Yesterday on Sirius XM’s MLB Network Radio, the ever-frugal Mets GM Sandy Alderson had this to say regarding the current outfield market and the 2013 Mets outfield:
“We continue to look, but I think, realistically at this point, there’s not a lot left on the shelf,” said GM Sandy Alderson. “So at some point we have to realize that, well, perhaps the outfield is not the strength of our team. But at least going into spring training we may be looking at what we have and not being able to make an addition.”
Well Sandy, when you decide to start to window shopping in late January, and spent two months watching 29 other clubs fall over each other to grab up all the significant available outfielders; there isn’t going to be much left on the proverbial shelf. Don’t blame the market for being weak. If you are looking for a scapegoat, try a mirror on for size.
A week ago there was a solid little fit that had been sitting on the shelf for quite some time. His name was Scott Hairston, and he was very interested in returning to Flushing. The lefty killing platoon hitter signed with the Chicago Cubs for a measly two years and $4 million in guaranteed money, yet even that didn’t seem to pique Sandy’s interest. Hairston would have been –and in 2012 was– the best and most consistent outfielder they had in 2013, however he appeared to be too rich for the Mets blood it seems; their Plan B took an alternate route of it’s own.
I will give Alderson his due. He got what is projected to be an excellent return for R.A. Dickey and filled the long-standing hole at the catching position very well assuming Travis d’Arnaud meets his lofty expectations. Sandy also locked up franchise third baseman David Wright through his age 37 season. He made two solid under-the-radar moves in inking Pedro Feliciano and most recently Shaun Marcum. But when it has come to the outfield — what was supposed to be priority number one this offseason and one of his promised “significant changes” — Sandy Alderson has dropped the ball big time; unless of course Collin Cowgill or Andrew Brown emerge into the next Johnny Damon.
It appears Alderson has once again left the team with one of the worst outfields in the game – even worse than last year’s motley crew. We can all just chalk it up to the waiting game which left us nothing on the shelf two weeks before pitchers and catchers report. Rotten luck right? Give me a break…
