Reyes Signing In A Nutshell

For those of you with a short attention span like me here is the Reyes signing in a nutshell.

• The Front Office had a clear line in terms of what they could afford to pay Jose.
• This number was floated to Jose’s agents in a ballpark manner.
• The Marlins blew the number out of the water.
• The Front Office was very comfortable with letting Jose go and taking the compensatory draft picks rather than grossly over paying him.
• For the record the compensatory picks include a sandwich pick between 1st & 2nd round, as well as pick 9b in round two.
• It will suck to see Jose play for the Fish and their gaudy uniforms, but I am fine with how this transpired.

Showing Love Is Lame

I cringe when professional athletes start blathering on about teams showing them or not showing them love as far as criteria for signing is concerned.  The fact that Jeffrey Loria showed up at Jose’s doorstep at 12:01am on the first day of free agency had very little to do with #7 winding up in Miami.  The six years at $102 million had everything to do with it.

Love ya Jose, thanks for all you did for us, but come on man…you’re not fooling me.  Besides, I don’ t blame you for signing with the fish, no one else in their right mind would have turned that deal down.

At the end of the day, money talks and bullshit walks (I sound so tough don’t I?).  So let’s dispense with the notion that this decision was based on anything else but the very generous number of years and dollars Miami offered.

Something tells me Sandy Alderson has a similar point of view, and I dig it….

“If you’re asking whether I should have sent him a box of chocolates, perhaps I should have done that. On the other hand, the box of chocolates wouldn’t have cost $106 million either.”-Sandy Alderson

History Repeating Itself

A quick thought about the fish.  This franchise has a history of overspending on free agents for a short successful run, dismantling the pieces, then being irrelevant for a number of years.  Why is this current mad dash any different?

For the record, I’m not knocking it.  I don’t prefer it as I would prefer my team to build a franchise of long sustainable success.  But whatever floats your boat man.

That’s All I Have To Say About That

At this point, the Reyes drama is resolved.  Ruben is my shortstop now.  In the immortal words of Coach Norman Dale,

“My team is on the floor.”

Blame the Wilpons…

Audios #7

Losing Jose Reyes as a New York Met kind of sucks.  Not gonna lie.  However, a six-year contract is too long in my humble opinion.  It is  probably too much in terms of money as well when considering the financial situation of the Amazin’s.

I am 35 years old.  Exactly the same age Reyes will be heading into the last year of this contract.  I can tell you first hand that my body is a wee bit slower these days compared to when I was 29.  Now I don’t spend nearly as much time as Jose does preparing his body for a 162 game marathon.  I also don’t have the chronic hamstring problems he does either.

Investing a large amount of dough so you can secure a player heading into the last third of his career that relies heavily on his legs is not a sound business decision. Add the fact that said player has had well documented issues with his legs and we are teetering into “no brainer” land.

People are going to be upset that the Mets never gave Jose a concrete offer.  My thought is, why would they if they knew their competition already went well beyond what they were willing to or could afford to spend.

Dignity

For those of you that are so upset you are wishing for torn hammies, and making plans to boo Jose mercilessly….. stop, retrace your steps, and find your dignity because apparently you misplaced it.  The “oh woe is me” attitude doesn’t sit well with me.  You can’t undo what has happened, so why focus on things that cannot be changed?

There isn’t a person reading this that wouldn’t take 102 million dollars to play baseball in Miami over 90 million dollars to play baseball in New York.  As a matter of fact, there isn’t a single person reading this that wouldn’t take 102 million to play in Indianapolis rather than 90 million in New York.

Keep in mind there is not a state income tax in Florida, so that 102 million is somewhat misleading.

How?

As much as I wanted Jose to stay, I possess the ability to be a grown up and understand how this all played out.  The bottom line is that we are in this mess because the money simply isn’t there.  It isn’t there because of two things:

1. The Wilpons’ participation in the Madoff Mess.
2. The Mets investing poorly in the past, over spending on players that haven’t performed or have been injured.

Who’s Fault Is This?

