The latest from Citi Field…
- The Mets contacted the Twins for permission to speak to Minnesota GM Thad Levine about New York’s open general manager spot, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (Twitter link), but Levine declined. Taking the Mets job would’ve presumably allowed Levine to fully command a front office, whereas chief baseball officer Derek Falvey current sits atop the decision-making pyramid in Minnesota. Still, Levine has only been with the Twins for less than two years, and he and Falvey now have the opportunity to more completely put their mark on the organization now that they’ll be able to select their own manager. Of course, there are numerous reasons why Levine declined to speak to the Mets, and perhaps he is simply comfortable in his current position.
- The Mets did receive permission from other teams to speak to other candidates, SNY.tv’s Andy Martino reports (Twitter links), and they will begin interviews next week. Several people have been linked to the Mets in reports and rumors, though the Mets are “being extremely protective about names” involved in their search, with one source telling Martino that “some of the names floated publicly are wrong.”
- Owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon denied outgoing GM Sandy Alderson’s request for additional analytics department employees, The Athletic’s Tim Britton reports (subscription required), though Jeff Wilpon said in a meeting with the media last week that ownership hadn’t denied requests for front office upgrades. This wasn’t the only seeming contradiction that Britton found during Wilpon’s talk, leaving Britton to wonder if ownership is really willing to make necessary changes, given how often the Wilpons are accused of involving themselves in baseball operations decisions. The analytics department is a particularly interesting subject as it relates to the GM search, as Jeff Wilpon is reportedly more inclined to hire a younger, more statistically-oriented GM while his father Fred would prefer a more experienced candidate with a traditional scouting and player development background. As per a recent piece from The Athletic’s Marc Carig and Eno Sarris, the Mets have one of the smallest analytical staffs of any team in baseball.
this is why the Mets never go anywhere ownership is to much involved in baseball operations and can never agree on anything
Better clean up that spelling error before the grammar police get here. They’re busy right now outside screaming at the sky.
I almost did but it would be TOO easy
You must be talking about the jellyman.
Yup! You nailed it!
Might want to add punctation for them too.
Spend money > better players > more wins and possibly championships > more fans show up to buy $20 beer and a $30 foam finger > more money than you originally spend > happy Fans > more merch sold > more money…… all it takes is the right front office and no ownership meddling
Lmao how surprising is it that the Wilpon’s are the ones that won’t expand their analytic department.
I think Sid Finch should be the GM.
Correction: Mutt has told Jeff, “you can use technology in the analytics department. I will give you my HP graphing calculator. Tell them to knock themselves out”.
I know why the Mets are asking for legit candidates – they’re morons with no self-awareness – but it’s still gobsmacking. Aside from the Orioles until now, I cannot think of a worse job to take in baseball than Mets GM. You know most of your decisions will be ignored. You know most of your objections will be ignored. Ownership will make moves without consulting you.
They should be looking at lower rung employees at well-run organizations. The ones who are already in high ranking roles have no reason to go to Queens. The ones itching to climb a ladder, any ladder, are the ones they want.
I believe the equipment is juiced but it would be great for the sport if the Mets’ pulled a rabbit out of hat and won with a small analytical staff but the reality is the Mets on and off field are like the Bad News Bears.
Yea, the Billy Bob Thornton version.
Mets are always stuck in the middle, they need to rebuild. If either de Grom or Syndergaard go down they will be out of it next year no matter what they do this winter.
Yeah they’re too idiotic to realize that the worst place in sports is the middle. Either suck or be great. The in between us where dumb teams like the Mets hang out.
I think the GM search is down to Soupy Sales, Cliff Arquette and Klem Kiddllehopper……
They’re all dead!
Hire Uncle Floyd & Oogie!
Picturing Fred Wilpon pleading for kids to go into their parents’ wallets and mail him those “green pieces of paper” so the team can afford to extend Jose Reyes one more year and resign Joey Bats.
Gotta wait until New Year’s Day
Breaking: Mets break MLB’s lifetime ban and hire John Coppella!!! XD
If they want a narcissist who treats his employees terribly, cheats, lies, and probably hates himself…he’s their guy. He does make some good trades though.
Bobby Evans.
Allard Baird
Wilpons aren’t good owners because they refuse to spend money on players and operate the club as if it’s in Milwaukee, not the biggest market in the league.
Analytics are way overblown, expecially when it comes to drafting/player development. If I’m not mistaken, didn’t 24 or 25 teams pass over Mike Trout back in 2009? How come none of those Strat-O-Matic nerds hit the jackpot on that pick in the early rounds? Even the GM for my favorite team, the Yanks? Trout played HS ball about 50 miles from the Bronx.
This obsession with sabermetrics is truly nauseating. You know, the same analytics that prompted the Cubs to overpay Heyward by about $140 million. Lol
Players get drafted on tools. I know for a fact teams don’t go around looking at high schoolers’ WAR to see who they’re going to draft. The reason Trout wasn’t drafted higher was that he didn’t play in a baseball hot bed