The following is a guest blog from a longtime friend and fellow Met fan, Nick Cantatore. Enjoy.
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Amidst all of the commotion surrounding the recent signing of Jose Reyes to the Miami Marlins, Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson is making a statement. A statement that says he is here for the long haul. A statement that says this is not a “give him the sixth year and let it be the next GM’s problem” kind of situation this organization has had in the past. A statement that says he is committed to making this team the way he wants. A statement that says he is not afraid to do things his way. And finally, a statement that says he wants to build the foundation of this team around promising young talent for the future.
Regardless of whether you happen to agree or disagree with the decision, it’s final. I, on one hand, am not thrilled that he went to a divisional opponent, but I can understand why Alderson had to make this decision. So while everyone is busy ripping him and making assumptions as to why the Mets couldn’t keep Reyes, I have decided to take Alderson’s point of view. I will take a look into his thought process, along with the once crowned “superstar” front office, which now seems to have fans in an uproar:
1. Reyes is Injury Prone.
Reyes receiving attention after an injury
Reading the blogs and everything Mets fans are thinking about the Reyes signing, there is one thought that I keep running into: “What will Wright do without Reyes? He has never played beside someone else!” The fact of the matter is, over the past three seasons Wright has played next to someone not named Reyes. In fact, nearly 40% of the time the person playing shortstop was someone NOT named Jose Reyes. This alarming statistic is exactly the reason the Mets were reluctant to give Reyes that coveted sixth year.
In case you have never taken anatomy, let me break it down for you as simply as I can: When you age, your body deteriorates. At age 28, Jose Reyes is no longer that young explosive talent he once was. Okay, maybe the explosive part still applies, but with his medical history, who knows how long he will hold up. By giving Reyes an enormous contract with a guaranteed five years and option for a sixth means you are committing a bulk of your payroll to a player who has been injury prone since he stepped foot on the diamond in 2003. Believe me, when healthy Reyes is one of the most exciting players in baseball. He brings elements to the game that few other players have ever possessed. But that key phrase is “when healthy.” The Mets cannot afford to lock up a player with the much publicized budget cuts and hope he can stay healthy, for 6 years no less. As dynamic and explosive as Reyes is, he is getting older with each passing season. His hamstrings are as tender as I like my steak, and his body will only continue to deteriorate. This type of contract guarantees nothing more than a large sum of guaranteed money to a player who is anything but guaranteed to play.
2. With or Without Reyes, The Mets Won’t Win.
Frustrated Mets fans (WITH REYES STILL ON THE TEAM)
I love the Mets, always have, and always will. I find no fans to be as ignorant as Philadelphia fans, in any sport for that matter. However, some of the posts from Mets fans regarding Reyes have made me think we may not be far behind. Any true and logical Mets fan would know that with or without Reyes in 2012, this team will not win. We will not win the division, and will certainly not win the World Series. In fact, any baseball fan will tell you that a combination of Philadelphia’s pitching staff and the Braves combination of young talent and solid veterans will hold up for the next five years easy in that division. That’s not even considering Washington or Miami, who have both shown a desire to bring in free agents to have a shot to compete. So what sense does it make to invest a bulk of your remaining payroll into an aging player that can’t put you over the top? By not signing Reyes to an astronomical contract that would eat up a bulk of their miniscule payroll (in comparison to past years, not the Pirates), the Mets afford themselves some room to add pieces. These pieces go to a bigger puzzle called a team. A team is a lot of pieces, not just one. Yes, you always have those pieces that you build around, but what good is that one piece if you have nothing to put around it? As far as I see it, although Alderson is reluctant to fully admit it, the Mets are in a rebuilding stage.
Much to my dismay, they look up and see the pitching staff of the Phillies, which should make ANY line-up quiver. They look up at the Braves and the promising young talent they have in place to compete for the division year in and year out. They look up at the Nationals and see two of the brightest young stars in Strasburg and Harper, mixed with a front office willing to spend the money to compete. They look up at the Marlins and see an organization who apparently thinks they have money equivalent to that of the Yankees (which I don’t know where it’s coming from, they have no fans. They had Jews run the field night to attract some fans last year for goodness sake). And then there sits the Mets, at the bottom looking up. Mind you, there they sit, with or without Reyes. Ultimately deciding to build this puzzle called a team around new pieces, pieces that will allow this team to compete when the other teams need to do exactly what the Mets are doing now, rebuild.
3. The Mets Have Promising Talent in the Farm System.
Mets promising young power pitcher, Matt Harvey.
Just like Reyes and Wright, the Mets once again have managed to build a solid farm system. What was considered bleak nearly two years ago, the Mets have managed to create a bright spot of young talent under the Alderson regime. Namely going after pitching, the Mets hope they have a foundation in place to build a solid starting rotation from within. With Harvey and Wheeler being considered to have top of the rotation potential, and Familia, Mejia and Fulmer all showing promise, things suddenly don’t look so bad down the road. With first round pick Brandon Nimmo and OF Cesar Puello finally showing his power potential, the Mets definitely have some pieces to build around. Although we may not see these players for a few more years, Mets fans definitely have something to look forward to. And although he is being ripped right now, there is no better judge of young talent than Alderson. He builds from within, and has a way of finding the right pieces to fit the puzzle.
On the evening of the Reyes signing, Alderson said this statement during a press conference: “Look, I'm not conceding anything with respect to 2012. We're here [in Dallas] for the next four days to figure out how to put the best possible team on the field for 2012.” Much like the 2011 season, Terry Collins will have this team out there playing hard. They may or may not exceed expectations, but they will never stop trying. And whether or not you think the Mets could have kept Reyes, the fact of the matter is they didn’t. All Mets fans should stop dwelling on the fact that we have lost one of the most loved players in franchise history, and start preparing for life after Reyes…
And most of all, start believing in this front office.