So if you are someone who is upset and needs to assign blame, point your fingers at ownership rather than the front office.  They have the unfortunate task of trying to clean up this mess.  Presently, I feel they are making the right decisions, even though they may be extremely difficult.

Moving On

If I happen to catch a game in person featuring Jose I will clap politely in my seat, remembering the time he spent with the Mets fondly.  I will clap loudly when he strikes out, makes an error, or is thrown out attempting to steal.

No offense my man, you are now on the other team.

The Media Ruined The Hot Stove

In a previous life I used to really sink my teeth into the off-season.  I would scour the bitchin’ internet for any and all reports of potential free agent signings related to the Mets and their National League East competitors.  Now?  Not so much.

For a while I thought this had everything to do with the fact that there isn’t a great deal to be excited about with the 2012 Mets.  At least in terms of being in the running for this year’s premier crop of talent that is.  We are going to have shorter, blue fences at Citi, which is nice.

Something dawned on me.  Prior to the Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran signings the Mets weren’t regularly in the discussion for this kind of player in the past. Yet, I was extremely interested in the off-season process.

Maybe I’ve become a full-fledged cynic at the ripe old age of 35, but I feel like things have changed in terms of how rumors are being reported in 2011.  We have become so insatiable for “real-time” developments that members of the media feel the need to run with a story the minute they hear something new.

Sources close to fill in the blank here are popping up everywhere and appear to be a legitimate origin for anything new these days.  I feel like a handful of years ago these legitimate sources were labeled as rumors (appropriately so in my humble opinion).

Just look at the saga of Jose Reyes.  He’ll definitely re-sign, he won’t re-sign, he’s going to the Brewers, he’s minutes away from signing with the Marlins (hideous uniforms and all).  It seems to me a guy riding two rows behind Jose Reyes’ third cousin on the bus  overhears a portion of a conversation and it is taken as Gospel.

I’m not a fan. Instead of scouring the bitchin’ internet, I now skim it.  I am no longer reading entire articles.  I click on interesting headlines, read the introductory sentence, and then start scrolling for actual quotes from the parties involved.  This doesn’t include agents by the way.  If I don’t find any, I discount the piece and move on with my day.

Who knows if this is a bad or a good thing.  It’s not something I’m losing sleep over.  Just me realizing that either things have changed, or my perception and interest in the hot stove season has.

People Familiar With The Team’s Thinking.

“Jose is not going to be a quick process.  The fan base would love for it to be that way, but a quick process would mean that he will not be a Met. Let him go do the dance, and see how (other teams) value him. Why should we set the market?”-Person Familiar With The Team’s Thinking

Comments like this serve no actual purpose.  Frankly, I don’t put much credence in any comment associated to “People familiar with a team’s thinking”. Although I agree the Jose negotiation won’t be resolved anytime soon, I think it’s ridiculous anyone associated with the Mets is sharing their plans with regards to #7.

The reality is the source of this comment was probably Mr. Met.  Even though we love him, we all know he isn’t privy to the front office’s negotiating strategy.  I really wish he would keep that big mouth on that big old noggin of his shut and work on his t-shirt cannon accuracy.

I read the comment in a column that was another example of a Mets columnist fulfilling his required work load when there really isn’t much happening on the new development front.

When did quoting any Tom, Dick, or Harry off the street become so accepted as a reliable source anyway?

If I ran one of the New York news organizations, I would require my team beat writers to write about something else during lulls in the action like this.  Maybe a feature about Mets Bloggers that reside in Indiana.  You know, something riveting.

Enjoy game seven tonight.

Jose’s Batting Title Strategy

Let me be clear about Jose Reyes’ batting title strategy. His decision to lift himself from the game today after getting a hit in his first at bat was weaksauce, plain and simple.  I don’t agree with it and wouldn’t make the same decision if I were in his place.

I also believe that Jose has earned a bit of a pass due to the fact that no other Met in the history of the franchise has even had the opportunity to be able to make a decision like this.  Again, not how I would handle it, but I’m not going to disown the guy over a difference of opinion.

