Blogging Mets

Sandy Alderson said something very disturbing Monday that I hope does not slide under the radar. According to MetsBlog.com, while talking about the payroll and Madoff matters on a conference call with reporters, Alderson slipped this in:

Our payroll going into the season will be somewhere between $140 million and $150 million. I think that is significantly higher than we’d like to be on an annual basis.

We all know the Wilpons didn’t want to spend that much this season, that they were hoping to keep the payroll around last year’s $126 million (most of the increase was due to scheduled raises to existing players).

It’s the second part of the statement that alarms me. What does “significantly” mean? Is Alderson saying the Mets want to have a payroll of $130 million? $120 million? $100 million? This should be of great concern to fans because I don’t think they can compete with the Phillies and Braves if the payroll is $100 million. Hell, they might even have a hard time competing with the Nationals, whose checkbook has suddenly sprung open.

The Wilpons have long had a “cheap” label attached to their foreheads — unfairly, in my opinion. They spent money, just not well. But if the Mets go with a $100 million yearly payroll, that label will be warranted. And given the Wilpons recent announcement that they are looking for “strategic partners,” it wouldn’t be a shocker if payroll was cut dramatically.

For two years now the Wilpons said the possible losses they suffered at the hands of the evil Bernie Madoff would not effect the running of the New York Mets. Well on Friday the Wilpons all-but admitted that is not case. In a letter to Mets fans and the  media, the Wilpons said they are looking for “strategic partners,” which is a business-talk way of saying they need cash:

Dear Mets Fans:

As Sterling Equities announced in December, we are engaged in discussions to settle a lawsuit brought against us and other Sterling partners and members of our families by the Trustee in the Madoff bankruptcy. We are not permitted to comment on these confidential negotiations while they are ongoing.

However, to address the air of uncertainty created by this lawsuit, and to provide additional assurance that the New York Mets will continue to have the necessary resources to fully compete and win, we are looking at a number of potential options including the addition of one or more strategic partners. To explore this, we have retained Steve Greenberg, a Managing Director at Allen & Company, as our advisor.

Regardless of the outcome of this exploration, Sterling will remain the principal ownership group of the Mets and continue to control and manage the team’s operations. The Mets have been a major part of our families for more than 30 years and that is not going to change.

As we have said before, we are totally committed to having the Mets again become a World Series winner. You deserve nothing less.

We wanted to share this information with you concurrent with sharing it with all Mets employees and the media. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Sincerely,

Fred Wilpon Chairman & CEO

Jeff Wilpon COO

Last month Irving Picard, the trustee who is leading the fight to find assets for Madoff’s victims, sued the Wilpons, claiming they actually made a profit off of Madoff. Picard said the Wilpons invested $522.7 million with Madoff, but withdrew $570.5 million over the years for a profit of $47.8 million.

The Wilpons are still victims here — they lost their initial investment, money they thought was safe with Madoff that could be accessed if needed. But of course, Madoff had worse victims — people who lost their investment and never took any money out.

The interesting thing here is that it seems the Wilpons need cash to pay off the $47.8 million if they lose the lawsuit. Certainly that is a whole lot of money to you and me, but it shouldn’t be a lot to a family supposedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

This can only be good news for Mets fans. The Wilpons have shown time and time again that they do not know how to run a baseball franchise. A partner — even one who is a minority owner who could still be overruled by the Wilpons — could breathe new life into ownership and present new ideas.

Imagine if someone like Mark Cuban bought into the Mets? Say what you want about him, he will do anything to win, something that cannot be said about the Wilpons.

I delayed writing this post until Sandy Alderson was done building the 2011 Mets. Based on his comments at a news conference (huh?!) Wednesday to introduce Chin-lung Hu (really?!) to a salivating press corps, he apparently is:

“We’re pretty much there, I think. It’s possible that something will pop up, but right now we’re at about 55, 56 players in camp. We don’t want to get beyond 60. I would say we’re just about at our max. I think we’re about ready to go. Again, something could pop up, but right now I don’t expect anything to happen.”

So this is the team. In a Blogging Mets poll last month, 66% of you said you were disappointed in the Mets off-season. I concur.

