Sandy AldersonThe 2014 Winter Meetings have started and the Mets haven’t made their long-awaited splash. Sandy Alderson has, instead, gone through his annual litany of tempering enthusiasm, lowering expectations and pricking lofty thought balloons. Since the Mets’ contingent arrived in San Diego, we’ve heard:

• The payroll – currently sitting at $100 million – is more likely to go down than up.

Wilmer Flores will be perfectly fine as the starting shortstop on April 6.

• There are too many pitchers around, so nobody wants Jon Niese, Dillon Gee or Bartolo Colon.

• Conversely, though, despite that plethora of pitchers, apparently everybody wants Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard. The Mets are reluctant to surrender these guys, though they might be willing to part with Syndergaard.

• Some of their rumored targets have now signed elsewhere or are off whatever mythical trading block they may have ever been on: Yasmany Tomas, David Robertson and Starlin Castro will all officially avoid Queens for the near future. With the Chicago White Sox having signed Robertson and acquired Jeff Samardzija, they are most likely done in the pitching market, which means SS Alexei Ramirez more than likely will not be going anywhere.

There’s enough gloom in that dog’s breakfast of non-news to send even the most optimistic of fans into a spin. It almost seems like Sandy Alderson is trolling his own fans – to put it in the proper, computer message-board parlance. In the special corner of Twitter reserved for Mets’ fans – affectionately known as #MetsTwitter, due to its propensity of overreaction – emotions are beginning to boil over. The torches are being lit, the pitchforks sharpened.

For the more seasoned fan, of course, there is a more measured response. The ones who are paying attention know that the Mets are trying to make hay in the two most difficult market areas in which to succeed: shortstop and starting pitching. The fan who can keep his head about him knows that Alderson is still hamstrung by the Wilpons’ shaky finances. He or she also knows that there is still a massive debt payment due in June. And history is on Sandy Alderson’s side, as well. Yes, the Curtis Granderson and Colon signings came during the Winter Meetings, but the real juicy moves – such as the one that netted the Mets Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud – came after the Conference.

So before we start to wallow, let’s take a minute to collect ourselves. It’s healthier that way.

Follow me on Twitter @CharlieHangley.

14 comments on “Winter Meetings Blues: “Inaction” Is Making Met Fans Antsy

  • JC

    Ok I’m not sure if I’m crazy here but Just read over at MLB Trade Rumors that the post is reporting that LA has maid Dee Gordon available in the right deal, I’ve also seen the Reports the mets are open to trading Noah for the right deal. Dose anyone think Noah for Gordon and Scott Van Slyke make sense and is realistic, Its fine if you think I’m nuts here but Gordon in his career has played as many games at SS as 2b he is young and under control while Van Slyke was maid Redundant by THe Hiesy trade, He is a Right handed power outfielder whom is good off the bench. Plus you can still flip Gee for a Left handed reliever. For the Dodgers they get a top young Pitcher and they are said to be looking for pitching depth to protect against losing Grenke next year. Seems like a good deal to me but maybe I’ve lost it

    • Name

      The Dodgers have an opening at SS and they don’t want to use Gordon there. That should tell you something.
      And he rates terribly on almost every defensive metric.

      • pete

        For some reason I get the feeling maybe Tulo goes to the Dodgers to replace Ramirez. Is it a good match with the Rockies? Eithier(RH),Van Slyke plus 1 or 2 mid level? prospects (pitchers)?

        • JC

          interesting Idea I see Rockies are interested in Gee maybe we could make it a 3 team deal. We send Gee to colorado they ship, Tulo to LA, Rocks Get Gee, Either and the mid level prospects while we get Van Slyke. That said the Kemp to padres thing seems to be happening so i don’t think Either is going any place. still could do it for higher level pitching prospects from LA

  • JC

    I don’t know anything about his Defence so I’ll take your word for that but the sense I got from the article is that the new brain trust over there does not like him because of his OBP. I was trying to think of creative ways to solve SS because Tulo is to injured and expensive and there dose not seem to be many options. Like i said could be crazy Just had this image of him leading off and stealing a lot of bases at citi plus I really like Van Slyke but not enough for Noah. wonder if we could get Van Slyke for Gee or Niece.

