The LTJ Editorial: “David Is Always Doing The Wright Thing”

Make sure to take vitamins too, David!

The LTJ Editorial: “David is always doing the Wright thing”
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com

As a New York Mets fan, who doesn't love the impact Third Baseman David Wright has had on the team this past decade or so? Not only our team captain, Wright continues to be the face of the franchise being one of the bright spots on the team. He contributes as much on the field as he does off the field, always making sure to be another role model in the big apple everyone can look up to. However, one thing we all learn in life, especially in the sports world, is you can't control time. Eventually, you start to decline in skill, injuries start becoming more frequent, and next thing you know is you are fighting for longevity. Over the course of time, you need to start playing smarter, not harder. Entering his eleventh season, Wright has already had a few significant injuries that not only cost him playing time, but also put more wear on his body. The severe hamstring injury sticks out the most since it was a scary moment for all of us and definitely for him too. It was at that moment he probably realized, it's about time to work on something different for the future to prevent these injuries from creeping up on him again.

So far this offseason, Wright has decided to change his regimen when it comes to preparation for this upcoming MLB season. His main goal is to stay healthy and have a complete season without missing so much as a single game. Besides his usual diet and exercise, Wright is working on flexibility while focusing on durability with the usual wear and tear that comes with holding down third base. Being 31 years old does make you wonder just how fast time goes by. In a blink of an eye you turned from rookie to veteran and unfortunately, in Wright's case, he doesn't have much to show for it with the Mets. With only one playoff run in his career, it's easy to understand his frustration with how the team has done so far with him in the lineup. Bad organizational decisions really, but in the end, it starts from the top down. No, not just the Wilpons, it's about the people who make the personnel acquisitions for the team. You know, the main person responsible for upgrading, cultivating, and signing talent. I'm talking about General Manager Sandy Alderson.

If you think about it, Alderson has done a good job these past four years he has spent rebuilding the Mets. After the entire Omar Minaya debacle, he came in and went right to work on building a future winner from within. Yeah, it hasn't come to fruition yet, but the foundation is set and almost ready for takeoff. Currently, the Mets have the sixth best farm system in all of professional baseball, have gotten much more respect across the league, and have spent serious money in an offseason for once! That's right, the tight wallets of the Wilpons have been opened to reveal a golden aura. This light, brighter than a thousand suns, was the guiding force to bring in some fantastic upgrades to build around Wright. It's about time since well, Captain America can't do it all! Now with some pretty solid upgrades to our outfield, starting rotation, and top prospects waiting for the big call to the majors, the Mets are in a good position going into this season. Sounds like a broken record every year, however, the Mets should be competitive this season and hopefully be able to play some baseball in October.

Someone with the caliber of Wright should be enjoying postseason baseball to bring a championship to his team and city. With a better supporting cast this season, his longevity will be one of the big keys to success for the Mets this year. This new offseason regimen will benefit him for the long-term since Wright will most likely see his career begin with the Mets and end with them. Let's have #5 be in that starting lineup until 2020. The Mets will need him healthy more than anything for any hopes of making the postseason again since most of us want to forget about 2006 and actually remember another year instead.

Head of Surgery and Psychiatry: Sandy Alderson

By - Jarod Alley               

In a perfect world the New York Mets would be annual competitors in the playoff picture, harvesting young talent and spending their free agent dollars on the most premier talent. Reality though has held a different fate for our lovable losers. We’ve been through multiple questionable trades, reckless free agent spending, a sapped farm system, over exaggerated major league rosters, seasons filled with injuries, an ongoing financial dispute and three different coaches. All of this happened within the last 10 years.

                Yeah, it is tough being a Met fan sometimes, but it’s also tough not to like the Wilpons decision in hiring Sandy Alderson to reign in a team that was looking like it was going to take a very long downward spiral. Even if he were forced upon Fred and Jeff by Bud Selig and Major League Baseball, Sandy has been very efficient in re-structuring the seemingly fractured parts and pieces of this team. True, he did let Jose Reyes walk almost without much dialogue but how many of you would have guaranteed Jose…Jose, Jose, Jose  that kind of contract? I know I wouldn’t. Without a solid pitching staff the retention of Reyes combined with Wright, Davis, Murphy and question marks at other positions would seem like a major gamble to put together a World Series caliber team.

