For Mets, Perception is Everything

Time is running out this offseason for the Mets to solidify their team before Spring Training and the free agent pool is dwindling by the day.  The Mets went into the winter with a full “to-do” list and Omar Minaya has been able to check some things off while other important items still remain. Let’s see where it stands:

• Acquire leftfielder (check-Jason Bay)
• Acquire bullpen help for Rodriguez (check-Kelvim Escobar and Ryota Igarashi)
• Acquire a catcher (incomplete)
• Acquire a first baseman that’s more seasoned than Daniel Murphy (incomplete)
• Acquire another starting pitcher (incomplete)
• Trade Luis Castillo (not going to happen)

The last item on the list was more wishful thinking than reality so it appears that Omar has been able to really achieve 40% of his “to-do” list.  An item that was not on his original list was acquiring another backup outfielder (Gary Matthews Jr.) for his All-Star centerfielder with the ailing knees. If we give him the benefit of the doubt, the list is half complete.

The problem right now is that pickings are slim in the free agent market and even more worrisome is that players just don’t seem to want to play for the Mets.  Jason Bay reluctantly signed a 4-year deal with greater aspirations of staying with the Red Sox.  At the end of the day, he took the money and seems to say all the right things about how the Mets were at the very top of his short list.  He’s a good addition but hardly a panacea for the rest of what’s missing.  Bengie Molina decided that he rather play in San Francisco for 1 year than have to “settle” for a 2-year deal with New York.  The Mets coveted Joel Pineiro as an semi-affordable, effective option for the rotation but unfortunately Pineiro opted to go to the Angels where the manager has stability and the front office is well run. And now, Ben Sheets has signed with Oakland, leaving the Mets as rejected suitors once again.  In retrospect, perhaps the Mets were fortunate to get Igarashi and Escobar when they did.

No one is really lamenting any of these failed signings. The free agent offerings this winter are less than impressive, consisting of injury risks, over priced players or aging veterans. There may be those who admire the restraint the Mets have shown by not extending themselves further than they needed and making poor decisions.  But the more glaring point is when a 35 year old catcher decides that he’d rather play one year with his old team rather than 2 years with the Mets, it makes a pretty powerful statement about the perception of this New York ballclub.

So how did this perception get started in the first place?

This problem was not one that occurred overnight. Rather it has been a slow stew that has gradually been reaching its boiling point.  Let’s briefly review some of the events over the past seasons that might have led this point:

• The collapse of 2007 was so awful that the Mets and the phrase“chokers” were synonymous.  Not only did they have to convince others that they didn’t deserve that label, they had to convince themselves.
• Johan Santana arrived on the scene in ’08 to get that “one win” that the Mets couldn’t get in ’07, but this time the bullpen collapsed and the Mets again relinquished a division lead that they were in control of.
• ’08 also saw the manager awkwardly dismissed, players seriously injured and rushed back before they were ready and a reinforcement of the label “chokers”.
• In ’09, with a brand new ballpark and hopes of a new direction, the Mets ownership lost millions to Bernie Madoff.  That should have been a sign of things to come as the Mets weren’t able to figure out a way to stay healthy.  It seems that every core player was injured at one time or another and very often, again, they were rushed back too quickly.
• To add insult to injury, the Mets were embarrassed by the actions of their officer in charge of Player Development and blamed the media for having to let him go.

There’s obviously more mishaps and missteps that could be added to the above list, but these are some of the highlights that have affected the baseball community’s perception of the Mets.

So how does a team change their perception?  A good place to start is with the play on the field.  The Mets have been trying to assemble a competitive team for ‘10, but currently this seems to be problematic.  They could try to infuse their lineup with youth and energy, but the Mets farm system is all but bare and the best prospects need more seasoning.

And of course another way to change perception is to change the front office. Give the Mets a different management style because the perception may be that the current style is not working. Omar used to be able to land the big free agent or make that big trade:  Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, Billy Wagner, Pedro Martinez, and Francisco Rodriguez.  But now, much of the shine has rubbed off the Mets and Omar.  Players are no longer enticed with the idea of playing for the Mets, not even with the allure of a brand new ball park. This is a perception that is probably not lost on ownership and may require more drastic steps.

For Omar, there is much more at stake than just trying to field a competitive team.  There are rumblings that he is essentially just a figure-head at this point; that decisions are being made by committee and Omar’s power has dwindled.  He may already be a lame duck along with Jerry Manuel going into this season. Omar better hope that the Mets get off to a fast and successful start if his fate is going to take a different direction and even then, it may be too late. He and Manuel may not survive the season as the Mets organization is now loaded with individuals who are more then capable of taking over the GM position as well as the manager’s position.  If they do make it through the season, a change is almost certainly on the way.

What do you think?  Does Omar need to make a big signing or trade to keep his job?  Do you think he’ll last the season? How important it is that the Mets get off to a fast start in 2010 or do you feel that the Mets have made all the right moves this winter by showing restraint?

Tags: Ben Sheets, Bengie Molina, Jason Bay, Jerry Manuel, Mets, Omar Minaya