Don’t know if we can count on any additional spending – found out that the Wilpon’s donated to the Romney campaign and despite whatever one’s political affiliation was, Romney was for deficit cutting.

How about some depth in starting pitching – Chris Young is still out there – how about signing Chris for 1 year, $1 million?

Worst case, we can use these guys as trade chips to pick up an outfielder in late April or May…..

Come on Sandy, come on Fred, put some money where your mouth is….

So I don’t mind anybody saying the trade might be a steal for the Mets – just use a word something to the effect that it looks like it could be a very good deal for the orange and blue.

Wheeler and d’Arnaud could become the next Seaver/Bench, Seaver/Fisk, Ford/Berra or even a more modest Koozman/Grote. Either could also wind up like these:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/02/17/zick.former.top.prospects/index.html

So let’s just wait a few years before calling them the best trades and that they will lead us to the promised land. They could be the steals of the century or just answers to trivia questions. Let’s hope for the best – both look good, but let us hold off a bit.

Was the draft pick a red herring to avoid signing Bourn or was it that the team isn’t ready or really has the finances?

- I don’t think it was because the team couldn’t afford him. I think it may have been Boras’ insistence on the 5th year that stopped things in their tracks and the possibility that the league would rule against protecting the draft pick. You could also theoretically put in there that 2014 would have to be THE year everything comes together if not, you would have to hope that in year 3 of Bourn’s contract it would be, placing an already one dimensional player at 33 years old.

- I think you compared Bourn to Ellsbury. I think Ellsbury did show he could hit for power, whether that was a by-product of Fenway Park we should know this year if he’s healthy. Assuming he hits for power again, then his value far outweighs Bourn so if his asking price is in the BJ Upton range, it’s palatable compared to Bourn.

- As to 2014 I believe the team has to start winning whether that begins this year at some point but it hinges on the fact that Wheeler and Harvey have to become what we hope they will first – before committing to a free agent long term. I see it as not doing another cart before the horse or at least — find a better horse and not just throw money at the problem. To me that’s good and smart spending not lets shut up the fans who want ANYTHING done so we’ll sign anyone with a pulse.

- What were the reasons we didn’t make it to the series from 2005-2009 had more to do with focusing on finding the next hired gun instead of perhaps using more of that money to sign an international free agent and develop him? Again it was all about keeping up with the Jones (Steinbrenners) to keep the team relevant. You stay relevant by building from within…like the Steinbrenners did THEN. Today the Yankees are facing this same dilemma as their core is ready to bow out.

- I think when it comes to offering an over 30 player a long term deal it just inheritently takes on more risk but I’m not for being risk adverse. Just be smart about it. Why risk signing a player who’s key asset – perhaps only asset – is his speed (Bourn) and perhaps his defense (thanks to his speed).

- I don’t think Sandy’s philosophy is written in stone. At one time he had one of the highest payroll’s in the majors while in Oakland. It’s the lean years that get all the attention.

- I agree with you it would be nice to have him say look…we’re rebuilding…be patient…we’re gonna suck a bit for a while. He’s not going to be THAT frank because he still has to sell a product and season tickets so he has to essentially do both at the same time and it makes it that much harder on everyone.

- As to being against anything Omar did I wasn’t against Omar bringing in Beltran or Pedro. Even Delgado was a good move. But there were a few others and we know what they were that were done because of a “need” here and there and instead of trying to funnel more money to the International Free Agent market he focused on getting a “name” to fill a hole. I don’t want Alderson going after a name just to fill a hole. The outfield is going to be a challenge this year but would you prefer a challenge that can be tweaked as he did with the bullpen or get stuck signing another Bay where we either eat the contract or end up playing a guy who has no business in a major league uniform?

- Yes free agents may want more coin to play in here especially now. Then again if the team starts winning and if the pitching starts to pan out — like Terrance Mann said “People will come Joe, people will come.” I don’t think a spending spree is what’s needed to win anything it’s spending wisely and hopefully we’ll have better luck than in the past.

I’m glad we didn’t get Bourne, the guy is so overrated.

As for the Dickey trade all 30 baseball GM’s said the trade definitely favored the Mets.

The real problem is planning we are neither rebuilding or contending team when we should be doing both.

You correctly pointed out we should incremental rebuild and now was the time to get a speedy. lead off defensive CF.

The issue isn’t rebuilding…it’s the timing of the rebuild!

Cashen inherited a last place team with top picks and no sense that he would not have top picks for another two years running….

He had three 1st round picks in 1980 to start off, Had a top 5 pick the next two years!

Why did he have that and why was the team in that state?

McDonald/Grant selling off whatever stars they had from 77-79 (starting with Seaver) which is akin to what Sandy has done the past two years.

Maybe next year we will start to have the picks to rebuild. 5 years from then maybe they will hit on two players like Strawberry and Gooden and have a Hernandez deal fall in thier lap to do what Cashen did.

But until they get those top picks there will be no rebuilding…
You can’t keep sacrificing and trading in Great Performers on a 5-2 basis and expect to get ahead.
And if you DO try that you had better be prepared to spend to fix all the positions you CREATED HOLES in the name of FILLING a HOLE!

Forget the pick. Lets run with your opinion that not signing Bourn was a good idea because the team isn’t ready yet. Then don’t say it’s because he wanted a four year deal with an option. So if that’s the case then was there a real commitment to signing him? No, there wasn’t. We are rebuilding and we’re not going to spend.

Fast forward to December 2013. We still have three holes in the outfield and Wheeler, D’Arnaud are fixtures on the team. Using Ellsbury as an example, Boras wants a 5 year deal for $75 million.

Now, does a person with the exact same skill set as Bourn, same age too, suddenly become a good buy at that price?

