New York Mets fans: Don’t get weary of Sandy Alderson’s patience

Things have grown quiet on the New York Mets’ offseason front. But fans should hold back from getting too restless.

The MLB Hot Stove has of course slowed after a flurry of moves that followed the Winter Meetings last month. In fact, the only significant move that New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson was able to make was the re-signing of slugger Yoenis Cespedes.

Cespedes was signed for four years, $110 million — an average of $27 million a year. According to Spotrac.com, the Mets’ 2017 payroll currently sits at $103 million, making it the 13th highest in the league.

In comparison, rival clubs like the Washington Nationals are at $120 million, the World Series champion Chicago Cubs are spending $132 million and the Los Angeles Dodgers rank first in payroll at a whopping $200 million.

Mets fans may see those numbers and go out of their Metropolitan-loving minds. In a city where baseball is king, the franchise they pledge loyalty to is a middle-of-the-pack team based on payroll. As usual, their cross-city neighbor, the New York Yankees, have a payroll that dwarfs the Mets’ payroll by over $70 million.

It’s no secret that the Wilpons are still feeling the effects of the Madoff Ponzi scheme, in which they are forced to pay back gains to victims. Alderson has worked with this restriction since taking over the team in October 2010. There was certainly a rough stretch over the first few years of his tenure, including consecutive losing seasons and the departures of beloved players like Jose Reyes.

The last two seasons have validated the Wilpons’ belief in Alderson, though, as the Mets have enjoyed back-to-back postseason appearances and possessed a bevy of young talent showcased during each season.

So Mets fans, “R-E-L-A-X” — here is why you should feel confident going into the 2017 campaign.

A Possible Blockbuster Trade

Some dominoes need to fall, that’s for sure. But when they do, a couple things may happen that will cause a chain of events. For instance, Jose Bautista signs with a team. This will open up trade possibilities for Jay Bruce or Curtis Granderson. There are plenty of teams looking for that type of leadership and hitting ability.

Let’s say Bruce is the player that’s traded. Fans would then see an outfield comprised of Cespedes, Michael Conforto and Granderson. Juan Lagares would be used as a defensive replacement. Is that something you might be interested in?

Or something a little more spectacular could happen, where Sandy makes a move to bring in Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen or Colorado Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon by moving some of his young players — possibly including Conforto. Is that something you might be interested in?

Another possibility would be trading for a bullpen ace, such as David Robertson, with the Chicago White Sox moving high-priced players to reset their franchise. A trade for Robertson would solidify the back-end of the ‘pen, while complimenting what could be a special rotation, but more on that later.

Payroll flexibility and the work Alderson has put into the farm system makes this possible.

A Rich Farm System

Last year was about as injury-plagued as any season can get. Key pieces to the team’s success that led to a World Series appearance in 2015 fell at an alarming rate. The laundry list of names and the injuries they had suffered became especially alarming:

• Matt Harvey – Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• Jacob deGrom – Issues with the Ulnar Nerve in his right elbow
• Steven Matz – Bone Spurs
• Zack Wheeler – Tommy John surgery in 2015
• David Wright – Spinal Stenosis
• Neil Walker – Back surgery due to a herniated disc

The injuries thinned the Mets roster to the point where Alderson and manager Terry Collins were playing farm hands each game. Gavin Cecchini, Brandon Nimmo, T.J. Rivera, Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo were among the names of players who got some Major League experience.

The exciting part is that each played well and helped lead the Mets to a Wild Card berth, bringing an optimistic view of the future.

The farm system gets deeper when adding in the names of Amed Rosario, Dominic Smith and Justin Dunn — the top three prospects in the minors. Rosario is expected to be special, and could provide the long term answer at shortstop for New York.

Alderson can hold off on draining the farm system early this season, because help is on the way . . .

They’re Back!

The return of Harvey, deGrom, Matz and possibly Wheeler should make Mets fans giddy. A rotation of that caliber could do some historic things. This is exactly what Alderson envisioned when he assembled it. Injuries have derailed the plan a bit, but if this unit stays healthy, look out.

The return of key position players should provide experience, leadership and depth, as Wright, Walker and Lucas Duda will enter the season on time with a full Spring Training. Especially getting ‘The Captain’ back will provide a spark that was missing for a majority of last season.

When healthy, this team has the perfect mix of experience and youth to make another run the World Series. On the other hand, at $103 million on the books, the Mets may have some cash to splash on depth, perhaps for a player looking for a new home.

Roll the Dice in Free Agency

Alderson was one of the first GMs to strike early in free agency, signing Cespedes to that massive deal. But with the exception of Edwin Encarnacion, the free agency period has been rather slow.

Don’t expect Alderson to open the check book for another massive deal, but there are some free agents to be had as impact players.

An aging veteran such as Coco Crisp would produce some outfield depth. Maybe the Mets get a bounce back performance from Austin Jackson, who is still relatively young at 29-years-old.

Another option would be upgrading a position – in this case first base. Two names that would be intriguing to the Mets could be Mark Trumbo and Chris Carter. The Mets have struggled to find consistency at the historically power hitting position since Carlos Delgado.

Lastly, with Jeurys Familia potentially being suspended by the MLB, signing a short term deal with former Kansas City Royals closer Greg Holland should not be ruled out. He missed the entire 2016 season after Tommy John surgery, but when right, as he was in 2015, he was able to compile over 30 saves.

All That’s Needed is a Little Patience

With Spring Training well over a month away, there is still plenty of time to shore up any holes in the roster.

There is flexibility in the payroll, options in lineup configuration and a farm system that has proven to develop major league talent — and this was all done at the hands of Sandy Alderson.

So take a deep breath, get your accommodations coordinated and your bag packed for Port St. Lucie. The plan is in place, the franchise is healthy and the objective is clear. This could be the New York Mets year!