           

     One can hardly argue with some of the other decisions he has made too. He’s been signing guys that are very much low risk high reward guys to stitch up vacancies on the team. Last year we saw the resurgent Isringhausen and durable Capuano perform above and beyond expectations both on salaries that amounted to roughly 2.5 million, combined. Also, for the first time in as long as I can remember our Rule 5 draft pick ended up being a very serviceable arm in our bullpen. While Pedro Beato wasn’t a complete success he still proved to be a useful piece out of the bullpen and will be back with the organization since they were able to keep him on the roster all of last year.

                In regards to the minors he’s been active to shape it to his liking as well. Trading Carlos Beltran mid-year for a top pitching prospect in Zack Wheeler helped to gain favor with fans by adding a young phenom arm to go along with Matt Harvey.  In years past the Omar Minaya regime would have clung to their expiring contracts with little hope of making a push into the playoffs thus leaving the club without any return on investment. Instead last year Sandy let Reyes walk saving major cash and gaining an additional draft pick along with the midseason acquisition of Wheeler; two moves that should h elp strengthen a middling minor league system.

                While many of his decisions won’t be known to be truly successful until the next 5-10 years, he has created an environment where competence is not as easily questioned. I for one hope his disinfecting, stitching, splinting and overall medication proves to be the elixir the Mets have been looking for to make this team successful not just in the now but for the foreseeable future as well.

How Do You Define Drafting Well? - By Phlavio

My friend and I got into a heated discussion over Omar Minaya. Just what Met fans need, more grief caused by Omar Minaya. The debate started with me saying that Omar was a alright in regards to drafting. My friend argued that only 1 of his draft picks had turned out well (not counting Harvey because Harvey was not ready to be judged). We had only been looking at his first pick from each year. I expanded it to his top 5 picks from each year because those picks are generally expected to have a chance of panning out. Here is a little Minaya draft legacy review.

2010:
RHP Matt Harvey - Now... we can't say he was a succesful pick, YET because Harvey hasn't thrown a single inning in the majors, YET. That hasn;t stopped us Met fans from getting overly excited about a guy who has a 97 MPH fastball and flew threw two of the higher levels of the minors.

C Blake Forsythe - Sure... not a great choice. Forsythe was taken because he was highly regarded once upon a time and Omar was hoping for lightning in a bottle. There is a reason why we try to ignore the catchers in the Met farm... this will continue as we move on in the list.

OF Cory Vaughn - Greg Vaughn had a kid and this kid was named Cory. In 2010 he debuted in Brooklyn and was a powerhouse success with a great eye. Then in 2011 he went to the batter's nightmare of Savannah and lost a lot of that power. He still hit enough to get promoted to Port St. Lucie (where he's likely to start 2012). Vaughn is still charted to the MLB with a starting OF spot in the possible cards.

(Mack: Very streaky.... needs to develop long range plan...)

OF Matt DenDekker - Now... nobody questioned the choice of Matt. He was an organizational guy with stellar defense that would probably top out as a AAAA OF who could spend time as a 4th OF. Then... DenDekker developed power. Not sure where it came from and don't color me surprised if it's not 100% legit, but he's now on track to potentially compete for the starting CF job this spring.

RHP Gregory Peavey - We forget about Peavey. We forget because we also have Jenrry Mejia, Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia and Zack Wheeler. Peavey has been very successful in pitcher friendly Savannah and moderately successful in the more even-footed Port St. Lucie. He projects as a middle to back of the rotation starter... in the 5th round... NOT BAD.

(Mack: Spent most of 2011 working on new pitches... look for big start in 2012)

2009:

LHP Steven Matz - Now, I agree with my friend that Matz was a bad pick. He had mechical issues and was destined to land on the surgery docket... guess what, he did. We'll learn if Matz will amount to anything this season and my hopes are not sky high.

