Mike Freire - Fleeting Thoughts

Good Morning, Mets fans!

I sit here at work on a Wednesday afternoon, looking out the window at the "outskirts" of Hurricane Michael as he passes by our area (Tampa) to the west. What started out as a disorganized "tropical storm" has turned into a monster of a hurricane. The storm surge and accompanying flooding will likely devastate the area around Panama City, never mind the flooding rains and mind boggling wind speeds.

On one hand, we are feeling quite lucky to have narrowly avoided the brunt of that storm and on the other hand, my thoughts and prayers go out to the folks that weren't so lucky. I hope that folks took heed and evacuated if need be and for the reckless souls that stayed behind to ride the storm out, I hope that you live to tell the tale.   

I know, enough weather talk and get on with the rest of this article, right?

1.  Riding a moped, listening to "power ballads", watching Magnum PI reruns (the old version) and/or lounging in bed way too long on a Sunday morning are all "guilty pleasures" that a person could enjoy, but they certainly wouldn't brag about them (I am talking about a friend). Another entry to this list would be watching the "Evil

Empire" lose another playoff series.

Is that petty? Probably so and it may also come across as a bit sad since the team that I root for didn't even make it to the playoffs to start with. Plus, as most Yankee fans would say, they have "more rings"! Whatever, I find it oddly satisfying that they were crushed in their own ballpark and they now get to watch the rest of the proceedings on TV, like the us!

2.  I read an article on a different website recently and it was an early look at free agency and the impending "hot stove" season. Popular names on the list were Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, among others. Interestingly enough, Manny was actually linked to the Mets since we have a short term void at third base (at least according to the author of the article). I think we are actually in good shape moving forward, but that's just me.

What was shocking was the "potential" contract that the two players were rumored to be in line for (think north of 30 million per year, spread out over six or seven years).  I know that both players are in their prime(s), but that is just a staggering amount!  I would love to have either player on my team from a talent standpoint, but I just don't

see how that salary would fit into our payroll?  Really makes you wonder where the game is headed. 

3.  Several folks on this blog have done a nice job outlining the recent purge of minor league players and the implications that it will have on the new 40 man roster.  An additional wrinkle will be the Rule V Draft that is scheduled to take place in December, putting a premium on who the team keeps and who they let go. 

I will freely admit that I don't follow the minor leagues as closely as I do the parent club, so it is harder for me to tell if the recent "bloodletting" is all that serious. But, the sheer number of players being jettisoned seems a bit unusual compared to previous years and I wonder what that means? Are we simply moving a bunch of players up from lower levels and space is needed? Or, are the Mets consolidating one or more lower level organizations to save some cash (like going from two to one DSL squads)?

Something seems like it is brewing under the surface and it is all the more unusual since the organization has not named a GM (yet).

4.  Speaking of our "future" GM, what is with the recent chatter that it could very well be a current player's agent? I encourage "outside the box" thinking and I consider myself open minded, but that seems really odd to me. Unless there are significant changes in the organizational chart, I am not sure if I want an agent in charge of player/personnel moves. 

Some say that the agent would take on a "presidential" role, while a younger executive would assume the day to day operations of the team (i.e. a traditional GM). It all seems really strange and when you couple that with what I mentioned in #3, I am really confused heading into an important off season for the team.

Hey, maybe we will get lucky and this is all in preparation for the Wilpon's to cash out and sell the club?

Well, that's it until next time.

As always, stay safe Mets' fans.