So, the post-Jose Reyes era has begun. Yes, strictly from an on-field perspective, it hurts the Mets in the short term that one of the game’s best shortstops, offensively and defensively, will no longer be in the Mets lineup every day (or at least in between DL stints). But in the long run, this is the right move for the Mets organization as it exists now in December, 2011.
In a vacuum, a New York sports franchise should be able to throw unlimited amounts of money and years at desirable players, whether they are a health risk or not. Why not? The Mets did it prior to the 2005 season when they signed Pedro Martinez to a 4-year $53 million deal. They did it when they traded for Mo Vaughn based on one, apparently very impressive, batting practice session. They did it when they poured $7.5 million into Moises Alou, who had established a reliable track record for spending time on the DL. They did it when they gave a 4-year contract to Luis Castillo.
But this New York sports franchise is deep in hoc. And according to Sandy Alderson, they lost $70 million in revenue this past season. They will likely lose more in 2012, and would have even if they did sign Reyes. Why are they in such dire financial straits? Because of the irresponsible spending mentioned above. Because the Wilpons and GMs Steve Phillips and Omar Minaya adopted a “win now” philosophy that tempted them to defer money for a player like Bobby Bonilla. Because the Wilpons made a risky financial deal with a man who turned out to be a snake.
The Wilpons’ chickens have come home to roost. They didn’t “win now,” so now they are forced to rebuild, and “win later.” They gambled, and lost it all.
Signing Reyes would have put them deeper in debt, and would not have increased their chances of winning the NL East, or making the playoffs, even with the extra Wild Card. It’s not something Mets fans should be happy about. It’s simply reality. It’s the bed the Wilpons have made.
Reyes is a health risk. It makes no sense for this team in this situation to sign a player with balky hamstrings to a 6 year deal. That would be a repeat of the mistakes of the last 10 years.
And why would have Reyes signed with the Mets anyway? They are a team with no financial liquidity, that’s at least 2 years away from seriously contending. Why not sign a contract for too many years and too much money with a team that is trying to make a run at the World Series this year? They just signed Heath Bell to close. They have offers out to Mark Buehrle and Albert Pujols.
The Marlins have also adopted a “win now” philosophy. And if Reyes’s injury woes continue, and Bell falls apart in the last years of his contract, and Buehrle suddenly shows his age, they will regret it, just as the Mets do now. In many ways, the Marlins are reminiscent of the 2005 Mets.
Not all is lost in Metsville, however. They are taking the right approach to the future. Sandy Alderson and his Geek Squad are building the team from the minors-up. They got a supplemental draft pick and a third round pick from the Marlins from the Reyes signing. They acquired a player who is now their top pitching prospect in return for Carlos Beltran. They are attempting to build a team that will contend for many years, rather than spend money on a team that will flame out in a couple of years.
And in the meantime, the 2012 and 2013 teams will not be a total loss. The 2012 opening day lineup will look something like this:
CF Pagan
2B Murphy/Turner
3B Wright
1B Davis
RF Duda
LF Bay
SS Tejada
C Thole
No, not exactly the ’27 Yankees. But with Reyes in and out of this lineup, Beltran traded in July, and Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy missing significant time with injuries, this team still finished 12th in the majors in runs scored, 6th in batting average, and 6th in on-base percentage. Their power output should increase now that the dimensions of Citi Field have been normalized, and Wright and Bay no longer have to have night terrors about the Great Wall of Flushing.
Hopefully, the Mets will use some of the money that would have gone to Reyes to improve their starting rotation and bullpen. Maybe they’ll use it to pay down their debt. Either would be good for the organization. Hopefully, the Wilpons will not return to their irresponsible ways and hurt themselves further by pocketing it.
It’s not a great team, but they should flirt with the .500 mark just as they did in 2011. This should keep us somewhat entertained while the Great Rebuild is underway.
Reyes was fun to watch, and the Mets would have been slightly better in the short term with him. But in the long run, the Mets made the right decision for the health of the franchise today, and in the future, by letting him go.
17 comments
MetsFan4Decades
12/5/2011-9:02pm at 9:02 pm (UTC -4)
Except Alderson refuses to call this a rebuild. He keeps saying ‘we’re not punting’ and ‘there’s too much talent on this team to necessitate a rebuild’.
