The Mets are on a mission to upgrade their catching position and somehow figure out their outfield configuration before the ump cries “Play Ball” on Opening Day. Offensively, the Mets ranked the worst in MLB at both positions. Defensively, I’m not sure, but suffice it to say it was pretty awful. On that note, scratch Torii Hunter and Melky Cabrera off the available outfielders list, and Gerald Laird and David Ross off your catchers list. Those were a few of the less expensive options some saw the Mets targeting, but the market is developing faster than the Mets are.
From the “Outfielders The Mets Will Never Sign” department, Angel Pagan could sign a new deal before the start of the Winter Meetings on December 3, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Phillies, Braves and Nationals are all very interested in the former Met and are talking. Rosenthal adds that the Giants are not totally out of the picture yet on Pagan. All three teams are also talking to free agent B.J. Upton. The former Rays center fielder has already been wined and dined by the Braves and Phillies, and he could be meeting with the Nats before the holiday weekend.
Sandy Alderson talks a lot about building the Mets brand. I guess the goal is to ensure we don’t wind up like Wonder Bread and Twinkies. He said the following on Friday night to a group of aspiring lawyers at the Ivy Sports Symposium at Columbia University.
“You have to divorce the interest of the institution from your personal interest, and sometimes it’s difficult to do that,” Alderson said. “It can be extraordinarily difficult sometimes. From my standpoint, it’s about the long-term interest of the franchise. That doesn’t mean that everything is decided in terms of the longer view. What may be in the best long-term interest of the franchise is to go out today and do something dramatic and make every attempt to win today, to build the brand, to re-establish the brand, to sort of re-establish the legitimacy of a franchise.”
When Alderson says “sometimes you have to do something dramatic and make every attempt to win today”, is he talking about the Mets? Because it certainly doesn’t look like he’s doing or has done anything dramatic with the Mets to win today. That’s something only the other 29 teams are trying to do. Oh well, lawyers talking to lawyers, who can believe anything that comes out of that… 🙂
For all of you believe we are moving in the right direction, good news… Single game tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 AM. Do your duty and support the tremendous effort it has taken to get this team where it is today. Keep your hopes alive for a bright future and make sure to support the cause and let Sandy know you’re proud of him. Put your money where your mouth is my friends and go enjoy some exciting Mets baseball in the process. And on that positive note, I wish you all a wonderful Sunday. Only 12 weeks until pitchers and catchers report. 🙂
