After losing the 2000 World Series to the New York Yankees, the
crosstown New York Mets declined to pursue marquee free agent Alex
Rodriguez. At the time, then-general manager Steve Phillips cited a
unwillingness to sign a "24-and-1" player (a term he says he now
regrets), and as recently as last week, says it was a decision that he
still agrees with.
Yeah, Steve, that decision worked out really well for the Mets.
Instead of finally pairing up Mike Piazza with a player that could help the All-Star catcher carry the club's heavy offensive load, SP and Mets' ownership rested on their NL pennant laurels. It's been seven years, and the Mets haven't made it back to the World Series since.
Yes, Omar Minaya came to town and got the Mets back to the postseason in 2006, but this year's choke job down the stretch put them right back where they started before the 2006 season. Plenty of talent, but perhaps a little short in the pitching department.
Phillips also thinks that the Mets would be ill-advised to think about acquiring Rodriquez if he's a free agent this offseason, telling the NY Daily News' Adam Rubin that "the Mets have a face to their regional sports network, and it's Jose Reyes and David Wright. They've got that guy. It doesn't make sense from a business or baseball perspective in my mind."
Yeah, having the best player in baseball ply his trade in the biggest media market the sport has, and put him on the roster of the team that always seems to be in the shadow of the Bronx makes no sense.
It's a good thing for Phillips that ESPN holds him in such high regard, because nobody else does.
With the news late Sunday night that A-Rod is opting out of his contract and will listen to all offers, the New York Mets are faced again with the question of whether or not it's worth spending that kind of money on that kind of player.
This is likely the minority opinion, but for what it's worth, the Mets should call up Scott Boras right now and tell him that this time, they're ready to talk.
Adding A-Rod makes a really good lineup the best by far in the NL, and while many will offer that the Mets won't have any other money to pursue other areas of need, like starting pitching, I say phooey. They have plenty of money, a new ballpark on the way, and a year to play at Shea that will bring out a record-setting number of fans to say their goodbyes. If they are going to charge you through the nose for your patronage (and they will) then why shouldn't they put the best players on the field in the process?
What better way to get over the Great Collapse of 2007 than to nab the future Hall of Famer A-Rod?
Consider this, all of you cost-conscious fans out there; this year's free agent pitching crop is awful, and the Mets have so little depth in their farm system that to even think about dealing for Johan Santana is delusional. Secondly, the pitching staff has few holes to fill as it is, because the immovable contracts of Guillermo Mota, Scott Schoeneweiss, Orlando Hernandez and Pedro Martinez make it that way.
Plus, if Steve "No One Will Hire Me" Phillips says it's a bad idea, it is always a good one. They who takes credit for Reyes and Wright tried to trade both of them on a number of occasions. The guy who didn't want to trade for Mike Piazza, thought he would replace Mike Hampton with Appier and who gave Roger Cedeno and Rey Ordonez four-year deals is the last guy anyone who roots for the Mets should be looking for an opinion from.
Rodriguez kept the Yankees -- who were abysmal for much of the first half -- alive long enough this season to eventually propel them into the 2007 postseason. Sure, he had another underwhelming postseason in the process, but Chien-Ming Wang had a lot more to do with the Yankees latest first-round exit.
He plays hard every day, he puts up the numbers every year, and he brings people to the ballpark wherever he goes. He may not have the incumbent first baseman's political will, but you'll also never hear him talk about being "bored".
The Mets have been extremely fortunate this offseason, as their second-class citizenship came in handy (for once). Blowing their NL East lead has been mostly an afterthought the minute the Yankees entered -- and subsequently left -- the postseason. Thanks to the Joe Torre saga, the Mattingly-Girardi saga, and the upcoming Rivera-Posada-Pettitte storylines, the only way the Mets will make any headlines if they make a major player transaction.
Given that the bullets in that gun are Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber, the likelihood of a Roy Oswalt-type of pitcher or an A-Rod type of offensive player are not high. Consider that by dealing the above players also means that the farm system is now barren of any talent close to contributing in 2008 is virtually nil, there aren't a whole heck of options out there right now.
Sign A-Rod watch him make the Mets must-see TV on ESPN (and make Phillips look silly in the process, which should be incentive enough for any Mets fan to urge ownership to roll the dice) hit home runs and rewrite history. Would be refreshing to see a Mets player do that for once.
Give him his tent, move Wright to first base, and pay him his gazillion dollars. The Mets fan loves David Wright, but the baseball fans will come from miles around to see A-Rod set records. People who would never even look at a Mets jersey will shell out 200 bucks for a Mets black uni with a "3" on the back. A-Rod might be a primadonna, but he respects Willie Randolph and will play for him and represent the organization well.
He just might get the Mets back to the postseasson in the process, their first-ever MVP and perhaps, allow the team to make enough money to woo Santana next offseason.
In the process, they may have the biggest payroll in baseball, but the Mets fan that still thinks his team is the cuddly underdog stopped paying attention in 1984.
The Mets are a better team with A-Rod than they are without him, and based on New York GM Omar Minaya's 2007 re-tooling of the bullpen, paying a big price for a sure thing might be a better option.
After losing the 2000 World Series to the New York Yankees, the
crosstown New York Mets declined to pursue marquee free agent Alex
Rodriguez. At the time, then-general manager Steve Phillips cited a
unwillingness to sign a "24-and-1" player (a term he says he now
regrets), and as recently as last week, says it was a decision that he
still agrees with.
