NEW YORK -- So much of what the Mets see, think and plan these days is seen, thought and planned in the relative comfort of first place. The well-padded division lead they have produced has removed most of the angst and urgency that develops annually as the trading deadline approaches.

The Mets would prefer to reinforce their pitching -- both the rotation and bullpen -- but they also believe they can operate in the "if-it's-not-broke-don't-fix-it" mode and maintain their position in the National League East.

"Offensively, we should be OK," general manager Omar Minaya said. "The way we are, the way we've been playing, I don't want to mess around with our personnel, unless we're going get much better."

The chance of a significant deal in which a Mets regular would be dealt or a regular would be acquired is remote. Perhaps if the club could import a second baseman younger and more defensively skilled than Jose Valentin -- Tampa Bay shortstop Julio Lugo is out there once again -- it would restore Valentin's early-season status as a valuable left-handed bat off the bench.

The Mets are delighted with Valentin's production and all-around performance, but are just a tad concerned about how his 36-year-old legs will withstand the dog days of August at a physically demanding position.

Otherwise, the team's needs are few. The personnel on the big-league roster fits well together, though the fit would be better if Aaron Heilman were performing as he did last season. The right-handed reliever has hit his share of bats this summer, increasing the need for left-handed relief. Southpaw reliever Pedro Feliciano is getting more work than anticipated as a result.

A possible deal that would import a left-handed specialist more reliable than Feliciano or a right-handed pitcher with a split-fingered fastball or a changeup to defuse left-handed hitters would be tempting. But Minaya is not going to create one hole to fill another.

Nor is he open to dealing rookie outfielder Lastings Milledge who, despite the glitches in his first weeks of big-league play, is looking like a part of the 2007 team. Minaya intends to hoard the well-tooled athletes he has.

One pitcher -- perhaps two -- looms on the Mets' immediate horizon. Minaya will consider rookie starter Mike Pelfrey, the Mets' first-round selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, to fill out the rotation, mostly because of the cushiony division lead, but also because Pelfrey has been introduced to adversity in his first professional season and now is better equipped to deal with struggles.

The other pitcher is a long shot, but what contender wouldn't look long and hard if the Braves made John Smoltz available. Minaya in known to consider Smoltz the ideal acquistion. And former Brave Tom Glavine wouldn't say no to an October reunion tour with his buddy. But a deal to bring Smoltz north and have him help in the push for a pennant isn't even in the prenatal stage.