(Mack: Dropped Twitter, dropped Facebook... fell off the face of the media world...)

SS Robbie Shields - Shields also caught the injury bug, but he got by it in 2011 where he turned out a pretty solid year offensively. He's not likely to be a major league SS (which Omar knew in 2009) but he does seem to have a shot as a major league 2B.

(Mack: Has the hottest girlfriend in the system...)

OF Darrell Cecilliani - Cecilliani was a surprise of 2010 when he exploded into Brooklyn with absurd numbers. 2011 saw him fall back to earth... a little. He still has a shot to be a major league OF.

LHP Darin Gorski - 4th round pitcher... no tremendous stuff... he did WHAT in 2011? Okay, raise your hand if you think Gorski's 2011 was for real. Anyone? We have our hopes and dreams but it's likely that Gorski is not destined to be more than Mr. Gee... IF THAT!

C Taylor Freeman - Remember that we have NO good catching prospects. Yeah...

2008:

1B Isaac "Ike" Davis - Okay, so we didn't argue about Ike Davis being a good draft pick. Omar saw power, and when Ike reached the majors... so did we. There are obvious concerns about the return from an injury, but can we REALLY blame that freak accident on Omar?

2B David "Reese" Havens - Now... we can talk injuries and we can talk talent. Havens has both. I think Omar can still be shadowed on the side of making a good pick based on the fact that Havens has one of the best swings I've ever seen.

(Mack: His only long range problem is his back...)
RHP Bradley Holt - Once upon a time we thought Holt was a steal. Since then he's become a pretty colossal bust. If he makes it to the majors it'll be as a reliever and I'm betting against it. He did toss me a ball at a B-Met game. I'm such a little kid.

(Mack: Great kid that got totally screwed up by the Mets... please let someone draft him this week...)

OF Javier Rodriguez - As a fourth rounder it's hard for me to call him a bust, but I also cannot call him even a remote success in the minors.

(Mack: Steak knife...)

OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis - 5th rounder... might be a favorite Met in 2012. Nieuwenhuis is a gritty determined guy who I'm betting wins away Bay's starting job by Mid-July. He doesn't have 30 HR power or 30 SB speed but he does look like a .300 hitter with 15/15 potential.

2007:

RHP Edward Kunz (Allan Dykstra) - We credit Omar with the lousy draft choice in the over-weight Kunz. We credit Sandy Alderson with trading for Dykstra who is a pretty intriguing 1B prospect... after a good 2011 at least.

(Mack: Great minor league closer that was totally mishandled (also, great defensive outfielder)...

LHP Nathan Vineyard - I threw up in my mouth when I looked.

(Mack: Hid a career-ending injury from the Mets, signed, took the bonus money and ran back to Georgia...)

RHP Scott Moviel - Once upon a time some people thought he might be okay for the bullpen. That time is past. He's just a bust.

RHP Brant Rustich - I'm going to keep my mouth shut on a player who has battled injuries like this.

(Mack: We'll know in January if he's back 110%)

LHP Eric Niesen - Wrapping up his worst year, Niesen turned in some okay work as a lefty reliever but okay might be over-stating his value. He's not a major league talent.

2006:

RHP Kevin Mulvey (Johan Santana) - So... is Johan Santana still worth Kevin Mulvey? Even with all the injuries? Even with his huge salary? Yes... yes he is.

RHP Joseph Smith - I remember Smith with nothing but fondness. He's moved on into the Cleveland bullpen where he's continued to look like a pretty solid MLB reliever.

(Mack: Isn't this that Mormon dude?)

RHP John Holdzkom - Another HUGE failure in the minors.

(Mack: Career-ending injuries)

RHP Stephen Holmes - This is a little odd. I find a page but no stats. He WAS signed... so... I guess he's there for his looks?

(Mack: Just quit one day and disappeared... like Peter Green did to Fleetwood Mac)

RHP Scott Schafer - This one is odd. Schafer was fine as an 18-year old in the Gulf Coast League. Then he vanished.

