We all had extremely high hopes for this year. We all thought we had improved our team and on paper - we did. Our offense added Alomar, Vaughn and Burnitz while we dumped Zeile and Ventura. A no-brainer. Our staff picked up Astacio, we added Weathers and Guthrie in the pen, and then later Strickland and Steve Reed. We even managed to dump Jay Payton a few weeks ago.

So what happened?

Want me to make excuses? Okay, here goes. Our new bats took longer than expected to learn the NL pitchers. All the new personalities in the clubhouse are taking too long to gel. Yadda yadda yadda...

It was a season of disappointment on par with the early 90's Mets of Bonilla, Murray and HoJo. It's been the roughest year I have suffered through, worse than the mid-90's - at least they were trying to rebuild. But the '02 Mets spent much money... and the results were terrible. Do I have a plan to save them? Sort-of.

This season is over, I need to deal with that. I wish I could say it's time to see what the kids can do but we have no kids. Wanna see Strange, Jae Wong Seo, Yates, Walker or Heilman up here and chance another 'Generation K' flame-out? Me neither. But I would like to see Jose Reyes up here. He's been touted as the Mets' answer to Alfonso Soriano and it's time to see if he can play on this level. Shit, he only has to out-hit Ordonez and I could do that...

Anyway, time for the shit list:

INCOMPLETES ARE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO PLAY A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT

PITCHERS

Pedro Astacio: Solid innings with piss-poor run support

GRADE: B

KEEP? Yes

Mike Bacsik: Spot starter, has looked good and bad

GRADE: Incomplete, not enough starts

KEEP? Yes

Armando Benitez: Having a good year, great ERA

GRADE: A

KEEP? Unless we can get a young, strong starter in return, keep him

Jaime Cerda: Effective lefty specialist, future set-up man

GRADE: B

KEEP? Yes

Jeff D'Amico: An absolute bust. Not even a 5th starter on this team

GRADE: F

KEEP? No.

Mark Guthrie: The staff's MVP without any doubt

GRADE: A

KEEP? Yes

Al Leiter: Staff ace, workhorse, and leader great clubhouse guy

GRADE: B

KEEP? Under contract, definitely a keeper

Steve Reed: A rent-a-player deadline acquisition for the Wild Card run

GRADE: Incomplete, we won't see enough of him

KEEP? No

Scott Strickland: A steal for Chen, works hard but gives up the long ball way too often

GRADE: C

KEEP? Young and talented, you keep him

John Thompson: Well, I did once see him shutout the Mets at Shea...

GRADE: Incomplete

KEEP? I hope not

Steve Trachsel: So absolutely confounding - one great start, one hideous start...

GRADE: C

KEEP? If someone will take him, ship him out

David Weathers: Has been so overworked it's almost not fair, but very effective

GRADE: B

KEEP? Yes

CATCHERS

Mike Piazza: Works hard, slumps too often, has had no help this year

GRADE: B

KEEP? Duh

Vance Wilson: Good as a day-off starter, skilled defensively

GRADE: B

KEEP? Why not

INFIELDERS

Roberto Alomar: Hasn't adapted to the NL game at all, has shown flashes...

GRADE: C

KEEP? Yes, yes, yes... 100 times yes...

Rey Ordonez: One of the dumbest players I have ever seen, tries to be too flashy

GRADE: D

KEEP? If someone wants him, they can have him

Marcos Scutaro: Who? Can play both infield and outfield positions

GRADE: Incomplete

KEEP? No idea

John Valentin: Nice bat off the bench, plays all infield positions

GRADE: B

KEEP? Why not

Mo Vaughn: Had bounced back and subsequently cooled off, must lose weight

GRADE: C

KEEP? With his contract we don't have a choice

Ty Wigginton: Great baseball name

GRADE: Incomplete

KEEP? I have no clue

OUTFIELDERS

Jeromy Burnitz: Holy crap, this is the ugliest dive I have ever seen a player take

GRADE: F

KEEP? Dump him, even if you have to pay all of his salary

Roger Cedeno: After Rey, the second dumbest player I have ever seen, looks lost 24-7

GRADE: D

KEEP? Like Burnitz, dump him, even if you have to pay all of his salary

Joe McEwing: Having a terrible year, yet too valuable defensively to ship out

GRADE: D

KEEP? Yes

Timo Perez: If he can play every day, good things will happen

GRADE: B

KEEP? Yes

Tony Tarasco: Pop off the bench, that's about it

GRADE: C

KEEP? I guess so