Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - Instead of finding a scapegoat for last year's historical collapse, New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya opted to keep the team intact and sign perhaps the best pitcher in baseball to erase the embarrassing memory.

The Mets owned a seemingly-comfortable lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the National League East division standings before a sudden funk struck the ballclub with two weeks remaining on the schedule. New York lost control of the division lead and eventually missed out on a playoff berth by losing to Florida on the final day of the 2007 campaign.

The talent-laden Mets roster was a laughing stock after that, but the offseason acquisition of Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins will be the antidote for what ails this club.

New York is already loaded with talented players, and the addition of two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Santana puts the Mets back in the NL East driver's seat. After failing to quiet Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins and his 2007 prediction that the Phillies were the team to beat, Mets All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran took it upon himself by boldly claiming that his team will win the highly-competitive division in 2008.

Santana will be joining a solid staff highlighted by veteran right-hander Pedro Martinez, a three-time Cy Young Award recipient who missed most of last year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. He returned to action in early September and compiled a 3-1 record with a 2.57 ERA in five starts, giving manager Willie Randolph some hope for this season.

Martinez's health will be the biggest concern for the skipper. Young rising star John Maine is coming off a 15-win season and is looking for more success in his third season with the 'Amazins. Third baseman David Wright enjoyed a career year in 2007, when he batted .325 with 30 homers, 113 runs and 34 stolen bases -- all bests for the top NL player on the hot corner. He finished fourth in NL MVP voting, won by Rollins of the rival Phillies, and captured his first Gold Glove Award.

Wright, Beltran, Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado are the big boys in the lineup, which took a blow with the recent injury to veteran outfielder Moises Alou. Alou had hernia surgery in early March and is expected to miss some time.

This will be the final season for William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, a venue the Mets have called home since the mid-1960s. Shea Stadium will be replaced in 2009 by Citi Field, which is currently under construction.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2008 edition of the New York Mets, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2007 FINISH (88-74) - Second Place (NL East)

KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: RHP Brian Stokes, OF Ryan Church, C Brian Schneider, RHP Matt Wise, OF Angel Pagan, RHP Ruddy Lugo, LHP Johan Santana, RHP Tony Armas

KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: LHP Tom Glavine, RHP Guillermo Mota, OF Lastings Milledge, C Paul Lo Duca, RHP Phil Humber, OF Carlos Gomez, C Sandy Alomar Jr., 1B Jeff Conine, C Mike DiFelice, RF Shawn Green, RHP Brian Lawrence, RHP Aaron Sele

PROJECTED LINEUP: SS Jose Reyes, 2B Luis Castillo, 3B David Wright, CF Carlos Beltran, 1B Carlos Delgado, RF Ryan Church, LF Endy Chavez, C Brian Schneider

PROJECTED ROTATION: LHP Johan Santana, RHP Pedro Martinez, RHP John Maine, LHP Oliver Perez, RHP Orlando Hernandez

PROJECTED CLOSER: LHP Billy Wagner

MANAGER: Willie Randolph

INFIELD

Wright is poised for another successful season with the Mets, especially after the statistics he put up in 2007. The young third baseman and face of the franchise can only expect better numbers this time around. Wright, who is entering his fifth season at the big league level, has hit no less than 26 home runs in each of the previous three years. He has also driven in 100 or more runs over that span.

Reyes will once again hold down the fort at shortstop. The quick and exciting catalyst led the National League in stolen bases (78) for the third consecutive season, but was heavily criticized for his poor efforts in September. Reyes batted .280 with 12 homers, 57 RBI and 119 runs last year. The five-year pro will push Rollins, Florida's Hanley Ramirez and Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki for the title of the best shortstop in the NL.

Luis Castillo is back in blue pinstripes after re-signing with the Mets in the offseason. Castillo hit .296 with 37 runs scored, one home run, 20 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 50 games with New York after being acquired on July 30 from Minnesota. He hit a combined .301 with 91 runs scored, 19 doubles, five triples and 38 RBI with both the Mets and Twins. The switch-hitter is one of the fastest players on the field and on the basepaths.

Slugging and aging first baseman Delgado is in the final year of his contract and will need a big year if he plans on staying in the Big Apple. Delgado hit .258 last season with 24 homers and 87 RBI -- the lowest offensive output since he went deep three times with 11 RBI in 1995 with Toronto. Delgado played in only 37 games that year. He definitely will be donning the proverbial bulls-eye on his back for the 2008 season.

There will be a new face behind the plate for the Mets in 2008 after Paul Lo Duca was not re-signed in the offseason. Lo Duca had a disappointing season for New York, which traded for catcher Brian Schneider from the Washington Nationals over the winter. Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church were sent to the Mets for young outfielder Lastings Milledge.

Schneider played the first eight years of his career with the Nationals/Expos franchise, and is career .252 hitter. He batted .235 with six homers and 54 runs batted in last season. Schneider works well with pitchers and has excellent defensive skills.

