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January 24, 2012 11-12 Offseason Joe Janish

Red Sox Steal Cody Ross

The New York Mets received crushing news when Cody Ross announced he came to an agreement to play for the big bad Boston Red Sox in 2012.

According to various rumor mills, the Mets were hot on the trail of Ross, who can play all three outfield positions and occasionally hits the ball over the fence. However, those freewheeling, big-spending Red Sox swept in and stole Ross from right under the Mets noses.

What do you think? Do you see this news as some kind of omen — a sign that the Mets are in for a difficult 2012 season? Can the Mets switch gears quickly enough to find another fourth outfielder? If so, who is left on the market that they might pursue — and can afford? Answer in the comments.

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Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. Stan January 24, 2012 at 9:58 am
    Why would this even matter? Ross wouldn’t have a major impact on the team, which has such limited resources that anyone they sign can be considered a coup at this point.

    The roster is pretty much set, and the 2012 Mets are not going to be a contending team. Not finishing dead last will be a major accomplishment.

  2. gary s. January 24, 2012 at 10:25 am
    I agree.He just would have been one more non entity on a team full of non entities
  3. Joe January 24, 2012 at 10:27 am
    Some kind of omen? Lol.

    Bobby Valentine is the manager of the Red Sox. If you want omens, that would do it alone.

  4. DaveSchneck January 24, 2012 at 12:34 pm
    After hearing the crushing news I figured I would not sleep all night. However, after hearing that Alderson confirmed interest in Chris Young, presumably as “insurance” for his “deserving” staff of five, I was able to sleep like a baby.
  5. Izzy January 24, 2012 at 12:35 pm
    Nobody is signing a deal with the Mets unless nobody else offers him a deal. Then Sandy the great(NOT) can tell us all he made an awesome deal, twitch his lips a bit as he lies, and all the kool aide drinkers will tell the rest of us , see, told you he’s the best.
  6. Ross January 24, 2012 at 1:46 pm
    Damn – I would’ve gotten a nice, new Mets “Ross” jersey as that’s my last name. There’s a backup catcher for another team with my exact name though.
  7. Matt January 24, 2012 at 2:30 pm
    What happened to Jason Marquis? Why are the Mets chronically unable to sign players that actually want to play for them? Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield come to mind.

    Why the hell would a competitor like Cody Ross come to NY unless it’d be in a Yankees uniform?

    Anyhow, just drop $13 million and sign Roy Oswalt for a year. At least win some games, make one out of every five interesting.

    • Joe Janish January 24, 2012 at 11:57 pm
      Good point on Marquis. What DID happen to him? Maybe he’s holding out for a MLB deal, and the Mets (as most teams) will only offer him a minor-league one.
  8. hart January 24, 2012 at 2:54 pm
    Apparently Ross was on the verge of signing here; but on January 19 he did a little internet research and was shocked, (shocked!) to learn that the Mets have become irrelevant.
  9. Rob January 24, 2012 at 5:01 pm
    Last place, baby! I’m looking forward to about three or four seasons of last place finishes. Then we can build from that super awesome minor league system that we’ll develop over that period. I can’t wait. It’ll be just like 1976-79. We’ll be doormats for all the Yankee fans out there to make fun of. Thanks, Fred and Jeff. You don’t know how happy you’ve made me.

    Seriously, when we start treating news like the Cody Ross non-signing as a major one-that-got-away story, you can tell we’re all desperate for good news for this team. I would agree that (i) Cody isn’t going to come here, because this team is going to suck (I hope I’m wrong, but I’m probably right), and (ii) Cody wouldn’t have much of an impact on the end-result, since our pitching is what will limit us.

    I’m going to go slit my wrists and lay in a warm bath. Wake me up when the season is half over. That way, I can avoid all the optimism that will inevitably set in around the first week or three of the season.

  10. John D January 24, 2012 at 5:17 pm
    I have a source that told me Ross was all set to sign, but the sticking point was that the Wilpons added a clause to his contract that said he must go into the stands and sell a minimum of two trays of Pepsi during any game that he doesn’t start.

    Just sitting on the bench is a waste of money. Put them to work and make Fred some cash!!

    • Mike B January 24, 2012 at 10:17 pm
      John D, that was the best post I’ve read on here in awhile.
    • Joe Janish January 24, 2012 at 11:59 pm
      And here I thought Cody Ross was more of a team player. What a selfish jerk.
  11. Josh Z January 24, 2012 at 10:48 pm
    he is great as far as playing all outfield positions and wasnt he the world series mvp for san fran?
    • Joe Janish January 25, 2012 at 12:02 am
      yes on the former, no on the latter — but close, he was the NLCS MVP.
  12. MadMc44 January 28, 2012 at 7:53 am
    The Sox have been doing heavy duty shopping–so much so that Bobby V is concerned about having enough innings to fully evaluate all the pitchers at spring training.

    It may be futile since only 4 teams make the playoffs, just as with the Met’s,every team in the East both AL and NL has become more competitive. You don’t give up before the season starts but do you throw good money after bad.

    The Marlins, Nat’s, Phil’s all improved-Braves stayed about the same. I’d think the WC comes from the East but they may beat each other up. Same with AL East.

    Met’s and Sox owners make the ballpark experience fun, lower the prices, attract more people–no way.

  13. MLB Ballparks January 30, 2012 at 1:22 am
    Cody Ross would have been great for the Mets, an additional utility player like Hairston that could provide veteran leadership for this young team. Regardless, he will not have much of an impact in the rebuilding Red Sox organization.