It’s a concept that has taken me some time to adopt, but it’s one that makes a lot of sense. This Mets front office has set up this philosophy that the star power doesn’t matter; it’s the “Mets” on the front that matters.
As a New York fan, it’s easy to want to bring in Giancarlo Stanton or Robinson Cano or any big name star that would draw a bunch of fans. It was a philosophy that brought in Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Cliff Floyd into New York. Those days are long gone.
Sandy Alderson and his front office are installing the idea that the team matters more than any one player. It takes 25 players on a roster to win a World Series, not just one. It’s the reason that Sandy Alderson had no problem trading Carlos Beltran and R.A. Dickey. He doesn’t have any attachment to players, he cares about a team and what can help that team win.
For a franchise that was headed down a path of failure, Alderson has tried to turn it around with a small-market mentality. Alderson wants to build a 25 man roster, one in which all 25 can contribute well at the big league level. He isn’t looking to have an All-Star roster, just one that can win the World Series.
It’s a transformation that is occurring within both the organization and the fans. It’s become more about the Mets team than it is about David Wright, Matt Harvey or Zack Wheeler. While they are great individual talents, it’s the team that matters to both them and the front office.
Going forward, this transformation will be completed and as fans we need to accept this change, as it’s a way for the team to succeed. It’s a philosophy that is being adopted by the players that it’s a team game again. It’s not about the individual awards or All-Star appearances, it’s about hanging up banners all around Citi Field, and it’s about rings on the fingers of players who deserve it. And in the end, it’s about becoming a threat again in the NL East.
The Mets franchise is turning a corner, and will become a team that doesn’t need stars to win championships, doesn’t need to break the bank. They all just needed to put aside the name on the back of the jersey and strive to win for the name on the front of the jersey.
Name me a team that has won a world series without 1 superstar on it? New York is NOT a small market. 24 role players doesn’t put fans in the seats. At least the Mets drew 4 million when they had all those stars SA doesn’t like. Mediocre players give you mediocre results(Marcum etc…)Is this how low our expectations have become? 2014 is shaping up as another lost year. Can we open our eyes please? Look at shortstop, 1st base, left and right field, the bull pen as question marks. Where is the offense going to come from? Do you see Duda, Baxter, Brown, Tejada, Davis, Buck, Byrd, Valdespin(gone PED user)the bull pen rejects (too many to name) on this roster next season? As many as 9-10 players may not be with the Mets that were on the 2013 spring training roster. Fans can accept change so long as the team wins (especially at home) and shows not only improvement but the potential for getting into the playoffs..
Yep, I couldn’t agree more. By the way, I read that Elvis Andrus cleared waivers today….what about tossing Wheeler in for a trade?