The John Delcos New York Mets Report Featuring Mets' commentary, analysis and news.

The decision to let Chris Carter go explains a lot about both the past and present regimes of the Mets.

Just to save a few dollars, the Mets traded Billy Wagner to Boston for Carter late in the 2009 season. The option would have been to pay out the balance of the contract, offer him arbitration and collect the compensatory draft choices when he declined.

Those draft picks would look good now for a team with a myriad of holes.

Then GM Omar Minaya didn’t want to take that gamble because of the fear Wagner might accept and saddle the Mets with a bad contract, albeit for one season. That fear was instilled in large part from pressure from the Wilpons to save money.

What Minaya didn’t realize, and therefore couldn’t relay to the Wilpons, was Wagner understood the Mets were a sinking ship and wouldn’t have wanted to come back anyway. In hindsight, the prudent decision would have been to pay out Wagner for 2009 and gamble on arbitration.

Tbat brings us to Sandy Alderson and the decision to cut ties with Carter.

There’s still pressure to save money where ever possible as the 2011 contract for Carter would be at least $200,000 (60 percent of last year’s contract) plus the minor league contract. Alderson can bring Carter back at a reduced rate in a new split contract.

The pressure is on Carter to accept because with Fernando Martinez (assuming he’s healthy) and Lucas Duda, the Mets already have left-handed bats off the bench.

Carter was productive as a pinch-hitter, but he’s strictly a one-dimensional player in that his defense and throwing are weak.

Alderson knows Carter doesn’t bring much to the table, at least not more than Martinez or Duda, so why pay the extra money that’s needed for a franchise that wants to pinch pennies?

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

He was the favorite from the moment he announced his interest in the job, and a formality after being endorsed by commissioner Bud Selig. Although the Mets have not officially done so, the announcement of Sandy Alderson for the organization’s GM position is forthcoming – Friday during the World Series travel day.

ALDERSON: It's a new day.

Alderson beat out Josh Byrnes for the job, so it was a win-win for the Mets regardless. The Mets ran a thorough search, interviewing a long list of qualified candidates. It’s hard to think any of the choices would have been bad, but Alderson is off the charts.

Alderson has a sterling reputation in the sport having brought winning to Oakland and San Diego, and with his work in MLB and in Latin America. Alderson brings credibility to an organization that has long needed it; he brings decisiveness and toughness which has long been lacking.

Perhaps, above all, he brings with him the tools for change and the knowledge it won’t come overnight. Rebuilding the Mets will be a long process as several bulky contracts will weigh the team down for any immediate influx of talent in 2011.

Alderson is 62, but that’s a number. He’s a progressive thinker who has done it. His reputation is such that he’ll bring in quality people and implement a system that works.

I really like this move because it is no a quick fix. He isn’t the flavor-of-the-month the way Omar Minaya was when he took over.

The Mets are immediately better today because they sent the message they are serious and the rest of baseball believes them.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

PEREZ: New GM must cut ties right away.

The Mets could name Sandy Alderson as their new general manager, with the announcement coming as soon as Friday, the first travel day during the World Series. That’s the likely day as MLB requires teams from withholding such announcements as not to disrupt the World Series.

Alderson is having his second interview today.

Assuming it is Alderson, the most important thing he can initially do is change the culture of the Mets and that won’t be with the announcement of the new manager. The single most critical action stop the new general manager can do to signify change to the Mets’ players and their disgruntled fan base would be to convince ownership Oliver Perez has to go.

Perez personifies the mistakes of the Omar Minaya regime and sucks the life and energy out of the team. The Mets played with 24 players for much of the season because of Perez’s refusal to help himself. It was an intolerable situation, one that can’t repeat itself.

Getting rid of Perez will not change the fact the Mets still must pay him $12 million for 2011, but having him gone rids the organization of a disruptive, non-productive and selfish player. Such a move immediately screams the culture is changing. It says the Mets “are as mad as hell and won’t take it anymore.”

The new general manager will have a myriad of decisions to make, but nothing that would change the perception of the organization, both inside and out, as significantly at first as getting rid of Perez.

Such a move would tell Mets’ fans the organization is willing to break with its past reputation of not eating bad contracts. It acknowledges the team made a disastrous mistake and is willing to move on.

Above all, it is a proactive move. There is no more hoping or wishing for Perez to turn it around. Wishing is not a strategy. Wishing prohibits doing and the new general manager must be about doing.

