Don't move, don't blink, don't even breath -- it's possible you'll miss the Mets' next roster move. GM Steve Phillips has relentlessly re-designed his team for 2003, complete with a new ace (Tom Glavine), a new home run hitter (Cliff Floyd) and a new shortstop (Jose Reyes), who's only slightly older than LeBron James.

	Cliff Floyd, left, batted .288 with 28 home runs while playing for three teams in 2002.

It's been a high-energy December for Phillips, and with the NL East in apparent upheaval, the Mets could be in position to finally topple the Braves. That's the corporate drumbeat, anyway: the rotation is anchored, someone's finally got Mike Piazza's back and even the bullpen appears stronger, now that former Yankee Mike Stanton has moved crosstown.

It's a seductive storyline. That is, if you're willing to accept the Mets' leap of faith in three critical areas:

First, that Piazza, Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar will, as one, rise from the ashes of their sluggish 2002 performances.

Second, that Glavine's 7-7 record in the second half of 2002 and his 15.26 ERA in the NL Division Series against the Giants were aberrations and not hints of an imminent decline.

And third, that Floyd, who's hit 30 HRs and driven in 100 runs only once in his career, actually represents an upgrade over Edgardo Alfonzo's offense.

If Phillips has gambled correctly, he has every right to dream about an intra-division coup, especially if Braves GM John Schuerholz's own instincts about replacing Kevin Millwood with Paul Byrd and Russ Ortiz backfires. Then again, if Philips is wrong on even two of these core issues, the Mets could spend the summer on another flight to oblivion, which will certainly result in the GM's firing.

Say this much for Phillips; he's not afraid to experiment, not even after his staggering failures in 2002. Remember, it was only a year ago that the Mets thought they'd collected enough on-paper talent not just to win the division, but to get right back to the World Series. Phillips added Vaughn, Alomar, Jeromy Burnitz, Roger Cedeno and Jeff D'Amico -- a metamorphosis that swelled the Mets' payroll to over $100 million.

Turns out the Mets became the worst team (more) money could buy, a collapse that cost manager Bobby Valentine his job and, according to owner Fred Wilpon, nearly took Phillips down, too. The GM survived, but enters the final year of his contract without long-term job security. In other words, Phillips' gambles are a matter of professional life and death.

At the very least, Phillips has convinced Wilpon to spend, evidenced by the $26 million the Mets are paying Floyd over four years, and the guaranteed $35 million Glavine is owed through 2005. The Mets' payroll will almost certainly spill over $100 million again, now that they're planning to keep Burnitz and Cedeno both in the same outfield with Floyd.

Phillips spent most of the winter trying to unload Burnitz's salary on the Rockies. Now it appears the Mets will simply return Burnitz to right field, put Floyd in left and hope for the best with Cedeno in center.

	It's Amazin'
	The Mets' projected lineup and starting rotation at this point for the 2003 season: Roger Cedeno, CF Roberto Alomar, 2B Cliff Floyd, LF Mike Piazza, C Mo Vaughn, 1B Jeromy Burnitz, RF Ty Wigginton, 3B Russ Johnson, SS Tom Glavine, LHP Al Leiter, LHP Pedro Astacio, RHP Steve Trachsel, RHP Mike Bacsik, LHP

That, in itself, could represent the Mets' greatest suspension of logic: believing that Cedeno, who has speed but little aptitude for center field, where he originally played as a Dodger, can be reconverted next year at Shea.

The Mets can't even count on infield defense to bolster them, since they have no idea if Reyes, a can't-miss prospect, is ready for New York's prime time. And the club still hasn't replaced Alfonzo at third base.

The Mets were ready to embrace Norihiro Nakamura, offering him a two-year deal for $7 million that appeared to have convinced the Japanese free agent to leave his country. But Nakamura stunned the Mets by changing his mind only hours after agreeing in principal to his new contract, later blaming the Mets for leaking the story to the U.S. media before he'd had a chance to tell his former club, the Kintetsu Buffaloes, of his decision.

The Mets didn't mind being cast as the heavies -- certainly not if Nakamura lost his nerve and was looking for a face-saving way out. Actually, Nakamura's decision to remain in his native country might've been a blessing to the Mets, who were the only team to aggressively pursue him.

One international scout remained convinced that, had Nakamura migrated to the U.S., "he would've become just a mistake hitter. He had a herky-jerky swing and a bad body. He wouldn't have been able to catch up with major league fastballs."

The Mets' next option will likely be a courtship of free agents Bill Mueller or Jose Hernandez. The Mets' appetitive for offense is large enough for Phillips to lean to Hernandez, who slugged 24 home runs and had 73 RBI with the Brewers last year. He did, however, strike out 188 ties, just one shy of Bobby Bonds' major league single-season record.

But the Mets probably won't mind the swings-and-misses, not if Hernandez can keep hitting HRs like that. The Mets, after all, finished 13th in the NL in runs and slugging percentage last year, and made a vow to unveil a more muscular batting order in 2003.

Enter Floyd, who hit one HR in every 20 at-bats against right-handed pitching, as well as a .306 batting average. But Floyd is no Piazza, nor is he even a semi-fit Vaughn. Last year was the first time Floyd topped 30 HRs and 100 RBI, which may or may not justify one strikeout every five at-bats. And as dangerous as Floyd can be, his streaky nature can make him just as invisible at the plate, evidenced by his .224 batting average last July.

Still, it's hard to blame Floyd for being swallowed up in the Mets' mid-winter delirium. He says coming to Shea is, "a dream come true."

The reality, however, remains as vague as ever.

Bob Klapisch of The Record (Bergen County, N.J.) covers baseball for ESPN.com.