Category: Management

4 Ways To Fix the Mets

1986 World Series Trophy
Image by slgckgc via Flickr

This is a guest post by frequent commenter and occasional ranter MetStatHead. The non-waiver trading deadline always brings out some strong feelings in fans and this season is no different. Here are four ways to fix the Mets.

Start Fresh

This team is in need of an overhaul. It starts with the GM Omar Minaya. For years the Mets have forgone the MLB draft and used its resources in Latin America and Asia. The MLB draft produces many Major League ready players and prospects. The team consistently ranks in the bottom third of Minor League systems because of the lack of Major League ready talent. Take a look at the Washington Nationals, they have on their team a handful of drafted players that have pitched and played in college. These players know how to play the game and win. Often times these players are polished and need little work before they climb the ranks in the minors. The Nationals are a team to be admired.

I would like to see the Wilpons clean house. A new GM, coaching staff, and medical staff. Bring in some former Mets that have experienced winning, either with the Mets or with other teams. Bring in a big name coach if needed, but this management needs to be released. Continue reading “4 Ways To Fix the Mets”

2010 Mets – We Believe in Comebacks!

New York Mets Omar Minaya reacts while sitting upstairs in a game against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field in New York City on July 30, 2009. The Mets defeated the Rockies 7-0. (UPI Photo/John Angelillo) Photo via Newscom

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsDo you? Because I don’t buy it at all.

You can recycle that ad campaign for next year because it doesn’t look like the Mets will be coming back this year. The season is starting to slip away fast and this will be the third year in a row that the Mets, who again have one of the highest payrolls and the some of the best talent in the league, will just choke it all away.

On my very first article for the Mets Report I predicted that the Mets were no better than a 4th place team. The Mets are now ½ game out of fourth and it looks like my prediction may come true.

Despite the fact that I didn’t predict the wonderful additions of Ike Davis and Angel Pagan as true everyday players, which should have made them wild card contenders this year, I did get the feeling that with Omar Minaya in charge the Mets would make an early run and then drop out of the race yet again. Continue reading “2010 Mets – We Believe in Comebacks!”

Poll: Mets Firing Jerry Manuel?

Jerry Manuel
Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

The Mets are headed home from a 2-9 road trip that dropped them to one game over .500. They’re now 7.5 games behind the Braves and fell behind the Phillies to third place in the division. It’s not an insurmountable lead, but the offense has disappeared and the roster is pretty messy.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Mets fired Jerry Manuel tomorrow. I don’t hope he gets fired. He seems like a good, well-meaning guy. So I never like to see someone like that get fired.

Let’s face it though, it would be easy to fire Manuel on tomorrow’s off day. You can’t fire all the players so the manager will be the one to take the fall when things aren’t going well. We all know that. And the Mets have almost no commitment to Manuel left. He doesn’t have a contract for next year. The team would only have to pay him for two more months. There’s no financial constraint against letting him go right now.

What do you think? Will the Mets let him go now?


Will the Mets fire Jerry Manuel this week?survey software

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Mets Fans: Don’t Blame Jerry Manuel

May 21, 2010 - New York, New York, U.S. - JERRY MANUEL during the Mets vs Yankees at Citi Field in Flushing NY. The Yanks won 2-1.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe axe always falls on the manager. This is the way the world works and it comes with the territory. There are things that we can rightfully question Jerry about. There are, however, things that he has to do, despite what we’d like to see happen. These are some of those unavoidable scenarios we will have to brace for.

1. K-Rod is coming in

Deal with it folks. We are going to win or lose with K-Rod in the 9th. The Mets cannot reach the post season without a closer shutting the door in the last inning. Johan Santana pitched 8 amazing innings and everyone is fed up with him losing victories, but there is nothing Manuel can do. It is up to the Mets bullpen to clinch those wins for Santana and The Mets bats to give him run support. Johan, of all people, is off elbow surgery and is not getting any younger. We cannot expect him to throw complete games every time. K-Rod will also need to work through this mess. The only way to get your stride back is in the game. If Manuel starts displaying a lack of confidence in K-Rod the situation will not magically improve itself. Our bullpen is already a shaky one. The last thing we need is to start meddling around with other closer options.

