Opinion: Plans, Rumors, Ideas and 2010
In a post to Amazin Avenue, Sam Page lists 13 moves he would make as GM of the Mets, to re-shape the team for 2010.
…i can support page’s plan… i like it… he assumes a lot, though, such as suggesting the Royals even wanting Luis Castillo; that the 
Cubs will want to acquire Jeff Francoeur to replace Milton Bradley; that the Rays will accept Bobby Parnell and Wilmer Flores for Carlos Pena, who they might want to keep for the start of the season; and trusting Rich Harden, Kiko Calero and Carl Pavano will stay healthy for a full season; but, if the other 29 teams get out of the Mets way, allow for such moves to be made without obstruction, and everyone stays healthy, i like the team he puts together… i think they’d be successful, and fun to watch…
…i rarely post my own proposals because of statements like, “Trade Luis Castillo to the Royals for virtually nothing - I’d bet they’d take him,” as page writes… i love the blogosphere, and i love that we can talk about this stuff, all day, in text, on talk radio, etc… but, i also know there is so much that happens behind closed doors, about the business of the game, the politics of transactions, all things we’ll never know about or understand, and all of which make such proposals seem incomplete… because, that’s the thing, Omar Minaya and his colleagues can’t just bet a team will take someone, write it on paper and walk away proud of the idea… they have to actually follow through with it, make the call and find a fit for both sides, while not only competing with 29 other teams, but also dealing with real-life consequences down the line, such as paying with their jobs if the plan doesn’t work out…
…this is not to say fans and media shouldn’t make suggestions… we should… i will… page should… everyone should… and they can be realistic or totally unrealistic… who cares… and who knows, maybe page is right, maybe signing Kelvim Escobar to a one-year contract with incentives ends up being the difference-maker move for the Mets in 2010… making these suggestions and putting out these proposals is all part of being a fan… and it’s the best part of the off season, because it allows us to be hopeful on our own dime…
…so, you and i and page and everyone else should always keep writing and thinking, if for no other reason than it’s fun… and who knows, maybe someone of importance is reading, and it’ll spark an idea that actually happens… at minimum, it gives us something to talk about… but, personally, i have a difficult time assuming any one suggestion is as easy to make happen as it is to type out on a keyboard… i think this is why i spend so much time writing about the state of the market, and the feasibility of rumors, than i do writing my own, original ideas… i think, instead, what i try to do is crystallize and synthesize what is possible, in hopes that other bloggers can do what page is doing… because, i love reading everyone else’s suggestions, and linking to them, and talking about them… and page’s is pretty good… so, keep them coming…
