Wright's Slow Start No Accident

David Wright, who has appeared in fewer preseason games than we have grown accustomed to so far this March, is doing so on purpose. This change to his routine comes after a few seasons in which he suffered nagging type injuries, including to the oblique, and he's hoping a new approach can change that for 2014. 

From Mike Vorkunov of the Star Ledger:

"I’m a lot more prepared now than I have been in recent spring trainings and I think I’ll actually get a little more out of it," Wright said. "As I’ve mentioned before, to get the work in now, I wouldn’t be able to get it in if I were playing in games. I faced some of the minor league pitchers this week, I faced Bobby (Parnell) a few times. On top of that I get to go out there and work on things that I actually think are beneficial to me."

Just as the Mets are trying to keep Wright healthy, he is doing the same for himself. Last March, Wright missed 16 days because of a intercostal strain. Then, in the midst of another All-Star season, he went down for 48 days with a hamstring strain.

"It is a little strange because I’m very routine-oriented," he said. "Just like, on game day, if you give me a time, I can probably tell you where I’m at on a game day. I’m very scheduled and routine-oriented. Yeah, it’s a little difficult making the transition."

I mean, whatever works. Any long chance this team has of competing this year features Wright playing and performing at a high level all year, and if the thought is that this will prevent him from missing games than so be it. I hope they're right.

Can't have the Face of the MLB getting hurt.

Tejada Returns While Other Injuries Linger

First dispatch from Mets camp: Wright, Murphy and Tejada are in the lineup.
— Anthony Rieber (@therealarieber) March 7, 2014

The early weeks of spring training have brought few answers to some of the Mets biggest questions. The largest question of them all, short stop, may start receiving clarity once again as Ruben Tejada is back to full speed for the first time in over a week. He sat out a few days longer than originally anticipated thanks to a tight hamstring.

Other Mets haven't been so lucky.  Ike Davis is still unable to go after injuring both his calves while weight lifting and Lucas Duda is still fighting a tight hamstring of his own.  This leaves the first base position in flux, as these two were expected to fight it out for the position.  In the meantime, Josh Satin gets the start today in their absence. 

Wright And Murphy To Make Grapefruit League Debut Today

When the Mets match up against the Cardinals this afternoon at 1:10 pm, it will mark the first Grapefruit League appears of the spring for both David Wright and Daniel Murphy.  In what was a calculated decision by the team's front office, both players have been held out to date in an effort to limit their chances of injury in spring training.  Each has participated in team drills and simulated games already.

Anyone whose been a Mets fan for more than a few minutes knows that at least one will leave today's game hobbled.  The universe would have it no other way, because Mets.

I Am a Sad and Lonely Sandy Alderson Fan

Earlier, my esteemed and gentlemanly colleague, Mr. Robert Patterson, posted a wonderful post entitled "Mets Are Not Committed to Winning". While the title does not encapsulate all that Mr. Patterson had to say, nor does it entirely explain his thesis...I find myself entirely disagreeing with (at least) the title.

The Mets spent the off-season disappointing Mets fans. They signed players who can lovingly be described as old, bad and fat. They signed young players who haven't been very good in a few years. And worse yet, as the majority of fans see it, is what they haven't done. Ike Davis and Lucas Duda remain our first basemen. Stephen Drew is unemployed. Bronson Arroyo is a Diamondback. Shin-Soo Choo is a Ranger. Nelson Cruz is an Oriole and Johnny Peralta is a Cardinal. This, combined with the Mets cellar dwelling $87 million payroll, has irked many a Met fan. They have begun doubting the structure being built. They are turning on Sandy Alderson and doubting his wisdom. They fear inaction.

I have one question for these Mets fans.

Do you need directions to the Bronx?

