Earlier this week it was reported that Steve Cohen would likely bring former GM Sandy Alderson back to the Mets if approved by 23 of the league’s owners. At the time an advisory role was suggested, but MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports that Cohen will instead name Alderson the team president, placing him in charge of both business and baseball operations (Twitter link). Cohen has confirmed the report, issuing a statement to several reporters (link via Joel Sherman of the New York Post).
If I am fortunate enough to be approved by Major League Baseball as the next owner of this iconic franchise, Sandy Alderson will become president of the New York Mets and will oversee all Mets baseball and business operations. Sandy is an accomplished and respected baseball executive who shares my philosophy of building an organization and a team the right way. I am excited to have Sandy in a key leadership role with the Mets if my purchase of the team is approved. Lets’ Go Mets!
The 72-year-old Alderson was the Mets’ general manager from 2010-18 before stepping away following a cancer recurrence that pulled him away for health reasons. There’d already been speculation about his job security leading up to that point, however, and Alderson himself acknowledged upon departing that he wasn’t sure his return as GM would even be merited based on the team’s recent results. The Mets eventually went outside the box to hire high-profile CAA agent Brodie Van Wagenen to head up baseball operations, and Alderson took a role as a senior advisor with the Athletics in January 2019.
Today’s announcement would represent a major front office shakeup and quite possibly result in the departure of Van Wagenen. Cohen’s statement doesn’t mention Van Wagenen, and while it’s possible that he could hold onto his GM post but still report to Alderson, that type of transition would be awkward, to say the least. SNY’s Andy Martino pointed out earlier this week that Alderson and Van Wagenen do have a positive relationship from the latter’s days as an agent with CAA and that Van Wagenen made sure to thank Alderson for all the work he did prior to stepping down.
Elsewhere throughout the league, prior situations of a president being installed above a sitting GM have resulted in the prior GM opting to depart. That was the case when Mark Shapiro was named Blue Jays president while Alex Anthopoulos was GM, and Ben Cherington stepped down in Boston after the Red Sox named Dave Dombrowski president. Adding to the awkwardness in this instance would be the fact that the incoming team president would be the man that Van Wagenen effectively replaced.
Beyond the front office dynamic, both Sherman and Martino observe that hitching his ownership candidacy to Alderson could help Cohen to ensure approval from the league’s other owners. Alderson is as respected an executive as there is throughout the industry, whereas Cohen comes to the MLB ownership table with a history of insider trading penalties and gender discrimination lawsuits at his hedge funds. Any peers who have trepidation about Cohen’s still-pending ownership approval could see those concerns eased to an extent knowing that Alderson will play a prominent role in the organization.
The widespread expectation is that payroll will increase substantially under Cohen. That would make for some layered intrigue in the offseason. Not only are teams throughout the league expected to scale back their spending on free agents given the sweeping revenue losses that have hit the sport during the Covid-19 pandemic, but Alderson has never exactly been at the head of a baseball ops department that allows him to spend in the top tier of teams throughout the league. His days as GM in Oakland were obviously dictated by spending limitations, and even the outgoing Wilpon ownership group in New York never spent to levels commensurate with their market size.
Specifics of the arrangement are still yet to fully unfold. Just as it’s possible that Alderson could retain Van Wagenen in his current role — or a different post within the organization — it’s also possible that he could hire a younger general manager to work underneath him and carry significant sway in baseball operations. What the return of Alderson would mean for the field staff, including rookie skipper Luis Rojas, is also unclear at this point. And, of course, Cohen has yet to be formally approved by the league’s other owners. It’s expected that he will indeed garner the requisite votes, but until that vote is held late nothing can be considered final. The exact timing of a vote remains murky, but it’s expected to occur by early November.
badco44
That just seems crazy!
Al Hirschen
Good move. This will be the first time Sandy will ever run a team with out Financial restraints
VonPurpleHayes
I find this notion a bit exaggerated. The Mets spent quite a bit under the Wilpons. As recently as 2018, they had the 10th highest payroll in all of baseball. The thought is that Cohen will spend more, but really he just needs to spend more wisely.
itslonelyatthetrop
Correct. NY fans treat money poorly spent as money not spent at all. No credit for trying.
Joggin’George
The mantra that the Mets won’t spend is false and based on the ideas of fans who want to treat free agency as if they’re playing Nintendo in GM mode… but Alderson was under absurd restraints. He wasn’t allowed to do little deals, couldn’t eat money in trades… call it “pound wise, penny foolish” but the constraints were there. And it hurt the team.
portopotti
The 10th highest payroll in 2018 is not entirely true. In 2018, due to the Wright and Cespedes injuries, they received a significant portion back from insurance (~75%) and never reinvested those savings. That would’ve put them towards the bottom 10 in payroll in all of baseball.
Oooof
What’s your source? Spotrac says they were 12th that year, and that’s pretty lousy for a team in the number 1 media market in the country, whose owners also own SNY.
VonPurpleHayes
I was using slackiebrown (first Google result), but Spotrac is likely more reliable. Either way, not much difference between 12th and 10th. Mets were still way above league average, and I don’t think it’s fair to compare spending to media market, especially when NY is clearly a Yankees town. The fact is, the notion that the Mets haven’t spent is false. Everyone just assumes all restraint will go out the window when Cohen comes aboard, but we’ll see.
JackStrawb
“Way above league average” **after insurance remunerations** wasn’t remotely the case, and it also happens to be an absurd whitewashing in the context of New York as the most lucrative market in sports on the planet. Good god.
