I expect

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Mets have had a successful season. In what context are you looking at it?

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I'm expecting them to field a competitive team down the line.

[Willets Point]

There are a lot of variables. The Mets have a solid core with Wright, Reyes and Beltran but the starting pitching is susect due to age and injury. The younger pitchers haven't proven themselves yet so I guess the future lies with them. If they turn out mediocre the Mets may find themselves out of the playoffs again next season. If they're good I think we may have a good run. I expect the Mets will be competitive or attempt to be competitive for the forseeable future.

[metirish]

I'm looking long term, I really believe Omar has a vision and a plan for this success to be more than just this season,the foundation of the team is locked up so things should be brilliant for the future.

[Valadius]

Pitching,pitching, and pitching. That's what it will all come down to. We made a great move in picking up Oliver Perez, and I expect him to develop into a serviceable replacement for Pedro down the line. We've been drafting pitchers in the first round for years, it's time they panned out.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I'm voting "could last a few years."

There are veterans that will need to be replaced in the next few years. We'll have to see what kinds of replacements the Mets get. I'm confident that they'll be willing to spend money, but I'm not sure it will always be spent wisely.

[Guest KC]

I took a few years too, but I think that's "a long run" these days.

[MFS62]

I said I expect it to run for "a few years".
That's because I also expect baseball to institute an international draft. That will tend to level the playing field so that the Omars of the world don't have their current advantage in directly signing foreign players.

Later

[metirish]

Why do you expect that to happen 62?,aren't there enough players in the draft every year without having possibly several hundred or thousand more to deal with,what countries would this international draft cover?,how would it work,I want specifics please.

[Gwreck]

I voted for a "few years," but a core of Reyes, Wright and Beltran (under contract together until 2011) is pretty solid. Next year, a rotation of Pedro, Glavine/Trachsel, Zito, Perez, and Pelfrey/Bannister doesn't exactly suck either.

[Guest Edgy DC]

A few years, by this poll's meaning, means post-season for one to two years after this. Three or more is long-term.

Have we clinched at least the wildcard yet, by the way?

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I don't think so, since it's still mathematically possible for both the Phillies and the Padres to finish better than the Mets.

[MFS62]

metirish wrote: Why do you expect that to happen 62?,aren't there enough players in the draft every year without having possibly several hundred or thousand more to deal with,what countries would this international draft cover?,how would it work,I want specifics please.

There have been rumblings about it in various stories each time the new CBA is under discussion/ negotiation. I've seen two ways - Latin American ballplayers only, and all international ballplayers (including the Pacific Rim and Australia). I haven't seen Europe mentioned yet, but I might have missed it.

Where there's smoke, there' s fire. So I figure its just a matter of time, especially if the majority of owners and GMs start to perceive that the current system is becoming an advantage to only a few teams.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

I expect to have no specific expectations.




An int'l draft is something that's long been discussed but I think is still a ways from reality.
- The first problem is that the teams want to fix various things in the existing draft before they go ahead and expand it.
- The other thing is that many tout expanding the draft to cover int'l players as a way to help small market clubs ... but the small market clubs don't want the help. They look at those markets (Dom Rep, Venz, Mex, etc) as a place where some entreprenurial effort can pay off and actually negate the money advantages of the big clubs. Incorporating those countries into the draft would eliminate the advantage of beating the bushes for young kids and undiscovered gems since there's no point in finding them if there's only a 1-in-30 chance of actually landing him.
The are a handful of "high-profile" FA signings from those areas that are off-limits to smaller budgets but many of those are more miss than hit and many smaller clubs feel that an open system is to their advantage.

[metsmarathon]

i'm hoping for some meaningful games, eventually.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

metsmarathon wrote: i'm hoping for some meaningful games, eventually.

October 4 at the latest.

[Gwreck]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I don't think so, since it's still mathematically possible for both the Phillies and the Padres to finish better than the Mets.

Indeed. We will clinch our playoff spot by clinching the division.

[Guest KC]

Websters says .... re: few

not very many people or things, but more than two, and sometimes
more than might be expected

A couple is two. A long run is more than might be expected.

[Elster88]

I agree...it's all about the pitching. But I expect that we will have good pitching; that both the young guys will be good and that free agency will be good to us. I'm pretty much throwing blanket trust behind Omar.

[Frayed Knot]

If nothing else, the team should be entering a good financial phase.

- the new network is now up and running and while I don't know what that's done to the bottom line they wouldn't have entered into this w/o a decent idea that it was bettr than dealing with Cablevision.

- then figure that it's usually the year after the good year where attendance spikes, so the ticket base for '07 will likely surpass that of '06 which itself could surpass 3 mil.

- then by '08 you'll have the "last year of Shea" drawing card, followed by the 'new stadium' bump in '09 (assuming all keeps on sked) where, if combined by a good team and the reduced capacity, could spark a Cleveland-like string of sell-outs or near sell-outs.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

With Beltran, Wright, and Reyes locked up for the next few seasons, the Mets have a solid core in place that should allow them to be contenders for the few years. If the Pelfrey, Humber, Maine, Bannister, and Soler can yield two or three solid arms for the rotation, the Mets should be in good shape with a few additions where needed each year. A front line starting pitcher to anchor the rotation is imperative next season. Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine are still pretty effective, but I don't think they can be relied upon to be aces at this late juncture in their careers.

I have faith the Mets will make the moves neccesary to keep the Mets in post contention for the next few seasons.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I like the depth of pitching more than aces.

With this offense, throwing capable guys out there every night beats trading three of them for a killerdiller.

[Elster88]

Agreed. Lots of young arms.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I'm quite pleased to have so many promising young arms in the Mets organization, but I still believe that the team will need to add a capable top of the rotation pitcher in the future. As Pedro, and Glavine if he's still here, get another year older, a legitimate top of the rotation pitcher becomes even important for the future success of the team. Particularly in the post season, the quality of the starting rotation becomes more important than the depth of the starters.

Hopefully, one can be acquired through free agency or possibly in a trade, without losing too much of the depth the team has been able to amass in the system.