While one New York paper raises the possibility the Mets are only bidding against themselves for Jason Bay, Fox Sports’ Bob Klapisch advises GM Omar Minaya to pursue an entirely different path and trade P Johan Santana while the talismanic starter’s value is still relatively high.  “Dealing the franchise™s best pitcher would be tantamount to surrender,” admits Klapisch, “but it would be at least be an honest admission to fans.”

Santana was supposed to deliver the Mets a pennant when he signed in 2007, so in a sense he has failed them. But it™s the Mets who are the guilty party; they™ve sabotaged Santana from Day 1.

They™ve given him no help with pitchers who™ve either been injured (Maine), have regressed (Pelfrey) or were never worth the money (Perez, $36 million for three years).

Still, the Mets have to make peace with the idea that the Santana experiment has failed, just as the Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner gambles all turned to vapor. Yet, they continue to chase The Next Great Star as if this was 2006 and they were one player away from greatness.

Actually if the Mets were capable of making a cold business decision, they™d even dangle David Wright and Jose Reyes. Wright, in particular, could bring a bundle of prospects in return — and who knows, he might just welcome a trade since he™s playing in a new ballpark he obviously hates.

But the Mets could never part with either Wright or Reyes. They™re Home-grown talent; the emotional attachment is too strong. Santana™s place in the Met family is cemented only by cash.

Though the entire article, Klapisch makes a number of salient points.   No one in their right mind (or for that matter, Minaya) believes giving Benjie Molina a three-year deal is going to solve anything.  But I have a slightly hard time with the assertion Santana has “failed”.  Short of serving as his own catcher and/or pitching on zero days rest, could Santana have done any more to put the club on his back during September of ’08?