I would have loved to be able to root for Reyes on his new team. Objectively, I believe he made the right decision. He went to a young team opening a new stadium in a theoretically big market where he will be a main attraction and make way too much money over way too many years. I just can’t get behind the guy for going to a division rival. Regardless, he’s gone. However, unlike my fellow blogger on this site, I don’t think this was a matter of just not getting it done. No, this was entirely more deliberate.
The Mets approached this in a very un-Mets-like fashion and, for now, that is a great thing. Previous Mets endeavors of this sort would have been wildly public, relentlessly fleshed out, and replete with mishaps to dissect and analyze for years to come. Again and again, I come back to my faith in the new front office. Sandy Alderson didn’t go public with speculation (or frustration, for that matter), didn’t get into a bidding war he could never have reasonably won, and put the franchise first. How many times have you heard that the whole is greater than its constituent parts? Well, the Mets are greater than their constituent players, even their best one. That Sandy was able not only to recognize, but adhere to that simple morsel of logic ought to renew confidence in him amongst the Mets faithful.
I won’t go into how I will remember Reyes. I have already given my take on what to make of him, and besides, the ever-brilliant Deadspin has already done a better job of it than I could have. I have already made clear in previous posts that I thought the only viable option for resigning him was to keep the offer too low for him to consider anyway. I’m glad it played out just that way. I won’t remember December 4th, 2011 as the day Reyes got away. Instead, I will remember it as the day the Mets got serious about how to build a contender. We need only look at the albatross contracts of Mo Vaughn, Castillo, K-Rod, and Bay to remind us that throwing money at the problems doesn’t work.
For the first time in a decade, I can say that I would have done everything exactly the way the team actually did it. I wish it didn’t take losing Reyes to get to that point but the road to success is bumpy, and not yet through Flushing. That being said, Sandy is in the process of laying down the bricks.
18 comments
holmer
12/6/2011-2:54am at 2:54 am (UTC -4)
I couldn’t agree with you more! The Mets problem hasn’t been spending, it has been spending stupid and being more concerned with fan reaction than with doing what is best for the franchise.
Anonymous
12/6/2011-8:36am at 8:36 am (UTC -4)
During the early 60′s the Mets had an outstanding front office that initially brought in over-the-hill popular players for the fans while building an outstanding farm system from the ground up. M. Donald Grant systematically destroyed the good work done by George Weiss, Bing Devine, Whitey Herzog, etc. Frank Cashen rebuilt the farm system when he took over and built the franchise into the teams we witnessed in the mid to late 80′s. So the approach that Sandy is using is not a new approach for this franchise. If anything it’s a return to the Mets roots. For the young fan what Sandy is accomplishing is a new approach but for us old timers it’s been successfully done before. In fact the Mets were once known for their ability to develop young pitchers in the same way the Giants are today.
MetsFan4Decades
12/6/2011-12:56pm at 12:56 pm (UTC -4)
While I mostly agree, Cashen had the luxury of getting a couple of high first round draft picks for a few years – hence Gooden and Strawberry. Unfortunately, we’re not in that position this go around.
We haven’t stunk enough to get the first few draft picks. With the rules coming into play with the new CBA, we really lost out on draft picks for Reyes. If Miami signs Pujols, we’ll lose that 2nd round draft pick and be bumped to the third round, I believe. Yet another reason I wish Reyes had signed with almost anyone else but the Marlins…..
MetsFan4Decades
12/6/2011-1:02pm at 1:02 pm (UTC -4)
I stand corrected. We’ve got the 3rd round pick, soon to be bumped to 4th round if they sign Pujols.
Sigh….
TRS86
12/6/2011-2:10pm at 2:10 pm (UTC -4)
I was pretty sure that they would have only gotten a third round under the old system as well.
TRS86
12/6/2011-2:10pm at 2:10 pm (UTC -4)
I was pretty sure that they would have only gotten a third round under the old system as well.
Anonymous
12/6/2011-5:18pm at 5:18 pm (UTC -4)
Many of the best players in Baseball have been drafted in lower rounds. Baseball, unlike Basketball and Football where top picks generally step right into the starting team and contribute immediately, generally requires a development period. Strong scouting both national and international will allow you to build a strong farm system without the overall number one pick in the country. Alberto Pujols was a 13th round pick and his case is not the exception.
It’s also interesting to note that Doc Gooden was the 5th pick in the first round in 1982 so four other teams had a shot at him. The first four picks ahead of Gooden were:
1. Cubs Shawon Dunston, SS, Brooklyn, NY
2. Blue Jays Augie Schmidt, SS, University of New Orleans
3. Padres Jimmy Jones, RHP, Dallas, TX
4. Twins Bryan Oelkers, LHP, Wichita State University
Also look at the first round selections of the 1980 draft. Other than Strawberry there weren’t too many superstars taken in that first round.
MetsFan4Decades
12/6/2011-1:00pm at 1:00 pm (UTC -4)
Losing Reyes was a foregone conclusion for anyone paying attention and being realistic. Didn’t mean some of us weren’t hoping for a different outcome but it is what it is now.
Next going will be Wright, if his comments yesterday are any indicator. For the first time instead of the usual ‘I hope to be a Met for life’ statements, his reaction was more sober resignation and ‘I’ll play out my 2 years left and see what happens from there’. Sounds like he’s more than willing now to move onto greener pastures, instead of sticking around to see if the franchise is headed in the right direction.
