If there were one thing I could take back from the magical 2006 season, it would be Darren Oliver. He pitched extremely well during that season, posting a 4-1 record with a 3.44 ERA in 81.0 innings. Bringing Oliver back on a two-year deal after 2006 was one move that Omar couldn’t make, but should have in hindsight.

Over the past one and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Oliver has posted a 7-2 record with a 3.60 ERA in 110.0 innings pitched.

During his tenure here with the Mets, he showed unbelievable pitching in the clutch, with one instance that I remember real well during Game 4 of the NLCS in 2006. After starter Steve Trachsel was pulled in the second inning after giving up five earned runs, Oliver went on to pitch six scoreless innings against the Cardinals. Despite the damage already being done and the Mets inability to produce any offense, it was still a great clutch performance.

I truly believe the Mets really miss the job he did for them and have been desperately trying to seek the same type of player since he left in the 2006-2007 offseason. The Mets have tried a number of players in the long relief role that included Jorge Sosa, Carlos Muniz, Aaron Sele, among others.

If the Mets want to compete and make a run in the playoffs, they need someone who could take a game for 4-5 innings if need be. Granted this is far from the Mets top priority, it still should not be overlooked. The Mets have attempted to use plenty of players this year in the same role, but they have failed to strike gold on each try.

Talk to KC: As most Mets fans have heard over the past week, management is shaky on Duaner Sanchez’s recent struggles and would likely want to grab another bullpen arm. It seems as if Kansas City relief pitcher Ron Mahay could be an option on the trade market. I was begging for the Mets to take a shot on Mahay this past winter, but nothing came of it.

Right now, Mahay is 5-0 with a 1.81 ERA in 54.2 innings pitched for the Royals this season. The 37-year old reliever is due $8 million through 2009.

Getting Mahay could open up the opportunity for the Mets to send Scott Schoeneweis elsewhere. The Tigers were reportedly interested. If the Mets could acquire a right-handed hitting corner outfielder such as Marcus Thames for Schoeneweis, then it would all make sense. Thames gives you the power that the Mets could certainly use in the middle of the lineup. He is currently hitting .262 with 20 home runs and 44 RBIs. The Mets would also control him through the 2010 season. If you think beyond this season, he could be a nice stop gap if Fernando Martinez needs more time. Even if the Mets have to give up a small A-level type prospect in addition to Schoeneweis, it would be worth it. Getting Schoeneweis’ $7.2 million off of your shoulders over this season and next would be a job well done.

Admit your mistake: Utilityman Marlon Anderson has been hitting .207 with one home run and 10 RBIs this season. The Mets signed him to a two-year, $2.2 million deal prior to this season. He is becoming a liability off the bench with the bat and even at times defensively…and the Mets need to admit to their mistake and part ways with him. The only thing that is keeping him here is his track record for pinch hitting and even that has not been that great this season.

One of the main problems for the Mets this season has been the fact that the Mets’ bench players (or as Gary Cohen so affectionately calls them, “The Irregulars,”) have gotten a little too regular.

This is not exactly a new problem, considering the Mets’ outfield was also decimated in 2007. Moises Alou was missing in action from May 13 through July 26 that year and only played in 87 games. Before Alou was injured, Lastings Milledge was hurt in the minors, and he didn’t return until July 12. Endy Chavez lost nearly three months of his season after a base-running injury on June 6 in a forgettable game against the Phillies. A young, not-yet-ready Carlos Gomez started in their stead until July 12 when he too was injured, shelving him for two full months. Even Shawn Green had a short D.L. stint from May 29 - June 11.

This year, though, Alou has only played a mind-boggling 15 games, putting him on pace for a much lower total. Alou is also on his third disabled list trip of this season as the Mets hit the halfway mark. Angel Pagan was impressive in spring training and April, but he hasn’t seen action since May 12. Ryan Church finally returned today and hopefully he is handled with kids’ gloves. No whammies.

This has led to a plethora of players getting the opportunity at starting for the Mets in left field and right field this season. One could argue that many of them should not be starting a major league baseball game in 2008.

