Carlos Beltran

Spring Training is right around the corner and that means that your fantasy baseball draft can't be too far away either.

The New York Mets are not seen as legitimate contenders in the National League, but that doesn't mean that its players won't be able to help you dominate your opposition this season.

Let's take a look at which Mets batters could play a role in 2011.

David Wright

The New York Mets of 2011 could be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

They probably won’t have their ace, Johan Santana until the All-Star Break, so the question becomes whether Mike Pelfrey, Chris Young, Jon Niese and RA Dickey can keep the team afloat until then.

If they can’t keep the Mets in contention, there could be a firesale in New York with a ton of pieces that would help clubs in the playoff hunt. Among them is shortstop Jose Reyes, who is owed $11 million in the last year of a four-year, $23 million deal.

One of the most disappointing moments of the Mets' 2010 season was not having a healthy outfield. Before last season even started, the Mets learned they would be without Carlos Beltran as he underwent knee surgery in January.

They did have Jason Bay, the team's biggest offseason acquisition, but after not performing for a majority of the season, he went down with a concussion in July and never returned.

Winning a major baseball award is typically a big step towards fame, riches and potentially a place in the MLB Hall of Fame. But not every MVP, ROY, Cy Young or Rolaids Relief award winner is destined for greatness. Some of them simply become trade bait.

With the baseball off-season wrapping up and Spring Training just around the corner, here's a look at 10 major award winners who could be changing teams this year.

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Picture this scene; it’s late July, and the Mets are sitting in last place with no hope of reversing their fortunes.  In other words, it’s become yet another lost summer in Queens.

Fortunately for the Mets, patrolling Center Field is a healthy and all-star caliber slugger named Carlos Beltran.  His hefty salary has become an albatross to the Mets’ payroll, and Sandy Alderson is actively shopping him, gauging the interest level of current playoff contenders.

It happens every year. One team has unreasonably high expectations for their team, signs a couple of free agents, and when they fail to meet their goals, they become sellers at the trade deadline.

Need an example? How about last year's Seattle Mariners. In theory, Cliff Lee would have been great if they had an offense. However, their lack of success forced them to trade Lee to the Rangers, a team better suited for Lee.

Which New York Mets players pose some questions and concerns for the upcoming and debut season for GM Sandy Alderson and Manager Terry Collins? 

The first concerns are the unknowns. 

Will starting and bullpen pitching be acquired? 

Will our farm system be raided to acquire talent just to be in the middle of the pack? 

Baseball is one of the most unpredictable sports in the world.   

Before the season starts, predictions are made of who will do this and who will do that.  But, the truth is, that there are so many different things that can and will happen.  Every season, the unexpected happens.

Whether it be in the form of a young player having a monster year.  A mediocre player who suddenly becomes a star.  A veteran having one last kick at the can, or a perennial all-star having an off year.

It's always sunny in Philadelphia recently, but the prediction in New York is stormy weather for the foreseeable future. There are a lot of holes in the Mets organization, and the fans are sick of being rained on, over and over again. This list encapsulates the top nine ten players, theoretically an entire team, that the Mets need to replace during the 2011 season.

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The Mets now have to contend with the quartet of pitching that is the Phillies. Not to mention a young Atlanta team that seeks revenge. Florida? We'll see. And then, there are the up and coming Nationals, with a hot new pitcher, albeit hurt, a catcher quickly gaining attention, and a multi million dollar Jason Werth deal. Not to mention Nyger Morgan, who brings his quirky optimism, but also isn't afraid to charge the mound. Count on them in the not-so-near future. So what do the Mets need to do to contend? Well...