In the final months of Omar Minaya’s reign of terror, I wrote several times of the need for the next general manager to be “creative.” I chose that word deliberately. I understand the Mets payroll and roster limitations. It wasn’t going to be easy to improve the team this year, hence the need for some creative wheelings and dealings. Instead, Alderson (left, with his two “highly regarded” lieutenants) chose the non-creative route and decided to stand pat.

Now, whether he made that decision himself or if the decision was made for him by other teams having no interest in the Mets assets is unknown. I suspect Alderson wanted a season to assess what he has before making any rash decisions.

That is a very responsible, cautious way to go. But it’s obvious this team does not have enough starting pitching, not just this season but moving forward into the future. Does he really need a season to see that?

Why couldn’t the Mets have been players for Cliff Lee? Granted, as things shook out, it was clear he left his heart in Philadelphia and he wouldn’t have signed here. But to dismiss him outright as too expensive was a mistake. The Mets famously have $60 million coming off the books after 2011; Lee would have been easily affordable by giving him a low salary this season, then back-loading the deal. Instead, Alderson took a pass.

“Creative” would have been taking a chance and trading prospects for established players who can help this year and in future years, perhaps even including Angel Pagan in such a deal. As I’ve written in the past, Pagan had a great season, but I’m not sure he’s going to be able to repeat it. His value has never been higher, and may never reach this peak again (I’d be very happy to be wrong about this).

Instead, Alderson did nothing. If the Mets perform poorly this season, Alderson will learn first-hand how impatient Mets fans can be. Or maybe everyone is wrong. Maybe the Mets will play like the contenders they were in the first half of the 2010 season before the roof caved in. Either way, Alderson said he is happy with his team.

“Actually, I feel pretty good about it. We’ve been able to address all of our needs. Hopefully we’ve addressed those needs well. We’re going to find out in spring training and early in the season. But given what latitude we have, I’m actually happy with what we have. I think we’ve maximized our resources and I’m happy with what we have going into spring training.”

We’ll see.

…So proclaimed Jeff Francoeur. It is a bit of a stretch for Francoeur to blame anything but his own lack of pitch selection for his poor hitting, but he happens to be right about Citi Field. But there could be relief on the way.

That relief will not come this season. But Sandy Alderson has said that he prefers hitters parks. My guess is that he will see how the field plays this season and decide to reduce the stadium’s large dimensions.

As I’ve written in the past, the Mets should either move home plate up or move the fences in. I believe moving home plate up would require less construction, so that seems easier and cheaper. It would also provide for a little more foul territory behind home plate and down the lines, which wouldn’t be a bad thing.

That idiotic left field wall should be lowered and reduced to eight feet, matching the rest of the park. As far as that screwy right field, I hope they will just straighten out the wall and get rid of the “quirks” that somebody thought was a good idea.

While changes will certainly benefit the hitters, I don’t think Alderson will alter the park so it becomes a bandbox like Citizens Bank Park. These changes will make it fair, like Shea Stadium used to be.

Here’s another Gary Carter commercial, this one for Ivory soap. Check out the extras playing his phony Mets teammates. Also, Carter certainly seems to love showering!

In a winter with no interesting rumors or speculation involving the Mets, let’s chew on this for a bit — Albert Pujols to the Mets! Many writers are theorizing that it could happen.

Pujols’s contract expires after this season. His people and the Cardinals are trying to negotiating a new deal, with Pujols reportedly asking for an A-Rod type deal along the lines of 10-years, $300 million. The Cards apparently don’t want to pay that much, so talks have stalled. Pujols has said he will end negotiations once spring training starts, so St. Louis has about a month to tie-up Pujols or he hits free agency following the season.

Why the Mets? Well, the usual suspects for such a big ticket item — the Yankees and the Red Sox — are set at first (then again, the Yankees were set at shortstop when they traded for Alex Rodriguez. But let’s not think about that). The only other teams that could likely afford Pujols would be the Dodgers, Angels, Cubs, and yes, the Mets. And since the Mets are shedding so much payroll after the season, they are the focus of the speculation.

Now, I don’t think Pujols is going anywhere. I think he will eventually reach a deal with the Cards. But let’s dream.

The Mets are dumping about $60 million in salary, leaving around $60 million guaranteed for 2012. Let’s set the 2012 payroll at a reasonable $120 million. If they resign Jose Reyes for $10 million, that brings the total to $70 million. Add in $30 million for Pujols, and we’re up to $100. That leaves $20 million to spend on a new right fielder, closer and starter. That’s doable. And if one or more of their young guys can step up and fill the holes, so much the better.

