ATLANTA — It might be time to put away those “Everything Must Go” signs at Citi Field.
Although it long has been considered a given that the Mets would hold a virtual fire sale by the July 31 trade deadline, general manager Sandy Alderson said yesterday the team’s recent solid play will be a “factor” in how he looks at the team as the deadline approaches.
“Certainly, what’s going on now affects our thinking over the next several weeks,” Alderson said. “It definitely matters.”
The Mets, who have crept back into the NL wild-card race, were unable to get above .500 last night in their 9-8, 10-inning loss to the Braves. Although Alderson has preached patience and a long-term vision, he isn’t ignoring 2011 and the fact impending free agents Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran could be useful if the team is going to make a playoff push.
“The short answer is we still have a long-term plan, but we have short-term goals, as well,” Alderson said by phone while leaving Port St. Lucie, where he was looking at recent draft picks. “The team is playing well and I think fan interest is picking up. Both of those things are important factors and I think we need to be mindful of the present while thinking of the future.”
That’s the attitude the Mets have tried to keep through much of this roller-coaster season, which they began 5-13 and included two separate runs back to the .500 mark.
Manager Terry Collins said he looks at where his team sits in the NL standings “every day.” Especially now.
“What I try to do is to look at the team ahead of us,” he said. “I don’t look two spots ahead of us. I just look at the Braves.”
And he said he is confident his players are doing the same thing, and not being distracted by any talk of potential deals.
“I don’t think it’s on our mind,” Collins said. “It’s never brought up. . . . Why should I? Why would I want to bring up that stuff? It’s out of our control.”
Except that if the Mets continue to play well, they may have some impact on Alderson’s decisions.
“You can ask Jose and he’ll tell you, ‘I don’t know [what’s going to happen],’ ” Collins said. “Beltran doesn’t care. That’s why they’re as resilient as they are. They don’t let other stuff get in the way.”