KISS GOODBYE: Jose Reyes, attending a boxing match at the Garden Saturday, is headed to Miami.
DALLAS –- In the aftermath of Jose Reyes’ departure, the Mets have to do more than rebuild their roster. They have to rebuild their credibility.
Sandy Alderson explained that the Mets never made an early offer to Reyes because he felt that would evoke the perception the organization was comfortable finishing second in the bidding if the shortstop left for another team.
That Alderson would even feel the need to do this speaks to how far the Mets have fallen with their fan base. Yet the true signs of those depths is this: It is the perception anyway that the Mets were pleased not spending the money over the long term. It was the perception even as Alderson dismissed the notion that Reyes’ departure was driven by Bernie Madoff and/or financial distress for the franchise.
Alderson said the Mets “drew a line” where they were comfortable going and the Marlins far exceeded the parameters the Mets laid out to Reyes’ representatives. Thus, Reyes exited without ever actually receiving a formal offer from the only organization for which he had ever played.
Alderson said the fan base is smart and will understand this. And that might be the case — if the fans trusted and respected the folks running the team. But they don’t.
Look, it is not hard to make the case the Mets did the absolute right thing here. I think the six years, $106 million deal Miami gave Reyes is too much, as well. His talent deserves that amount. But we never see enough of that talent. Even in a walk year when he wanted to give the best impression about his health, he ended up on the disabled list twice with his ever-nagging hamstring problems. The belief must be that these injuries will grow more frequent as Reyes ages.
In addition, the Mets are not ready to be a sustained contender for at least the next two years; especially in a division that is getting stronger around them with Reyes going to Miami. So they would be sending Reyes out to pound on those legs for a few years without championship aspirations and where would his speed game be when they hope to be more advanced in, say, 2014?
But good baseball sense or not what the franchise deals with today is not just the loss of Reyes, but the absence of faith by their truest believers that they were: a) forthright about wanting to keep Reyes and b) have a winning plan in his absence.
In his first attempt to counter these ill feelings, Alderson summoned his inner Marine. He reflected on an Arizona team that was supposed to finish last in the NL West in 2011 and finished first instead and cited that the Cardinals were supposed to be dead in September and actually won the World Series in October.
Normally one who speaks with a wry smile and an even tone, Alderson turned particularly strident in saying that he does not intend to trade David Wright now and instead wants to find pieces to make the club better.
“I am not conceding anything about 2012,” Alderson said. “We are here [at the Winter Meetings] for the next four days to put the best team out in 2012 with or without Jose Reyes.”
Alderson is not backing down from the challenge. Fine. But the most important victories now have to be about competence; about doing enough positives as to begin to win back faith en route to winning games.
The Mets are cutting their payroll by $40 million to $50 million, yet with Reyes gone, Alderson now has a few more dollars to play with inside that tight budget to find a late-game bullpen, a starter and perhaps a second baseman. Can Alderson assemble a team that is not trampled within this burgeoning NL East; that continues to point toward a better tomorrow?
Maybe that last part is impossible with the Wilpons in ownership because the antipathy toward them is so great. But all indications are Reyes is leaving, but they are staying. So ownership also needs Alderson to get this right. To turn the subject toward a positive future and not all the disheartening elements of the recent past.
The Mets lost their best player yesterday. Yet they still need to find their way.