Appreciate the postive comments Metsie, Alex, Agee, and my favorite, Bayonne (and Brian for having my back). Last time I looked Phillies were in our division, although light years ahead. Guess I’m tired of hearing about the Mets payroll and money issues. Hey, who doesn’t have em, but I don’t own a baseball team, and they do.

So what is wrong with hoping the Wilpons and Alderson put forth an entertaining product for the fans to support? Why not create some buzz. The dungeon could use some new drapes and some fresh paint.

Lets see Marquis, Chavez…Anyone else? Oh Yeah Isringhausen! LOL

How many Rumors have you heard from everyone else?

A lot more than that!

Sandy is basically waiting around for all the good players to go off the board hoping that fewer bidders means cheaper contracts!

And usually what happens instead is someone gets a DUMB contract and raises the bar on all the middle crap he was going to go after instead!

Dougs piece was SPOT ON!
The rest of the teams are being movers and shakers!
All we are doing is SLASHING!

And we aren’t slashing the crap just the guys who hit over .300!

A REAL CLOSER! They have ping ponged between two guys for the last three years!
One would get hurt the other would win the job, then he would struggle the other guy would win it back…

By going and getting one solid closer they save themselves a roster spot because they don’t need to keep two guys to close out the 9th!

As for the 1B backup, remember that Rollins (their most veteran player) may not be back! Howard is coming off injury and may miss some time early. That signing solves both issues! They can afford to sign a bandaid. Because they have a living breathing winning roster!

We don’t so slapping a bandaid on a disembowled roster (like we are doing) is bad!
But the Phillies can do that and not suffer. Cause they ARE putting the money where it counted in the Closer role!

Very little ever happens until the Winter Meetings, is their you first off season?

He already warned not to expect any moves until after the winter meetings.

I put this article amongst the many useless others that have no purpose other than page views and for the author to feel empowered by attacking this or that person, team, employee, owner or issue, distorting facts and relevance just because they like to see themselves flex muscle in print.

The more money Amaro spends right now, possibly the less they might have to resign Hamels, find a 3rd baseman next year, replace LF, catcher in a year or so.

From what I’m reading, if they do lock up Hamels to another contract, they’ll likely to have 4 players with an annual salary of averaging 20 MIL. 100 MIL tied up in 4 players is a big risk – unless you’re the Yankees.

If they had a wealth of prospects a year away, they might be all right. But they don’t.

Will be interesting to see what happens in this division in a year or two.

And whoever said it is right……don’t know why we’re debating the Phillies. We’ve got our own problems with the Mets which obviously we’re all much more interested in. The idea is not to hope the other division teams have their problems and/or fail. The idea is to make this team as strong and competitive as possible so it doesn’t much matter what the rest of the division teams are doing.

Instead of worrying about what Amaro is doing, we should be worrying about what Alderson is not doing.

The so called ‘knock’ – as you put it – was:
- the amount of money and years for Papalbon. If that were their only hole, maybe. But it’s not. Would have been better off putting that 12 MIL plus a year towards a LF, SS, 3rd base….

- Thome as the answer to Howard while he recuperates. Although I think your statement of insurance for Howard is incorrect. According to the Philly beat writers, that’s now what he was signed for. He was signed for his bat on the bench. They all agree there is no way Thome is going to be playing 1st base for the injured Howard should he not start the season. In fact, I think Thome himself was quoted as saying that.

- Schneider? Enough said.

Everyone who only even occasionally reads this blog knows your feelings on this current FO as compared to just about all others. I’ll spare everyone having to read that again and skip the debate with you on that.

You have to go all the way back to John Franco to find a Mets closer who had a better season than Papelbon’s 0.93 WHIP and 2.94 ERA in 2011.

Ruben Amaro is the winningest GM in MLB since he took over the Phillies by a landslide. He’s won 75 more games than Billy Beane in that span.

I’d rather die tomorrow concerning myself with how the Mets will be next season. That’s what’s most relative – i really can’t give a nannosecond of a thought to how the Phillies will be in a few years.

What is relevant is what the Mets need to do to compete next season with whatever financial resources they have. And those resources are better than last season’s and right now a lot of teams we compete against are doing much better than the Mets in the early off season REGARDLESS of how they’re doing it.
The Phillies can be in the post season again next year with the development of new younger talent that they can use to help change their roster over sooner than you think so don’t worry about the older guys they’re signing now. Amaro wants to win he’ll do it his way.

I wish the Mets would try to win. They can you know. They have enough money to compete we just need smart guys running the show who want to win and right now WE DO NOT HAVE THAT.

But hey…I’m all for those Philly signings. I’m hoping they turn around and now overpay in years and $$ for Rollins next.

And he isn’t spending it on winners!

Kevin (DC ):

Tell me why Mets fan should spend money and come to out to the ballpark in 2012 ..
Adam Rubin (1:02 PM)

Rubin:

Because supporting the team will ensure the Wilpons are long-term owners.

Me: Amen.