We have heard already that the Mets are expected to retain GM Sandy Alderson, but the details of the arrangement have not yet been made clear. That soon figures to change, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports that the organization is expected to announce that Alderson will sign on for two more seasons at the helm of the baseball operations department.
Alderson will face a major challenge this winter as he attempts to resurrect the core that he built. While the Mets still possess a variety of highly talented players, many face ongoing health or performance questions and there are quite a few roster needs to address. Some solutions may well come from in-house sources, though there will be quite a lot of public pressure for the club to add some new faces to a roster that managed only 70 wins this year after making the postseason in each of the prior two campaigns.
Complicating matters, it seems likely that the organization will trim payroll after opening the 2017 season at over $150MM. The team only has $55.5MM committed in 2018 salary — not including Asdrubal Cabrera’s $8.5MM option or its $2MM buyout — but it also likely faces upwards of $40MM in arbitration obligations.
Alderson also needs to settle on a new manager after the organization decided not to retain Terry Collins in that role. All things considered, it figures to be a rather busy offseason for the front office. Even if the club does not end up making a large volume of transactions, it’ll need to look into as many opportunities as possible to find a path to a resurgence.
The two-year term appears to suggest that Alderson continues to enjoy the full support of ownership. He’ll soon celebrate his 70th birthday and underwent treatment for cancer last year, so it’s not altogether clear whether he’ll have interest in running things beyond that point. It will be interesting to see whether the club uses this opportunity to sketch out a broader transition plan; as Ackert notes, it still appears that assistant GM John Ricco could be in line to succeed Alderson at some point.
“The two-year term appears to suggest that Alderson continues to enjoy the full support of ownership.”
And why wouldn’t he. Alderson has successfully run the organization whilst the Wilson-Katz ownership group recovers from their Madoff problem. I realize that most who bother commenting here are gonna rip SA for the Mets on-field deficiencies. But that misses the point completely.
This ownership group cares little about on-field performance except to the extent that it negatively impacts revenue. They’d prefer to win, of course, but it isn’t a priority. The important thing is that the Wilpon group will be able to continue owning the Mets going forward, which wasn’t at all clear five or so years ago. SA has done precisely what was asked of him. Of course ownership supports him. Fans may not agree but ownership is very, very happy with SA.
It’s a baseball team with fans, so it’s quite natural fans would disagree with you. I’d agree he’s run it the way the Wilpons want it run…but eventually, SA will be as much the scapegoat for on field failure much like Terry Collins (undeservedly) has been.
I don’t know about that. I think collins deserved a lot of the criticism he got.
Nope, I’m going to rip you for repeating that big lie about Madoff.
1) That never happened. You cannot produce any evidence – court documents, IRS etc that show that this so-called loss ever happened.
2) Say the Madoff Hoax did happen. So what? Why should any Mets fan have to put up with this? If your team’s owner puts his fortune into a companies stock and it goes bust in a scandal then you the fan have pay for that?
Why was FRANK MCCOURT removed as owner of the Dodgers?
I believe McCourt was using the money in the dodger accounts to finance his own debts. The money the Wilton’s invested in Madoff was organizational money for things like pensions and such. It wasn’t his private account.
So to compare the two the Dodgers were going broke because McCourt was paying off debts due to his lifestyle.
The Wilton’s invested Met accounts with Madoff with the thought they could double the resources to run the team.
Facts are important. Use them.
“You cannot produce any evidence . . . That show that this so-called loss ever happened.”
Sure I can. See “Wilpon’s Folly” by Howard Megdal. Chock full o’ evidence. There’s a reason the Wilpons hate him.
CP has posted a bunch of trollish comments within the past day or so. Wondering why.
“If your team’s owners puts his fortune into a companies (sic) stock and it goes bust in a scandal then you the fan have to pay for that?”
But you aren’t paying for their losses. You are only “paying” in the sense that your team’s payroll is unduly truncated. Plus, you don’t have to put up with it. You are free to pick another team at any time.
Nothing obligates you to support the Wilpon Family Trust. If you choose to spend your money there and are unhappy with the results you have no one to blame but yourself.
Correct, it was well circulated that McCourt was using the Dodgers finances as “an ATM”. Personally, he was sinking into a hole, and leaned on the one profitable part of his portfolio – the Dodgers.
@CP
The others are correct. McCourt used team funds for his personal lavage lifestyle.
And there’s indeed tons of proof the Wilpons and the Mets lost money through Madoff. Evenutally Irving Picard, the court appointed trustee fighting for clawback even against victims while making a person fortune in that role, had to relent to the facts and drop his billion dollar lawsuit against the Wilpons. Go read court documents. and settlements.
The Dodgers were not broke, nor were they bad on the field. McCcourt’s Dodgers were in the playoffs four ti,mes and had one of the best farm systems in MLB
As McCourt accurately stated, the TV deal he was negotiating would clear up all financial problems related to himself and the Dodgers.
However, the Wilpons have been looting the Mets, banking over $150 million every year.
Who was Frank McCourt and why did FOX sell McCourt the Dodgers for the paltry sum of $400 million?
” . . . the Wilpons have been looting the Mets, banking over $150 million every year.”
What a silly comment. The Wilpon group owns the business. When they take a draw or distribution from the business it is the same as any other partnership owned business. You are accusing them of stealing from themselves, genius. That makes no sense.
Every ownership group expects to receive a distribution of profits, that’s what business owners do. You call an owner withdrawing profits he made on a business he owns “looting”? You are either seriously naive or a poor troll. Or both.
Sandy is a military man, and following orders is much more important to him than showing initiative–not to mention that he can do Pentagon gobbledyspeak as well as anyone.
Indeed. Gen. William Westmoreland was the best and brightest leader in the US military – highly decorated hero of WWII and Korea. Johnson made him the point man in Vietnam, and we see how that turned out. Not even the best man in the business can overcome a lack of will to win on the part of his superiors.
Why?
Is he the guy on the right or the left? Not familiar…
Anderson is the guy on the left. The guy on the right is the Mets’ new 4th outfielder he just signed to a 1-year, $15,000,000 deal. He’ll hit .205 with diminished power at Citi Field.