Geebs
well that’s not a fare either, 10th in payroll for the #1 market? its not that the Mets don’t spend its that they don’t spend relative to their market.
Joggin’George
Spending shouldn’t be relative to market. You spend wisely, not for the sake of spending. You spend according to a good plan (see Rays, Tampa Bay), not according to how fancy the city you play in is. Mandates for spending according to market are ridiculous. It’s like idiots who think they have to upgrade their car just cuz they got a raise. Foolish economics.
nymetsking
It’s exaggerated, but there’s merit. The team has spent over average, but not as would be expected for the market they’re in. The problem is that the Wilpons don’t want to spend on the difference maker types and instead go for the cheaper option. The times they’ve splurged, it hadn’t worked out as well as hoped. Instead, they go for the mid to lower market guys. The times the have, it’s typically been to keep guys in house – even then they’re tentative. It was either/or with Wright/Reyes, not both. A NY market doesn’t have to make that decision. Yes, the Yankees lose guys. They got ridiculously outbid on Cano and passed. The Mets didn’t get outbid on Reyes. They didn’t bid at all.
Joggin’George
Market shouldn’t effect budget, it’s ridiculous to say so. Cano was a bad contract, they wisely didn’t bid. Reyes was a bad contract. Two examples of intelligent non spending that had nothing to do with being cheap. This spending for the sake of spending cuz NY thing needs to die. Enough with it already. Not wanting to take on mega deals that are regrettable almost every time is smart, not cheap.
VonPurpleHayes
Excellent points here.
JackStrawb
@Cosmodeus A surreal claim.. “My revenue shouldn’t affect my spending” said no one, ever.
Roll
i mentioned this in other chat, what the payroll says vs what the wilpons spend are not the same about 20-25 mil maybe more of that is insurance for the last few years (Wright Cespedes) that they were going to put back into the team but never did. Only once in the last decade not including this year were they in the top 10 in payrolls. they were usually middle of the pack around 15-1 and as low as mid 20’s in some years with the pirates being over them 1 year if i remember correctly.
While they do not have to be the highest payroll and can be the poorest payroll if they so choose. They can not complain about payroll constraints which they usually do with being in the largest media market in the US and not being consistently in the top 10 in payrolls. .
Larry David's Joe Pepitone Jersey
The problem with the Mets has never been financial restraints.
Poor decision-making in the front office, meddlesome ownership, and a refusal to commit to a full teardown are the issues that have dumped them into mediocrity.
portopotti
Financial constraints have never been the issue?
You can look as recent as this year and Wheeler.
Larry David's Joe Pepitone Jersey
Wheeler wasn’t purely a financial decision, if it was even a financial decision at all.
portopotti
Right….not a financial decision. Especially when his replacements were Wacha / Porcello.
Buckner
Hate to compound your answer. – Wheeler’s replacements were Wacha, Porcello AND Marcus Stroman. Along with minor league players given up as well.
portopotti
Except the Mets had Stroman AND Wheeler in 2019. They were already anticipating NOT spending to keep him.
Joggin’George
It is possible to have passed on Wheeler for reasons other than being cheap. You’re making a baseless assumption. I think they should have re-signed him but there is room for logical disagreement there. You know, 28 other teams also passed.
Tony D
The Mets were never going to make Wheeler an offer, that’s on ownership.. the Madoff scandal ruined this team..
Joggin’George
Tony D, you don’t know that. You can assume that, but you don’t know that.
Michael A Stabile
What do you mean when you said You don’t know that about the Madoff scam? The Wilpons were ordered by then Attorney General Cuomo to pay restitution to the victims. I think it was I think 25 cents to the dollar. It was that or go to jail. You don’t pay restitution to victims if you are innocent.
Joggin’George
Don’t know the motivation behind not signing Wheeler is what I meant. Could just be they didn’t think he’d be worth it. We don’t KNOW it was just them being “cheap”. Wasn’t referring to the Madoff thing which probably has nothing to do with Wheeler’s contract.
Tony D
Fred’s involvement with Madoff caused more financial damage to the Mets than he let on.. and the Mets were ordered to pay by the judge presiding over the case to pay a $170 million dollar penalty.. and the reason they didn’t bother offering Wheeler a contract was based on $$$.. they decided before last season ended that they weren’t going to negotiate with him.. think about where they would be if Wheeler was still a pitching for this team…
Joggin’George
Again, in terms of motivation, you are making an assumption and stating it as fact. Maybe they just didn’t think he was worth it. That’s a possibility. That’s based on money in the sense of value but not necessarily cheapness or Madoff.
Tony D
Wheeler was their #2 pitcher behind Jake last season.. not re-signing him was a dumb move.. and $$ was a major factor..
Tony D
Then why wasn’t an offer made?.. Wheeler & deGrom anchored that staff last season, especially in the 2nd half.. Syndegarrd didn’t have a very good year. They made Wheeler a qualifying offer to get a draft pick but that was it. If Wheeler was still in this team, with deGrom & Peterson there’s a good chance the Mets would still be playing.. the decision to let Wheeler walk was strictly a financial one & that came from Jeff..
Tony D
Brodie is gone as soon as Sandy takes over..
dugmet
Not quite true. While the A’s were owned by Walter Haas, Alderson was able to work with a generous budget. I believe the A’s payroll ranked as high as 1st in MLB in 1991.
