First of all Dickey was only going to make 5M in 2013 so this was not a salary dump.

Alderson got two great prospects including a young stud catcher.

Upon review I understand you putting Marvin Miller ahead of Gary Carter because you were talking abiut MLB and not the Mets. I at first was not happy but reflected upon it.

I always try and be fair and balance. The creditability factor is very important.

The rational for the Dodgers seems to have been that Mccourt was raiding the team coffers to pay personal expenses. Might have been a cheesey excuse to bounce him, but it was something. Pretty sure though if they had tried it with the Mets, they would still be tied up in court over it.

And I do like that it actually makes the division crown worth fighting for. the year that the Sox and Yanks had locked up the WC and division and both went into playoff prep mode early, instead of trying to play for the division, was a bigger travesty than having a 2nd WC play in team.

‘The Marlins Blow It Up’ – didn’t take Loria long.

The other signficiant storyline to me seems to be the shifting of power away from the two latest dominant franchises — the Yankees and the Phils. Both have become old and bloated. While the Yanks have begun the shift of gears towards fiscal responsibility and finally succumbed to the wristslaps of the luxury tax, the Phils doggedly hold on to their current ways and actually find a way to make themselves older by brining in Michael Young.

While the Nats have emerged as a force to be reckoned with for years in the NL, it’s yet to be seen who steps in to the void in the AL. Both LA and Toronto have opened their purses….but atempts to out-Yankee the Yankees have thudded before (as LA and Miami found out this year — something the Dodgers ownership would do well to keep in mind). The Orioles and A’s are joining the Rays in trying to cultivate a stream of young cheap talent, but none has been able to supplement that with the big ticket addition of “win now” type veterans that could put them over the top.

I won’t bemoan what’s going on in LA. Ultimately, I think it’s a destructie approach for the game. And until the results on the field prove they actually know what they’re doing (other than driving up ratings) I’ll remain skeptical.

The Dodgers TV deal easily could have solved all of McCorts problems but Bud wielded his power and destroyed him. The Mets are left to flop around and settle into years of struggle without much hope because Selig has allowed them to exist at a level far below where a big market team should be allowed to.

Big market, their own regional sports network, the richest naming rights deal in history, a brand new stadium and yet they’re still allowed to operate at a payroll about 40-50 million dollars below all other big market teams.

I understood letting certain players walk and even trading others. Because the team is now a 80 million dollar product, they had to trade their best pitcher to try to make the team better in the future. Today’s market has completely left the Mets in the dust; they can’t even afford to outbid teams playing in Cleveland.

Why is this allowed? Friendship and loyalty have kept this team in the Wilpon’s grasp while we are forced to watch the team finish fourth for for years and become a build from within project that has lasted just as long; all while being told every year that they weren’t punting because those same owners still want us to go to games and watch them as well in the TV station they also own.

Some people point to Wrights contract or the fact that the Wilpons still own a bunch of buildings as proof that things are getting better. It’s all hogwash and most reasonable fans understand this. Wright will make 8 million dollars less this year, which saves the Mets 50% of what he was originally owed. Next season, when his contract calls for a big raise, Santana, Bay, and Fransisco will be gone and therefore it allows the Wilpons to continue operating at a discounted rate.

I would hate the Mets signing players just to make fans like me happy. I just want what’s fair in today’s game. A team that continues to invest in itself a reasonable sum, that would help itself compete year after year. They have the young pieces in place. They have a great infield and a damn good rotation. All they need is some outfield help and some arms in the bullpen to achieve my goal of a legit attempt at “not punting”.

With just a 75-80 million payroll, the Mets should easily be able to afford putting another 35-45 million into the team this season. But, they won’t…they can’t. Because of Fred and Saul, Sandy must continue dumpster diving while also receiving the majority of the fan’s disgust; which I think is unfair. I’m thankful Alderson is here no matter what anyone says. I think he’s been fantastic in getting the team younger and cheaper, which is what he’s been forced to do. But that doesn’t mean for a second we should be happy he was and is being forced to do it, and that we are still being told that they are actually trying to win this season. Because that’s just not the case. Not unless they actually pull off another big trade, which is certainly possible.