It’s been a while since the Mets blogosphere erupted with the kind of vitriol I saw after we learned the team had signed Alejandro De Aza to be their left-handed hitting outfielder to pair with Juan Lagares in center field. But this time even the media dipped their toes into the maelstrom. Here’s some of what they had to say:
Joel Sherman, New York Post
The Mets are the team that cried wolf. They insisted, in recent offseasons, they would spend huge if the right players were available, when we knew they wouldn’t because of big-picture philosophy or troubled finances. So, now, when they really might spend, no one believes the reasons for not doing so.
Essentially the Mets refuse to put a square peg in a round hole or, more fittingly, a left fielder in center. They were willing to do that for two months last season with Yoenis Cespedes to make a playoff push. But they are unwilling to do it for two years.
However, a segment of their fan base isn’t buying the rationale. I have received dozens of emails and tweets saying the Mets need to sign Cespedes not only because he is needed, but because ownership must demonstrate it really is in it to win it. I understand the frustration. But also see the absurdity.
Jon Heyman, CBS Sports
The Mets are going to be great, thanks to their amazing quintet of kid starters. But they look like they’re letting their Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, Daniel Murphy and Yoenis Cespedes, go. Michael Conforto and Travis d’Arnaud have potential to fill those spots, but it appears the Mets are going to count on a long lineup to back up their pitching rather than a great lineup.
Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker make a decent DP combo, but how much better is that than Murphy and Flores? There’s no hint at this point they are seriously considering Cespedes, their MVP through the summer and a bona fide cleanup hitter, or any other established mid-order bat. They should be an excellent team, but there’s a bit too much corner cutting going on here.
Jared Diamond, Wall Street Journal
In another off-season filled with teams lavishing marquee players with record-breaking contracts, the National League champion Mets to this point once again have opted for austerity. Instead of attempting to retain free agent Yoenis Cespedes or pursue another big name available on the market, the Mets have completed nearly their entire winter checklist without acquiring a star or spending much money.
All told, the Mets have roughly $65 million committed in salary heading into 2016, while the website MLB Trade Rumors predicts their nine arbitration-eligible players will earn about $38 million combined. The Mets expect to find another bullpen arm and perhaps a right-handed first baseman behind Lucas Duda before reporting to spring training in February. But at this point, unless they spring for an upper-tier free agent, the Mets could enter next season with a payroll in the bottom third of the sport.
Mike Vaccaro, New York Post
The men who own the Mets would like to believe 3 ½ good months has earned them not only your blind faith, but also your amnesia.
They would like you to trust them, and also to forget that once upon a time, they promised all it would take for them to dust off their wallets and act like a varsity club again would be the kind of success that would bring you back to the ballpark. Because once you were there — stuffing their coffers with ticket sales, parking fees and merchandise riches — then they’d repay the favor.
Well, you returned. You are likely to pack the ballpark this summer because in your heart of hearts, all you want is to love your baseball team as fervently as you can. You just want to know that the men who sign the checks feel the same passion. It would be nice to say that they do. It was hard to say that Tuesday afternoon.
Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports
If the Mets are not going to spend big now — coming off a World Series appearance, with a crazy talented rotation that in ’16 will earn about $13.5 million combined — then they never will.
The Mets will say — accurately — that they’ve built a deeper roster of position players. They will say — accurately — that they again will possess financial flexibility at the non-waiver deadline.
But if the Mets truly were operating as a high-revenue, New York behemoth — not a team that seemingly is still haunted by the Madoff scandal — think of how much better they could be.
Mets fans should be celebrating their favorite team’s first World Series appearance since 2000 and preparing for even better days ahead. Instead, they’re pissed off.
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I have my own thoughts on all of this which I will post later today. Obviously the latest Mets move has touched on some nerves with those in the media. But I couldn’t find one mention of Fred and Jeff Wilpon in any of these strongly worded opinions. I find that not only odd, but a little unresponsive and lacking. Of all six rants, Vacarro resonated the most with me. More on that later.