SportsFan0000
Not true…Check your facts. The A’s have never even been close to the highest MLB payroll. The A’s payroll has been consistently in the bottom 25% of MLB.
davidk1979
Glad Sandy is coming back if Cohen is approved, while he made some mistakes mostly bringing in Jay Bruce to block Nimmo and Conforto in back to back years Sandy mostly did a very good job. Sandy drafted wonderfully as he drafted Nimmo, Conforto, Smith, Alonso, Kelenic, Dunn, Kay, Lugo and McNeil and traded for Wheeler, Syndergaard and d’Arnaud. While the end of his reign wasn’t good he is a far better exec than Brodie and hopefully he’s gonna fire Brodie very soon. Sandy with a high payroll and no meddling from Jeff Wilpon should be highly successful. I hope and pray Cohen is approved.
dugmet
He’s not firing Brodie. BVW has done an excellent job if you look at his moves with objectivity and really understand the motivation for making them.
Oooof
Trading Kelenic and Dunn for Diaz and Cano was a bad move at the time and a bad move in retrospect. Lowrie was a bad move at the time and in retrospect. Not only that, but both of those moves involved spending to bring in former clients of his, which isn’t a good look.
dugmet
Yeah. You have no understanding of ownership’s goal and the motivation behind the deal. Given the parameters, it was a reasonable move to make.
Joggin’George
You’re making excuses for failure, dugmet
metfan4ever
Kelenic has 0 MLB hits/rbi/hr and Cano is hitting over 300 and second on the team in RBIs, Diez is 100% better if you’ve seen his last few outings. We GAVE money and TOOK on money for MLB players today. If Kelenic is so close, why no MLB teast in a short season on a bad team.. Lawrie’s money is saved with what we got in JD. And who held onto Domic Smith when everyone said where is he going to play.
Lawrie is the example of the Shitpon’s spreading on so so FA and not putting in a little more money to get a TOP FA
Joggin’George
Your point about Kelenic is irrelevant. Close, even if it mattered, isn’t the same as ready now. The results (standings) speak for themselves. Bad trade, bad GM.
Oooof
Wait, you’re counting out a guy they drafted number 6 overall the draft before they traded him because he doesn’t have any big league production, then calling them smart for not trading another first round pick before he had established himself in the majors? Also, attitudes like that are responsible for many of the worst trades of all time. We need Doyle Alexander for the stretch and John Smoltz has never even pitched in the majors! We need Larry Andersen for our bullpen and this Bagwell kid is only in Double-A! James Shields is obviously worth giving up Fernando Tatis Jr.!
Canosucks
#dugmet is either a family member, Mrs. Van lunchwagon or an employee of his that is going to lose their job.
dogmet writes : “if you look at his moves with objectivity”
OK lets look at Wacka Mole and Poorfello Objectively.
2 pitchers brought in this year by BVM Whose failure led to the Mets not making the playoffs when 8 of 15 teams in each league will.
Total failures
Betances hurt again; any surprise?
Keon Broxton and Billy Hamilton ?
Etc. Etc.
Jed Lowrie
Cano could never make it through a full spring training and season; already he has been on the DL and certainly not worth 100 million dollars
The motivation doesn’t matter in business; the results do!
metfan4ever
sorry but I was really busy—-so let’s look at the #6 overall pick starting with 2017 since Kelenic was 2018—-Austin Beck- 0 MLB ab, A.J. Puk @ age 25 10 games in ML P, Tyler Jay 0 MLB innings, Alex Jackson 22 ML Abs and was traded to Atl. Let’s speed this up=Colin Moran, Albert Almora, ### Anthony Rendon ###, Barrett Loux, #Zack Wheeler#, Ross Detwiler, ###Andrew Miller###, Ricardo Romero, Jeremy Sower, Ryan Harvey, ### Zack Greinke###, Josh Karp, Rocco Baldelli, Josh Girdley, Ryan Mills, —–OK I only see back in 1992 Derek Jeter as the on HOF. Now the ### very good ML for years, # good ML for short time, So how many game breaker @ # 6, unless it a P with the first name Zack
JackStrawb
This is entirely sociopathic.
portopotti
Genuinely curious how you perceive BVW as having done an excellent job?
dugmet
The deals he completed made good sense — even Lowrie if you understand the motivation. Injuries are a given. Often it’s not the best team that makes the playoffs but the one that can offset injury with MLB talent. Ownership clearly had one goal in mind, win in 2019. Saul Katz had been pushing to sell for a few years and Wilpon may have been pushing for a last hurrah. BVW was clearly advised to build for 2019. Cano’s swing is considered immune to aging by scouts – as evidenced this year Though Cano’s range was diminished, using the shift so often on the right side negates the loss of range to some degree. Diaz’s salary fit into the Mets budget. While you could argue “regression” no one expected him to implode. A GM cannot control that. Acquiring Davis was a steal and the trade for Stroman was a smart move to bolster the 2019 staff and prepare for 2020 in anticipation of losing Wheeler — again, putting the best roster on the field given budget restrictions. Also the draft philosophy has been refreshing. Whatever talent BVW traded, he replenished in the draft with an aggressive approach. Baseball-wise, whatever experience BVW was lacking was augmented by the presence of Minaya — an experienced GM who knows the ropes and a very good scout himself. I have no issues with BVW. And I can accept that not every deal or move will end up well. That’s the nature of the business.
Oooof
You didn’t actually offer any argument that the Lowrie signing made sense, and what you said about Cano is nonsense. If he can’t play good defense, the shift doesn’t just erase that. Especially when you’re acquiring the back half of a guy’s 30s. And you can’t predict that anyone’s swing is immune to aging and injuries. Also, you didn’t offer any evidence that the Stroman trade was wise.
