Since 2007, each year the Mets have needed a player in-season and each year they fail to make a deal. Usually the mantra is that no trade made sense and that it was a sellers market. For us bolder fans it's been frustrating, after all I thought Omar was a gunslinger GM, but for many they praise the stability and are constantly bantering about not mortgaging the future.But for the last three years, Omar hasn't mortgaged the future and still the future hasn't contributed to the present. As a non-farm follower, I know I'm constantly asking where are these players I don't want to mortgage and why are they so low in the farm system. I also rem. how much the Mets have always over valued and over hyped their prospects, most of which have turned out to be busts.
Since Omar took over Mike Pelfrey is the only drafted player who is a full time regular. I still consider the jury out on Dan Murphy, Nick Evans, Bobby Parnell and Fernando Martinez because if there weren't injuries probably all but Parnell would be in AAA, but even he's sporting a 4.64 ERA.
My issue with Omar is two-fold, the biggest is that he seems to be a horrible in-season strategist and secondly he fails to fully develop the roster beyond the center pieces. Omar has done a brilliant job in the off-season making trades but for those who say his prospects are at the lower levels because he's made so many trades, it isn't true. In all the moves Omar has made, only two prospects have become regulars and neither are All-star caliber, Carlos Gomez is hitting .250 or less and Brian Bannister is a 500 starter ( Heath Bell wasn't a prospect at the time of his deal).
With each year that passes, in which we don't mortgage the future and don't win, I think more of the core of the team. At what point, are we sacrificing the team for the future, a future, that may never come. A core group of players has a window and at some point that window closes.
I'm sure at some point during contract negotiations or trade discussions, Omar has promised the player, that he's coming to a contender with an aggressive GM who will address deficiencies to win...
I feel the worst for Carlos Beltran, the center fielder has played his heart out as a Met and has nothing to show for it. Beltran has to live with looking at strike three because he's never been given a chance at redemption. Beltran is already 33 y/o with bad knees and played hurt, I wonder how he feels about waiting for next year. He has been an All-Star 4 of 5 years, 2X silver slugger and 3X gold glover.
David Wright and Jose Reyes are still young in baseball terms but they're already 4 -5 years into their careers respectively and both have plateaued. How about surrounding them with some players who will not only help them win but also progress their baseball maturation.
You know in the Johan Santana negotiations, Omar promised Santana wouldn't be coming to a Twins type organization that only built to be a contender and not a winner. Well two years in and the Twins have had about the same record/standing as the Mets.
Frankie was probably given the same speech and while the Angels are almost a lock for the playoffs, the Mets are currently in fourth place.
This is probably the last steady team Carlos Delgado will have, after this it's one year contract time. Delgado has played hurt his entire Mets career and resurrected his Hall of Fame candidacy by carrying the team last year, I'm sure Delgado is hoping for a swan song and not a quiet exit stage left.
For more on this topic: Eric from Real Dirty Mets Blog has posted his thoughts on the subject...
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