But to do that, the Wilpons have to be willing to invest as opposed to just spending. Despite their NL-high $140 million payroll last year, the Mets were less than generous on the next generation. According to Baseball America, the Mets doled out $3.1 million on last June's 35 signed draft picks — the lowest in the majors and a 50 percent drop-off from their 2008 investment.

Reigning in costs isn't Minaya's call, of course. That comes from Wilpon, who may or may not have been stripped clean by the Madoff scandal. Initial reports say Sterling Equities, the Wilpons' investment firm, may have lost close to $800 million, although there are conflicting accounts which indicate the Mets actually walked away from Madoff with a small profit.

In either scenario, the Mets are unlikely to continue over-paying for free agents in a win-now climate. That philosophy has failed.

The Mets haven't been the same since Game 7 of the 2006 NL Championship Series, when they were beaten by a less-talented Cardinals team on its way to the World Series. Minaya keeps spending the Wilpons' money as if the Mets were just a player away. He's just about out of time.

The 2009 carnage spoke volumes of the organization's miscalculation: with a gorgeous new stadium, a huge payroll and a big-market stage, the Mets have somehow become irrelevant. Manuel will be the first casualty if the team plays poorly in April and May, but a bigger fix is now in order.

Totally eclipsed by the Yankees' enormous shadow, the Mets should use that cover to rebuild in the next 2-3 years. They need to pay their scouts and minor league personnel in a way that makes them an irresistible, forward-directed franchise.

Firing Manuel would probably satisfy the cravings of the Mets' fan base, but they'd trade their blood-lust for 2-3 years of patience if they knew Wilpon and Minaya were spending their money wisely.

As popular as the Yankees are, there's an entire sub-culture of fans dying to root against them. The Mets once filled that void: they used to be younger and hipper and more fun to watch. They can reclaim that past, but only by admitting 2010 isn't going transform this roster into the Yankees' or the Phillies', even if Holliday or Halladay somehow land in Flushing.