The inimitable John Harper on the Javier Vazquez deal, in this morning’s Daily News:

Isn’t this the type of creative dealing the Mets should be doing?

Or is it simply that they are in denial about their need to upgrade their pitching to have any real chance at contending next season?

It could be that, yes.

It could also be something better for Mets fans, and a sign of a more progressive organizational philosophy being either espoused by or forced upon Omar Minaya.

On paper, the Yankees made a major upgrade to their rotation by dealing Melky Cabrera, a young but thus-far unspectacular outfielder likely to continue being decent and inexpensive for the next several seasons. Melky’s a fan favorite, but since the Yankees just acquired Curtis Granderson and still have Brett Gardner in the fold, he’s easily worth trading for 200 guaranteed decent innings from Vazquez.

But also dispatched in the deal, and not even mentioned in Harper’s column, was 19-year-old pitcher Arodys Vizcaino. Vizcaino was recently ranked the Yanks’ third-best prospect by Baseball America and second best by Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus.

He’s 19 and hasn’t pitched in full season ball yet, so it makes sense for the Yanks to include him in a deal for a pitcher of Vazquez’s caliber, even if Vazquez will be a free agent after this season. Scouts apparently love Vizcaino’s upside, but he’s far from a sure thing, and the Yanks are a lock to contend for their division title in 2010.

For the Mets, though, would it really make sense to deal Jenrry Mejia, probably the closest comp in their system, for one year of solid starting pitching?

I doubt it. The Mets should be looking to improve for 2010, of course, but with as much uncertainty as they have thanks to players coming off injury and down seasons, they absolutely must not do it at the cost of their farm system.

All trades are, to some extent, gambles. The Yankees, in making the deal, are gambling that Vazquez provides enough to their title run in 2010 to make up for whatever they give up down the road in Vizcaino. The Mets, not nearly as likely to make a title run in 2010, should not be making that sort of gamble.

Plus, for all we know, the Mets were in no position to even make that sort of deal. Calling the lefty relievers involved more or less a wash, it would probably take Angel Pagan and Mejia just to equal the Yanks’ offer. And would the Braves trade Vazquez in division for an equal offer?

I don’t know. I like Vazquez a lot, but I’m happy it didn’t happen because the Mets can not mortgage their future for a playoff run in 2010.