According to former Mets GM Jim Duquette, now a baseball analyst for Sirius XM Radio, the Mets have canceled their Fall Instructional League as a cost-cutting measure.
The decision will save the Mets approximately $300,000 and continues to add to the mounting evidence of financial upheaval despite denials from the Wilpon family.
Duquette believes that it sends the wrong message to their developmental staff, young players in the system, and future draft picks and minor league free agents.
“It gives you a chance to extend the development of your young players, of your prospects,” Duquette said. “If you’re development oriented, canceling the instructional league is not a good decision, in my opinion.”
Of course, Duquette is right. For a team that likes to boast about their prospects so much, this certainly is an odd play.
The cost for this program is less than 1/100th of the contract they gave Oliver Perez.
Considering how unprepared and undeveloped many of the minor leaguers they have promoted this season have been, this shows how much the organization devalues basic fundamentals.
Instructional leagues spend most of their time teaching good base running skills and focus on situational hitting and fielding fundamentals.
The Wilpons say everything is okay and cash flow is not a problem, but their actions say otherwise. Especially when they make irresponsible decisions like this one that hurt the organization in the long run.
The organization is choking again, September must be around the corner.