You see, Mr. Alderson is living in the real world. In this world, the Mets don't have Yankee money. They cannot afford to make "action" mistakes. You know what happens when you make "action" mistakes? You pay Johan to rehab his shoulder, Pedro to age, Bay to suck and eventually play elsewhere, and you have to wait for those "actions" to deactivate before you can do anything else. You know who does this? The Yankees. You know why? THEY HAVE UNLIMITED FUNDS. 

You know what the Yankees do when they make an "action" mistake? They buy a new toy. THE METS CANNOT DO THAT.

This is why I am a fan of Sandly Alderson. He is patient. He is steady. He is a thinking man's general manager. He realizes that fixing "inaction" mistakes takes less time, effort and money than does fixing "action" mistakes. 

Let's suppose Stephen Drew plays this year. And let's suppose he plays well above what he has done in the past, which he would need to do in order to be worth what he is asking. You know what you can then do? Look elsewhere and sign someone else. Make a trade to acquire a worthy short-stop. You CAN do other things. 

Let's suppose the Mets gave Drew the years and money he is looking for. Now let's suppose he gets hurt (which he regularly does) or under performs. What can you do? You're stuck. Now you have an oft-injured short stop being over paid who wasn't all that good in the first place that you cannot get rid of for two or three years during a time when you are supposed to be competing.

Why would you put yourself in that position? He wasn't going to "save" our season. Stephen Drew is not the difference between 74 wins and 90 wins...hell, he's not the difference between 74 wins and 78 wins. Nobody on the market this off-season was.

Building an organization to win when you do not have unlimited funds comes down to two things: timing and value. You have to accumulate and maximize value until you hit the right moment to spring your trap. Alderson spent the first few years accumulating value. We had Mejia and Harvey. He used old pieces to bring in Wheeler and Syndergaard and d'Arnaud. 

He locked up David Wright for what will likely be the rest of his career. He spent this offseason building infrastructure. 

Chris Young isn't a savior...but he is a good young player with a high ceiling at a reasonable price. This is the kind of signing that winning teams need. 

He signed Bartolo Colon and we all had a good laugh. But the man has been effective and he doesn't need to be the ace he was with the A's last year. Next year, he will likely be our fifth starter. Think about that for a second. The guy who will likely be our fifth starter next year finished last year, in the American league, with an 18-6 record, a 2.65 ERA and -17 walks. This doesn't even take into account that our top three starters will be some of the most coveted and feared young arms in baseball.

The media and Met fans have created this linear equation for success. Alderson had to first strip the team of its bad parts. Then he had to replenish the farm. The following year he would lock up Wright. Then we would start to see dividends on the farm. Then QUICK....SPEND....WIN! 

This isn't how it works. It is not linear. The other teams and players are not in line waiting for the Mets to flick the spend switch. You accumulate value. You put yourself in the best position possible. You strike while the iron is hot. 

The Mets are doing that. Sandy is doing that. The iron is not hot right now. There were no good deals out there. There was nothing to strike. You cannot spend just for the sake of spending. Be patient my Metsy brethren. What good does 90 wins do us if we don't win a World Series? If you grow impatient and just spend...you end up with Stephen Drew, 81 wins and a potential anchor at shortstop.

I believe Sandy, and the Mets organization, are on right track. I think they are as committed to winning as anyone. They are just doing it in a realistic way. Ya just gotta believe (or do the math).

Mets Are Not Committed To Winning

As I'm sure you've heard, the Mets brass believes that the 2014 New York Mets can reasonably expect to win 90 games this upcoming season.  To date, exactly no one agrees with that declaration.  Why is that you might ask?  Because the Mets are set to return nearly an identical roster to the one which could muster only 74 wins last year.

Why then would there be reason for optimism?  The Mets shuffled some money around this offseason.  They've dealt out nearly $90 million dollars in new contracts, replacing their corner outfielders and bringing in a variety of starting pitching options.  The team is also a year closer to realizing the maturation of their young arms.  The farms system is stronger than ever.  Sure, the Mets organization is in a better place than they've been in recent years, but still no closer to winning.