Really?
I like the direction this new FO is going in as compared to the last, as painful as it is right now. But just stop telling us this team is going to compete anytime soon. It’s getting downright insulting. Just call it what it is: break it down, sweep away the garbage and rebuild. Met fans might have an easier time of it if the FO would just call it as we’re all seeing it.
And we got crap for losing Reyes. It’ll take a minor miracle for either of those 2 picks to be worth something in the future. At the rate they’re going, if Loria also signs Pujols, we get bumped from that second round draft pick to third round.
TRS86
12/5/2011-10:04pm at 10:04 pm (UTC -4)
Four d you know he cant come out and say that. That is not his job. Thus we intelligent fans know what is going on and the casual fan gets a nice sound bite. If we know what is going on why do we need Sandy to come out and say it? Also he is right… punting would be trading what is left for pennies and starting completely over again. By most accounts the Mets will still spend between 85-110 most likely around 100. Hardly your normal rebuilding salary.
MetsFan4Decades
12/5/2011-11:23pm at 11:23 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, I know….just saying I think it would make it easier for fans to stick with this team if he did.
Just listened to Alderson on WFAN.
In closing, Mike asks him ‘what can you say to fans driving home listening right now as far as giving them a reason to come out to the ballpark next year?’
And you know…Sandy had no answer. Sad, but it’s b/c there is no answer. He’s obviously smart enough to realize nothing he says today is going to make most Met fans feel good about this team.
Now the interview itself was interesting. He made some very good points, was candid about certain items. Hopefully WFAN will have it for anyone who’s interested.
Anonymous
12/5/2011-11:39pm at 11:39 pm (UTC -4)
why go? To spend a day or evening at the ball park enjoying a Mets game among other fans.
IOW the same thing you are always guaranteed.
MetsFan4Decades
12/5/2011-11:48pm at 11:48 pm (UTC -4)
You know I’ve always said bad NY Met baseball is still better than no NY Met baseball.
But somehow I doubt if your answer was given by Alderson, it would be something the majority of Met fans want to hear today.
Bad part about this is even if we had 20 MIL not spent on Reyes to spend on other FAs, not likely we’d be landing anyone of significance anyway. If you had a choice of a few teams, would you come to the Mets right now? I don’t think so.
The only FAs we’re going to pick up this year are low end, not-getting-any-other-offer type players.
MetsFan4Decades
12/5/2011-11:27pm at 11:27 pm (UTC -4)
According to Alderson on WFAN just a little while ago, it looked like the Mets had a very good shot to sign Jose last Friday night. By Sat night though, once the Marlins got wind of the Mets offer and contract, they just flat out bid more.
Reyes wound up with 106 MIL guaranteed money for 6 years, with a 5 MIL buyout for the 7th year. That’s 111 MIL guaranteed. Alderson did say that was more than our offer although it was close to the money but some were incentives.
Listened to Loria on MLB network being interviewed saying: ‘I’m not like most others (GMs?) out there. I genuinely care about my guys’.
Ugh…please pass the barf bag.
Anonymous
12/5/2011-11:39pm at 11:39 pm (UTC -4)
sucks being poor, doesn’t it?
MetsFan4Decades
12/5/2011-11:44pm at 11:44 pm (UTC -4)
Yes, yes it does.
I guess I kind of got used to Omar spending like a drunken sailor, even if it was dumb, for the most part.
Anonymous
12/5/2011-11:46pm at 11:46 pm (UTC -4)
Well, as to rebuild, I am on Sandy’s side here. They aren’t rebuilding (and yes I am assuming Bay, Santana and Wright are all here opening day). That is a lot of high paid, veteran talent. not something a true gut and rebuild team would have.
And talent wise, at least positionally, they do have quite a bit of talent, certainly enough to be competitive assuming they (for a change) stay healthy and normally productive. No, not likely enough to romp to the WS, but solid to above average (again, on paper).
They really could use a good player at 2B though (looking at you havens!)
and now that the FO has shown they have the stones (thick skin?) to let Reyes walk, no reason IMO to not just shove Bay into RF and find a LH bat to share time with him.
