Calling Bullshit on Sandy Alderson

[Centerfield]

Ceetar wrote: Centerfield wrote: But this would have been a great time for him to say nothing. "Sandy mum on Mets payroll. Is he being gagged by the Wilpons?"

I can't speak for how others would have reacted. But you wouldn't hear that from me.

[Vic Sage]

Absolutely this. It's one thing for a GM to mislead (or outright lie) for strategic reasons, to help improve the club. It's another thing to just shill for incompetent and/or corrupt ownership and then call the fans morons for daring to call him on it. There was no baseball reason to say what he said. He was just a dog fetching his master's slippers. Given his age, health and career accomplishments, he shouldn't feel compelled to kiss Wilponian ass. He doesn't need the job that badly. Life is short. As a Sandy supporter, i'm deeply disappointed in him.

And, with regard to ownership, I have to disagree with brother CF and say i never bought their "we'll spend more when you buy more tickets" line. The economic info was out there for anybody to read (whether from Megdal or other sources) and i had no doubt they were full of shit. But i agree that this doesn't absolve them. Rather than shrug and say "well, owners/gms lie", and "i knew it", its imperative for the media and fans to actually call bullshit, say we know we're being lied to, and let public pressure build. To what purpose? Do i think we can actually pressure MLB to pull a McCourt on the Wilpons? I don't know. It's unlikely, given the very different relationship that mets ownership has with the league office than the Dodgers did. But, just as i vote for the candidate i prefer, regardless of what i estimate his chances are of victory (I'd vote for Nader again tomorrow), i will call a corrupt bonehead a corrupt bonehead, regardless of the consequences.

This has been a message from PAW -- Philosophers Against Wilpon -- shaking our PAW at the sky since 1942.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeyman 3m3 minutes ago mets have been thought willing to do 2-3 yr deal w/ cespedes. very unlikely to work. but cant hurt to stay in contact.

This would still shock me.

[Centerfield]

Vic Sage wrote: The economic info was out there for anybody to read (whether from Megdal or other sources) and i had no doubt they were full of shit.

This is on me. It was there. I didn't read it. I'm willing to admit at least some part of this was not wanting to read it in hopes that it wasn't true. That's part of why I'm so irritated now. It's all hitting me this winter.

This would still shock me.

Me too. As much as I'm still holding out hope for a big move, I don't think it will be Cespedes. I get the feeling that management just doesn't like him. And it's hard to ignore the fangraphs projections. (Though if they signed Cespedes for a reasonable deal, I'd certainly applaud the move.)

NYMR posted these before, and they are interesting.

http://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&type=steamer

According to them, Cespedes will fall off a cliff. Not a big surprise. But they project a similar correction year for Granderson (.740 OPS). Which is why I think ultimately Justin Upton is probably the best pick.

Upton is coming off a down year, and moving out of SD will likely uptick his production. If signed, he would be the only Met projected over .800 in OPS. Plus, with good plate discipline, he is an "Alderson" type hitter.

As to positions, the numbers for Lagares and Granderson call for a platoon. I know the Mets are resistant to doing this, but this is the best baseball move. Granderson can fake it in CF for half of this year. As it will probably play out, he may play himself out of a starting job this year or next. Lagares, you would hope, will get better.

[Vic Sage]

i'd go along with that plan. but i also think i'm going to win Powerball.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeyman 3m3 minutes ago mets have been thought willing to do 2-3 yr deal w/ cespedes. very unlikely to work. but cant hurt to stay in contact. This would still shock me.

I mean, I'd be willing to accept free concert tickets for a decade, or be exec chef at Per Se for a million-plus-per, or fart on Donald Trump's head, consequence-free, when I'm having a bad day.

There's plenty I'd be willing to do, should the offer ever materialize.

Edited January 13, 2016 by Guest

[Centerfield]

I'd say that the chances of you winning Powerball are higher than the Mets platooning Granderson and Lagares.

So the Mets will tell you Granderson is not capable of playing CF and trot out De Aza instead.

[Zvon]

I think Alderson was hired because of the financial problems. And while dealing with that he got us to a World Series. I don't listen too much to what he says (seems like political double speak at times), I'm more concerned with what he does. And he's been doing us good.

I trust that he is doing the best he can with what is available to him $ wise so I'll just sit back and wait to see what we put on the field come spring.

[Frayed Knot]

Opening Day Payroll Figures

1st	DODGERS	$249.8 mil	- NL -
2	YANX	226.0	AL
3	TIGERS	198.6	AL
4	BOSOX	197.9	AL
5	GIANTS	172.0	NL
6	CUBS	171.6	NL
7	LAA	164.7	AL
8	RANGERS	159.0	AL
9	ORIOLES	147.7	AL
10	CARDS	145.6	NL
11	NATS	145.2	NL
12	MARINERS	141.8	AL
13	.BLUE JAYS.	136.8	AL
14	METS	135.2	NL
15	ROYALS	131.5	AL
16	CHISOX	114.5	AL
17	ROX	112.6	NL
18	TWINS	105.3	AL
19	PIRATES	99.9	NL
20	PADRES	99.3	NL
21	DBACKS	98.2	NL
22	ASTROS	96.9	AL
23	seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians"	96.3	AL
24	REDS	89.9	NL
25	PHILS	88.6	NL
26	A’S	86.8	AL
27	BRAVES	86.6	NL
28	MARLINS	74.3	NL
29	RAYS	66.7	AL
30th	BREWERS	63.9	NL

Mean = $130.1 mil
Median = $123.0

[Centerfield]