Omar, Would you Like a Menu?

As Omar Minaya nears the end of the Offseason Buffet line, there are several different approaches he can employ. To fill his empty plate, he can go for the star players (Filet Mignon, Lobster, and Escargot), he can go with the most reliable and safe options (Lasagna, Chicken and Salad) or he can try to get creative and catch lightning in a bottle by matching risky exotic dishes and some cheap filler (Crab Cakes, Sushi and Mac & Cheese). Of course, there's always dessert ...

The Filet Mignon

Beef is a good-tasting and nutritious food item, and steaks are the favorite of most people. A good steak is juicy, tender, loaded with flavor, and has a minimum amount of fat. Fat is a waste item on a steak. So a good steak doesn't have much fat on the outside or between the muscles.

This year's free agent crop only includes one real cut of filet mignon: Carlos Beltran. The kid is young, fast, charismatic, clutch and displays the ability to hit and hit for power. As with any good dish, Beltran is going to cost you an arm and a leg. His talent makes him a no-brainer, but his paycheck may drive you to consider less expensive substitutions.

The Lasagna

Let's face it ... Lasagna isn't perfect, but it's always pretty good. Even a mediocre lasagna is covered with melted cheese and easy to stomach. When lasagna is good, however, it's almost as good as that filet mignon. This year's free agent crop has very few "safe" dishes. Carl Pavano and Carlos Delgado.

With Pavano, it must be taken into consideration that he's not an ace and that he had a fantastic season in a walk year. Either way, given his age, build and mental makeup, he's a pretty safe bet to be a reliable guy that will give you innings, strikeouts and a reasonable ERA that keeps you in games. As with any Lasagna, he could be mediocre, but he has the potential to be really good.

Carlos Delgado proved that his injury was not a big deal when he came back and crushed the ball in the second half. Delgado will hit, plain and simple. He's probably going to lose some of his pizazz when taken out of his home kitchen, but he'll be a productive prototypical left-handed hitting first baseman for any team.

The Risky Exotic Dishes

Pedro Martinez, Matt Clement, Richie Sexson and JD Drew make up this batch. Martinez is a 33-year old diva who is already a lock for the Hall of Fame. He may do very well making a move to Shea Stadium and the NL ... but then again, he might be the next Tom Glavine. Clement has great stuff, but has some mental issues and some control problems to overcome. He's your souflet that could be anything from a brilliant success to a deflated mess. Sexson has the potential to be a 40+ HR presence in the Mets lineup, but with his ailing shoulder he also has the potential to be the next Mo Vaughn. Same kind of scenario applies to Venezuelan number, Magglio Ordonez and the Dixie dish, J.D. Drew.

Sammy Sosa could be lumped into the Risky Exotic foods category here, but his kind of risk is more like that week-old leftover burrito in the fridge ... you hope it still retains some chance of tasting OK, but chances are there's some baggage growing on it that didn't come with the original order.

Salad and Mac & Cheese

Doug Mientkiewicz is your salad. You know he's good for you (with his glove, his ability to draw walks and his high fiber totals), but salad is never going to make or break the meal. It's nothing more than fixings and trim. A good salad, however, can be the perfect compliment to a diverse exotic meal ... or a really good filet mignon ...

Mac & cheese? I knew you would ask. Everyone wants to try the macaroni & cheese even though it's obvious it wont be great. Paul Wilson is a perfect example of macaroni and cheese. Thing is, the Mets are already loaded to the hilts with mac & cheese in players like Steve Trachsel and Mike Stanton. No more mac & cheese for us, please.

Save Room for Dessert

Ah yes, the dessert. The icing on the cake, if you will. Frankly, a dessert is irrelevant if the meal is bad, but if the meal is genuinely good, a solid bench player or two combined with some effective bullpen arms can make for a scrumptious dessert. As with salads and entrees, dessert can be a diverse thing. You can go all out for that popular Steve Kline, or skimp and try to pick a winner you think is ready for a breakout.

Omar's Order

So what will it be Mr. Minaya? Would you like to try the special today? A Richie Sexson with a side of Odalis Perez, or would you like to try the always reliable Carlos Delgado & Brad Radke combination? Perhaps you are feeling a little bold this evening and would like to spring for the Carlos Beltran, with an expensive bottle of Pedro Martinez and side dish of Doug Mientkiewicz?

Need more time? Sure, just let me know when you are ready ....