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The Mets finished 74-88 for the second straight season, but this year had more of an upbeat feel to it than 2012, with come-from-behind wins, some prospects heralded and unheralded coming to Citi Field, and plenty of exciting wins as the Mets went 49-48 in their last 97 games.

We're not looking to sugarcoat what was another rough year for Mets fans (particularly once Matt Harvey got hurt). But the good times should be remembered.

Here is a chronological look at the Mets most memorable moments of 2013.

April 24 -- 'Spin for the Win
The Mets had 10 walk-off wins in 2013 and one of the most exciting ones came when they rallied to beat the Dodgers.

David Wright tied the game and kept Matt Harvey's unbeaten record intact with a two-out hit in the ninth inning. Jordany Valdespin won it with a 10th inning grand slam.

Stat to Remember: This was the sixth walk-off grand slam in Mets history, the first since Kevin McReynolds hit one against the Expos in 1991.

May 3 -- Wright goes deeper than ever before
The Mets scored a dramatic 7-5 win over the Braves. Trailing by a run in the ninth inning, Wright took invincible Braves closer Craig Kimbrel deep.

The 464-foot homer marked the longest one in Wright's career. They would pull ahead in the 10th inning on a pair of 0-2 RBI hits, one by Ruben Tejada, the other by Daniel Murphy.

Stat to Remember: The Mets won seven games in which they were trailing entering the ninth inning, their most such wins in a season since they had seven in 1998.

May 7 -- Almost Perfect
Matt Harvey pitched a lot of great games in 2013 (an early-season win over Stephen Strasburg just missed our cut). His best was his nine scoreless innings against the White Sox, a game in which the only baserunner he allowed was an infield single by Alex Rios in the 7th.

Harvey would get a no-decision (a theme throughout 2013) in a game the Mets would win on a walk-off hit in the 10th inning by Mike Baxter.

Stat to Remember: Harvey is the only pitcher in Mets history to throw nine scoreless innings, allow one hit or fewer, strike out at least 12 and walk none.

May 26-29 -- Sweeping the Yankees
There were minimal expectations for the Mets heading into their four-game series with the Yankees. But the Mets pitching dominated, allowing only one run in three of the four games, winning all four.

Murphy won the opener with an eighth-inning hit, then started an improbable two-run rally in the ninth inning with a leadoff double in a 2-1 walk-off win against Mariano Rivera the next day.

The Mets bats had one really good day, knocking out David Phelps in the first inning of a 9-4 romp. Dillon Gee closed the series with an unlikely 12-strikeout gem that turned his season in the right direction.

Stat to Remember: This was the first time in Mets history that they swept the Yankees in a season series.

June 16 -- A "Nieu" beginning
Terry Collins would point to this game, not Harvey/Wheeler day (the next on our list) as the one that got the Mets headed out of their early-season doldrums.

Trailing 3-0 in the ninth inning, the Mets were the recipients of an implosion from Cubs closer Carlos Marmol, who first gave up a leadoff homer to Marlon Byrd, then allowed a three-run walk-off shot to Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who entered that at-bat 3-for-31 for the season.

Stat To Remember: This marked the second time in the last 30 seasons that the Mets won a game on a walk-off homer that game with them down by at least two runs. The only other instance in that span was Bobby Bonilla's game-winning homer against Rob Dibble and the Reds on August 30, 1992.

June 18 -- Harvey/Wheeler Day
This marked the brightest-looking day for the Mets future when Harvey and Zack Wheeler beat the Braves in a doubleheader sweep.

Harvey struck out 13 and took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning of the opener. Wheeler wowed in his debut with six scoreless (albeit a little wild) innings in the nightcap.

Those wins started the 49-48 season-ending run.

Stat to Remember: This marked the Mets first doubleheader sweep of the Braves in Atlanta since 1987.

July 8 -- Leaving their hearts in San Francisco
The Mets played a bunch of long games in 2013, though none ended later than the 3:41 a.m. conclusion to the 4-3 win in 16 innings against the Giants.

The game might have actually gone longer had Brandon Crawford cleanly fielded Anthony Recker’s grounder with runners on the corners and two outs in the 16th, which produced the winning run. The teams combined to go 2-for-24 with runners in scoring position.

Stat to Remember: The Mets played 57 extra innings in 2013, three shy of the club record of 60 set in 1979 and 1985.

July 16 -- Star of Stars
Harvey proved he belonged on the game's biggest stage when he started the All-Star Game for the National League at Citi Field. After allowing a leadoff double to Mike Trout and hitting Robinson Cano, Harvey retired the heart of the American League lineup (Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis and Jose Bautista), then pitched a 1-2-3 second inning, highlighted by a 10-pitch strikeout of Adam Jones.

