Whither the Mets?

The Phillies have upgraded their bench.

The Phillies have wheeled and dealed to be in two World Series in a row and to ink one of baseball's best pitchers for the next 4 plus years.

The Nationals have signed a starting pitcher who should bolster their rotation.

The Braves have been on the move, too.

But what about the Mets? We heard hot-stove talk about both Jason Bay and Bengie Molina, but so far nothing has materialized with either player. Last year, they got hit with a tsunami's worth of injuries, an amount so great that no team in the Majors could have suffered equivalents and remained competitive. They should be better if Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran can remain healthy for an entire season. But they still need David Wright's swing to return and Johan Santana to return to form. They need bullpen help before K-Rod, they need starting pitching and a first baseman.

And, so far?

Nothing.

Is it because talks with Bay and Molina have bogged down? Or is it because someday soon we'll finally learn how much money the Wilpons lost because they trusted their old friend Bernie Madoff? It's hard to say.

Right now, I view the Mets as sleeping giants who are not likely to stand pat. I would look for a few big signings and a trade, all of which should improve the team but still leave some holes in their starting rotation. That said, we're about 6 weeks away from spring training, and the clock is ticking.