On the New York Daily News' website they had a poll asking whose fault it was that Mets' season has spiraled out of control. They gave you four options:

• The Wilpons have steered the team into the iceberg.
  
• Omar Minaya's personnel moves have been dreadful.
• Jerry Manuel's in-game decisions make him seem clueless.
• The players that haven't been able to win.

So they are telling us we can only pick one?

The biggest problem for the Mets is that it isn't one thing. There is no quick fix for the Mets. They need a complete overhaul.

First off, the Wilpon's are in no position to be running a major league ball team. Their finical and legal problems are holding the team back from completing deals that they need to do. It's hard to judge whether it's Minaya's fault, or the front office. He can't make a deal without first getting the approval by the owners. So who knows what happens behind closed doors. I don't think the Wilpon's will sell the team, but they could hand ownership responsibilities to a different person until they are able to collect themselves.

Minaya gets the brunt of the ridicule because he is the one who assembled this team. Like any GM, he has made some bad moves. Difference is in New York they are under the microscope more and usually for a lot more money than other teams, i.e. Oliver Perez. I'm actually not even that mad at Minaya. He did make some good moves in the offseason. R.A. Dickey, Hisanori Takahashi, Rod Barajas, and he still deserves credit for trading for Johan Santana and Angel Pagan back in 2008. Though he is not the teams biggest problem, I think it's just time to move in a different direction and let him go at the end of the year.

The Mets have a ton of talent on this team, but they can't take what is on paper to on the field. To me, that shows that the problem is with the coaching staff. I'm not one for blaming managers for the teams problems, but in this case I will. There has to be something that Manuel is doing wrong. Of course none of us know because we are not there in the Mets clubhouse playing with them, but you get the feeling something isn't right. Manuel, as well as Howard Johnson, need to be gone in 2011. The only coach I would keep is Dan Warthen because the Mets pitching has been outstanding this year.

Now onto the guys who actually make it happen on the field. It's been painful to watch the Mets offense go up to the plate and back to the dugout like clockwork. We've been watching games that are routinely 1-0 in the seventh inning, with no sign of life in the batting order. You can do whatever you want with the front office and coaching staff, but when it comes down to it the players need to perform, and they aren't doing that. It may just be time for a complete overhaul of this team, keeping only the cornerstones of the franchise.

So what to do in 2011? Well first off if the ownership wants to show anything to the fans of this team, they need to fire Minaya, Manuel, and all other coaches not named Dan Warthen. The replacement manager comes down to the three people; Joe Torre, Bobby Valentine, and Wally Backman. I'm a big fan of Backman, but the other two have much more experience than him, which would be important for this team. However, Torre will always be a Yankee to me, and I feel like Bobby V had his time here and they shouldn't go back to him. So I would go with Backman as the Mets manager in 2011.

Next comes down to the players. Big contracts like Carlos Beltran, Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo, and Francisco Rodriguez will try to be moved in the offseason. Beltran will have the most value, but like Perez and Castillo, if they were to move him they would have to eat a large portion of his salary.

He's due to make $18.5M next season and though it looks like he is starting to get back into his old form, many teams would not want to take that risk. They would probably have to eat $10M or even $15M of the last year on his contract to get back anything good in return.

Perez is interesting because on sure someone out there would be interested in a young left hander. But the problem is that he is really bad. If the Mets could eat $11M of the $12M remaining on the final year of his contract, like the Angels did with Gary Matthews Jr., then they would probably be able to find a suitor for him.

I think Castillo is a lost cause and not a lot of teams will want him. I say just eat the $6M remaining on his contract and release him.

The Mets will try to void Rodriguez's contract, but that doesn't look like it will happen. If they fight it hard enough I do think they'll be able to get something though. It looks like the won't have to pay the remaining $3M they owe him this season, but I find it unlikely they will be able to get out of the $11.5M they owe him in 2011 and the $3.5M buyout in 2012.

The Mets do have a lot of money coming off the book after the 2011 season. In just those four players (assuming they buyout Rodriguez's contract), they would have $44.5M in freed payroll. That leaves the Mets in a good position to go after Grady Sizemore, Mark Buehrle, and Jonathan Broxton. But now we're getting ahead of ourselves. The 2012 season is far away.

After the disappointments of the last four seasons, it's time to change the face of this team. Players that I would part with would be Beltran, Perez, Castillo, John Maine,and Jeff Francoeur. I also wouldn't resign Pedro Feliciano, Rod Barajas, Henry Blanco, and Fernando Tatis. I don't know if the list would stop there, but there are only a few players I wouldn't move. That list would be David Wright, Johan Santana, Jose Reyes, Ike Davis, Angel Pagan, Mike Pelfrey and Jon Niese.

The team in 2011 would be much younger, with more of an eye on the future. As far as free agents I would go hard after Cliff Lee and Orlando Hudson, but that would be it.

So in a my world this would be the line-up and rotation for the 2011 season:

Jose Reyes (SS) – Angel Pagan (CF) – David Wright (3B) – Ike Davis (1B) – Jason Bay (LF) – Orlando Hudson (2B) – Fernando Martinez (RF) – Josh Thole (C)

Johan Santana (LHP) – Cliff Lee (LHP) – Mike Pelfrey (RHP) – Jon Niese (LHP) – R.A. Dickey (RHP)

But what am I talking about 2011 for, the Mets still have a shot in 2010… right?

For those that didn't hear about Rob Dibble's comments during a Washington Nationals game, here is a transcript, courtesy of Dan Steinberg.