Stat to Remember: Harvey became the second Met to throw at least two scoreless innings as an All-Star Game starter. The other was Tom Seaver in 1970.

August 6 -- Young's Mookie-like dash
In the eighth inning of a tie game against the Rockies, Eric Young Jr. brought back memories of Mookie Wilson scoring from second on an infield single by Juan Lagares. That would give the Mets a win and a nice moment for Young, who was traded from the Rockies to the Mets earlier in the season.

Stat To Remember: The Mets led the majors in Fangraphs' advanced baserunning metric (UBR) due largely to plays like the one that won this game.

September 20 -- Wright Passes Piazza
Wright homered in his first at-bat against Cole Hamels after missing seven weeks with a hamstring injury and passed Mike Piazza into second place on the club's career home run list. The Mets would go on to sweep the Phillies in Philadelphia, those wins making the difference as they finished in third place in the NL East, one game ahead of the Phillies.

Stat to Remember: Wright finished with a .307 batting average, a .390 on-base percentage and a .514 slugging percentage. Wright has four .300/.390/.500 seasons in his career. The only other Met with more than one is Mike Piazza, who has two.

When putting together a list of the priorities for the Mets in this offseason's free-agent market, you must be realistic.

To think that the team is going to land anyone with a nine-figure salary is a longshot (no matter what Sandy Alderson says), so cross Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury off any wish-lists.

Logic would also dictate that pitchers for whom the market might provide a four-year commitment comparable to the one Edwin Jackson got last winter (four years, $52 million) are not what this front office is looking for, so scratch off Matt Garza and Ricky Nolasco (and probably Ubaldo Jimenez, Tim Lincecum and Ervin Santana). We also left out a few pitchers with strong preferences for specific teams or markets-- A.J. Burnett (Pirates), Dan Haren (West Coast), Tim Hudson (Braves) and Hiroki Kuroda (Yankees/Japan).

But there are players who would be good fits for this team, which most likely will be shopping for multiple outfielders, a shortstop, both starting pitchers and relievers, and maybe a backup catcher.

What is below is a list arranged alphabetically, rather than by rank, of 20 targets that we deemed realistic based on educated guesses and available information. When the World Series concludes, these players will be on the market for the Mets to pursue.

(Read full post)

In deciding to bring back Terry Collins, Mets GM Sandy Alderson did not hold the team's 74-88 record against the manager. He did, however, see the team's .500 mark in its final 100 games as a sign that the team did not quit under Collins despite losing several player in the injury an personnel change.

"A .500 record over the final 100 games is not going to get you into the playoffs but it's a base," Alderson said Monday at the press conference announcing the Mets had extended Collins for two years. "And it's not a small sample of games, and it's definitely a foundation on which we can build. And having that kind of season we have to have next year is not that unrealistic when you think about how the team played substantially over the last two-thirds of the season."

While the Mets hope to be better than .500 next season, they were impressed with how they finished those final 100 games despite missing some of their biggest names for long stretches.

David Wright missed 45 games in August and September with a strained hamstring. Ace Matt Harvey did not throw a pitch after Aug. 24 due to his partial UCL tear. Closer Bobby Parnell didn't pitch the final two months with a herniated disc in his neck. Outfielder Marlon Byrd was traded away in late August.

"I think you now add the big pieces back. David's back, we don't know what's going to happen with Matt, he's back, all of a sudden, you know what, when it's all working out at the same time it's going to be good enough," Collins said on Monday. "Yeah, we have to have some guys have big years. Ike [Davis] has to have a big year. Lucas [Duda] or whoever has to have a good year. But you know what, the good players have good years."

In breaking down the Mets' final 100 games, they were 30-17 against teams that finished below .500 but went 20-33 against teams that went. 500 or better, including an 11-18 mark against teams that made the playoffs.

QUESTION: Were you impressed with the way the Mets played over their final 100 games?

NEW YORK -- Are you a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty type of person?

Well, no matter which way you lean, here is something for you ... five reasons for optimism and five reasons for pessimism about the Mets in 2014.

OPTIMISM

1. Harvey will be OK. Matt Harvey is going to try to rehab and undergo a throwing program to demonstrate he can pitch with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Terry Collins believes if you're going to bet on anyone overcoming that obstacle, bet on Harvey.

2. The starting pitching. Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jonathon Niese and Dillon Gee form one of the top staff's in the National League. And that's before whatever external addition the Mets make this winter. Plus, Double-A right-hander Noah Syndergaard is the real deal and should debut at some point in 2014. Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom also are young options.