Anonymous
12/6/2011-2:39pm at 2:39 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t blame him. It must be very frustrating to be a player or coach on this team, see all that money coming off the books and see none of it re-invested in the team.
He’ll resign though and they won’t trade him. I expect Wright to have a very good season..
SaltyGary
12/6/2011-2:55pm at 2:55 pm (UTC -4)
Here is probably 50m on some of of the best FA’s to fill the holes the team has:
Mark Buehrle
Orlando Cabrera
Josh Bard
Jose Reyes
Josh Willingham
Corey Patterson
Michael Cuddyer
Ryan Madson
Chad Qualls
Luis Ayala
George Sherrill
If they spent that money on those available guys, I have a hard time believing they would make the playoffs still, and I really doubt attendance would tick up in a way to cover that additional cost Now you got a whole bunch of money tied into a whole bunch more of mediocre talent. Just because they are not re-investing money into FA doesn’t mean they are not using the money to make the team more stable in the future. By reducing their debt, they will be more flexible to sign people worth signing. Also by holding off for another year, the FA class will be better and some of our FARM talent can then be complimented by these signings. And by the begining of the season they will still be top ten in payroll.
Anonymous
12/6/2011-2:58pm at 2:58 pm (UTC -4)
I agree 100% although will the Mets be willing to spend next offseason??? They wont be making much money this year for sure…
Anonymous
12/6/2011-2:58pm at 2:58 pm (UTC -4)
I agree 100% although will the Mets be willing to spend next offseason??? They wont be making much money this year for sure…
Anonymous
12/6/2011-2:58pm at 2:58 pm (UTC -4)
I agree 100% although will the Mets be willing to spend next offseason??? They wont be making much money this year for sure…
MetsFan4Decades
12/6/2011-3:00pm at 3:00 pm (UTC -4)
I agree. I get the bigger picture Alderson is trying sell to the fans. More sustainable payroll, better product. One that if there is a hole, there are pieces in the minors and/or payroll flexibility to go after them. Or sign your soon to be star FA.
Patience though is hard to swallow given what’s happened over the past several years. Speaking for myself though, I’m not boycotting or jumping ship as some have proclaimed. That’s kind of the definition of bandwagon fan, right?
Anonymous
12/6/2011-5:29pm at 5:29 pm (UTC -4)
After so many years of following this team through thick and mostly thin only an idiot can accuse you of being a bandwagon fan. Unfortunately, the internet abounds with idiots.
SaltyGary
12/6/2011-2:55pm at 2:55 pm (UTC -4)
Here is probably 50m on some of of the best FA’s to fill the holes the team has:
Mark Buehrle
Orlando Cabrera
Josh Bard
Jose Reyes
Josh Willingham
Corey Patterson
Michael Cuddyer
Ryan Madson
Chad Qualls
Luis Ayala
George Sherrill
If they spent that money on those available guys, I have a hard time believing they would make the playoffs still, and I really doubt attendance would tick up in a way to cover that additional cost Now you got a whole bunch of money tied into a whole bunch more of mediocre talent. Just because they are not re-investing money into FA doesn’t mean they are not using the money to make the team more stable in the future. By reducing their debt, they will be more flexible to sign people worth signing. Also by holding off for another year, the FA class will be better and some of our FARM talent can then be complimented by these signings. And by the begining of the season they will still be top ten in payroll.
SaltyGary
12/6/2011-2:55pm at 2:55 pm (UTC -4)
Here is probably 50m on some of of the best FA’s to fill the holes the team has:
Mark Buehrle
Orlando Cabrera
Josh Bard
Jose Reyes
Josh Willingham
Corey Patterson
Michael Cuddyer
Ryan Madson
Chad Qualls
Luis Ayala
George Sherrill
If they spent that money on those available guys, I have a hard time believing they would make the playoffs still, and I really doubt attendance would tick up in a way to cover that additional cost Now you got a whole bunch of money tied into a whole bunch more of mediocre talent. Just because they are not re-investing money into FA doesn’t mean they are not using the money to make the team more stable in the future. By reducing their debt, they will be more flexible to sign people worth signing. Also by holding off for another year, the FA class will be better and some of our FARM talent can then be complimented by these signings. And by the begining of the season they will still be top ten in payroll.
Anonymous
12/6/2011-4:00pm at 4:00 pm (UTC -4)
couple of thoughts
1) Wright to me is a different situation. In 2 years, he will be (I believe) 3 years older than Reyes is now, and unlike reyes where the worry was will his legs hold up, with Wright you have to wonder about continued decline into his 30s.
Reyes I guess I am saying is you worry about staying on the field (not producing on it) while Wright you worry about him going all Bay on you during his next deal.
Still, why not see if he would take the Reyes deal but to replace his current 2 years (making it effectively a 3 year extension)? The would send a message of stability!
2) Nit picking, but I can be convinced that Alderson is not making moves for the future of the “franchise” but rather to keep the wilpons from losing the team. And there is a difference. gutting $$ can keep them in charge, which is not the same as building a solid foundation and sustainable winner. And if I had to guess, I would pick Wilpon’s wallet as the primary focus.