I don’t have the stomach to take on the annual discussion of the Phillies’ impressive grit and the Mets’ lack thereof. And I imagine it’s clear to anyone conscious that the 2011 Phillies are simply a much better team than the Mets and it has way more to do with their ridiculous cavalcade of All-Star starting pitchers than it does their tenacity.

Remember that as recently as a few weeks ago, before they lost two of their best players on the same day, these same Mets were being hailed as “plucky” or “scrappy” or whatever term people wanted to use to stand in for “having a good offense that doesn’t hit home runs.”

Anyway, that’s besides the point. The point is, as frustrating as a couple of lopsided losses to the Phillies can be to watch, they don’t make all that much of a difference. The Phillies are 83-44. This whole season is a lopsided loss to the Phillies. The Mets need to spend the rest of 2011 doing what they can to better prepare themselves to compete next year, and if that means shouldering a few brutal beatdowns, so be it.

So with that in mind, a few suggestions for things the Mets might as well try:

1) Lucas Duda in right field every day: This is the most obvious of the three, and one I’ve hit on before. The Dude played right last night so it appears this might be happening. He hasn’t looked great out there so far, but a handful of games are far too few for a solid assessment. And on a team that needs power, Duda’s bat is too good to bury on the bench or in Triple-A. Opening 2012 with Duda and Jason Bay in the outfield corners would put a lot of pressure on Angel Pagan (or whoever else is playing center), but Duda’s not about to replace Ike Davis at first base.

Out of curiosity, though: How long do you keep playing Jason Bay every day and hoping he turns it around? Not a rhetorical question. I get that he’s still owed a lot of money, but can the Mets really open next season with a left fielder coming off two seasons like Bay has had? They probably will. More on this will likely follow this offseason.

2) Put Chris Schwinden in the rotation for the rest of the season: Schwinden hasn’t been great in Triple-A since a hot start, notching a 4.95 ERA in seven outings since the All-Star break. But much like Dillon Gee before him, Schwinden has maintained a solid strikeout-to-walk ratio across his Minor League career. He’s unlikely to be better than a back-of-the-rotation guy at best, but since Schwinden could feasibly compete for a starting Major League job in the spring the Mets might as well see how he fares against better competition.

With Jon Niese heading to the disabled list and a Monday double-header looming, Schwinden seems likely to get called up for at least a start. But no sense stopping there; once Niese comes back, Chris Capuano could move to the bullpen while the Mets take a longer look at Schwinden. Even if Schwinden doesn’t slot in to the Major League rotation next year, he could prove a worthwhile middle-innings reliever. He can apparently throw strikes, which gives him a leg up on many of the guys in the current bullpen.

3) Call up Reese Havens: Though he’s again hitting in Double-A, Havens is probably not ready for prime time thanks to all the games he’s missed due to injury. But the Mets are going to need to add him to the 40-man roster this offseason anyway, and with Justin Turner banged up, it’d be nice to see someone more interesting than Willie Harris taking starts at second base.

This one’s more selfish than anything, I suppose — as a fan, it’d be nice to have a new young player to watch at the Major League level. And with Jose Reyes on the verge of return, Ruben Tejada can take those opportunities at second base. Plus calling up Havens gives Terry Collins another young player who’ll need at-bats. There are only so many of those to go around, especially for right-hand hitting second basemen.

But before I talk myself out of this: Havens is 24 now so he’s no baby, he’s healthy and hitting in Double-A, and if he’s going to be in the mix come Spring Training, then, well, hey. Ike Davis and Taylor Buchholz are both still on the 15-day DL so there are ways to make room for Havens on the 40-man roster now.

OK, that one’s not as obvious, helpful or likely as the other two. But I couldn’t exactly make a list of two things the Mets should try, especially if they’re two things the Mets might already be trying.