As I was packing for a three day mini vacation to Atlantic City (call it a mini sabbatical from everything Mets) I started wondering how the next general manager of the Mets had to distance himself from the previous regime and put his own unique stamp on this franchise that is in flux.
Does he have to consider trading either Reyes Wright or Beltran ? Do the walls of Citi Field come in? Does he/she have to sign a high ticket free agent ala Cliff Lee? What does the next G.M. have to do to prove to the fans that he has the free reign to make whatever decisions that he/she feels best suits this franchise without the perceived meddling from ownership ?
I think first and foremost it will come down to whoever is hired as the next manager of the Mets. I believe that it is safe to say that it will be a long shot that Bobby Valentine will be a long shot to replace Jerry Manuel, and I think Wally Backman will only get a courtesy interview for the job.Remember when Frank Cashen took the job, he evaluated Joe Torre for two season before deciding he wasn’t the right man to manage his team. So what did he do? He brought in people that he was familiar with. First was George Bamberger who tried his best with a team that was still filled with ” talent ” left over from the last regime along with some up and coming talent ( Mookie, Jesse). Davy Johnson was also a Cashen crony. Remember Cashen was the Baltimore g.m during the late ’60′s and Johnson was one of his players. So I think it is safe to say that the whoever is the team will hire some one that he is familiar with to pilot this team . It might not be a sexy name but it might turn out to the right name.
The next thing the new G.M will have to do to mold the Mets roster into a winning team is that he must get rid of the rot that permeates the roster. If he can’t find creative ways to trade away Oliver Perez or Luis Castillo, then he must force ownership to bite the bullet and eat those bad contracts. One of the problems is that while Oliver was being being used as the human Halley’s Comet, it made the Mets into 24 plus one team ( where did we hear that term used before ? ). It will probably be easier to move Castillo via a trade than it will Perez,but all attempts must be made in order to quell the anger of the fans. I believe that the Mets will try hard to deal Ollie during the winter months, but it will hinge on how he performs in winter ball. If he shows that he has regained life on his fastball and his command has improved then it will be easier to trade him. If not I expect him to be released during spring training.
Lastly the Mets have the lucky thirteenth pick in next season amateur draft. It thankfully is a protected pick , so if the Mets do sign a type A free agent they won’t have to surrender it. But this will be very telling of how much power the next g.m will wield. If he takes the best player available and pays over slot I think it will signal that ownership along with the front office will have adopted a new philosophy in regards of how their organization is run.
So whether the next g.m of the Mets will be Jon Daniels, Rick Hahn,Kim Ng or John Hart, he or she will have some tough decisions to make in regards to the teams roster. And he/she will have a tougher job convincing the fan base that they are making the right decisions to improve this team.
" The next g.m's first order of buisness?"
And with that said… HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!
Celebrating Birthdays today are:
The fifth manager in Mets history,Joe Frazier is 88 today (1922) .
The best defensive catcher in Mets history,Jerry Grote is 68 (1942) .
One of the main stays of the Mets pitching rotation from ’69-’72, Gary Gentry is 64 (1946) .
Reserve outfielder from the ’75 season,Gene Clines is 64(1946) .
Spot starter/ middle reliever from ’95-’96, Robert Person is 41 (1969) .
The Mets secret weapon from ’06, Darren Oliver is 40 (1970) .
New York Mets signed international free agent, utility man, Ted Martinez on October 6, 1966.
Mo Vaughn has set up residence in the Acella Club after his mansion burned down in s s’mores experiment gone wrong!
30 comments
metsfan4decades
10/6/2010-7:47am at 7:47 am (UTC -4)
I agree with all points here.
Releasing Perez (if not tradeable) should be done not so much for us fans but for the good of the team.
Going all in for Cliff Lee is something I think they should pass on. Yes, Johan is likely not to return until late next year but I’d weather next year going for a couple of less expensive arms and utilizing what’s currently in the system.
The most critical point for me is the draft and minor leagues. I’m reading across several Met sites our minor league talent is mediocre and middle of the road compared to the other 29 teams. We need to do better than that.
TRS86
10/6/2010-8:05am at 8:05 am (UTC -4)
I think when looking at our minor leagues you also have to take in to account a few things. How bad the minors were when Omar arrived and then again how bad they became during his early tenure. When Omar arrived based on many accounts we had one of if not the worst minor league system in the majors. Then of course we got as I call good too quickly and started to give up the draft in order to win now. Placing all money and resources into type A FA and not spending on the picks we had. I think that Omar and the Mets saw this as a flawed strategy eventually and started to reverse this trend. The fact that it is now based on the accounts of many, a middle of the road minor league system is actually a credit to how far they have came in the last 2-3 years. Also, while others point out that there are other teams that have to do this to, imagine where our minors would be with Niese, Thole, Davis, etc still there.
metsfan4decades
10/6/2010-8:57am at 8:57 am (UTC -4)
I’ll go along with that. If, under Omar’s regime, they started reversing the trend that lead to a bad minor league system, now – under the new regime – they need to make that a much bigger priority.
