Sandy Alderson Lowering Expectations

Sandy Alderson has been doing lots of talking to the media at the GM Meetings in Florida over the past couple of days. But if you listen closely to what he is saying, what he is really doing is lowering the expectations of fans who are hoping and praying that he will deliver an improved Mets team in 2014.

It started with his first comment to the media Monday night, according to ESPN New York.

“I was upstairs stacking our money. Don’t get excited — they were all fives.”

How high was the pile?

“Not as high as some people expect.”

Alderson was joking, but it was also his way of telling the fans that the Mets might not have much money to spend this off-season.

When asked if the Mets would spend at least $100 million on any player, Alderson said, “I think that’s a probably not.”

“We’ve been in that stratosphere once recently with David Wright. Those were special circumstances. I think it would be difficult to duplicate that again — not from a financial standpoint, just in terms of team-building. I think it’s difficult to concentrate those kinds of resources into very few players. It’s not really the way you build a quality, sustainable, winning team, I don’t think.”

Which means the Mets will never, ever have another $100 million player on the roster as long as Sandy Alderson is around. So don’t expect any superstars on the Mets anytime soon.

On Tuesday he discussed the outfield. He did not repeat his famous “what outfield” comment of a year ago, but he did suggest that there will not be any significant improvement yet again.

“We might bring in more than two starting outfielders. Who knows how things are going to break? I’d be surprised if that happens only because there’s so much interest in corner outfielders among many clubs.”

Asked to clarify whether he meant he would be surprised if the Mets brought in two or three starting outfielders, Alderson added: “I’d be surprised if we were that successful because of the demand for that position among other teams.”

So basically Sandy Alderson is saying the Mets might land one new outfielder, at best.

Mets fans have been waiting patiently (sometimes impatiently) for this team to get better since Alderson took over three years ago. The bad contracts are gone. Now is the time. If Alderson again does nothing this off-season, the Mets will have a full-fledged fan revolt on their hands. And it will be perfectly justified.