(Mack: Some of these guys are pretty smart and they wake up one day and realize they need to put their toys down and get on with their life...)

2005:

RHP Mike Pelfrey - Do I like Pelfrey? No. Is he an MLB caliber starter? Yeah... I guess he is. Can't fault Omar's pick if he's good enough to start in the pros.

2B Hector Pellot - A speedy utility player who will never make the pros.

(Mack: Gone...)

C Andrew Butera - Strange... the site I cound him on said he signed and then his profile says he was signed again by the Twins in 2010. He's not very good.

(Mack: Traded early in Mets career... now in pros... excellent defensive catcher)

OF Gregory Cain - Cain had two VERY unimpressive years in rookie ball before he vanished from baseball.

LHP Jonathan Niese - Jon Niese is probably a better pitcher than Pelfrey and he's certainly easier to watch. Niese is a more-than steady major leaguer and likely a piece of the Met future for the next 2-3 years.

In My Opinion: Omar Minaya has four draft success stories (Pelfrey, Niese, Davis and Smith) already in the majors and at least 9 prospects who could still make a major league impact. Now... of those 9, maybe 6 ACTUALLY do something in Queens but 10 players out of the 30 of his top draft picks seems like a pretty good track record.

Will 6 of the 9 prospects I'm looking at make an impact? (Harvey, Vaughn, DenDekker, Peavey, Shields, Cecilliani, Gorski, Havens and Nieuwenhuis) Well, I'd say we'll see about Nieuwenhuis, Havens and potentially (though hopefully we don't NEED to) DenDekker early in 2012. We'll see about Harvey and the rest of Generation 2K a little later. (NOTE: Omar was responsible for bringing in Mejia and Familia as well.)

For me this comes down to, "What do we consider success for a baseball GM in regards to drafting?" The best I can figure as a baseball outsider is that a GM is drafting well if at least 1 player a year (on average) is worthy of playing in the majors. Maybe that's too generous, but I have seen enough prospects fail to be happy with that rate of attrition.

My Friend's Opinion: Excitement level and actual production are two very different things in my mind, which was why I couldn’t really put a finger on Harvey, yet. But when you extend Omar’s draft history from our original discussion of ‘first picks’ to his ‘top 30’, its clear to me that he’s made a good number of ‘decent’ picks. I’ll comment on a couple of things that still tickle me in an “I need an adult” kind of way.

Kevin Mulvey: In the end, getting Santana for this guy was a cruel deception on Omar’s part, but a good one. However, despite the numbers he has put up in his good health, he suffered through three straight seasons of injuries, and his huge salary is just sitting there. I think this is an ‘agree to disagree’ situation.

I like playing the game of “what have you done for me lately”, because while its nice to speculate and get excited about up-and-coming talent, you never know what will actually happen until they get called up. So while Pelfrey, Niese, Davis, and Smith have all made it to the big show, only 2 of those players have done something for me lately. Pelfrey has shown me nothing but inconsistency and a lack of confidence when he steps onto the mound. One day he’s got it, and he’s flat or mediocre the next two or three. Smith is no longer in the Mets’ plans, so there’s really nothing to say about him. That leaves Niese and Davis, both of which I hope continue their strong starts, especially a post-injury Davis.

I see a good number of players that have ‘potential’, but so far I’ve seen a small number produce or do anything meaningful at the major league level for the Mets. Now, that doesn’t mean I want other players to fail, or think anything wrong of their talents or efforts. I certainly want everyone drafted to succeed, but I know it never works out that way (see: Nathan Vineyard). So in the mindset of “what have you done for me lately”, I see Niese and Davis as good picks on this list, with hopefully more names added to that list after this season. After all, it’s time for Sandy to get cracking after Jose took his booming rap career to Miami, amirite!?