Basically, BVW has made a bunch of short-sighted win-now moves for a team that predictably turned out to not be ready to win now. You’re just choosing to believe in his approach. That’s fine, but you haven’t really offered much reason for anyone else to believe.
dugmet
I did everything you said I did not. I can see you are the type of fan that does not want their mind to be changed and will not process information that contradicts your opinion. But you are correct BVW was operating under a win-now philosophy. That comes from ownership — as explained. If you do not care for ownership’s direction, your beef is with them, not BVW. Under Cohen, BVW will do the same thing: manage the rosters based on the direction ownership which will likely be influenced by Alderson.
Oooof
I certainly think the problem is ownership, and I think they hired BVW over the way more qualified Bloom because BVW was more willing to treat the Mets as a win-now team.
And no, you didn’t. You said Stroman was a smart acquisition to bolster the rotation in anticipation of losing Wheeler, but why was that team expecting to win in 2020? Merely improved health? Because they didn’t make any meaningful additions in the offseason, and while I’ll grant Nimmo, counting on returns to health for Lowrie and Cespedes never made sense.
Which returns to Lowrie: No, you never explained how it makes sense. Signing him to a two year deal starting with his age 35 season coming off two of the very first healthy seasons of his career, it was silly to assume he would magically keep staying healthy and productive. It worked out about as badly as possible, but it was still a wildly over-optimistic contract.
And your Cano point still makes sense.
You say I’m a fan who refuses to have his mind changed by contradictory information, but that’s coming from a guy who insists on defending Mets moves as smart and logical? There’s a lot of contradictory information to that, dude.
James Solomon
I put the foolishly going for it On the wilpons knowing it’s their last chance.
BVW still made a horrible trade and made very poor decisions. NOBODY was taking canos contract and the Mets did and gave back two top 100 prospects. They were afraid of Phillies getting Diaz. What about Atlanta? They were 13 games better and Acuna only played in 111 games that season. Then he had Seattle eat money in exchange for prospects to then use on a 5th infielder in Lowrie? The Davis deal was good but he’s beginning to join the lines of DH only type guys we have on this team.
He hires an analytical department that correctly assessed Blake Taylor and moved him to the bullpen where he flourished to then trade him for a defensive replacement player.
Oooof
*still makes no sense.
jsack56
This shameless defense of BVW is obviously written by a Mets underling or BVW himself. There is no way to defend his moves. He clearly has no sense of player value. To say that Jed Lowrie made sense is the final kicker. $21 mil for a 36 year old injury prone INF? Jed was signed because of BVW’s blind spot for players he represented as an agent. There is only one move that can be defended and that is the trade for J.D. Davis who is a complimentary player at best. A nice move that is cancelled out in a big way by the other crippling moves that BVW made. WIN NOW AND WIN IN THE FUTURE! Neither goal came close to realization and he will be fired the second Cohen takes over. In regards to the draft. The entire amateur scouting department was already in place and successful. It was built by Sandy Alderson and BVW had nothing to do with its success. He deserves zero credit for the draft. Nice try though dugmet…. or should we call you BVW?
JoeBrady
You’re arguing with injuries, regression, some guy named Katz, and then credit great drafts, when no one has any idea if these guys will be good or not.
At the end of the day, the moves either work or they don’t work. So far, the only move he has made , that has added long-term value, is the Davis trade.
he has lost every single trade, and every single FA signing.
metfan4ever
How many AB does any player BVW traded away have in the MLB. What is Cano batting. Lawrie was Shitpon’s $$$ move and not allowing BVW more money for TOP FA
Canosucks
#dogmet is either an employee or family member of BVM M is for moron.
Notice dogmet doesn’t mention Wacka Mole or Poorfello who cost the Mets this season. Cano will never make it through a whole season as he has been on the DL and his numbers now don’t warrant a 100 million investment.
The Mets Memorized round-table yesterday of baseball experts ALL say BVM must go. I guess its not just us fans
JoeBrady
How many AB does any player BVW traded away have in the MLB. What is Cano batting. Lawrie was Shitpon’s $$$ move and not allowing BVW more money for TOP FA
———————————————————————
In pure FA buys, he signed:
Familia $18M with a bWAR of 0.0 (to date)
Ramos $17.5 (2.3)
Lowrie $20 (-0.2)
Wilson $10 (0.0)
Wacha$3M (-0.3)
Porcello $10M (0.3)
Betances $8M (-0.1)
So BVW managed to spend $87M to acquire a total of 2 bWAR. Assuming that you are BVW, trying to defend yourself, can you at least admit that your FA signings were an absolute disaster?
metfan4ever
No Joe, How much did the Yankees pay for 1 player with WAR of 2.1, $36 for 1 year. Money is going to be spent of possibility. So would you say Caskmen messed up
JoeBrady
No Joe, How much did the Yankees pay for 1 player with WAR of 2.1, $36 for 1 year.
————————————————-
ROTFLMAO! Brodie, dude, you need to do a better job of defending yourself. Cole’s 2.1 bWAR comes in a shortened season. Extrapolate that 2.1 into 162 games, it becomes 5.97.
I think the contract was too long and too expensive, but to try to compare a 57-game season, and a 162-game salary, is laughable.
