The offseason has officially begun for the Mets, and there are decisions aplenty to be made by GM Omar Minaya and manager Willie Randolph. Among the issues facing the team this winter, here are the top five:
* Second base. Jose Valentin is a free agent, and, as opposed to left field, where the Mets have a potential solution in Lastings Milledge, they have no ready-made answer at second. So that is their biggest positional need. The Mets need to add somebody, and there are several free-agent options.
In September, Julio Lugo, who grew up in Brooklyn, told The Post that “playing here for me would be a dream come true.” The Mets have had interest in the free agent – who hit .278 with 12 homers and 24 steals this year for Tampa Bay and the Dodgers – since the July 2005 trade deadline.
Other free agents who could be in the mix include Mark Loretta, Tony Graffanino (whom the Mets had interest in last winter), Alex Cora (whom they liked in spring training), Adam Kennedy and Ronnie Belliard.
* Left field. If Cliff Floyd doesn’t return, there will be an opening here. It could be filled by Milledge, but if the Mets either move Milledge in a deal or slot him in Triple-A to start next season, the left fielder will have to come from outside the organization.
Moises Alou is an option on the free-agent market, and another interesting choice could be Shannon Stewart. Perhaps Kansas City’s Emil Brown (.287, 15 homers), who is arbitration-eligible, could be traded. Houston’s Jason Lane (.201, 15 homers this year but .267, 26 homers in 2005) could be non-tendered.
* The three stalwarts. The three longest-tenured Mets could all be gone from next year’s team. Floyd and Steve Trachsel are free agents, and Tom Glavine’s various options could allow him to leave.
Having Glavine return, rather than head to Atlanta, is critical. Trachsel will be somewhere else next season, while Floyd is a longshot – but not a definite “no” – to be back. If both Glavine and Trachsel leave, the Mets have to replace 62 starts.
* The kiddie corps. The Mets’ top draft picks in 2004 and 2005 both earned time in the majors this year, as Philip Humber and Mike Pelfrey were recalled. The two righties are the team’s top pitching prospects, and on Friday, Minaya said “they’ll be considered” for spots in the rotation.
The question is whether either can be successful. Pelfrey, 22, made four starts in the bigs, posting a 5.48 ERA. Humber, who will be 24 in December, appeared in two games out of the pen. Handing a starting spot to one or both would be risky.
* Rotation play. If the Mets don’t sign Jason Schmidt or Daisuke Matsuzaka or bring Dontrelle Willis here in a swap, maybe Freddy Garcia of the White Sox is a trade possibility. Another avenue should be to try to find someone who is not a star now but could become one; think the Cardinals finding Chris Carpenter a few years ago.
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Mets third-base coach Manny Acta told The Post in an e-mail last night that he will be interviewing for the manager’s job with the Giants tomorrow and the Nationals on Tuesday. Acta also wrote that “everything went well” with his Rangers managerial interview on Friday.