A lot has happened in New York, since the Mets entered timidly into the offseason, after collapsing down the stretch.

Joe Torre was banished, while Isiah Thomas has not been banished. And Jason Kidd now wants to be banished.

A-Rod opted out and then back in, all the time Roger Clemens has been coming up with every excuse in the book about why a credible report has slandered his good name.

The Giants have been super, while the Jets just stunk and even lacrosse’s New York Titans went from having a season, to not having one, and then having one again.

All of this, though, had nothing to do with the Mets and outside of an underwhelming trade that netted the team Ryan Church and Brian Schneider, the last four months have been very, very quiet in Flushing.

That, of course, changed this afternoon when the Amazins’ netting themselves probably the best pitcher in baseball with the trade of Johan Santana.

You have to hand it to Omar Minaya; he sure knows how to play poker. With a bunch of names being tossed about over the past two months, the general manager was inclined to wait it out and let the market come to him.

Boy, did he ever. Back in Nashville, while Twins GM Bill Smith was dancing with the Red Sox and Yankees, Minaya waited. He even joked how peaceful and quiet the week was for him. Sure, he spoke to the Twins about Santana, but not at the price for Jose Reyes or anything else off the major league roster.

Omar knew he could afford to wait. He knew Brain Cashman wanted to keep Phil Hughes and Theo Epstein really just wanted to keep Santana away from Yankee Stadium. He also knew Smith needed to trade his ace by the start of Spring Training.

So, the longer Santana staying in Minnesota, the better it was for Minaya.

He didn’t flinch, when Dan Haren moved to Arizona for a king’s ransom. And Omar didn’t panic, while some of the free agents signed with their new teams. If he was going to be shut out, then so be it.

But if he waited – which he did – the price would come down.

And now, less than three weeks until pitcher and catchers and on the cusp of the Super Bowl, Omar does it. He gets his man for four prospects.

Maybe Carlos Gomez becomes Torii Hunter and maybe Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey or Deolis Guerra becomes the next Santana. Maybe.

It doesn’t matter if all four players become Hall of Famers, because the Mets are about today. With an aging lineup and two of their five starters – Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez – on their last year of their contracts, the Mets need a good 2008 to keep the momentum going as Citi Field opens up.

Omar knew that as well.

But now, Santana is a Met and ready to give Shea a sendoff by rocking the ol’ girl every five days, like Tom Seaver back in the day and Doc Gooden in the 1980s.

So it doesn’t matter that the Yankees owned the headlines for three months and it doesn’t matter that “The Days of Isiah” are still headlining at the Garden. And no, it doesn’t matter that the Giants are playing are playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Today has become a Met day and maybe the brightest of the offseason.

All because Omar waited and good things then came.

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