Build from the ground up sounds like such logic that HOW could anyone try to build any other way. In pro sports, it's often the OTHER way around. My favorite example of this is the Miami Heat. Start with several ELITE ELITE talents... and then surround them with whatever is available. Championship GUARANTEED... WRONG! You want a team that build's from the bottom... look at a team like the Florida Marlins.Florida's system of growing their talent in the farm and then making a BIG splash in free agency every 4-7 years is brilliant. You build the base of your team from within, then when you are on the rise you go out and buy that top tier talent to put you over the edge. If you look at the image above... you can see very easily the hazards of getting the big name (big PAY CHECK) players first.
The NY Met Bottom-Up Plan:
Step 1: Protect The Farm
If Seattle contacted Sandy Alderson today and offered Felix Hernandez for 4 of our top prospects... you have to believe it would be tempting. Felix is YOUNG and proven and guys we'd be trading like Wheeler, Harvey, Familia and Mejia could all FLOP in the majors. Here's the issue: King Felix has been in the league long enough to have earned a serious pay check. That check will only get bigger for the next 5-7 years. Trading for... and retaining a player like Felix Hernandez would cripple the finances of the team and seriously deplete our prospect pool. Are we building? GOOD, then our prospects are off limits unless we're trading for... well... prospects.
Step 2: Spend Wisely
Ordinarily you might have someone who is looking at a rebuild plan start with EXTREME fiscal responsibility. The Mets... despite what the media says... are NOT 4-5 years from competing. I would say 2012 is a pretty immense long-shot but 2013 and 2014 are not out of the question because of the crop of talent building in the farm. SO... what does this mean? Bluntly? It means we should sign Reyes. Ruben Tejada is not enough of a bat (at least until we have one like Havens on second), Valdespin doesn't look ready and all other free agents are pretty steep downgrades. So... getting Reyes, who is already loved by fans, likes New York and has succeeded there, is good business sense. We'd be signing Reyes to be our 2013 (and beyond) SS.
UPDATE: Since the Marlins have become SUPER-STRONG competitors for Jose Reyes the Mets NEED to up their game. The only thing worse than losing Reyes for a pair of picks is losing Reyes to a team that doesn't even give up a first rounder. Because the Marlin's 1st round pick is protected Alderson needs to UP his threshold. I'd be less upset if he landed in Philly. Despite what the media might say, NOTHING is written in stone and if the Mets wanted to make an offer to top the Marlins they COULD retain Reyes.
Step 3: Swallow Your Pride
I love David Wright (as a fan). He's my favorite player in baseball and he's on my favorite team. If the right offer came along, we're talking about Drew Pomeranz + two other top prospects, then I support the Mets making that move.
WAIT A MINUTE!!!
One second ago we kept Reyes because he was the best we could possibly do at that position for a couple of years. We're not going to get anyone remotely as good as David Wright for 2012, 2013 or 2014. Well... you're right. We're not. The difference is we have players who can man third and put up reasonable numbers. Daniel Murphy or Zach Lutz (Or BOTH!) could step in for 2012 and perhaps longer while players like Nolan Arenado (Hey... we traded Wright for him in this scenario), Jefry Marte, Wilmer Flores and Aderlin Rodriguez progress in the minors.
Step 4: Find Something To Love
2012 could be a long year, but giving up on the team doesn't exactly help the team to continue to improve. It may be enough to go to the ball park to watch Jeurys Familia or Kirk Nieuwenhuis, just to see what the kids are capable of. It might be enough to see a resurgent Johan Santana... or an emerging talent like Ike Davis. Whatever it is... fans can actually help a team rebuilding by going out to support it. That brings in revenue for the team and who knows... by 2013 the Mets could be ready to get that payroll back to the levels that we all believe a New York ball club should have.
3 comments:
I find it interesting that nobody... among the 45,000 Met blogs I've looked at is supporting a plan of conservative safe moves. The overwhelming response I've seen is Rebuild or Spend. Anything in between isn't going to produce a winner.
Phlavy, step 4...right on the money. Helping the team survive while they're down, a lovely concept. However, and this is a big HOWEVER, a lot of fans (especially New Yorkers) don't want to spend the ever increasing amount it takes to go see a ballgame, just to watch a mediocre team lose over fifty percent of the time. Unfortunately, it isn't hard to justify that feeling of contempt the fans have either, because the owners have contributed to this teams declining payroll with their flagrant disregard to wise money managemnet. They've used the resources of the team and tried to make a killing in what turned out to be a ponzi scheme. Now, signing Reyes would certainly help bring in some customers. Also, assuming Jose returns, I wouldn't discount this team playing much better then last year. Healthy Ike, healthy Wright, Jose, healthy Murphy, Duda all season, fences in (might help Bay), Santana back, possibly some mid season help from the minors...who knows? Assuming Reyes comes back.
Hey Charles,
Supporting the team has to be contingent on the team MOVING in the right direction. Sign Reyes and the fans need to show appreciation. Build for the future and go cheer on the kids. I just don't want something in between where the team doesn't build for the future and doesn't do enough to compete today either.
P.S.
I agree if Reyes is back then the Mets SHOULD finish better than 2011.
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