Update On Mets From Sandy Alderson

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• Bob L January 7, 2011 at 8:47 am

  i may be a fool, but i like the approach, given the expiring contracts, and i do think that we’ll be a far grittier team this year than we’ve been in a long time. We need, like many teams do, ‘luck’…things to fall into place.
  As given, we’re probably a .500 team. IF all the core and Pagan, Bay and Ike, Thole,and Murphy/Emaus contribute solid seasons and IF the pitching shapes up…the Mets could surprise everybody.
  That’s a whole basket of IF’s, but this is January…and ya never know! LGM!
  • Harry C January 7, 2011 at 9:07 am

    I live in Western PA and to tell you the truth he is stealing lines from the Pirates. This is pathetic. Maybe Capuano will re-blossom and maybe so will Oliver Perez.
    • Da Madd Genius January 7, 2011 at 10:23 am

      Agree with you Harry. Shameful. I know where my $ won’t be going since the Mets don’t know how to use it.
      • t agee January 7, 2011 at 11:06 am

        So you were going to Citi the last couple of years and NOW your out?

        Now that the dust is clearing, the mistakes are expiring and baseball decisions are being made based upon what is practical and probable instead of possible if everything else goes right?

        Now that were not addressing last years deficiencies by clubbing an imperfect addition over the head with our wallet and surrendering yet another draft pick and deferring cash to take away from future teams ability to compete you want out?

        You were cool with Sheffield, Sullivan, Cora, GMJ, Cattalonotto, Reed, Hessman, Castillo, Perez and Jacobs but you got a problem with Capuano, Paulino and Bucholtz? All I can say is WOW!

        Well step aside Madd Man, cause I’ll be going twice as often as I did the last few years and I’ll welcome a shorter line at the Beer stand even if it can’t possibly be shorter than it has been over the last couple of years.
        • Mike B. January 7, 2011 at 11:36 am

          Here, Here!
        • Harry C January 7, 2011 at 1:03 pm

          agee if you had a problem with all those Omar deals you should have the same problems with Alderson’s. If the best the best talent Alderson is bringing then he is more insulting than the Pirates org is to the. A guy doesn’t like the direction of his team, he has every right to let them know by not attending.
          • t agee January 7, 2011 at 1:22 pm

            Harry, If your unhappy with the Mets don’t go. What can I say? I became infuriated when we handed over those two picks to Boston in 2008 and I still continued to go.

            I never publicly had a cross word to say about the direction of the team before that one single transparent transaction broke the camels back.

            There were many moves along the way that I raised an eyebrow to but I kept going, watching, listening and rooting. I knew they were going to run out of players. Everyone could see that coming. If people stopped coming, rooting or even caring that’s their business. I’m on board with a change in organizational philosophy and after the last couple of years (70 and 79 wins in year’s five and six of the prior regime’s reign) Anything will do as long as it’s not done at the expense of our future ability to compete.

            If someone doesn’t want to go, don’t go. My new years resolution is to bring everyone I know to Citi Field at least once this year. Yankee fans, Redsox fans, Orioles, Angels, Braves I don’t give a s**t. Their all going and they’re all spending money, and a lot of it. I’ll be making sure of that I can promise you and if you don’t like it, tough s**t.

            As far as I’m concerned we’re in a holding pattern because the Wilpon tried to give us a championship. True they went about it in a idiotic and imbecilliac fashion but at least they tried. Now that they have (hopefully) addressed the root cause of their failure I’m going to support them during the rough patches ahead.
      • DougSisk January 7, 2011 at 12:04 pm

        and the previous administration did what?
  • paul nassau January 7, 2011 at 9:29 am

    The team in the field is superior to that of last year’s SF Giants.
    The pitching? That’s a completely diffent question. Pops
  • t agee January 7, 2011 at 9:55 am

    #1) Get out from under the entitled fat cat mentality by letting contract run down and by signing guys who don’t have guarantees but are playing for incentives and next year. That alone changes the fat cat mentality mostly everybody associated with the Minaya error enjoyed over the last several years. Changing the culture from one of entitlement to one of internal competition and exchanging comfort for a little bit of uncomfortableness is an important first step.
• mike January 7, 2011 at 10:17 am

  Love the Mets.
• alwaysnextyear January 7, 2011 at 11:46 am

  more of the pirates comparisons? The Mets have about 5 guys on the field better than anyone the pirates are rolling out these days. Maybe more, since I haven’t looked at their lineu lately!

  it is really a simple concept. The Mets have/are spending a lot of money. They just didn’t spend a lot additional this off seaosn. But they are still spending on previously signed guys (thanks, Omar!)

  So the only real debate then is whether they should have a payroll limit, and if so, is the roughly 140mill it was last year/will be this year appropriate (since it seems very clear The Mets feel that it is!)

  It honestly seems that many posters would feel entirely different if say 20mill came off the payroll from last year, and they turned around and recommitted the same amount to new players. End result is the same ($ wise), but it would seem that they were out there spending.
  • Harry C January 7, 2011 at 1:06 pm

    Maybe since you are clueless about who the Pirates have on the field then ylou should look before you make a morn of yourself. I think the kids the Pirates have on the field give them a brighter future offensively than the Mets have. As for pitching, they suck. But then again, we are to pray for Chris Capuano. When Jose and Carlos are gone in 2012 we will be absolutely pathetic. But wait the great draft picks will make it without a minute in the minors. Good luck. We’re heading down to the basement.
    • t agee January 7, 2011 at 1:32 pm

      Harry, The Pirates have been a downtrodden franchise for quite a while. Mismanaged on a shoe string budget. Had a brief opportunity in the early 90′s but couldn’t keep it together. Bonilla’s posing at the plate and getting thrown out in the playoffs didn’t help but must have made the Wilpon eager to secure his services (twice)

      One thing you should be aware of is the committment to building a team that the new GM has made and ownership had gone along with by going over slot in the draft.