3. Payroll flexibility. The only existing contracts the Mets have for 2014 are David Wright at $20 million and Niese at $5 million. Johan Santana at $31 million (including a $5.5 million buyout of 2014) headlines the contracts coming off the books. So the Mets, who have lacked a serious foray into the free-agent market in Sandy Alderson's first three offseasons as general manager, now have the flexibility to pursue big-ticket items if they choose.

4. The young talent. Travis d'Arnaud may have hit only .202, but the talent is there. Couple that with Juan Lagares, Vic Black and Wheeler's promise and things are starting to look brighter.

5. Ya Gotta Believe! After five straight losing seasons, Mets fans deserve a winner. The Mets did go 49-48 over their final 97 games this season.

PESSIMISM

1. Harvey will miss 2014. Mets officials have hardly masked their belief Harvey needs Tommy John surgery. The worst fear is that Harvey resolves to return without the procedure, then blows out the UCL completely early next season. That would compromise Harvey being available for part of 2015 as well.

2. The payroll is going down. Team insiders already are talking about a Boston Red Sox offseason model. For the pessimistic, that's code for not signing any players to big free-agent contracts.

3. No impact position players loom. The Mets used their top pick in the past three drafts on high school players, and none (Brandon Nimmo, Gavin Cecchini or Dominic Smith) has yet to play above low-A. In fact, there are not any impact position players who will be introduced next season -- just the same names the Mets have tried before.

4. What outfield? Let's be honest: Eric Young Jr. has speed, but he's really a fourth outfielder. The Mets need to add sluggers for both corner-outfield spots, especially if the defensive-focused Lagares will be manning center field. Where are those boppers coming from?

5. The division will be strong. The Washington Nationals may have missed the postseason, but Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg and crew are not going away just yet. The Atlanta Braves will remain an elite team. And the Miami Marlins have the best young talent in the division. And Giancarlo Stanton is still wearing a Marlins uniform ... at least right now.

NEW YORK -- As the New York Mets look for options in their rotation, GM Sandy Alderson said the team would consider bringing back veteran lefty starter Johan Santana on a small deal.

The Mets are going to buyout Santana's contract for 2014 for $5.5 million, as they otherwise would have owed him $25 million. He made $25.5 million last season despite not pitching. Santana signed a six-year, $137.5-million deal with the team that included the team option for the 2014 season.

Santana missed this past season as he underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. He previously had the same surgery on Sept. 2, 2010, and he did not return to the majors for 19 months. He last pitched on Aug. 17, 2012, giving up six runs in five innings against Atlanta.

Santana pitched in only four seasons with the Mets as he was sidelined for two years due to the surgeries. He's 46-34 with a 3.18 ERA with the Mets, but has made only 109 starts since being acquired in a trade before the 2008 season. He threw the franchise's first no-hitter on June 1, 2012.

The lefty has previously said he would like to continue pitching.

"I think that's a possibility," Alderson said of bringing back Santana on a new deal in an interview on WFAN. "I don't really know what Johan's thinking. We'll talk to him, I'm sure, over the next couple of weeks but I think he wants to pitch. We'll just have to see what the market is for these guys and how much of our resources we want to allocate to somebody coming off injury or somebody you hope was able to pitch for you at a higher level."

Mets scouting: The Mets have three scouts in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to watch first baseman Jose Abreu, according to the New York Post. Abreu is a 26-year-old Cuban defector and is a free agent.

NEW YORK -- Let the first base debate begin.

One of the big decisions for the Mets for next season will be what to do at first base, where they will have to decide whether they want Ike Davis, Lucas Duda or another option to start. Alderson did not commit to an option Monday but acknowledged the team has a choice to make.

"I don't think we'll make a decision in a vacuum. We'll look at what our other options are. This is not about, well, player A vs. player B necessarily. It could end up that way," Alderson said. "And there are certain scenarios where both of those players, Davis and Duda, would be back with the organization. I just can't give you any sort of definitive answer."

The issue for the Mets is Duda and Davis are both left-handed
power hitters that don't have other natural positions to play. Having one on the roster reduces the need for the other as they both provide similar skills.

Davis had a rough year as his first half struggles led to his demotion. He ended up hitting .205 with nine homers and 33 RBIs. In 2012, while also struggling through the first half, he rebounded to hit 32 homers and drive in 90 runs. He didn't play against lefties after returning from the minors, and a strained right oblique ended his year early.

The Mets tried to make Duda an outfielder but that experiment didn't go well. He's more comfortable at first base and doesn't have the range the Mets want from their outfielders. He hit 15 homers and drove in 33 RBIs, but did have a .352 on-base percentage.

"I think we got to make sure if we go to spring training and Lucas and Ike are both there and they're both tearing it up, we got to make some decisions," Mets manager Terry Collins said.

Alderson said on WFAN Radio that he's not sure if the team has all the information they need to make a decision, but there is a large enough sample size to judge both players. He said there are three possibilities: both guys are on the team, just one is, or neither make the roster.

