One would think that would put things in perspective with some of the silliness that goes on around here at times.

Then here you are to show that some people just don’t get it and probably never will.

The great thing is that you are but a small minority and most of the MMO community does see the bigger picture.

I would ask you to respect Joe D’s request and try to be respectable.

The top of the page has the comment guidelines in case you need to refresh how to conduct yourself.

I wouldn’t want to see you fall into moderation by any moderators just cause of something you said.

Just one example out of many is this one.

In 2003 we could have drafted Aaron Hill or Stephen Drew in the first round. We didn’t because they were seeking over slot bonuses.

In 2003 2nd round we had no pick due to our not having a LFer and signing Cliff Floyd.

In 2004 Boston selected Dustin Pedroia 2nd round #65 getting a player who fell to them because of slotting “recommendations.” We selected yet another pitcher at # 44 – 2nd round 3rd pick, Matthew Durkin who washed out as usual.

Having just given Kaz Matsui a 3 year deal it would have been an ideal time to begin planning for his eventual departure by drafting a player who could be one of many vying for that job.

Maybe Durkin was the best liked prospect by our scouting staff, maybe he washed out due to nothing that could have been forseen. Who knows, but if your plan for 2B is always to just wait and see who happens to be a free agent every year what do you expect is going to happen? Then the argument in defense of a bad free agent signing becomes “well who else were we going to get to play 2B.” as if that’s any kind of a good reason for us getting poor defense and the leagues worst offense from a guy making 6 M a year.

The fact is you have to anticipate your future needs and seek to have the solution before the need arises.

In my opinion the Met Fan has been completely sold down the river by the Wilpon because Bud Selig’s self serving slotting guidelines are much more important to the Wilpon than building a competitive team year in and year out.

“Castillo has several other suitors, including the Astros”

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/11/17/2007-11-17_mets_eye_david_eckstein-2.html

My memory of that off season incorrectly is for whatever reason of Castillo not having any interested suitors at the time of the signing.

Thanks for the correction.

So Minaya in the end did not really bid against himself.

MNU, the Mets were bidding against the Astros for Luis’ services. They offered Luis three years. Omar used the four year deal as a tie-breaker. It was.

Whether Luis is now able to meaningfully play a lot of games in Year 4 is a separate issue.

The Astros wound up signing Kaz Matsui, whom we had already passed on. Kaz made more than $5 Mil yearly for his three Astros years. There were no other choices starting in 2008.

You do realize that what Sherman (who has been a Yankees beat writer up until this year), writing for a tabloid is basing all this on very little but his “feelings”, which in turn, just because YOU’ve been saying the same thing, doesn’t make it TRUE, makes it just more hateraid before the season even unfolds.

Alderson gets a F for failure before the season even starts. Glad the likes of you don’t hire anyone for this organization.

Their is a 3K buyout of the 3rd yer that then gives you the $4.55M.

mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2004/12/new-york-mets.html

mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110128&content_id=16529136&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

amazinavenue.com/2011/1/29/1963027/mets-sign-r-a-dickey-to-two-year-extension

I respectfully disagree with your opinion. Let me say why.

Dickey was asking for in his final year of arbitration $4.7M the Mets had countered with #3.35M. In the end he wound up getting $2.25M but with the signing bonus it really is #3.25M.

I don’t have to tell you that the Mets wound up getting him for 100K less in 2011 than what they initially offered.

Now add to that that the Mets for the cost of #3.35M have him for one more year. When you consider his age at 36 that sounds risky but the risk is minimal financially at $3.35M in my opinion.

Add to that that Dickey being a knuckleball pitcher has good company when looking back at prior knuckleball pitchers that in their late 30′s pitched effectively.

“Tim Wakefield has won 94 games for the Red Sox since turning 36. Charlie Hough won 132 games after his 36th birthday. Phil Niekro won 188.”

The Mets may end up gettin Dickey at a bargain and if Dickey does turn out to pitch well next year the Mets have a incentive where they can pick up Dickey for a 3rd year at $5M.

If Dickey is a flop it only cost them $3.35M for next year.

Comparing that to what Minaya did with Castillo where he locked Castillo knowing when he did about his leg problems and bidding against himself to a 4 year $25M contract paying him $6M a yr for the next 4 years and unable to get anyone to take his contract over the last 2 years.

I’d say there is very little similarities in my opinion.