Joggin’George
MetFan4, what difference does it make how many at bats prospects have yet? Don’t you understand how the future works? They are prospects which means they help the club in the future. That’s how the system works. Judging a minor leaguer harshly because they don’t yet have MLB ABs is oddly absurd.
metfan4ever
sorry but I was really busy—-so let’s look at the #6 overall pick starting with 2017 since Kelenic was 2018—-Austin Beck- 0 MLB ab, A.J. Puk @ age 25 10 games in ML P, Tyler Jay 0 MLB innings, Alex Jackson 22 ML Abs and was traded to Atl. Let’s speed this up=Colin Moran, Albert Almora, ### Anthony Rendon ###, Barrett Loux, #Zack Wheeler#, Ross Detwiler, ###Andrew Miller###, Ricardo Romero, Jeremy Sower, Ryan Harvey, ### Zack Greinke###, Josh Karp, Rocco Baldelli, Josh Girdley, Ryan Mills, —–OK I only see back in 1992 Derek Jeter as the on HOF. Now the ### very good ML for years, # good ML for short time, So how many game breaker @ # 6, unless it a P with the first name Zack
metfan4ever
So trade a known player for a maybe who may never make the majors? Which system are you talking about. SD-0 WS, A’s last ws was in 1989?, ohhhh you mean Houston—, Atl-16 east titles and 1 W/S, I guess I understand the future better than you because all that is, is a MAYBE. The Rays has the # 1 pick Josh Hamilton-who did nothing for the RAYs, No. 2 pick 2005 – Wade Townsend, No. 3 pick 2005 – Dewon Brazelton all household names—
metfan4ever
so If 162 would make Cole 5.97(BS because SP do 28 to 33 starts–had has 12-so maybe 20 more games–not 105 more games he’s not going to pitch 162 games) then why would that not be the same for the the players you notes on the Mets that BVW sign @ a 2 war. same thing. BUT let’s minus what The Yankees are paying Stanton .04, so 2 guys making OVER $60 a year for many many more years(Stanton has 7 more years)– Cashman didn’t make a mistake and neither did BVW because. Just different results I guess your laughable. You ever play this game. not on X-box/etc, real, on grass, WOOD BAT, any of that.
Tony D
Signing Lowrie made sense?.. after the dumb trade for Cano, McNeil & Frazier on the roster & how was signing Lowrie a good move?.. and did they bother giving him a physical before signing him?.. because the next game he plays will be his first in almost 3 yrs.. 2 yrs with the Mets, 8 pinch hitting appearances & 0 hits.. great signing..
Joggin’George
Yea he’s done a good job if you don’t look at the results. That’s crazy. It was bad process all around. Objectivity? Motivation? Objectively I hated the Cano trade the day it was made and still do. He’s traded most of what would now be our young starting pitchers. His motivation was to make a big splash and it failed. He should be fired immediately.
JoeBrady
BVW has done an excellent job
Except for Davis, which of his moves have proved to be a positive?
Joggin’George
Apparently results don’t matter. It’s all about “objectivity” and “motivation”, get with it, man.
Michael A Stabile
Excellent Job? He signed and traded for most his clients from his agency. .So if he leaves he gets his 10 or more percent of the salaries. Cano, ,Famillia ,and others are his former clients
Tony D
Excellent moves???.. I don’t care what Diaz & Cano have done, the Kelenic trade is going to haunt them.. and the Stroman deal will turn out to be a flop.. Brodie still hasn’t solved CF for this team..
Tony D
Excellent job???.. Diaz, Cano, who they’re stuck with till he’s 41 for Kelenic & Dunn??? And that Lowrie signing has worked out.. Brodie has got to go…
Tony D
Brodie is gone as soon as Sandy takes over..
66TheNumberOfTheBest
“…who shares my philosophy of building an organization and a team the right way.”
Cohen: “Hey Sandy, how do you think we should build this organization and team?”
Alderson: “The right way.”
Cohen: “Me too! I asked Brodie and he said ‘the wrong way’. You’re hired.”
Pretty sure everyone shares that philosophy, in theory. It’s which of the many “right way”s you pick that matters.
Marvels MagaMan
Except the pirates. Who choose the cheap way over the “right” way.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
“Hey Bob, how do you want to run the Pirates?”
“The right way.”
“So, spend the bare minimum on everything and rely on baseball tradition, fireworks and a nice ballpark to get just enough fans into the stands while collecting revenue sharing and TV money?”
“Exactly, like I said, the right way.”
johnnydubz
Brodie has been garbage and the fact his team can’t make the playoffs when MLB made 2020 into a participation season makes it worse. I hope MLB bans players who opted out this year from playing until 2022.It’s in the best interest of their health not to play till they have a vaccine which clearly won’t be ready for March 2021.
Bill M
Your first point about the participation season is a good one.
… then you went completely off the rails
norah w.
The “participation” comment was off the rails too, IMHO. The comment about opting out naturally follows.
whynot 2
You are an angry little troll
metvibes
I’ve seen this movie before it’s called “The Nightmare continues part two”.
bobtillman
The Mets are a train wreck on its way to a dumpster fire. The problems aren’t in baseball ops; they’ve actually scouted, signed and developed quite well in the past few years. The issue is the suits on top of the food chain.
It’s hard to see MLB NOT approving the Cohen sale. MLB makes the MOST money in major markets, and it doesn’t get any bigger than the Big Apple. It almost reminds me of when Pete Rozelle essentially took over the NFL Giants, claiming that the NFL couldn’t afford to have its signature franchise operated in the way the Giants were doing things. That takeover led to George Young/Bill Parcells, etc., and a Super Bowl here and there.
