Brodie Van Wagenen Fired on Cohen’s First Day as Owner
Shortly after Steve Cohen tweeted Friday that he has closed his deal to buy the Mets, he began his housecleaning by firing Brodie Van Wagenen and much of his front office (including Omar Minaya). Actually, new team president Sandy Alderson made the announcement — once again doing the dirty work of a Mets owner!
Van Wagenen was at the helm in Flushing for two seasons, compiling a 112-110 record with one winning season. Ironically, the guy who fired him finished 40 games under .500 in his eight seasons as Mets GM, with just two winning seasons. Just saying.
Anyway, Van Wagenen’s legacy hinges on what type of player Jarred Kelenic turns out to be. If he is the superstar everyone thinks he might be, he will be remembered as the man who made one of the worst trades in franchise history. If not, then Van Wagenen will be largely forgotten, his stewardship just a blip in time.
It will be interesting to see whom Cohen hires at GM. Will it be a truly independent general manager, or a lackey who has to answer to Alderson? Let’s hope and pray it is the former; after all, Alderson has proven time and time again his baseball acumen is questionable, at best.