How optimistic are you about the Mets future after the Dickey trade?

[IAmARanger18]

Pretty optimistic, especially after the trade, been calling for a rebuild for 3 years now, about time we head in that direction.

[Wrigheyes4MVP]

Oh as for 2014 and beyond, well the Mets will eventually have some winning baseball in their future, I just do not know what year.

This is the way I feel.

I'm optimistic that we wil eventually become a winning team at some point from 2014 -2016. I just don't know when these young players will develop.

But, I do believe in their talent, and that most of them will eventually realize close to their sizeable potentials.

[Wrigheyes4MVP]

I'm optimistic based on the amount of high end talent now in the upper levels of the minors

That's a good foundation.

Agreed.

However, the Wilpons owe us one decent sized, true impact free agent in the upcoming years.

They let Reyes walk. I am fine with this....as long as they somewhat adequately replace his value at another offensive position through free agency within the next 2-3 years.

I am not sure if this will come to fruition. I am not overly optimistic that this will happen. They do owe us this though IMO.

[Wrigheyes4MVP]

Looks like I'm the first to pick "not very optimistic."

My attitude has shifted quite a bit in the past month or so. I'm not against RA Dickey trade. Based on what little I know, I think it was a good move.

Where I start to get negative is that it sure looks like the Wilpons are still WAY too strapped for cash.

We are the ONLY team that has not signed a major league free agent. Why?

We deferred money from Wright.

We deferred money from Bay.

Yet we have not spent a dime, while EVERY other team in MLB has signed an MLB free agent.

How can you look at that and NOT think we're flat out broke?

That is why I'm pessimistic.

Well, have you seen the FA class this year for OFers? Its not a very enticing proposition to spend for us this year.

I am a bit pessimistic that they will truely spend adequately enough to replace the offensive value of Reyes, but I don't think this offseason is a fair measure of what is to come either.

[Wrigheyes4MVP]

I'm not sure yet because I still want to see Sandy do something other than trade all stars for prospects. That's not to say he won't but i want to see it first.

Fair enough.

I am basically in agreement with you on this.

Maybe I just have a shade more optimism that we will spend in future years, but I too wish to see it happen before I truly feel optimistic about this team's future.

[alexandre302]

1. I was optimistic before the trade and very optimistic after the trade. My big concern was about whether Sandy could build a winner. Now, the concern is whether Sandy can resist doing something stupid. For the salaries and length of contract, the risk of an albatross contract was too great to sign anyone and half of the 2013 FA signings will turn out badly.

Upton is arisk also. Does anyone know how he will hit in Citifield? Ya know Citifield is wee bit bigger than Arizona.

I could give a rat's derriere about the budget over the next 2-3 years. You do realize Giants have won twice with a budget of less than $80 million. The money will be necessary to keep the team together.

[YoungStuna]

1. I was optimistic before the trade and very optimistic after the trade. My big concern was about whether Sandy could build a winner. Now, the concern is whether Sandy can resist doing something stupid. For the salaries and length of contract, the risk of an albatross contract was too great to sign anyone and half of the 2013 FA signings will turn out badly.

Upton is arisk also. Does anyone know how he will hit in Citifield? Ya know Citifield is wee bit bigger than Arizona.

I could give a rat's derriere about the budget over the next 2-3 years. You do realize Giants have won twice with a budget of less than $80 million. The money will be necessary to keep the team together.

Put it this way: Hairston had no problems hitting homers in the new Citi, and Upton has more power than him so he'd do just fine. I agree 100% with your post though.

[SJ5382]

I just worry about what will happen if this next crop of prospects doesn't translate into a winning core. If that's the case, attendance won't go up, and I don't see why we would spend any money...in which case we will be stuck in this rut for quite some time. If our payroll hovers around league average, with our refusal to hand out "second generation contracts," then success will hinge almost entirely on the success of our farm system. And as we all know, many franchises have to go through numerous generations of prospects before finding a good core that translates into winning baseball.

