N.Y. Mets: A Flushing December to Remember

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

SOAPBOX SPECIAL

Okay, the Mets went from seeking a President of Baseball Operations to just letting Sandy Alderson make up his own mind about filling the position himself.  

In the meantime, the Mets reconnected with Jerry Blevins and signed Trevor May.  While Blevins is signed to a minor deal, the Mets' expediency in shoring up the bullpen speaks volumes.  Sandy Alderson was made to sit idly under previous ownership, while the annual run on quality relievers generally took place before New Year's Day.  Then by late January/early February, Jeffie would finally authorize Alderson to sift through the leftovers.

The Mets also signed a much-needed and, more importantly, a competent receiver in James McCann.  He is not J.T. Realmuto, who is presently seeking everything under the sun in contract demands.  Sandy Alderson reasoned that timing was one of the determining factors insofar as their decision to pounce on McCann.  Unlike Realmuto, McCann comes at a very reasonable four-year, $40 million pact.  He has never played more than 120 games in a season.  However, the 30-year old owns an above-average caught-stealing percentage; he is fundamentally sound behind the plate and is adaptable to varying pitching styles and individual quirks - a major complaint levied against Wilson Ramos.

Sandy Alderson also could have easily moved on from manager Luis Rojas but elected not to.  Not only did an as yet fully-formed front office reaffirm their commitment to Rojas, but they also facilitated his request by hiring Dave Jauss as bench coach.  Jauss knows Rojas since the day he was born.  Between them exists a mutual trust along with a lifetime of love and respect.

Then, out of nowhere, the media killjoys chimed in.  Some among the local pundits actually criticized the Mets for what they perceived to be their too slow and overly methodical vetting process while panting at the sudden availability of Theo Epstein and pointing to the aforementioned player acquisitions made before having a general manager in place.  These are the same so-called experts; they know who they are, who for years and years apologized for the Wilpons and criticized a "petulant" fanbase (until emboldened by the Wilpon's clear demise and departure, that is).

Although, it's somewhat ironic that Brodie Van Wagenen raided away from the Red Sox executives  Allard Baird and Jared Banner, only to have Steve Cohen's incoming regime purge Baird and Banner and all remnants of the previous administration, then revert right back to raiding the Red Sox by hiring away Zack Scott to work as assistant general manager to Jared Porter (himself a one-time former Red Sox executive).  In turn, Boston's front office insisted the Mets please agree to cease poaching their executives for a while.  But not before Porter and Scott are successfully reunited.  Therefore, mission accomplished.

It's been quite a December to remember in Flushing.  That being said, I'm not expecting the now settled ownership and new front office to build a World Series champion all in one off-season.  After all, proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance - food for thought that some folk in media should have taken into consideration before disseminating such trash.

Where were they when over the better part of the last eighteen years, we needed them to chastise the Wilpon's for their legacy of gross mismanagement?