The GM said with potential arbitration raises, the players could combined cost more than $4 million next season. He did mention that the team could look to the trade market or outside the organization.

"We're at a point where we need to try to make a decision," Alderson said on WFAN. "Another factor frankly will be the trade market. What's the market for a first baseman with potential and power and the potential to be better? Ike is not that old. Any way we're getting to the point where we need to make a decision on those two guys or going in a different direction entirely."

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets said Monday that they have signed manager Terry Collins to a two-year contract extension with a team option for 2016 and also will bring back Collins' entire coaching staff.

"As I've said over a period of time and on many occasions, Terry has done an outstanding job for us," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said at a news conference.

"In many ways Terry had an outstanding year. The team never quit. They continued to play hard and continued to play with the resources it had at hand, and finished as well as we could have expected. So I'm very pleased Terry will be back and we're looking forward to 2014."

You can read the full story here.

NEW YORK -- As injured New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey has yet to start his throwing program to rehab a partial UCL tear in his pitching arm, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Monday the team is looking for progress sometime soon.

Harvey is planning to forgo surgery and rehab his tear.

"The fact that he's not throwing now, I wouldn't say is concerning, but we need to see some progress. I hope that he will be throwing shortly," Alderson said at a news conference. "I want to emphasize this isn't a rehab program. This is a diagnostic program. We'll see what happens."

You can read the full story here.

NEW YORK -- Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said the team will be in position to offer a $100-million contract this offseason, but did say the squad could potentially have a smaller payroll than it did this year. The Mets are expected to have their most active free agency under Alderson this winter.

"Would it be the right player? And would it be prudent to do it, even for the right player? Factor in what's left to do the kind of things we want to do. But is it out of the question? It's not out of the question," Alderson said of a $100-million deal. "Will we do it? That's more of a strategic question than a resource question. At this point, it's not a matter of resources."

The Mets have not been very active in free agency under Alderson in his first three years as they have tried to get out from previous long-term contracts that didn't work out well.

Alderson's deals were always low-year, low-money deals, and even some of those haven't panned out. This year, they're finally getting some of those long-term deals off the books.

Alderson said excluding the money owed to former Met Jason Bay, the Mets payroll for this past season ended up around $87-88 million. He said the Mets have approximately $40 million coming off the books this winter, and they have just $25 million committed next season before arbitration raises. Alderson said the Mets will have "a substantial amount of money" available.

Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said the team has already discussed the budget, but said it will depend on how the trade and free agency markets shake out. The team is heading down to Florida for organizational meetings and will start developing different scenarios. He did add that Alderson and the team's front office staff have a number they're targeting.

While the Mets would like to be active in free agency, Alderson hedged against making a splash just for the sake of making one. He mentioned, not by name, last year's failed pursuit of center fielder Michael Bourn, who ultimately signed with Cleveland. He said it's conceivable the team would have a lower pay roll.

Alderson specifically said the team could use upgrades at the corner outfield spots and shortstop, and potential outfielders to choose from include Cincinnati's Shin-Soo Choo, Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury and Texas' Nelson Cruz.

"The bottom line is yes, it's conceivable we won't sign a player," Alderson said. "But look, we have to be realistic about the marketplace, so I'm hopeful we'll get some things done."

Knowing that some of previous long-term deals hurt the squad for the past few years, Alderson said there is some hesitation about big-money deals because the team wants to maintain payroll flexibility moving forward.

"It's great to say, well, we have financial flexibility, and then blow it on players' deals that don't work out and put yourself right back in the same situation you were in before," Alderson said. "At the same time, at some point, you’ve got to go for it. Having flexibility is great, but at some point, you’ve got to put yourself on the line."

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets completed their fifth straight losing season Sunday with a 74-88 record. They are tied with the Houston Astros for the longest active sub-.500 streak in Major League Baseball.

And now they reward manager Terry Collins at a noon press conference Monday at Citi Field with a two-year contract extension that includes a team option for 2016 -- the correct move considering how hard his outgunned squad played.

Make no mistake: The focus in these days after the season should be on general manager Sandy Alderson, not Collins or anywhere else.

You can only sell the future for so long. Now, it is time for Alderson to deliver a winner.

For the rest of Rubin's column, click here.

NEW YORK -- Here is a player-by-player primer on each Met, broken down by contract status:

Free agents

• LaTroy Hawkins, right-handed reliever. Hawkins appears the most likely to be re-signed, even though he will be 41 years old next season. He was productive stepping into the closer’s role after Bobby Parnell's injury, while dialing his fastball up to 95 mph.