Distancing himself from the likes of Brady Clark, Abraham Nunez, and Gustavo Molina, Fernando Tatis actually made a contribution for the Mets in 2008. He’s tailed off since his start, but he is at least maintaining statistics good for a bench player. The key phrase in that sentence is bench player. It’s time for Tatis to stop getting starts and start being solely a right-handed bat off the bench. These 1-for-4 and 1-for-5 days aren’t helping much.

One of the strategies that Jerry Manuel said he’d employ as manager is to use the No. 2 hole to get guys going. I guess one of the main guys he meant when he said that was Marlon Anderson. Anderson has gotten two starts at the spot under Manuel and went 1-for-6. For some reason, Anderson is one of the guys the Mets view as a potential No. 2 hitter on some days. He’s 1-for-14 when in the No. 2 hole at an atrocious .071 clip. Currently, Anderson is batting .198 as just another left-handed bat on the Mets. As such, he probably shouldn’t even be on the team, let alone getting the occasional start.

Trot Nixon today added his name to the long list of Mets’ outfield injuries over the past two years. When the Mets traded for him, the move was mildly praised as everyone mused, “Intangibles! Nixon’s got ‘em!” Hopefully, he’s leading the team in grit and determination because he’s not leading the team in anything else. Admittedly, it’s a small sample size, but since the Mets acquired him on June 15, he’s batted .171. His lone saving grace was a solo shot he hit against the Rockies during a blowout. Oh, and he had a decent first game against Texas. Considering Nixon is a guy who is limited to outfield play, unlike some of the others, it’s probably best to cut the cord on this project.

The Andy Phillips move just doesn’t make sense for the Mets. For the Yankees, Phillips was known as a light-hitting defensive alternative, and outside of a half year with the Yankees in 2007, his stats match up with that. He did bat over .300 this season for the Reds’ Triple-A Louisville, but when called up to Cincinnati, he batted .143 in 21 at-bats. Since that Carlos Delgado platoon is never going to happen with anybody and since other guys can play first base, the Phillips move is puzzling.

With Church back, right field is hopefully taken care of. As far as left field goes, just starting Chavez every day isn’t such a bad idea. He hardly ever gets at-bats versus lefties, but what’s funny is he’s actually batting for a higher average. That’s obviously skewed, but Chavez’s average against lefties from 2005-2007 is actually .328 in 128 at-bats. Chavez is hitting about as well as any of “the irregulars,” and he’s certainly the best defensive outfielder of the bunch. Why not just start him in left field for the time being?

Strangely enough, the same thing is happening to Damion Easley this season. He’s batting .215 in 93 at-bats against righties and .333 in 42 at-bats against lefties. Like Chavez, Easley is hitting about as well as any of the “irregulars.” In a perfect world, he could be used as a utility infielder, starting whenever someone in the infield is out. Unfortunately, Luis Castillo has been too injured for that.

Going into the season, the Mets’ outfield looked like a strength, actually. Pagan was slated as a hot-hitting No. 4 outfielder, and Chavez was actually the Mets’ No. 5. Who knew all these guys would end up getting time?

Moises Alou and Marlon Anderson have both been activated from the DL, Ramon Casanova has been sent back down to clear room, and so that people finally stop asking Omar why he has three catchers on his roster.

While Alou, when healthy, does bring both an excellent veteran presence as well as a good bat to the Mets, I think over the struggles of the last week the fans and media are putting a little too much faith in Alou’s abilities as a cure for what ails the Mets. Sure, maybe he can kick some butts behind closed doors to knock some of these players back into shape, but lets face it, his stay and him as a solution are both temporarily. Chances are a month and a half from now he’ll slide wrong and go right back out. At least we can enjoy some Alou while we can.

In his latest mailbag post for Mets.com, Marty Noble notes that the team is now saying that they probably will not trade for a player to keep left field warm for Moises Alou, who is out until May.

Among the in-house candidates to replace Alou in left field:

Angel Pagan has posted a .351 average in 57 at-bats so far this spring, with 1 home run, 10 RBIs, scored 8 runs and an on-base percentage of .373.

