For several years, many pundits (including myself) have criticized Omar Minaya for his lack of a “Plan B”, or “backup plan”.
It turns out that we simply didn’t understand Minaya’s genius. He never had a “backup plan” because from the beginning he’s been working with a “backward plan”.
Huh?
We have to go back far in time to explain — specifically, to June 12, 2003, when Steve Phillips was fired.
It was on that day that Jeff and Fred Wilpon announced a new direction for the organization.
To quell the legions of fans screaming for a better product on the field, the latest talking point in the media and blogosphere is that the Mets’ problem is not that they don’t spend enough money, but that they don’t spend it wisely.
Hogwash.
While I agree the Mets do not spend their money wisely (*cough* Oliver Perez …. *cough* Luis Castillo), they also do not spend enough — not for a New York City baseball team with a brand-new ballpark and their own TV network.
The Mets’ 2010 Opening Day player payroll was right around $126M, which was about $23M LESS than their 2009 payroll and $12M LESS than that of the Phillies’ 2010 payroll and about $18M less than the Cubs’.
Yeah, yeah, I know — spending doesn’t necessarily equate to winning (just ask Peter Angelos). And yes, there are teams that spend a lot less and do much better. But those facts are convenient excuses, and irrelevant to the argument. Why? Because
Now that Cliff Lee is wearing a Texas Rangers uniform, it is becoming clear that the Mets were never a serious contender in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes:
The Mets were never seriously involved in trade discussions for Cliff Lee, a person familiar with the situation said Friday, and the primary reason was the Mariners’ request that they include Ike Davis in any package for the former Cy Young Award winner. (David Lennon, Newsday)
We’ve been saying the same thing all along. Everyone we spoke to that had any knowledge of the situation felt that the Mets were never going to land Cliff Lee because Davis and Niese were considered off-limits since they are already major contributors to the big league club. Beyond that – and despite their insistence to the contrary – the Mets didn’t have the prospects or the cash. They weren’t even close and they knew it all along.
So why did the Mets pretend they had a shot? There really is no tactical advantage to be gained from faking it when every other MLB team knows you are not a serious contender for a trade target. Do you think the Cubs were going to drop their asking price for Ted Lilly because they were worried the Mets would land Cliff Lee instead? Yeah, right… The Cubs knew the Mets had no shot at Lee.
Yet, the fanbase believed the Mets had a shot all along. Throughout the Lee saga, the Mets were happy to be considered ‘in the hunt’ for the prized southpaw because it kept fans believing that there was a chance they would wake up one morning and find out their team was a serious World Series contender. So the Mets milked the misperception of the situation by their fans for everything it was worth.
First the Mets say they’re going to pay, then they say maybe not. They already have the second-highest payroll in MLB, and Jeff Wilpon claims the Mets will continue to spend as much as anyone to improve the team. But will they? And more importantly, should they?
If we’ve learned nothing else from the 2009 season, we learned that the Mets have no clear plan, a lack integrity, and operate under questionable leadership. That last issue has become even more muddied, if we are to believe Peter Gammons — who stated on the Michael Kay Show that Jeff Wilpon is the real … Read more
Much has been said about the lack of Mets history at Citi Field — not only from here, but throughout the Mets blogosphere. Many fans have felt that the park is an homage to Fred Wilpon’s beloved Brooklyn Dodgers — underscored by the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Some may have missed this following tidbit from Mike … Read more
In case you missed it yesterday, Mike Francesa hosted Jeff Wilpon, Omar Minaya, and David Howard on his WFAN show. Francesa joked that Howard’s presence was “to be a filibuster”. In truth, it was because he is “the guy” associated with Citi Field, and the homage to the Brooklyn Dodgers was of course the most … Read more
Tony LaRussa is currently busy leading his St. Louis Cardinals into the postseason. But he could be on table of discussion in the Mets front office right now. After two consecutive collapses and a godawful premiere season in their brand-new, billion-dollar ballpark, the Mets have to do something signficant to win back season-ticket sales their … Read more
