New York Mets fans are confident that there’s a method to the madness, that one day soon this beloved team from Flushing, Queens, will once again become a playoff-caliber ballclub.
In fact, earlier this week, Mets GM Sandy Alderson told MLB Network that he believes his team has “players with the potential to improve us by 10 games next season.”
Considering the club won 79 games in 2014, Alderson’s estimate would put the Mets just one game below 90 wins next season. For context, the Kansas City Royals won the American League with 89 wins last season, and the Giants won first the National League and then the World Series with only 88 victories.
If he’s correct, then the Mets would break .500 for the first time since 2008. Should the Mets fail to do so, however, Alderson will continue to draw his share of criticism for his lack of tangible production this offseason.
“One of the reasons we’ve been quiet in the offseason is that we have quality players at every position,” continued Alderson. “They’re not all proven above-average major league players, but we’re at the point now where we have to give them the opportunity to perform.”
Some may agree with Alderson and argue that such criticism is unfair. But there are certainly scenarios that the team will have to address heading into spring training and beyond.
Until then, many fans and critics will absolutely consider each of the following decisions to be a mistake.