According to what I think you’re saying, we are ready to contend in 2014 so we spend right?

But is that good spending? Or better yet is that smart spending?

Was the reason we never made it to the World Series in 2005 -2009 (using a 5 year period as you did with Rays) because we spent too much or because we didn’t allocate those dollars better or on better players?

If Ellsbury becomes our first major addition why would a similar contract to Bourn, who most agree was not worth it, suddenly be worth it?

So what’s changed really?

Is there a new dynamic here?

Also there is the matter of Alderson’s philosophy on what he calls second generation contracts. (Giving a player 30 or older more than a 4 year deal.)

How does that play into this?

Why is it the assumption that in 2014 Sandy will suddenly turn a blind eye to his philosophy and start spending as Omar did because the team is ready now?

And if you were against that when Omar did it, why would you be for it when Sandy does it – if he does it at all – a fact that has yet to be seen?

My point is pick a side and stick to it. If you are against second generation contracts than be consistent.

If Alderson didn’t sign Bourn because of his aversion to the terms of his deal, what makes everyone think he would sign Ellsbury next season for probably even more money?

Did he opt not to sign Bourn because the team isn’t ready yet or because he was too costly? If you think he was too costly, then how is this going to work in future years?

How are we going to do it better than the Rays because as you point out we’ll have a larger payroll if we’re never going to pay market value?

And what if the pieces you need to win want to be overpayed to play for the Mets? Something that’s been going on since the days of George Foster on through Bonilla, Piazza, Beltran and Bay? Then what?

I guess we’ll all find out one year from now. But at 60-something, Alderson is what he is, and I don’t see him shifting gears and ditching long held aversions to second generation contract and paying full market value for any player. And nobody can say right now that that is exactly what he’s going to do.

It’s a comforting thought to think there’s going to be a spending spree coming in 2014,
but I don’t see it. Not because of Wilpon, but because of the person buying the groceries.

Oh and one last point. Assuming he does go balls to the wall for 2-3 free agents. Who’s to say he’ll be any luckier than Minaya who hit a homer on Beltran and struck out on Bay? There’s no accounting for what happens to a big free agent once he dons a Met uniform, and you know that as well as I do, buddy.

As did SF and Boston.

What is important is the WHY….

Why was it worth re-signing Wright for 8 years and NOT worth keeping Dickey for three?

Only two answers can come from that question…..

1 – They have no intention or belief in competing for another 3 years…
2 – They have no intention of competing at all and merely signed the homegrown for it’s PR value, meaning not a BASEBALL decision! They will wait til something happens to make them a winner (maybe another gift like Cashen got with Hernandez) or merely stay a cheap non-competitve but maybe marginally break even team until something falls out of the sky to save them.

Other than that there is no logic that fits with re-signing Wright but not Dickey.
Sure isn’t anything to do with Ticket sales as far as Dickey is concerned.

Could be they got a better deal for Dickey than they could get for Wright (read into that what you will) but in the end they had a much better guy to go with at 3B in Flores that fits better with this alleged “REBUILD” people think we are all about than we had with Dickey.

Sure Wheeler will come up to take Dickey’s place as opposed to Santana’s place if we had kept Dickey….
And as much as people like Snydergaard I don’t see anyone predicting Cy Young dreams on him yet.

And I think a normal person with sound judgement would think that if your truly trying to rebuild, you wouldn’ t leave half your picks unsigned. If your trying to rebuild, you would want to acquire as much young talent possible because that increases your chances of developing productive players. The more picks you have, the more likely you are to develop more players.

That’s why I said that there needs to be a middle ground, and the Reds are a terrific example of that.

And complaining about the amount signed? That’s just stupid, especially when 80% of the unsigned come from the last 15 rounds. A normal person with sound judgement might look at that combined with the fact that the team signed 3/4′s of their picks the year before and come to the conclusion that different draft rules might require different draft methods. But hey who needs reason.

Of course the Mets will have to spend. One fact that most overlook is the fact that very few Met players who were homegrown ever cost any money because of the fact that they were never around for 3 or 4 years. An amazing thing that happens with success of a young ballplayer, the amount asked for in arbitration increases. Does anyone remember a very young Ryan Howard getting $10M in arbitration? Ike,Murphy, and Parnell cost the Mets 3 or 4 times what they did last year. If Ike has another 3 HR season, he will get $7M-$8M for 2014 alone.

The biggest problem the Mets have is they still do not know what their core is. Wright and Niese are the only locks. Everyone else has questions marks? Is Ike going to be the l.t. answer at first? Will Murphy be part of the picture at 2nd or is he just holding the spot for Flores? Tejada at SS? The OF has been repeatedly covered. Harvey and Wheeler look like two studs in the starting rotation but they still have to prove it. Either way, there are two SP who are only contracted through this year so another pitcher will need to be added. Then there is the closer situation. That will need to be addressed; if it isnt Parnell, then who going forward.

People wanted money spent this off season. The problem with that is nobody knows what the team needs. Crying about the OF is fools play simply because the Mets might have 2 of the positions covered (or they might not). Do they need a CF? On paper it looks like it although Den Dekker might provide everything a Bourne did (or he might not). Duda might turn out to be a monster and hit the ball in proportion to his size (or he might not). Cowgill might be something or not.

So where do the Mets spend the money if doing it now? OF seems sensible but nobody knows what the true needs are. But even if that is the case, I would rather take the $12M per year for Bourne and put that towards a guy like Pence who would fill a number of needs for the Mets which arent going to get filled from within anytime soon (RH power hitting OF).

Either way, the payroll will increase. I just dont like the idea of suddenly entering into contracts for non-outstanding players that are an overpay. Overpay the stars, not guys who just good players.