Wilpon Turns Steinbrenneresque

Obviously that's what you would want, but you won't get him because someone will give him a long term deal. Do you lose him or match it?

 

The Sox have just let people walk as opposed to signing them, and that's worked out OK (Pedro and Jason Bay didn't come close to earning their contracts, Clemens was pre-Epstein). But they also spend pretty eagerly in the draft and in free agency to cover up the holes, and their own forays into FA haven't exactly been successful (Lugo, Lackey, Renteria). I don't think the Mets' system has the depth to lose Reyes, but they're a mess anyway, even with Alderson taking on more of a role.

 

you listed all the bad FA but what about Damon, Manny, Foulke. that's going back, but no way they win in 04 without those guys. i just think Reyes right now is heading into his prime years. yes he's always been hurt but if Crawford can get that much, a guy who is pretty much equal offensively, but plays SS, should also get that much. basically Wilpon is a douche and showed it with his comments. does he think that will make Reyes give him a hometown discount. WTF is the point of saying that. at least with Steinbrenner he thought in his mind he was lighting a fire under guys. sure he pretty much wasn't but he at least could say F that guy we'll sign someone else. what is asswipe Wilpon saying, F Reyes we'll get someone like Joe McEwing to replace him.

 

Damon and Manny were Duquette signings. Guy never got as much credit as he deserved for that Red Sox title.

 

yeah looked up Damon, didn't realize they had him in 02. also going back even further wasn't it Duquette who sodomized the Mariners for Lowe and Varitek.

 

Doubtful the Mets take any straight-up salary dumps and get anything better than mid-level prospects. Doofus Fred showed an already bad hand and other GMs have long known they are in desperation mode.

 

I'm not sure sodomized is a strong enough expression for what he did to the M's there. Duquette's personality flaws prevented him from getting the credit he deserves.

 

Yeah, and IIRC, he had some truly horrible drafts throughout his reign, Nomar-excluded. (And that might have been a Gorman pick, I can't remember.)

I think most teams are 50/50 at best when it comes to free agent signings, since you're almost always paying for a guy's years past 28. By that standard, the Red Sox and Yankees do OK. It's teams like the Royals that screw things up, since they're throwing money at mediocre guys with little upside as well.

 

That's a fair assessment. Duquette had awful drafts. I mean, Adam Everett was probably his best high post-Nomar pick. But he was also pretty good at finding the right guys via trades and free agency--a whole lot better than Theo. I don't think it would take Duquette 17 tries to find a shortstop.

The last Gorman pick was Nixon, I believe, and Nomar was Duquette's first.

 

NOMAH!!!

Actually, I think that Epstein is pretty good at scouring some of the margins for decent players. He did sign David Ortiz, Mark Bellhorn and others to near-minimum contracts. But as you load up on players, it's harder to fit those types of players in. Even if you get a Wily Mo Pena or Jeremy Hermedia, a guy that maybe has some upside, he's only going to get 200 to 300 ABs and not play full-time. Yankees have the same issue - Who wants to sign on to be Jeter's or A-Rod's backup except for the most fringe of players?

 

Nice puff piece on the lovable and misunderstood Wilpon's in this weeks SI, by Tom Verducci.

Verducci makes Peter King seem credible.