• Daisuke Matsuzaka and Aaron Harang, right-handed starters. Terry Collins liked Dice-K, so perhaps it is not out of the realm of possibility to re-sign him as a fifth-starter competitor who would allow Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom to open the season in the minors. For that matter, Harang fits that profile, too.

• Tim Byrdak and Pedro Feliciano, left-handed relievers. Both returned from shoulder injuries after missing substantial time. It likely is time for the Mets to move on from both, but their careers do not appear over yet.

• David Aardsma, right-handed reliever. Productive, although he wilted with too much use. Aardsma could be useful to re-sign if the price is right.

• Frank Francisco, right-handed reliever. The ex-closer collected $6.5 million this season while mostly nursing a sore elbow and irking Mets officials. No chance he returns.

• Johan Santana, left-handed starter. The one-time ace wants to pitch again after undergoing a second surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. If he is capable, he very likely would sign elsewhere. The best news: Santana's $31 million owed in 2013, including a buyout of next season, comes off the books.

Signed to contracts

• Jonathon Niese, left-handed starter. After missing nearly two months with a rotator cuff strain, Niese finished strongly and should help anchor the 2014 rotation. His salary jumps to $5 million next season, up from $3 million this year.

• David Wright, third baseman. The captain sees a major salary bump. Wright will earn $20 million in 2014 -- a raise of $9 million.

Arbitration eligible

• Ike Davis and Lucas Duda, first basemen. It is likely one gets traded, although there is a slim chance Duda opens the season at Triple-A with Davis at Citi Field. Davis made $3.125 million this year and could receive an ever-so-slight pay cut. The Mets insist he will not be non-tendered. Duda, first-time eligible for arbitration, likely only makes $700,000 or $800,000 in 2014.

• Parnell, closer. Doctors assure Collins that Parnell will be fine for spring training after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck, but the manager is concerned. Vic Black would be the alternative. Parnell’s salary should creep upward after he earned $1.7 million while converting 22 of 26 save chances.

• Dillon Gee, right-handed starter. Gee missed 200 innings by one frame. He will be first-time eligible for arbitration.

• Daniel Murphy, second baseman. ESPNNewYork.com hears the Mets will listen on offers for Murphy, but the best bet is he is the Opening Day second baseman. Murphy is due to get another raise after earning $2.925 million this season.

• Ruben Tejada, shortstop. After the broken leg mends, Tejada needs to seriously demonstrate his work ethic to the organization. Still, that may not be enough if the Mets can find the right external shortstop addition.

• Justin Turner, infielder. The best bet is that he serves as a backup infielder again next season.

• Eric Young Jr., outfielder/second baseman. The Mets recognize they need his speed in the lineup. So Young should be in the starting lineup somewhere next season, whether that’s in the outfield or at second base.

• Scott Atchison, right-handed reliever. Believe it or not, while Atchison is 37 years old, he does not have enough MLB service time to be eligible for free agency. He is a definite non-tender candidate in December.

• Mike Baxter, outfielder. Baxter should be arbitration eligible as a Super 2. Regardless, his 40-man roster spot appears in jeopardy. That does not preclude Baxter from being re-signed to a minor league deal. The 2013 Baxter, who hit .189, did not resemble the 2012 Baxter. The Mets believe the shoulder injury suffered in Santana's no-hitter may have hurt Baxter's swing.

• Omar Quintanilla, shortstop. The Mets view Q as a backup, not a full-time player.

Under control

• Matt Harvey, right-handed starter. The question remains: Tommy John surgery or no Tommy John surgery? Harvey should be airing it out in about six weeks, perhaps in the Arizona Fall League, to see whether the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow will hold up.

• Zack Wheeler, right-handed starter. Wheeler should be good for 200 innings in 2014.

• Black, right-handed reliever. If Parnell is not ready to close because of a slow recovery from surgery, the hard-throwing Black is the primary alternative. Otherwise, Black projects as handling the eighth inning next season.

• Travis d’Arnaud, catcher. He’s the guy behind the plate, but needs to shorten his swing after hitting .202 in his first major league season.

• Juan Lagares and Matt den Dekker, center fielders. Lagares had a franchise-rookie-record 15 outfield assists and is very likely the full-time center fielder in 2014, even with some offensive difficulties. Den Dekker is just as likely to open next season in Triple-A. The Mets do not plan to platoon Lagares and den Dekker in the majors -- not in April, anyway.

• Josh Edgin and Scott Rice, left-handed relievers. Both are coming off surgeries. The Mets need to find a lefty from outside the organization they can trust, but Rice and Edgin could be useful complements.

• Jeurys Familia and Gonzalez Germen, right-handed relievers. Both should vie for a bullpen role in 2014.

