This is from a few days ago but it’s pretty darn strong:
What puzzles me most is the fact that the Mets are not shy to spend money and they are not necessarily risk averse. However, when it comes to the single place where a baseball team can extract the most value over the long run, the Mets barely qualify as bit players. The amount they have spent on the draft is absolutely pathetic and is manifested on the team’s roster in two ways. First, the Mets have very little young talent with high upside to call up in order to round out the team’s pitching staff, bullpen and bench. Instead we end up with a cast of Coras, Easleys and Valentins. Only this year has the team been able to call up some young players with upside (see: Davis, Ike).
Second, and perhaps most importantly, the Mets lack the tools necessary to make trades that will improve the Major League roster. The team had the chips to make a deal for Cliff Lee; however, the lack of depth made such a trade nearly impossible. Were the Mets to trade for Lee there simply would be nothing left for a rental. Meanwhile, the Yankees took a legitimate stab, and the Texas Rangers won out, because both teams possess a stash of young, nearly Major League ready prospects.
I would be gun shy too if I were them…the Mets have had very few star players since Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter who came to the Mets and remained a true star for a good period of time…Piazza, maybe Johan.
Here’s a list of stars who came to the Mets and were disappointments and total busts:
McReynolds, Bonilla, Coleman, Viola, Saberhagen, Juan Samuel, Carlos Baerga, Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn, Glavine, Beltran, Bay, now K-Rod.
Two out of every 15 stars the Mets acquire flop. Invest in the farm system!!
I meant to say 13 out of 15 flop.
The Mets are in a state like the Yankees from 1981-1994…won’t re-build, because they need to have a good team in this market…just throw money at problems in stupid ways.
The Yankees became a dynasty again by developing Jeter, Pettitte and Mariano and filling in with quality, hustling, winning players like Cone, O’Neill, Tino, Brosius, etc. Omar has had plenty of time to do this and can’t. Does Frank Cashen have a son?
I would challenge the idea that McReynolds was a bust or even a disappointment. As impossible as it was to relate to him, he put up two nearly MVP seasons. I also don’t think it would be fair to call Beltran a bust. He’s had some excellent seasons with the Mets. Viola won 20 games with us. And Glavine gave us as much as anyone could reasonably expect from him at this stage in his career.
I do agree that the Mets should spend more on the farm system. It’s more fun to see young guys develop than to bring in old guys. But part of the reason they bring in the old guys is that a lot of fans have no patience and are unwilling to watch a team that is frankly rebuilding.
Dana,
I guess McReynolds did have 2 good years…we expected a lot more…Viola was 38-32 as a Met…Glavine 61-56.
Beltran, I guess put up good numbers for 3 years, but was never the leader we needed. The solid majority of stars that come to the Mets via trade or free agency do not do as hoped. Besides Keith, Gary, Piazza and Johan, which have we been proud to call Mets in the last 25 years?
You can develop a farm system without totally rebuilding, I HOPE. They may as well try, because wait till you see the patience fans have for this team in September.
McReynolds wasn’t awful – it was that he replaced a likable guy who was gonna corrupt Doc & Darryl and get them hooked on drugs so that got rid of him…and then he won an MVP. Kinda annoying.
and they got hooked on drugs anyway. Omar would be proud of such a move.