Adam Rubin of ESPN New York posted some direct quotes from Jeff Wilpon who spoke about the state of the team, spending and whether there’s any pressure to start winning on Sandy Alderson.
“I think he [Sandy Alderson] feels the pressure, like we all do, to try to get this turned around and start winning. But I don’t think there’s any added pressure on him, Terry [Collins], the players, anybody.”
Wilpon said it is too soon to know whether free agency or trades ends up the primary route to improve the club, but he insisted payroll flexibility exists.
“That’s always been part of the plan, to use the money that is coming off the books and try to improve the team,” Wilpon said. “I can’t tell you exactly what’s going to happen, though. As we get further into the offseason, we’ll know a little bit better. …
“The hardest part right now…I can’t control what the other team wants to give us for a player. Sandy can’t control that… The thing everybody forgets is that as smart as Sandy is, trying to make a great deal for us, he’s got 29 other guys out there looking to be just as smart and make a great deal for their team.”
I’m sorry, but that sounds like such a crock to me…
First, I don’t believe Sandy has any additional pressure to perform although I will say the the majority of fans are more restless now than at any time since Sandy took over as GM.
But Sandy doesn’t really care what the fans think as much as he wants you to believe he does. He has his job to perform, which is to do the bidding of the owners while projecting something positive – like a brighter future.
As for the spending, I don’t buy it.
Yesterday’s message is practically verbatim – word for word – what it was last offseason. Here, you tell me:
“It’s all in the rear view mirror,” Wilpon said about past financial woes.
“I think we would anticipate being big investors if that were appropriate,” Wilpon said about pursuing high priced players.
“That depends on what the market is. If the market is such that that’s where we have to be to be competitive and winners, yeah.”
“I don’t know what the market will be at that point. But the payroll will be commensurate with anything we’ve ever done because we can do it…Everything that was in the past…is gone. It’s gone.”
The payroll will be commensurate with anything we’ve ever done?
Really?
Guess what, payroll went down in 2013.
Big investors?
Shaun Marcum was our biggest investment and we couldn’t even get that right…
You can all believe whatever Wilpon says, but color me very skeptical.
I’ve been hearing this same old song and dance for three years now.
The tune may sound a little different each time, but the song remains the same.
I’m not buying anything until I actually see it. The words from ownership and the front office still ring hollow to me – as do their promises.