• Jeremy Hefner, right-handed starter. Hefner will miss most, if not all, of 2014 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

• Anthony Recker, catcher. After a nearly full season in the majors, Recker could find himself in Triple-A in 2014. Sandy Alderson has suggested he needs to find a veteran catcher in case d’Arnaud’s injury propensity continues.

• Josh Satin, infielder. A year after being taken off the 40-man roster and clearing waivers, Satin is now viewed as a valuable righty bat for the bench who can get on base. Look for him to have a backup role in 2014.

• Carlos Torres, right-handed starter/reliever. Torres would appear to have a legitimate shot as the long reliever/spot starter.

• Jordany Valdespin, infielder. The Biogenesis suspension is his latest baggage. It would be surprising if he makes it to spring training as a Met.

• Greg Burke, Robert Carson and Sean Henn, relievers. If they survive the winter on the 40-man roster, they look Triple-A bound.

• Andrew Brown, Juan Centeno, Wilmer Flores, Zach Lutz and Wilfredo Tovar, 51s. Centeno and Recker could be the Triple-A catchers. Flores likely is ticketed for Las Vegas, according to Collins, if the infielder is not going to be a starter at the major league level. Lutz and Tovar probably open next season in the minors, too. Brown’s 40-man roster spot is an open question.

• Jenrry Mejia, right-handed starter. Mejia showed flashes as a starting pitcher before surgery to clean out his right elbow. He is a logical fifth-starter competitor in spring training.

• Kirk Nieuwenhuis, outfielder. Getting snubbed for a September call-up does not bode well for Nieuwenhuis’ future with the organization.

NEW YORK -- GM Sandy Alderson has no shortage of work to do this offseason to reconfigure the New York Mets' roster.

Here are five questions that must be resolved:

1. Who gets dealt?

Something figures to give at first base between Ike Davis and Lucas Duda, but that is not the most intriguing trade chip the Mets possess. Team insiders say the Mets also will listen on Daniel Murphy.

That does not mean the Mets expect to trade Murphy. It means if they get a quality offer that would address, say, a shortstop or outfield hole, they would strongly weigh making such a move.

How would the Mets adjust to trading Murphy? Fans may clamor for Wilmer Flores to take over at second base, but the early insider speculation is that Eric Young Jr. most likely would handle the position.

While not labeling it a mistake to let Jose Reyes walk given the contract he received from the Miami Marlins, Mets execs recognize they have lacked a speed element since his departure. At least, they lacked a speed element until Young arrived in a June 18 trade with the Colorado Rockies for Collin McHugh.

So absent another leadoff hitter and deficient in speed throughout the lineup, Young likely is a starter somewhere on the Mets next season -- even though he may be best-suited on a top team as a fourth or fifth outfielder.

As for Duda or Davis, there are strong internal preferences about which first baseman to retain. An ESPNNewYork.com survey found seven of nine scouts preferred Duda.

But the Mets’ approach is expected to be to solicit offers on Davis and Duda and see which commands the more generous offer relative to his internal value.

While it seems likely one departs, Duda does have a minor league option remaining. So there is a scenario in which both return and Duda opens the season at Las Vegas while the Mets see whether Davis again starts the season slowly.

Regardless, there seems to be no consideration to nontendering Davis in December, despite his $3.125 million salary in 2013.

2. What’s the 2014 payroll?

Money always seems to be the question with the Mets.

And brace yourself: The payroll likely will go down from its 2013 level of roughly $95 million.

Wait, wait, wait ... before you have a coronary:

Mets insiders suggest they have more than adequate flexibility to be aggressive in free agency if they choose. But, they add, it would not be “sane” after getting out from under albatross contracts to reinvest all that money in one offseason and likely get saddled with a new crop of bad contracts down the road.

Coming off the books:

• Johan Santana, $31 million (including a $5.5 million buyout)
• Jason Bay, $21 million (albeit $15 million deferred as much as two years)
• Frank Francisco, $6.5 million
• John Buck, $6 million (less what the Pittsburgh Pirates picked up for September)
• Shaun Marcum, $5 million-plus (including incentives)

That’s roughly $70 million right there.

David Wright’s contract calls for a $9 million raise, and Jonathon Niese gets a $2 million raise. A handful of other players eligible for arbitration will have salary increases too.

But there is little chance those raises, plus external additions, match the amount coming off the books.

So figure the Mets’ payroll to go modestly down in 2014, even with several external additions.

3. Will the Mets sign a top-tier free agent?

As it turns out, the Mets will have a top-10 draft pick -- meaning they will not need to forfeit their first-round selection if they sign a premium free agent such as Shin-Soo Choo.

Still, a team insider said, with the exception of Choo, the Mets do not intend to pursue those types of free agents anyway (think outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Curtis Granderson). So the protected/unprotected issue was wasted energy to debate.

