Of course, trading EITHER of them to an NL East team would be truly moronic, I wouldn’t put it past Alderson. After all, we already have the singular WORST upper management (from GM to the Owners) in the Major Leagues, and as a Tampa Bay resident, I’ve already seen what happens when you have this kind of ownership.

Ya know, I used to love the Mets, even when they were losing (as in the mid to late 70s, early 80s), before Free Agency became the most common way for a player to change teams. In baseball, BEFORE Free Agency, having a great GM meant teams would only be able to change drastically through trade or through the farm system. In today’s game, how much your owners are willing to spend on Free Agents/Contract Extensions has more impact on a team’s success than pretty much anything else. If only there were a way to force the ownership out.

I really do wish there were a way to convince Met fans, should Alderson NOT sign both Wright AND Dickey to multi-year contracts to BOYCOTT! Petitions tend not to have TOO much of an effect, but I would sign, and think just about ALL Met fans would sign petitions making it known to Alderson and his moronic bosses, if they continue to treat our best players as though they were the Bruce Boisclair, George “the Stork” Theodore, Butch Huskey, and Dan Normans of our past, we WILL NOT ATTEND GAMES! As much as I love the Mets, and have been a die-hard fan since I was 3 years old and saw Tommie Agee make two amazing catches in one game (one of my earliest memories), I refuse to financially support an owner who treats us, as fans, as though we don’t matter.

David Wright, as any Met fan knows, and really anyone who follows the Nat’l League knows, is not only the face of the Mets, but the heart of them. How many of us, as fans, are going to feel good about our team, and make an effort to get out and see them if Wright is allowed to walk (and he WILL walk after next year if the Mets don’t give him a new contract this year, and I won’t blame him). I’d like to know from both parties what the offers are. What’s the hold up?

In fact, I’d love to be the arbitrator in both cases, and I should note, I’ve NEVER been a fan of players who walk away from their long time teams, especially if that team is the one which drafted them and taught them from the minors on, finally giving that player a chance to play in the majors. The overwhelming majority of Met fans love David Wright, and for good reason. Most of us were disappointed Reyes left, but we all were also aware of his propensity to get injured, so we could let it slide.

Well, neither Dickey nor Wright have a propensity to get injured, and barring a couple of off years by Mr. Met (aka Wright ), he’s been the most productive, consistent offensive player the Mets have brought up from their farm system and kept, and is probably second only to Mike Piazza as the single most consistently good offensive player. Wright’s defense this past year was also outstanding, reminding me why he’s a 2 time Gold Glove award winner. If Alderson let’s EITHER player go, and fails to sign BOTH of them to long term deals, then they’ll be making a LOUD statement to Met fans, that statement being we’re the new “Pittsburgh Pirates,” or “Montreal Expos” and we’re going to approach not just free agency, but contract extensions paid to our home grown players like that of the smallest market teams in the league. It’s embarrassing. The Mets are in the #1 Media market IN THE WORLD! They have a huge following. The reason not only I, but all of my friends who are Met fans avoided the stadium this year was in protest for letting Reyes walk. If they fail to sign Dickey OR Wright, Mets fans will again NOT SHOW UP!! It’s the only way we have to let management/ownership know we’re unhappy with them and the product they’re giving us.

I think both the Wilpon family and Sandy Alderson fail to understand, in baseball, you have to put a winning product on the field in order to draw fans. You have to INVEST in the team for them to make money. People won’t just show up to watch a team when they continually allow that team’s favorite players to leave as soon as they’re eligible for Free Agency. Alderson said he wanted to wait to see if Dickey was a fluke before offering him a big contract. Dickey showed he wasn’t. Alderson wanted to see if Wright would bounce back once they brought the fences in, before he offered HIM a long term contract. Both of them responded, both deserve long term contracts, and though I would only offer Wright a 6 year $102 million contract (front loaded so when he’s 34 and 35 he’s making maybe $9 million/year.

I can’t express with mere words how frustrated and angry I am with the Alderson, never mind the Wilpons (whom I despise).