So much to do and so much to say. Natron, where do I begin? I've been giving a whole lot o' thought to the whole "directional" concept. There's a quick aspect and a dirty aspect; or ways of expressing them. Didn't Omar Minaya talk about building the Mets around speed, pitching, and defense? It would seem like a pretty straighforward from there, right? Invest in speedy guys who happen to play defense and find some solid pitchers.
Now onto the dirty part. And maybe a little bitter too. What have the Mets done to address any of those three areas? Nada. Boy does it hurt to answer that way. The Mets acquired JayRayBay, which appeased some fans temporarily. But I gotta hand it to the fans of The Orange and Blue: it's not enough to sign one very good hitter and leave the rest of the team intact from the previous campaign (a 70-win one at that). Yes, there were injuries in abundance but the Mets weren't so hot even before the Bubinjury Plague struck. Natron, you mentioned a "rebuilding" phase of sorts with a unified plan in place. I am wholly in support of that, and I think Mets fans would rally behind that if the front office pushed for that direction. So, as you mentioned during parts of your post, there needs to be some retooling in the farm system and the major league club. Get some glove men, peeps who are fleet of foot, and guys who can throw that pill effectively.
How about a little pitching? I have verbalized an interest in signing Chien-Ming Wang but that opportunity has passed. What's the harm in $2 million guaranteed for someone who has proven that he can handle the pressure of pitching in NYC and who won 19 games two seasons in a row? FYI, Tim Redding earned $2.25 million last season. Wang is coming off two injury-riddled seasons (wait, there were injured pitchers playing for teams other than the Mets last year?), but $2 million in Mets Money isn't too much, is it? What if he comes back and wins 8-10 games with a 4.50 era in the second half of the season? Or two-thirds of the season? Why weren't the Mets in the hunt for this guy? I really don't understand it.
Let's get into the more recent developments or at least the more self-serving ones... I understand that there has to be a balance between the minors and the majors, but this isn't a 50-50 split in terms of funding and personnel. I don't know what the costs come to, but I'm virtually certain that major league players cost significantly more than scouts, coaches, and minor leaguers. Yes, the minor leagues take time and effor to develop, but it shouldn't really come at a direct cost to investing in free agents. I think a team can develop both (see Red Sox and the Yankees at times). Somehow, the Florida Fish can compete or finish around .500 every year with practically no dollars. And now their Tampa Bay Fish Friends are doint something similar.
So how is it that the Mets can't grow a farm and pay to play at the same time? Not that I have legitimate solutions, but it would stand to reason that a team can pay for solid major league talent and develop the minor leagues at the same time. Making informed picks in the draft and then spending the money that it takes to sign that talent seem like viable options for our New York Metsies. Then develop those young players. Voila: your minor league system is strong and you've wisely invested your funds in major league talent. I'm not going to pretend it's that simple, but doesn't it have to work like that conceptually? The Mets are fortunate in being able to raise revenue, I would hope that that's the hard part.
This is what happens when one procrastinates - trains of thought get lost. Regardless... I'm all for a long-term plan being implemented. While I’m not in support of the 2010 team finishing at, or around, .5oo with the current budget, I would support that if it means they will put a strong, playoff-contending team on the field for the foreseeable future. I agree with you and Monsieur Rob Neyer – the Mets are overpaying for past performance. A viable option is to acquire and groom young talent. Given the Mets’ resources, I believe that is a reasonable expectation.
Natron, your feeling that you’re “not really concerned about how the Mets perform this year” is something I can’t currently identify with. The Mets are spending over $100 million in 2010; that type of spending should guarantee playoff contention. Of course, if the Mets make the playoffs, you’ll be considerably more thrilled than I will be.
As always, let’s go Mets, for this season and the seasons to come!
-StanO
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