As the Mets creep closer to being eliminated from the Wild Card race, the team should know there’s nothing to be ashamed for. But in 2022…
The Mets were beaten by better teams this year. Although not a great team, Atlanta came on strong, as did the Phillies while the Mets were struggling. Plus, the Cardinals, another mediocre team, came out of nowhere to rip off an eight-game streak no one was expecting.
Some of the Mets players, like Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Aaron Loup, and Jacob deGrom, came to play while others, who shall remain nameless for now, stumbled and underachieved.
The Mets front office was largely absent throughout the season, grappling instead with the untimely and embarrassing plight of not one but two general managers, leaving Sandy Alderson on his own, with no direction home.
In the wake of the Mets season, only one salient thought comes to mind. Beware to all in the Mets organization because the honeymoon is over.
The Mets First Order Of Business
Steve Cohen has had a whole year to digest the business of baseball, and it falls on him to hire a President of Baseball Operations ASAP, and in turn, for that person to hire a General Manager.
The appointments cannot be a learn-on-the-job type person, but someone already skilled in team and organization building, which is why the names Theo Epstein and Billy Beane keep popping up.
The experiment with Luis Rojas should also be declared over, but not for the reason Rojas has failed (he gets an “A” for effort), as much as the need to replace him (again) with someone who does not need a learning curve.
Mets: A Mountain Full Of Work To Be Done
The Mets have at least a three-tiered offseason process, which was discussed thoroughly in yesterday’s article, that offers many opportunities while also being strife with peril if the same mistakes are made again.
Regrettably, the team-building process requires adding and subtracting one piece at a time, with a whiteboard strategy in the GM’s office that is adhered to each step of the way.
Steve Cohen’s three-year pledge to bring a World Championship to Mets fans and the city of New York is still workable and realistic – but 2022 must, at a minimum, come with a finish at the top of the NL East.
More than anything, the Mets beat themselves this year because when you look at Atlanta and the Phillies, who cannot say they are not as mediocre as the Mets have been this season.
Nothing can be done to improve the Mets for next year, however, until the front office is fully staffed because the Mets can only spin their wheels under the guidance of Alderson.
Time Is Of The Essence
Time will be of the essence even then, given all of the individual personnel decisions that are needed regarding the 14 free agents of their own, the 11 players eligible for arbitration, and that’s without considering the wealth of free agents available from the Class of 2022, plus discussions about trades.
The adage that Rome wasn’t built in a day carries little weight in baseball, especially when it comes to a team that already sported a payroll of $200 million and one that plays in the Big City.
I haven’t done the research, but I’m pretty sure that while Steve Cohen didn’t have the $14 billion he has now, he most assuredly had the first billion in two years.
We can talk all day about how players and fans were crushed when DeGrom went down in the face of the record-setting season he was having – and how that took the air out of the Mets – and they were never the same afterward.
But that’s a requiem there is no time or energy for, and the focus needs to turn immediately and only to 2022.
The “New” New York Mets
Hopefully, the Mets roster will look nothing like the one finishing up the season when Spring Training arrives in February.
But consider there are only four months until then, and the interruptions of the holidays can cross multiple days off of the calendar. To illustrate, how far does June seem when the Mets were riding high in first place to today?
The first move must come from Cohen, and as fans of the Mets, all pressure and discussion need to be directed his way.
Because next year when these words are written at season’s end, they won’t be as kind and understanding…
Hers’s What Readers Are Saying…
Josie Clark They should never feel ashamed if they did their best and I think they did 90 days in first place,and if Jacob did not get hurt who knows where we would be Love the Mets Gotta believe now get a new manager
Susan Franciscovich Apologize for what our boys of summer? We love u 
through highs and lows. We respect u for putting forth your best. Sure it’s been a rollercoaster season yet we stay true to our 
and Blue 
Let’s Go 
Mets!
Michael Bloodgood No they have plenty to be ashamed of. None of these guys except Alonso and Baez showed up this year. When Villar and Pillar, 2 bench guys are your best players that says it all
John Walter This will indeed be an interesting off-season. They have many of the pieces. How do you challenge the best to come and work for you? This will be Cohen’s first task. You can’t just say we want to win it all and then do nothing to achieve it. Assuming they get the best then the 3 years is more realistic. deGrom and Stroman are 1 and 3 they don’t really have a 2 and 4. they have plenty to chose from Walker is under contract. the bullpen has to have a killer instinct, they do not. McNeil Alonso and Baez are a formidable 3 4 5 likely to never happen. Winning the division next year is a good goal. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and Met on.
Juan Huertas-luyando Thanks to the Owner who said 3-5 years is the window he’s given for the team to win a World Series Championship or two. By doing that he’s basically punting this year and next. Smh! Hopefully, Sandy Alderson is not the one making the decisions when it comes to constructing the Mets on the field. And off the field for that matter ie Jared Porter, Zack Scott, etc just to name a few bad decisions Sandy has made.
Deborah Crane If we could just pitch out of the first inning- a few more games may have been won. It is also apparent that our pitchers love giving up homers.
Brian A Buckhout Yay we were in first place for 3 months and after Jake goes down, the Mets get Rich Over the Hill and Journeyman Trevor Caveman Williams, while Braves and Phil’s improve before the trade deadline. But, let’s continue to accept, apologize, enable and make excuses for years of failure!
Closing Published Comments And Final Thoughts
This will close out published comments due to page length. As always, readers are varied in how they view the Mets today, and for the 2022 season. Thanks to all readers.
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
