When Omar came here, the Mets didn’t have players, so he had to sign free agents. When he did so he lost draft picks. Most teams that lose draft picks also gain when their players sign elsewhere. However, once gain, the Mets didn’t have players. So no compensation was gained. Thus, to help the minor league team, he signed international free agents. These guys take longer since they are signed younger, but they are there in the system. Eventually, they will come to the majors and succeed, or they will be traded for players who will stay with the Mets and help the team or will leave and get us draft picks. Also, some of the players we signed will eventually become free agents and will get us draft picks.

Any GM will tell you that it is virtually impossible to improve a minor league and major league system at the same time. Any GM will tell you that in 3 seasons Omar has made tremendous strides. No one could have done a better job, or will continue to do a better job.

Omar signed in Winter 2004. His first draft was June 2005.

Thus, four years gives him until June 2009. I agree. If no one is panning out by then, there’s a problem. But that’s still 1.5 years away.

Also, it is completely unreasonable to expect a player signed as a 16 year old to take the same amount of time to develop as a 22 year old. Pedroia and Paplebon went to four years of high school and four years of college. Martinez had none. NONE.

Apparently you do not grasp the idea about Draft Pick compensation. Several different posters have been trying to explain it to you, apparently with no results.

In order for us to have aquired Beltran (he made our team much better regardless of what many say about him) we had to give up a high level draft pick. Same goes for Pedro, Wagner, etc.

Four years ago, the Major League team, was in NO WAY in the same class that our team over the last two years has been.

Having the contending team is great, but to do so, it required sacrificing Draft Picks. This team is not the Yankees or Red Sox who’ve had type A players coming and going for years. The Yankee’s lose draft picks with their type A free agent signings, but they also gain high level draft picks when a type A player becomes a free agent and signs with another team.

I’m sorry if you can’t grasp this, but Omar couldn’t have drafted the players you’re complaining he hasn’t because of this rule in Baseball. It’s a confusing rule, but necessary to keep other teams financially alive.

IMO, Omar has compensated for losing the draft pick by putting resources into international signings, which will take longer to come to fruition, but can possibly be much more rewarding within the next two or three years, especially once we have reached the position where type A free agents are coming off the books as often as we’re signing them and continuing to have the high level draft picks you feel we’re missing.

Imagine having the best Single A team in the minors, and constantly feeding new talent into that team. That talent will start flowing up through the system and make the entire system better, but that can’t happen in only three years.

Alou, Delgado, Lo Duca, Valentin, El Duque.

Omar acquired all these, and perhaps only Delgado will bring back a type A free agent when he leaves but then will the Mets even offer him arbitration?

Castillo and Glavine?? Will the Mets offer both of them arbitration?

That’s 7 players and the Mets will likely get high draft picks from no mare than 2 of them. That’s what I’m talking about.

Omar has been signing players to help the team now, but in doing so, you have to give up draft picks. If you don’t HAVE the pick you CAN”T DRAFT the player. Omar has built the team, into a contender by the signings and trades he’s made. He’s improved the lower end of the farm by international signings, now, with the core in place in the Majors, coupled with the low A talent set to start coming up through the system, via the draft, he’ll be able to Draft the draft picks you’re looking for. But, do you remember this team four years ago? It’s far and away improved, and now that it’s a contender, and the low A farm is as good as it is, the AA and AAA farm will start improving over the next few years.

If the latin prospect are very good then we should start to see them producing as well.

You’re willing to give Omar “a couple more years” but I’m not. I think 4 years is enough to start expecting some results.

I understand that the minors weren’t that bad WHEN Omar took over. But Omar was forced to trade guys for major league players to appease the fans and keep his job. He had to put a winner out immediately. In doing so, he sacrificed the farm system. Do you blame this on him? Is it hisfault the team was so weak and the NY fans demanded immediate results?

Since then, Omar has been doing his best to help the farm system without hurting the big club’s chances. The best way to do that is in the international market, where you can sign anyone regardless of what major league free agents you sign. Those guys are there, they’re just young. Give them a couple of years.

And while the parent club was a mess when Omar took over, the minor leagues were not in bad shape. They had just produced Reyes and Wright ,and there were quite a few good prospects that Omar was able to turn around for needed players. The problem is he turned them around for players like Lo Duca who have faded so badly he is not a type A free agent. Or they fade so badly he will not offer them arbitration to be able to get the draft picks back.

Is you patience limitless? Are you going to give Omar a pass forever? When will you start to question things if the minors continue to turn up very little?