Google tracker caught this one:
I just got off the phone with one NL East MLB executive who said in jest, “Gee, I hope they don’t sign John Smoltz, then we’ll really be in trouble.”
This is a sport with no salary cap, where you can simply go out and buy the best team possible, and the NY Mets are in jeopardy of finishing in dead last place in the NL East. I spoke to one scout that actually said he would not be surprised if they have the WORST record in the National league this year.
This team is a mess both on the field and in the front office. This will likely take a few years to clear up. – Blake Kearny
Blake is a retired baseball scout (34 years) from Los Angeles, California. He currently runs a baseball school for children in Los Angeles.
I know it’s fun to pile on the Mets, I sure do my fair share. Â I don’t think the team is awful. Â Any franchise would love to start with Santana, K-Rod, Wright, Reyes, Bay and a healthy Beltran….even Francoeur and yes Castillo are nice complimentary players. Â The problem is that they seem to hope to get by at first, catcher and 4/5 of the rotation.
Even if an asteroid hits Philadelphia and the Mets sneak into the playoffs, that’s a recipe for a first round exit. Â That might be good enough for the Wilpons and the ticket gate, but it’s not good enough for me.
ok ok hang on. that’s just jealousy speaking. Despite what Pecota may say.
They didn’t finish with the worst record in the NL last year despite starting third tier guys.
It may be a stretch to expect their rotation to step up, but it’s also not impossible.
And, Perez and Maine have all shown big game ability, so if they did make the playoffs, with those guys, K-Rod to lock it down, and Bay, Beltran, Wright, and Reyes, at least, I know I’d be scared if I was another team. Especially an offense minded team like Philadelphia.
The Mets are not going to be the worst team in baseball. They’re not a serious playoff threat, but they’re not going to be a disaster, either.
On any given day, they should be able to beat any team. I’d like to see the Mets win another World Series, but it’s not fair to expect them to climb from 70-92 to World Champs in one year.
“The team with the second largest payroll in 2009 now has a business plan of ‘keeping their fingers crossed.'”
Pretty much says it all.
Paul, what *was* fair to expect was them to not lose 92 games in the first place. Yes, there were all those injuries throughout the season, but if the team had a viable bench and/or a minor league system with legitimate prospects, the season still wouldn’t have been quite the disaster it was. Playoffs were too much to expect under the circumstances, but 20+ games under .500 is a joke. Can anybody really argue with a straight face that a team with all the Mets resources can’t find a better shortstop than Angel freakin’ Berroa?
The Mets have a handful of elite stars, but a questionable supporting cast and no second string behind any of them because Omar is too busy handing out contracts to his buddies to assemble any real talent.