A lot has been made this week about David Wright being placed on waivers. The thing is many players-and even stars- go through waivers to see how they are “valued” throughout the league.
It didn’t stop many in the mainstream media from declaring that Wright was persona non grata with the Mets, and that the club wants to move in another direction. That’s not to say that might not be true. More on that later.
Also making news this week is Jose Reyes’ anticipated return from the DL. He is now rehabbing in Binghamton, and is expected to be activated on Monday.
And with the Mets stumbling down the stretch (Chris Capuano’s stellar performance on Friday vs. the Braves notwithstanding), a lot of eyes will be focused on what the Mets plans are for 2012 and beyond.
So, will Reyes and Wright both be a part of those plans?
You would hope so, considering all they have done for this club. It just wouldn’t be the same without them in Flushing. They have been here through thick and thin. They are icons with Mets’ fans.
But, here’s a wacky idea to consider: Either keep the two of them or dump both.
This way you are either committed to making a run while building around two of your franchise players, or conversely, admitting the team is in need of a shakeup and that the direction to go is young.
To keep one and not the other (and for the purpose of assumption let’s pencil in the Mets keeping Wright since he is under contract), well, that could put the team in limbo. It would signify that you’re not entirely set up to win now or if you have some inclination toward rebuilding. Go all in or fold.
If the Mets are not committed to resigning Reyes, or just simply don’t have the cash to keep him in town, then maybe the Mets should see what kind of prospects Wright may be able to pull in via a trade. Maybe that was part of Sandy Alderson’s plans when placing Wright on waivers, just to get a feel for where Wright stands in the eyes of other MLB GM’s.
Let me also reiterate, I would like the Mets to pony up the cash and keep Reyes in town, and by extension not dealing Wright. However, if they are not able to do so, I think it may be in the best interest to rebuild this team from the inside out.
When factoring how much pitching matters in this league, if Wright can get you some top tier pitching prospects as well as other position players, than it might be an idea worth considering.
Look, 2006 was five years ago. This is not a veteran club anymore. Gone are Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, and by his own volition, so could Reyes by year’s end. It just might be time to say hello to a whole new brand of Met baseball.
Have you seen the roster lately? It is littered with young up and comers like Ike Davis (ok, when he is healthy), Daniel Murphy (ditto), Lucas Duda, Ruben Tejada, Josh Thole etc. Don’t forget the young arms in the minors like Matt Harvey, Jenrry Mejia (although out for the year), Jeurys Familia and the newly acquired Zack Wheeler.
So, my message to the Mets is either gather up the money somehow and not only resign Reyes but add other key ingredients to the squad so you can compete with the Phillies and the Braves. If not, then maybe it’s time to go with a youth overhaul. Some of the pieces are already there and if you can add a few more we could be looking at a very good club a few years down the line.
It’s poop or get off the pot time for the Mets (I swear that’s not an Angel Pagan joke). Either commit to spending and competing or go full rebuilding mode, nothing in between. That is what got the Mets in trouble in the first place.
A good concept. Keeping one and not the other is like being the last seed in the NBA playoffs-you’re not going to get a lottery pick and you’re not going to win the NBA championship either. I, too, would like to see both Reyes and Wright kept but if you can’t keep both then, yes, having neither has merit.
Yet another Mets/Knicks analogy… Perfect.
The ideal situation in baseball is to develope minor league players into all stars. Then they become free agents and the idea is to at least keep them through their prime by paying them a salary worthy of their status. You build a fan base and a tradition (look across the river).It isn’t a question of Wright and Reyes, the question is if the Wilpons should sell the team to someone who can afford a New York franchise.
i get the idea of ridding a team of all players and starting from scratch.
but don’t you need a face.
and i’m not talking for marketing/attendance reasons.
but someone who’s been there and experience it?
Dickey is gone after next year…who else does that leave.