STUFF: - Omar Minaya, Chris Capuano, Heath Bell, Jeff Wilpon, Damien Magnifico

1. Former New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya has landed a new job with the San Diego Padres organization, two sources told ESPN.com.  The team planned to announce the hiring Friday afternoon, one of the sources said. Minaya, 53, became the first Hispanic general manager in baseball history when the Montreal Expos hired him in 2002. He ran the Mets from 2004 through 2010, when he was fired along with manager Jerry Manuel.  The Padres will give Minaya a position along the lines of vice president of baseball operations, The Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the negotiations.  The New York Post reported that Minaya will serve as a sounding board to new Padres GM Josh Byrnes and do scouting work on amateur and professional players. - http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7307007/omar-minaya-join-san-diego-padres-organization

I’m very happy, both for Omar and the San Diego Padres. I have always found Omar to be a gentleman and he always treated me with respect. We had a lot of fun one time bullshitting in the corner of the clubhouse which was preventing all the “real reporters” from hounding him with questions. We actually were talking about the Disco days and we both had a lot of fun extending the non-conversation to the point that most of the writers moved on and Minaya could get back to his office. In case some of don’t realize, he is one of the most talented Latin American scouts in the history of baseball and I am sure he will bring to that team the same quality kids he found playing on the rocky fields for the Mets. Welcome back, amigo.  

2.   Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports that the Dodgers have signed Chris Capuano to a two-year, $10 million contract. The deal was first reported by Jim Bowden of SiriusXM Radio and has now been confirmed by Stark and others. Capuano had a pretty nice year for the Mets in 2011, posting a 4.55 ERA and 1.35 WHIP while striking out 168 over 186 innings. He also managed to make 31 starts after years of elbow issues. It's not a ton of money to commit to a guy that could slot in nicely at the back of the Dodgers rotation, but it's risky given Capuano's injury history and the fact that he had a 5.42 ERA away from pitcher-friendly Citi Field. At least he's going to another cavernous park in Dodger Stadium. Capuano's signing could signal the end of Hiroki Kuroda's tenure in LA. - http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/346053/baseball-headlines?r=1

I hope Mets fans aren’t getting upset about this one. In fact, do you realize how upset Mets fans WOULD be if Sandy Alderson cut a deal here for $10mil over 2-years? I think we are all starting to get an indication of how the money is going to go in this Hot Stove season, and it seems pretty high to me right now. The offering of arbitration to another “5.42 ERA” pitcher (Mike Pelfrey)is looking more sensible every day. 

 All-Star closer Heath Bell has agreed to a $27 million, three-year contract with the Miami Marlins, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.  The person spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced. The agreement, which is subject to a physical, is the first free-agent deal for the Marlins since they began courtships last month with several top players. The deal was first reported by ESPN. Bell had more than 40 saves each of the past three seasons for the San Diego Padres. This year he had 43 in 48 chances with a 2.44 ERA. - http://www.caribsso.com/MLB/New-York

This seems to me to be as much as come-on to other free agents as it would be a decent deal for a pitcher that is worth it. Obviously, the cost for a decent closer just went to the ten million per year range, which is far move than the Mets want to give out. My guess is they dish out around $4mil to a Grade B guy and pray for the recovery of Jenrry Mejia. 

Mike J. Silva: - Spoke to a Citi Field worker last weekend and they told me Jeff Wilpon refuses to acknowledge staff and gets angry if u say hello to him… Nick C: - my buddy is in the local 2 and said the same thing about Jeff when CitiField was being built. said he went out of his way to be an ass.

Is this supposed to surprise us? Have you ever met Jeff Wilpon? He is the perfect example of a rich man’s loser son? I will give him this… he is consistent. Tell ya what… why don’t you ask his siblings what they think of him…  err… DOH!

5. Reports out of his school that ex-Met unsigned draft pick, P Damien Magnifico, is "hitting 103.

I'm not even going here...