The Mets, according to an insider, also do not intend to offer more than a Michael Bourn-type contract for Choo, which means four guaranteed years. Their reasoning: Choo is not an exceptional fielder. And his power potential is not equivalent to outfielders who have received megadeals, such as Jayson Werth (seven years, $126 million in December 2010).

So if Scott Boras can do better -- and the bet is he can, especially with Hunter Pence getting five years and $90 million to stay with the San Francisco Giants -- Choo likely is headed elsewhere.

Look for the Mets to adopt the Boston Red Sox's model from last offseason, which means spending money on five or six middle-tier free agents.

Last offseason, Boston signed:

• Shane Victorino, three years, $39 million
• Ryan Dempster, two years, $26.5 million
• Jonny Gomes, two years, $10 million
• Stephen Drew, one year, $9.5 million
• David Ross, two years, $6.2 million
• Mike Napoli, one year, $5 million
• Koji Uehara, one year, $4.25 million.

They also acquired Joel Hanrahan in a trade.

4. Will Harvey need surgery?

The Mets and Matt Harvey clearly are on different pages about the need for Tommy John surgery.

The Mets’ press release at the time of Harvey’s announcement that he would attempt rehab and a throwing program for six to eight weeks clearly implied Harvey needed to disprove the need for surgery with that two-month program.

Alderson said Friday he can really count only on Niese, Zack Wheeler and Dillon Gee in 2014.

So the Mets likely need to obtain one veteran starting pitcher as a hedge against Harvey missing next season. If Harvey ends up OK, that starter could compete with youngsters such as Rafael Montero, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.

The question becomes: Will the acquisition be at the Bronson Arroyo-type price? Or at the Daisuke Matsuzaka/Aaron Harang level?

(If Harvey commits to surgery within a couple of months, the Mets likely would need to be more aggressive.)

One reunion ESPNNewYork.com hears is unlikely to occur: the Mets and Scott Kazmir.

Right-hander Cory Mazzoni -- a Double-A starter this season -- could compete for a bullpen spot out of spring training but is not in the rotation consideration right now. Double-A closer Jeff Walters may be a relief factor too.

Down the road, watch for right-hander Gabriel Ynoa -- a 17-game winner at low-Class A Savannah this season -- to rise quickly through the system and threaten to crack the big league rotation.

5. Who mans shortstop?

It might be easier to answer the question: Who doesn’t man shortstop?

It remains unclear whether the Mets will go outside the organization, although that would seem the better course.

Team insiders believe that if the Mets can get above-average production from the corner outfielders they add this winter, then maybe they can go with a defensive-oriented shortstop.

The organization consensus is Omar Quintanilla cannot hit enough to be an every-day guy. And team brass believes Wilfredo Tovar needs more time in the minors for seasoning, despite the positive start to his major league career.

Terry Collins recently described the shortstop job as Ruben Tejada’s to lose among internal candidates. But that was the manager going rogue and not the organizational view.

So Tejada’s days with the Mets, at least in the majors, may be numbered.

The Mets do not view Tejada as a backup middle-infielder candidate. That is Justin Turner’s job in all likelihood in 2014.

So it likely is starter or bust for Tejada. And he is going to have to bust it to get into shape after his fractured leg heals to prove he merits the job.

NEW YORK

FIRST PITCH: The Mets will have a familiar look in 2014, at least in terms of manager and coaches.

Sandy Alderson is due to announce a two-year contract extension for Collins with a team option for 2016 at a noon press conference today at Citi Field. Collins’ entire coaching staff also is expected to return intact.

The Mets completed their season Sunday with a 74-88 record -- identical to 2012 -- after beating the Brewers, 3-2, behind two unearned runs in the eighth inning. They finished in third place, a game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies, although David Wright was not impressed. The Mets will pick 10th in next June’s draft -- meaning they will not forfeit their first-round pick should they sign a premium free agent.

Want to voice your opinion about which players stay and go? Please vote in our Take ’em or trash ’em poll here. We already have more than 2,500 ballots cast.

Monday’s news reports:

• Mike Piazza became the 27th inductee into the Mets Hall of Fame on Sunday. Mayor Mike Bloomberg declared it “Mike Piazza Day” in New York City.

Columnist Jim Baumbach in Newsday suggests Piazza’s ceremony is a vivid reminder of the importance of spending money on players. Writes Baumbach:

Because as the Mets embark on one of their most important offseasons in some time, Piazza's return was a timely reminder of all the good that can come from spending money on the right player. It's easy to forget, but when the Mets acquired Piazza in a 1998 midseason trade and gave him $91 million that next offseason, it represented an organizational shift in strategy.

