I'm going to let you in on a dirty little secret most Mets fans aren't prepared to accept. The Mets won't contend in 2014, and to some extent they were never supposed to. There was an underwritten notion that the Mets had methodically broken down their payroll and developed young talent for some grand resurgence in 2014. The resurgence is coming, but it still has some time to take shape.
Don't get me wrong, the Mets will be a better team in 2014. They have most definitely outspent the expectations of writers and fans alike this winter. They've improved the outfield, if only slightly, and brought it a suitable short-term replacement for Matt Harvey. By all means, a solid winter. However, its only the start of something bigger.
Sandy Alderson's plan is one of affordable, sustained excellence. Here is how he makes that happen:
Winter 2013 - A successful offseason is capped of by the acquisition of a promising young shortstop. Completing a trade for such a player not only upgrades the position, but spares payroll in the future. As a result, Alderson will have addressed each of the teams major needs his winter.
Summer 2014 - The Mets will have an opportunity to evaluate the likes of Lucas Duda and Juan Lagares. Do either have a spot in the future with the Mets? We'll know by season's end. You can also look for players like Travis d'Arnaud and Zack Wheeler to transition into full-time major leaguers. They may not dominate, but progress is paramount and the future takes shape in flushing.
Winter 2014 - The offseason will actually be more important to the future of the franchise than last. Alderson replaces Chris Young with player who hits for both average and some power (think Aoki). He'll also upgrade at first base, as the holes in Duda's game proved too costly over the course of a 162 game season.
Summer 2015 - This is the first season that the Mets present a real playoff threat. A rotation of Harvey-Syndergaard-Wheeler-Niese-Gee leads a now truly renovated roster. Fans will now have plenty to get excited about as payroll creeps above $100 million. The Mets will play meaningful September baseball for the first time in a long time.
Winter 2015 - Alderson now knows what he has and has to keep the momentum going forward. He'll have to replace Colon, but the real goal of the offseason is to find that one big missing piece. What do the Mets need most? What puts them over the edge? This offseason is made on finding that player.
Summer 2016 - On paper the Mets are ready to contend for a World Series. Fans will be rewarded for their patience as Citi Field fills on a nightly basis from start to finish. The Mets rotation remains its driving force, but now the offense can keep pace. 2016 starts a window of opportunity for the Mets, and it will have been nearly a decade in the making.
You're probably thinking I'm nuts right now. I know these predictions require that most things go right for the Mets, a team that isn't known for its luck. However, if you're able to look past a roster which still has some glaring holes, you'll find that the foundation has already been laid. You're tired of losing, but the Mets are finally moving forward. There is still some work to be done, but for the first time in years there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83.
Showing posts with label Future. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Future. Show all posts
December 16, 2013
October 8, 2013
The Beltran Pipe Dream
Let's get this out of the way before I get any further: I love Carlos Beltran. To this day, he remains one of my favorite players and is one of my favorite Mets of all time. So when I see Mike Puma from the NY Post tweeting about a possible return of Beltran to the Mets, my heart flutters and I want to shriek like a 12 year old girl (half kidding).
Photo courtesy of nj.com
Several days ago here on Effing Mets, all of the bloggers agreed that the Mets biggest need this offseason is power. Carlos Beltran can certainly provide punch to a lineup, but the main concern is the diminished returns as an outfielder in such a large ballpark. I could overlook that if we could get his bat in the lineup, but then again I am completely biased because of my continued love for him.
At any rate, Beltran's comments are coming from a man who will need a job next year. I don't know about you, but if I'm about to be unemployed I wouldn't go around saying that I'd turn down specific jobs. Of course he is going to keep open the possibility of a return, if only because he can still play and won't want to turn down a paycheck. My prediction (like a lot of others) is that Beltran links up with an AL team where he can DH and occasionally play right field. Let's face it, he probably has a better chance of winding up in the Bronx then back in Queens. And it pains me to say, but I'd still be one of his biggest fans.
September 16, 2013
Harvey's Injury No Justification For Delaying Spending
As soon as the news about Matt Harvey's injury, and his likelihood of missing 2014, hit the headlines, the feeling of doom was almost palpable. 2014, once seen as a year when the Mets would begin to fulfill some of their promise, was going to be one more year of incompetence on a budget, fielding bargain basement players while we await Harvey's return.Don't accept that answer. Refuse to be okay with waiting, again.
Matt Harvey was an incredible revelation but he was also just that: a revelation. While there was a lot of expectations on his future, nobody expected him to be what he was this year. His absence in the rotation leaves Jon Niese, Zack Wheeler, and Dillon Gee, supplemented by either a veteran presence or two of the franchise's highly touted prospects. Pitching will not be what holds this team back, and makes using Harvey as a rationalization to not spend nonsense.
They sold the fans on a three year plan, and spent this year telling us how exciting our future is. Guess what: It's time for the future. It's time to take some of the great prospects you've gotten and build a team around them. Field a big league ball club in 2014, or risk disenfranchising perhaps the most loyal fan base in baseball. We've stuck with the team through thin and thinner; we expect them to keep their promises. I truly believe Sandy wants to crack the purse strings open this offseason and next in an effort to build a real contender. It's up to the Wilpons to give him the green light to do so.