Damion Easley, who is returning from torn ankle ligaments that ended his 2007 season, is hitting .105 in 19 at-bats, with 1 home run and 4 RBIs.

Endy Chavez appears to be the lead man for the starting job in left field come opening day. Returning from an ankle and hamstring injury in winter ball, Chavez made his spring debut on March 8th. In 27 at-bats, Endy has recorded a .259 batting average with 4 runs scored and 4 runs batted in.

The 34-year old Brady Clark has been seeing a ton of time in the outfield this spring in attempt to land a spot on the Mets 25-man roster. In 43 at-bats, Clark has put up a .302 average and .412 on-base percentage, while scoring 5 runs.

The 19-year old phenom Fernando Martinez is the long shot to head north with the team, but regardless, he is hitting .326 in 46 at-bats with 5 runs scored and 3 runs batted in.

Finally, Marlon Anderson, who may have to play first-base if Carlos Delgado is not ready, is hitting .222 in 18 at-bats.

Marlon Anderson has been once again removed from play, after feeling some lingering pain from his collision with Ryan Church last week.

The lesson in all of this I believe is: don’t run into Ryan Church.

David Lennon of Newsday relays information from the New York Mets who announced that Moises Alou will have surgery tomorrow to repair a hernia and will miss the next four to six weeks.

Alou was sent back to New York earlier today for further tests after complaining of discomfort in the groin area and the Mets got word of the results this evening.

The Mets have a few options within the organization that they could look to. Angel Pagan who has been killing the ball this spring seems like the most logical choice. Obviously, Endy Chavez, Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley are also options. The long shot option is to see Fernando Martinez in left field.

The Mets also have a couple of options available on the free agent market still such as Kenny Lofton or Preston Wilson. Lofton would be a solid choice, who hit .296 last season with 7 home runs, 38 RBIs, scored 86 runs and stole 23 bases at the tender age of 40. They could also try to convince Shawn Green to come out of retirement.

While the Mets are downplaying Carlos Delgado’s injury, which was concerning enough for them to fly him out for an MRI, they need to consider the options available in case this becomes a real issue.

Buster Olney on his blog for ESPN lists Nick Johnson, Scott Hatteberg, Richie Sexson, Tony Clark and Kevin Millar as possible insurance policies if Delgado’s hip stinger, which kept him out of multiple games last season, causes him to miss more time.

On his blog for the Journal News, John Delcos writes that Delgado is back in camp after going to NYC for his MRI. Delgado said he felt something catching in his hip, and he could “make it hurt,’’ by twisting and rotating in the area.

Delgado said he’s going to give it a few days to rest and admitted he had some discomfort in his hip in the off-season.

Delgado is in his walk year, and many are expecting him to make his case for still being an offensive force in the majors. He might feel he can still hit, but will his body deny him the ability to prove it?

The Mets shouldn’t wait to find out, there are no real first base back ups on this team. Marlon Anderson would appear to be the most likely candidate, but his best asset is his pinch hitting abilities.

1B Marlon Anderson and OF Ryan Church collided this afternoon during todays game and both left with injuries. Both players looked like they took a blow to the head and Anderson looked like he took an elbow to the chest. More news to come on the seriousness of their injuries.

 Update 2:35 SNY is reporting that Anderson looks to be ok, just an elbow to chest, and Church looks to be a little shaken after taking a hit to his head. Both players walked off the field under their own power and look to be ok .

Marlon Anderson has agreed to $2.2 million, two-year deal to return to the New York Mets, SI.com reports.

Marlon went 10-for-29 (.345) with one homer and 14 RBIs in pinch hitting appearances for the Mets. As a pinch hitter, he owns a .295 career average with eight homers and 44 RBIs.

The Mets also declined a $4.3 million option on Jose Valentin and a $4 million option on right-hander Brian Lawrence, buying out his contract for $200,000.

Dave Williams declined an assignment to Triple-A New Orleans and became a free agent, David Newhan was optioned to New Orleans and is expected to decline as well and test the free agent market.