And that message must come right away.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

One of the questions undoubtedly asked of the GM candidates by Mets ownership during the interview process are their thoughts on the manager. No way a candidate doesn’t go into an interview with Jeff Wilpon without some idea as to who he wants as manager.

Some names would not come as a surprise; others might cause some wonder.

None of these candidates are without ideas and contacts. The way these things work at times is the GM candidate might tell a potential manager, “hey, I’m being considered by the Mets. If I get it I’d like to talk to you about being manager. Hang tight.”

If the relationship between the potential GM and potential manager is close – perhaps they have even worked together before – much of the leg work is already done. This should speed up the process when the Mets finally make their GM hire.

I still like Sandy Alderson because he has the largest body of successful work and would bring the most to the table right away. The Mets are still hoping they’d like to get this done by the end of the World Series.

Although it would have been great to have this taken care of sooner, but getting the right man is the most important thing.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Whomever the Mets choose as their general manager –  indications are Sandy Alderson has the inside track – he’ll have a long list of managerial candidates to consider.

SANDBERG: Could be considered for manager job

Add Ryne Sandberg to that list. The Cubs bypassed Sandberg for Mike Quade, and the Hall of Fame second baseman is not pleased and he’ll obviously listen to other offers.

He’s done everything the Cubs asked of him in preparation for the opportunity to manage in the major leagues, including working his way up the minor league chain, from Single A to Triple A, with success, including being named Pacific Coast League manager of the year.

Sandberg does not have the major league experience advocated here and in other forums, but we don’t know how much that criteria will be weighed by the new general manager. If that is lower on his priority list, Sandberg would undoubtedly receive consideration, as will Wally Backman.

It’s all speculation for now, and some of it will fall on Sandberg.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

The Mets have a second interview scheduled this week for Sandy Alderson, who is the only candidate so far with a second interview planned. He is the front runner, and arguably the name with the most potential impact.

The Mets are asking about Texas’ Jon Daniels, who is a hot property, but Alderson has done it consistently and I believe would bring the highest degree of respectability to the organization. What the Mets need now is a fresh start, a sign of legitimate change and Alderson provides that variable.

The Mets have said they’d like to wrap this up by the start of the World Series. After acting decisively right after the conclusion of the season we are closing in on three weeks. Other teams have already hired quality managers and the Mets need to do the same before the end of the month.

They need to show they have a plan in place and are heading in a positive direction to show their season ticket holders before renewals and whatever free agents they might have on their radar.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Fredi Gonzalez is the new manager of the Atlanta Braves, which didn’t take long. Eric Wedge is the manager of the Seattle Mariners.

Meanwhile, the Mets are still waiting to name their new general manager. They have a few more candidates to speak with, notably Jon Daniels of the Texas Rangers once their playoff run is done. After watching them lose last night, you wonder how long that will be.

There will also be a second round of interviews with the finalists, so, we’re talking at least another 10 days. If they are lucky, it will be before the World Series. But, it could drag into November if the Rangers regroup and reach the World Series.

The high-profile managerial candidates could be gone by then, but that’s the risk the Wilpons took in deciding this route. And, it is a good route. The GM should name his own manager. That’s the prudent, sound way to go.

After years of the quick fix, I’m glad to see the Mets go through a complete interview process and get this done the right way as the general manager is far more important in the construction of a team than the manager.

Get it right, or move five years back.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Whomever is the next Mets’ general manager, I hope he puts a premium on upgrading the minor league system. Although not as bare as in previous seasons, the minor league talent is a concern, especially when placed in comparison to the final four teams in the League Championship Series.

While each had added talent through trades and free agency, a thread of the four finalists is having a strong core in the minor leagues. They wouldn’t be here without the talent that rose through the system. Here’s hoping the new GM wants to upgrade the scouting and development, as those or the keys for long term success.

The Mets benefitted from their minor league system this year with Jon Niese, Ike Davis and Josh Thole, and have young talent looming below like Jenrry Mejia.

In the case with the Mets, with so much payroll earmarked to veterans tied to bulky and expensive payroll, its a sense of relief to have guys like Davis and Thole, productive players on the cheap.

The game today is still heavy with free agency, but the long term successful franchises build with a homegrown core, and the Mets should be no exception. With 2011 perhaps a write-off season as they clear money off the books, it should provide an opportunity for future growth from the minor league system.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09