General Purpose Winter Meetings Thread

[Guest d'Kong76]

You don't need to go to Winter Meetings to sign an
FA that no one else was bidding on (that I know of).

[Guest d'Kong76]

Good one, Johnny!

[Guest d'Kong76]

I never throw out anything ...

[Ceetar]

d'Kong76 wrote: You don't need to go to Winter Meetings to sign an FA that no one else was bidding on (that I know of).

you don't need to got the winter meetings to sign anyone. Everyone has cellphones.

These 4 days are not special.

The Mets DID do more than many teams, in signing a guy to shore up the bench who fits the role they needed.

[Edgy MD]

Well, you don't need to go to the Winter Meetings to sign anybubby, really. It's just a thing. A chance to eat peanuts, meet some folks face-to-face, and harass the Chinese-lookin' ones.

I think the Cardinalia were sniffing around Big John Mayberry, but I didn't have my browser set to alert me to Mayberry rumors.

(OE: beaten by Ceetar. Nice banner.)

[Zvon]

Vic Sage wrote: There should be skywriting and billboards and photobombs and every other form of fan revolt conceivable.

Edgy MD wrote: But skywriting is fine if you want to do that.

We tried skywriting after they traded Seaver.
[fimg=200]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-75A5SH8dzTk/VItsOPQEGHI/AAAAAAAAWHc/4UbY6p44nOE/s576/15629885378_b6cece0c1d_o.jpg[/fimg]
It didn't work.

[Edgy MD]

Maybe it did. I picture Cashen taking in this scene and thinking, "The Reds need catching. Maybe I'll package Trevi�o into a deal for Seaver."

d'Kong76 wrote: Oh, and Sandy lives out in San Diego... no flight back, he's gonna swing by the ol' homestead and rest up from all the heavy lifting he did this week.

He should just change his last name to "Eggo." He's not fooling anybody.

[Lefty Specialist]

Ceetar wrote: well.. does this make Jets fans feel better?

Well, does this make Met fans feel better?

[ashie62]

There is plenty of time for any team to make the moves they want to. It is easy to feel left out for sure but that can change quickly.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Yeah, Sandy's having discussions as we speak at the ol'
homestead over bbq and fine wines with meaningful people
that he told at the meetings to "stick around" for some action!

[Edgy MD]

HVAC Guy comes through with anudder scoop!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Ceetar wrote: Sandy: "We like Bartolo Colon and aren't looking to trade him."

Did Sandy say that? 'Cause if he did, it's probably a preemptive strike. I mean, who the hell would want to carry Colon's $11M 2015 contract? The Mets are probably stuck with Colon, unless he's fabulous going forward. And if Colon breaks down, well you know that the NL franchise from NYC won't have the moolah to replace him if it's a matter of money to get another starter. And why is a team that's in the poorhouse even paying so much money for just one player - a 40+ year old pitcher who could stand to lose 100 pounds, no less? Colon's scheduled to make more than 10 percent of the whole payroll, ferchrissakes -- and this is a team loaded with pitching hopefuls.

[Guest d'Kong76]

One of the good teams will take him for prospects in
July for a playoff push while the Mets struggle to remain
single digits below .500.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Can the Wilpons really sustain an increased budget? I have no idea, but I can't see why they couldn't. We are in NY. If they can't take a team in the largest market and figure out a way to generate revenue, it is inexcusable. Both LA teams, both Chicago teams, Philadelphia, Boston, even Toronto figures out a way to do this. I can't figure out why the Mets have to reside in the lower tier. Why are we accepting of this? That's just it-- I don't think even the most sanguine-minded of our fans here and "outside" like it. But as far as accepting it? Well, what's the alternative, really? I mean, hell, once the Wilpon regime ends, in all likelihood, I'll have a smile on my face for days. But if we're feeling trapped in a bad marriage, our options are basically to focus on and enjoy the good stuff, let it turn you into a curdled, knee-jerky so-and-so, or get the hell off this crazy thing, aren't they? Also... this offseason isn't over yet, and we're apparently in on a Korean (and maybe a Cuban or two).

