On the Mets beat

The Mets' strategy of waiting until the final minutes of next Thursday's 4 p.m. trade deadline to secure an outfielder seemed like a good plan 24 hours ago.

Now? Not so much.

The Pirates shipped Xavier Nady -- and lefty reliever Damaso Marte! -- to the Yankees late Friday for a total of four prospects. And in the past few hours, the Indians and Dodgers agreed on a deal that sent Casey Blake to LA for two minor-leaguers.

Believe it or not, the Mets weren't too high on either Nady or Marte, or so they were saying after Friday's impressive 7-2 win over the Cardinals. As for Blake, it appears that Cleveland got a pair of decent prospects in return, and probably better than what the Mets had on the table.

Could the Mariners' Raul Ibanez be next? He seems like the guy the Mets have been targeting all along, as we mention in this morning's Newsday, so don't be surprised if they swing a deal for him in the very near future. At this rate, the Mets really can't afford to be patient much longer.