“A Timid Man,” Starring Sandy Alderson

In 2009 a spate of “man” movies came out — “A Serious Man,” “A Single Man,” “Solitary Man.” It might be time for another film, this one called “A Timid Man,” starring Sandy Alderson as himself as the titular character.

Alderson’s lack of boldness was on display at this week’s Winter Meetings. While several teams made daring moves to improve their teams, Alderson was unable to pull off anything. Once again he dithered on obvious trade bait, most notably Dillon Gee. It is widely known in baseball that Alderson has the nasty habit of overvaluing his players. It leaves him dissatisfied with virtually every trade offer, which leaves him with unnecessary players on the roster.

This is not to say Sandy Alderson should just give away his players to the first suitor. But it means if he is not getting the offers he wants, then the rest of the industry does not share his rose-colored glasses. Buyers determine the market, not sellers.

You could argue that Sandy Alderson does not have much work to do; after all, every position except shortstop and a bullpen arm or two are set. However, it does not mean that the team Alderson has assembled is good enough. It is pretty much the same team as last season, and that team won 79 games. Matt Harvey’s return is good for a few more wins but Michael Cuddyer, Alderson’s big move thus far, is not a difference-maker. This leaves the Mets as a .500 team. Continued progress by the young players could push them towards those 90 wins. However, they are just as likely to regress, pushing them under 80, again.

The Dodgers and Tigers won their divisions in 2014, yet they did not stand pat; they made huge deals with an eye towards improving their teams. The Mets were under .500 for a sixth straight year yet Sandy Alderson does nothing. It really boggles the mind.