  • pete

    I’ve come to expect inactivity as a priceless commodity from our beloved FO. With so many FA pitchers still unsigned a trade will more likely occur closer to or during spring training as injuries are a part of every teams rotation (including the Mets). Does this remind anyone of last seasons Winter Meetings? A lot of rumors about the Mets being interested in this or that FA but walk away empty handed do to the stiff competition vying for those players. Bla,bla, bla from Alderson and company. It’s simply an opportunity to get away from the cold weather in New York so Jeffy can work on his tan.
    Gee being mentioned as the most likely candidate to be traded should tell the Met fan base how reluctant teams are to invest in Niese or Colon no matter how much the discount offer is this week.

    • Brian Joura

      Didn’t the Mets sign Granderson and Colon at last year’s Winter Meetings? If they weren’t actually during the meetings it couldn’t have been but a day or two before/after.

  • Eraff

    I believe the Mets should keep their Arms…. other than trading for an Alexi Ramirez, Castro, or an extremely “High Line Chip”.

    Healthy, effective, cost effective starting pitching— my caution is that a Projection of Harvey-Wheeler-Matz-Degrom-Noah-Montero includes a Post Surgical Patient, and 3 guys who have “never done it”.

    Don’t believe the talking head echos– There isn’t an overrun on Major League Starters, and the Mets don’t have too much pitching. That has never happened in MLB…. not in the aggregate and never ever for a single team.

    The exchange Rate for a starting pitcher should remain high… if I believe that SA is trying to build a better team (versus cutting Salary as the main issue), then Patience is a virtue. I don;t “believe”—I want to.

    • Name

      “Mets don’t have too much pitching”
      Lol. Paranoia at it’s finest.

      The Mets have up to 8 pitchers who could start at the beginning of the year, and maybe up to 10 by the end of the year. That doesn’t even include Torres who could easily spot start.

      Having a starting position player is much more valuable than having a 7th or 8th starter as insurance who will likely combine for less than 10 starts over an average season.

      • eraff

        Name—I didn’t say that I wouldn’t trade a Pitcher…. My conditions for trading a Pitcher are in the the first sentence of my post.

        As for 8-10 pitchers….. I will again say the facts—Thor, Matz, Montgero: Thats 3 guys who are not yet MLB starters. Harvey is a Surgical patient…until he’s a Pitcher again. Colon “goes away” soon.

        I will make 2 sad assumptions: 1 pitcher will lose substantial time. 1 pitcher will struggle, straggle…not quite make it…that’s very conservative.

        I would not Sell Low on the existing MLB Starters…..I would trade virtually any of the Pitchers for the right player/Prospect package.

    • pete

      I don’t think the Opening Day payroll is going to be 100 million dollars. The Opening Day payroll for 2014 was 80 million after Ike was traded. So looking at it from that point of view I can see where any combination of Colon, Niese or Gee would be traded for a player(s) under team control. Colon could be part of a package for an upgrade at SS or LF.

  • pete

    Brian the front office was desperate to secure an impact bat asap. Targeting players that you feel will enhance the teams prospects for the playoffs doesn’t always pan out. I do understand the handicap that SA is under. At least he’s trying to secure something of value (Granderson) that should help this team down the road. Wouldn’t it have been more beneficial if the team had made the outfield adjustments in 2014 rather than 2015?. Why can’t this organization be like the Braves? Knowing that their new stadium will be ready in 2017 the Braves front office is adjusting their roster to be competitive for their inaugural season in their new ball park.

    • Chris F

      Look pete, we can keep brining those damn walls in until Tejada is a 30/100 guy. Those kinds of adjustments are superior to having a plan that makes sense.

      By the way, given Tejadas ferocious pop up rate, I’m guessing to put up the number of runs SA wants, the foul poles will be at 175′ with dead center at about 220′!!!

      This team can’t walk and chew gum. It’s just the way it is.

  • pete

    Not the team Chris. I lay this all on the laps of our ever graceful and intelligent owner and his son (gag,gag). A ballpark built as a tribute to the Brooklyn Dodgers and Fred’s yearning to relive his youth without a thought as to the teams make up. What a perfect match! Maybe Opening Day in Citifield for 2015 we can have Bobblehead dolls of Jeff and Fred as a giveaway to the first 100 fans

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