Last night the four of us (Eric Simon, Jeremy Heit, Matt Gelb and Ricardo Gonzalez) fired up a chat window to powwow about the all-but-official trade that will send Mike Cameron to the San Diego Padres and bring OF/1B Xavier Nady back to the Mets. As usual, it didn’t take long for the conversation to degenerate beyond any hope of repair.

Matt: I do not think this trade is the end of the world. It’s far from it in fact. There’s a way the Mets can come out on top after this: by signing Brian Giles.

Jeremy: Absolutely. This move, and whether it is good or not, is completely dependent on the rest of Omar’s offseason moves. Well, the fact that there are no rumors about Giles right now worries me about what the actual grand plan is.

Matt: Freeing up an apparent six million dollars gives the Mets a great shot to overwhelm Giles on the open market.

Eric: You have to believe that Omar is not confident with Victor Diaz in rightfield moving forward, so he must have some larger plan for that position.

Matt: I get sick watching Victor in RF.

Eric: A Floyd/Beltran/Giles outfield would be a terrific one.

Jeremy: And with Wright, a great middle of the order.

Matt: No doubt. Giles fits exactly what this team needs. A solid right fielder and someone who can get on base. We have said this a million times.

Ricardo: *posts link to Delgado rumor*

Matt: Whoaaaaa. Okay. This is a good trade. So the Mets are presented with two possible outcomes: Keep Nady and Jacobs at 1B and go upgrade the RF position offensively. Or, peddle Nady and Jacobs and others for Delgado and use Diaz/someone else in RF.

Ricardo: I don’t get this. Why would the Marlins trade Delgado to us?

Matt: Because they’re that desperate. The team is looking at significant financial problems and they cannot get a stadium built in Florida.

Eric: Delgado is making $48 million over the next three seasons.

Ricardo: and what exactly would it take to get it done?

Jeremy: Matt, the way I read the article, its more likely Diaz would be moved. It seems the Mets like Nady in RF.

Ricardo: I’m not dealing Milledge. Everyone else is game.

Matt: No, it doesn’t take Milledge. The Mets pick up all of Carlos’ salary for the Fish and give them Nady, Bannister and someone else.

Eric: $16 million per season for Delgado is pricey.

Jeremy: Yeah. Carlos’ contract, at full value, worries me a little

Matt: I’d give it to him. Hell, we were going to give him that last winter. What’s the difference now?

Ricardo: I’ll take on the money as long as we keep the talent. Besides, we already saved $7MM from Cameron. That means that essentially we’d only be paying $7MM for Delgado

Eric: Probably right. The Mets were paying Piazza $15 million per season for the last few underwhelming years.

Matt: Exactly. If the Mets eat money, it takes Nady and a few fringers, like Bannister.

Eric: Delgado is still a monstrous offensive player. On-base machine, big masher, too.

Jeremy: Once again, I think the Nady trade plus the article seem to ride Diaz’s ticket out of here

Matt: Well, who would you rather have, Diaz or Nady?

Eric: Nady.

Ricardo: Next year? Nady. But in the future, Diaz. He’s younger .

Matt: It is a debate on its own, but an important one.

Matt: However, the Marlins will probably want Nady because he’s already demonstrated he can play 1B in the Majors.

Ricardo: They can have him.

Eric: I agree. They can have him.

Matt: Yep.

Eric: Cameron-for-Delgado sounds good to me.

Matt: Delgado crawling back to Flushing…good stuff.

Eric: A straight salary dump does not sound like big-market Omar to me. He’s gotta have something up his sleeve. This might be it.

Matt: This makes me happy. Coming into the offseason we all agreed they needed to upgrade either RF or 1B offensively.

Ricardo: Could the fish want Jacobs? Would you include him in a deal?

Matt: If it meant getting Delgado without trading Milo? Absolutely. I still think Jake is no better than a ML platoon player.

Jeremy: I have a higher opinion of Jake, but I have to agree. Delgado is a better player and Jake would have no use if Carlos is acquired.

Matt: He’s got a sexy bat, but can it hold up for 162 games? No.

Eric: Probably not, I agree. Though I would be okay letting him give it a go, should this Delgado thing fall through.

Matt: The key to this offseason is upgrading RF or 1B offensively, without trading Milo.

Jeremy: Agreed. I prefer Giles and Nady/Jacobs. But I can’t argue with Delgado and Diaz and/or Nady.

Matt: Let’s just remember: with regards to RF, Milo should be here come Opening Day 2007. That’s why I’d rather upgrade 1B now, a harder position to fill.

Eric: Definitely. Trading Jacobs/Diaz/Nady is not mortgaging the future. The future is Wright/Reyes/Milledge. When Delgado’s contract expires guys like Adam Dunn will be free agents.

Ricardo: I can’t believe the Marlins would trade him to us though. I mean, give up the division, why don’t you.

Jeremy: But we can’t be the only team interested.

Eric: The Red Sox would seem like a good fit for Delgado. He’s a much better option than Paul Konerko, if the Sox were seriously thinking of pursuing him.

Matt: The Sox don’t have a 1B to give the Marlins.

Eric: The Manny Ramirez deal is almost certainly dead now.

Jeremy: It is dead.

Matt: Thank God.

Matt: Because that would have just sucked.

Eric: There has to be something to this Delgado story. Kind of a funny thing to make up, don’t you think?

Matt: Yeah. Completely out of left field. But the #### up thing is that it makes perfect sense. Almost.

Eric: Definitely. Not your usual recycled Soriano or Ramirez drivel.

Ricardo: Would you trade Heilman to the Fish?

Jeremy: I’d prefer not too.

Eric: Particularly if the Mets are taking on the whole Delgado contract. It should take less in terms of talent.

Jeremy: Jacobs or Diaz and Seo?

Eric: Regardless of what happens, this is almost certainly just the first move in what promises to be a very busy offseason in Flushing.

Matt: I’m excited. I feel better about it than I did yesterday.

Ricardo: “In addition, saving millions with the Cameron deal will help Minaya court Bengie Molina, who is expected to get approximately $7 million-8 million annually for three or four years.”

Matt: WHAT? 3/24?

Matt: Someone suggested this in the comments: “Maybe Omar as a part of the deal has Padres not offering arbitration to R. Hernandez” Not a bad idea.

Eric: Except I still wouldn’t pay Hernandez $8 million a season.

Matt: I’d rather pay Hernandez $8 mil than Molina.

Eric: Sure. But that’s like saying you’d rather eat barf than ####.

Ricardo: Would you really prefer barf over ####?

Matt: I’d rather eat barf.

Jeremy: Barf might still have chunks of real food in it.

Matt: Barf once came out of my mouth. #### didn’t. Therefore, I’d rather eat barf than ####.

Eric: Can’t argue with that logic.