Lennon: on Flexibility, Alderson’s Strategy, and the Plan
“Don’t confuse an aversion to Werth/Crawford/Lee type deals with not spending money. The Mets already have a $130 million payroll for next season, and I believe they will continue to have one of the sport’s highest payrolls during Alderson’s tenure once he is able to balance the team’s resources a little better…What’s wrong with making the Mets into a contender again in a smarter fashion and with an eye toward keeping them competitive for the next decade? The goal is sustained excellence, rather than a crash-and-burn cycle every four years or so, and that’s going to take some patience.”
I think Lennon nails it here.
“There are the Carl Crawford and the Jayson Werth (type contracts), but there are also the Paul Konerko’s and Adam Dunn’s – and where that infrastructure comes into play is to figure out the best combination of players with the best combination of prices. Everyone would have a preference to signing shorter rather than longer contracts. (The longer) deals are setting a dangerous precedent. But this is New York, and we will have to address the market as it develops over the next few years. If this becomes the norm, then we will have to address it.”
In other words, while he doesn’t like the idea of handing out long term contracts, under the right circumstances, he will if he has to; just not this year because the flexibility in the payroll is just not there right now, especially in an “overheated” market as he put it earlier this week.
In talking with a lot of fans, there seems to be a connection between spending money and winning. But as Lennon points out, the Mets will have a payroll of close to $140 million in 2011, which is a) higher than the 2010 payroll, b) escalating without adding significantly to the roster due to prior commitments, and c) one of the highest payrolls in the sport and one of the highest payrolls in team history. Yet the general expectations are low, so how can that connection be made?
To me, there has to be a reflection on how the Mets have spent their money, rather than how much money they have spent and understanding there is a clear distinction between the two. I don’t think it matters how much the Mets spend, but how and in who their money is invested, top to bottom, within the organization, and understanding there have been some poorly constructed financial commitments made in both good players and bad over the last few seasons by the organization.
For starters, just because Alderson is working on a more limited budget this winter, it does not mean the Mets are broke. Their problem isn’t that they cannot add to their payroll – in fact, Alderson indicated last night that if the Mets are in contention this summer, he expects to be able to add pieces as needed to the roster. Their problem is their payroll is escalating without adding to the roster as a result of the terms of their current contracts, limiting their flexibility this season.
In listening to Alderson over the past six weeks, and last night in particular, I get the impression he is seeking to obtain the maximum amount of flexibility he can in order to be able to build a system of sustainable excellence, and spend money on players when he has to. However, if the Mets continue to lock themselves into numerous high priced, long term contracts and max out their budget in “overheated” markets, while they would certainly augment the roster and create a buzz today, their flexibility will continue to be limited when they need to able to add the pieces they need, leaving them deficient in critical areas, and I think history would ultimately repeat itself as it has so many times with the Mets on this path. Letting the current contracts expire over the next year will increase the amount of available cash under their budget going forward, and my impression is that future contracts will be designed to allow the Mets to re-tool in season, every winter, or both, and I think that is a smart strategy.
As a fan, I want the Mets to win right now. I’m hungry, it’s been a long time, and I’m tired of the losing, and the expectation they will lose. There is still that part of me that wants the quick fix as well. But I realize the Mets have to walk before they can run, and it’s essential to have a plan and follow that plan. Given Alderson and his group seem to have that plan in place to not just be competitive in the short term, but to sustain that competitiveness in order to become perpetual championship contenders over the long term, I am willing to be on board and be patient under those circumstances.
