New York Mets: Deciding whether the offseason has been productive or deceptive

The New York Mets have already had quite the busy offseason and it’s not even Spring Training. But, something has been brought to my attention. Is their offseason actually productive or is it deceptive?

The New York Mets traded for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz basically right as the true offseason started. I could end this article here and it would feel like more than usual.

However, the Mets have done even more than the blockbuster deal with the Mariners.

The Mets also signed Wilson Ramos to fill a need. They traded to get Keon Broxton from the winning Brewers organization, and just traded Kevin Plawecki.

The Mets have done more than that under the new leadership of Brodie Van Wagenen, and they will probably still do even more.

However, I saw this tweet the other day and found it very intriguing:

First off, I find this type of honestly and analysis inspiring. That is what we try to be and do here at Empire Writes back.

Second off, it is rare that I can write an entire article about one tweet, but this one is well worth the time to sit down and do so.

Like every opinion, there are points to agree with, and points to disagree with. But, the point made in this tweet has become part of a bigger argument.

It is not whether the Mets will be a solid team or not. They haven’t even taken the field yet in 2019, so that is not really the point.

So, I disagree with the fake contending part. It is unlikely the Mets propelled themselves from pretender to contender, but it is just way too early to judge right now. So never say never, but also don’t assume how they will be.

What is interesting about this tweet is the money aspect. The Mets play in New York bleeping City, yet have the reputation and false narrative of being a small market team.

The Mets are not a small market team, just historically the smallest team in their market. There is a huge difference.

What the Mets are is cheap. The Wilpons are cheap owners and always have been. This is not news.

However, what I can say is this. The Wilpons are a problem, but Brodie can be the loophole. There is always a solution to the problems.

What the Mets might be doing is deceptively looking less cheap. I don’t even have to crunch the numbers. It shows there was so much roster turnover this offseason, that it feels like they spent money.

The tweet does allude that the amount of money spent is similar. And it is true that most of the Mets moves have been through trade and not free agency.

Free agency hardly exists for the Mets because they constantly fail to get better through it.

What I will say, is that I think that even though the payroll might be the same, and the Mets are trading players to get out of paying money, I still think the money is being put to better use.

If the Mets have to trade a first round pick in Jarred Kelenic to get Anthony Swarzak and Jay Bruce off the books, so be it.

I’d much rather see the Mets have to pay for a “we know what we have in him” Cano then keep waiting for Jay Bruce to breakout.

It is easier for me to watch Wilson Ramos be consistent on both sides of the ball for still a very fair price than it is for me to watch the Mets spend more on a less-consistent Yasmani Grandal.

So, I would agree that the Wilpons and being cheap is a problem. But that is just par for the course at this point.

That is why Sandy Alderson had to go. He is a Mets legend in my eyes, but got lazier and complacent with the lack of resources to work with, that the product went stale.

Now, a fresh, ambitious, motivated young GM has come in and can use the same problem the Mets have had and turn it into a fun challenge.

Just because the payroll is the same, and just because the Mets are essentially destroying what was becoming an interesting talent pool, does not mean they are fake contending, or going to be bad.

It’s mostly just using whatever money more efficiently.

So, the tweet is interesting. I totally see where he is coming from and agree with the heart of the points.

But, just because it is the same problem, does not take away from the new formula to fix it. The Mets’ winning window could be large if all goes accordingly.

So, to really answer the question. Yes, the Mets’ offseason is still deceptive so far. They still have not spent a lot of money to get better talent, they even lost some potential talent.

But, the offseason has also been a great kind of productive. They upgraded where they needed to, and it is only early January.

Only time will tell if this all pays off, and we have not seen this kind of roster turnover in a long time so it is difficult to judge.

But, if you were to gather 10 people to solve the same problem, 10 people to solve the problem the Wilpon’s cause, one of them is bound to be able to solve it and in a different way.

Maybe, just maybe the Wilpon’s are the same, run of the mill, that they have always been.

But, maybe, just maybe Van Wagenen is extraordinary, an outside the box risk taker the Mets need to offset it all.

It is for that reason, that I do not care about the payroll. And it is for that reason I am excited to see the product take the field in 2019.

Either way, this tweet was important. It is important to understand that the business side can be sketchy and that this team could still stink.

It just might not matter regardless because Mets fans will always be at Citi Field anyway.