I think they're going to fire Alderson

[Centerfield]

The Daily News confirming basically what we knew yesterday, which is that Sandy has been fired.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-sports-mets-alderson-harper-20180626-story.html

The more I think about it, the more I feel this is complete horseshit.

Either Sandy was fired for cause or he wasn't. If he was fired, then leave the illness out of it, and own up to the fact that you fired your GM.

If Sandy was not fired for cause, then come out in full support of him, and say it's his job and we fully expect him to resume. Say the failures of this team are on all of us, owners included, and that Sandy has not been terminated in any way, shape or form.

Trotting him out there to fall on his sword, while sitting there using cue cards to try to look compassionate is absolutely positively the Wilpon way.

[MFS62]

Centerfield wrote: Trotting him out there to fall on his sword, while sitting there using cue cards to try to look compassionate is absolutely positively the Wilpon way.

In the military, we were committed to never leaving a man behind.
The Wilpons left a Marine behind.
Among other things they don't have, they don't have honor.

Later

[Centerfield]

By the way, not a single pat on the back for calling this hours before it went down?

Tough crowd.

[Benjamin Grimm]

You're like one of those therapy cats who can predict cancer.

[Edgy MD]

"Man, why did you invite Centerfield? He's a cool dude, but this event isn't really his thing."

"Are you kidding? That guy can smell cancer in the air. As long as I'm involved, he's on the guest list."

[Edgy MD]

Whoah, The Thing beats me to the punch again.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Centerfield wrote: By the way, not a single pat on the back for calling this hours before it went down? Tough crowd.

Ya get one thing right in like two decades and you want a medal? hahaha

[smg58]

Centerfield wrote: The Daily News confirming basically what we knew yesterday, which is that Sandy has been fired. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-sports-mets-alderson-harper-20180626-story.html.

Bringing the subject away from cancer -- because, well, cancer -- and onto baseball, the author talked about needing to trade our big pitchers to replenish our badly depleted farm system, while mentioning two guys who had an OPS in excess of 1.000 at Binghamton (not a hitters' paradise). I'll take that kind of depletion in the farm system, thank you very much. And anybody who wants to fit DeGrom in pinstripes can (insert crude response of your choice here).

That being said, some creativity is absolutely in order.

Cespedes could help an American League team who needs a DH a lot. Nobody will pay $58M over two seasons for him, but I bet we could get out from under most of it. Give Nimmo and Conforto the corners, and bring in a real centerfielder (because, DEFENSE). The catch -- AJ Pollack would be a phenomenal fit for this team, outside of his tendency to get hurt.

Trade Bruce for a similar contract. One such similar contract (outside of the signing bonuses which would presumably remain the responsibility of the signing teams) is Mark Melancon. Even with Hunter Strickland's embarrassing injury, the Giants have a loaded pen. They do not have a left fielder. (And won't have a right fielder going into the offseason.)

Teams are adjusting to all-or-nothing swingers by pitching them to keep the ball in the park and shifting, shifting, shifting. Stay away from those hitters.

[nymr83]

Bruce for Melancon is intriguing, because it seems like a fair exchange of duplicative and somewhat overpaid but still useful assets and not a "WFAN caller trade". remind me of Vaughn for Appier

[Edgy MD]

I think we can be (though we shouldn't be) very binary about farm systems, and overweigh rankings which, as researched as they are, arbitrarily ignore or marginalize several meaningful factors.

That said, I not only have philosophical problems with how players are deployed in the bigs, but also with how players are developed. The notion that a player can't be asked to bunt because he was never asked in the minors is weepingly insufficient. The idea that you shouldn't press Rosario too hard about his strike zone judgment because you "don't want to take away his aggressiveness" is a floating taco turd of a cliche in the unflushed toilet of the organizational cocktail party.

I still believe the talent is there.

Oh, and can we please move on from the Mike Barwis era?

[ashie62]

The three headed GM's need to agree whether to stand pat, lighten up, or sell it all.

Not more than one or two players would appear safe

Jeff Wilpon, what is so seriously wrong with you??

[smg58]

Edgy MD wrote: The idea that you shouldn't press Rosario too hard about his strike zone judgment because you "don't want to take away his aggressiveness" is a floating taco turd of a cliche in the unflushed toilet of the organizational cocktail party.

Amen.

[Lefty Specialist]

Any trade that would bring back something of value would require the Wilpons eating salary. That's not happening, so there won't be value coming back, if they can be moved at all.

[Mex17]

Edgy MD wrote: Oh, and can we please move on from the Mike Barwis era?

Never.

Why?

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN!!!!!!

Edited June 27, 2018 by Guest

[Mex17]

"Conduct a through search for a new GM including people outside of the organization at the end of the season" and "Expect a flurry of creative activity at the trade deadline where no single player is safe" are wildly incongruent with one another. So, naturally, both of these are exactly what the Wilpons have in mind.

[Edgy MD]

Mex17 wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Oh, and can we please move on from the Mike Barwis era? Never. Why? THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN!!!!!!