The Mets appear poised to enter 2014 with a glaring deficiency at shortstop, which could get even worse if Ruben Tejada doesn't find his way back into the lineup in short order.  Mind you, Tejada returns to the position despite what many argue to be a clear upgrade still on the free agent market.  There is also the notion that the Mets could trade.  Unfortunately, the Mets refuse to part with the almighty dollar and won't deal from the abundance of prospects they've spent years stockpiling.

They've also managed to let the future of first base be decided by two guys who can't seem to get out of their own way.  Both Davis and Duda appear to have plenty of power for the big league level, but can't put the bat on the ball often enough to really justify their inclusion in the lineup.  The Mets spent the winter trying to trade one of them, as opposed to just working to upgrade the position.

You see, what holes exists are irrelevant in this discussion.  Its the fact that they do exist.  These aren't holes that were created by injury.  Those instances are often unavoidable and somewhat excusable.  No, these voids in the everyday lineup remain because of inaction.  The Mets may want to win 90 games this season, but they didn't spent the winter acting like a team who realistically wants to make it happen.

Until wins become the currency of the day in Queens, the Mets may never return to form.  Baseball remains about the bottom line in these parts.  Until you're prepared to function like a franchise with a commitment to putting the best product on the field, talks about some fictional win count are pointless.  If the Mets win 90 games in 2014, it will be because this current crop of ball players overachieved, not because the roster was designed for greatness.

Mets Pitchers To Bat 8th?

Terry Collins is on a roll with the media this Spring.  First there was the Eric Young Jr. over Juan Lagares nonsense.  Then there is the whole Jenrry Mejia to the bullpen debacle.  And now this... According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Terry Collins is considering batting the pitchers 8th in the lineup this year.

Wait...what?  Collins justified his line of thought here:

“I think both [Wright and Curtis Granderson} are RBI guys.  My thought is: How 

do we get them more RBI chances and also give David, in particular, chances 

to drive in runs."

I suppose you shifting your second-worst hitter into the 9th spot in the lineup could more frequenly bring Wright and/or Granderson to the plate with runners on base.  However, its also just as likely (if not more so) in that set up that a rally started by the heart of the lineup will be prematurely ended because the pitcher comes to the plate sooner than normal.  Luckily, Collins isn't married to the idea quite yet.

"It is a possibility I might try. I don’t know that I will, but I might."

Terry Collins is the same guy who deemed Collin Cowgill and every day player, only to relegate him to the bench three days later.  What he says in spring holds little weight.  I just don't know why he falls victim to word vomit like this so frequently.  If Collin's has to really consider this, its a testament to how poor the lineup really is.  Subject a move might seem like creativity, but its simply desperation.  In any event, I highly doubt it happens.

ESPN: MLBPA Eyeing Mets Payroll

According to ESPN's Adam Rubin, President Tony Clark and the Major League Baseball Players Association will be monitoring the payroll of the Mets franchise.

Some quotes from the article:

The Mets enter the season with roughly an $87 million payroll, which is estimated to be seventh-lowest in MLB, despite playing in the game's largest market.

Union chief Tony Clark says the MLBPA is paying attention to the Mets' payroll."Let me offer you this: If there are concerns, what often ends up happening is we have an opportunity, along with Major League Baseball, to sit down and discuss perhaps what the game plan might be or could be going forward," said Clark, who played for the Mets in 2003.

"Is New York one of the marquee franchises? Yes. Will they always be? Yes. Are we paying attention in general? Yes."

It certainly sounds as though the Mets have the attention of a group of people that you would hope not to upset, although I really don't know what type of action they could take. That said, yes, the union should certainly take notice that one of the top market teams in the game is spending like Kansas City. While they are really only acting in the best financial interests of the players who are members and looking to drive up salaries as a whole, it is also incumbent upon them to seek out irregularities in income to pay ratios such as this.

It's certainly something fans can hope will force the Wilpons' hands a bit when it comes to putting a better product on the field.