“The right-hander wants to prove that his back is healthy and re-enter the market a year from now in search of multiyear security.”

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/12/oswalt-seeks-one-year-deal-interest-picks-up.html

Can’t see why the Mets not take a chance on him for one year with incentives. If Santana doesn’t return in time to start the season, at least you’ll have a starter worthy to be dubbed an “ace” in the rotation, unlike last season. You listening, Sandy?

I just gave you 15 different examples of the Mets going out and getting a “good ballplayer since 1991. How can you possibly say that we HAVEN’T gone out and gotten “a good ballplayer?”

You can’t. That’s been plan A, plan B, plan C and plan D-ZZ every freakin year since 1991 and what exactly has it done for us?

Gotten us to the post season one more time than the Pirates that’s what, and we even needed their help to make it one of those times.

If youNEVER go get a good player then when exactly and how do you expect to get good enough to warrant getting one?

If you keep on using the excuse that we are not good enough to start getting good enough then you will never be good enough to ever get a good player and consequently become the Pirates!

This whole “he won’t win us a WS or make us good excuse is just that an excuse to say we suck lets stay that way and not even try!

We never have (until this year) We always are held to the big huge money deal which can come back and bite you if it gets hurt (Johan) or falls off a bridge (Ollie)

The three best starting pitchers that have been produced during the Wilpon era are Bobby Jones, Pete Schrouk and Mike Pelfrey and that’s over a 25 year period. A period that coincidently includes ZERO world championships and only four playoff appearances or on average one every six years.

You cannot win when all you can do is go out and make the big money deal. It cannot work. What we have is FINALLY some semblence of talent in the minor leagues but nothing extrodinary. An average farm. Hey it’s been a long time since we can say that. Probably 1982.

The Cards didn’t win a World Series with a whole team of free agents. Who’d they have? Holliday. Giants either. Maybe a few tide me over veterans at positions they were short on 1-3 year deals but the heavy lifting was done by guys that they drafted and developed.

NYY had 19 of 38 guys on their roster scouted, drafted, signed, and developed by their organization.

Texas is spending huge money developing their own players. They signed Leony’s Martin out of Cuba, the top TWO OF prospect this year in IFA. Their showing how a team can both build to contend and not skimp on the draft and IFA.

KC and Pittsburgh started spending big in the draft 3 years ago and their both involved in IFA. Oakland and Seattle too. Washington has a ton of talent and the Braves always have the best farm in baseball.

It’s a lot to overcome when you can’t even develop one catcher and everyone else has three or four.

I would be shocked if they are still holding on by year end.

Just another negative aspect of the financial black cloud hanging over the club.

Not saying it isn’t simply to cut costs, but is it a case of trimming some “fat” (IOW a luxury item), or is it really eliminating something that other teams don’t have anyway?

As to scouts, no, not good cutting them.

For whatever reason the nursery rhyme of “Old Mother Hubbard” comes to mind.