A fan op-ed submitted on Mets Merized Online summed up a number of important points about the 2012 New York Mets. I don't have any experience to comment on #5 (5. Shake Shack is Ridiculously Overrated) because I have often looked at the Shake Shack line and preferred to watch baseball during that time instead (you know, like you're supposed to do at a baseball game). However, #'s 1 through 4 are pretty accurate, which are listed here with my thoughts on each:
1. The 2012 Mets Don’t Suck - They are not the worst team in the National League and have the unfortunate position of being in the NL East with teams that have not weakened. I think the Toronto Blue Jays can relate to the Mets' predicament.
2. The Mets Pitching Staff (Including Mike Pelfrey) Doesn’t Suck - The pitching staff's key issue is health (for Johan Santana and Jonathan Niese) and effectiveness (for R.A. Dickey and Dillon Gee). If Johan stays healthy (big IF) and if Niese endures a full season, they will be reliably solid. Pelfrey is just Pelfrey, so consistent that he underwhelms everyone. Dickey needs to stay with the hard knuckler and hope Josh Thole manages it catch it 95% of the time. Gee needs to show he has the smarts to make adjustments since he doesn't have the stuff to blow anyone away. And if he fails, hopefully Jeurys Familia and/or Matt Harvey aren't too far behind in Buffalo.
3. The Offense Will Score a Lot of Runs - Same as the pitching, health is a big key here. Also, people forget that Ruben Tejada is just 22 years old. As Patrick Flood pointed out recently:
"Ruben Tejada, SS – Since 1961, middle infielders to have career .330 or better on-base percentages as 21-year-olds:
Delino DeShields, Joe Morgan, Alex Rodriguez, Jerry Browne, Lou Whitaker, Starlin Castro, Willie Randolph, Edgar Renteria, Rod Carew, Ruben Tejada, Roberto Alomar, Elvis Andrus, Sonny Jackson, Mike Caruso, Alan Trammell, Garry Templeton, Jim Fregosi.
The minimum is 500 plate appearances; that’s not bad company for Tejada. Don’t bet against players who can handle the majors as a 21-year-old."
That's pretty good company for young Ruben and of the group, he is often compared to Elvis Andrus, who is a cornerstone for the two-time defending American League Champs.
4. Fred Wilpon is Not the Worst Owner in Sports - Clearly the "lesser of all evils" argument. I may not have liked Fred Wilpon's meddling at times but it seems Sandy Alderson is more likely to push back and any of the previous General Managers, which is a good sign. That's exactly what the Yankees got when they promoted Brian Cashman to GM in the George Steinbrenner years.
All-in-all, a great post. I would add one more point (or perhaps replace #5, since the writer seems to be in the minority on the whole Shake Shack issue): The $50 million salary purge was a good thing, not a bad one. There was a lot of dead weight on last year's payroll between Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, not to mention the expiring contracts of Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez, which were replaced by cheaper options while losing some but not a lot of production.
Losing Jose Reyes hurt, not because the Mets didn't match that ridiculous offer but because that ridiculous offer came from a divisional rival. If he had gone to the Angels or Tigers (who may have been better off on the field and financially if they had signed Reyes instead of Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder), I doubt anyone would have been upset. Fans are worried about him hitting triples against the Mets at CitiField, which is something fans will get over, much like Met fans did when Mike Piazza crushed two home runs against the Mets as a San Diego Padre in 2006. He got his ovation and curtain call and rode off into the sunset, only to reappear in a Mets jersey at the official closing of Shea Stadium.
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