Having a good minor league system allows for not only getting good ML talent that’s under team control for years but also allows us to have valuable trade pieces when we need them.
TRS86
10/6/2010-9:03am at 9:03 am (UTC -4)
I think the original plan WAS to vastly improve the minor league system as evident in the immediate work in the non-US signings. However, again the plan was destroyed when they started to win in 2006 instead of 2008.
GravediggerHebner
10/6/2010-11:12am at 11:12 am (UTC -4)
So perhaps the greatest sin of the Minaya administration was being misled by an overachievement into altering their course when what they should have done was “stay the course” or at least asked “where’s the beef?” But years later at least we have “I like Ike.”
njstuckintx
10/6/2010-11:20am at 11:20 am (UTC -4)
Don’t forget “Not thick enough!” (Brickstone) or Time to make the donuts” (AKA the Mets rotations vs. the Phils!)
njstuckintx
10/6/2010-8:59am at 8:59 am (UTC -4)
Judging by the type A FAs out there combined with the talent on the roster and the kids almost here, I hope they hoard their picks and don’t sign many/if any, type FAs. Trade, if need be, for some pitchers.
And Omar didn’t help the minors much when he first got here, with so many Type A’s signed, but I think once he got the roster to basically be where he wanted it, he definitely shifted focus on the minors.
Omar was OK, but OK doesn’t cut it, unfortunately.
TRS86
10/6/2010-9:15am at 9:15 am (UTC -4)
Keep in mind that any type A FA we sign would only lose us a 2nd round pick.
Ceetar
10/6/2010-9:07am at 9:07 am (UTC -4)
As i’m sure the Wilpon’s are aware, Oliver Perez winning a game gets them more fans and money spent than Jenrry Mejia losing one. As it’s been pointed out, if Ollie can help, he can help. Even if it’s a long shot he returns to 2007-2008 form, there is no baseball benefit to releasing him before 4/1. And I don’t believe anyone’s going to call up the Mets and renew there tickets solely because of Ollie. And chances are those people will find something else they hate by May anyway.
Here’s my bold prediction:
Duda gets traded.
njstuckintx
10/6/2010-9:14am at 9:14 am (UTC -4)
If it brings in a Shields or a Garza type (I say type cause I’m not saying either of those specifically are available. That statement is for you, TRS!), then get Duda a good bye card and some travel necessities!
And of the many kids that are knocking on doors, He does have some value, for sure. I actually think Fmart gets traded. His value is low, yes, but without Omar and co., there no longer is that “2nd coming of the baseball Jesus” stigma stuck with him.
TRS86
10/6/2010-9:17am at 9:17 am (UTC -4)
I understand your point that ultimately winning matters. However, I also think this is an understanding fan base and they will be more willing to accept struggling with Mejia, who could be a future cornerstone, than throwing Perez out there. Again, your scenario is very faulty in the fact that you continue to use Perez and win together in the same sentence. Right now those two just don’t go together. While chemistry may be overrated lets not underrate it either. Guys like Luis and Ollie have to move on for the Mets to move on. Sorry.
Ceetar
10/6/2010-9:38am at 9:38 am (UTC -4)
Fans won’t go to see a (nother) rebuilding year. We had a ton of rookies in early September and no one was at Citi Field. It doesn’t sell. Sure, we’d go to the odd Mejia start, and certainly if he started figuring it out and pitching well we’d enjoy that, but that’s the rarity.
Maybe Perez isn’t the right analogy to use because A. Mets fans hate him, and B. It’s a long shot right now that he can contribute, or prove he can contribute, by April.
What if I used John Maine? Most of his last two seasons have been the same injury, which despite the second surgery makes me feel a little better about him. He’ll be healthy, and have a new pitching coach that hopefully can help him with mechanics/strain on the shoulder.
Aren’t the Mets a more compelling team with Maine out there competing and battling than Gee or Mejia taking their lumps and more often than not getting beat around? (I really like what I’ve seen from Gee, but the league will adjust next year to what they saw in September too)
If the season started tomorrow, I’m still convince Castillo is the 2B that adds more W. Tejada still seems unpolished to me, and while he bumped up his hitting a bit, he wasn’t playing Ordonez caliber defense either and if he’s ever going to be anything, probably needs another year in teh minors honing his instincts for things like turning double plays. I don’t think we should keep Castillo for 2011, but flat out releasing guys without a viable alternative rarely is beneficial.
TRS86
10/6/2010-9:48am at 9:48 am (UTC -4)
I don’t think you can be shortsighted either. What is good for the short-term and possibly producing a meaningless win may damage the longterm. Having Perez and Castillo on next year’s team could not only damage next year’s team but the future as well.