Burned by a few high-priced contracts in the early 1990s, the Mets grew reluctant to spend and turned their focus within. Sound familiar?

Columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post advocates Piazza getting enshrined in that Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, too. Writes Kernan:

There is no getting around the PED scandal and Piazza is pointing out that is the way the game went down in that era. In his heart of hearts he believes he will be in the Hall of Fame someday.

There is no doubt in my mind Piazza is a Hall of Fame player. I voted for him last time and I will vote for him again next time. Piazza received 57.8 percent of the vote his first time on the ballot. He needs 75 percent to get into Cooperstown.

Mike Puma in the Post notes Bobby Valentine, who managed Piazza, was not among the group invited to take part in the on-field pregame ceremony. Writes Puma:

According to sources, Valentine -- who worked in-studio for SNY on Sunday -- was not extended an invitation to the event. Piazza provided the club with a list of people he wanted invited.

Read more in the Daily News, Star-Ledger, Record, Times, Newsday and MLB.com.

• Matt Harvey continues to undergo physical therapy at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Collins said he believes Harvey soon will be cleared to begin his throwing program in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in the hopes of avoiding Tommy John surgery. Read more in the Daily News.

• Bob Raissman in the Daily News notes how Howie Rose handled the Mets’ final game on WFAN. The station is switching to Yankees games next season, prompting the Mets to need to find a new home. Writes Raissman:

In the end, Howie Rose was not looking back.

During the eighth inning of the Mets’ final radiocast on WFAN, he thanked everyone responsible for getting the games on the air since 1987 when WHN became WFAN. And in the ninth, he said farewell-- for now.

"Well, Shakespeare said the play is the thing," Rose said. "But for a baseball broadcaster the game is the thing."

He said "it's time to listen to the games" in a new location. He did not know where that would be, but told fans to "stay well" and "stay safe."

"And like that old cliché goes," Rose said, "check your local listings."

• Eric Young Jr. won the NL steals crown with two on the final day to finish with 46. He entered the day tied with Milwaukee’s Jean Segura, who sat with a cranky hamstring. Young and father Eric Sr. became the first father-son tandem ever to win league steal honors for a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

• Read game/season recaps and looks ahead to the future in the Post, Daily News, Journal, Newsday, Star-Ledger and Record.

• The representative for free-agent-to-be LaTroy Hawkins and the Mets already have spoken about a return in 2014, according to multiple reports.

• From the bloggers … Mark Berman at Blogging Mets hands out final grades in his Mets report card.

BIRTHDAYS: Dave Magadan, now the Texas Rangers hitting coach, turns 51.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

Thanks @mikepiazza31 #favoriteplayer #mets #HOF pic.twitter.com/HvZcnCHlzj

— Don Flatts (@DonnyBearFlatts) September 29, 2013

YOU’RE UP: Do you approve of Terry Collins and the entire coaching staff returning?

NEW YORK -- The good news: The Mets will have a protected first-round draft pick next June, no matter what free agent they sign.

The bad news: The Mets fell all the way to the 10th selection with Sunday's win against the Brewers.

Here's the order for the first round (tiebreaker is worse 2012 winning percentage):

1. Astros (51-111)
2. Marlins (62-100)
3. White Sox (63-99)
4. Cubs (66-96)
5. Twins (66-96)
6. Mariners (71-91)
7. Phillies (73-89)
8. Rockies (74-88)
9. Blue Jays (74-88)
10. Mets (74-88)
11. Blue Jays (for not signing 2012 10th pick)
12. Brewers (74-88)
13. Padres (76-86)
14. Giants (76-86)
15. Angels (78-84)
16. Diamondbacks (81-81)
17. Orioles (85-77)
18. Yankees (85-77)
19. Royals (86-76)
20. Nationals (86-76)
21. Reds (90-72)
22. Rays/Rangers (91-71)
23. Rangers/Rays (91-71)
24. Indians (92-70)
25. Dodgers (92-70)
26. Tigers (93-69)
27. Pirates (94-68)
28. Athletics (96-66)
29. Braves (96-66)
30. Red Sox (97-65)
31. Cardinals (97-65)

NEW YORK -- After four straight fourth-place finishes, the Mets topped the Phillies by a game in the NL East this season and placed third.

But count David Wright unenthusiastic.

"We're still going home tomorrow," Wright said after the Mets' season-ending 3-2 win against the Milwaukee Brewers. "I guess finishing in third in the Central would have been good this year, because they're going to the playoffs. Like I said, that's just those little things that if you want to use that to make you feel better about yourself, then that's fine. I don't necessarily think it's all that important.

"We finished with a win. That's always nice. But the bottom line is we're going home, just like the majority of the teams in the National League tomorrow. There's not too much to smile about with that."