While his Newsday colleagues contend with an anthrax scare (I guess someone really got tired of Wally Matthews), Newsday’s David Lennon reports that while the Mets have picked up Carlos Delgado’s $12 million option, the journalist hints the veteran 1B might not around for the opening of Citi Field.

While it isn’t likely Delgado, whose red-hot second-half carried the Mets to within one game of a playoff spot, will be anywhere but Flushing, there is a school of thought that suggest the Mets could trade him while his value is this high.

Delgado is 36, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to reproduce his 38-homer, 115-RBI season. He could be tempting to an AL club looking to split him at first base and designated hitter.

In a statement Friday, Mets general manager Omar Minaya said Delgado “is a key part of our plans for 2009,” seemingly pouring cold water on the notion of a trade.

“We wanted to let him know as quickly as allowed that we wanted him back,” Minaya said. “Yesterday — the day following the conclusion of the World Series — was the first day that we could pick up the option per the contract. It was our full intent to promptly close our deal with Carlos, and that’s what we did.”

The above moves comes a day after the Mets signed Fernando Tatis to a one year, $1.1 deal. Bringing Tatis back troubles me far less than a rumored Delgado trade ; if the former struggles, there’s not so much invested that summoning Fernando Martinez is out of the question.  But it would fascinating to know just how Lennon figures the Mets will replace Delgado’s production.

If I’m a bit quiet on the posting front for the rest of the day, that’s because I’m hard at work on my Scott Schoeneweis costume.  The can of Skoal was easy enough to obtain, and I’ve taken enough time playing miniature golf to know how to put a ball on a tee.