"Those ladies right behind there, they haven't stopped talking the whole game," Rob Dibble said in the sixth inning of Wednesday night's Nats broadcast. "They have some conversation going on. Right here," he said, circling the offenders. "There must be a sale tomorrow going on here or something…. Their husbands are going man, don't bring your wife next time."

"All right Bob, now they're back there, they're eating ice cream and talking at the same time," Dibble noted in the top of the eighth. 

"I just got an e-mail that said there's a lot of women who come to the games — while their husbands are the ones at home — because they love this game," play-by-play man Bob Carpenter noted, briefly touching base with the 21st century. "Tread carefully, Mr. Dibble."

"My wife loves to come to the game, but they're right there, still talking," Dibble countered.

"Well, better there than the two seats behind you on an airplane on a five-hour flight," Carpenter said.

"Yeah, that's true," Dibble agreed.

Then Carpenter started talking about baseball. And then Dibble started talking about something else.

"I was just thinking, those women, there's a new series Real Housewives of D.C. that just came out, he said. "Maybe they're filming an episode?"

Welcome to reality Rob Dibble. Seriously, that was terrible broadcasting, and I commend Bob Carpenter for trying to change the subject. I know quite a few people who would LOVE to be behind Dibble on the plane ride. Women can't be at a baseball game because they like the sport? Honestly, I expect disciplinary action. I remember Keith Hernandez made a comment about a woman in a dugout, but this was an attack on women fans. There was an outrage today over these comments because they are completely sexist and shouldn't be allowed… at all. At the very least, Dibble should be suspended without pay. They have to be taping an episode of Real Housewives of D.C. to be at a game? Put someone with more class on the air, seriously. Dibble, you should be gone, and I can guarantee people will be listening to you just to see if you rattle off more trash that women shouldn't be at games. If guys are there, are they automatically talking baseball Rob? No. You had no right to take these women and make jokes about them. How do you know they weren't talking baseball? You are a disgrace Rob, you seriously are.

It's almost a week later, and everyone is still talking about Fred Wilpon giving Omar Minaya a vote of confidence. I think everyone is overreacting to the news. 

Wilpon was giving a Press Conference to announce the new partnership of UCONN and SNY. The last thing he was expecting was someone to ask him something about the Mets. I usually don't listen or agree to Mike Francesa, but I happened to be listening to him yesterday, and I happen to agree with him. Francesa said Wilpon was caught off guard, not expecting anything at all Mets related, and was being defensive. I am confident that Minaya will be reevaluated after the season just like he was a year ago. 

Wilpon also said that his son Jeff Wilpon, is also doing a fine job, and we certainly know that's not the case. Once again, I have to agree with Francesa, what do you expect Wilpon to say? "Jeff's doing a terrible job, and I'm going to have to reassess his performance after the season"?! It's his son! Do you really expect Wilpon to throw his son under the bus?! Yes, Jeff is the COO and can technically be removed from his position, but what exactly do you expect Fred Wilpon to say? Once again, I think Fred Wilpon was caught off guard and was being defensive, but at the same time, what exactly do you want Fred Wilpon to say about his son? 

Good Twitter post there by Matthew Cerrone. The Mets haven't been giving 100%, but the Braves and Phillies have, and it showing in their records. The Mets need to "Get After It" and put it in gear.

As the trade deadline approaches and the Mets aren't playing well, the question begs to be asked, should the Mets be buyers or sellers at the deadline? Personally, I believe that depends mainly on this weekend's series.

If the Mets win the series: The Mets will be buyers. The Mets will trade for a starting pitcher, although currently the team is hitting well. The Mets will probably trade for either Brett Myers or Ted Lily.  Myers this year is 7-6 with a 3.24 ERA. The thing that's to like about Myers is that he doesn't walk many people, this season in 136 innings he has only walked 41. Myers can effectively change speeds with two and four seam fastballs in the 90s. Myers has a terrific curveball and has great endurance. Myers knows what it's like to pitch in a big baseball city, and has pitched in the playoffs very recently. Lily, this year is a dreaded 3-8 with a 3.88 ERA, and is having a bad year like the rest of the Chicago Cubs. Lily, is smooth and crafty, a quiet strikeout artist. Lily also throws in a slider and a solid fastball to set up his best pitch. Lily knows what it's like to pitch in New York and has pitched in the playoffs in the past. Both Myers and Lily are prone to the long ball, and big innings, something the large Citi Field may decrease. That being said, Andy Martino from the Daily News says the Mets haven't made progress at either end, and it will probably take a while. The Mets will not trade for a relief because, by the Mets acquiring another starting pitcher, they are in essence getting another reliever, with Hisanori Takahashi moving back to the pen. Also, there are some reliever in the looming in the minors, with rumors of the possibility of Ryotoa Igarashi coming back soon, and the recent signing of Chad Cordero.As stated above, although the Mets currently aren't hitting well they will not trade for a bat because simply there is no room. The only possible spot is second base with Luis Castillo, but Omar Minaya loves Castillo, and Castillo is getting a hefty sum, so I find it highly unlikely the Mets will trade for a bat.

If the Mets lose or split the series: The Mets will be sellers. The only players I could see the Mets selling are Jeff Franceour and Pedro Feliciano. Personally, I don't think Franceour has any value but apparently, there is a deal in the works that could be done before the end of the series. Furthermore, I wouldn't even trade Franceour because Beltran is not yet 100% and with both his and Pagan's injury history it's good to have a real (not Chris Carter) extra outfielder on the bench.Many teams would love to have that extra lefty in their bullpen and Feliciano would certainly intrigue many teams. 

However, with all that being said, when the deadline comes, the Mets will be buyers. That is because Omar Minaya's job is on the line and will do whatever he can to show ownership, that he's doing his job.