Before the offseason could even begin, Mets fans were already left with the lasting knowledge that 2014 would be absent of Harvey Day's. However, ownership then went out during this offseason and shelled out $20mil to acquire a 40+ year old replacement in Bartolo Colon. After playing musical chairs in the 2013 outfield, ownership paid out over $20mil for Curtis Granderson and Chris Young to spend their 2014 seasons patrolling Citi Field. Then, as they've done the past 3 years, the Mets began loading up on minor league contract guys. So what is to come of the 2014 season?
If the Mets were truly 'packing it in' for one more year, they would have simply stuck to the cheap route by signing and ultimately going with Dice K and Lannon to compete with Mejia for the available two rotations spots. They could have also simply made more efforts to convince all fans that Lucas Duds was the second coming of Jack Lalanne with his diet, and attending of 'fat camp', and could join EY Jr and Lagares in the outfield. So, again I ask. Will the Mets prosper, and make a run at the playoffs (or at least be over .500)? Or will Sandy Alderson continue to earn his money (and a nice extension) by continuing to prepare this franchise for 2015 and beyond? Maybe he really is a genius.
Maybe management is ready to cash in on their recent drafts, trades, signings and player development. Starting with: Chris Young.... Say what you want about the $7+mil figure. He is still a veteran with recent history of belting homers and speed, and above average defense. If Chris Young has a bit of a comeback season, he may help that middle of the lineup create enough runs to finally get the Mets back to respectability. If he falls, he was only a one year deal, and management can simply begin the process of getting the fanbase excited early on about the coming arrival of César Puello. Or maybe we get a bit of both worlds, with Young exceeding expectations, Mets looking on the outside in, but still having a good year, and Alderson pulls off a trade for a teams top 10 prospect by trading Young. Bartolo Colon.....
May continue his charge through the fountain of youth. If he simply holds up, he may help bring the Mets to the playoffs. If he flops, this team has PLENTY of young arms to call up, and have us all keep dreaming about an exciting 2015 anyway........ Also........ best of both worlds........ See last sentence regarding Chris Young. d'Arnoud/Syndergaard.......
This may be the year that d'Arnoud, along with the Mets, have been waiting for. A healthy season from the leagues top catching prospect. Best case scenario is the Mets having a new star catcher, and yet another ace coming up this summer. Either way, look for both of these youngsters to help the Mets either prosper in 2014, or continue their development into 2015.
One way or another, I see a different team taking the field in 2014. David Wright is still as confident as ever, and remains not only the face of the franchise, but possibly the new face of the league. David Wright has the character and makeup to support this teams success, or further preparation, without getting misquoted or get caught tweeting negativity about the direction of this team (yeah, I still think he doesn't even have a twitter account). With actual games about to start. And with the continued drama of rumors surrounding Ike Davis, Ruben Tejada and that Drew guy, this team remain a different kind of question for me. Call it my glass half full philosophy. So, what do you think? Is this team contenders? Are they preparing? ...........Or am I crazy, and just waiting like the rest of us to get this damn season started, and find out then?
2 comments:
Ike Davis once hit 32 HRs and everyone is ready to run him out of town. Why does Chris Young get a free pass? I'm in no way a Davis defender, but he's making approximately half of what Young does and is overpaid at that rate. It is a foolish investment. If he prospers, you lose him after one year and he'll be in for a huge salary bump. If he fights to stay above the Mendoza line you burned $7 million. It's a lose-lose. The only scenario in which you win is if he prospers AND you can flip him for prospects.
As far as going the cheap route, you are missing the whole Super Two boondoggle. They artificially hold back the best talent because it will save them money in arbitration down the road. Playing the likes of John Lannan and (to a lesser extent) Dice-K instead of Montero or Syndergaard is what it is -- a cheap-ass organization that cares more about money than winning. The Cardinals promoted Wacha right away. The Marlins did the same with Fernandez. But the Mets are content to punt the first 10 weeks of the season to save some money...
Even then, the saving money mantra is done in a half-assed fashion. Instead of paying Colon $20 million over two years, you could have promoted the younger guys and then had money to pay Peralta, for example, to address the SS problem. Or you could have promoted the younger guys, signed Colon then traded Niese or Gee to address SS or 1B or whatever outfield positions are not manned by Curtis Granderson.
It's only game one in the ST but Duda and Davis are already playing dueling bats
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