Monday, December 14, 2009

Reaction: Phillies Acquire Halladay, Mariners Acquire Lee, Red Sox Sign Lackey

All of the above, it bears mentioning, are just being reported... and here on ESPN.

That said... WOW. Three huge names moving on the same day? And none to the Mets? It could be cause for alarm for some of our fans.

Matt Cerrone over at Metsblog just published a note called "I'm Freaking Out a Bit," which is hilarious and honest:

Right now, today, seeing how other teams are improving, and being creative in doing so, I can’t help but freak out a bit.

I know I shouldn’t, but I am.

What’s more, I’m most worried the Mets might freak out too and do something crazy, making matters worse, just to try and ‘make a splash,’ like step up and sign Joel Pineiro to a terrible contract, or overbid to sign Bay, just to have something to put on disaply.
THAT is my concern. I'm not bothered at all by the fact that the Phillies swapped Halladay for Lee, or that Lackey is signed. I've said all along that the Mets were more than one piece away from contention. What does worry me, however, is the fact that the Mets might feel compelled to make a move and respond to this -- either to make a visible splash or because they see their window of opportunity to improve closing.

An hour ago, Ken Davidoff tweeted the following: "With #RedSox out and #Mariners taking on pitching, #Mets appear to be leading Jason Bay sweepstakes. Ms wary of Bay's defense, anyway."

Yeah... this is not a move I'd like. I'm wary of Bay and don't think he'd make for a good investment at 4 years and $65 million. Over the last three years, Bay has been 6.4 wins over replacement -- that's less than $7 million of value per year.

The Mets shouldn't do anything rash. I'd rather the Mets sit tight and do their best to improve now and in the long term. One big free agent signing is only going to make a tiny difference next year - even if it's Bay. Three or four wins, tops.

Whether the Mets win 83 or 87 games next year won't matter, because Philadelphia and/or Atlanta are good bets going to win 95. Let's be prudent. And patient. And then dominate the NL East for a decade, rather than patching up holes each year.

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