Also your point on Mejia, don’t you think if he was starting more people would show up to watch him pitch than Ollie? How many wins would Ollie have to get before people would start showing up because he is winning?
rustyjr
10/6/2010-9:54am at 9:54 am (UTC -4)
I think that Ollie’s mere presence on next seasons team will kill whatever goodwill the dans would extend to the team – he could go 5-2 and the fans might still be incensed IMO
njstuckintx
10/6/2010-9:59am at 9:59 am (UTC -4)
You know, if he was 5-2, people wouldn’t be in such an uproar. But that means he’ll have to have pitched at least 7 games, and people want him out of here NOW. Due to that, i don’t think he’ll have the opportunity to get those 7 starts. If he was to pitch and suck (which I would contend there is a greater possibility of that happening than him not sucking), that would basically slap up on a billboard for all to see THE METS BRAINTRUST HAS FAILED YET AGAIN!!! Mets can’t afford that.
Ceetar
10/6/2010-10:13am at 10:13 am (UTC -4)
If he went 5-2, he’d be emminently tradeable, we could get back a solid bullpen arm or two and not have to eat _all_ the money and by the end of the year people would be raving about how smart an idea it was to give Ollie that chance.
TRS86
10/6/2010-10:16am at 10:16 am (UTC -4)
Can’t see it. Not only is it unlikely but it’s just too risky.
njstuckintx
10/6/2010-10:18am at 10:18 am (UTC -4)
Whether its viable or not, Ceet, I do see the point you are making.
Ceetar
10/6/2010-9:55am at 9:55 am (UTC -4)
It’s not how many wins Ollie has to get, just how much better the team may be if he’s pitching like 2008 versus Mejia pitching like a rookie. No one’s going in April, or most of May regardless, but when teh weather warms up in June, if the Mets are around first place and say 31-27 It’ll draw a lot more fans than if they’re 4 games out and 29-29
TRS86
10/6/2010-10:14am at 10:14 am (UTC -4)
Obviously but there is still an individual effect that is both short-term and long-term. Bringing back Ollie will most likely have a negative impact on both and is in my opinion too risky with such little chance of reward.
Ceetar
10/6/2010-10:18am at 10:18 am (UTC -4)
But there is zero chance for negative impact before April 1st.
TRS86
10/6/2010-10:24am at 10:24 am (UTC -4)
Hmmm. I would not say 0 but the chance is lessened.
Ceetar
10/6/2010-10:23am at 10:23 am (UTC -4)
We’ll probably between winter ball and spring training have what, 8 or so starts? Or roughly the same amount it took to demote him in 2010?
What if his fastballs at 92, his K/9 at 10, and his BB/9 < 3?
TRS86
10/6/2010-10:25am at 10:25 am (UTC -4)
What if Santa Claus is real and signs a minor league contract?
Again the risk out weigh the reward with Ollie in my opinion.
njstuckintx
10/6/2010-10:30am at 10:30 am (UTC -4)
I heard Santa Claus couldn’t hit a curve ball.
njstuckintx
10/6/2010-10:32am at 10:32 am (UTC -4)
Also, couldn’t this very well be one of these situations?
http://realdirtymets.com/2010/10/05/read-joe-posnanski-about-talking-sports/
just saying…
Ceetar
10/6/2010-10:35am at 10:35 am (UTC -4)
Given the choice I wouldn’t play him in April, but it always helps to keep an open mind.
I don’t know if Maine will accept a minor league deal or be around or wahtever, but say he rebounds from finally getting that surgery correctly and has a 92-93 type fastball and looks good?
What if Santana is throwing but won’t actually be ready to pitch in a game until April 25th or something? That’s probably semi-likely (or longer even) but Santana will return, and you’re not goign to fill up _all_ your rotation spots with guys with full major league deals. Pelfrey, hopefully Dickey, and Niese. Hopefully they sign someone else good.
But that 5th spot is still going to be semi-open. They’re not likely going to fill it with a “real” pitcher that they couldn’t jettison for Santana. Sure, if Gee shows you something, start him, but maybe early April is the time to see if a guy like Maine or Perez can still contribute before you eat the $12 million.
njstuckintx
10/6/2010-10:44am at 10:44 am (UTC -4)
Santana Claus!
Prismo
10/6/2010-10:41am at 10:41 am (UTC -4)
Ted echos what many of us were saying a few days ago…
http://www.tedquarters.net/2010/10/06/true-grit/
GravediggerHebner
10/6/2010-11:20am at 11:20 am (UTC -4)
Damn Ted it’s just like him to throw a monkey wrench into my dream team of 8 David Ecksteins, 5 Chris Carters, 5 Joe Saunders and 7 Todd Coffeys.