Who Wants to be a Met?

Carlos Beltran, Matt Clement, Carl Pavano, Magglio Ordonez, Mike Lowell, Adrian Beltre, J.D. Drew, Magglio Ordonez, Brad Radke, Carlos Delgado, Derek Lowe, Kevin Millwood, Pedro Martinez, Orlando Cabrera and Armando Benitez. These are just some of the marquee free agents that will flood the 2005 market, and this does not even include the dozens of quality players that some teams will be looking to trade in the offseason.

The Mets have created a dilemma in the last 4 years ... one that may be insurmountable this offseason. Who in their right mind wants to play for the New York Mets?

What do we have to offer? Well, for starters there is a tenacious bunch of sports writers, brutal fans, mediocre weather, the highest living expenses, a horrible stadium, no chance to win, no margin for error, sorrow, pity and despair. Outside of Tom Glavine, who we had to grossly overpay, it's no wonder we haven't actually signed a marquee free agent in what seems like forever (Mike Piazza, 5 years ago).

Roger Cedeno, Roberto Alomar and Armando Benitez gave it a shot but literally got chased out of town. Guys like Jeremy Burnitz and Cliff Floyd gave Shea a try but saw their production fall off a cliff (pun intended) and their names assualted in the papers every morning. If not the papers, then you have to deal with a Mike Francessa grilling, or the WFAN callers themselves calling you a moron, or lazy, or stupid.

The infallible Glavine even signed on with the Mets. He brought his professionalism and uber-success rates with him, only to crawl through two seasons with no run support, no wins and his first series of strange injuries.

There was a time in the late 80's when the New York Mets organization was a very desirable location to play. In the past, free agents always gave the Mets a serious look; they could play for a winner in the national spotlight in front of intense fans. These days, anyone wanting those conditions sends their agents to the Yankees. Players like Scott Rolen and J.D. Drew, who prefer to play where the atmosphere is laid back choose warm and fuzzy cities like Atlanta, St. Louis, San Diego, Anaheim, Denver or Miami.

The one saving grace we always had was the ability to provide lucrative contracts, but with a bleak payroll in 2004 even that has escaped us. In addition to being a rough, tough, losing and brutal place to play, we're cheap now too.

So when Carl Pavano inks with the Yankees (for the limelight and cash) or with the Cardinals (for the fans, stadium and tranquility), we shouldn't be surprised. When Brad Radke has no interest in signing with the Mets and signs on the cheap to go somewhere else, don't be shocked. When Carlos Delgado takes less money to play with the Marlins, don't be upset. When Carlos Beltran eliminates the Mets first from his list of potential suitors, don't be angry. We have nothing to offer. Sure, we'll make a nice little doormat for guys like Vlad Guerrero, Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran to use in their negotiations, but don't expect any of them to come to a team that has nothing to offer.

There are, however, two ways to turn things around ... both methods require winning. Wilpon can open up the purse strings and pay the top talent more than other teams can afford to (and start winning ballgames). Alternately, the Mets can build from within a winning nucleus. Both roads have plenty of inherent risk. Opening the wallet exposes the cash flow, and if the players don't produce you are even further in the hole financially. Hoping the farm hands will all prosper is a bit risky as well, because they have every chance of being the next Wilson, Pulsipher and Isringhausen as they do the next Strawberry, Gooden and Dykstra.

I think the Mets need to change their culture, big time. They need a new stadium that is so attractive it actually draws people to it as if it were a spectacle in itself. We need superior management, the kind of management that New York dollars can afford to buy. We need studs developed from our own system (Scott Kazmir would have been a perfect example) and our best chance at acquiring top players is by force ... through trades (the same way we picked up Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter). Most of all, we need to win. The only way to get key free agents to come to New York is to win, because it's only fun playing in the big brutal city when your team is a winner ... just ask any of the current Mets ... or Yankees.