The Mets have talked a good game about spending money and retooling this offseason.
Now it’s time to back it all up.
With free agency at hand starting at 12:01 tomorrow morning, all eyes will be on the Wilpons and general manager Omar Minaya to see if they follow through on their public vow to be major players in the market this winter.
Coming off this year’s 70-92 disaster, the Mets have a pressing need for more power and openings that include a left fielder, a No. 2 starter, a veteran catcher, a platoon first baseman and a setup man for All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez.
The Mets have identified Matt Holliday and Jason Bay as top candidates to fill the power void in left, John Lackey followed by Joel Pineiro and Jason Marquis for the No. 2 spot and Bengie Molina and Rod Barajas at catcher.
Aubrey Huff or Carlos Delgado on an incentive-laden deal (assuming he proves he is healthy) are among the options at first, and there are many possibilities for the setup role — maybe even re-signing J.J. Putz.
Can Minaya fill all those holes in just a few short months?
A better question is: Will the Wilpons let him?
“Our results, both on and off the field, were totally unacceptable,” Jeff Wilpon said last month. “Baseball is a results business, and we play in a results town. Ownership is dedicated to delivering a championship-caliber team.”
Wilpon was responding to concerns about the Mets’ finances in the wake of the family’s losses in the Bernie Madoff scheme and their subsequent organizational cutbacks, many of which were noticeable as the season dragged along.
The Mets had the second-highest payroll in baseball last season behind the Yankees at $147 million, and the Wilpons, without being specific, continue to insist they will have one of the top budgets in the sport again in 2010.
But with many teams planning to pare their payrolls dramatically this offseason because of the bad economy, the Mets seemingly still can get away with substantially cutting their own budget back (to the range of $120 million or so) and still claim to be among the sport’s leaders.
Minaya has said for months that he hasn’t been given any budget restrictions from ownership, and the Mets’ embattled general manager — whose job likely depends on his success this winter — was among the most active executives at the GM meetings last week when it came to reaching out to agents.
But many in the industry remain skeptical that Minaya will be allowed to follow through with the big names, especially with the Mets already sending out signals that they think the price tags for Holliday and Lackey will be too high to bring to Flushing.
The Mets also aren’t thought to be in the running for Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay because they can’t afford the roughly $150 million contract extension he would be seeking after a trade.
On the other hand, the poor economy could end up working in the Mets’ favor.
Because so many teams are cutting back, free agency will be a buyer’s market and could have a lot more interesting names available due to clubs non-tendering young players eligible for arbitration. Observers also expect a lot more trades as teams try to ditch salary, with the Tigers and Reds already signaling their willingness to part with top talent.
As a result, Minaya is likely to have a buffet table of options to revive the Mets.
Let’s see if they act on it.
bhubbuch@nypost.com