New York Mets 2003 Finish: 66-95, 5th NL East	Select Team Angels Astros Athletics Blue Jays Braves Brewers Cardinals Cubs Devil Rays Diamondbacks Dodgers Expos Giants Indians Mariners Marlins Mets Orioles Padres Phillies Pirates Rangers Red Sox Reds Rockies Royals Tigers Twins White Sox Yankees

Mike Piazza Tom Hauck/Getty Images
Batting Order
SS	Kazuo Matsui Flashy but talented gloveman who hits.
2B	Jose Reyes Will he be Luis Castillo to Matsui's Juan Pierre?
C	Mike Piazza Will ease toward first after breaking Fisk's record.
LF	Cliff Floyd Once again — in for a big year if he stays healthy.
CF	Mike Cameron Beware of those strikeout totals in a new league.
1B	Jason Phillips Versatile, gritty player will find plenty of at-bats.
RF	Karim Garcia An upgrade over Cedeno, he could be a bargain.
3B	Ty Wigginton Led Mets in hits, runs, RBIs, at-bats.
Rotation
LHP	Tom Glavine Opponents hit .288 off him.
LHP	Al Leiter 5.57 ERA before All-Star break, 2.15 after.
RHP	Steve Trachsel Reached career high in wins in 11th season.
RHP	Jae Weong Seo Just 2.2 walks per nine innings.
RHP	Aaron Heilman Untouchable in trade talks, he disappointed as a rookie.
Bullpen
RHP	Braden Looper He's not Benitez, so fans love him already.
RHP	David Weathers One signing the Mets got right.
LHP	John Franco Back for 15th season in New York.
LHP	Mike Stanton 50 games were fewest since 1995.
RHP	Dan Wheeler Lefties hit just .197 off him.
RHP	Grant Roberts Shoulder problems held him back in '03.
Prospects
LHP	Scott Kazmir Mets' next ace has a dominant fastball/slider combo.
3B	David Wright All-around skills and a disciplined approach at the plate.
C	Justin Huber Mets' depth at catcher means this Australian can take his time.

The Mets have slogged through three miserable seasons in a row, weighed down by overpaid players who are past their prime. But instead of cleaning house and rebuilding, the Mets have decided to try to contend again, though not with as high a payroll. This is still a win-now team, but it is also an old team, still lacking in the offensive firepower that is needed for a club to be considered a real contender.

If Tom Glavine learns how to deal with the QuesTec umpiring system and figures out how to handle the Braves, the Mets' rotation will fall in line behind him. Glavine should improve with more experience in those areas, and especially with the markedly improved defense up the middle that he'll enjoy. Al Leiter is a proven winner, and while Steve Trachsel may always be a slow worker, fans didn't mind waiting for him last year when he won a career-high 16 games. Jae Seo was a nice surprise for the Mets last season, winning nine games, and he will be counted on to be a strong presence at the back end of the rotation, where the Mets lack a clear No. 5.

The Mets waited out the free agent market, hoping to snag a closer not tendered a contract by his old team. They think they have found their man in Braden Looper, fresh off a clutch performance in the World Series for the Marlins. Looper lost his closer's job to Ugueth Urbina last season, but the Mets like Looper's power arm and durability; he has worked at least 70 games in each of the past five seasons. Workhorse righthander David Weathers is a dependable setup man for Looper, and the creaky left-handed tandem of John Franco and Mike Stanton is supported by young lefties Jaime Cerda and Pedro Feliciano. Dan Wheeler pitched well in middle relief; Grant Roberts returns; and the hard-throwing Jason Anderson could surface if he finds better control and off-speed stuff to complement his lively fastball.

The Mets are extremely excited about this area of the team, and they have reason to be. Kazuo Matsui has quick feet and a strong arm at short, and if Jose Reyes' athleticism makes for an easy transition from shortstop to second, the Mets will have one of the best double play combinations in all of baseball. Offensively, the team will rise and fall on how Matsui and Reyes put things in motion at the top of the order.

Mike Piazza's pending move to first base will be the most closely watched position switch in years. Piazza is a proud player who does not want to embarrass himself at a new position, and the Mets will not give him extensive time at first base until he is comfortable there. Expect Jason Phillips to get the bulk of the playing time. The issue of moving Piazza to first base has hung over the Mets for years, with the team approaching the subject delicately, taking pains not to offend its franchise player. It will benefit the club for the issue to come to a resolution. At third base, Ty Wigginton is adequate at the plate and in the field, though he has limited range and is not believed to have an exceptionally high ceiling as a hitter. Sadly, he was among the Mets' most effective offensive players for much of the 2003 season.

In the last two seasons, the Mets have overhauled what was the worst outfield in baseball. It's better now, but still far from the best. Cliff Floyd was a dependable left fielder last season when he was healthy, and Mike Cameron solidifies center. Cameron's biggest contribution will come on defense in center, where the Mets finally can forget about Roger Cedeno's nightly adventures at a crucial defensive position. The Mets signed right fielder Karim Garcia, a definite upgrade over Cedeno. The Mets will be thrilled if Garcia hits .280 with 20 homers playing regularly.

Piazza considers himself a catcher, and as long as he does, he will complicate the future of this position for the Mets. Vance Wilson is the best defensive catcher on the team -- he threw out 45 percent of potential base stealers in 2003 -- but Piazza, of course, is among the best hitting catchers of all time. Piazza will probably spend most of the time behind the plate this season, but the transition to first base has begun, and it should ultimately make the Mets better by preserving Piazza's health and getting his bat in the lineup more often.

This has actually been one area of stability for the Mets, with "Super Joe" McEwing and Timo Perez returning for their fifth seasons with the team. McEwing is an energetic sparkplug who does not hit much but is never intimidated and holds his own at several positions. Perez does not reach base enough to be a regular player, but he can get a base hit and is a valuable lefty bat. Veteran Todd Zeile, back for his second tour with the Mets, will back up both at first and third.

Despite an admirable work ethic, former GM Steve Phillips saddled the Mets with too many under-producing, overpaid players, and he paid for it when he was fired last June. His replacement, Jim Duquette, has been more careful with cash, following the directive of owner Fred Wilpon. Duquette shipped out some of the busts for prospects last summer as the interim GM, then got the job for good and acquired more fundamentally sound players over the winter. That can only help the Mets.

The Mets will not seem as stale as they have in recent years, especially if Matsui is the real thing. But he will need to be awfully good to add the kind of pizzazz the Mets have lacked in recent seasons. They still need to hit more, and their pitching staff will win some games but is old, prone to injury and not championship caliber.

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