Will New York baseball ever top spending? The Mets are especially a joke. At least with the Yankees, we actually believe there is a chance they can make it to the World Series, so we always root against them. But with the Mets, it’s never even an option. And that’s even more of a joke because the NL has been butt awful for the most part in the past decade. However, the Mets will continue to get over-the-hill vets for their final contract, they will have no incentive to play hard with the guaranteed money coming their way, and the Mets will continue to be a joke.
I’m not saying that Santana is going to be bad, but the thought that paying $130 million to one guy and expecting THAT to bring you a World Series is laughable. Sure, teams can buy World Series. Regardless of what you think, the Red Sox have purchased two of them. Their payroll isn’t at Yankees standards, but those guys pay for more big named guys than anyone. The difference between the Sox and the Mets? The Sox can actually identify talent that is still rising and can still give you a few year (Mike Lowell), while putting them in a winning atmosphere. The Mets go for people’s names we recognize, like Tom Glavine, who are on the decline and have no incentive or motivation to compete at the highest levels.
All I think is that the Sox and Yanks passed on this guy for a reason, and we’ll probably learn the Mets made another bonehead signing in due time.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Totally disagree. The Mets are already a contender with good, young talent in Jose Reyes and David Wright, good vets in Beltran, Luis Castillo, Moises Alou, and Carlos Delgado.
They have a decent staff…not great but decent. Then you add the best pitcher in baseball, who was the best pitcher from the AMERICAN LEAGUE??? Dude is gonna have like a 1.50 ERA or less in the horrible NL. No DH to deal with, and just a hell of a lot less talent overall. He is gonna kill. It’s gonna be a massacre.
The Mets are clearly now the favorite to win the NL.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
they’ve also been the clear favorite since 2000.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
What do the past 8 seasons (one of which they made it to the World Series) have to do with this trade not being a phenomenal deal for New York? You are reaching.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Shall I really need to list blockbuster players they have signed since ‘08 that haven’t brought them one pennant?
January 31st, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Remember, putting on the orange & blue has a tendency to turn great players into George Theodore. From George Foster to Vince Coleman to Roberto Alomar to Carlos Delgado. Maybe it’s the curse of Jim Fregosi…
January 31st, 2008 at 3:54 pm
What curse? Most of the great players the Mets ever had in their past have been pitchers; its their claim to fame. I have great expectations for Johan Santana in New York, and I am glad to see the Mets acquire an ace for their last year at Shea. I predict remarkable numbers, or at least some of the best the Mets have seen in a while. It just might be a very memorable year judging by what we’ve seen; perhaps Johan is the biggest Godsend to a team in recent history, and it is definitely one of the best trades of all time, not only in retrospect to the Mets, but for all time. Kudos to Omar Minaya for a job well done!