One things this year's shown us is we have a solid bench...

If there's anything positive that can be drawn from this lost season, it's that we've gotten a very good look at the players who should compromise the bench next year and as long as they're bench players we will have a very strong bench.

What are the Mets missing for starters next year in regards to the position players; a left fielder, first baseman and catcher.

None of the players currently starting no matter how good they look shouldn't be perceived as starters, unless financially they can't afford to fill all three roles. As Jerry Manuel has said, we have to be careful not to reward mediocrity and I'm concerned, as they did with Dan Murphy last year, one of these players maybe rewarded with a starting job next year.

While I'd prefer to see them fill all three roles, if they said all we can afford is one big bat, I could accept that answer but if they try to insult our intelligence (again) by convincing me a role player is ready for a starting job, I think the Mets will be gravely underestimating the ire of the fan base.

Santos, Castillo, Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Francoeur is a solid group of starters, especially if you add at least one big bat. Of course I'd like two offensive players but could live with a competition for 1B between Murphy, Evans and Carter or a competition between Pagan and Sullivan ( & Reed who seems a distant 3rd now) for left field, depending upon what position the player acquired filled.

But the point of this post was the bench and based on what I've seen this season we will have a solid bench next year. The fourth and fifth outfielders are Pagan and Sullivan, the middle infielder Anderson Hernandez, the corner infielder competition between Murphy/Evans/Carter and then a back-up catcher( if Santos is promoted).