You may be borrowing trouble here. There is no indication that Santana's elbow is damaged. So long as the sensation in his arm is tightness caused by a resumption of throwing, he should get past this delay and take his place atop the rotation. A degree of tightness is expected for any pitcher who resumes throwing after five months of not throwing. He said he felt fine after throwing 31 pitches in a bullpen session on Sunday morning.

The Mets' ultra-caution, coupled with the process of Santana rebuilding arm strength, will make this scenario drag on for a while. Understand that Spring Training is for starting pitchers. If somehow they could show up on March 15 and be ready to throw seven innings or 90 pitches, the exhibition games would begin on St. Paddy's Day.

There is next to nothing the Mets can do if Santana's situation becomes more serious other than substitute a body -- a lesser pitcher -- in the rotation. There is no unsigned pitcher who can provide what Santana provides, no pitcher on the Mets' roster who is remotely comparable with him. And even if Mike Pelfrey, John Maine or Oliver Perez were to provide more than can be realistically expected and win 18 to 20 games, a falloff would exist farther down in the rotation. No one could expect one of the current candidates for the No. 5 spot to produce as the Mets project Pelfrey, Maine or Perez to.

A scenario involving Martinez isn't readily envisioned at this point, no matter the condition of Santana or the others. If Martinez were to pitch effectively in the World Baseball Classic and demonstrate reasonable degrees of stamina and resilience and the ability to get loose early and pitch effectively in the first innings, then, I suppose, he would reappear on the Mets' radar.

No one anticipates that development.

Regarding David Wright and Jose Reyes: It seems as though their productivity has leveled off. Do you think they will continue to improve, or is this as good as it gets for them and the Mets?
-- Danny S., Coral Springs, Fla.

Your e-mail reads as though you're disappointed. Statistically, Wright had his most productive season in 2008, with career highs in home runs, RBIs and runs. He equaled his high in doubles and walks, and made fewer errors than he made in any other full season. That said, his '07 probably exceeded his 2008 in impact.

Reyes' 2008 is difficult to assess against his previous seasons. It certainly was comparable with any season that preceded it. His on-base percentage was higher, and his defense was consistently good.

I suspect that neither player has had his signature season yet. Wright plays this season at age 25, and Reyes turns 26 in June. Each has time and the motivation to improve. If the two produce their signature seasons simultaneously, watch out.

Which is the Mets' worst signing of this past offseason? I would have to say it's Alex Cora. He is getting $2 million to be a bench player. The only way he is worth that much is if he becomes a starter at some point during the season. Your thoughts?
-- Justin H., Washington Crossing, Pa.

I expect Cora to be a genuine asset, and $2 million is not an exorbitant price for a player of his resume and projected contribution. A team with legitimate postseason aspirations must have a reliable middle-infield reserve. Given the importance of Reyes to the batting order, regardless of the position he fills, I'd think the Mets would be happy to pay Cora the $2 million to assure that Reyes plays at least 150 games.

Moreover, Cora is insurance against Luis Castillo not producing the renaissance season the Mets are hoping for, and he's a good clubhouse guy.

I like the idea of Reyes batting third. I don't mind where he bats, but if he doesn't bat leadoff, will he get the chance to steal bases the way he has the past couple of years? To me, it wouldn't be the same Jose if he doesn't.
-- Elvis S., Bronx, N.Y.

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He may not be the same. What he does as a No. 3 hitter -- if he does, indeed, remain in that position -- may not be as exciting. But the objective in all this batting-order revision is to win games, not to accumulate stolen bases. Your thoughts remind me of an old Beach Boys song "No-Go Showboat." The lyric included "Just for looks, man; not for drags." And "When it comes to speed, I'm just out of luck. I'm even shut down by the ice cream truck."

How dated are those? But you get the message. Do you want a car that looks good or wins races? Do you want a stolen-base leader or a division championship? And please don't think I'm accusing Reyes of a being a "No-Go Showboat." I'm not.

I don't mean to sound petty, but I don't like the green seats at Citi Field. I like the color scheme that Shea had. I also liked the blue outfield wall at Shea. The wall and green seats at Citi Field make the stadium look so drab. Jeff Wilpon goes on and on about how great the stadium looks, but it already needs a paint job. How do we let the Wilpons know our opinion on this?
-- Tony F., St. Paul, Minn.

You just did. You don't seem petty, merely displeased. That's allowed. It's all a matter of taste. I prefer my ballparks dark green. By the end, Shea was too blue for my taste. My favorite current park is Coors Field, where the seats are dark green. And I loved the pre-1976 Yankee Stadium. It had nothing to do with the colors. And if Citi Field is packed, who cares about the color of the seats no one will see?

I've seen e-mails about which Mets should have their number retired next. I've thought of Bud Harrelson, Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter, among others, as my choices. Three other guys come to mind, though they weren't players. How about honoring the original Mets broadcasting team? Have a ceremony honoring Bob Murphy, Ralph Kiner and Lindsey Nelson. I think Murphy has been honored, but these three should really be honored together. Do you think there is any chance of this happening?
-- Mike V., Briarwood, N.Y.

Murph, Ralph and Lindsey were inducted simultaneously 25 years ago.