Dear Sandy Alderson,
Are you aware of the date? It's the offseason of 2013. You do remember what you promised Mets fans around this time, don't you? For years you have talked about the future and being competitive again. 2014 was said to be the year when competing again was going to be a given. Your mouth wrote the checks and now you have to cash them.
That's not to say that you have to break the bank. We all know that there isn't really that game-changing talent out there in free agency. Hell, this class of potential players is littered with a fair amount of middling guys. But you have to get somebody we can get excited about. There is potential to field an effective, competitive and most importantly, a winning team. We want to see it.
Don't listen to Jeff Wilpon. You have more than four good players, albeit not many. There are definitely holes to fill on the roster. Get someone who can mash. Marlon Byrd led the team in homeruns. A guy off the street displayed more power than was expected from so many of our in house guys. A real slugger (or two) could really lengthen this lineup that has been mostly dreadful over the last few years. Who really fears our hitters? Who should be feared? Go from there.
As far as pitching, don't quit on that bullpen. Little tweaks could really help make this unit an effective one. I know you're counting on developed players, but don't skimp. The starting rotation needs someone to fill the clown sized shoes left by Matt Harvey. This may seem like an impossible task and to some extent it is, but don't let it stop you from trying. There are some intriguing players on the market who could definitely help make carry this rotation in 2014. Ryan Vogelsong could come on the cheap after a down year. Bronson Arroyo might thrive in the vast spaces of Flushing after his time in Cincinnati. Think it through.
Lets be honest with ourselves for a second. The Mets aren't going to win anything in 2014, but that's okay. You don't have to shoot for the moon just yet. Take the little steps now to help this team win. Lets stop being under .500 for a change. Give some young arms a shot to see what they have because in 2015, this rotation could be the best in the majors. Then you'll have your winner. The forward thinking remains, sadly. I thought that would eventually go away. And yet, I don't hate it anymore. Just get this team better. We'll be grateful for it. I promise.
Your Pal,
Matt
7 comments:
NO NO NO NO NO no nono no nono no no....
This is EXACTLY the kind of thinking that we as Met fans have been beaten into accepting.
NO!!!!!!! Let's not "be honest with ourselves" and accept that the Mets can't and won't "win anything in 2014".
Let's instead BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES and admit that we have been patient, giving the benefit of the doubt over the past few years. Accepting LESS than mediocrity. Entering each of the past few seasons wasting our time, effort, interest, and money on a team that did not even attempt to play with a full Major League roster that could be expected to atleast make the playoffs, even if every possible "what if" turned out positive in the Mets favor.
There is NO reason at all to not expect this team to put the BEST possible team together. We SHOULD expect players that occupy each and every roster spot to be able to perform up to at least major league average levels without it being "the best year of their career".
We SHOULD be able to expect a couple of players to perform at ALL-STAR quality levels.
Whether it be by free agent, trade, or foreign player..... WE as Met fans are OWED these things at a MINIMUM.
I understand that anything can happen in baseball, both good and bad. The problem is.... these past few years the mets did not follow this rule.
Their team was designed that ONLY bad could happen by the end of a 162 game season.
The "Met Way" needs to change from:
"Accepting less than mediocrity and praying for a miracle", to
"Not accepting Mediocrity"
I agree Matt.
The Mets could and should be able to put together a .500 team this off season at the least.
Let's be honest, this is a NY team that'll go into the new season we a payroll most likely under a 100 million. If they brought it up to 125, they'd probably make the playoffs, but our owners are not going to do that without Matt Harvey as the ace. Fine.
But, I dare them to get scared off yet again by the current financial state of mlb's market for free agents. It's a new age where teams are rolling in doe and the players know. Worse, their agents know it. Players aren't cheap anymore, at least in terms of the average player and what they got paid five years ago.
It's going to take 40 million or trading away precious young arms to get this team to play winning baseball. Are they going to do that? My hope is they spend the money and keep the arms. I really hope they understand this. If not, St.Louis seems to be a wonderful franchise to root for come playoff time every year. Perhaps met fans can start rooting for them as early as April.
Bob:
This team, because of their owners, will not make the playoffs next year.
They don't care about our patients.
If the 3 Stooges manage to at least get 2 everyday players going forward, maybe the Mets would be at least a 500 team?
Bob, when you wake up from your dream, let's talk.
OK? Awake? Now, we Met fans have NOT accepted less than mediocrity. On the contrary, we reject and deplore the mediocrity we have had to live with for the past several seasons. What we do accept is reality . . . the reality that our owners have been financially strapped due to some stupid decisions, and therefore unable to build the winning team that they would have loved to build.
Now things appear to be different. The owners tell us that there is finally some money to spend. I have no reason to disbelieve them because I know they have spent before, increasing payroll to over $140 million in an effort to create a winner. That we have money to spend doesn't mean that the team is flush with cash, not in these times of declinning attendance. We will have to live within a budget, about $35 to $40 million this year. There is a lot we could do with about $40 million, and if Alderson is able to spend it wisely, we can win or at least compete in 2014.
You said "There is NO reason at all to not expect this team to put the BEST possible team together." Perhaps you should have stressed the word possible rather than best. It is often not possible to do what you intend or want to do. It is easy to say sign Choo, Peralta, Arroyo, and trade for Braun or CarGO, and we are home a winner. But what do you do if you are outbid for FAs or they are severely overpriced? What if the asking price for trade tartgets is totally unreasonable? You have to go with Plan B, which is less than optimal.
You said "We SHOULD expect players that occupy each and every roster spot to be able to perform up to at least major league average levels without it being “the best year of their career”. That is just not realistic. Maybe you meant every regular rather than every roster spot, but even that is impractical. Even the Cardinals didn't meet that criterion. Neither Daniel Descalso nor Pete Kozma were at major league average levels. What we really need is a strong, balanced lineup from top to bottom capable of scoring plenty of runs, a rotation that goes deep and keeps us in almost every game, a bull pen that doesn't give up leads and holds opposing batters in check, and a bench that comes through when called upon.
And BTW, we did have a couple of players who performed at all star quality levels last year. Hopefully we will have more of them this year.
Herb
I am sorry but I can not and WILL NOT accept what you are saying.
It simply is not good enough anymore!
I have to say Herb I really believe you are in the minority here.
I really and truly believe that MOST Met fans feel they have been taken advantage of. Up to this point I believe the Met fans have willingly gone along with this though out of pure hope and faith.
We blame ourselves at this point for going along with it and have accepted it.
BUT.... we have done so with the hope, faith, and trust that THIS would be the end of it.
THIS would be the year that the team would at least assemble itself going into the season as a team we could feel PROUD of.
THIS would be the year the team payed us back for not giving up on them, even though it could be strongly argued that the organization 'gave up' on themselves for multiple seasons.
Herb I am sorry but you are WRONG here.
I am not saying the Mets have to get every high priced player on the market,
BUT
I AM saying they OWE it to the fans to assemble a team that can be looked at without 'rose colored glasses' as a playoff contender.
this year and in future years
Joe,
Don't you think Jeff Wilpon looks a LOT like Shemp?
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