As the weeks and now months have gone by since the end of the World Series, it has been remarkable to watch how the New York Mets have maneuvered through their off-season. From the initial qualifying offers to the roster decisions to the minor signings and then the big Soto deal, the Mets have deftly navigated their way towards a better 2025 team. In the business of baseball, this is no easy feat, as you are competing with 29 other teams for the best talent and have to solve the multivariable equation that is presented by all the players that you have and that are available.
If you were to just dive into this without a plan, it would have disastrous results. There has to be a very well thought-out strategy underpinning every move, and a full board of options to pursue when the primary path is blocked. You need a very deep and well-researched set of data on your players, your opponents’ players, and the full set of draft choices, international prospects, free agents, and trade targets.
I believe that the Mets have laid a very strong foundation for this year, and it will be built upon for many years going forward. Their scouting system seems stronger based upon some of the moves that worked out last year. Their player development, analytics, and technology appear to be producing results already. The leadership in place from the top of the organization to the dugout to the farm system appears to all be in synchronization. This kind of operation is only built with great vision and commitment from the top.
If you pay attention to the articles in Mack’s Mets and across the media as well as the comments, you see a trust and respect for the Mets leadership that is unprecedented. Long gone are the days where fans were just waiting for the next short-sighted move that resulted in underperforming or incompatible players.
Steve Cohen has changed this organization by focusing on building the organization. This is vastly different than past organizations that pursued star power without a thought as to how they would be complemented by the surrounding team. No, this approach began with strategy, invested in infrastructure, and hired the people that knew how to work with that. That is a difference that will withstand the test of time. There may be good years and bad years, as fate always delivers a fickle twist. But the core will continue to strengthen and will support many great seasons to come.
So as we scour the networks for news about player signings, trades, and organizational moves we are hopeful and confident that the news will be good for the Mets. The loyal fans that have supported this organization for so many years can feel good about the direction we are headed.
5 comments:
You said it well. We are on the right path.
Excellent analysis, Paul! We are on the rise, and doing it without rash moves that are high-risk.
Agreed. It won’t stop at Soto. Rising.
It was very telling that in just over a year on the job, Stearns has made massive changes to the org’s scouting/evaluation (internal, external, international) and development staffs. The fans don’t see these things directly, but they mean everything in terms of making good decisions and getting the best out of guys. After more than 30 years of not trusting anything the Mets FO did, it’s incredible to see them make moves, even moves that might have me scratching my head, with faith that there’s a method to the madness, and that these guys know exactly what they’re doing and aren’t getting fleeced by every agent or opposing GM they deal with.
A Stern hand is what we needed
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