Cutnpaste: - Omar Minaya, Mookie Wilson, Sandy Alderson, -$120mil Payroll, 1973 Mets-Yanks

If serving as a general manager can be equated to shopping, then Minaya proved himself capable of doing two things at least adequately. Minaya could go into a high-end store and whip out his credit card, pointing at all of the shiny Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, and Jason Bay baubles and having them wrapped up for the little Mets fans for Christmas. Minaya deserves some kudos for his salesmanship in convincing these stars to choose New York's other team, but signing them was not a matter of good taste, discernment, or insight—these were often the most obvious candidates for large free-agent contracts, and Minaya bought because the Mets had both the need and the budget.  Minaya also demonstrated the ability to dive into the dumpster behind that store and—after rifling through the garbage of others—occasionally come up with a Jose Valentin, Fernando Tatis, or (most recently) R.A. Dickey whom the Mets could utilize. Sure, they were a little used, and they may have had the stench of failure on them, but when employed correctly they had their uses. Minaya's bargain-hunting wasn't always successful, and sometimes the pieces he picked up stuck around longer than they should have or were already past their expiration date and beginning to decompose—Fernando Nieve comes to mind—but the GM had no problem rolling up his sleeve and shoving his arm into the waste basket on the off-chance that he might find something useful and free. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=BELTRAN19770424A

Mookie Wilson, one of 12 children, is the son of a South Carolina sharecropper. His real first name is William, but his mother called him “Mookie” as a pet name and that name stuck. He came to the New York Mets in the early 1980s when the team stunk. He played center field, and could run. When Mookie was rounding second base, heading for third for another triple, Jim recalls, “It was worth the whole 145-mile trip from Holyoke. He played with such exuberance and flair. He was considered one of the game’s good guys. He also hinted at the promise of better days.” Which arrived in 1986. The Mets won 108 games and their division by more than 20. http://www.masslive.com/tomshea/index.ssf/2011/10/tom_shea_mookie_wilson_and_new.html

It’s time to see where Sandy Alderson views as pros, cons, strengths and weaknesses of this team. I had a conversation with Metstradamus a few days ago about how he could have bettered the team going into 2011, like trading Angel Pagan and/or Mike Pelfrey when they were at their highest value. Now they have about as much value as dog poop under a shoe. The point is, in 2011, Alderson was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t…do anything, that is. If he traded Pelfrey, we would have screamed as he had a better in St. Louis or someplace like that. People would have “never rooted for the team again” if Angel Pagan their darling who clearly peaked in 2010, was gone. Of course, I am exaggerating but this was something that clearly could have been something positive for the Mets if Alderson had gone the proactive root. http://citifield.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/which-way-do-we-go-george

Can this team have success with a payroll under $120 million a year? I think absolutely and if you want empirical evidence that it can, just look at the teams that have made the playoffs this year. Of the eight teams in the playoffs this year only 2 had payrolls over $110 million. The Yankees and Phillies combined for over $375 million in payroll. The Cardinals and Rangers have payrolls no greater than $105 million. Of course that may change for both teams as both have potentially high-priced players entering free agency, Albert Pujols being the most obvious. - http://www.metstoday.com/7125/11-12-offseason/time-to-let-the-grown-ups-do-their-job

The ’09 Yankees were a batter away from setting up their bullpen bridge and establishing a commanding 3-0 lead in the best of 7 Strat-O-Matic Sim Series. John Milner had other ideas as he hit a 3-run homer off David Robertson in the sixth to tie the game and erase Yankees leads of 5-0 and 8-4. The teams would exchange zeroes until a Hall of Famer scratched a run, literally, off Mariano Rivera in the 13th to win Game 3, 9-8. A series that has seen pitching and defense as the headliners through two games, saw offense rule last night as the Yanks jumped all over Jon Matlack for 5 runs in the third inning. The big blow was a two-run double by Jorge Posada with the bases loaded. Nick Swisher added an RBI single two batters later to make it 5-0. With Andy Pettitte on the mound you figured the lead was safe. The Mets left 14 men on base in Game 2, and had scored only 2 runs through 21 innings. Just like their improbable ’73 pennant, they began an improbable comeback in the bottom half of the third. http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=40905

Omar the Angel?

The former New York Mets GM Omar Minaya has made his way into the headlines again. In an intriguing development, Minaya is being considered for the vacant GM position in the Angels organization. No beat writer will be safe. Seriously though, it may not be a bad fit.

