubs have said Matt Murton is available.  Murton is a guy I’ve always liked, who never was given enough playing time. 

When discussing a trade it brings up the question do the Mets have the chips to make a deal.  The Johan Santana trade really depleted the farm system, so any remaining chips might be better suited to be used near the trading deadline as opposed to Spring Training.

The free agent market is the way to go. 

Corey Patterson would be a perfect fit on the Mets.  He would add speed to an already fast lineup, and plays strong defense.  Wait…  He signed with the Reds earlier this week.  Scratch him…

That brings me to Kenny Lofton.  At 40 years old, Lofton comes with an extensive resume.  He’s been on  11 different teams and has played in 20 post season series.  Given his age, Lofton isn’t a guy who can play every day, but he can still hit (he batted .296 last year), is an ideal pinch runner.  While the Mets have veterans, they don’t have many veterans with post-season experience.  Lofton is a guy who can help some of the younger players with the long season.  It’s a win/win situation. 

Hey Omar, are you reading this???  Kenny’s waiting for your call.