To sum up every Met fan’s thoughts: “What are you waiting for?”
We are on the verge of entering the second week of Bay-watch with Jason Bay still holding out for a fifth year, while catcher Bengie Molina looking for a third guaranteed season.
Do they deserve it? With Bay, maybe, but Molina, no way – two years is too much for a 35 year-old catcher, let alone three.
Yet, the Mets wait and as Santa Claus is set to make his annual run tomorrow, Met fans are wondering what will be under their Christmas trees.
Well, it’s time for the Mets to make a decision. If they want to sweeten the pot with Bay for a fifth year option, so be it, but then tell both Bay’s agent Joe Upton and Molina’s rep Fernando Cuza, it’s time to make up their minds. Give them the Christmas holiday weekend to make up their minds, or tell them the team will look elsewhere.
This waiting game is a very dangerous proposition. Sure it worked two years ago with Johan Santana, but there were more wheels in motion there. First Minnesota had to trade him to the Mets and then they dealt with the player.
But that’s not the case here. By all accounts both Bay and Molina have no other leverage; the Mets seem to be the only player. Yet, the longer the team waits the more windows open up. Look at the Javy Vasquez trade yesterday. Now it’s possible for either Atlanta or even the Yankees to have interest in Bay and the Mets will be left out in the cold.
In the past, when the Mets went after their big ticket items, they brought them to New York. Jeff Wilpon entertained them and showed them places to live. Right now, we are seeing none of that, which makes one believe neither player is really interested in the New York Mets. If that’s the case, then it’s time to move on, be it with Matt Holliday or some other cheaper option.
Wellington Mara once said, “There’s no fooling our fans.” Yet, this is what the Mets are trying to do here. With season renewals going at a snail’s pace, the Mets are desperate to be relevant in this market. Yet, what they are doing is shooting themselves in the foot, because everyone sees right through that act.
There’s no shame in rebuilding and you can do it in New York. Just look at the Knicks, who are starting to come to life this season and have a bright future if they can sign their high ticket free agents. If the Mets just said to the fan base they are trying to compete next year, but also present a long term plan, then no one would ever complain.
Yet, they are trying to continue their patchwork plan, which they do every off-season. That has gotten Minaya all of one postseason, two epic collapses, and one really bad 2009.
It’s time now to end this and come up with a plan. It starts today by ending the waiting game with Bay and Molina and telling both it’s time for them to make up their minds.
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