“I’m not punting 2013, I’m simply waiting for 2014”
Sandy Alderson has not made a Major League Signing in over a year. The Mets are currently the only team in baseball to have not signed a player to a Major League contract this offseason. With that said, can you guess who the last player to ink a Major League deal with the Mets was?
It was Ronny Cedeno… I’ll give you a second to gather yourself.
So far this offseason, Alderson has made what looks to be a very good deal for the future of the club. Travis d’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard may have very promising futures ahead of them, but for now they are just prospects. John Buck was an odd addition for this coming season. Yes, he’s most likely an upgrade over Thole, but at $6 million dollars he is hardly a value. With Buck and minor league deals to utility players like Collin Cowgill and Aaron Laffey, it’s difficult for me to believe that the Mets will be very competitive this season.
Some fans believed that hanging onto R.A. Dickey this season rather than trading him would have made the team a .500 ballclub. That may be so, but what does that do for the organization when you look at the big picture? Another mediocre finish that would net us a middle of the pack draft slot? A 39 year old starter for our 2014 rotation the year after? Another season with no meaningful games in September and a fan base that will continue to stay home and negatively impact the team’s bottom line?
Even without Dickey, 2013 won’t be a total loss and there’s still a few good reasons for fans to stay tuned in. As a fan, I’m excited to see a full season from Matt Harvey as well as the debuts of Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud. But other than that, what do we as fans have to look forward too?
Bringing back Scott Hairston would be nice, but that won’t change much.
The Mets won 74 games in 2012, and at the rate things are going, I find it hard to believe that they can win that many games again in 2013.
Why Is Alderson so afraid to spend the money he has?
The team will save a few million by deferring Bay’s contract. Yes it still counts toward the payroll, but solely for determining whether the Mets owe any luxury tax (yeah, right). This was freed up cash…
The non-returns of Torres, Pelfrey, Rauch and Ramirez save another $15 million or so. Lastly, David Wright gifted the Mets another $8 million by agreeing to defer part of his salary for 2013. Where did all that money go?
The offseason is not over yet. I get that. But with nobody really left who can make a significant impact, how will this team be an improvement over last year’s model?
Lets face it, Met fans, we are in a for another dismal year in 2013. This upcoming season is just another year of shedding salary and waiting for the kids to develop and hopefully make some impact.