2. Luis Castillo is going to play

Castillo has become a symbol of the troubles the Mets have faced the last few seasons. He has taken a lot of heat from fans because of his ridiculous contract and of course “the drop” in Yankee Stadium. Although he can be irritating at times, Castillo is our best option at second. He gets on base and knows how to work a pitcher. Manuel may dislike him more than any of us, but like K-Rod, we are stuck with this contract. For as much as young talent excites the fan base, Ruben Tejada has been over matched at the plate. He is simply not ready to hit at the major league level. Castillo’s skill set may be diminishing but he gives us the best chance to win. Continue reading “Mets Fans: Don’t Blame Jerry Manuel”

Report: Mets Financial Troubles Mounting

Bernard Madoff's mugshot
Image via Wikipedia

The New York Post is reporting that the Wilpon family’s financial situation is so precarious that they cannot add payroll through trades. The report states that adding a front line starting pitcher is the least of their problems. Their debt load is so heavy and attendance is down so much this season that if the trend continues for a season or two, they may be forced to sell the team.

It was almost one year ago that I wrote about the Madoff mess causing talk of the Mets being forced to sell the team. Now those rumors are back. You never really know exactly what the financial situation of the team is. But it’s not a good sign when the rumors of trouble are consistent and persistent.

The key points of the NY Post article are:

  • The team has nearly $700 million in debt
  • The Mets are losing about $10 million/year including depreciation and interest payments on the debt
  • Attendance is down 19% from 2009 and down 35% from 2008
  • SNY is profitable but is leveraged to roughly six times it’s earnings before interest
  • The Wilpon family refinanced about $375 million in loans and kept $75 million for themselves

The article has a little bit of information about the family’s investments in commercial real estate which has been in a down market for three years now. It doesn’t help that the Mets’ fortunes have been down for three years now either. And it won’t be easy to recover. The article states that one of the debt covenants prevents the team from increasing payroll. Taking on Roy Oswalt or Cliff Lee would be great this month. But the Mets can’t expect the Astros or Mariners to take back equal or more salary.

We may be stuck with the pitching staff as it stands now. Maybe John Maine or Oliver Perez will come back and start doing what seems unlikely to most of us. If not, we could be speculating on who will be buying the Mets in a couple of years. Hopefully, it won’t get to the point that the Rangers have this season.

Thanks to MLBTradeRumors for the link.

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Jon Heyman on Jerry Manuel Extension

May 28, 2010- Milwaukee, WI. Miller Park..New York Mets Manager Jerry Manuel . .Milwaukee Brewers won over the New York Mets 2-0, taking the first game of the 3 game series against the Mets...Mike McGinnis / CSM.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js“Time to give Jerry Manuel an extension. He has fostered a positive vibe around the Mets.” -From Sports Illustrated writer Jon Heyman’s twitter earlier today.

Keep in mind readers, this is the opinion of a sports journalist who believes Andy Pettitte is Hall of Fame worthy. I really had to see this on Jon Heyman’s Twitter with my own eyes when I heard Evan Roberts talking about this on WFAN on Tuesday. So far with the Mets, Jerry Manuel’s tenure has been highlighted by an agonizing collapse in 2008, and a completely lost season in 2009. For 2009, we could of course look at the injuries as an excuse, but the way the product that was on the field performed at times was certainly inexcusable.

To be frank, firing Jerry Manuel would have been a move the team ultimately would have been disaffected by. It wouldn’t have addressed the main problems the team was facing. I can’t say I dislike Jerry Manuel. Sure, he seems to talk in circles during some post-game interviews and some of his in-game strategy is questionable at times. However, I do genuinely believe that he is a players manager, and this season so far, the team is performing at a competitive level. Manuel’s head has been raised from the chopping block, and the fascination with Bob Melvin among Mets faithful is no longer visible in the rear-view mirror. Continue reading “Jon Heyman on Jerry Manuel Extension”

Peter Gammons Backs Omar Minaya

NEW YORK - APRIL 10: General Manager Omar Min...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The roller coaster season continues, but the noose has seemingly disappeared from Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel’s necks (for now). This weekend The Mets did what winning teams are supposed to do: beat bad teams. Philly fans can poo-poo the weekend as we’d expect, but the truth is that is how you stay in contention.

It is crucial for teams to beat up and pad stats on their lessers. This team must put some distance between themselves and the .500 mark in preparation for tougher series’ ahead. Now that we seem to do be doing so, Minaya is getting a much needed pat on the back from one of baseball’s senior voices. In an article for MLB.com, Peter Gammons praises Minaya for his ability to whether the storm in New York.

People up and down the Mets’ organization are fiercely loyal to Minaya, because he accepts the heat and deflects it from those who work for him.

Gammons also continues pointing the finger at the Mets’ leadership around Minaya for perpetrating a “blame game”. Gammons’ isn’t really shedding light on anything Mets fans don’t already know. We are impossible to deal with at times, and ownership needs to block out the sports talk radio hosts as well as the papers. Nowadays, everyone thinks they have the right to play GM, maybe because of the endless access to information/opinion from blogs (ahem). Continue reading “Peter Gammons Backs Omar Minaya”