I can see Alderson as a mentor for a bright young guy, but let’s remember the landscape is vastly different from when Sandy was doing his thing. But he would bring some sanity to Team Chaos.
mlbnyyfan
If Cohen is so rich have him make Billy Beane or Theo an offer they can’t refuse
johnrealtime
They are under contract
Joggin’George
He could hire me. At least I’d guarantee to never trade near MLB ready pitchers for overrated veterans who are either over payed or under limited team control.
mcmillankmm
That’s where bad trades and free agent signings will get you…although Sandy has a few as well
hozie007
The problem is Cohen is not really a “new” owner, he’s just got a different name. If he is serious about building a better team, going backward doesn’t seem like the best way to go forward. This organization needs new blood from top to bottom. But what do I know…he’s got billions and I’ve got a mortgage and car payment every month.
dugmet
Do you realize Alderson’s people added more new blood through the draft than almost any other organization during the same time frame: Conforto, deGrom, Alonso, McNeill, Lugo, Dom Smith, Nimmo, etc etc etc.
Joggin’George
We can agree that Alderson did a great job when the Wilpons weren’t holding him back. I for one like that they brought Sandy back. But BVW has got to go.
Buckner
I agree with a lot, However, DeGrom was drafted by Minaya. Alderson was hired Oct 29, 2010, DeGrom was drafted June 2010.
mhdunbar99
Anderson was a disaster in San Diego. FYI Mets fans…
dugmet
Alderson and his staff added a really significant amount of talent through the draft to the Mets’ system. They also managed to make the W.S. one year despite ownership’s austerity.
Oooof
Can you even say exactly what authority Alderson had with the Padres? His tenure there was with Towers already in office as GM.
SportsFan0000
….
mhdunbar99
Alderson was a disaster in San Diego. FYI – Mets fans… (auto spell correct is also a disaster!)
SportsFan0000
No, Padres penny pinching was the disaster..Padres ownership, at that time, would not pay the going rate for top draft picks…So, Padres cheap ownership dictated that Padres draft players they could sign on the cheap and passed on future super stars… Like one of the years they had a top 5 pick and could have drafted Verlander and went with that terrible SS who became a drunken felon?!
JoeBrady
You do realize that the bonus for Bush was higher than the bonus for Verlander, right?
So, if the had enough money for Bush, they had enough money for Verlander, right?
SportsFan0000
You may be confused. Padres signed Matt Bush a player that no other scouts in MLB wanted in the 1st round as the #1 pick for 3M bonus.
Detroit Tigers signed Verlander for 5.6M bonus
And, Padres Front office was “under instruction from ownership” to not sign higher rated players represented by Scott Boros since they were too cheap to pay market rated bonuses on Boros’s clients.
“According to Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated, Bush was not the first or second choice of the Padres organization. They wanted Stephen Drew, a star at Florida State or Jered Weaver, a Cal State Long Beach stand out. And the two have become solid major leaguers.”
“But both were represented by Scott Boras and the powerful agent wanted sky-high bonuses for his clients. The penny-pinching Padres passed and Drew became a Diamondback and Weaver became an Angel.”.
Ironically, the Padres passed on Justin Verlander who WAS NOT A BOROS CLIENT.
jeffmaz
Sorry Mets fans, Alderson is horrible. You deserve better.
dugmet
If only you knew better
Joggin’George
Care to elaborate on that vague hit job?
dugmet
Alderson will essentially move into Jeff Wilpon’s position but with the benefit of relelvant baseball experience. Brodie is safe. He’s not going anywhere, but I wonder if Minaya will be kept on as an advisor to BVW. Wilpons love Omar and the loalty was mutual.
SportsFan0000
Not sure where you are getting your info. No one is safe when a new owner and new team president come aboard the Mets.
DarkSide830
Mets fans: we’ll only be happy if they sign JT, Bauer, Didi, Semian, Walker, trade for Lindor, trade for Contreras…
Larry David's Joe Pepitone Jersey
Don’t forget Trout
Joggin’George
…. and if they don’t it’s because they’re cheap and don’t care about winning!… this is New York! Big Market! blah blah blah
Roll
There is a difference if they are always crying poverty / “financial constraints” then it is a valid argument to use against them. Dont make the excuse if you are proven wrong. Its like the dude begging for money on the corner then jumps in the ferrari parked across the street,
MetsFan22
Why In any world would we want didi? Lol like one name doesn’t fit with the others LOL.
Roll
Im definitely in for JT it is a spot even in the minor leagues the mets are suffering at and nothing on the way. Plus it would make a huge splash.
Bauer would be amazing but i think there will be way too many hands in the pot and maybe go down and pick up 2 quality arms. degrom at the top with pederson, lugo, and thor should be solid so i would like a nice depth or 2 solid starters.
Didi and Semian would be nice but what do you do with Gimenez, he is a very good defender (prob best on the team) and seems to be solid to be regular SS and Rosario there as well. Although i would LOVE to get LeMahieu i just dont know where you would play him, 3rd i guess.
shimmy_rosenbloom
The day Sandy traded Ike Davis to Pittsburgh to put in Lucas Duda at 1B I was pissed, in hindsight that was one of his better moves throughout his tenure as Mets GM.
wild bill tetley
The guy who gave Billy Beane most of his career accomplishments, a book and a movie can have as many chances to be President of any baseball franchises as he wants. Good hire by the Mets if true.
