It is no secret just how passionate fans of the New York Mets are. They live and die with their team. That is unless the team dies first. The fans have always been thirsty to have homegrown players brought to their field rather than consistently offering up their prospects for players that are “ready now” to bring a championship. Take a look at the players on the 2011 team and you will see at least five infielders in David Wright, Jose Reyes, , Daniel Murphy, Ike Davis and Josh Thole, and two pitchers, Jon Niese and Mike Pelfrey, who are homegrown.
This talent that was culminated within the farm system of the New York Mets, not the New York Yankees or Philadelphia Phillies or any other team, is being threatened by the decision of one man who was brought in to help save a dying franchise: Sandy Alderson.
The power of this man is great. He has the power to tell the fans just how important they are in his decision regarding Reyes. Will he trade him? Will he let him walk at the end of the season? If Alderson chooses either one of these options, will the fans finally form a revolt? They have made it well known they want Reyes back at all costs. It is documented that there is no other player like him in baseball. Nobody with his speed, passion, and excitement. He is an all-around player. So we think.
Alderson believes in a lead-off hitter being the one guy who works the pitcher. You help your teammates by forcing the pitcher to throw everything he has so they can know what to expect from him. Reyes lacks this one, and only one, ability. One item that has always been associated with Reyes is his lack of patience at the plate. Once a pitch is thrown, he loves to swing. He seldom draws walks. His highest walk total was in 2007 with 77. Alderson will not be pleased with that.
Yet should this one stat really give Alderson a reason to trade a player who can do everything else? Is drawing a walk so important that you trade away a player who seems to be more of a fan favorite than the face of the franchise, David Wright? If a player can hit, get on base, steal bases and be such a nuisance on the base paths that a pitcher will balk, one stat can be ignored.
Alderson stated during Spring Training this year the fans did play a role, no matter the size of it, in releasing Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez. Can the fans make a difference once more and force their GM into keeping the one player who is the true face of this team? The fans have spoken out. They have threatened to walk away from this team. Yet, if Alderson truly knows this fan base, he could read it as an empty threat. They’ve threatened to walk away before. They always come back.
This will be a true test of wills. Who will win? We might only have to wait as early as the July 31st trade deadline.
Alderson was brought in to be an adult and make the tough choices.
I want to see Reyes back next year and I would love it if Beltran found his way back, too. But if Alderson decides to trade either of these players, I hope he does it to push the team forward and not to establish his presence with authority.
The Mets don’t need minor league depth – they need impact players. I see no reason to trade either of these guys for depth or lottery tickets.
I think Alerson appreciates Reyes and I’d be surprised if he let him go because he doesn’t walk. But it wouldn’t surprise me if Alderson said that Reyes was (to pull numbers from my hat) a $13 million player and refused to pay him $15 million. Those are the type of tough choices he was brought in to make.
[…] can do just everything else. You turn a blind eye to that stat. As I mentioned in my article for Mets 360, Reyes is the one player who appears to be the true face of this franchise. David Wright just takes […]
I saw one site was already churning out “Don’t trade Reyes” shirts.
I agree his worth to this team also goes beyond what he does on the field.
The only thing is does Reyes want to stay here and will he play games with management if they show an interest to bring him back.