The Mets Are Rebuilding… Really?
By: Mack Ade – 11-22-11
I’m returning to my original role of Mets minor league writer here, and I’m going to let the other writers concentrate on the Queens team. Sure, they too will write about the kiddies, but I’ll try to remain in the area where I actually know something factual.
Computers keep people like me active. Andy Rooney would probably still be on 60 Minutes if it was only a web site.
I’m proud to be one of the original guys that educated the basic Mets fans on what’s going on down on the farm, and every blog writer in Metland now says (me too) we only have a couple of more years to wait for the greatest pitching staff since Generation K (sic), but, is this true? Are the Mets really rebuilding, or are they repackaging?
Or, are they being marked down?
Barbara Stone (played by Bette Midler): “So, when do I get out of here?”
Sandy Kessler (played by Helen Slater): “As soon as Mr. Stone pays the ransom.”
Barbara: “What's the problem? What is the ransom?”
Sandy: “Well, we asked for $500,000.”
Barbara: “That should be no problem.”
Sandy: “He wouldn't pay.”
Barbara: “He wouldn't pay?”
Sandy: “Then we asked him for $50,000.”
Barbara: “Yeah?”
Sandy: “He still wouldn't pay. So now we're lowering our price to $10,000.”
Barbara: “Do I understand this correctly? I'm being marked down?”
Sandy Kessler (played by Helen Slater): “As soon as Mr. Stone pays the ransom.”
Barbara: “What's the problem? What is the ransom?”
Sandy: “Well, we asked for $500,000.”
Barbara: “That should be no problem.”
Sandy: “He wouldn't pay.”
Barbara: “He wouldn't pay?”
Sandy: “Then we asked him for $50,000.”
Barbara: “Yeah?”
Sandy: “He still wouldn't pay. So now we're lowering our price to $10,000.”
Barbara: “Do I understand this correctly? I'm being marked down?”
I’ve been spitting out some Met venom lately, which isn’t my shtick. The last time I got this way was when asshole Tony B was in charge down at the extended camp. This time, my arrows are pointed at both the owners of the Mets and the Commissioner of Baseball. It is my opinion that the entire baseball world has had the wool pulled over their eyes regarding who owns the team, who runs it, and who is currently paying the bills.
I’m sick of using the term in my opinion. I’m changing it to Mack Fact. It’s just still what I feel, but it now rhymes.
In my opinion…err… I mean:
Mack Fact: Fred Wilpon fired Omar Minaya at the advice of Bud Seliq, confirmed on 10-5-10.
Mack Fact: Fred Wilpon hired Sandy Alderson at the advice of Bud Seliq, confirmed on 10-26-10.
Mack Fact: MLB loaned the Mets $25,000,000.00, confirmed on 2-25-11.
Mack Fact: The Mets release IF Luis Castillo ($6mil), confirmed on 3-18-11.
Mack Fact: The Mets release pitcher Oliver Perez ($11mil), confirmed on 3-21-11.
Mack Fact: The Mets trade OF Carlos Beltran (-$2.5mil) to San Francisco, for a minor league player, confirmed by Beltran on 7-28-11.
Mack Fact: The Mets refuse to offer SS Jose Reyes a contract before becoming a 2012 free agent.
Should I continue?
8 comments:
So are you saying at this point in time that the Wilpons are in fact no longer in control of the Mets and that all financial decisions are now bring made by the commissioners office? Including all player decisions, payroll decisions, and that someone in the future the Mets will in "mack fact" be put up for sale? Because what you've just laid out is that the Commissioners office has seized control of the franchise due to the Wilpons obvious financial problems which must have been alot worse then the public has been made to believe. If your answer is yes to this, I would assume you'd also have an answer to why the whole elaborate horse and pony show?
If you release a player, you still have to pay the millions you signed them for. So castillo and perez being released didn't save the mets a nickle, it cost them those two salaries, plus two more salaries of the players that replaced them on the roster. It would have been cheaper to keep them.
Mack - thoughts on the impact the new CBA has on the Mets drafting going forward? Thanks.
Charles...
so... should I continue?
Justin:
I have a post on this coming up at noon.
In a nutshell, it's their league. If they are happy, I am happy.
A Caveat: Jose Reyes is worth over $20 Mil a year right now in revenue. It doesn't take a real estate tycoon to figure out that keeping him is the best thing for the team on the field and in the bank. The players like Bay, Castillo and Perez are the financial burdens who don't support their contracts by attracting revenue.
Mack: like I said, if you are the commissioner or the Wilpons, why such secrecy? Who gives a flying shit who owns the team, especially after having the wilpons as owners? And yes, you should continue...I dare you.
If, as Mack says, MLB is running the Mets it would be extremely bad for PR and raise questions of conflict of interest. It was different when the Expos were being run by MLB because it seemed they were about to be contracted. Also, if the Wilpons are expecting to be part of the future of the Mets, I doubt they could survive a public humiliation like surrendering their team to the league because of their blundering.
As far as 'why the dog and pony show?'. Because this is a business and nothing you see on TV is real or the whole story...it NEVER is.
I don't think that MLB is 'running' the Mets, but I think it's obvious they have a HUGE say in what's going on. Sandy is a company man and Bud put him here.
What I don't buy into is that it's his job to gut payroll and move on. I think having MLB step in is actually good for the Mets as the Wilpons have proven they have no business making any decisions for this team. It's in MLB's best interests to have a successful NL franchise in NYC. His trade for Wheeler shows that they are actually trying to acquire talent in addition to getting the finances in order.
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