SportsFan0000
Sandy was definitely Beane’s boss for many years. However, you are selling short Beane’s accomplishments.
parkers
Anderson provides a toughness that is tempered with true humility. He doesn’t seek self aggrandizement, as illustrated in 2015 when the team was making their play off run. He stayed in the shadows as the players celebrated each advancing playoff victory. He doesn’t publicly critique his manager or players. He has been in charge of the player development, as GM, where many of the current players were drafted and developed. Cohen as a minority owner was a first hand observer of his work. Having an owner not ham strung with financial problems and a President who is extremely knowledgeable in providing strong leadership certainly seems like a no brainer.
Oooof
I don’t get all the negativity about Alderson. Aside from thinking he was a perfectly fine GM who was saddled with lousy owners, this isn’t even about that. This looks to me like a new owner wanting someone who knows how to actually run a baseball team, including time in the MLB office. This is a vast upgrade on an owner letting his unemployable son play CEO of the team.
Joggin’George
Alderson is a great man and a terrific baseball mind. Glad he’s back!
mets1536
Sandy when he originally was brought in to over see The WILPON’s said it would be Nice to have a payroll to work with ….
He later found out the VAULT WAS EMPTY
THIS TIME HE HAS MORE $$$$$
Than Anyone in Baseball
angt222
Happy with this move. Team should promote John Ricco to GM and hire Showalter for manager. Cut Brodie and Rojas.
Oooof
Why Ricco? No specific problem with the guy, but what actually qualifies him or makes you confident he’d do a good job? Spending one’s whole career with the Mets doesn’t seem like a great qualification for taking the team in a better direction.
whatwouldyogido
Even when it looks like maybe it’ll be a fresh start, it’s just the same old same old. Wasn’t Omar Minaya available? Is Terry Collins up for a dugout return?
MetsFan22
I loved anderson. The only thing that worries me is that he never really cared about defense.. (with the Mets) and the Mets need to get better at it.
Joggin’George
You’re not entirely wrong in that sentiment but I think it’s often overstated. The bad defense was part process, part just how the cookies crumbled. I wouldn’t worry about it moving forward.
mlbnyyfan
Mets need to make sure to spend Cohen wisely. I would trade DeGrom for top prospects and possibly other players. DeGrom deserves so much better. Trade him to Yankees for Judge, Sanchez, Garcia, and other prospects.
MetsFan22
We want a piece of glass a strikeout machine who can’t field and a future reliever and mediocre prospects for the best pitcher in the world??? Lol
RickEO
At least the mets are starting from scratch
Dan Hunter
What if Cohen is as miserly as the Wilpons?
hawkvet
Brodie should have no problem finding another GM job. I’m kidding of course
Appalachian_Outlaw
I’m sure Brodie has made some mistakes all on his own. It’s hard to judge him fairly based on who he is working for though and their meddling ways. I mean imagine had thr Wilpons just stayed out of some of the team medical decisions, and maybe a few guys stayed healthier?
LordD99
Smart move. As a fan of the other team in town, some of my Mets friends are less than thrilled. They shouldn’t be. Cohen has yet to be approved, so leaking this hire sends a signal that he plans to run a stable organization within MLB. Alderson has that respect. Even more so, he needs someone who understands the Mets, including what they’ve been doing wrong under Jeff Wilpon. Alderson is the guy. He can then name his own GM who will eventually succeed him. A measured move before he takes over is something Mets fans should like. The money for moves will be there.
mookie1
This! Cohen is just playing the game. He needs to make sure he gets approved by 23 of the owners. Announcing that he is bringing in Sandy will help accomplish that. Beyond that we will see. Sandy will possibly help put everyone in place, including a GM and then just hold a title.
Theoretically Cohen could also fire Sandy the day after he is voted in as an owner. The point being that this move is primarily about getting into the club, even if Cohen would prefer someone else to run the team. All Met fans should be thrilled.
SportsFan0000
Glad to see Sandy Alderson as New Pres of the Mets… Alderson saved the Wilpons’
A**** during and after their stupid scam investing with their pal Bernie Madoff… The Wilpon’s used huge amounts of their Mets revenues to make up for personal financial losses in the Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal.
Alderson saved the Wilpons’ a**es and built a competitive Mets club on a shoe string low market budget with the Mets playing in the biggest TV market in the country.,
I don’t know if the Wiilpons had compromising photos and/or info on former Commissioner Bud Selig at the time. !? The Wilpons and Mets should have been forced to sell the Mets in bankruptcy Court at the time of the Madoff scandal just like the Astros were forced to sell in bankruptcy court years ago prior to this new contending Astros club.
The Wilpons’ press conference firing Alderson was pure treachery and complete lack of class by the Wilpons….firing and throwing Alderson under the bus who had,. repeatedly saved their a**e*.
Without Alderson and his respect in MLB Offices and ownership circles, the Wilpons would have been forced to sell long ago…..
Who do you trust more ?!?! a local family of cockroaches?! or the Wilpons?!
grjr
guy shouldnt be running for prez
top jimmy
Alderson sucks. Get ready for more mediocrity Mets fans.
