This isn't my AAOP, because I already wrote my AAOP, and I like my AAOP. This is another plan -- a more likely one, and a bit of a thought experiment.
Let's assume that Jose Reyes is going to get $17MM a year over six years, and Angel Pagan is going to earn $5MM next year. Let's also assume Jonathan Broxton were willing to come to the Mets in a set-up role.
My question: Is the following team competitive enough to make a run into the playoffs?
The Mets would sign Broxton, Joe Nathan, Grady Sizemore, Cody Ross, and Paul Maholm. Together, these guys would run about $22MM, maybe a bit more, but affordable nonetheless. That gives us:
SP: Johan, Dickey, Niese, Pelfrey, Maholm, and Gee being the swingman
RP: Nathan, Broxton, Acosta, Parnell, Byrdak, Herrera/Carrasco/someone, Gee.
Thole, Davis, Murphy, Tejada, Wright, Duda, Sizemore, Bay, with a bench of Nickeas, Turner, Ross, and some others TBD like Baxter and Evans.
.500 team? Chance at 90 wins? You tell me.