While with the Mets, he was the architect of an N.L. East winner. Never mind the fact that they collapsed, had far too many odd injuries in the following seasons and had a medical staff that makes the three stooges look like geniuses. What made him an interesting choice in the New York area was his ethnicity and the team's payroll at the time.

The current Angels are in a similar situation. They can spend money. They are looking for a change. They are planted firmly in an area of the country that boasts one of the highest Latino communities in the nation. He would be embraced there much like he initially was in New York. He may also be able to bring big name Latin American players like Albert Pujols and K-Rod there.

That may be one thing they are counting on. Like the Mets once did. If he were to use the time he spent with the Mets wisely and learn from his mistakes here, he may have a chance to be a strength to that organization.

Not many writers are bigger critics of him than I am, but he showed some glimmer of talent as a GM with the Mets and I am sure I am not alone in wishing him luck. Just as long as he steers clear of those L.A. hotels in the early morning hours, he should be fine.

Cutnpaste: - Scott Kazmir, Jose Reyes, Nelson Cruz, Omar Minaya, David Wright

I am fully aware that I’m standing alone with this proposition.  We have all had that guy/girl situation in high school or college that we would love to do over again.  Admittedly, this is my baseball version of that “situation”.  The New York Mets’ trade of Scott Kazmir was probably my first taste of prospect heartbreak.  I had always been well aware of rookies and young players in the Major Leagues, but Kazmir was one of the very first prospects that I followed throughout the minors as he climbed his way up the ladder.  Luckily my prospect hugging was still in its infancy stages  – nor did I even know what a blog was, let alone know how to post on one – so the emotion that would have been uncontrollable rage today was simply significant disappointment back in the summer of 2004.  Again, I’m very aware that nostalgia could be clouding my judgment here, but let’s discuss a New York Mets – Scott Kazmir reunion anyway. http://www.rantsports.com/new-york-mets/2011/10/21/should-the-new-york-mets-look-into-scott-kazmir

Major League Baseball's players have named Mets shortstop Jose Reyes a finalist for the National League Comeback Player of the Year award in the 2011 Players Choice Awards.  Reyes, an impending free agent, hit .337 with 39 stolen bases and 101 runs scored this season, after missing time last season with a thyroid imbalance and oblique issues. He increased his on-base percentage by 63 points this season and his slugging percentage by 65 points. Until straining his left hamstring in July, Reyes ranked among the National League's MVP candidates, threatening to finish with more triples than any player since the dead-ball era. But to win the Players Choice Comeback Player of the Year award, Reyes will need to best Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman, who already won MLB's in-house award as voted on by MLB.com writers. The other finalist for the Players Choice version of the award is pitcher Ryan Vogelsong, who posted a 2.71 ERA for the Giants following four seasons away from the league.  http://wap.mlb.com/nym/news/article/2011102125744520

This is a trick question.  With Nelson Cruz going off during this year’s postseason, lots of teams (more specifically, the people that cover and follow those teams) either look at the chance they passed up to acquire Nelson Cruz.  In the New York Mets’ case, they traded him.  This was 11 years ago though when he was still in the Dominican Summer League – in baseball time, that’s light years away from the Major Leagues.  I don’t mind playing the “what if” game here and there, but to do so now is just a waste of time.  To be fair, I haven’t heard any fans or read any articles spending too much time speculating on what could have been.  I’m hoping it stays that way. http://www.rantsports.com/new-york-mets/2011/10/22/what-if-the-new-york-mets-kept-nelson-cruz

According to Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times, the Angels will interview former Expos and Mets GM Omar Minaya for their opening at general manager. Minaya, 52, served as the Expos' general manager from 2002-2004 and the Mets' general manager from 2005-2010. He's a widely respected "baseball man," but his track record as a front-office executive isn't exactly spotless. The Angels have a host of other candidates who would seem to better fit the role, including White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, former Dodgers GM Dan Evans and Rays vice president Andrew Friedman.  http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/344453/baseball-headlines?r=1

