#Mets to again field Gulf Coast League team…The rookie-level club will be based at the organization’s minor league complex in PSL, FL.
— New York Mets (@Mets) November 8, 2012
Official Mets Press Release:
After a one-year hiatus, the New York Mets will again field a team in the Gulf Coast League. The rookie-level club will be based out of the organization’s minor league complex in Port St. Lucie, FL.
The new collective bargaining agreement has pushed up the signing deadline for players taken in the First-Year Player Draft.
“The new CBA has accelerated the signing of players from the draft. And with the continuation of two teams in the Dominican Summer League, we need more rookie level roster space for our young players,” said Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson. “We are happy to be back in the Gulf Coast League while retaining our affiliation in Kingsport of the Appalachian League.”
The Mets, along with Seattle Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays, have nine minor league affiliates. The Mets’ affiliates are: Las Vegas (Pacific Coast League), Binghamton (Eastern League), St. Lucie (Florida State League), Savannah (South Atlantic League), Brooklyn (New York-Penn League), Kingsport (Appalachian League), Gulf Coast League and two Dominican Summer League teams.
Eleven other major league teams have eight minor league clubs, while 16 teams have seven minor league teams. – Link
12 comments
Mr North Jersey
11/8/2012-11:45am at 11:45 am (UTC -4)
Off Topic: I think Carlos Delgado’s Twitter account was hacked. He keeps advertising how to lose body fat.
kingman 26
11/8/2012-11:48am at 11:48 am (UTC -4)
If only it was Mo Vaughn—Rusty would have material for years…
Mr North Jersey
11/8/2012-12:31pm at 12:31 pm (UTC -4)
Ha! I was right.
@carlosdelgado21
I think my account has been hacked. Do not mean to be sending spam DM
https://twitter.com/carlosdelgado21/statuses/266592938958651392
TRS86
11/8/2012-12:12pm at 12:12 pm (UTC -4)
I find this one very interesting. How much does it cost to run a Gulf team in your own stadium? Could it be that Jason Bay paid for the Gulf Team?
kingman 26
11/8/2012-12:23pm at 12:23 pm (UTC -4)
This is my thinking.
Bay was approached to do this so they can afford things while not much revenue is coming in.
Mr North Jersey
11/8/2012-12:30pm at 12:30 pm (UTC -4)
Here is my question. Does this suggests then that there is some credence to the speculations by some fans that there is a connection to the Mets non signing of draft picks to having no room for them?
TRS86
11/8/2012-12:33pm at 12:33 pm (UTC -4)
I believe very much so that they did not sign a lot of those guys because they would have had to cut many of the ones they already had and had already paid just to make room for them. Perhaps they even used the money saved this year to afford this team.
Prismo
11/8/2012-12:43pm at 12:43 pm (UTC -4)
So basically the Mets have TOO much minor league talent? Thanks Sandy!
Bryan
11/8/2012-1:51pm at 1:51 pm (UTC -4)
That certainly could have been a factor, but not having a GCL team also affected the guys that were signed, since a lot of guys that would have played in the GCL were forced to go to Kingsport, where they were a little over their head.
kingman 26
11/8/2012-2:03pm at 2:03 pm (UTC -4)
Whether this is the reason or not having enough $$$ in the budget is the reason, either way it is a sign of terrible financial disorder driving decision making.
And the antithesis of what any alleged “plan” would stress.
Stick
11/8/2012-5:13pm at 5:13 pm (UTC -4)
I thought that was part of it.
But, my real guess? They decided to try for a year having a glorified EST program in PSL. Basically, a lot of the guys that would have been the roster of this team just stayed in PSL for drills/scrimmages/etc. And maybe that turned out to not be effective enough to make the savings worthwhile?
Stick
11/8/2012-5:15pm at 5:15 pm (UTC -4)
If you look at the #s, it flies in the face of the mets somehow abandoning the minors, gutting development, etc.
Even last year, short the GSL team, they still had as many teams total as all teams but 2, and now they again have the most teams in MLB (tied with 2 others).
so does this mean fans of other teams should be having a cow that their teams (phils, yanks, etc.) don’t have the most teams?