Hey, it is going to take a minor miracle (plus some serious sleight of hand by the FO) to keep this team in the running, and it ain’t gonna happen if they go all conservative and scared. Bay has been stealing, so screw his feelings!
At least Reyes had the decency to skip town early, so the team knows for sure they are into plan B. While there is still a chance to have one.
SaltyGary
12/6/2011-12:11am at 12:11 am (UTC -4)
I can’t see them being conservative. If they were of that mold, no way would they of drafted Nimmo. They weren’t worried about Ollie or Castillo’s feelings, if there is something they want to do with Bay I don’t think they will have a problem with it.
Anonymous
12/5/2011-11:51pm at 11:51 pm (UTC -4)
Thinking of having a No. 7 Jersey made up with the name FREDO across it.
Anonymous
12/5/2011-11:52pm at 11:52 pm (UTC -4)
Can’t wait to get past the silly “woe is me, reyes is gone, Sandy is the anti-Christ” posts to dwindle down, so we can get to the serious business of figuring out how to finishing putting together the team for next year.
Me, on the field, I would love to see another catcher brought in, and if they can swing an upgrade in CF wonderful. And to me the biggie, make a bold statement at 2B. but I think we only get the C. And LH hitting 4th OF. If that happens, this could be what you get:
CF – pagan
SS – Tejada
3B – Wright
1B – Davis
LF – Duda
RF- Bay/LH partner
2B – Havens
C Thole/new guy
Hey, I have seen worse as a Met fan. Much worse. but it is budget frinedly!
Now, just figure out something for the pitching (especially the Pen) and the year will be again right around .500 +/-
SaltyGary
12/6/2011-12:09am at 12:09 am (UTC -4)
As a fan since 85, the early nineties were way worse. I think people are still having a hard time getting over expectations of the last couple of years.
Anonymous
12/6/2011-8:19am at 8:19 am (UTC -4)
As someone that lived through the early to mid 60′s, the mid 70′s to early 80′s and the early 90′s that you reference this stretch is a walk in the park. But at my age I would love to see at least one more Mets championship before I die or if still alive chasing the young aids in the nursing home but not knowing why.
Anonymous
12/6/2011-12:14am at 12:14 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, I
haven’t been listening or participating in the pitty party. Reyes was my 3rd
fav Met all time behind Seaver & Rusty and I really don’t care. It was time
he went at that cost.
I could see
the low cost options continuing to fill in above as F-Mart as the LF platoon
and Nickeas as the low cost defensive upgrade to Thole. Don’t see them going
for a bat at Catcher. A name not mentioned is the broken down Posada as a
possibility. Hey, as a platoon he certainly showed he still has some hits in
his bat and I bet he’d love to stick it to the Yank’s by playing cross town.
Key words though being “broken down”. Could be the high risk high
reward contracts Sandy’s been going for. The dollars they do spend will be on a
low cost Starter, maybe Chris Young again if he’s done rehab’d and ready for a
return, and the bullpen. Could also see the low cost option being Marquis, not
that I’d like that choice but it’s a name. Awhile ago I thought they may really
make me sick this offseason and go for the Jamie Moyer revival tour since he’s
trying to come back.
There’s potential
for a Flushing Lumber Company with Wright, Davis, Duda, and Bay if they max out
their potential. That….would be something. And I agree with you as I’m
looking to Mr. Havens to make his long awaited debut at some point during the
year. If Reese can come out strong he could very quickly make folks forget
rey-rey.
MetsFan4Decades
12/6/2011-2:17am at 2:17 am (UTC -4)
Sad part is you’re not getting the pieces you mention – plus some arms for depth and the BP – with the 10 MIL he’s got left to spend. That’s give or take depending on raises to Pelf and Pagan, should they be retained.
Anonymous
12/6/2011-3:49pm at 3:49 pm (UTC -4)
won’t cost that much for a catcher and 4th OF type to take time from Bay. And they have to get the pen arms anyway. 10-15 should cover that.
Hell, if pushed, F Mart can be the dude to platoon with Bay (if they really are that broke) but preferably an experienced guy that just happens to have huge splits.