Mets Analysis - Part 1: The Rot At The TopIt was fitting that after yet another bullpen implosion, Matt Lindstrom was on the mound for the Marlins, throwing in the high 90's and closing out the Mets. Lindstrom was among the talented relievers traded for literally nothing by GM Omar Minaya after the '06 season, while Scott Schoeneweis and Luis Ayala were among the many awful pitchers Minaya acquired for the Mets' pathetic bullpen.
Even as he sent away Lindstrom, Heath Bell and other talented pitchers, Minaya has failed to bring in a single decent reliever since Duaner Sanchez's injury in July 2006. And this season alone, Minaya wasted $21 million on Luis Castillo, Moises Alou and Orlando Hernandez. Due to his incompetence, the Mets have only a single NLCS appearance to show for the highest payroll in the NL since 2005. Meanwhile, the Phillies, spending tens of millions less, are again NL East champs.
If "accountability" was in the Mets' lexicon, Minaya were surely be gone - especially after Willie Randolph, who was Minaya's choice for manager, was let go by Omar.
But unlike the Steinbrenners, who are all about winning championships, for the Wilpons, "playing meaningful games in September" and selling tickets are what matter. Losing and failure are spun as success and excitement.
Indeed - moronic Jeff Wilpon has already proclaimed that the 2008 Mets "overachieved."
Incredibly under normal circumstances - but therefore hardly surprisingly under the dysfunctional Wilpons - Minaya is set to be given a four year extension, through 2013, as the Mets' reward for his failures.
The Mets are also set to bring back Jerry Manuel and sign him to a long-term deal. Manuel made some questionable moves down the stretch, and was unable to stop this year's September slide.
Overall, Manuel must be credited with doing a pretty good job, and he is clearly a major upgrade over Randolph. However, the failure to even consider whether Manuel is the best man to manage the Mets is another indication of the Wilpons' clueless sense of satisfaction about this season.
Bobby Valentine would have been the ideal choice for manager. Bobby V is not only an excellent baseball mind and game manager, he is a man who holds his players - and himself - accountable and who will play the best players no matter what.
The Mets have now wasted huge opportunities in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Valentine will likely be back in the majors soon. It remains to be seen whether the failure to bring him to Citi Field will represent another foolish decision by the Mets' hierarchy.
Coming up: Part 2 - The position players.
posted on 9/28/2008
