An MMO Fan Shot by Marc Epstein (Mystere2417)

If leadership is about having a philosophy, confidently implementing a vision, and being consistent with that approach, then Brodie Van Wagenen is a leader. From the moment this former player agent was hired in out-of-the-box fashion to be the new Mets GM, taking over from the experienced but conservative Sandy Alderson, Brodie has articulated and implemented a controversial yet creative win-now strategy that has already out-mavericked his predecessor. The results have been disappointing so far, especially in the bullpen of horrors, but the plan has not wavered and the team has showed encouraging signs recently of putting it together.

With that in mind, the Stroman trade, the one that seemingly caught everyone in the baseball world off-guard, is no surprise at all. In one fell swoop, Brodie reminded the industry that he’s doubling down on the plan he’s had all along. The philosophy is clear, prospects are suspects who are as likely to fail as they are to succeed years from now, and should be relinquished whenever possible for proven major leaguers in order to try to contend for the postseason immediately. Live now, worry later. Contend now, rebuild later. Carpe diem, seize the day.

I find it fascinating that many Mets fans hate this strategy. They yearn for a full rebuild, the exact opposite philosophy of the man leading the Front Office. In this regard, the largest disconnect between a fan base and its front office may belong to the Mets.  Yet, many of these fans have never lived through a true rebuild to know just how excruciatingly painful it can be, how long it can last, and how uncertain the outcome can be.

I have. I was 15 on June 15, 1977, in other words, in my prime as a high school Mets fan in a sea of Yankee fans, when the Mets traded The Franchise, 3-time Cy Young Award Winner and future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, for a ROY starting pitcher, Pat Zachary, a slick fielding, no-hit second baseman, Doug Flynn, and two outfield prospects, Steve Henderson and Dan Norman.

The “Midnight Massacre” was more like a “Day of Mets Infamy.” It shook me and my fellow Mets fans to the core and the team never recovered from losing its talent, it’s soul, and its identity. The next seven year period, from 1977-1983, the team wandered through a seemingly endless wilderness of awfulness, until a new GM, a finally productive farm system, and two stellar trades yielded a winner once again. We endured a more recent yet similar six-year drought from 2009-2014 before another new GM, another crop of talented prospects, and two major trades brought us back to the promised land, if only for a brief period of time.

Those rebuilding years were long and painful. They were like passing a kidney stone. They were like sitting in your car at a dead stop on the Cross Bronx Expressway during rush hour with a tractor trailer accident ahead of you. Brodie understands this. He knows the Mets have a talented core of starting pitchers and position players to build around and retool. He understands the goal is to build and win, not to lose and rebuild, and every move he has made has been with that in mind. 

Does this approach guarantee success? No, of course not. There are no guarantees in baseball, or in life. But what we do have is a true leader who understands that now is the time to try to win, when deGrom and Syndergaard are in their prime and Conforto, Alonso, and McNeil are scorching the ball. Some Mets fans don’t want to hear this. Be careful what you wish for, and understand that the tail is not “VanWagening” the dog here. Brodie and the Mets will sink or swim together. Push your chips into the pot. We’re all in.

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This Fan Shot was contributed by Marc Epstein (Mystere2417). Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over 20,000 Met fans who read this site daily.

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