[Marty Mcfly]

I just worry about what will happen if this next crop of prospects doesn't translate into a winning core. If that's the case, attendance won't go up, and I don't see why we would spend any money...in which case we will be stuck in this rut for quite some time. If our payroll hovers around league average, with our refusal to hand out "second generation contracts," then success will hinge almost entirely on the success of our farm system. And as we all know, many franchises have to go through numerous generations of prospects before finding a good core that translates into winning baseball.

Very well put.

The chances that the farm produces a consistent contender on its own are very slim. They seem totally unwilling to even sign one FA, how is that gonna help revenue in the shorter-term?

If next years team quickly becomes unwatchable after a bad start, how is that going to impact payroll in 2014?

It's not going to help them go out and pay for the pieces we need.

Fredo said some while ago, that payroll will not go up until revenue does, and he wasn't talking about going back to $140M either, he was talking about going up from $90M.


The plan they have set out as I see it is crazy, it's win with prospects first then we'll spend some money on FA's...

[Claymation]

I just worry about what will happen if this next crop of prospects doesn't translate into a winning core. If that's the case, attendance won't go up, and I don't see why we would spend any money...in which case we will be stuck in this rut for quite some time. If our payroll hovers around league average, with our refusal to hand out "second generation contracts," then success will hinge almost entirely on the success of our farm system. And as we all know, many franchises have to go through numerous generations of prospects before finding a good core that translates into winning baseball.

Who in your opinion are the core, whether they are on the parent club or in the minors?
Who are the ones who won't work out?
Will all of them not work out?
And why won't these prospects work out?

[Sick Of It All]

I just worry about what will happen if this next crop of prospects doesn't translate into a winning core. If that's the case, attendance won't go up, and I don't see why we would spend any money...in which case we will be stuck in this rut for quite some time. If our payroll hovers around league average, with our refusal to hand out "second generation contracts," then success will hinge almost entirely on the success of our farm system. And as we all know, many franchises have to go through numerous generations of prospects before finding a good core that translates into winning baseball.

These are very true problems that can happen and that is why eventually the Mets hill HAVE TO sign free agents to 2nd generation contracts and will also HAVE TO make trades such as the Jays made for Dickey. They will HAVE TO improve the team through various ways.

[FloridaMetFan]

Optimistic that Sandy knows how to put together a winning franchise, but pessimistic that the Wilpons will allow him to do it. Wether it means they do something stupid with their current savings or just lack the desire to pay to play and win.

[SJ5382]

Who in your opinion are the core, whether they are on the parent club or in the minors?
Who are the ones who won't work out?
Will all of them not work out?
And why won't these prospects work out?

Between our current young (or relatively young) players and our upcoming top prospects, I would say the core is: Wright, Davis, Niese, Harvey, Wheeler, D'Arnaud, and Syndergaard. I'm not saying I expect all of these guys to fail, in fact I am pretty confident in team Alderson's scouting abilities. I'm saying that we cannot acquire proven "cornerstone" type players unless we hand out a second-generation contract OR we trade big prospects. So depending on how many of these guys grow into cornerstone players (obviously Wright already is one), we may or may not have enough firepower within the organization to contend.

[Marty Mcfly]

These are very true problems that can happen and that is why eventually the Mets hill HAVE TO sign free agents to 2nd generation contracts and will also HAVE TO make trades such as the Jays made for Dickey. They will HAVE TO improve the team through various ways.

This is the point I have been making over and over again, they'll need to spend. If you're truly interested in building a championship team, then you don't stand pat year after year just because you can't have a champ team the following season. How is that rebuilding? rebuilding what?

That's just punting.

I cannot get my head round this idea that fans have that you just turn a light on in October 2013, and somehow the Mets go out and get all the pieces we'll need to compete in 2014.

It makes no sense.

[blueman2424]

I'm optimistic. Though this year will have few expectations, I get the sense Alderson is starting to move in a direction.

Of course, if the 2014 season arrives with no major changes, my current optimism will look really stupid. As perhaps the Mets will too.