NEW YORK METS

2005 finish: 83-79, tied for 3^rd place in NL East

Manager: Willie Randolph (2^nd season)

Incoming: 1B Carlos Delgado, LHP Billy Wagner, C Paul LoDuca, 1B/OF Xavier Nady, RHP Duaner Sanchez, IF Jose Valentin, RHP Chad Bradford, RHP Yusaku Iriki, LHP Darren Oliver, OF Tike Redman, OF Endy Chavez, RHP Jose Lima

Long gone: C Mike Piazza, OF Mike Cameron, RHP Braden Looper, RHP Roberto Hernandez, RHP Jae Seo, 1B/C Mike Jacobs, IF/OF Marlon Anderson, 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, IF Miguel Cairo, RHP Danny Graves, RHP Yusmiero Petit, IF Jose Offerman, OF Gerald Williams, C Mike DeFelice, LHP Felix Heredia

Rotation: RHP Pedro Martinez, LHP Tom Glavine, RHP Steve Trachsel, RHP Aaron Heilman, RHP Victor Zambrano, RHP Jose Lima, RHP Brian Bannister

Relievers: Closer: LHP Billy Wagner; Setup men: RHP Duaner Sanchez, RHP Jorge Julio, RHP Chad Bradford, RHP Heath Bell, LHP Royce Ring, LHP Pedro Feliciano, LHP Darren Oliver, RHP Yusaku Iriki, RHP Juan Padilla (DL)

Regulars: SS Jose Reyes, CF Carlos Beltran, 1B Carlos Delgado, 3B David Wright, LF Cliff Floyd, RF Xavier Nady, C Paul LoDuca, 2B Anderson Hernandez

Role players: C Ramon Castro, 1B Julio Franco, IF Chris Woodward, IF Jose Valentin, OF Victor Diaz,  OF Endy Chavez, 2B Kaz Matsui (DL)

The pressure is on: Billy Wagner has a big contract and a bad middle finger on his throwing hand. The Mets don’t have enough behind him in the bullpen, so he has to have an All-Star year for them to reach the playoffs.

Breakout candidate: Aaron Heilman gets his wish and moves into the rotation after an excellent year as a setup man.

Rundown: Willie Randolph laid a nice foundation in his rookie season, which also saw breakouts from Jose Reyes and David Wright. Now it’s time to take the next step and get back to the playoffs, and GM Omar Minaya has made enough moves for that to happen. Pinpointing the team’s biggest needs, he opened the checkbook for closer Billy Wagner, and got in on the Marlins’ fire sale by acquiring Carlos Delgado and Paul LoDuca for highly regarded prospects Mike Jacobs and Yusmeiro Petit. Wagner – health permitting -- will be a marked upgrade over Braden Looper, who lost seven games and blew eight saves. Delgado was their off-season target last winter, and now fits perfectly between Carlos Beltran, who will be better in his second season in New York, and emerging superstar Wright. Yes, LoDuca has a tendency to wear down in the second half, but that problem should be corrected, as Raul Chavez is expected to catch up to 30 percent of the games. The duo likely will match Mike Piazza’s declining offensive production, and you can be absolutely certain that Mets opponents won’t be stealing nearly as many bases as last year (82 of 95 when Piazza was behind the plate). Setup man Duaner Sanchez was acquired from the Dodgers along with reliever Steve Schmoll for Jae Seo, and unhappy Mike Cameron was sent to San Diego for Xavier Nady in a move that cleared some payroll. If Minaya is to be questioned, it is on the Kris Benson deal. After trading Seo, the loss of Benson leaves no margin for error in the rotation, which will include Pedro Martinez, 40-year-old Tom Glavine, converted setup man Aaron Heilman, Steve Trachsel, who pitched only 37 innings last season, and inconsistent Victor Zambrano. If Martinez’s aching big toe poses a problem – and he is expected to miss Opening Day -- there is no solid fallback candidate. At least last season, they had Seo pitching in the minors until they finally gave up on Kaz Ishii. And you never really know what you’re going to get from Jorge Julio, who came from Baltimore along with minor-leaguer John Maine in the Benson deal. In fact, the setup crew for Wagner hardly is overwhelming, as they are hoping that somebody emerges from a group including Sanchez, Japanese League veteran Yusaku Iriki, Julio and Chad Bradford. They also are looking for another left-hander. There shouldn’t be much concern about offense, as the Mets figure to be in the league’s upper half in runs scored despite playing half the time in pitcher-friendly Shea Stadium. Few lineups in the game figure to be any stronger one-through-five. There is speed with Reyes and Beltran, and power and run production from Beltran, Delgado, Wright and Floyd. It’s no secret that Kaz Matsui’s status was up in the air even before a spring injury landed him on the DL. But even with rookie Anderson Hernandez as Reyes’ double-play partner, this is the best Mets team since their 2000 World Series appearance. The weakening of the NL East -- where the Marlins will fall off the map, and the Nationals and Phils figure to drop back by a handful of games -- will benefit the Braves and Mets, and both will win 90 or so games and get to the playoffs.

Predicted finish: 2^nd place, 90-72

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