I think Wright’s record setting contract will remain as such longer than Ed Kranepool’s did for most career hits.

That is, of course, counting for inflation over the years.

and what has Alderson done to improve the 2013 MLB Met roster?

trade RA Dickey?

not sign outfielders?

keep the same pen?

keep the same staff?

If you’re a Mets fan who thinks someone other than the Wilpons must own this team before it can win again, if you think on-field success is a direct result of the name on the door, you probably feel these two reports are bad news. However, if you’re like me, and you don’t think it matters who is physically signing the checks so long as the GM has the necessary tools and resources to field a winning team, this is probably good news. Because, these reports suggest more resources could become available, and that’s been the real issue these last few years: resources.

It’s fairly obvious that ownership’s off-field legal issues; the team’s poor performance and declining revenue; and collective debts; all collided to choke resources and essentially punch the on-field team in the face.

If the Mets had the ability to double payroll these last few years, they might have hired an aggressive, spend-happy GM, who could have cut all his dead weight, eaten contracts, and re-signed new players to slot in and maybe produce better results than we’ve seen. However, there is no guarantee that approach would work. Or, maybe it could have worked for a year, entertained us and raised our hopes, but imploded. And it’s possible it could have never worked and dug a deeper hole than doing nothing at all. Instead, it looks like Mets ownership hired a thrifty, unwavering GM in Sandy Alderson (with a track record of bargain hunting) who could navigate the organization through a cash crunch, while simultaneously restructuring and restocking the farm system… all of which he’s done.

In the last three years, Sandy Alderson has put the Mets organization in a position to essentially start new in 2014, at which point they’ll have just two long-term contracts on the books and a crop of young talent ready to roll in the farm system. I think when he talks about 2014, he’s not necessarily talking about contending, so much as he’s talking about finally starting from zero, with a somewhat clean slate and a lot of options.

Frankly, this is probably what ownership should have done 10 years ago, which is to basically do a reset on the organization. Yes, I’m tired of seeing this team lose more games each of the last three years. But, I was growing equally tired of the Boom and Bust cycles of the last 25 years, none of which produced a ring, and none of which produced a consistent stretch of success. Sure, the Mets made the playoffs here and there, but then it would all come crashing down a year or two later, after which they’d rebuild, take flight and then quickly crash again… over and over again.

Is this current reset occurring because ownership wised up? It is happening because someone finally realized the old way wasn’t working? Or, is it occurring because they had no choice? Because it was forced on them, because it had to happen with all the off-field, financial issues? I don’t know, and I don’t really care, because it needed to happen either way. This organization has long been in need of this type of cleansing. I’m glad it’s happening, for whatever reason it’s happening, because I’m tired of always rooting for miracles only to have my hopes dashed every September. It just sucks it has to be happening now and not 10 years ago.

Yes, these last few years have been brutal and boring. Now, though, if (because of the above reports) more resources become available – at the same time only two guaranteed contracts are on the books and the farm system is in better shape – meaning Alderson can start building us a sound, sustainable, professional, winning franchise to watch – I’ll be OK and feel these last few years were worth it. Why or how we get there will not matter to me. However, if this is all just an excuse to get one family’s financial house in order, if nothing changes on field and ‘the goal posts get moved again,’ I fear there could be A LOT of Mets fans who give up and don’t come back…

Profur slides over to SS, Tejada slides over to 2B, Murphy slides over to 1B…until he is arb eligible for his 3rd year, is traded…then a 23 year old Wilmer Flores takes over

“I don´t really care about the 2013 W-L record”

the bar of low expectations…

# 1 Can either Matt Harvey and / or Zach Wheeler become a legitimate front of the rotation SP ? If yes, that goes a long way towards contender status. If both of them do, the Mets have the makings of a longterm winner.

# 2 Is Ike Davis a legit middle of the order hitter who can be penciled in for 35+ HR , 100 RBI and an .850+ OPS annually (better vs. RHP) or is he merely a fringe average 1bman ?

# 3 Can Travis D´Arnaud emerge as an average to above average young C in time and thus give the lineup another legit RHH bat ?

# 4 Is Kirk Nieuwenhuis a useful starting outfielder ? He doesn´t need to become an impact player – but a solid .775 OPS type OF with solid defense would be a lot better than the crap the Mets have been running out there recently.

# 5 Can Jeurys Familia (or Jenry Mejia), plus other candidates such as Josh Edgin, Greg Burke, or eventually Darin Gorski or Cory Mazzoni finally end the Mets bullpen follies ? Except for Bobby Parnell – who is what he is – the Mets could sure use an inexpensive high-end reliever or three going forward…

# 6 Will the farm system continue to make strides, especially as the wave of promising young talent at the Short Season ball and A-ball level reaches the upper levels by the end of the 2013 season ? This will be important both in terms of having trade bait and potential further additions to the roster to avoid the depth issues of the previous Mets contender…

If the answers to these 6 questions are mostly positive, then the Mets stand to have a very good chance at building a contender for 2014 and beyond. If not, then the process figures to get delayed into 2015 or even beyond.

How many games we’re gonna lose, 90? 95?100? to me, that’s the biggest question..

Our best pitcher is Neise (who I really like) has only pitched one complete season and has yet to reach 200 innings.

Santana is probably our #2, but can he improve on the strong start from last year or is the lack of velocity and command going to hurt him? and I don’t see him topping 200inning.

Hervey is promising, but he’s young and gonna get his lumps as he grows

I like Gee too, but to me he’s a Rick Reed type and another guy who we can’t rely on for 200 innings

and our 5th starter still an unknown but 200 innings there would be a stretch.

Now you can kinda see where I’m going with this rotation…I don’t think hitting 200 innings is the “end all”, because 200 innings don’t mean much if they aren’t quality innings (Pelfrey) and it’s as important to finish innings and not leave the pen with huge messes to constantly clean up…but the numbers show that the more innings the rotation can put down, the better they are…(or maybe maybe it works the other way around)

the fact is, when when you have so many question marks in a weak pen, 800 innings from the rotation isn’t going to cut it.