Wright, 28, hit a career-low .254 with 14 homers and 61 RBIs in 102 games this past season. His stats have dropped precipitously since 2008, when he hit .302 with 33 homers and 124 RBIs. Two factors in the decline: injuries and spacious Citi Field. "Here is the problem," an AL personnel man told the New York Post. "The industry values David Wright as a good to very good player who might already be trending the wrong way and is about to get very expensive. A lot of teams like the Rockies and Angels need a third baseman. But still the return package will be good, not great, and can the Mets sell a good, not great return to a fan base that still thinks Wright is a superstar?" - http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2011-10-22/mets-could-dangle-david-wright-as-trade-bait-this-offseason#ixzz1bYmtarxT

Met's Undergoing A Facelift

Every so often a brand or company needs to change things up because what they've become "Known" for isn't a positive. At this point it is better to DROP brand equity and RE-ESTABLISH a new and more POSITIVE image. Think of the big box pizza places:

Pizza Hut - Your favorites. Your Pizza Hut.

Papa John's - Better ingredients, better Pizza... Papa John's

Over a year ago Domino'ss decided to change things up. Domino's was and IS known for CHEAP pizza. You can eat your weight in bread, sauce and cheese for around $20. However nobody ever thought of Domino's as GOOD pizza. Last year they decided to change things up. They started to run commercials where they acknowledged their short-comings and promised to change things. What has followed is one of the most succesful ad campaigns in corporate history. Domino's has never been regarded more favorably by consumers and their sales numbers are way up from where they had been.

Why am I talking about pizza? It's a good question. So let's look at some big-market baseball teams:

New York Yankees - A Team of Legends

Philadelphia Phillies - The Greatest Rotation in History

What are the Mets know as? Lovable Losers? Plucky Underdogs? Choke Artists? Financial Fraud Criminals? The OTHER Team in New York? I'm betting that the Wilpons are looking to change the team and I don't think changes will be small. They started when the Wilpons signed a GM like Sandy Alderson. The Mets were not going to invest in bad contracts with over-achieving players. They were going to change things. Changing the very way we expect to see a New York team run.

Step 1: Clear House

The Mets have already expunged Omar Minaya and his cronies from the franchise. HOWEVER... it wasn't so much the front-office that needed to be cleared as the overall soul of that office's team.

I now believe (THIS IS THE GLASS HALF FULL GUY) that the Mets will be cutting ties with David Wright and quite possibly ALSO Jose Reyes. I think they'll try to trade Johan Santana and I think the Mets are gearing for a resurgent 2013 and a big run in 2014.

That doesn't make the Id of my inner sport's fan very happy, but it does appease my inner Super Igo. If I think logically, I think the Mets can build a winner in two years by cleaning house and starting from basically scratch. If they go other routes... spending money and trading prospects... I can no longer be sure that the Mets will ever break through the ceiling of the other teams in their division.

Step 2: Establish A NEW Brand

The Mets of the Omar Minaya era were headlined by Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Johan Santana, David Wright and Jose Reyes (Jason Bay?). This was not the Steve Phillips Mets where stars went elsewhere. This was the team who went out and GOT the marquee players.

There is a new generation of Mets on the horizon and I TRULY believe they will make up the future of the franchise. Therefore the Mets will be known for nurturing a crop of pitchers up from the minors and creating a pitching team to rival those jerks who wear red and white.

Step 3: Win The Fans

Convincing me that I can win in two years if I let my favorite players go is one thing. Convincing fans to not abandon ship when the franchise stops paying for top talent this next season is another. The Mets are on the verge of alienating a HUGE percentage of fans. It's going to be rougher for the Wilpons than you might think.

If the Mets don't spend in 2012... attendance will dwindle, viewership will drop and ad sales will take a nose dive. So... the Mets need to give the Met fans a message to help them through. I'm not sure what that will end up being but I expect the slogan surrounding the team to be updated in the near future.

STAY TUNED: Tomorrow I'm going to write a piece on some rumblings around the organization and what it could mean for 2012 and 2013.