86mets
New owner, same result: business as usual (aka, losing). As a Mets fan I was expecting a breath of fresh air with a new owner. A reason to expect a real culture change with this franchise. But I see Cohen intends to perpetuate the Wilpon legacy of mediocrity. Alderson promised “sustained winning” when hire as GM. What we got was 2 winning years of his 8 year run. Things will be no different just because he has a fancy new title. Can’t wait now until Cohen is forced to sell. What a crock.
whynot 2
Wow, just wow…
MarlinsFanBase
What do you mean? Alderson will draft you more guys in the first round like Brandon Nimmo. You may end up last in team batting average, but at least you’ll lead in team OBP and runs driven in on BBs! Proven championship strategy! Ask Billy Beane.
nbresnak
Billy Beane has never appeared in a World Series. In his 18 years as GM (1998-2015) Beane won one (1) playoff series- the 2006 ALDS against the Twins. Not exactly banner worthy. Beane was promoted to Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations after the 2015 season.
SportsFan0000
Beane was offered the Red Sox GM job for record money before they started their World Series title. Beane turned it down to stay close to his family on the West Coast. Red Sox and many other teams copied all of Beane’s “money ball” ideas and had massive amounts of money to supplement the concepts with higher priced players and free agents.
Beane changed baseball;; for better or worse. A’s are getting a new stadium. It will be interesting to see if signing some of their young talent, long term will produce that elusive WS title for Beane and the A’s.
MarlinsFanBase
Wow, Mets fans still talk about financial restraints by ownership. 2/3rds of MLB teams usually play with less payroll.
Should we count how many playoff teams, League Champions, and World Series Champions have spent less than the Mets in those years?
There is a differences between how you spend a bunch of money. Do you spend your money like a smart business person building a quality organization or do you spend your money like a drunken sailor? The Mets have been spending like the latter for the last quarter century. Shall we name the many failed signing a contract extensions?
nbresnak
New owner, same old Mets!
Sandy 72 Alderson, really. This is how we’re starting…
JesseJackson
This is an awesom move. Alderson put together those late 80s and early 90s Oakland teams which were, in my humble opinion, the most dynamic and exciting teams I have ever seen play baseball, night in and night out. Remember Steve Ontiveros?
Rangers29
The Mets are… bringin’ Sandy back. Timberlake would be proud.
SportsFan0000
Alderson will be the Club President. He will be hiring a younger GM, Assistant GMs and Scouting Director etc….I think it could work out very well for the Mets…
Remember, Alderson was handcuffed by the penny pinching Wilpons and their micro managing and meddling in the day to day operations of the Mets Front Office.
With the Wilpons gone, then Alderson and the Front office will be free to do their jobs and make the Mets contenders and winners on an annual basis..
SportsFan0000
Give Sandy Alderson and the Front Office the Directive to hit the soft cap at whatever it is 215M every year and if a WS title is in sight, then go beyond it.
You may be pleasantly surprised by the positive results!
The Wilpons were leaving 50M+-100M on the table every year if you go back over the Mets yearly payroll over the years…
Tony D
Excellent moves???.. I don’t care what Diaz & Cano have done, the Kelenic trade is going to haunt them.. and the Stroman deal will turn out to be a flop.. Brodie still hasn’t solved CF for this team..and don’t get me started on Lowrie..
parkers
Diaz and Cano performed what Brodie had hoped for. Team is not far off. If Pete hit like last year, they would be about 5 games better and in the playoffs. All with a bandaid starting core. Get Realmuto and hope for Thor and possibly Stroman to be back and The team will be in the mix. Need tough leadership on the field. Bunch of nice guys. Realmuto is a strong leader.
Tony D
And Stroman can go screw himself.. he was out with a calf, he’s supposedly re-habbing & as soon as the 30 day service time was up, he opts out after he yaps that he can’t wait to get on the mound.. and he didn’t impress anyway..
Joggin’George
Parkers, “if Pete hit like last year they would be about 5 games better.” … that is an exaggeration. If you’re basing it on WAR total, that’s not how the stat works. Also, “if” doesn’t count. Every team would be better “if”.
Tony D
Cano has hit but Diaz, even though he’s been better is still a high wire act out there.. and there was no need to trade Kelenic & Dunn.. they could’ve signed LeMahieu to play 2nd & sign a closer..but they traded for Cano & they signed Lowrie.. look at how he’s helped.. and if Wheeler was still in the rotation they would be in the post season.. Brodie should be the first guy to go..
Joggin’George
Yep. I agree with all of this.
Oldschoolandthemets1980
Sandy,s first phone call, Mr Bill Eppler welcome aboard.
Tony D
Yeah, don’t think so..
Oldschoolandthemets1980
Oh I dont want to see it myself. But I just have that bad feeling.
Tony D
And I can see Eppler back with the Yanks…
Oldschoolandthemets1980
Agreed
JackStrawb
Oh, god, no.
I suppose he feels it’s necessary, but Alderson was at best a mediocrity who has zero credibility with fans. They understood very clearly he was paid to lie to them on behalf of the Wilpons and to cover up their excrescent ownership of the team. .
In any case, if Cohen goes into next season with Van Wagenen as GM or Rojas, who never sounds even remotely capable of intelligent analysis, it will be all too clear he’ll be learning on the job.
Tony D
Brodie is gone.. and I don’t believe Rojas will be back. First thing that needs to happen is Cohen is approved by the other owners then they can start making moves.We don’t know who Sandy is looking to bring in as GM but I’ll bet he speaks to DePodesta, to see if he’s interested in returning,same with JP Ricciardi, you hear Billy Owens from the A’s as well as Josh Byrnes..
Tony D
Brodie is done, he’s gone.. what has he done to improve this team ?.. JD Davis?. What else ?. He still hasn’t found a true CF.. the Lowrie signing was a score, right??.. can’t put letting Wheeler go all on him, that was ownership being cheap..