Come April, 2012 I doubt many of us will even care about this decision as Jose is racing for third after roping a line drive in the gap.  Unless, of course, he is wearing another team’s uniform.

The bottom line is, I am not going to let one weaksauce decision in a meaningless game change my opinion on whether I want the Mets to re-sign an upper tier player in his prime.  Strike that.  I won’t let one weaksauce decision in a meaningless game change my opinion on whether I want the Mets to re-sign an home-grown upper tier player in his prime.

While we are on the topic of re-signing Jose, allow me to share that there are two scenarios in which I would understand if the Mets choose not to re-sign Reyes.

1. Jose’s salary demands are too high.  Sorry, 20 million a season is too much for one player.  Feel free to label me a cheap bastard if you want.
2. Mr. Alderson chooses to parlay the money he saves on letting Jose go into serious pitching help.  I am talking a #1 starter type here.  Don’t ask me who that will be, it’s not my job to figure out the details.  That’s what Alderson gets paid the big bucks for.

We’re Still Watching

At the beginning of the season, April 4th to be exact, I shared something with you that is contrary to what most bloggers believe:

“A message to new readers of this blog:

I am not a believer of forcing the issue,  in terms of providing content for this blog that is.  I do enjoy the stolen base and the squeeze bunt however.

Although I have been writing quite frequently lately, there will be times when that is not the case.  You see, I believe in quality not quantity.  The quality part is a matter of debate for some of you I’m sure.

There are a number of great Mets Blogs out in the blogosphere which helps makes this team fun to follow.  There are also a number of them out there that aren’t so great.  One reason for this, in my humble opinion, is some people tend to force the issue and post content just for the sake of posting content.”- Me

I share this because I wanted to let you know that we’re still here, and still watching.  There hasn’t been much that has inspired us to write.  New developments and interesting subject matter have been hard to come by.

There are three reasons for this:

1. The Mets are not in playoff contention and haven’t been for quite some time.
2. The trading deadline has come and gone.
3. Due to injuries, we are quite familiar with the Mets’ young talent.  In reality, their September call-ups found themselves on the MLB roster in April and June.

Just like you, we are keeping a close eye on the following situations :

• The Jose Batting Title Chase:  I am a bit surprised that this hasn’t received more attention.  After all, the Mets have never had a batting champion.  I realize it may be counter productive, but I am pulling for Jose.  I don’t care that it adds value to his side of the negotiating table.  I want it to happen.
• Is Lucas Duda A Full Time Solution In The Outfield?
• The Bench Mix:  Tejada, Murhpy, and Turner have all played well this season.  Now Nick Evans is showing his stuff for his homies as well.
• Pitching Woes:  The weak link that needs the most attention on this team.  Who stays?  Who goes?

I guess we could share our thoughts on the topics above each day.  The problem with that is, I for one, am taking this time to observe.  I haven’t made up my mind on what I think should happen and I want to play the season out before I start weighing in.

So never fear friends, we haven’t left you.  As exciting as Scott Hairston’s strained oblique is, it doesn’t make the cut.  Once things get a little more juicy, you’ll hear from us more frequently.

Until then, stay thirsty my friends.

Filed In The “No Shit” Category

The New York Post’s Kevin Kernan shared with us today,

“The bottom line is Reyes has to find a way to stay on the field and keep his legs under him.”

No shit Kev.

He also makes the following satement,

“Reyes and the Mets have to be honest with each other, this is not working. There has to be a better approach to how you train this thoroughbred of a player.”

You don’t think that all parties involved realize this, Kev?

I apologize Kev, I am admittedly grouchy about Jose’s continual hamstring issues.  Your piece just frustrated me.

The concept of a piece about different strategies on how to be more preventative with Jose’s hamstring is a good one.  I would have liked to have read more information about what different methods the Mets have already used, as well as more research on other methods out there, however.

Mets Dealt Knockout Blow For 2011 Season

Stupid Atlanta Braves.

I feel like I’ve said that once or twice before in my lifetime….

