If nothing else, the Omar Minaya era certainly hasn’t lacked drama.
At first he looked like another Frank Cashen in the making when he rebuilt a floundering Mets franchise. His ability to lure Hispanic marquee free agents, coupled with his ability to find diamonds in the rough (John Maine for Kris Benson?! What a steal!), seemingly appeared to trigger an era in which the Mets would be a force for many years.
From 2006 to 2008, competing was never an issue. The Mets made a mockery of the National League East in 2006 but faltered to an 83-win team in seven games with the World Series on the line. The next two seasons consisted of exciting stretches but were overshadowed by the stunning conclusions.
Minaya quickly went from astute general manager to a glorified scout that was lucky to acquire a job of such power. Questionable decisions dominated the winter headlines the past couple of offseasons—the four years to Castillo and $36 million to Oliver Perez just added to Minaya’s disintegrating reputation.
Many believed the Mets had to make noise this offseason if they wanted to compete with the front-running Phillies, resurgent Atlanta Braves, and youthful Florida Marlins. And that is certainly true. Injuries definitely devastated the team in 2009, but the team wasn't that good to begin with.
After the second season finale collapse in as many years, the Mets bullpen was in dire need of being completely renovated. And it was. However, the starting pitching was thin and on the verge of being further depleted if Perez left via free agency.
Common sense stated that they would ignore Perez and focus on Derek Lowe. And when Lowe signed with the division rival Braves, the city of New York directed its venom at Minaya for another error in judgment. One year later this is not the case. Just one season into his four-year, $60 million contract, the Braves are already conceding that they messed up with that contract.
After Lowe came off the market, Minaya cracked under the theory that the Mets had to sign a pitcher. The market lacked in reliable pitching, so the Mets made the reckless decision in giving Perez exactly what he wanted. And in return, he produced one of the more pathetic seasons in recent memory.
I believe the Mets front office learned a valuable lesson with the Perez fiasco. Similar concerns were voiced from the fans and media that the Mets had no choice but to sign a veteran pitcher this past winter. But instead of giving an aging pitcher too many years or overpaying an inconsistent one, they swallowed the criticism and stood firm.
Why? Because in this era, the Mets have no choice but to place their faith in the farm system. After Johan Santana, the future of the rotation is equally as promising as it is shaky.
The Mets are banking on Mike Pelfrey to be a consistent pitcher at some point, which isn’t that much to ask for. Jenrry Mejia is regarded by many to be the team’s best prospect and could be ready to be a starting pitcher for the Mets by 2011. Jonathon Niese was coming along very well last year before he tore his hamstring in August.
If Pelfrey finally turns the proverbial corner and those two continue to develop, then the Mets are one veteran pitcher away from solidifying this rotation. At some point the Mets are going to have to realize John Maine is not a 200-inning pitcher and move him to the bullpen. Perez will likely be ousted from the rotation at some point for more obvious reasons too. 2010 will not be the year the Mets will move on from those two, but they will much sooner than expected.
The key aspect behind building a good rotation after acquiring an ace is to wait for the young studs to develop. If you aren’t the Yankees, your farm system is going to have to produce some high-level starters at some point. Elite pitchers nowadays are either locked up or traded for top prospects, limiting the depth of the market.
If the Mets overpaid for a veteran and the youth in the rotation failed to produce, then all of a sudden that veteran is going to have to be a No. 2 starter in a pressure cooker, something he is likely not accustomed to. This is the formula for disaster.
Overpaying for a veteran isn’t always a horrible thing, but it is when the team is banking on him to be an upper-tier starter for the duration of his contract.
The Mets displayed similar shrewdness throughout the Benjie Molina ordeal. If it’s true he wanted two years, then the Mets acted properly not giving it to him.
We’ve seen this game before. Molina would start out hot, then cool down as the weather warms up. While Molina flounders around trying to get out of his slump, Josh Thole will be wowing people in Triple-A with his bat and improvement on defense. But the Mets will be locked into an extra year and a half of Molina, relegating Thole to at most a platoon role.
Instead the Mets signed Chris Coste, Henry Blanco, and most likely will be signing Rod Barajas. Omir Santos is a good story but nothing more than a minor league catcher.
Blanco and Barajas may not add much to the lineup, but they do stabilize the catching positions with reliable defense. Lastly, Coste will be able to help out Thole in Buffalo and be able to help out if either Blanco or Barajas get injured.
It's gone under the radar, but Minaya should be commended for being more efficient with money and having foresight to recognize what could have happened had they signed Molina.
As has become custom, the offseason following a miserable season has been met with criticism from all corners. But these past few months have been progress. Instead of making rash decisions, the Mets may finally have a plan. It’s not a foolproof one, but it’s a sign of maturation and a readiness to build something special.
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