You can mark it on your calendar. December 11th, 2012 is the day Sandy Alderson officially abused the trust of Mets fans for the final time. Yes, I’m well aware that there are plenty of you out there that saw this coming. I’ve heard from many of you, previously convinced that the team’s front office had hidden agendas. However, the fact remains that Alderson’s on-air confirmation, at the team’s Christmas party no less, that there will be no sweeping changes this offseason is the moment that struck the first proverbial nail into his coffin as the General Manager of the New York Mets.
I’m sure you’ll also remember that on October 4th, 2012, shortly after the close of the 2012 season, Sandy appeared on WFAN with Mike Francesa to say the following in regards to the team in general, more specifically to the positions of outfield and cather:
“There will be more substantial changes, than subtle changes.”
Call it naivety if your must, but for some reason I took Alderson at his word that the Mets would finally begin to move forward. As recently as last week, I wrote that the winter meetings would be the beginning of the turnaround. Well the winter meetings have come and gone without a single move. In the process, the Mets have managed to insult the reigning National League Cy Young into publicly criticizing the team he has vowed his loyalties to. All this makes me ask, what exactly is the end game here?
Certainly that end game isn’t to put forth a better product? To date the Mets have only retained All-Star third baseman, David Wright. Speaking of Wright, who negotiated his deal to free up an additional $8 million dollars of payroll for the team in 2013..what must he be thinking? Having been sold on the organization’s path going forward, it now appears as if Sandy Alderson won’t even reinvest the money Wright will go without this year, nevermind elevate the payroll in general. If I feel swindled, I’d have to imagine Wright is having trouble sleeping right now.
Alderson has done a lot of things since arriving. First and foremost, he has deconstructed what were once the New York Mets. Dropping a payroll that was once in excess of $140 million dollars to what stands to be less than $90 million this season, the Mets seem as far away from contending as they have in recent memory. So what Alderson traded an injury ridden Carlos Beltran for stud prospect, Zach Wheeler. So what he’s resigned the face of the franchise. So what he’s shielded ownership from further scrutiny. At some point he’ll be forced to answer for his lies too.
You see Alderson has sold a bill of goods to the Mets fan base. The 2014 season was to be the year of the revival, but there is no plan in place to date that can see that plan to fruition. Instead the Mets appear set to bring in bottom of the barrel free agents to once again bandage a flawed roster. Once again, Alderson will stand in front of the microphone at Spring Training and preach about the clarity of the market and the possibility of contention should everything fall into the place. However, for the first time, I won’t be buying what the con man is selling!
Sandy Alderson may have been brought here to see the Wilpon’s through the most difficult years of their ownership. In fact, he may be doing just that. But don’t lie to me. Don’t lie to the legions of fans who expect a quality product, who expect the Mets to function like a big market franchise and those who expected a man of his word. David Wright was quoted on WFAN yesterday as saying he didn’t remain in Queens to finish in fourth place. Welp, I wonder how he feels about last place, because that precisely the type of team Alderson is in the process of piecing together.
Three years after his arrival, the Mets remain a mess..and worse yet there is no end in sight. Sandy Alderson is not the answer and he’s certainly not “the adult in the room”. Save the schtick going forward Sandy, because we’re not buying it anymore.
Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83