1. They are going to force me to talk about injuries even though I just got done telling you about my new aversion to doing so.
2. They ruined *Jason’s Game Of The Week.
3. The stupid, dumb, Braves dealt the Mets their 2011 knockout blow by way of a Larry Jones go ahead RBI single in the ninth inning.

*Jason’s Game Of The Week or JGOTW is the rare occasion in which I can actually sit down and watch the Mets from start to finish.  Normally, my schedule dictates that I watch four or five innings and then go back later to watch what I’ve missed. 

Due to the pure specialness JGOTW represents, I hook up my laptop to my flat screen TV and force my family to watch with me.  This typically results in them finding other things to do, periodically checking in on me as I direct various loud noises at the television.

Stiff Hammy And Murph’s Unluckiness

I am not going to even begin to speculate about how severe Jose Reyes’ latest bout of hamstringitis is.  No need for the torment at this point in time.  It sucks. I’ll just leave it at that.

The only silver lining I can see in this situation is that this could conceivably bring his market value down if it results in more time on the DL.  Not exactly something I am doing cartwheels over right now.

The Mets are not wasting any time and are sending him to get an MRI later today, providing me with more evidence of the belief in which shared yesterday,

“If you look at the 2011 season, one thing is for certain, the Mets have managed their injuries in a prudent and reasonable manner.”- Me

As far as Murph’s knee goes, all I can say is how unlucky can a guy be?  He busts his ass to work through injuries, takes advantage of opportunity by blistering the ball all over the field this season, and then blows out his knee because some punk kid named George Costanza doesn’t know how to slide into second base.

At first I wanted to believe it was a dirty play.  However, upon further review (which consisted of the very first replay), Costanza is lucky he didn’t break his ankle.  He slid directly into the base at full speed.  If he had been trying to spike Murphy, his front foot would have been air born, not digging into the bag.

No Way This Team Can Rebound From This

I’m not saying that I am going to stop watching the 2011 Mets.  This team fought the Braves hard this series and I firmly believe we have some more entertaining baseball to watch.  Hell, David Wright was playing shortstop at the end of the game today.  That was certainly interesting.

I just feel like this series was the knockout blow to any slim hope of post season play, if you are inclined to look for one in a 162 game season.  Mathematically speaking the Mets have to gain nine games on the Stupid, Dumb, Braves in 49 chances.

If I’m wrong, it is going to be one hell of a ride.

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Hmpf

This game pissed me off so I’ll react in grunts…

• Pelfrey good game
• Confirmed, Angel Pagan back to his old head scratching ways after hiatus in 2010
• Lucas Duda’s could only enjoy his biggest home run as a Met for a half of an inning
• Daniel Murphy’s lack of a natural defensive position is glaringly hurtful
• Murph can still hit
• Jason Bay hit a home run…..yay
• Jose Reyes is still chilly
• Wish Wright would throw the ball over hand
• Izzy probably wishes he threw a curve ball to Stanton in the 10th
• Mets lose out on an opportunity to gain ground on the Braves

I feel better now.  The good thing is the Mets can still win this series.

I Guess Not

Earlier today I posed the following question:

Go ahead.  Point and laugh at my unfortunate misspelling of the word expect.  Get it out of your system.

If you must know, I mistakenly keyed an x instead of a c when I was tweeting from my phone.  Stupid fat fingers.  They have haunted me my whole life.

Now that’s been addressed I can move on to tonight’s game.

• With the exception of one Jayson Werth at bat, R.A. Dickey pitched well.
• When I posed the question above I wasn’t expecting the Mets to get shut out.  Ouch.

I’m not overly concerned about the shutout.  It was one of those games where the bats were a tad off of a number of pitches.  You’ll have that every once in a while.

• David Wright and Jason Bay continued to hit, which is nice.
• Jose Reyes went 0 for 4.

He’s been on an interesting pattern in the last two series.  He will have on 0fer one night and then follow-up with a Jose night the next game.  My hope is that he isn’t on the verge of a major cool down. 

The bottom line is that the Mets still find themselves in a position to pick up another road series win.  So I’m chalking this one up to not catching a couple of breaks with the bats and expect to see them put the pressure back on at the plate tomorrow.

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