How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Trade Lastings Milledge

The way I see it, the Mets acquiring Zito is a calculated risk that they can win a World Series with him and resign him after 2006.

I've explained in great detail that should the Mets trade & sign Zito, the cost of getting him for the 2006 playoffs is the difference between Milledge and our 2007 #1 draft pick.

Obviously, with our without Zito in 2007 and beyond, losing Milledge hurts. Because he's good, we envision him being in our OF for years to come, etc.

Aside from Zito/#3 starter, another glaring weakness in my mind is our production vs lefties. We need a RF or 2B who hits lefties well, because we're not going to pull Floyd and Delgado vs a lefty in the playoffs.

We'll also need a corner OF for next season, with Milledge in Oakland and Floyd a free agent (personally, I resign Cliff on the cheap to save that #1 draft pick).

What about Eric Byrnes from Arizona?

Hits well vs lefties, plays great defense, apparently hits well at Shea.

What would he cost us? He's on a one-year contract and the D'Backs have DeVanon and Green as OFs with Gonzalez in LF and Quinten recalled.

Brian Bannister for Byrnes?

Either keep Nady to DH vs a lefty on the road in the World Series (Detroit has a pair of lefties), or trade him and Soler to Pittsburgh for Roberto Hernandez.

Then in the offseason, you resign both Byrnes and Floyd, keep the #1 pick, go all out for Zito. If you sign Zito, you have most your team returning (save Trachsel, Zambrano, Matsui; which means you have some money to revamp the bench without losing a draft pick and piece together some good role players)

Your young core on offense is still Wright-Reyes-Beltran with Byrnes in between the Floyd-Delgado-LoDuca age group.

Your rotation is: Pedro-Zito-Glavine-Pelfrey-Maine

If you lose Zito to someone, you can use ONE of the draft picks to sign a starter (Meche?) and get two more to replenish with.

And you've got a good shot at winning the World Series in 2006 and beyond.