Why? Because he comes across like a Trump-era, self-promoting snake oil salesman; video of his training sessions makes him seem abusive and reckless; and the proliferation of back injuries on his watch supports this impression.

[Frayed Knot]

Mex17 wrote: "Conduct a through search for a new GM including people outside of the organization at the end of the season" and "Expect a flurry of creative activity at the trade deadline where no single player is safe" are wildly incongruent with one another.

So the alternative then is what: to leave the roster untouched this year and/or only consider candidates already here?

[Mex17]

Frayed Knot wrote: "Conduct a through search for a new GM including people outside of the organization at the end of the season" and "Expect a flurry of creative activity at the trade deadline where no single player is safe" are wildly incongruent with one another. So the alternative then is what: to leave the roster untouched this year and/or only consider candidates already here?

Yes.

Because no self-respecting candidate from the outside is going to consider taking a rebuilding job after all of the major bullets have been fired prior to his opportunity to even interview. Anybody of worth is going to want to make major decisions such as trading deGrom or Syndergaard (or anybody else other than the guys heading into free agency this winter) for himself.

[Frayed Knot]

That's absurd. The whole purpose of making trades towards the deadline would be to fill holes in the roster going forward -- and which potential GM is going to take that kind of job? ... Plenty of them!

Plus, in my mind anyway, I think one of the Wilpons' biggest weakness is them sticking to their comfort zone of known quantities rather than take a chance on the unfamiliar, and yet you want them to not even consider anyone but the currently entrenched threesome.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Plus, in my mind anyway, I think one of the Wilpons' biggest weakness is them sticking to their comfort zone of known quantities rather than take a chance on the unfamiliar, and yet you want them to not even consider anyone but the currently entrenched threesome.

That would be self-inflicted myopia. But track record tells us they are not exactly prone toward out-of-the-box thinking. Not expecting it this time, but would be pleasantly surprised if they break the mold.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

The last GM the Mets hired came from outside the organization.

[Mex17]

Frayed Knot wrote: and yet you want them to not even consider anyone but the currently entrenched threesome.

That's not what I said. Going outside is healthy, but I stand by my statement that quality people are going to want to shape the rebuild themselves rather than accept whatever it is that Riccinayachhardi leaves them as a result of a fire sale that takes place before they are even hired.

[Mex17]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: The last GM the Mets hired came from outside the organization.

And, as I stated earlier in this thread, even he could not overcome Baby Boy Jeffy's meddling. This is why I am bearish on this (moreso than I ever have been in 38 years of following this team).

[Frayed Knot]

Mex17 wrote: ... I stand by my statement that quality people are going to want to shape the rebuild themselves rather than accept whatever it is that Riccinayachhardi leaves them as a result of a fire sale that takes place before they are even hired.

If and when there's a new head honcho after this season then he'll have plenty of reshaping to do and, at least theoretically, with a more versatile roster as a starting point.
In the meantime, no one is simply going to put the franchise in mothballs for a half year.

[Benjamin Grimm]

There are only 30 MLB GM jobs in the world, and each one is highly coveted. Any incoming GM who gets miffed that trades were made three months before he was hired is too much of a diva and we'd be better off without him.

[Frayed Knot]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: There are only 30 MLB GM jobs in the world, and each one is highly coveted.

As always, this is true. And whoever the incoming dude winds up being, incumbent or outsider, I would think he'd prefer to start with at least a partially remade roster as opposed to one
that was decidedly sub-par but then intentionally left that way.

[Vic Sage]

... I stand by my statement that quality people are going to want to shape the rebuild themselves rather than accept whatever it is that Riccinayachhardi leaves them as a result of a fire sale that takes place before they are even hired. If and when there's a new head honcho after this season then he'll have plenty of reshaping to do and, at least theoretically, with a more versatile roster as a starting point. In the meantime, no one is simply going to put the franchise in mothballs for a half year.

Don't act on any motions until after the election... let the people decide!

on edit: sorry, wrong thread.

[Frayed Knot]

And of course no potential trades or new hires can be made until considering the most important question in all of sports these days: How will this all affect LeBron?

[Guest d'Kong76]

And of course no potential trades or new hires can be made until considering the most important question in all of sports these days: How will this all affect LeBron?

Don't forget Tiger.

[Centerfield]

Centerfield wrote: Jeff Wilpon has every opportunity to say “When Sandy recovers, we fully expect him to resume his position as the General Manager of the Mets. He is our guy and has our full support.” Instead, he stood by and deflected as Sandy fell on his own sword. Sandy Alderson was fired today. Make no mistake of that. Sandy did a terrible job but is a good man. It’s terrible that his cancer has recurred. It’s an absolute fucking travesty that his dickless employer is using this illness to skirt taking responsibility.

One thing I read on twitter (though I can't find it now) is that Sandy Alderson is in LV, cancer-free, and looking for work.

Good for Sandy. Kicking cancer's ass is the most important thing.

If Alderson really is looking for work, then I stand by my position that the leave of absence was just a cowardly way of firing Sandy.