According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, industry sources believe the Rockies will be “aggressive in their pursuit of David Wright.” He adds that Colorado General Manager Dan O’ Dowd is targeting an innings-eating starter and impact bat this offseason.

I believe the Mets won’t aggressively look to deal Wright, but will be open to hearing what teams are willing to offer. Wright is the kind of player that will require a club to pay a premium price if they are to acquire him. One wrinkle in any deal is that $16 million dollar team option for 2013 in his contract will be void if he is traded. That means any team that acquires him could possibly lose him to free-agency after next season. Wright seems to be a reasonable individual that probably would consider an extension with any team he would potentially be dealt to. I would believe that may have to be part of any deal if the Mets are going to receive any kind of decent return.

Colorado has to look at Arizona and see how the NL West is the kind of division where you can have the best chance of going worst to first. Kirk Gibson‘s crew lost 97 games in 2010, and is now nine innings away from the NLCS. That could be the Rockies in 2012 with the right moves this offseason.

That brings me to trading Wright. If the Mets do not re-sign Jose Reyes - and I put the odds at  a Reyes return at 50/50 at best- then I believe the possibility of a David Wright deal increases exponentially. My preferred plan is to continue to rebuild the Mets with Wright and Reyes at the core. Without Reyes, I believe the Mets contention clock goes from 2013 to 2014, and it would behoove the club to move Wright’s salary for a bundle of prospects. Colorado actually matches up well in this regard.

There are three players I would target from the Rockies if I were Sandy Alderson: centerfielder Dexter Fowler, catcher Wilin Rosario, and one of their top pitching prospects from the group LHP Tyler Matzek, RHP Chad Bettis, and LHP Drew Pomeranz.

The Mets can move Daniel Murphy to third base. Fowler will replace Angel Pagan in centerfield and Jose Reyes in the leadoff spot. He strikes out a lot, but is the type of OBP guy with speed that fits in with the Mets offense. Rosario is the centerpiece of the deal as he is a catcher that can hit with power and plays strong defense. He had a brief cup of coffee in the big leagues (3 HRs, .204 BA) this past year, but in Double-A Tulsa he hit .249 with 21 homers and threw out 38% of base runners. As far as which pitcher makes the most sense, it would depend on upside. Pomeranz is already big-league ready, but which arm would O’Dowd be most willing to deal. If I were the Mets I go for top of the rotation upside regardless of how close they are to the big leagues. Alderson could package his innings eater, Mike Pelfrey in the deal as well. This trade would solve the Rockies two biggest issues offseason issues and put them in a position to contend in the NL West in 2012.

For his career, Wright is hitting .364 with 8 homers and 29 RBI in 29 games at Coors Field. What a better place to rejuvenate his offensive game after 3 years in the Citi Field death valley. I can’t see why Wright would not consider a long-term extension in Rocky Mountains. Pelfrey isn’t a top of the rotation arm, but he will give them 200 innings and perhaps a change of scenery will result in the first-half 2010 version showing itself more on the mound.

Will it be painful to trade David Wright? Yes, he’s meant so much to the franchise since his debut in 2004. If the return is similar to what I mentioned above, then it will speed up the rebuilding process and lesson the blow of losing Jose Reyes. It’s something that has to be considered if Reyes walks this offseason.

***

As you know by now the Mets made some changes to their coaching staff by releasing first base coach Mookie Wilson, bench coach Ken Oberkfell, bullpen coach John Debus, and third base coach Chip Hale. Both Dave Hudgens and Dan Warthen will remain on Terry Collins staff, with Tim Teufel joining them at third base and Buffalo pitching coach Ricky Bones in the bullpen. There is also speculation that Wally Backman will be promoted to Triple-A Buffalo to take Teufel’s place, and either Larry Bowa or Jim Riggleman will become Collins bench coach.

