With 6 hours to go before the final trading deadline, and the deadline for making players eligible for the post-season, Omar hears the shout for "last call".  As of 6pm, its all quiet on the Western Front.

Will Omar pull another rabbit out of his hat before the deadline?  With the backup catching in place, it looks like a backup infielder is the last thing on the shopping list unless a great starting pitcher materializes out of nowhere.  I don't put it by the guy to make this happen but we have more than enough arrows in the starting pitching quiver now if we had go to battle today.

Barring a trade, I'd like to see Omar make two guys eligible for the post season roster:

Lastings - September will be his audition and its not for the lead in the play (starting left fielder), its for Righty bat off the bench.  If he proves himself worthy, Tucker takes a seat.  If not, no harm-no foul and he goes to winter ball to get sharper for 2007.

Edgardo Alfonso - I will admit its at least in part a sentimental choice but he is batting .262 in AAA and would be a nice guy to have coming off the bench as a pinch hitter or backup infielder.  If Valentin's hammy tightens or Reyes slides headfirst into someones spikes in September, I don't want Woodward or Anderson Hernandez to be the only option for the playoffs.

As for who is actually on the playoff roster, its too early to tell and there is so much still to find out over the next month:

-  Will Pedro, Glavine and El Duque recover properly

-  How will the Oliver Perez and Dave Williams auditions play out?

-  Will Bannister or Pelfrey have crazy Septembers that demand they be brought along?

-  Will Brittle McFloyd make it through September in one piece?

-  Will Milledge oust Tucker (or a pitchers roster spot) for an October ticket?

Regardless of what happens, I think they need to place Darren Oliver on the playoff roster as he has just been so versatile and so valuable to the team this year. 

While a lot of teams will spend September grappling for the few precious playoff spots, the Mets will be engaged in an entirely different exercise....Letting a very talented bunch prove they deserve to represent the best team in baseball in post season action.  Omar has done a magnificent job as casting director.  In September he will see who kills at their audition and who wilts under the hot lights of Broadway.  Then, in October, the curtain goes up in October for the biggest show Queens has seen in six years.  A lot of people want to be on that stage.   As they say on 'The Contender' "One man goes on, the other goes home." 

Go work your magic, Omar.