So it is possible to fit Pujols into the Mets budget. As far as the promising Ike Davis, asked off-air after appearing on a WFAN show if he would switch positions if the Mets got Pujols, he reportedly said, “I’d be a bleeping middle reliever to get Albert.”

So it would be great if Davis could play right. If not, he could be trade bait for a front-line starter if he has another solid year. It would be sad to see the fan favorite go, but I don’t think we would miss him all that much if the current best player in baseball, and potentially the best player ever, is wearing a Mets uniform.

Well, Sandy Alderson has done it; he has reportedly completed his off-season shopping with the jewel he has been pursuing all winter — the great Chris Young. According to multiple sources, the Mets have agreed to terms with Young pending the results of a physical. If everything goes well, the deal will be formalized later this week.

Young perfectly fits the bill of pitchers for which Alderson has been salivating — injured and mediocre. He missed all of last season (except for four starts) with what was described as a strained right shoulder. He made 14 starts in 2009, pitching to a sparkling 5.21 ERA. He could only manage 18 starts the year before.

On the plus side, he was an All Star in his last healthy year of 2007. He’s went to Princeton, so he’s presumably smart. And, uh, he’s tall. He’s 6’10.” But then again, so was Eric Hillman. Remember him? He sucked.

I just can’t get excited about this acquisition. Young is a perfectly adequate back of the rotation guy, but the problem is the Mets have plenty of those guys. It’s front-end starters that they need, which Alderson either would not or could not pursue.

With a questionable rotation and an even more spotty bullpen, the Mets are going to have to score a whole lot of runs if they hope to contend this season. If Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes are healthy, if Jason Bay can rebound,  and if Angel Pagan and Ike Davis can build upon their 2010 successes, the Mets might be all right.  That’s a  lot of “ifs.” But pitching wins championships, and the Mets just don’t have enough.

Everybody has their own favorite all-time Met. Who is yours? I listed the usual suspects for the vote below, but please let me know in the comments if I left out your favorite.

Just a month after the Mets traded Tom Seaver to the Reds in 1977, Seaver appeared on the “The Mike Douglas Show” with his new teammate Pete Rose. With Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher sitting quietly, Seaver discussed the trade without getting into too much detail, unfortunately. My favorite part (in addition to Rose’s haircut) is when Douglas said, “Can you explain what a free agent is? The ladies I’m not sure understand that.” Ah, good old fashioned 70s sexism!  Also, I’d forgotten how boring Douglas’s dull delivery was:

Sandy Alderson is supposed to be a bright guy.  He graduated not from one but two Ivy League schools — Dartmouth and Harvard. In contrast, former GM Omar Minaya hails from Newtown High School in Elmhurst. Yet Alderson is about to make the exact same mistake as his predecessor.

Going into the 2010 season, the Mets starting rotation was Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Jonathon Niese and the two huge question marks that were Oliver Perez and John Maine. Everybody knew Perez and Maine were not long for the rotation. Everybody, that was, except Minaya. So Minaya did absolutely nothing to improve the rotation. (He did rescue R.A. Dickey from the scrap heap; more on that in a moment.)

Fast forward a year, and with Santana expected to miss at least the first half of the season, the rotation going into 2011 is Pelfrey, Niese, Dickey and two huge question marks. And what has Alderson done to improve the rotation? Nothing, unless you consider signing Chris Capuano and chasing a couple of broken down starters is something.

Alderson certainly thinks it is something. In fact, in an email to fans he spins it like this:

Every year players come out of nowhere to become success stories. Look no further than R.A. Dickey. He signed a minor-league deal last January, became a fixture in the starting rotation in May, and finished the season with 11 victories and a 2.84 ERA. I believe some of our offseason acquisitions can be this year’s version of R.A.

So Alderson is actually pulling the rare double-Omar — doing nothing to improve the rotation and praying one of his rejects turns into Minaya’s find of Dickey.

I know Alderson is working on a restricted budget and has a vision for the future, but right now the 2011 season is in the future as well. You’re telling me Alderson couldn’t have spent a few more bucks to get an Aaron Harang or a Jon Garland type — a healthy pitcher who would have guaranteed 200 solid, if not spectacular, innings?

So Alderson is a bright guy who attended good schools which apparently never taught the old addage, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”