"... For the first time in franchise history, they�re thinking entirely in question marks. What do we do? How much longer? How do we stop this? When will this end? In general, fans are loyal as hell. We root for laundry and we know it � we don�t care. It�s part of our DNA. We�re always coming back. It�s just one of the things that makes human beings so freaking strange. We�ll divorce people before we divorce our favorite teams.

But an irredeemable owner? That�s the only person who can nudge a fan base to a collective breaking point. When you support a pro team with an unspeakably awful owner, at some point you take a step back, do the math and mutter things like, 'I was 19 when he bought the team, I�m 34 right now, and I�m gonna be 54 in 2034 � AND WE ARE STILL GOING TO SUCK BECAUSE THIS GUY F-?-?-?-?-?-? SUCKS AND HE�S NEVER LEAVING AND WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO?'�

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/daniel-snyder-washington-redskins/

[batmagadanleadoff]

Vic Sage wrote: All i'm saying here is that an owner of a franchise in NYC that can't afford to spend enough to be in the top 1/3 of payrolls instead of the bottom 1/3 should be facing an outcry demanding he sell the team. There should be skywriting and billboards and photobombs and every other form of fan revolt conceivable. It should not be dismissed easily with "well, that's the way it is", and it especially shouldn't be lauded as a good strategy of wise restraint.

I've been pleading this case for years here, to no avail. All I ever get is blah blah blah in defense of the Wilpons and more excuse mongering to the point that you'd think I'm the bad guy for the Mets woes. As if Megdal's the problem. And there should be a neverending unrelenting stream of skywriting and fireworks and photobombs because this is the most indefensible and despicable thing that anybody ever did to the Mets, and that includes trading Seaver to Cincy.

[Edgy MD]

All you ever get? Come on, don't be reduced to a straw man argument.

Megdal isn't "the problem." Megdal's wrong when he's wrong.

[batmagadanleadoff]

He may be wrong when he's wrong, but when is Megdal wrong? He writes long-view pieces about the Mets, and it's impossible to do so without referencing the team's financial predicament. The Mets poverty is so encompassing that it impacts every aspect of the organization. Megdal gets it; he's dead on, even if that comes off as repetitive to many here.

[Benjamin Grimm]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: All I ever get is blah blah blah in defense of the Wilpons

Has ANYONE here ever defended the Wilpons? What forum are you reading?

We may roll our eyes at how you keep pounding the same drum, but that's a far cry from "defending the Wilpons."

[Edgy MD]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: He may be wrong when he's wrong, but when is Megdal wrong?

We've certainly been over this. You've acknowledged as much yourself.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: All I ever get is blah blah blah in defense of the Wilpons Has ANYONE here ever defended the Wilpons? What forum are you reading? We may roll our eyes at how you keep pounding the same drum, but that's a far cry from "defending the Wilpons."

I agree some, and not agree some. People here do defend the Wilpons. I'm not naming names or posting posts, 'cause if I did, this would turn into another shitstorm clusterfuck. But maybe I am repetitive. Especially in the context of this forum. It's a relatively small group of posters here, and most everybody here posts about daily or at least checks in about every day. So, yeah. In this fishbowl ...

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy MD wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: He may be wrong when he's wrong, but when is Megdal wrong? We've certainly been over this. You've acknowledged as much yourself.

He incorrectly predicted the outcome of the Picard suit against Sterling and the Mets. But I'm not about to dismiss his whole body of work going forward because of that. I'm not gonna cyber roll my eyes in sarcasm as soon as someone posts one of his pieces.

[Edgy MD]

Great. There's one place Howard has been wrong.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Sandy back to work tomorrow, or still hanging out
at the ol' hacienda en So Cal?

[Guest d'Kong76]

Back to work finally tomorrow, 01/02... or do they get
off until Monday?

Thank god they got Cuddyer, and quick!