OUTFIELD

Beltran is one of the best center fielders in the business. The slugging switch-hitter hit .276 with 33 home runs, 112 RBI, 93 runs scored and 23 stolen bases in 2007. Beltran opened his mouth in the offseason after predicting the Mets will win the NL East this season, so now he must fulfill his promise. He is entering his fourth season with the Mets and has recorded 30 or more home runs and 100-plus RBI over the past two years.

Church will take over for retired veteran Shawn Green in right field. He belted 15 homers, knocked in 70 runs and batted .272 in 144 games last season with the lowly Nationals, and gets a shot at being with a winner. Church is a career .271 hitter in four big league seasons -- all with the Montreal/Washington franchise.

The job in right would have went to Milledge, but a trade to D.C. was needed to bolster the roster. Milledge, who was long considered one of the top prospects in the Mets' organization, batted .257 with 11 homers and 51 RBI over 115 games during the past two seasons.

When Alou returns at full strength, he will start in left field. Alou, who is currently recovering from groin surgery, was sidelined for nearly 2 1/2 months during the 2007 season with a strained right quad. He registered a .341 average and 13 home runs a year ago, but played in just 87 total games after being healthy for only 98 contests in 2006.

Endy Chavez will most likely start in Alou's absence for the time being. Chavez agreed to a two-year contract in January and was limited to 71 games last season because of a strained left hamstring. The skinny Chavez batted .287 with one home run and 27 RBI in 2007.

STARTING ROTATION

All eyes will be gazed upon Santana when the Mets' new ace takes the ball on March 31 against the NL East-rival Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium. The crafty left-hander will slip into the No. 1 spot in the rotation after Tom Glavine headed south for a reunion with Bobby Cox and the Atlanta Braves. Glavine opted out of his contract to sign with the youthful Braves.

Santana, who is signed through at least 2013, brings an array of pitches to the Big Apple, most notably a slider and a jaw-dropping changeup. The southpaw has excellent control and can pinpoint any area of the plate.

Taking the ball after Santana will most likely be the well-decorated Martinez. He made just five starts in September after recovering from shoulder surgery and finished with a 3-1 mark and a 2.57 ERA. The rubber-armed righty is back at full strength and ready to make a full-season effort in 2008. Maine is the Mets' No. 3 hurler in the rotation and was a 15-game winner in 2007.

New York's other lefty in the rotation, Oliver Perez, is also coming off a career-high 15 wins from the previous year. Perez also compiled a 3.56 ERA in 29 starts for the Mets in '07.

The fifth and final starter in the rotation will be veteran right-hander Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. Hernandez went 9-5 with a 3.72 earned run average in 27 games (24 starts) last year. The high-kicking Hernandez hasn't posted double-digits in victories since 2000 with the New York Yankees.

Former first-round draft pick Mike Pelfrey could also make a case for the No. 5 spot in the rotation barring injury to any starters. Pelfrey went 3-8 with a 5.57 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) last season, the second of his career.

BULLPEN

The bullpen was one of New York's strengths last season, and All-Star closer Billy Wagner returns for another shot at a World Series title. The hard- throwing Wagner went 2-2 with a 2.63 earned run average and 34 saves in 66 appearances last season. Wagner has posted 20 or more saves in seven straight years. He will once again try to baffle hitters with his blazing fastball, sinking curveball and hardly-used changeup.

Right-hander Aaron Heilman will again be Wagner's setup man in 2008. He pitched in 81 games last season and collected a 7-7 record with one save and a 3.03 earned run average. Jorge Sosa, a righty, gives Randolph options as a starter or reliever. Sosa is a vital piece of a New York bullpen that finished just 15th in the majors with a 3.99 ERA last year.

Matt Wise and Duaner Sanchez, both right-handed relievers, will team up with left-handers Pedro Feliciano and Scott Schoeneweis for the remainder of the bullpen spots.

BENCH

Randolph is blessed with experienced players off the bench, starting with outfielder Chavez and infielders Damion Easley and Marlon Anderson. All three are patient at the plate and provide the Mets with valuable assets around the basepaths. Outfielder Angel Pagan and catcher Ramon Castro will also be at Randolph's disposal.

OUTLOOK

The Mets have reached the playoffs just once over the past seven years, but seemed to be headed back to the postseason before a monumental collapse altered plans. The disastrous fall in September, however, may have been a blessing in disguise. Why? Because the Mets may have never had the opportunity or even the desire to trade for Santana. Minaya didn't give up any of his beloved prospects, including All-Star Reyes, and now has one of the best rotations in the National League. That claim will come to fruition if Martinez is back at full strength and Maine collects 15 or more wins for the second consecutive campaign. Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Delgado are the usual suspects to pile up the offensive numbers, but don't forget about Alou. If he is able to return from groin surgery, he will make New York's lineup even more intimidating. With Santana and a clear memory, New York has a great chance to hit 100 wins and unseat the Phillies as division champions after practically handing over the NL East crown to its turnpike rivals last fall.