No more excuses, guys. It's been long enough.
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September 12, 2013
Ellsbury or Choo? Neither
Call me crazy but here goes: NEITHER. You heard me and I haven't even had much coffee this morning. And this has absolutely nothing to Scott Boras. Like many others on this blog have stated with Matt Harvey on board Sandy is going to have to deal with him at some point.
Both in question here are good if not great ball players but I have a knock for both of these guys. For Ellsbury it is health. It isn't that he is injury prone the guy plays all out every play from what I have watched and read. It seems every other year he faces an injury that sidelines him significantly. And that isn't going to get better with age. With Choo my knock on him is that his game relies so much on his legs. Wasn't this a concern with Michael Bourn? The older a player gets he isn't going to get faster. So if it was a concern with Bourn then it should be one with Choo.
If you are reading this you probably want to know what my brilliant solution is. Well here goes. Robinson. Jose. Mercedes. Cano. He hits for power, drives in runs, decent on base percentage, plays a good second base and knows the city and its market and how their media operates. With him at second then maybe Ike or Duda can relax a bit and not pressure themselves so much.
That leaves us with what to do with Daniel Murphy. I love how he plays and what he brings to the team. He is best suited as a corner infielder and David Wright certainly isn't moving and he doesn't have the power numbers that a typical first baseman does. I think you could package him in a deal with Wilmer Flores and a pitching prospect like Montero or DeGrom and get that OF power bat you are looking for. Or worst case maybe look into free agency again for a Hunter Pence or someone like that. Another decent pitcher and we could be in business. Heck, Adam Rubin even suggested on Twitter last night bringing back Kazmir. Maybe he was kidding.
Yes, I just spent a truckload of the Wilpon's money and I don't care. You build teams around guys like Wright, Cano, Harvey, Wheeler, and Parnell. And if Syndergaard lives up to the hype? WOW.
Both in question here are good if not great ball players but I have a knock for both of these guys. For Ellsbury it is health. It isn't that he is injury prone the guy plays all out every play from what I have watched and read. It seems every other year he faces an injury that sidelines him significantly. And that isn't going to get better with age. With Choo my knock on him is that his game relies so much on his legs. Wasn't this a concern with Michael Bourn? The older a player gets he isn't going to get faster. So if it was a concern with Bourn then it should be one with Choo.
If you are reading this you probably want to know what my brilliant solution is. Well here goes. Robinson. Jose. Mercedes. Cano. He hits for power, drives in runs, decent on base percentage, plays a good second base and knows the city and its market and how their media operates. With him at second then maybe Ike or Duda can relax a bit and not pressure themselves so much.
That leaves us with what to do with Daniel Murphy. I love how he plays and what he brings to the team. He is best suited as a corner infielder and David Wright certainly isn't moving and he doesn't have the power numbers that a typical first baseman does. I think you could package him in a deal with Wilmer Flores and a pitching prospect like Montero or DeGrom and get that OF power bat you are looking for. Or worst case maybe look into free agency again for a Hunter Pence or someone like that. Another decent pitcher and we could be in business. Heck, Adam Rubin even suggested on Twitter last night bringing back Kazmir. Maybe he was kidding.
Yes, I just spent a truckload of the Wilpon's money and I don't care. You build teams around guys like Wright, Cano, Harvey, Wheeler, and Parnell. And if Syndergaard lives up to the hype? WOW.
photo courtesy of: www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com
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September 10, 2013
Martino of NYDN: Mets May Target Choo
I'll start this off by saying that I think Andy Martino of the New York Daily News can be a bit of a mouth-breather. However, he has a piece out today with sources indicating that the front office is going to make a run at signing Shin-Soo Choo this offseason.
I hope Martino is actually right with this ones. Choo is an on-base percentage machine, which fits into Sandy's mold. At 30 years old, he's not a youngster, but a decent contract would not have him signed past his prime.
The downside is his agent. Choo is a Scott Boras client, and as everyone knows Boras is going to wring every dollar he can out of the team that ends up signing him. While it would be foolish for the Mets to enter into a bidding war with other teams for Choo's services, with current Met Matt Harvey also a Boras client, they are going to have to deal with the agent at some point.
Lots of chatter, inside and outside #Mets organization, that this free agent OF could be their guy http://t.co/Hgt5H8aQPN
— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) September 10, 2013
I hope Martino is actually right with this ones. Choo is an on-base percentage machine, which fits into Sandy's mold. At 30 years old, he's not a youngster, but a decent contract would not have him signed past his prime.
The downside is his agent. Choo is a Scott Boras client, and as everyone knows Boras is going to wring every dollar he can out of the team that ends up signing him. While it would be foolish for the Mets to enter into a bidding war with other teams for Choo's services, with current Met Matt Harvey also a Boras client, they are going to have to deal with the agent at some point.
September 3, 2013
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