Reese Kaplan -- Festivus & the Charlie Brown Mets

So Fred Wilpon is apparently incensed at the Yankees for creating a majestic lineup capable of thrashing the competition in the AL East with the addition of Giancarlo Stanton, the return of C.C. Sabathia and the creative salary dump of Chase Headley to the San Diego Padres.  They set themselves up for success in what he feels is an unsustainable business model that has worked for them since the Steinbrenner era.  

Mets fans are envious of what the crosstown rivals have done but their wrath is focused on the owner and the stooge who just got a new contract after such brilliant baseball moves like letting Daniel Murphy walk away for nothing, extending David Wright when the club had no money in the post-Madoff era, trading Angel Pagan, gambling and losing on the qualified offer to Neil Walker, eschewing the Japanese and Cuban markets for major league ready talent and offering contracts to the likes of Chris Young (outfielder), John Mayberry, Jr., Frank Francisco and Alejandro de Aza while continually renewing the contract of the losingest manager in club history.  He drafted ONE player in 7 years in the Rule V draft who produced a solid season – Sean Gilmartin – but played patsy for other GMs at other times, simply picking up talent they want and then trading them away for “cash considerations”.  He sat tight with his flawed 2016 roster and figured everything would break right.  He figured wrong. 

I could go on, but it’s a much shorter list of what he’s done right…selling off R.A. Dickey for Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud, trading Matt den Dekker for very capable reliever Jerry Blevins and shipping off future Rookie of the Year winner Michael Fulmer for Yoenis Cespedes who singlehandedly carried the Mets on his back to the World Series.  Of course, he then grossly overpaid for him subsequently so that takes some of the luster off the accomplishment.  Oh yes…in seven years of drafting, 280 choices, 40 per year, he has produced one solid starter – Michael Conforto.  More often his draft picks hit like his own average of success -- .004. 

So as Mets fans ponder their lot in life, take some comfort in the fact that the surprising adult in the room – Fred Wilpon – brought back the man whose draft picks, free agent acquisitions and trades kept the Mets near the top of the division more years than not.  Santa came early with the news that Omar Minaya is back in the fold, even if he doesn’t have the authority to prod Alderson into doing ANYTHING, but more for the fact that the seemingly disinterested owner has finally announced publicly that the emperor has no clothes. 

Also take solace in the fact that many lies told about spending have come to a head and the 2018 Mets will work within the PERHAPS $10 million remaining to fortify the roster.  What that means is for once young ballplayers such as Amed Rosario and Dom Smith will get a chance to show what they can do out of economic necessity rather than retreads like James Loney taking away valuable ABs when you should be seeing what the players you have are capable of doing.   Some of the relief pitchers acquired in the 2017 “Everything Must Go!” sale may actually get a shot at helping the big club due to the inability to spend to address the bullpen needs.

Let’s also give credit where credit is due and applaud the empty gesture of changing out some of the training personnel.  It can’t be mere coincidence that the club was beset by so many injuries, but the field personnel such as coaches and manager are equally culpable for not exerting proper authority over their employees to ensure they toed the line.  Fortunately they have all but one been turned over as well.

Then let’s also sound the New Year’s Eve horns and noisemakers in praise of the unconventional and creative choice of pitching guru Mickey Callaway to help shepherd the “Big Five” into one uninterrupted season of productivity.  The fact it is his first managerial gig and would cost significantly less than a more experienced skipper carried no weight in the decision making, for sure. 

So as we are full swing in the holiday festivities, don’t write your letters to Santa in hopes of All-Stars like Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Wade Davis or J.D. Martinez putting on the orange and blue.  It’s not happening.  However, with Omar Minaya back to help appraise talent and sit in on the meetings concerning personnel moves, there’s a glimmer of hope that things will improve.  There's a razor thin probability that everyone will remain healthy all year long.  And after my Festivus airing of grievances, let’s hope for the team banding together and producing a post-Christmas miracle.