Isn’t direction defined by movement away from one starting location?

We have made so few moves and really only minor signings that it is difficult to say they have done much more than stay in place and let the rest of the division decline around them with the exception of the Nats who have made a minor improvement mostly due to the return of Strassburg who they may still shut down once he reaches 200 innings.

If you go down the list, position by position there really isn’t much change it’s just the performance we are getting has moved around.

We have pretty much just stayed where we were and let the rest of the division fall around us!

I also wonder when “money ball” actually ever worked – other than in the movies with Brad Pitt.

“However, the organization since Sandy A took the reigns has changed direction and will no longer make moves that are huge gambles with players who have long history of injuries. No more quick fixes but instead to develop our own players slowly but surely. ”

Sorry, but the direction of the team since Sandy took the reigns has nothing to do with that. Rebuilding, fiscal prudence, etc. is a smoke screen as the author points out in the attached article, to cover up the reality of the situation – and note, he uses Sandy’s own words.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/tags/sandy-alderson

You actually can say the money they didn’t spend in Reyes was indeed spent elsewhere. The bullpen. They spent about the same on the bullpen as they did on Reyes’ salary in 2011.

It’s obvious the payroll projections changed from the summer of 2011 when they projected a 2012 payroll of about 120 million to the end of the offseason when it dropped to about 100-110 mil and then during the offseason to under 100 million. So one would guess something changed to drop the projected 2012 payroll that much lower. Any guesses? Madoff suit? Projected attendance? Fewer season ticket sales?

Obvious holes in my opinion were number 1) Bullpen. I think 99% of Met fans would agree that was the number 1 concern. 2) Catcher. 3) Another starter.4) CF upgrade 5) 2B

My wishlist for the pen was Nathan, Capps, Francisco (Yeah I know), Broxton, Cordero
.
Catcher- Ryan Doumit. He’s not much of an upgrade defensively over Thole but he’s a much better bat and can play the OF and 1B. My feeingl was if we’re going to have a bad defensive catcher, lets get one that can hit with some pop.

Pitcher- The one starter I though we could get on our budget was Paul Maholm.

CF- Nobody on the FA market did anything for me.

2B- See above

Other than those guys and of course the 1 million per, take a flier on middle relievers they could’ve went after. I didn’t see a whole lot on the free agent market to fill our needs on our budget.

You?
Me?

Or Wilpon?

And what are we risking?
Murphy’s Bat? (Tejada playing 2B)
Tejada’s Bat?

Seems to me there was little risk other than Money and to take it means you have a backup at SS and 2B.

This RISK factor everyone talks about is only important to a MONEYBALL philosophy it doesn’t apply to other teams like the Yankees who don’t value money the same way some here do and as a result always have players to replace thier injured except in cases where there was no one available to get in the first place.

It’s all water under the bridge now…
Reyes is gone, Tejada is hitting and fielding quite well.
Now the question is will Tejada keep hitting and fielding the way he has so far and will he play a full season the next 6 years like everyone was worried about Reyes NOT doing and therefore made him a risk?

Cause lets face it the only reason Reyes was a risk was due to the injury not the performance. And so far Tejada has been hurt as much halfway through the season as reyes was hurt all of the entire last season.

However, the organization since Sandy A took the reigns has changed direction and will no longer make moves that are huge gambles with players who have long history of injuries. No more quick fixes but instead to develop our own players slowly but surely. We have seen Tejada step forward beginning last year when Jose was hurt and now he has proven his worth as a sure handed, fundamentally sound and smart defensive player who can hit big league pitching. He won’t steal more than 15 bases a year batting 7th or 8th. We have also seen the team’s depth at shortstop with the veteran Cedeno, Quintanilla and Valdespin.

The best thing Sandy A did was to absorb all the criticism from the media and the fans and to look at the situation free of emotion and that is exactly what he did.by not feeding the contract offers to Jose and his agent. He let the other teams set the market and did not let Jose and his agent use the Mets to drive up the price. If Jose wanted to stay in NY he could have but he knew that the other teams would take the gamble that the Mets were no longer willing to take.

None of us will forget the excitement that Jose brought us but it was time for us to move on as a team and we are better off now than had he stayed.

I too LOVE our new shortstop. Just shows, sometimes things work out for the best despite the worst laid plans….. Now, if only the money not used to re-sign Jose was applied to signing more players as we were told would happen in 2012.

I nominate Bayonne for Ball Boy of the year. Everybody is good at something. Cookies and milk for you, child.