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I’ve been surprised to hear how many fans are very dissatisfied with the Mets this offseason. The Mets brought in Sandy Alderson, J.P. Ricciardi, Paul DePodesta to run the front office and develop a plan. But not much has happened since then while other teams are spending on big names like Jayson Werth, Cliff Lee, and Carl Crawford. That’s led to a lot of dissension among fans that I’ve talked to and heard from on Facebook and Twitter.
My take has been that the Mets knew for at least three years that this day would come. This is a day in which several long-term, big money contracts are coming due at the same time. Typically, that’s the making of an ugly situation which is exactly what’s happening to the Mets for next season. The confluence of the final season of contracts for Carlos Beltran, Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo, and K-Rod is the making of a difficult season. There just isn’t the financial flexibility or players with value to be able to do anything with. We’re going to have to ride out 2011 and just hope for the best. By “best”, I mean another .500 season and maybe dump some salary in July for prospects with potential.
I understand what fans are saying though and some good points have been raised by fans. From Facebook:
… This organization operates like a small market team, actually worse. –Tony
… the plan is to buy time, If I wanted to wait on winning I would be a Pirates fan. –Robin
I don’t see a plan. –Stephen
The points they made are valid. How does a team with a top five payroll become reduced to scouring the bargain basement for players? It’s a sad state but I don’t necessarily blame that on the current front office. Omar Minaya made the commitments that got the Mets here years ago. But the supposed new “brains” behind the Mets need to get them out of this jam quickly or it’ll be another season of empty seats at Citi Field and low ratings on SNY. That’s what the new front office was hired for.
I also understand the points about the plan being no plan at all. How can the Mets pay Alderson, Ricciardi, and DePodesta to come in and do nothing? Doing nothing doesn’t really qualify as a plan for many fans and I think that’s a valid opinion. The message that we need to wait until 2012 is a tough pill to swallow for many fans, including me. But I think we have to face the reality that 2011 is going to be a lost season. It’s definitely not the time that you want to invest in a ticket package. Save your money for 2012 just like the Mets are doing.
The Mets Report 
I am not sure all of those reactions are very forward thinking. I think they have a plan, but anything sort of moving Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran, and Luis Castillo not much can be done. The team is in a transition period and they will be purging salary in the next 9 months. This will allow the team more flexibility and hopefully will allow them to spend on some of the impending free agents.
My concern is that there will be money to spend, but that will not help the farm system. The team needs to revamp every level of the minor leagues and needs to restock their farm system with pitchers and hitters.
I hope Ricciardi goes back to his Moneyball roots and begins to focus on young talent and guys that will take advantage of the disparities of the game.
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"I've been surprised to hear how many Mets fans are very dissatisfied with the Mets this off-season". I was going to go into major detail about your piece directly after reading the first line. However, upon reaching your last line, an idea which I preach at times, I considered you redeemed. To be considered legitimate and taken seriously. However, some additional detail would have made the thought you expressed in your closing the most sound advice and the most intelligent course of action to be taken by Mets fans.
The inclusion of the Mets status as the 3rd most valued franchise in all baseball. That their are several commonly used and financially doable ways Fred Wilpon could have allocated the necessary funds, that would have allowed Adlerson to make the necessary, mid-level Free Agent signing to fill the two rotation openings, and add to the seriously thin bullpen, and their bench, with reserve players with some proven quality. Details about baseball team owners having their GM's deferring salary, or investing now and recouping that money when contracts expire at seasons end is done by franchise owners who are concerned about winning and profits. Seeing that Fred Wilpon's only concern is for profit, which he makes by the MILLIONS weather the Mets win or lose, Adlerson is forced to dish out smoke screens like "plans" he has, that as you noted, means actually means doing nothing, which has been the Mets policy for well over one year now.
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Rich, thanks for the comment and reading The Mets Report. I agree with you that there are some moves they could make to complete the rotation and improve the bullpen. The problem is still that those relatively minor changes don't make this a championship team. As a matter of fact, I doubt those changes even make the Mets a playoff team. Do you really think tweaking the rotation and bullpen is enough to get past the Phillies this year? I don't.
I also agree with you that the Wilpons primary objective is to use the Mets as their personal ATM machine. I believe that they want to be able to withdrawl money from the team at will or leverage it as an asset to obtain income. I think it would be tough to find a Mets fan that didn't think that is the case.
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After spending $… 5,000000 on the front office, it is only right to spend almost the same to acquire starting pitchers. get off your backsides and do it.
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Carl, You're right about that. It makes me wonder if they blew the budget on the front office and left them nothing for players. At this rate it's going to be another ho-hum season in 2011.
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