Editor, FlushingUniversity.com
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Mets' GM Omar Minaya waited out Jason Bay and signed him to a pricey but not insane deal, certainly not in comparison to what Matt Holliday got out of the Cardinals. Minaya and the Mets didn't panic -- despite having an angry fanbase and local media acting like little kids on a sugar rage. They've shown the same calm demeanor when it comes to Bengie Molina, who seems to think he's worthy of a three-year contract when most in baseball won't go beyond one for the veteran catcher.
And he waited on pitching, arguably the most dangerous option. Serviceable arms like Randy Wolf were snapped up at crazy prices, and even when prices came down, as was the case for Jason Marquis, Minaya demurred. The Mets stayed out of the bidding for Aroldis Chapman. Was he and the organization laser-focused on getting Bay and Molina and lacked the bandwidth to find pitching at the same time, or is there something else going on?
Well, the buzz, getting slightly louder with each passing day, suggests the latter. They remain interested in Joel Piniero, but not at the price and number of years the pitcher is demanding. For that kind of money, and less years, they can sign Ben Sheets, and just might. Or make a trade for a pitcher on a team looking to clear payroll. Gil Meche and Jeff Suppan are readily available. Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang, less so, as the signing of Chapman is back loaded and gives the Reds time to sort out their payroll. The Mets might only be willing to take on the vastly overpaid Arroyo or Harang if 2B Brandon Phillips is in the deal. John Maine, Jon Niese and Luis Castillo for say Harang and Phillips would save the Reds almost $10 million in in 2010...but the Mets haven't been in a rush to make a deal like that.
That's because we are in mid-Janaury and the Mets still have a boatload of options. In fact, increasingly, the Mets are the best option out there for a lot of guys without jobs. With each passing day, as we close in on pitchers and catchers reporting day, players start thinking less about getting a big payday and more about having a job, somewhere, in the big leagues. As this balance shifts, the Mets become even more desirable as a landing place.
Why? Well, obviously, the Mets have some money to spend. Second, they play in the biggest media market in the country, offering lots of secondary opportunities and vast exposure to players on a one-year deal. Third: last year's debacle notwithstanding, the Mets have a decent talent base and spend consistently to try to field a winner. And if you're a pitcher, especially a flyball pitcher looking to improve one's stats and reputation, CitiField has to seem like a good place to pitch.
So as long as the Mets remain patient and other teams continue not to spend money, power continues to shift toward Flushing. And that's not the result of accidental luck, but rather a plan.
A few years back, I suggested that Minaya was playing riverboat gambler and pushing all his chips to the center of the table, a move that would either pay off with a title or leave a big mess. He ended up with the big mess. But interestingly, holding a pretty solid hand, Minaya seems, finally, how to slow play a hand and let the game come to him.