      Pittsburgh has four pitchers that are considered to be outstanding prospects from A+(1) AA(2) and AAA(1) they also have 3 more in rookie ball and while prospects are not guarantees of anything there is reason to be optomistic that the Pirates will be able to compete in the NL Central in a couple of years AND be able to sustain it at least for a while and if they can hoodwink the Wilpon into picking up their trash yet again anything is possible.
    • alwaysnextyear January 7, 2011 at 3:12 pm

      simply talking about players on the field (positional), not prospects, the Pirates don’t have anyone as good as Wright, Bay, Reyes, or Beltran. And given how he was WAR ranked, maybe Pagan. Ike probably gives them all a run for their money too.

      I am talking 2011 expected production here, not years from now when they maybe develop.
      • t agee January 7, 2011 at 3:31 pm

        I was discussing them more from the way they have positioned themselves and transitioned themselves from where they were to possibly being able to compete for the post season while still on a shoestring.

        The facts are that we have made the postseason 3 times since the Pirates last have with the same number of Championships even though we have outspent them 10-1 and they have far more possibles in the minors than we do, by far, and the prospects they do have are far more highly thought of than ours as well as being much closer.

        Anyway you want to look at it those are just dismal results.
    • JerryG15 January 7, 2011 at 10:02 pm

      Since you bring up how much better the Pirates are then the Mets, why do you torment yourself, just be honest and say it, You are a Pirats fan……..it’s ok.
• Mr North Jersey January 7, 2011 at 11:52 am

  “Over the past two months, we have followed our plan of filling out our roster with reasonably priced players who have significant upside potential.”

  “Our plan” get it? Now like the plan or not the man has been consistent in what he is trying to do this off season. He is not reacting to the remarks made by some in the media or calls from some disgruntled fans.

  Now I will sit back and wait to see if Alderson’s plan provides results.
  • Bob L January 7, 2011 at 11:58 am

    Yes, we shall see. And,frankly, it’s about time the fates blessed us with some good luck…some real good luck. i like the approach so far.
    • kevin January 7, 2011 at 4:36 pm

      Great teams make their own luck. The koolaid the Mets are serving is exceptionally good this year.
      • Mr North Jersey January 7, 2011 at 4:43 pm

        Clearly if there is one thing Alderson has not said is that the Mets are a great team.

        So the only Kool Aid I see is the one the fans are making themselves.
        • Bob L January 7, 2011 at 7:41 pm

          True, but in addition to ineptitude and bad fundamental play, we have also had HUGE bad luck since 2007…!…so IF just ‘that’ could change, the impact ‘might’ be meaningful. But yeah, i agree…which is why a good dosage of ‘grit’ might also go a very long way in 2011.
          • t agee January 7, 2011 at 8:14 pm

            Bob L, we have had a lot of bad luck no doubt an incredible amount of it but a certain very large percentage of it could have been avoided if we had only looked at what was probable.

            A 32 year old second basemen who needed surgery on BOTH knees we signed for FOUR years. Pedro, El Duque, Wagner, Alou, Valentin, Delgado. Guys this age don’t go on forever.

            Trading for a relief pitcher everyone knew was injured and then letting him pitch full bore in the World Baseball Classic in MARCH.

            36 Million dollars to a pitcher who had yet to show more than 2 consistent performances back to back and then letting HIM go and pitch in the WBC.

            Giving away and then not keeping first round draft choices and then drafting relief pitchers when we did keep the pick AND having one of our #1 picks cash the check and quit after one year.

            Counting on one old guy in the Majors and one young guy in the minors for every position. That never works. You need 4 guys at every position in the minors and if you want good production you need players in their prime playing in the field for you.

            Reyes and Beltran were bad luck, the rest was bad planning, bad thought process or no planning. Take your pick.
            • Bob L January 7, 2011 at 8:35 pm

              O i agree t agee, we were inept in numerous baseball signing, drafting, trading and managerial / coaching decisions / strategies over the past 4 years. And we lacked baseball/game discipline. No doubt. Which i hope is changing, finally. But we had ravenous bad luck from other key injuries to pitchers and others in 07/08/09/10 that impacted us as well.
  • JerryG15 January 7, 2011 at 10:04 pm

    Psst – when he says “our” he means he and his staff. People writing on the blogs don’t really make decisions………thank God
    • Mr North Jersey January 7, 2011 at 10:06 pm

      LoL I knew that but Thanks for explaining anyways.
• Dollardave January 7, 2011 at 4:45 pm

  I really appreciate Alderson’s comments. He inherited a bad situation (Perez, Castillo, etc) from Minaya and is now gradually overhauling the organization (whic starts with an organizational philosophy). If folks are hoping for big changes next year, they’ll be disappointed. But, like any good value investor, Alderson is taking the long view. I don’t think it is unreasonable to wait 2-4 years to again, have a top flight team and top flight minor league organization.
• Jonathan January 7, 2011 at 5:49 pm

  I only needed to read the first comment to say, drop the core (Reyes, Wright, Beltran) and success will follow.