With the signings of Billy Wagner and Moises Alou, the Mets have not had first-round picks in the past two years. Coupled with the various trades Omar Minaya has executed over the last two years, most notably the Johan Santana deal, the Mets’ farm system is depleted. Armed with three picks within the first 33 choices, the Mets have a great opportunity to help restock the system at Thursday’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

It might serve interesting to take a look at the first-round picks the Mets have had since 2000 and the varying degrees of success and failure the related moves have brought to the organization.

With the 16th pick in the 2000 draft, the Mets selected LHP Billy Traber. An article for the New York Times reported the Mets were going to offer Traber $1.7 million, but after seeing M.R.I. results on his elbow, Traber accepted the Mets’ new offer of $400,000. I would guess that is why he was so quickly dealt to the Cleveland Indians in the Roberto Alomar trade.

He did well for the Indians in 2002 and 2003 before having Tommy John surgery. He was out of baseball for the entirety two years before landing with the Washington Nationals in 2006, which is probably where Mets fans remember seeing him again. He got a chance to make both the Nationals’ rotation and bullpen but ultimately failed in both attempts. He was acquired by the Yankees for the 2008 season, where he began in the bullpen but quickly lost his job once again.

Obviously, looking back, Traber did not turn into the No. 3 starter the Mets thought he would become. He was a bust for both the Mets organization and every organization that has picked him up since. Ultimately, he just hasn’t been able to recover from the lingering arm problems.

Thinking back on the 2001 draft is much more fun because both players the Mets bagged in the first round of that draft are still on the team. After an early attempt at starting with mixed results, highlighted by a 1-hit shutout against the Marlins in 2005, Aaron Heilman has served as the Mets’ off-again, on-again set-up man. Heilman’s relationship with both the Mets fans and the set-up role is notoriously love-hate. Heilman is basically the Diane Chambers (from Cheers) of the New York Mets.

But all things considered, picking Heilman has worked out. He has definitely contributed to the major league club on more than one occasion, particularly down the stretch. The Mets didn’t really need to trade for a Roberto Hernandez at the trade deadline in 2006 because Heilman admirably stepped to the plate in the absence of Sanchez. Has he done well in 2008? No. Will he do all that well in the future? Still up for debate.

The other pick in 2001 was David Wright, a Gold Glove, MVP-caliber player. No real arguments needed.

The 2002 first-round pick is now more infamous in Mets’ lore than anything else. Lefty Scott Kazmir was obviously traded to the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2004 trade deadline for the worthless Victor Zambrano. Despite injuries and high walk totals, Kazmir has clearly aided the Rays, but what has the worth of the Kazmir pick done for the Mets? Little. Zambrano had a Mets record of 10-14 in 35 starts with an ERA over 4. Then he became injured and left the team at 2006’s end. He’s tried to catch on with teams like the Orioles, Blue Jays and Rockies since then with no success. Though Kazmir himself is a success, perhaps an ace, the pick is a bust to the Mets because of one pitifully incompetent decision.

As a player, Lastings Milledge has also become infamous, particularly to Mets fans. It’s still early in his career, but thus far, Milledge’s arc has had depreciating returns. The Mets’ first-round pick in 2003 destroyed the minor leagues with such high numbers that fans clamored for him to get promoted. His numbers subsided a bit as he lingered in Triple-A. All the while, he was involved in every Mets trade rumor, most famously those for Manny Ramirez and Barry Zito.

Milledge received limited opportunities, mostly due to the injury of others, in 2006 and 2007, where he was the subject of controversy. Everyone assumed the worst in the man, but to be fair, his tact did not always quell the doubters. More importantly, in his small major league service time, he did not come up and blow everyone away, as fans and media alike apparently expected. Since it was the national media, I suppose, Milledge was not allowed to grow into his role and learn at the major-league level

After the offseason trade to the Washington Nationals, Milledge still struggles, but this does not mean that Milledge just couldn’t cut it in the majors. I would argue that if the Mets had pulled the trigger early on Milledge, as they do with so many other prospects anyway, Milledge might have been more successful as a Met. If you believe in a talent such as Milledge, after already investing money in his future, it pays to actually let him prove his worth to you.

Player psychology is generally over-hyped, but Milledge could have gotten soured by all the negative media attention and two botched attempts at major league service. He’s actually still 23, so his career is far from over. He could turn it around. As for the Mets, they reap the benefits of the pick still by having the defensive prowess of Brian Schneider and the surprising early numbers of Ryan Church, finally getting to play everyday in a park that isn’t the expansive R.F.K. Stadium.

2004 pick Phillip Humber is another who was hurt by Tommy John surgery. He bounced back to have an OK year in Triple-A in 2007. He was a September call-up for the Mets twice and had one start in 2007. He was shipped to the Minnesota Twins in the Santana deal this past offseason, so his pick can be considered 1/4 of Santana’s impact, I suppose. That’s still fantastic value for that pick. As for Humber, he looks to have the least chance of making the Twins’ rotation of the former Mets pitchers, what with competition from Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra. Humber has been roughed up a bit in Triple-A Rochester, going 3-5 with a 5.53 ERA in 11 starts.

Mike Pelfrey, the Mets’ first pick in 2005, is still a work-in-progress Mets fans see on television every day. He is in the midst of attempt No. 4 at staying in the Mets’ rotation. He was given a try in 2006, as was a thousand pitchers that year, only starting 4 games with a 2-1 record and an ERA of 5.48. After a highly successful 2007 spring training, he got his first full try and was eventually demoted after starting the year 0-7. He came back down the stretch in 2007 and showed improvement. He has been up and down in 2008, but he’s pitched marvelously against the Nationals (14.2 IP, 1 ER). So that’s something. As the No. 5 starter, at this point in his career, Pelfrey just needs to keep the Mets in the game, while learning at the major league level. That’s all the Mets can ask of him.

Despite it not always working out, many Mets fans have heard of all the men discussed here. Heilman, Wright and Pelfrey continue to provide positive (at times) contributions to the organization. The trade value of Milledge and Humber has helped to bring other key players to the Mets. Hopefully, one (or more) 2008 picks will pay off in a similar fashion.