I think Backman should remain in the minors and help with player development. He is far more valuable in that position than as a bench coach. The next big league job Backman should have is as a manager. I like the idea of Larry Bowa’s energy on the bench. There will be no-nonsense on this club with someone like him in the fold. It would also allow him to be more the heavy, something that Collins isn’t afraid to do, but his prior reputation has him hold back, in my opinion.

The one move I was disappointed in was the return of Dan Warthen as the pitching coach. The organization clearly has a vertical philosophy top to bottom offensively. Dave Hudgens is a coach that preaches plate discipline and working the count. You saw a lot of that throughout the various layers of the organization. To date, I don’t understand Dan Warthen’s philosophy when it comes to pitching. I do know he destroyed the careers of John Maine and Oliver Perez. I do know that none of the young pitchers have developed well under his tutelage. Collins supported Warthen’s process yesterday and felt it was more execution that was the root of the problem. I believe Warthen’s process is leading to poor execution. I will trust Collins take on this, but I find it interesting that Bones was selected for the bullpen. It makes me think he will be someone that can work more with the young pitchers, while Warthen continues to work with veterans like Pelfrey and R.A. Dickey. Maybe it will be a good balance for the staff.

***

I see Mets fans were all up in arms over the team’s decision to do dynamic pricing for their seats. Stub Hub has tickets for some night as low as $1, so it appears the Mets will try to compete with the secondary market. Considering the prices won’t drop below what season ticket holders pay I don’t know if it will help. Good luck, but I can’t complain about them trying something different. I really don’t know what the outrage over all his is about.

Full Season Ticket Holders will get the best deal as 80% of seats will have a reduction of approximately 5% or greater. There’s also a bunch of perks for season ticket holders, and even a “select your seat” event at Citi Field from November 17-19 to upgrade.

The key date is November 7th, which is the deadline to upgrade. Considering there won’t be many moves to improve the roster prior to that, most fans will have to purchase based on faith in the organization.

If you are purchasing a plan with the hopes that David Wright and Jose Reyes will be in a Mets uniform come Opening Day, then I think there is a large percentage chance you will be disappointed. If you are purchasing tickets with the knowledge the team is heading in the right direction in building a sustainable winning product, then there is a large chance your money will be well spent. A night at Citi Field can still be fun when the Mets lose. It’s a far more affordable and kid-friendly place than the cathedral in the Bronx.

You might still experience a 77 win club in 2012, but you will see more young players incorporated into the roster. You would hope the Mets would reward the loyalty of long-time season ticket holders who stuck with the team during these types of “lean years” when this thing gets turned around.

I wouldn’t blame you for saving your hard earned money and watching the team on TV until things turn around. There is always affordable family entertainment for you at a Long Island Ducks, Rockland Boulders, or Somerset Patriots game. I just don’t think you should be outraged or angry over the Mets changing their strategy and asking for a commitment upfront. Their uncertain near-future makes this type of strategy one that is necessary. If you don’t like it, do what every consumer has the right to do – reject the offer.

Remember one thing. The reason the Phillies have become a super-power team is because of the support their fans show at the gate. In 2007, a season where the Mets sold over 4 million tickets, there were hardly any fans at the stadium down the stretch. The empty seats may have been sold, but the fact they were empty doesn’t help the team’s revenue stream.

The Wilpons financial antics probably make you queasy about investing in the team. I understand that, but don’t expect anything close to a Phillies-type payroll unless you start to support the team. That starts at the gate.

Considering me doubtful this team will get the support it needs even if there is a winning roster on the field. The Mets fans disappointed me in 2007 with their support and behavior at the ballgame. I suspect that may be something that we see more of going forward. If that is the case, I wonder how much this fan base deserves a winning team; or will ever see one.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

Mike Silva

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Tags: Chip Hale, Colorado Rockies, Dan Warthen, Dave Hudgens, David Wright, Jim Riggleman, John Debus, Ken Oberkfell, Larry Bowa, Mets Dynamic Ticket Pricing, Mookie Wilson, New York Mets, Ricky Bones, Terry Collins, Tim Teufel, Wally Backman